'Cool and Trendy' Thrifty Snippet!

Just thought I would share this with you - Son number 1 - 23 yrs old going on 7yrs - thinks its Sooooo Cool!

The weather being so cold - well! what else can a girl do but sit and browse the web for interesting ideas to share!

This is what you need for the project!

Yes! I can see you are intrigued!!

I found this whilst browsing a Blog -myzerowaste.com, its written by a family who have manage to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill to one small bin full for the whole year! Have a read - its a fascinating story.

Anyway - you know the mantra Reduce Reuse Recycle, well this is a way of Reusing those Tetra Pak boxes (fruit juice and whatnot) - because they are difficult to recycle, mostly they go to landfill, and well all know that is 'Bad'!

So - take your empty box - cut off the ends - wash and dry.

Fold the side in and crease.



Measure about a third of the way up, fold and crease.

I ran the but of the scissors along the creases, to help make a lasting crease.

Trim off the upper third (on side of box) to make a flap.

Staple the two middle pieces together, to make two pouches.

Trim the flap into a pleasing shape.

Put a hole in the flap and pass an elastic band through it, and loop the band as shown.

You now have a trendy little purse for holding cards and loose change!

Fasten the little purse by looping the elastic band around the whole.

Its not terribly big, but holds a cash /library card or whatnot, and a bit of change - just the thing for children's lunch/pocket money!

I thought it might be a nice activity to do with older children.

Give it a go - and help save the world!!!

Just A Few Snowy Pics!

Just had a bit of a play outside today with the camera - its so unusual for us to get any snow here, I thought I should capture the moment!

So here's a few pic's for you.

I don't really like the cold wet stuff, I had plenty of it as a child, but even I have to admit that when it first lays - it is quite sparkly and magical!

Front of our little cottage, even the lane looks white - not much traffic today!

Remember the little fir tree I replanted - it looks as though its been dusted with icing sugar!

And the magical 'Fairy Princess' chair in the garden!


No need to water today!

Just look at the fresh green underneath all that chilly snow!

The last of summer!

I liked the colours of the bark against the white, white backdrop of the world.

Uncas - a happy dog usually, he's part Husky (but I don't think anyone has ever told him!) - not too keen to go out in the cold stuff!

And the chickens! doing sterling work - still laying, only two eggs today, but a wonderful treat. I thought the cold and dark would have knocked them off laying. Mind you they are snug and warm in their little hut. What with hot mash for lunch, grain, layers pellets, fresh veggies and the odd bit of Chinese food to tempt them they have a cushy life! They looked at me in disgust yesterday - their drinking water had frozen over, so they had to have fresh, slightly warmed water to refresh them!

They are all tucked up in their little hut now, I can see them through their window looking out at the white world - I wonder what they are thinking!

Thrifty Snippets!

Washing Soda - wonderful cleaning power!

I have been using Washing Soda in my washing machine for a few months now, it works just as well a all the fancy laundry detergents, at a fraction of the price - 48p a bag I think I paid for the last bag.

I keep it in this old tin (so it doesn't go damp) - I put 3-4 tablespoons in the powder section of the washer, I use cheapo laundry conditioner, just to give the clothes that extra nice smell really. Just a drop - half a cap full of the conditioner, and wash at a lowish temperature for colours - 40 degrees, and it works just fine.
Whites I do wash at a higher temp, but colours - we we don't really get clothes that 'dirty' do we - its not like we work down the pit! Its more just freshening them and getting the odd baked bean juice out of the t shirt!

Well if it was good enough for our Grandmothers - an all that!

And the washing soda is is inexpensive - give it a go, you've nothing to lose, just buy the odd bag. I think even Tesco sell it, not that I use tecsco much, Wilkinsons sell it too, and most hardwear-y kinds of shops - Stermat is our local.

It can be used for all kinds of cleaning, I use it for just about everything - there will be loads of advice on the net - just Google it!

xx That's it for now -stay safe in this icy wet stuff! xx

Who's On Board For A Thrifty 2010?

Well! that's it then, out with the Old in with the New, and all that.

A brand spanking new year! Here's wishing you all whatever you would wish for yourselves!

I'm not making any New Year's Resolutions - I can never keep them. Lets say I hope to do better in all areas - more crafting, better thrifting, better money management, healthier living - all the usual really.

I do hope you all had a good Christmas/New Year break - it makes a change doesn't it - a bit of feasting, spending time with family, general jolliness. We did.

We even got our little bit of snow - some of it is still hanging about.

We just had a couple of inches, nothing much really, but once it had frozen, thawed a little and frozen again, conditions underfoot were treacherous!

So much so that I went to the local supermarket and bought some bags of rock salt to scatter on the paths. I really don't want to be falling down - I have a good track record in that department ( Hubby P is convinced i do it as an attention seeking ploy - well last time I had two hulking ambulance men come to my aid! ).

I must say, I was very pleased with the service I got at the supermarket - when I went for the salt. There was a young man there who loaded my trolley for me, he assured me the bags were very heavy and I really should have help (strange really, I am beginning to feel that bit older - did this young man see me as an 'older lady' ?- I suppose he did! I did have a granny hat on! ). Anyway, I sent a message to his manager, I think it is so important to give a positive response, to say you appreciate good service. So often we are so quick to complain about shoddy service.

Just before the snow, I set up this little indoor garden,. The little cloche/glass house was a Christmas present from the family - how well they know me!

We had looked in the Garden Centre for a very small fern, or something similar, but there was nothing suitable, so I pinched a little one from my hedgerow (there were lots, I took only a little). The fern is still a little too big, but it looks pretty, and can you see - peeping out, some little 'pennies' of navel wort amongst the moss.

Its nice to have a little bit of fresh green to look at, lets hope Spring is not too far away!

Thrifty Snippets

This year I am really going to try hard to make my pennies stretch. It shocks me sometimes - how costly it is, just to live!

So I am looking at all and every way to save money and not waste anything. I thought I would blog my foray into Thriftyness, then perhaps we can share ideas and experiences, I think reading lot of your blogs, a lot of people are of a similar mind. It would be nice if you could either leave a comment on you thrifty ideas or slip it in your own blog ( I know a lot of you are anyway) What we need is a community of Thrifty Seekers - all there to help and inspire one another!

So today's Thrifty Snippet - Lidl was selling Brussels sprouts at 36p a big bag, I bought two, peeled them, saved the outer leaves for the rabbits and chickens (its so hard to find green stuff for them at this time of year) and put the prepared Brussels in the freezer.

As you can see, I had them a few days before I got around to dealing with them, and they were getting past their best - note to self - get on and deal with the fresh veg!

Whilst at the animal feed place getting my rabbit feed, I bought a big sack of Pony carrots - huge sack for £1.99. and really fresh, clean, tasty carrots.

I emptied the veg basket, and all the odd bits and bobs left from the Christmas week - half a butternut squash, half a Swede, some slightly withered onions a few parsnips etc, I chopped them all up, with plenty of the carrots and bagged them up as soup mix, and put them in the freezer.
Nothing is to be wasted, the animals eat all the peelings, and the carrots are cheap enough to feed to the rabbits - and they do love a fresh carrot!

Whilst on a thrifty mission to 'deal' with the veg, I emptied the fruit bowl too. I peeled and chopped all the slightly wrinkled apples and pears, added a few blackberries from the freezer, and made a Thrifty crumble.

Yummy with a tin of custard found at the back of the cupboard!

I know really what I am doing is just common sense, and what our Grandmothers did

without even thinking about it. But i think we just get so lazy, food is so readily available, and relatively cheap in comparison to other things, so we take it for granted, a lot is wasted, shocking really. As my Grandmother use to say - just think of all those little Children in Africa! Starving they are - what they wouldn't give for your crusts!

I don't know if that is very PC, but its still as true today - and what Grandmother's say always has a ring of truth about it.

xxx Take care for now xxx

Not A Single Flake!

Hope you are all keeping warm, listening to the wireless most of the country has lots and lots of snow - not a flake here! I tell a lie there were half a dozen drifted gently down, as I was feeding the chickens.

We never get very much here - too near the sea, but we have a lovely view of the Snowdonia Mountains - they of course are soon glistening with the sparkly white stuff!

Hubby P has been 'girding his loins' ready for the big chill. Armed with his thermal long johns, cod liver oil, woolly scarf and bakers cap pulled well down, he's ready for whatever comes his way!

Last night he came home with a van load of wooden pallets - they came his way via Barry the the lorry driver. Apparently pallets are a bit like gold dust, everyone is wanting them as cheap/free firewood. At one time you could pick them up everywhere - it just shows how people are short of money, going back to the old days of thrifting, free firewood an all that.

Last week he found two van loads of wood - someone was having a new roof so he came away with the old timber - lots of nails in the ash, but it burns well enough!

Anyway Hubby P has his pallets so I guess the weekend will be spent sawing them up, they will make the 'posh' expensive logs go a bit further!

Thinking of expenses - and looking at my bank balance! Yikes! I realise - as usual I have gone a bit over the top with Christmas presents and whatnot - well I probably always do - I like to find nice things for my little gang of friends and family.

I feel I have wandered away from my good thrifty intentions - become a bit lazy in my ways - so time for a shake up, get the indulgence of Christmas out of the way, and look at our lives afresh.

Every penny is so hard to earn, I want to make it go as far as possible!

I have been lucky enough to join a friend in ordering from a wholesale, wholefood catalogue - so lots of good wholesome things on their way, nuts and cereals and the like - things that will store well.

And Porridge! We love porridge in the Allsorts household, and its so good for you.

I bought a little bag yesterday to put us on until my big order comes. We all had some for breakfast, the chickens have oats sprinkled in their mash, and the dogs have any leftover porridge mixed in with their food.
When I was younger and working on farms, the shepherds always gave their dogs porridge, they said it did them a world of good - Oats the wonder food!

As I said no snow - but very cold, sunshiney but cold'


All dressed up for the weather - Hubby P says I have more skins than an onion!
I like to be warm! I wear leggings, woolly socks sturdy boots and a long warm skirt - and a coat when I venture outside to do my chores and feed chickens and bunnies.
I took the camera with me today - it was nice and sunshiney!



Remember the old wash tub - well I transplanted one of my Fir trees into it - I have reared this little beauty from a 6" baby, I bought to put in a little Alpine garden I made in an old kitchen sink - that was many years ago. As you can see its grown a bit since then. I will put some spring bulbs around its feet.

These little Honesty seed pods, or Silver Pennies, are standing bravely against the cold and wet. They look so pretty shining in the sun.

Still one or two roses - hanging on.

When we first moved to Wales I was amazed that we still had roses in December, it is so mild here compared to Lancashire from whence we came.

It reminded me of this little verse I found somewhere.

'God gave us Memories

That we may have

Roses in December'

I think that is so sweet!

A splash of colour in the pond!

The fish are not too bothered what the weather throws at them!

You all take care now, this white stuff is okay, but can be a hazard!

xxx

Are You Ready? Will He Be Comming To Your House??

Hi Folks!

Are your ready for Christmas? Or more importantly are you ready for the Big Freeze the weather men are promising us! Why is it we always get caught unprepared when it is winter for heavens sake!

Richard brought this lovely wreath home from work today, a friend of his makes them from all the lovely things growing in her garden - its so pretty!

Friday saw the delivery of a load of logs - we will be ready for any cold snap they care to throw at us!

Rich and I stacked them - what a job! Its true what they say about wood warming you twice - once when you cut it (stacking it was enough for me!) and again when you burn it!

At least we wont be cold - mind you the wood man was saying there has been a 40% increase in people buying/using woodburning stoves and its difficult for him to find enough wood for all his customers. No doubt the price will go up!

We stack it up in the inglenook to dry off a bit
, and burn it along side a mixture of free, cheap-y, salvage wood, to make the expensive logs go a bit further.

Little 'ol Christmas tree has been potted up, and a few baubles flung on it - looks quite festive!

I dug out the old fairy for atop the tree. She is as old as me, although she has a makeover last year and now looks quite smart. For years she only had one arm - doing our bit for Diversity, and Employment for the Disabled. However due to the wonders of modern prosthetics she now has a nice new arm - although we've misplaced her wand! maybe Father Christmas will bring her a new one.



Much Jollity, and Merry Making over the Weekend - Hubby P's Birthday, just a family bash - but a houseful!

Here's me - nothing changes - height of the evening and still I am caught with a brew in hand! (cup of tea if you're not from the north). I have sort of got out of drinking - although i am partial to a drop of something warming in my tea!

All four lads managed to come, first time for 5 years they have all been in the same room at the same time! This modern life - I don't think it helps family relationships, we seem to be flung far and wide, we talk on the phone, and exchange photo's and whatnot. But its not the same as all being together - having a real good hug and a laugh!

Hubby P had a real good time - he had cake and everything!

Sunday the lads went off to the beach, and brought me back a present!

A lovely bit of driftwood for the garden.

The beach was lovely - just a bit cold!

The tide must have been really heavy to have thrown such large chunks of trees well up the beach.

I liked this last photo - Father and son, they even walk alike!

We had such a nice weekend - its nice to make the effort, to be together, and make memories!

There were people we missed, but they too, were there in our hearts.

xxx Take care now xxx keep warm xxx

What Can A Girl Do - But Make Soup!

Well Hello there folks!

What a wet,wet, wet week - I think we've been almost washed away! And yet again this morning I woke to the sound of yet more of the wet stuff. Hubby P - Bless him, brought me my cup of tea in bed and said 'If I were you I would stop there - its awful wet again!'

For two pins I could have taken him at his word, and hidden under the duvet all day!

But - much to do, and first things first - a big pan of soup to make. I live on the stuff when its cold and wet, its so warming, and I like to make it colourful - cheery!

So its a bit of - its raining - make soup!

Time is marching on - I can no longer pretend Christmas is ages away. We have the boys coming at the weekend, so all Father Christmas's things will have to be wrapped so they can be sent to F Christmas. All the little ones are getting excited!

I saw some cute little trees at the car boot sale, I will only have a tree if they are rooted and small enough to go in a pot. Then I keep them for couple of years bringing them in for Christmas, until they are too big for the pot (then they go in the garden), and I start again looking for a baby tree! Mind you the last couple of years we haven't had a tree - well not in the conventional sense, I think last year I decorated our little bay tree.

Its quite a little cutie -the tree. Just waiting for the rain to stop then I can hunt out a big enough pot and plant it up!

All this cold weather and the chickens are feeling it, its about this time of year that I start doing hot mash for them, I like to think it helps keep them warm and well nourished.

I have an old pan for the job, and each day I boil up all the potato and veg peelings
and any old scraps, when they are cooked through I drain them and give it a mash up adding any old bits of bread, a few oats maybe, old cereal -anything really, to dry it off a bit and make it a bit more interesting. I have found they like rice and noodles, and bits of fruit - apple cores and the like.

I give it to them whilst its warm, and they tuck in! Billy the rabbit is always first at the dish - he likes a bit of mash!

Speaking of the rabbits, we bought two new ones at the weekend.




This is Smokey - Smokey Robinson

And this is Whitney! She's a bit shy at the moment!

Of course you know Dusty - she's doing really well - a happy little soul!
We decided to get some more rabbits because - well I enjoy looking after them, and talking to the Pet Shop man the other day, he said he would be happy to take any babies (he cant find any locally to sell) - so I thought it might be a nice hobby, rearing little families of bunnies for people to have as pets. I think it is important that children get the opportunity to get close to animals, to learn to care for them, be sensitive to their needs and responsible for their pet.

I know having pets was a big part of my childhood, and still I like to share my life with a rabble of odd ball chickens, rabbits, dogs, and one very superior cat!

Not a lot on the Treasure Hunting front. Car boot sales are full of glitzy Christmas stuff!

I did find a few bits, these were thrown in a pile of what I think was old theatre costumes. The lady stall holder sells wonderful Vintage things, usually a bit too expensive for me. I think she was having a bit of a sort out,and heaped all the costumes and whatnot in a corner - the sign said 'All £2' - so I just had to have a rummage!

As you can see I found a wonderful vintage ermine collar - now I know its very Un -PC to wear fur these days, but back in the day this would have looked just fabulous!
I will display it on one of my mannequins - in the bedroom where it won't upset any visiting vegetarians or whatever! lol!

I think the Spats are a fairly modern day version, they are made of a soft stretchy fabric - they are something I will wear, and of course the pink scarf - is just so very me!

***************

Much excitement in the Allsorts Household - not only have we just had three family birthdays in the past week, which entailed much dining out and general jolliness.

But the Master of the House (well he can be this week!) - Hubby P has a major Birthday this Thursday - Yes its the big Five O for him!

Not that he wants any fuss, and when asked, NO! - he does not feel - THAT OLD!
Its just the creaky knees, sore arthriticky shoulder, failing eyesight, bad back and generally expanding waistline that give the game away!

But we still love him! Boys are coming over at the weekend ( they live away and all have those inconvenient things like jobs and work during the week!) - so we will have a little merriment on Saturday. Families are just the best thing! don't you agree!!

**************

That all for now folks! xx take care! xx keep warm! xx