peace at last

Its been awhile but schools back and so am I, back to normal and routine.
Hubby's on nights so the down stairs is being caught up with.First I need to sort out the office and move stuff back to where it lives, then give the loo a new coat of paint and a sizzle round.I am determined to get all the paperwork sorted and easier to manage so here goes.
To night tea is double quantity of savory mince 1, spag bol
2, hubby's tea at work
3, mince and veg pie.
Pudding is apple crumble and custard

list 1( enjoy)

old towels cut into usable sizes patch up if needed and sew hems as well
ask your friends for unwanted ice cream tubs and any other tubs of reasonable size for freezing boxes.
if you are throwing away any old shirts that cannot be used for rags etc take off any buttons and save,this also goes for dress elastic and any embellishes.
( just a note on taking odds and ends of garments the charity people get money for old and unusable fabrics in any condition it works out they get money for tonnage.)
save old bits of soap and press into a plastic coffee jar lid and you Will after time make your self a new bar of soap.
if you give yourself about 2 hrs a day in the kitchen you will find that filling the oven with homemade bakes easier, apposed to rushing tea and only half filling the oven which waists money.
it may seemed old fashioned but cleaning your shoes two or three times a week not only makes your shoes waterproof but they last longer (don't use furniture Polish this dose no good.)

thrifty lists and ideas.

hopfully you will find some of these ideas usefuland you may want to pass them on.

sorry Ive been away!!!

I know it has been awhile but things got on top of me but I'm back now.
The school holidays are upon us now, so lots of good soggy weather and sticking and gluing.I lost my cockerel the other day he just went down hill and I found him asleep under the hawthorn tree in the chock run.Today I'm finishing off some alterations to my friends curtains, and then its bake up time , Swiss roll, Victoria sponge, and some biscuits.My eldest has got a party this morning so Ive armed her with a homemade bag full of hair bits and bobs.From the allotto Ive got 4 jars of strawberry jam goosgog jam, carrots, courgettes,cues lots of herbs and radishes.

I went very reluctantly to Tescos yesterday I really loath the place but it is the only place that I can go without being rushed along, don't get me wrong Lidles are great but when you come to do a big shop by yourself it is impossible , you only have one till open and all the "Ive only got a few bits can I go first." So back to Ts I go every 4 to 6 weeks to get my pantry stocked up with the following.
Flour sr and plain
Bread flour
Sugar
Cheese
Yeast
Squash
Condiments( only because I have run out)
All tinned stuff fruit tomatoes beans and the such
Dried fruit
All your basics really

Its Sunday so off I went to the car boot to get my fruit and veg,
I came back with more that I bargained because my little girl was with me so more books were had.So hubby has been called into work to cover a break down, I am on with the washing and the start of the big spring clean.

Ive had lots of ironing to do for other people so unfortunately everything has to wait. I managed to get "Rs" dungarees cut out and hopefully get them sewn up this weekend.We are in the middle of a big extension at the moment and we found ourselves in the position of running out of money due to the builders letting us down.But my dear husband is so hands on that we are finishing the project by ourselves and hope fully we will get there.I do want to publish my photos on my sight but until I work out how they happen you will have to wait sorry!!!!,.

I was thinking that routines seem to be a big way of life when you live on a budget, so with this in mind I thought that I would give you mine, now I'm not saying that you have to follow this ,but if I can help I will feel that I have achieved something.

Every morning I am the first up around 5.30 am.
I lay the breakfast table,
Fill the pack up bags,
Let the chooks out
put the washing out/in,
Make a pot of tea and put under a cosy,
Feed the kids,
Feed the husband and rehydrate,
Let the husband go to work with a kiss and a smile,
Get the kids dressed and togged up for the day
Pick up the bags and walk to school and drop at various doors,
Get home kettle on sit down and have a cuper and plan the day.
Ill get to the rest of my day at a later date, but just to be reassured that routine is a good thing everybody knows what is going on.

I have been reading a blogg from down under called "down to earth" about a wonderful woman and her husband , they live as self reliant as possible. The lady that runs the sight has a regular swap, this time it is tote bags, the time before it was tea cosies, so in response to this I have decided to make my own swap with like minded sewers. I have decided to ask a friend to join in and to see what we can come up with. So tote bags here we come.

My mothers day started on Saturday morning with my eldest bringing me my breakfast in bed and continued on Sunday she made extra cards for me and was as helpful as could be.I had made a big pan of stew which I managed to freeze half some vanilla slices which I knocked up on Sunday afternoon. I went upstairs to find a dungaree pattern for my middle girl and some denim which I had stashed away ,I also found some very pretty floral material which I had forgotten that I had. I let the chooks out this morning I have 2 baskets of ironing to do ,I will be out this afternoon training for the race and hopefully wont get snowed on.For tea to night the kids will be having jacket spud baked beans and cheese, fruit crumble and custard think that hubby and me will be having omelet.To nights jobs will be cutting out dungarees and tacking them together for fitting tomorrow.

SKINT!!!!!

Well its Friday again, and it is the end of Febuary I really dont know where the months have gone,so I look in the tin where all my Ironing money gose and it is empty!I have just paid out for the chooks food and the rabbit food, put petrol in the car,paid the milkman and that is it Ive got no shopping money.All is not lost it just means that I have to use all my resources and look at what I have got apposed to what I have not.So last nights meal consisted of home made pizza and jelly,custard and sprinkles.As I was looking for what I had got ,I found the last of the lamb for stewing and I am in the process of making stew doubble the amount so I can use the other half for pies or cottage pie.Tomorrow afternoon I will be making quiche and some jamtarts for tea because I will be using the stew for mothersday.I have found some cotton linen mixed material so looking through my stash of patterns I have found a dress that is quite plain and can be accessorised so quick to cut out and quick to sew up.I think that Saturday will be catch up on the washing and putting more seeds in.

We had chicken for tea last night, so what to do with the left overs?
Make chicken and veg pie for the freezer
Chicken soup for freezing
Chicken curry for the freezer
If I have any left I will make some chicken and stuffing pasties for lunch boxes.
I will make extra gravy for freezing to use later ie.. sasauge and mash no pkt gravys but mums proper chicken gravy.( I usually try and make at least 2 to 3 pints.)
Whilst Im on the "lets fill the freezer campagin". Ive got some of last years goosberrys to use up so lots of crumbles.

I was invited to a very special friends house this morning, coffe and buiscuits we had, and there was someone with a virgin "v" at home who was equaly nice.We caught up on the gossip and arranged an afternoon to do some power walking,I have enterd the race for life in Hull this year.

Did the earth move for you darling?

Well it did for me just gone 1am this morning there I was being shaken, my old man thought it was a train but I gently reminded him trains stop running at 11pm.
We only live 30 miles away from the epi centre so it was just a bit fo a shock,nothing broken everyone ok.
I have lots of other peoples Ironing to do today it all helps towards the bills

Finding things expensive costing a fortune? Well welcome to the family who dose struggle to survive month in month out. This is where my passion for thrifyness comes in ,I feel that if I can make or produce something for my home and family from nothing and everyone

is happy with the end result its not all bad.

This is my account of daily living and loving life, life with three beautiful but trying children.