Pick'n'Mix - the joy of the chaz in '26!

Miró

An update on 'Perfumegate' 👍️

I went to our big Boots in town and took the offending perfume with me. No Opium tester on show so had to ask. Anyhoo, got chatting to the SA and explained my mission, she had a sniff of the chazza perfume and pronounced it 'stale and off'. She also said that perfume generally only keeps, unopened, for between 3-5 years, depending on how and where it is kept and once opened it is only 'true' for a couple of years. Sooooo, back to the chazza for a refund I went this morning, (with trepidation but prepared for a refusal!). The manager was as nice as pie and gave a refund without even having a sniff of the offending smelly! There is one unopened box still on sale so I will be keeping a close eye on that to see if it is taken off sale, or if my opened box reappears🤔

Rosa_Damascena

Something to inspire us this weekend: https://apple.news/AXrp99tGxTqClcePax52rEQ

Miró

Well done to the CRUK shop! All of the ‘off’ Opium perfumes had been removed from sale today.

Just a couple of small purchases today, a pair of black ‘trouser socks’ for £1.25 and some ‘body sculpting leggings’ for £2.99. (ha…promises, promises!)

goldfinches

@Brie - I'm very glad to read the results of 'Perfumegate' and wish you joy of your sculpting leggings. I must confess to having bought a similar thing new from M&S after having caught sight of myself at a particularly unflattering angle in the mirror a few days ago; the Christmas pounds are very hard to shift this year for some reason, I think I'll blame it on the weather.

@Rosa_Damascena - that was an interesting article and I particularly noticed that people had bought things because they were such good value and then never worn them which is a bit of a nudge to be more discerning about my purchases. I did think her point about colours available in the mainstream shops versus the selection in charity shops was a good one. There's so much brown around now and it simply doesn't suit me at all so when it all gets donated this time next year I'll be keeping my money in the bank. Thankyou for the link.

I've taken some things back to shops in Summertown and Kidlington today as it was raining and grey so I thought spending some of the day on the bus was a good wheeze. Of course, while I was returning things I couldn't resist having a quick nose around to see what else I might be interested in so here are my accumulated finds from the last week or so.

First a White Stuff sort of collar/neck warmer thingy (I don't know what the official name for these is) which was £2, a blue hat that matches one of my thermal tops also £2 and an ice blue t-shirt which was reduced to £2.50.

Then these books and 2 dvds which were all £1 each in the Sue Ryder shop in Kidlington.

Then this haul from various shops including Tim Pigott-Smith reading the Wilbur Smith novels for £4.99 and my favourite film Some Like It Hot for £1.99 which I think is a bargain. I was very pleased to find Beard on Bread because so many other cookbook authors mention it as a mainstay on their bookshelves so I thought £2 was a very reasonable price.

Then this Damart coral fleece cardigan, £5, which is lovely and warm and quite flattering due to the princess seams if only I can shift some of the bulges lower down. 😳

And finally these two books and two non-stick cake tins, the Circulon flan dish was £7.99 and the mini Bundt was £3 and they both look entirely unused.

I'm beginning to realise that it's time to have a declutter and donate to make some space here especially on my bookshelves so I'll try and make a start on that while the weather is so foul over the next week or so and see if I can't clear at least one shelf.

Rosa_Damascena

@goldfinches - it looks like you had a good day au chaz. I'd love to see your results with the bundt tin, its very angular and I'm sure will create visually stunning bakes.

Miró

@goldfinches Ooooh, I bought a very similar mini bundt tin b/n from a charity shop a couple of years ago! I could never find recipes for that size tin tho so every attempt at using it was a failure. Eventually sold it for £10 on Vinted 😁

Magpie100

@goldfinches it's a neck gaiter! I love them; extremely good for keeping warm without effort and I have lots. And now I want yours. I've tried to stay out of the charity shops so far this year as have far too much stuff and have been busy selling on Vinted. I know I will crack at some point! I have a bag ready to donate and I did have a look round my locals yesterday but really nothing exciting on the rails. Am just so fed up with the weather - as soon as we get some better light days I have lots of sorting of old clothes still to do, but very hard to motivate myself in the grey.

I have found some lovely bits to but on Vinted though - I keep buying summer dresses, in an attempt to make the sun appear…

goldfinches

@Rosa_Damascena - I'm looking forward to seeing the bundt tin results too. There are several birthdays coming up among my friends in March, April and May so I'm planning to use it then.

@Miró - I've measured the volume of the tin and full to the brim it holds 711 mls so I'm thinking of putting about 2-2 1/2 cups of raw cake mixture into it which should leave plenty of space for rising. I'm planning to make a 12 cup recipe and then put what I don't use for this new tin into my Nordic Ware Jubilee tin which holds 10 cups.

@Magpie100 - thankyou for enlightening my ignorance about neck gaiters, I'm wearing my new one today and it is lovely and snug so I shall be looking out for more. I wholeheartedly agree with you about the weather which is for once dry here but still very grey and dull, roll on summer is all I can say, I'm so sick of having to wear thermals all the time.

I visited Headington to have my hair cut this morning and then took a whistle stop tour through a few of the charity shops there and found a Vogue brand pasta machine which seems entirely unused and cost £20 so I snapped it up. Then on the next shelf I found a ravioli mould in pristine condition for £5 so that came home with me too. I suppose someone decided they were never going to use the pasta kit they'd bought and donated it for which I'm heartily grateful.

At the next two shops I found an Apilco* dish in an unusual shape, £3.50, a British Library Crime Classics book, £1.50, a Gerald Durrell, £1, two recipe books, £1 each and finally another Australian Womens Weekly cookbook for £2.

• French brand stamped Apilco Porcelaine au Feu underneath.
• Porcelain Apilco Deshoulières - Visit Poitiers

Rosa_Damascena

@golfinches - I have 2 ravioli trays that I haven't yet used. Time to get hold of some 00 flour and give it a go.

I got some outdoor wall art this afternoon very much like this: https://www.coopersofstortford.co.uk/poppy-wall-art/?SKU=XAJ64src=IGB9B2&src=IGB9B2&vsrc=IGB9B2&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23213523313&gbraid=0AAAAAD3Bf0kA2HwOuNvG4gmsmBUAuBukp&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsOTn05fNkgMVI4lQBh2u3yrkEAQYASABEgKS_vD_BwE

I'm such a sucker for a poppy! I just need to work out how best to hang it.

goldfinches

@Rosa_Damascena - I don't know whether you know that fresh pasta freezes really well so it's worth making a really large batch and dividing it into portions before stashing it in the freezer. If the filling isn't too bulky you don't even need to defrost it before popping it into the simmering water.

I think those poppies are lovely so do show us how yours look when you've worked out how to hang them, we can all admire them then.