Make do, Mend and Minimise in 2018

Floss wrote: »

What brand is it?

It's Animal Warehouse own brand, I don't know if they trade in the UK

Hi. Is it okay if I join you all?

Decluttering is definatately on my agenda, I moved for the first time in 17 years in August so there's already a lot of unnecessary stuff gone. Plenty still to go however and if I can decrease.any debt with it then all good.
I have put new stiff on soles on my work shoes and a bit of shoe glue to add some life.
I did get caught out last month however, my 2 and half year old Bosch washing machine died and I got it repaired- £50, the guy wasn't a hundred percent sure he'd fixed it and said if it went again it was the motor which would cost £160 in parts alone. 3 washes later and I had to buy a new machine the week before Christmas..oh well, I tried.

mrs-moneypenny wrote: »

A corner to corner works well with knitting. Basically cast on two increase one stitch at the beginning of every row till you get a triangle half the size of the square then you knit it a row for the centre after that knit 1 k2tog k it to the end of every row till you only have two left then k2 tog to finish. Make all your squares the same size till you have enough to make a blanket the size you want. I hope that makes sense.

That's how I do mine; I have quite a few squares knitted that are now on the "waiting to be sewn up" pile plus a lot more oddments to make yet more squares.

sinkorswim2018 wrote: »

Hi. Is it okay if I join you all?

I did get caught out last month however, my 2 and half year old Bosch washing machine died and I got it repaired- £50, the guy wasn't a hundred percent sure he'd fixed it and said if it went again it was the motor which would cost £160 in parts alone. 3 washes later and I had to buy a new machine the week before Christmas..oh well, I tried.

Welcome to the thread :hello: and bad luck on the washing machine front.

Making do with existing food stocks for as long as I can this month - there's plenty to go at!

Yesterday I "mended" the bathroom sink that seemed to be taking an age to empty. I found a bottle of plug unblocker powder stuff in the cleaning box and there was just enough in it for one treatment. Sink now unblocked and empty bottle minimised to the recycling bin.

Will be taking down the decs/cards/tree tomorrow and am hoping I have some spare bulbs as the tree lights decided to conk out on NYD.

Hiya everyone and a very happy New Year to you all

Misstra - you are an absolute STAR for re starting this thread! It has seen me through so much over the past few years and must have saved me tons of cash. It has also been the source of much encouragement, understanding and great ideas! Thank you, and all my 'old' friends on here!:A

So what for 2018

1) go back to setting monthly goals for NSDs! So this month I ve been kind to myself and set a goal of 20/31.
2) keeping on meal planning
3) Minimising: challenging myself to get rid of 30 things a month

So far:
MAKE DO: got a large salmon for £11 just after Christmas and froze it in fillets - so this evening's tea was salmon, rice and Thai peas (cant remember which chef it was that gave me the idea for these - Nigella??). So thai peas are: Cook sufficient ordinary frozen peas for 4 people and add 1/2 teaspoon of green thai curry paste and 4 teaspoons of sour cream or creme fresh. Using a stick blender or similar reduce to the consistency of mushy peas - v yum! And livens up peas no end!

MEND - while folding up the washing noticed that the hem of some trousers (£1 in a chazzer sale F&F) had come down and so sewed that up lickity split!Need to get to work on 'mending' my plants as they are all having babies - i.e.a massive repot for many of them is due!

MINIMISE - I have two large bags in my bedroom destined for a chazzer - they have some 30 items in them from December's declutter:
1 set of necklace and earings which were a gift I didnt like
4 posh tops I was hanging onto for years and have never worn bar once!
5 tops that dont fit me
1 pair of socks and 1 t-shirt to rags as they were too tatty to wear anymore - if I was honest
5 books - read but no desire to keep
1 duplicate diary - again a gift
8 hangers (the clip sort - which I no longer want to use)
4 hair ties/scrunchies
11 random forks (still left with 2 sets of 4!)
That was easy!!!
Must go and finish current book which can then start the January pile of 30!
Anyone else want to join in the challenge?

I'll join again this year and will try and post more often but just by reading the thread I make do, mend and minimise more. I am going to declutter 2018 items in 2018.

Minimizing so far this year includes cutlery, magazines and old clothes.

Mending - I've seen a button back on DS2 coat and have shortened 2 of the 4 pairs of trousers that DH wants shortened. Will do the others when he can be bothered to try them on so I can get the length right.

Make do- with food from stores. Also using up toothpaste samples that were in the cupboard and nobody has complained yet that the tubes are too small.