Memorygirls Make Do and Mend for 2008 Thread

HelenKA_2

I'd second the terry nappy comment, as long as you have outside drying. I used them for 3 of mine (have 4 but in a flat with no outside drying for the first one). They are a great money saver and I'll send you some fleece liners that I cut up the other night for free if it helps.

I think the best kind are the flat squares since they dry really quick and if you use nappy nippers are easy to fasten. The best wraps are fleece ones and I loved tots bots which are made in Fife!!

Search on www.twinkleontheweb.co.uk for more info, it's a really great site.

Helen

taplady

Mappygirl wrote: »

Wow - you give me so much motivation to get my life in shape!!!

What's a weetibix cake? Think I need a baking lesson from you too!!!!!

Not sure how to find it but there is a whole thread about weetabix cake somewhere on here!

rosieben

here you go, weetabix cake and weetabic brownies. I think there's a weetabix fruit load in the recipe index somewhere too


http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=310346&highlight=weetabix+cake

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=215590

memorygirl

Back from my friends - with a boot full of Graco buggy - and a few pancakes for DS supper as well - LOL.

I've also been gifted some odd balls of knitting wool, knitting needles etc from her clear -out. All donations gratefully converted into FREE clothes for the bump to be:rotfl: At this rate I will have enough woolies to keep him warm until his teens. I console myself that they can always be passed on when he has outgrown them - esp as so few people have the inclination to crochet/ sew these days.

Spent 15 minutes (using my kitchen timer - a la flylady) to zip around the house this morning finding all my personal development books and they are now neatly stashed in a wicker basket beside my bed. No excuse for not using them now a- and no excuses spending more money on new ones either.

Also found a smaller basket that I have started to collect all the electronic gubbins that I would be devastated to lose in the move. So far I have thrown in my hairdrier, straighteners, mobile phone charger, the leads to connect my MP3 and organiser to laptop. Figure that if their new home is the basket then I don't have to think about where to put them - and don't have to think about where they are either - LOL.

Going to spend 15 minutes this afternoon rummaging throught the kitchen to find all my bits n bobs for packed lunches - food flask, thermal coffee mug, smoothie cup, water bottles, salad bowls etc. I've found an old thermal picnic bag that I'm going to throw them into and store in the bottom of my wardrobe (I share a kitchen with my parentals at the mo - and can never find my bits if my Dad has dried up the dishes the night before:rotfl: ) Being able to make and take lunch every day WILL save me a fortune I'm sure - and if I store my packing bits seperately then it can happen.

Got crocheting away like mad last night - did my square for the Baby blanket - then a couple of beanies (sooooo quick to do) and then started on a 3- 6 month wrap over cardigan. Got 3/4 of the body done - the back and sides are done in one piece - so I may look at a couple of hours on the bed this afternoon to finish it off. Gotta finish these projects before I get bored with them see:D Not very MSE to leave everything as balls of wool.

SC on with sausage casserole for tea - just the usual mountain of mash n cabbage to do later. Bread is inthe oven - trying the make the dough in the BM but cook in a tin method today so that I can get smaller, hopefully thinner slices for my lunches this week.

Back to work tommorrow :eek: DS back to school in a week. Still we had a great last Christmas just the two of us this year - next one he will be a "big brother"

Wonder what this week will bring:D

Memorygirl

mary43

Memorygirl you're certainly teaching me a thing or two..............oh I wish I could be as organised...............lol I do keep trying, and I'll get there in the end I know.
You're doing brilliantly..............well done:T

Olliebeak

Well done, Memorygirl - reading your thread and enjoying it.

Love the feet up on the bed bit each day while doing your crochet/knitting - keeps those ankles and blood pressure down!

Good Luck with everything and especially the move.

wannasavemoney

Just read through your thread memorygirl and wanted to say well done and good luck in your move. Hope everything works out well for you. I too enjoy lots of crafting and can't think of anything more relaxing that sitting with a little knitting/crochet/sewing on the go.

bellaquidsin

Oooo, sitting on the bed knitting in the afternoon makes me wish I was pregnant, but at 64????

Well done Memorygirl with your organisation and motivation.

I am making a baby blanket too to go in my 'present' drawer but I am knitting mine so progress is rather slow. Quicker to crochet but I can read while I knit - can't have it all ways.

Will enjoy marking your progress,

Bella.

memorygirl

DAY 7

Thanks everyone for your kind comments - glad you guys don't think I'm off my trolley with this challenge

Back at work - bleurgh!!!! At least for part of the day. Unfortunately the plumber who I was due to let onsite managed to slide off the road on black ice this morning and trash his van. He says hes OK - but sounded a bit ropey. So I managed to knock off at lunchtime.

Came home and converted all the slightly soggy vegetables lurking in the fridge into practically a weeks worth of food - plan is to use up all the bits n bobs hanging around before spending a penny in the supermarkets on my menu plan.

Made today

Vegetable soup 8 portions
Parsnip and Cumin Soup 6 portions
Potato and Leek soup 6 portions
Yellow Pepper pasta sauce 4 portions
Butternut squash and kidney bean curry 6 portions
Lamb Meatballs 4 portions (had for dinner tonight as smelt fab)
Roasted butternut squash for risotto 4 portions
Red wine onion gravy - for toad in the hole 4 portions

Fridge is now full of Chinese takeaway containers - and I look like I have masses of food. Swear that when I looked in there this morning I was convinced I had a huge shop to do.:rotfl:

Once this lot of food is eaten I'll work on the freezer and cupboards to clear them out as much as possible - OK to spend as little as possible - throughout January.

Actual spends in 2008

£1.60 programme and badge at local panto for DS
£10.00 Cot for Bump off Ebay

..................... and thats it -:T


Calculated this evening the easy saves I can make this year (plucking up the courage to do the 4K challenge from the DFW Board)

1. Called to cancel Sky - DS only watches cartoons in the morning so waste of £38.00 per month. ANNUAL SAVING £456.00

2. Diet coke addiction - not healthy for me, the bump, or my bank account. Got one bottle left from Christmas and switching to the beautiful spring water that actually comes out of our tap up here on the hill. Cost per day £1.60 so ANNUAL SAVING £584.00. Caffeine withdrawl here I come:eek:

3. Weekly purchase of paperback book. Average £7.99 per week. ANNUAL SAVING £415.48. Library card now looked out and in my purse ready to use. Bit of a no-brainer this one - LOL
POTENTIAL SAVING SO FAR £1455.48 on these three items alone :eek:

Good telly tonight - watching "Wire in the Blood" so all set up to finish another square of the Bumps blanket and the left sleeve of a blue cardigan I've started.

Goal for today is to syncronise my works PDA with my diary on my laptop - so that I have all my appointments together in one place. Also means that I can carry my budget and spreadsheets with me at all times - so everything easy to update:o

Friend has also called this evening to say that the local furniture project has moved so I want to pop my head in there tomorrow to try and find a cheap chest of drawers that I can use for the bump's stuff. Dad has got a stock of leftover paints out in his garage that I can use to tart up any treasures that I find.

The colour scheme for the bump is going to have to be - red, white and blue. Think maritime motif - boats and lighthouses etc. Why? well had a rake through some bags of fabric that have been lurking in the attic for 6 years and thats what I found. So in the interest of Make Do And Mend 2008 - colour scheme sorted :rotfl:

Goal for tomorrow - visit the library and find some books on crafting for bump. Looking for inspiration of what to convert my fabric stash in to once I've use up the wool.

Does anyone have a pattern for nappy wraps that I could borrow? I've got some cotton and some fleece and if I could rustle up some wraps I will be all set up to use washable nappies. Very OS - but better / cheaper than disposable ones I hope.

Chat again tomorrow

Memorygirl

applemella

Memorygirl you are such an inspiration!!Keep up the good work!By the way what are the beanies you have mentioned?