Sunday 3 December 2017

Free light and free water

Hello. Doesn't that look cosy. I got these candles out of a skip, they are all glittery and shiny and silvery. Free heat and free light. I have a large frying pan with two handles which I haven't used for years, might as well use it as a candle holder. It keeps them all together where I can see them, safer than having them dotted about all over the place. 
I saved some money on my water bill today. The cat litter boxes needed scrubbing out, so instead of getting water from the tap I used rain water. There is plenty of it, the bowls and buckets are full. A drop of wash up liquid in each one, and a scrub round with an old kitchen brush, easy peasy. Any outdoor cleaning jobs can be done with rainwater

It's been milder today so I've done two x 2 mile walks. We are doing wet felting at Crafty Club tomorrow, so something a bit different from the usual knit and natter.

That's all for now, I have a cat who needs my attention, so I'm going to do a bit of yooootooobing. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

29 comments:

  1. Yes time to take stock and make sure I’m still saving money during the festive period aswell and not getting swept along with it all - love the glitter candles x

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  2. Your candle display looks pretty and festive. Keep on walking!

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  3. That looks lovely Ilona!!,Even better that they were free!Thats a great idea for recycling a frying pan. I bet you room looks really warm and cosy,Debi,xx

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  4. Sorry to gatecrash, but has anyone heard anything from Frugal Queen ? Her blog and facebook account have disappeared. I hope she is ok.

    I visit your blog and hers, most days , and will be sad if she stops blogging.

    Your blog shows that you do not need much money to ejoy yourself and be happy and healthy. For me, as long as I have access to a library, I will have a good time.

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    Replies
    1. No one knows where she has gone. Blog gone, Facebook gone, Instagram gone, Pinterest gone, Twitter gone. Mystery.

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  5. Hi. I'm an avid reader of the frugal
    blogs , bring a particular fan of yours. Frugal queen appears to have vanished. Does anyone know why? Jenny

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    Replies
    1. Quite a few people are asking the same question, it's a talking point on MSE Forum.
      http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5750992
      No one has the answer. She has deleted all her social media accounts and disappeared.

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    2. The FQ thread on MSE was taken down just before 11pm tonight.

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  6. Great ideas for candles/water. Glad to see you have them all in a frying Pan. I have heard news reports in past five yrs of several houses burnt down due to candles, apparently. I seldom use them myself (allergic), but in a pinch I would (if electricity was out), and figured if I did I would do something similar.

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  7. Hi Ilona, you make even the "everyday" days full of exciting things, so many folk have forgotten the original "lights" were candles, not you. They look lovely, even better they were free, on both counts, purchase and use. Well thought of. Rainy day here in Albany, WA, (Oz, that is), liquid sunshine I call it, opportunity to save on watering the veg garden.

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  8. Your candles look lovely!

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  9. I had just finished reading the news (and, of course, it's the same old same old - our US president, this one missing and found dead, that guy fired for sexual indiscretion and worse) and decided to pop on over here where I know you've always got something positive to talk about and share. A simple post about the joy of free candles and nature's love as she sends you free water to wash the cat litter boxes. You're a gem Ilona. Thanks for this wonderful blog.

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  10. The lights look fantastic and I agree it's better to keep them together. Less chance of fire that way and they also cast a stronger light. I wonder why someone threw them out?

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  11. Oh my goodness. That is worrying. Might possibly be a work thing, I know other teachers have had to do the same. I hope she's okay.


    Beautiful candles, Ilona! I've had mine going tonight, got one if those burner things you can pop a bit of scented wax in. Very Christmassy.

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  12. Thank you Mindo for letting us know.

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  13. I do love it when something youve had a while can be reused for something else.Since my kitchen drawers dropped to bits,I now use an old ice bucket that ive had for about 25 years, to keep my bigger things like ladles,potato masher,pasta spoon,cheese grater ect.The smaller knives,forks spoons are in a square glass container that was my Grans.Both stand on my work unit and are easier to get to instead of rummaging through the drawers to get the thing that i want when cooking!I love it when something you have hung onto for all them years can have a new use.My late mother in laws wooden magazine rack was taken apart and used for 2 new cheese boards and 2 chopping boards.Some of my favourite LP covers,that sat in the bottom of my wardrobe for the last 45 years are now randomly stuck on my kitchen wall..Infact,I cant remember the last time I bought something new!Its always worth looking at what you already have to see if another use can be found for it.Ilona,I love your way of thinking!!,Debi,xx

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  14. I love candles all bunched together, I only light the cheap ones, the others just sit and look pretty, until they get dusty or I'm fed up with them.

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  15. We've never had a water bill because we have our own spring, and we're not on mains drainage either.

    I have an old cast iron skillet (cracked so not usable now) on the back of the draining board by the kitchen window and use it to "bring the outdoors in" with potted plants (cyclamen especially nice right now) and last week, a pot of hyacinths joined them.

    The candles look lovely.

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  16. Hi Ilona. I have recently had a puppy, so when I went to put up decorations I realised how impossible it would be with the pup helping!!! Instead I have put up my favourite few. Only to realise this was enough. The saying less is more comes to mind. Your candle display is all that is needed simple and effective. An eye catcher. Also I now still have a cupboard full of decorations. Really tempted to let them go. But part of me thinks “no I can’t do that”. Or as in panto, “oh yes you can” ha.
    Smashing blog today.x

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  17. I have my watering can by the potatoes, hoping for rain. That way, I don't have to carry the watering can. I use half of the minimum charge for water, so I save no money. But, I don't use water that must be purified.

    I cannot be in a room with candles because of my asthma. I am terrified of fire, anyway. But, that is pretty with them all together. It looks festive.

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  18. Oh well at least we all know and can put the matter to rest and move on.

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  19. I thought your lovely candle setting lool<ed spiritual but not in a religious way but universally.You have still got flowers in your garden too-I've only got one x

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  20. Love your skip found candles, very festive. I've always been a sucker for candles. Why on earth anyone would throw them out is beyond me!

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  21. Those candles look absolutely beautiful and gave me a real Christmas tingle. A lovely feeling, thank you.
    J x

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  22. The candles look cheery and bright. Very nice. Good idea for the litter box too, I must remember to do that next time it rains. I have 1 box and 1 cat, so I need a quick turn around. Karen.

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  23. We burn candles in the evening in the lounge instead of using electricity, some look at candles as burning money away but I don't, like you I have picked them up for free and I also buy from the car boot sales for very little. We have four water butts in the garden which are used for various cleaning jobs.

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  24. Hi, I too read your blog and frugal queen most days and had the same problem, I thank the reader who inquired directly to frugal queen, hope all is well. I always comment annonymously because it is the easiest way for me who is not real computer savy but I always put my name at the end to identify myself. I will miss your blog while you are away and now with frugal queen ceased will have to look elsewhere for my daily 'blog read fix'. Perhaps I can go back and read some of your earlier reads.
    Regards
    Melinda(from sunny well almost sunny Qld Australia)

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  25. Pretty candles!
    People use candles all the time here in Switzerland, at home, in shops, at the bank on their Advent wreath (everybody has an Advent decoration with 4 candles...), you name it. We also have a lot of wooden houses... yet we very very rarely have house fires. In fact, houses made of thick wooden beams apparently burn more slowly anyway, I'm told! There are also still a lot of folk using tree candles, as we also used to. Only a problem when your greenery dries out - but as our trees generally don't go up till the 24th, that too tends not to be an issue.
    I have a candle burning now (7.30 am) because it makes a warm glow over breakfast... ;)

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