greent's mfw journey

Al has inspired me to do this That and the fact that the new boiler being fitted 26/27th Aug means I'll temporarily be losing my 3 food cupboards in the kitchen (and they're big cupboards.... ) means I have to use things up/ not buy more.


I have hit A!di today (spending only 11.22, so pretty good) - needed some veggies for the guinea pigs and OH's dinner tonight, some ham, cottage cheese and butter - and 2 packs of choc buttons (not for me!) Fridge items are ok - I don't need to be targeting those any more than usual (ie: to ensure no waste) and they all go with things from cupboards and freezer (freezer is also being targeted as it is too full - I want to create some space so I can freeze some HM bread and rolls and easy meals for reheating in microwave/ on the camping cooker for when the kitchen is being done)


I am also re-starting SW - I have been going but have put on all the weight I previously lost, so am refocused with Florida next year in mind! I've therefore got diced lamb (in freezer since Nov last year! ) marinading in curry paste (open jar in fridge - could do with also targeting open jars......) , passata (open bottle in fridge) and white wine vinegar. Freezer has also yielded up some frozen spinach, which has been added to tinned toms and softened in spices finely chopped onions and courgette. Will serve with cauliflower 'rice' (also from freezer, as bought bargainacious caulis back in April for 10p each and 'riced' them and froze them) Only syns should be the curry paste
OH and DD are having steak pie (from freezer) with jacket potatoes/ roasties (they haven't decided yet), gravy and veg. Boys can have pasta which will use up some of my huge supply of that, and will do a sauce involving the rest of the passata (from fridge) and some diced smoked bacon (from freezer)


Am going to try and bake most treats/ pudding-y things - I usually bake a lot of them, anyway, but also have things like Freddos and caramel wafers in for ease for people to grab. Will make a crumble for tonight, I think - will use up some frozen apples and elderberries from last Autumn and also some of the o-o-d custard powder


My problem will be keeping everyone on board - am expecting a few complaints as we get through the favourite things - will have to bribe them with baked goods! :D


Shall think of it as a form of decluttering! :rotfl::rotfl:

Went to Cheltenham with DD today - had to drop some paperwork in to the accountant, so DD took the opportunity to come along to go shopping for jeans (she has ragbagged 3 pairs recently, so needs some more, as that's all she wears) We each picked up a free cookie at Mill!e's Cookies, courtesy of O2 priority moments (yummy - but 10 syns on SW!!!!) and a free hot drink at Caf! Nero as well I bought her a huge Cornish pasty for lunch and I was good - I wanted a jkt potato, but they'd sold out, so I ate the hardboiled egg in my bag and waited until we got home, rather than synning on anything else! : D She finally found one pair of jeans she liked, so I bought those - along with a pair each for DS2 and DS3, and some new joggers for DS3. Other than that she bought 3 books but we had a nice pootle around. Got back and immediately whizzed off with DS2 and DS3 to a local playpark to meet up with some friends - so they had an enjoyable hour and a half running around


OH wanted chip shop chips tonight - so we compromised, and he bought one large portion which people shared with things cooked form the freezer to go with it. HM iced buns or leftover crumble afterwards. Not me, though - I skipped dinner as such (except for corn on the cob) and just grabbed some toast about an hour ago. My mum brought me a huge bag of Bramleys from her garden - lovely - but am trying to use things up lol!!


DD's Sylvanian Families finished on ebay today - 11/12 items sold and she stands to gain around £60-65 from it after costs - she's very pleased! DS1 sold 3 Thomas trains too, so that's more stuff leaving the house. I sold a dress and a tunic and the charity I volunteer for has about 8 things on with bids on finishing tomorrow which I've listed on their behalf.


We have a family wedding to attend on Saturday - am wearing a dress which I've had for 2 years (bought from Debut in the sale for either £25 or £30) - the only money I've spent on my outfit has been a fascinator for £8 - and a pair of peep toe tights for £5! (and used a giftcard for the tights!) Am pretty impressed with that! We bought DS2 and DS3 shirts in the sale at Debenhams which they like and will wear again - after my reward vouchers from my Debs cc they cost £8.80 - and I had £4 leftover on one giftcard, so only spent £4.80 real money in effect on them Did have to fork out for new trainers, though - both their feet had gone up in size, so a necessity.


Part of the present for the couple is from my stash (really nice photo frame) and will also give them a giftcard for a shop - they live together and have 2 kids and haven't done a list of things they want, so didn't want to get anything too random (but I like the idea of a physical present too, so the frame works for that, and I'll frame the giftcard in it so that it doesn't get lost in any present unwrapping frenzy! :D)

Alchemilla wrote: »

Peep toe tights sound kinky! I had no idea they existed.

Hardboiled eggs are genius convenience food aren't they?

I saw them in M&S last year, I think. I have a manky big toe nail from a fungal nail infection which makes wearing high heeled shoes with toes in painful - peep toes are fine though (and toe nail looks ok with varnish on! ) However, with a redhaired father and a blonde mother I have very pale skin so for an 'occasion' my legs need the skin-beautifying qualities of a pair of tights/ stockings (also helps to disguise a network of broken veins on one calf) or the other wedding attendees will be blinded by the dazzling white-ness of my legs!! :rotfl: Peep toe tights mean I can wear my comfier peep toe shoes and not have that bit being covered in material


Love hardboiled eggs - used to take them out on picnics/ packed lunches a lot as a teen - my friends thought I was weird (they were possibly correct, but not because of the eggs! )


Off to do voluntary work this morning. Will be getting there later than usual as need DD awake to keep an eye on smallies and will not wake her too early as it's not fair. Will be leaving a bit earlier than planned too as DD is off to the cinema with friends, so I want to get back for small ones. Although OH is here he is working and they can be quite demanding at the mo and as it's drizzly here this morning they will likely be full of steam where they can't get out. The other volunteers there sometimes don't appreciate the juggling required for 4 children! However, as I'm listing stuff on fleabay (and the follow on packing, PO visits etc) and doing a load of paperwork at home I don't feel guilty about cutting today short! I also need to bake a white and a brown loaf and get a few bits of shopping (bananas, milk, eggs, yeast) Ideally I need to take 2 boys to the barbers this afternoon too - I am suffering from not enough time atm - and it shows in the lack of housework!!!


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