Wednesday 30 August 2017

It's amazing what you find in a skip

Hello. It's 6pm and I'm beginning to wilt. It's a bit early for bed, I'll try and stay awake a little while longer. My fault entirely. I woke up at 3.30am this morning, closed my eyes and dozed for about half an hour, but was unable to drop off to sleep again. After tossing and turning, Mayze wasn't too chuffed that I was disturbing her, I decided to get up and make a coffee.

I sat in the comfy chair downstairs and dozed a bit more. Then I thought, this is daft, I could be doing something, so I got dressed, put my trainers on, and went out at 6am to do my walk. I was wide awake, and it was bloomin great. The air was fresh and clean, it was quiet, one or two people were in their nightwear putting their bins out, early birds were going to work, night workers were returning home, some on bicycles, and two ladies were doing the same as me, an early walk. I stopped to say hello, they said they walk every morning before going to work.

I think I might do the morning walk again, if I happen to be awake. I won't be setting the alarm clock for it though, but it made a nice change. Anyway, do you realize it's the last day of the month tomorrow? How is your walking going? I am bang on 800 miles. Three cheers, my new target of 100 miles a month seems to be working. Friday the 1st of September will be checking in day for the Walking Group, so one last push for this month. Let's hear about your progress, how many miles this month, and the total overall. Don't forget, any miles are better than no miles.

My yoootooobers want more videos, so here is another one. It's ten minutes long, oh dear, I do waffle on a bit. Blimey it's only been live for half an hour and they are watching it already. I seem to have a fan in Texas.



I'll leave you to it then. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

45 comments:

  1. Agree 100 per cent with your video. The world we live in has gone crazy.

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  2. I get bored very easily but your videos keep me glued until the end Ilona, so, you must be doing something right. When we go to the tip I hate seeing the things that are being dumped and we are not allowed to take a single item. Keep tipping...
    Briony
    x

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    1. Yes, I get bored easily. I often have to fast forward long drawn out videos. I think ten minutes is long enough.

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  3. I like free stuff too. Am off to collect a straw hat from a freecycler tomorrow.
    Arilx

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  4. Great video Ilona, I love free stuff, I think when people just throw things out in a skip it is just laziness, yes it might have some genuine rubbish in it but most things can be recycled, taken to the charity shop or they could even do a car boot sale, but do they no, they just bung it in the skip, with you on this one, it makes me cross. x

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  5. You now have a fan in Ash Fork, Arizona. I'm glad I found you :)

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  6. Such lovely things Ilona.Around here all I see in skips are bricks and soil.On holiday I did find another pair of shoes near a bin-I've worn them.I think people get bored with their stuff because they are not really satisfied with their lives and think if they buy new they will find contentment-but they don't x

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  7. Good to hear someone like me who doesn't need a lot of sleep. I get tired by 9pm and have to go to sleep but often by 3am I am wide awake until morning. Health problems too affect my sleep, arthritis and IBS with asthma. I refuse to take sleeping medications but find Olbas Oil helpful to stay calm. I think as we get older we need less sleep, or our sleep patterns change. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Ilona x

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  8. Hallo Ilona, we had one of those Dyson vacuumes and it was brilliant. We had it 14 years and during that time my husband put a new motor in until it packed up completely. I don't think they sell that type anymore which is a shame. We got another Dyson, but isn't as efficient we find. I like the mirror.

    Joan (Devon)

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  9. You have at least TWO fans in Texas!

    Texas Grandma (I have my Google password written on a scrap of paper around here somewhere. Someday I'll find it.]

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    1. Wow, two fans in Texas. I am not sure Elmer has found this blog yet.

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    2. Make that three Texas fans, at least, to add to your many other fans from around the world.

      Your writings and musings are an inspiration to frugal people everywhere. Your blog is a precious gift, regardless of the daily topic, that is priceless and enriches the lives of your readers. Thank you for sharing your life with us.

      Mary (San Antonio, Texas)

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  10. My sleep pattern is different in that I cant sleep until after 1am at the earliest. Got into this habbit after working with teenagers in residential care doing sleep ins. Our busiest time was often 10pm til 1am and being alert at this time has stuck with me 10 yrs after leaving the job. I like to sleep late then until 9 or 10 but miss seeing the early mornings. Love your blog xx Sally

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  11. Hello, nice to 'meet' you :-), I had the auto generated subtitles on, not quite exactly what you are saying in some parts ha ha. Can't believe what some people throw away! My late Mum used to get her clothes from charity shops, I had five wardrobes to sort out, the clothes and handbags were still good as new, so off then went back to the charity shop , Jo

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    1. Oh my, those auto generated subtitles are awful. I sometime use them when I am watching something that has poor sound. I have to give up and hold the speaker up to my ear, ha ha.

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  12. Love your blog you are an inspiration to us all

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  13. Hello Ilona, I once said that I couldn't play your videos, and when I tap the one on your blog, it says cannot be played. However, having watched a couple of your old ones on you tube a while back, I went onto it to see if I could find today's video. Hooray, I did, and it played! Yay!
    I have written to you in the past about the throw away attitude of today, and how cross it makes me for all the reasons you stated. I agree totally with you on that subject. I also mentioned that we rarely get a skip in my area, and when we do it is full of old bricks and total rubbish. Now I know you get cabinets, wood, and your mirror, but I was amazed to see the blanket, bedding and Dyson. It's almost unbelievable what some people throw out. If you don't want it, then people, give it to charity shops please!

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  14. Love love your videos ���� we live in West Virginia in US. Both our fathers were coal miners. We have been raised you take of what you have and it will last you a lot longer. My husbands father also taught him a great deal about mechanics. He has been able to save sums soooo much money by working on something himself to get it back in tip top shape. Saving money $$$ is our favorite past time. Not that we are scrooges, but if an emergency pops up we are hopefully prepared. And that makes for a soft pillow at night.

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    1. Sounds like you have a good life Rosie, with a clever husband. Saving money can be great fun, as you well know.

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  15. Oops! Forgot to sign my comment which ended, "charity shops please!" Jean.

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    1. Thank you Jean. Please remember to add your name at the end of your comment, or even better put Jean in the drop down box (click on name), because for some reason yours often end up in the Spam box. Don't know why that is, but it makes it easier to spot when I am chucking out the junk. I have mistakenly deleted one or two of your comments in the past, because I wasn't paying attention.

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    2. Hello Ilona, JEAN here, JEAN, please don't throw me out, LOL ! I wondered why some of my comments weren't printed. Don't know why I end up as spam either. As mentioned before, I only have a smart phone, and you are the only person I can write to for some reason and only when comment thingy is ON , so I don't have a drop down box either. I will try to remember to put my name at the start and end of my comment, and in capitals if needs be so that I stand out more and you won't throw me away again, boo hoo ! I do enjoy reading your daily posts. You have a great attitude to life, and make the most of your days.

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    3. Made me laugh, Jean. This one DID come into the spam box, along with four others. Scroll down these comments and see that Gillian has put her name in the box, can you do that? It might keep it out of spam and send it to For Moderation.

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    4. JEAN.
      Thank you for your reply Ilona, this is getting to be quite a chat isn't it? Lol !
      Oh if only I had a box Ilona, (sad face).
      I have found Gillian, but alas that doesn't help. My phone only has three spaces, one for comment, one says select profile, and the other says publish. I am trying really hard, honest, but it looks like I am destined to fall into your spam box from time to time, if not forever ! Now with all this talk of spam, I've got Monty Python's Spamalot song going round in my head ! Lol ! JEAN

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  16. Your hair looks fab Ilona..my daughter does mine... gives me what she calls a "piss cut"..during Happy Hour!

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  17. I also hate to see useful things thrown away. I have found several pieces of furniture by the curb including a very nice desk.
    I love your YouTube videos. Didn't know about those until I watch the one on this post. Now I'm going to watch more. :)

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    1. Hi. I made a bit of a cock up with yoootooob, I have two accounts. Started with the name Meenkween, because I wanted to preserve my anonymity, but then realized that was futile so started again with Meanqueen Superscrimper. I'm not sure if I can merge the two accounts.

      Some of my videos are on a separate page, link at the top under the header of this blog. I have been a bit lax at updating it so best to go direct to yoootooob.

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  18. I like your message - recycle, reuse. You had me slightly panicked at the toaster bit, though. Please tell me it wasn't plugged in while you were showing us it! I have a neighbour who constantly redecorates - I don't understand it, but I am grateful for the barely used designer giveaways. Love the colourful painting above the fireplace - is it one of yours? Hugs from Barbara (Canada)

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    1. The picture is one of mine. Only the yellow section is painted, because I didn't have the shade I required. All the rest is different coloured fabrics hand stitched.

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  19. I try to keep as active as possible, even when I haven't actually gone out to DO a walk, I still clock up some mileage in my day (though of course, I prefer to go out and see the countryside where we live). According to Fitbit, I have clocked up 1,599 miles (I translated it from Km) in the past 11 mths since getting it.

    As for folk throwing stuff away - one man's rubbish is another man's gold . . .

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  20. P.S. As for the stuff going into skips, I can only say people have more money than sense (and are bone idle to boot if they can't take decent stuff to charity shops at least).

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  21. I LOVE your vid.. a woman after my own heart!! I always look in skips and found some great things - i think my best (so far?!) has been a complete iron-type metal double bedframe, complete with a bag of the required screws! it took me about 3 hours to carry home,bit by bit, but am very grateful to the person who threw it out. best find this week is a few pieces of wood which i plan to use for alcove wall-shelves, and a screwdriver! great fun!!

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  22. And you have a fan in San Diego, California too!! Your videos are always interesting. I love to do clean outs but I give all the stuff to charity shops so someone else can get some use out of it. I've shopped for clothing for myself there as well. Sometimes things are better made than what you can find in the shops these days. At 67, who cares that much about keeping up with the latest fashions, anyway. Classic pieces look good always. So, there's my two cents worth of opinion. Oh, one last thing - I totally agree, you cannot have too much color around. Sara in San Diego

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  23. Great video Ilona! As I don't have a car skip diving really isn't possible for me, but I would definitely do it if I had transport. I do however buy clothes from charity shops and regularly donate stuff of my own to shops that I no longer need. That Dyson is an incredible find!!

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  24. I skip-dive for plants... at the end of every summer, there'll be skips full of geraniums/pelargoniums and other lovely plants round here as people chuck out their entire collection of "summer" bedding plants. I'll take some home (just in colours I haven't already got, or we'd be drowning in them) pot them up & keep them on a windowsill all winter, then take cuttings to grow on in spring. Best find ever was a sad-looking orchid, just leaves, air-roots and an empty stalk. Now sitting happily on my kitchen windowsill behind the sink, resplendent with 6 beautiful red/orange/white-striped flowers and a second flower stalk coming up! But somewhat overshadowed by the giant chilli plant, grown from a chilli seed by DD2 last spring & rescued from the garden by me last autumn, after fruiting; just a leafless twig in a pot, really. Now nearly 3' tall and covered in cheery little green & red hot peppers; no need to close the blinds at night just now!

    So many of my "rescues" - not just plants! - are actually better than anything I could buy new now; not for lack of funds, but because no-one's making anything that good any more. I will never ever part with my ancient but wonderful Mouli-legumes no.2. Or my Jones Medium treadled sewing machine, though I did have to pay £2.50 for that one...

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  25. Hi I like you keep my eyes open for anything needing a new home either for myself, relative or if not to charity. Here in Australia lots of good stuff used to fall off the back of utes and end up on the side of the road. Then rules were made that all goods to be covered over so things wouldn't fly off the back of the trays. I know it was a good rule but now a lot less is found on the side of the road.
    I am also a collector of aluminium cans and general rubbish as I walk regularly wherever I am and never a shortage of rubbish to pick up.
    The other day I found a five dollar note on the ground and picked it up, it always pay to keep your head down when walking you never know what you will find.
    Regards
    Melinda (from Queensland AUS)

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  26. I've done that also, asked about stuff I see about to be tossed.
    PS. I'm a fan from Kentucky, USA

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  27. It made me sad this afternoon,cause i walked past a house,with atleast 40 bin bags,some see through,which i could see contained Christmas trimmings...with a note on a really good computer chair....saying ...Please do not ask or take anything,cause Scrap man is calling for it.I bet it is all still there next week!!...well most of it anyway.I would much rather say to people....if its any good to you...please take it.Debi,Leic,x

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  28. Just watched been catching up on the last few, im the same ive got lots of lovely free stuff and some gorgeous stuff in second hand shops , im out walking my little doggy and everything ive got on is seconds but look like new think they are never been worn
    Love your fire place thing soo cute and just so nice and love the pic above it too. Looks great . Soo much fun :) xx

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  29. Did my first skip diving ever last week. Was walking to local shop (thankfully for me my 'corner shop' is a huge Tesco!, and saw skip with a bucket in it. I wanted a bucket as I use them to put weeds in as I'm working my way round the garden, my last bucket's handle had broken. On my way back from store I went and as no one was in, helped myself to the bucket, and lo and behold, it was sitting inside another perfectly good bucket! Two for the price of one, no idea why anyone would throw two as new buckets away, they'd just got a bit of dust and cobwebs on them, obviously been sat in a garage for a couple of years.

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  30. I was in a local town the other day and saw loads and loads of bagged up goods, outside charity shop, first I thought they were donations, then realised they were from the shop, with the name on the bags and the word disposal on them. it was so sad to see so much stuff being got rid off from the charity shop, either because it hasn't sold, not quite up to standard, got a mark on etc etc there must have been 20 bags, I felt like I needed to rescue it. Although good charity shops are not always the answer I feel, (I worked in one), I give all my stuff to a friend or facebook freebie it, my friends cleans it up, puts stuff with stuff and makes a little profit on a boot sale. I'm on my third a4 page of stuff ive given away in addition to the 43 a3 boxes of offcut paper from my partners works, I'm so annoyed if I cant find stuff a home before chucking away. Well done on your skip diving

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