Keeping up with technology

Out with the old Dysons, in with the new Goodman. 

I think this is going to make housework a lot less stressful. A quick ten minute whip round with this cute little suction stick and the job's a good one. No more humping a heavy lump of plastic about, plugging and unplugging the lead as I move from room to room, and no more wrestling with an unruly hose which wraps itself around my legs and trips me up.  

I am never going to actually like housework, but at least this makes it a tad easier. I don't want to live in a showhouse anyway, but at least the floors will be cleaner. 

Have a good weekend. Toodle pip.   ilona 

Character and style

Some people have all the luck. Look at this for a free find, I don't know how my friend does it. I thought I was good at finding free stuff, but she beats me by miles. Most of the furniture in her house is second hand, either free or very cheap. This chair is beautiful, found on a Facebook group page where people give things away, or swap, or sell for a small fee.

Quite comfortable as well. I feel like a Queen sat on the throne, forgot to put my crown on. 

Don't you think that second hand furniture has that pre-loved homely look. It has character, it has style, there is history, and a uniqueness about it. If it could speak it would have a few tales to tell. Unlike the bland and boring stuff which comes off a factory production line.

I can count the amount of new furniture I have bought in my lifetime on one hand. I bought a double bed, then years later I bought another double bed. I bought a pine dining table and four chairs, the cheapest I could find. I bought an office chair after many years of sitting on a broken second hand one. I have never bought a new three piece suit. Second hand furniture has always been fine for me. As long as it is functional, and not too bashed about, it doesn't have to match anything. I've never been in a furniture shop and thought oooh isn't that lovely I must have one. I can't see me ever living in a brand new house with brand new furniture, it wouldn't be like a real home, it just doesn't appeal. I wouldn't like it.
ilona 

Furnish your home with free and second hand.

Hello. I'm whizzing this off pretty quick because I have a lot to do today. This corner of my living room used to be my fitness studio, it housed the Cross Trainer, which has been loaded into a friends car half an hour ago. I sold it, because I no longer use it, and someone else who is into fitness in a big way can make better use of it. 

So what is in it's place. More room for my arts and crafts work space. I brought a pine table down from upstairs in the storeroom, aka spare bedroom. This table was given to me, the people next door were throwing it out a few years ago, along with two bench seats. It fits in nicely in this space. I have extended the top of the table by laying three pieces of interlocking floor panels on the top, which gives an extra foot on the length. Also free I might add, out of a skip.

I found this wooden shelving in a skip a few weeks ago. It used to be a cd storage unit. Standing on it's end it had plastic inserts to house a hundred or so cd's. I removed them and turned it on it's side, and bingo, shelves. It's buffed up nicely with a rub of wax polish

This unit was given to me by a friend as she no longer had a use for it. It is the housing for a stereo player, but I am using it as a cupboard.

This got me thinking about how much of my furniture cost me nothing because it was found or given. These two bedside cabinets came from a skip. They work well in the living room, I don't need bedside cabinets.

Looking around, in this room, I have a free dining room table which came from next door. A four piece suite, sofa, two chairs, and pouffe which was £50 second hand. A sideboard bought from a friend many many years ago for a few quid. A desk bought from a second hand office shop for £30. There is a cupboard in here which the previous owners left behind. Free curtains either from a skip or given to me.

I can see no reason why anyone needs to go in a furniture shop and splash out loads of money. There is plenty of second hand stuff available. I see that one of those buy now pay later homestyle shops has closed down in the town. Their prices were extortionate, they robbed the vulnerable by advertising a low weekly repayment scheme, but over the period of the loan they ended up paying hundreds even thousands more than they needed to. Brighthouse is still trading further up the High Street in a similar way, I would like to see them close too.

My lunch and dinner are usually eaten in front of a computer screen. This is what I had yesterday. Pasta, houmous, mushrooms, tomato, lettuce, and crusty seeded bread. I don't put the pasta and houmous on the plate, they are a side dish to accompany the salad. I pick at them, stop when I am full, and the pots go back in the fridge. I like these meals, from fridge to plate, no cooking.

Anyway, must get off. Jobs to do....Tidy up spare room where I removed the table, put it all back straight. Tidy up my crafting stuff here, now I have more space. Two men in a van just delivered three pieces of wood, as big as pallets, I need to find a space for them in the garage. I like being busy.

Thanks for popping in. We'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Plenty of food in the house now

Hello. As you can see, I went shopping. YAY, I now have some food. Some lovely yellow stickers, and quite a lot of other stuff as well. I easily reached the £40 to use the £6 off voucher, in fact I went more than  £10 over, the bill was £52. I started off writing it down as I went along, but once the yellow stickers came out I had to act quickly and get my share, so I gave up at that point and just guessed.  

Mushrooms, potatoes, and cauliflowers.  

Bread, pancakes, and scones.

Fruit. Grapes, strawberries, bananas, kiwi fruit, mixed fruit salad, and avocado's.

Potato salad, cucumber, couscous salad, rocket.

These juices were on offer, two for £1.30. Their Value label is 65p each so I thought I might as well have these instead. Not sure why there are two different sizes for the same price. 

And just for a change, I thought I would have Guinness instead of cider.

I've stocked up on soya milk, cat food, frozen Quorn, veggie burgers and sausages, a few tins, and other bits and bobs. There's enough to last a while and my fridge is full for now.

More painting on the Summer House tomorrow. Thanks for popping in, we'll catch up soon.
Toodle pip

Domestic help wanted, must be cheap.

Hello. I do have some cleaning equipment in the cupboard under my kitchen sink, but every time I open the door a hot sweat comes over me and I go all fluttery. My brain starts to panic at the thought of actually reaching for a cloth and a bottle of whatever. I take a few deep breaths and try and focus. I say to myself, 'come on, you can do this'. I was not put on this earth to drag a Dyson around, or flick the dust off the picture rail. There's no fun in that, but today I made an effort. I have some people coming this week, so I need to tart the place up a bit. 

First this mess on the table. There's allsorts of crafting bits and bobs here. I'm sure it can't be me leaving things lying around, I wonder who is doing it ;o)

The window is clean, inside and out. I have moved a lot of stuff upstairs, and put a clean cloth on the table. It's a bed sheet by the way, This is a work table which the cats jump up on to sit in the window sill, so no point in putting a posh table cloth on, it would get ruined, and I have plenty of bed sheets. The window sill cover is also a bed sheet, folded to fit.

Remember the four years of dust, well it's gone now. Imagine all the time I have saved by not dusting it every week. The mantlepiece has quite a shine on it. That will do nicely for another four years, or until I get some more visitors.

Tomorrow I have the bathroom and kitchen to clean, they won't take long as I am not quite so slovenly where food and washing is concerned. Housework does not turn me on one bit, if I could afford it I would employ a cleaner. Now that's an idea, I'll have a look at the budget to see if I could stretch to a fiver a week, ha ha. They don't cost much, do they?

Thanks for popping in. Catch you soon. Toodle pip.

How many other uses does it have?

Hello. Has anyone else got bottles of lotions and potions in their bathroom cabinet they no longer use? I gave up using conditioner on my hair ages ago. It takes too much faffing about, wash then rinse, condition and rinse again, several times until the water runs clear. I now skip the faff, and towel dry after rinsing the shampoo off. 

So, what to do with these? The VO5 I found in a skip a couple of years ago, and the Tea Tree, I must have had it about ten years, probably longer. I'm sick of seeing them and want them gone, but I'm not chucking them out, I'm finding other uses for them. 

Last night I had a long soak in the bath, when it came to scrubbing myself clean, I didn't reach for the soap or the creamy body wash, I applied a squirt of conditioner onto the rough side of my sponge, and used that. It worked perfectly fine.

This morning I washed my hair, don't like going to bed with wet hair, and the hairdryer is only for use in emergencies. I always let my hair dry naturally. I skipped the shampoo stage, and gave it a scrub with conditioner. My hair is clean and soft.

It got me thinking of other uses for it. I read somewhere that you can use it instead of soap when you shave your legs, and it leaves them silky soft. I am not about to try that, I don't shave my legs, not much point when I only wear trousers. And even if I wear shorts, where's the harm in a few hairs sprouting out above my socks.

Another idea is that any left over and unwanted conditioner could be used to refill a pump action hand wash bottle. Or perhaps a spoonful could be put into a washing machine as a clothes and bedding conditioner. Maybe it could be diluted and put into a spray bottle and used to clean the bathroom sink, and wipe around the toilet and bath. There must be other uses, anyone any ideas of their own? Being frugal is about using up what you already have before buying new.

Once these two bottles are empty I won't be buying any more conditioner. If I find any in a skip I will rescue it, or if someone gives me a bottle they no longer want, I would happily find a use for it.

Crafty pictures tomorrow. Thanks for popping in. Toodle pip

Keeping on track, a review

Good morning. I will zap off this post early being as I missed yesterday. From time to time I review my money saving activities, to ascertain if they are still relevant today as they were when I first started on my frugal living journey. You might have noticed there is a list of money saving tips on a separate page, link at the top, I have been checking through them to see if they still apply now.

Almost every aspect of  living expenses can be tweaked and pruned by making choices. Make a wrong choice and you will find you pay more than you need to. Saying that, everyone's aspirations for a better life are different, so there is no, 'one size fits all'. The areas I save money in may not be the same as yours. So why am I so tight when it comes to spending? Easy answer, because I like to be in control. I will not hand over any money willynilly, every purchase is carefully thought out.

The first question I ask myself is, 'do I need it?' If yes, then where is the cheapest place I can get it. If no, how much do I want it, and do I have enough money to pay for it without skinting myself. At this point treats come into it. Nothing wrong in treating yourself now and again, but a treat to me is something I allow myself occasionally. My treats might be a small bar of chocolate, a bottle of wine, a can of cider, a bag of crisps, or  a magnum ice cream. I spread my treats out over several weeks or months. One bottle of wine a month spread over four days. One magnum when I am on a day out or holiday. One small choc bar if I really fancy it, but my self discipline always kick in when I am in a shop and I will not pick one up as an afterthought to add to my other purchases.

So, basically, I save money in some areas to channel that cash into other areas which are important to me. I like a nice car so I save up for one. I have pets so I need money for that. These might seem like fixed costs that I can't cut down on, but as I said, all aspects of living expenses can be tweaked and pruned. I could buy a cheaper car which costs less to run, but I can afford the one I have. I could have just one cat. I am at my maximum of pets cost wise at the moment, and would not take on any more. I have a budget for them and I am at my limit. Utilities are flexible costs, I can choose when to flick switches, when to turn things on and off. I can monitor usage through my meter readings.

So let's have a look at the money saving list. I will pick out a few to review.

Before I wash my clothes I inspect them to see if they are dirty or smell. Yes, I still do that. It's a waste of water, electricity, and soap powder to wash clean clothes. Will they last one more wearing before they need a wash. I wash everything on a 30 degree, 30 minute wash, using two dessertspoons of powder for each load, and dry everything outside. If the weather prevents me from drying outside, I have enough clothes to delay a wash until a good drying day comes along, windy or sunny.

Cut down on tea and coffee, heat a mug of  water in the microwave and add a dash of fruit juice. Yes, I still do that. I very rarely use my electric kettle because it needs two mugs of water to cover the element. I know you can put some in a flask for later, but I only have one hot drink in the morning, the rest of the time I have cold drinks, and they are very watered down juice drinks.

Check bank statements and credit card statements for any direct debits that are not needed any more. I keep my direct debits to an absolute minimum, preferring to pay bills by cheque into the bank My mobile phone is topped up at the local shop, £10 every two months. I have an annual DD for my Youth Hostel membership, and car recovery service. £4 goes to googlie for posting unlimited photo's on my blog, and a monthly DD goes out for house insurance, and landline/broadband. That's all, makes it easy for me to monitor.

Buy children's tooth brushes, they are cheaper than adult brushes. Yes, I still do that. A three minute scrub with a small brush gives the same results as a bigger one. My dentist always asks if I use an electric brush, my answer is no. Why do I want to spend money on a gadget that will need charging up, and new brushes to purchase every so often, when I can do the same thing using wrist power. And while on the subject of teeth, I only use toothpaste in the morning. I like to start the day with a fresh clean mouth. All other times I brush with water only. It's the time spent brushing that counts, and using the correct technique, plus flossing, which gets rid of the food trapped between them. I must be doing it right because I've had five years of all clear check ups.

Use wash cloths instead of paper towels. Yes, I cut up old cotton sheets, old towels, and use them as dishcloths. When they are past their useful life in the kitchen they get relegated to floor cloths, shoe polishing cloths, window cleaning cloths, and dusters, when I can be bothered to dust. I have a couple in the bathroom for wiping bath, basin, and toilet down. And the very old cloths get used as cat litter box wipes after I have scrubbed them out and they need to be dry before refilling with fresh litter. When I throw cleaning cloths away they are manky. Just a note to add to this. I do have a paper towel roll, I use it for a dribbly nose. It lasts longer than a conventional box of tissues because it doesn't fall apart so quickly, and my nose is constantly cold and wet, even though I never catch a cold. A bit like a dogs, ha ha. I never ever buy J cloths, wet wipes, dish cloths, floor cloths, or boxes of tissues.

I still wear boys and men's underpants as opposed to ladies knickers. I haven't had to buy any for years, they last ages, never fall apart, and never stretch and go baggy. They are a snug fit, no uncomfortable floss up the bum or cheeks hanging out. Anyone with a small bottom would save loads of money by making the switch. They come in all colours.

Tidy your food cupboard and have a stock check. Yes I still do that. I know exactly what tins, packets and frozen I have, no festering unmentionables lurking at the back waiting to be chucked out. I keep my spices to a minimum, no small glass jars of goodness knows what hanging about. I don't follow recipes for cooking, because if you do, you need to check you have the ingredients first, if not then you buy it. So easy to be left with half a jar of this, half a packet of that, never to be used again. I make my meals with whatever I have in, I improvise, I use up what I already have. No recipe books in my house.

Moving on to food shopping. I don't take a list, I go with an open mind. There is no item of food that I must get, I buy whatever is a good price and I can substitute one item for another. I like expensive foods like they have at Marks and Sparks, but would never shop there unless it has a yellow sticker, and that isn't likely to happen because their big store is on the edge of town. I am not loyal to one supermarket but will cherry pick from those I am close to, or passing to and from somewhere else. I will not waste petrol running around from shop to shop. My motto is, 'pop in when passing', especially if it is between 5 and 9pm. Another motto, 'worth a look'.

Don't buy food out. I know the times when my stomach will be grumbling for food, so if I am going anywhere and I know I will need to eat, I take a snack with me. A sandwich, a drink, a piece of fruit, a few cream crackers a piece of cheese etc. If I don't eat when I am hungry I start getting wobbly, and that means eat something now. So rather than dashing in a shop, I have something in my bag. I eat before I go food shopping, because being hungry in a supermarket aisle will trigger off my desire to grab whatever is available. This has happened on occasions, and not wanting to give in to junk, I have been scouring the shelves for something suitable to eat. I might pick up a cheese and onion pasty or a banana, to satisfy my hunger. One thing I cannot bring myself to buy is ready made sandwiches, even if they have been reduced to pennies. No thanks.

I like to review my money saving and spending habits now and again, just to check I am on the right track. To check I am not slipping back into spending more than I can comfortably afford. I read other money saving sites to see if there is anything I am missing, any good ideas I should be doing. It's easy to take your eye off the ball and slip back. I don't keep a spending diary any more, by keeping my outgoings and incomings simple, all the information is stored in my head. As long as that bank balance stays in the black I am ok. It may dip a little at times when there is a big bill to pay, the next one will be car insurance, but exercising restraint for a few weeks will bring it back up again. Swings and roundabouts comes to mind.

Your priorities will probably be different to mine, but whatever you spend your money on, it has to be what you can afford without going into debt. Some sacrifices have to be made to be able to live the life you want to live. I want a nice car, I don't eat out. You eat out twice a week, go to the gym, get a coffee in a cardboard cup every day, and you make do with a cheaper car. Your choice, my choice. Don't come moaning to me that your car is clapped out and you can't afford the repairs.

Thanks very much for popping in, I hope I have given you something to think about. Time to take my best friend out. He is lying on the carpet, I'll get his lead.

Toodle pip

A dead cheap pamper

Hello and Happy Fathers day to all dad's. So what's this little Orphan Annie doing today then. Looks like I am about to perform a war dance with my painted face. I am scraping out the last few applications of this small tube of moisturizer which I have cut in half, but it's so small I can't get my finger into it. So the answer is to use something to poke it out. 

A wooden toothpick is mighty small, which does the job, that's why I have stripes on my face. It's a freebie sample of hand and body lotion given to me by a friend. As far as I'm concerned it can be used on the face as well.

I've been checking my beauty stocks in the bathroom. I hardly ever buy anything new, lotions and potions last ages as I use them most sparingly. Take these cheapo supermarket smellies, they seem to last forever. Even the cheap ones I use the absolute minimum that I can get away with.

I bought the toothpaste from Poundstretcher, I was in there about six months ago for something else and spotted that this was on offer at 50p. Pretty good price I thought, best to have a tube on standby for when the other one runs out. I can't see me starting this for another three or four months, such is my sparse way of spreading it on the brush. I only use a smidgeon, just enough for a slight foaming of the mouth.

The toothbrush is another item on standby, still in it's packaging. Did you know that children's tooth brushes are cheaper than the adult equivalent? No need to pay full price just buy a smaller brush and give your mouth a good scrub round with that. It reaches into all the hidden corners. I usually walk around the house multitasking while brushing my teeth as it's such a boring job to be standing still.

This is my deodorant stash, ha ha. Not much to choose from, and I didn't even have to buy them. My sister gave me the Arrid, and my friend donated the Nivea to a worthy cause, me. Neither of them liked what they had bought for themselves so all donations gratefully received here. 

Getting to the end of this sun lotion so it's an upside down job. I bought this yonks ago, not sure if it goes off, but I use it as moisturizer from time to time. I like the smell, it reminds me of holidays.

There's a long way to go with these two, at least another years worth in there. I don't moisturize my body, so the whipped body oil gets used on my face, neck and hands. The body wash will be used in the bath, eventually. I bought these two before I went on holiday to Scotland because I read that it's good for keeping midges at bay. I never did see any midges, think I was too early in the season.

My soap stocks are slowly shrinking. I used to sell hand made soap on my stall at the market and events, so I had some left when I closed the business. That was over ten years ago. Here we have strawberry, lemon and lime, and gingerbread. It has lost some of it's perfume but still performs as well as soap should.

I keep my toiletry purchases to the minimum, I only need the basics and use them sparingly. I don't need all the posh names, or the expensive perfumes. There is no cream which halts the aging process, and perfume evaporates into the air. As long as I am scrubbed clean with one of those sponges with a rough side, that will do me. I've got the bath water on now, so I'll scrub up later.

How big is your stash of toiletries? Is it minimal like mine? Or do you like a bit of luxurious pampering?

Hope your Sunday is a good one. Bye for now. Toodle pip.

Crumbs !!!

Hello, it's a nice day and I have been out . I went out yesterday as well, to visit The Ropewalk Gallery in Barton on Humber. I haven't been for ages so decided to take a look at the exhibitions. I was lucky, there were two extremely talented artists on show, this one was very pleasing to the eye. This is my kind of art, the sort that makes me go 'wow',, innit fabulous. The pictures here are photographed from the leaflet I brought home, there is a bit of blurb about Clive Redshaw below. 

Here is a link to the Ropewalk web site. There are some more of his pictures on the Lincolnshire Open Studios  web site. I really enjoyed this exhibition. 

On a completely different note, I've been getting fed up of clearing away bread crumbs and other bits of chopped and grated food from my worktop. Some of it inevitably ends up on the floor as I try and wipe it up with a dishcloth, which then means I have to clean the floor as well. Grrrr, I hate housework. I've come up with an idea which I am trying out. I don't want to get a bigger chopping board, mine is a normal size one which can be a bit cumbersome to scrub down in the washing up bowl. I thought of an idea to extend the boundaries of the board by placing a tea towel underneath it, then all it needs is for the chopping board to be lifted on it's side, with the bits falling into the tea towel, which is then taken outside and shaken. I haven't got a nice tea towel, mine are all a bit worn, so I have used a pillow case. I will see how it goes, good idea eh!

What do you do with half a portion of chips left over from the day before. I just fancied some yesterday, it was a massive portion, enough for three people. Today I put the last of them in a bowl, topped it with half a tin of baked beans, and zapped it in the microwave. Ta da! a two minute Sunday lunch, no food wasted here. I will make something a bit more healthy for my main dinner in an hour or so.

I'm going to sign off now, I've got more stuff to talk about but I'll save it till tomorrow. Some questions to answer, and I've picked out a couple of ideas for blog posts from your comments. Thank you for joining in, and welcome to the new readers.
Toodle pip
PS. Still waiting for two addresses. Primroses Attic and Aussie Cheryl. You have each won a shopping bag, they are ready to go. Give me an address.

Re organizing my space

Hello. It's been a damp and dreary day here in North Lincolnshire, best place is indoors. I woke up with a few ideas of what to do today, could do some sewing, could do some cooking, or I could move my big computer down into the living room. Now it is running perfectly it's a shame to leave it upstairs while squinting downstairs at the little netbook. 

So what's to be done. I have a large front to back living room with a table at each end. This corner next to the table at the front is wasted space at the moment. An ancient treadle sewing machine which I never use, (ought to really), and a writing bureau which has some crafting stuff stored in it which I don't use very often. On the top of the sewing machine are storage boxes full of more crafting stuff which I often dive into, so I want to keep them close at hand. The space could be better utilized. 

I do my sewing here at this table, so the machine can stay here.

That's better. The telephone socket comes into the house here, so that's handy for the router. Those wires dangling down are for the tv aerial and the satellite dish, neither of which I use, so I'm thinking about chopping them off.

This office desk will fit in the space perfectly, all I have to do is get it downstairs. It weighs a ton, I bought it second hand years ago from an office furniture warehouse for £30. A bargain and it's ever so sturdy.

I think I'm going to need these.

That's the wood removed, next dismantle the frame.

Bit by bit it all gets moved downstairs, and cleaned. Now how does it fit together. I should have marked what goes where.

 YAY, dunnit. Everything plugged in and switched on, and it works.

Now I've got to get the writing bureau upstairs. The treadle sewing machine is too heavy to move very far so that will have to stay in here, I'll find a space for that. There is room under the desk for the plastic storage boxes, and then I've got to move the second desk in the office to underneath the window so the cats can jump up into the window sill. I think I'll get my dinner before I carry on.

I must say it's nice getting back on this big computer again, the screen feels gigantic after that little one. I much prefer a real full size keyboard as well. Yes I think this arrangement will suite me better. I used to spend a lot of time in the small office, now I prefer to be all on one level. Shall I move my bed downstairs next, ha ha. The next move might be to a bungalow.

Enjoy your Sunday. Toodle pip

When is an ironing board not an ironing board

Yes I'm still here, apologies for my absence yesterday, but housework and holiday preps kept me busy. Curtains in two kitchen windows taken down and washed, windows cleaned inside and out, garden was tidied, again, it's a never ending job, and a visit to the morning Craft Club. Curtains are now back up and all looks clean in the kitchen. Now I'm starting to gather the bits and pieces together for the rucksack. This task takes a couple of days as it involves making a list and walking all around the house picking up what I need. 

Here's an idea that works for me. There isn't much space in my bedroom for a bedside cabinet. If I put one next to the bed it would be sticking out into the room. This is where my ironing board can be utilized for two jobs. I hardly do any ironing at all, don't iron clothes, but just ironed the curtains, and sometimes I iron sewing bits that I am working on. To save getting it out of the cupboard under the stairs, or have it cluttering the spare room up, it sits very nicely in the space next to the bed behind the door. 

The top is looking a bit faded, and stained with burn marks, so it needs a spruce up. A piece of cotton fabric that I got out of the last skip I raided is the exact size. It took a few minutes to hem the edges all the way round, and bingo, a nice cover for my bedside table.

 It is the exact right height, a couple of inches higher than the bed, so it's easy to reach for my bits and bobs. A library book, a wind up torch, wind up clock, a table lamp which I bought for my mother nearly 40 years ago, still going strong, and a tub of aqueous cream. There are a pile of magazines at the other end should I wish to browse those before I go to the land of nod.

Just lately I've been taking a mug of hot chocolate to bed and sipping that while I read. I'm going to have to stop that because it's a nuisance having to get up and go to the bathroom to brush my teeth.The torch by the way is for checking my watch for the time if I should wake up during the night. In the summer months I always leave a chink of curtain open so the light comes into the bedroom at dawn, then I can decide whether to get up early or roll over and have another hour. Getting up at a time that suits me is my little bit of luxury, ha ha.
  

So, my ironing board has two functions. I could actually iron on it, the iron is kept in a cupboard nearby, and it makes a jolly useful bedside table. I like finding alternative uses for things. Toodle pip
Catch you tomorrow.

Not back breaking work.

Hello. I'm all for making household chores easy for myself, I do only as much as I need to, to keep things ticking over. Today I will share a load of washing with you. It's a warm and sunny day with a gentle breeze  so a good opportunity to strip the bed. The washing is in the machine, a 30 minute cycle at 30 degrees. My method of transferring it from the machine to the garden is not a conventional plastic basket. I don't drag it all out in one big pile, all tangled up, and drop it straight into the basket. By the time it gets untangled and hung up it's already creased. 

I don't have a basket because I don't like having to bend down and remove the items piece by piece as I hang it. This tall seat is what I use for transportation. I carefully take the washing out of the machine, shake it flat, and lay it on the chair. 

Like this. Heidi getting in on the picture again, ha ha.

I lift the whole lot up, chair and washing, without bending down, and pick up the pegs hanging on the nail on the back door. This keeps me in an upright position and doesn't put a strain on my back. When I peg out there is no bending down. I can move the chair along the length of the line if I need to. Mostly I just walk up and down, removing items one at a time as I hang them.

When the washing is dry and ready to be brought in I have the chair close by. I shake each item and fold, and lay it on the chair, starting with the largest items first. Again, no bending down to put it in a basket. When all washing is collected it takes hardly any effort to lift the chair a few inches keeping my back straight, and taking it all inside. It is then ready to be put away, but in the case of this load it will go straight back on the bed. I don't iron anything, can't be bothered with such mundane tasks. I don't buy clothes that need ironing. 

I have two sizes of wooden spring pegs, the bigger ones for the larger and heavier items. The smaller ones for such things as teeshirts, pillowcases, and pants. 

I also have some coloured plastic pegs. These are no good at all for hanging washing out. They are not strong enough for the job and they break easily. They are however very useful for clipping together the tops of half used packets of food stuffs. I like to keep things in their original packaging so I can check on the dates now and again. 

That's my washday system, it works for me. Have you got a system?
Toodle pip.

More patchwork, and a declutter

I got straight onto the job of adding more patches this morning, after the breakfast pots were moved into the kitchen. That's what I like about being retired, I can do whatever I like, and today I decided I am going to get this block finished. I've cropped the edges in the photo. It started as a 24inch square, and half an inch will be trimmed off all round to give a neat edge.   

I think this method works pretty well, and it goes together quite quickly using the sewing machine. I am going to carry on and make more. It won't be a bed quilt, probably a throw for the sofa. I'm not sure how big to make it, I might get away with six blocks, but might go to nine. As it's already got two layers I will just put a backing onto it. I will need to dig out some more fabric from my stash, I don't want to buy any more, but want to use up what I already have. So, hey ho, keep on sewing.

Another little job I tackled today, keep on chipping away at those boring unglamorous jobs. I have a nice little old writing bureau sitting in the corner of my living room. Someone gave it to me years ago, they were moving home and didn't have room for it in their new abode. I seem to have a talent for finding freebies, ha ha. Anyway, it has been housing my card making bits and bobs, mainly old greetings card which I cut up and stitch onto new cards. I haven't made any cards for ages. I tried to sell them at one point, but I think most people are of the same mind these days and have given up sending cards.

I thought about chucking the whole darn lot, having a good clear out, but there are some very old family cards here which I don't want to part with just yet, so I have just scaled down my collection. I took the scissors to the ones I didn't want to keep and now I have a big pile of white card to use for notes. I've also saved a lot of decorative snippets which can be used to make new cards, if I feel inclined to start making them again.

That's a lot better, the unwanted clutter has gone in the paper recycling box. I bet the bin men will think it's strange when they empty the box, to find lots of Christmas cards three weeks before Christmas. They usually get recycled in January.

I did find time to go out for a local walk today, I like to get out once every day. Right, I'm going to do a bit more sewing, make a start on the next block.
Toodle pip.