A few bargains for March

I have been a bit absent this last week or so. I did intend to do all sorts of sewing half term week but I didn't just a few alterations for people, then this last week I started my new job on Monday which is just a little further away and an earlier start.  So earlier morning wake ups, and then trapped nerve Tuesday morning in my back (great!) I've got through my first week and everyone has been so welcoming (although they may all think I walk funny with the bad back thing!) it was strange to leave my last job but definitely the right thing to do.  It just goes to show if something is not right change it, there will be something else if you keep looking or if it is something about yourself you need to change just keep at it.  Anyway again this week the only sewing I have done is  a few dress alterations for other people but it brought in a little extra then today we went to Matalan for essential underwear only with a trip around garden centre on the way back but while I was there they had a sale.  Now it was a winter sale but the items I picked up are easily spring items so that is a bit confusing but still here they are...

cute  skirt £7

cute  skirt number 2 £7

Both of these skirts are unlined and will see me through the spring /summer but also with thick tights or leggings Autumn /Winter too.I also got...

Thick long sleeved top £5

Same top different colour £5

Now I don't shop for  recreation I get bored and most of the time I just find that I feel the items are just not worth the asking price, I went in for underwear and saw these items that were good value and I knew they would get a lot of wear so I bought them.  I like to be frugal but sometimes you are better off getting things you know you will need when you see them at a good price.  It is also good to stay out of the shops most of the time as some people always use 'it was a bargain' as an excuse for overspending.  I know I don't do that and this is my first clothing purchase this year and probably my last for a while so it is not a problem.

I went yesterday to get my photograph taken with the children for our passports and was shocked to see it was £5 for each of us in the booth! That just shows how long it has been for me since I stepped in one of those.  I now also have the expense of the passport applications but we did decide to go to Italy this year so I can't complain, we have organised the holiday ourselves no tour operator as school holiday times are costly enough.  At the end of May we will be going here..

So some of the frugal things I do add up so we can do things we really want to  do and know that we have saved for it.  We will only be staying for 4 nights but we are really looking forward to it seeing the sights and experiencing another country with the children. We are not going to lay on the beach but that is good also if that's what you like to do, I want to see as much as I can of the surrounding area in the few days we have so if we snooze we might miss it!   No more clothes spending for me between now and then I have enough summer clothes to take and my bargains of today will pad out my spring wardrobe.

Lego can be frugal or super expensive you choose

I was prompted to write this by the fact that we have just been to see the Lego movie as my son just loves Lego, both my boys do actually and we have a house full of it. I enjoyed the film but I  have to say going to the cinema is so expensive!  I had decided to take them as a School holiday treat. It was a treat I must stress as I wouldn't be able to justify spending £17.50 for three people to see a film while lots of other people make lots of noise around them on a regular basis.
Over the years my boys have had Lego as Birthday or Christmas presents or bought it with bits  of money they have saved.  Something that has bothered me over the years though is the move away from basic sets to the more themed ones which are just ridiculously priced.  The original idea behind Lego was that you can use it over and over and it never has to be the same thing twice, making it the perfect value for money toy.  You can watch a wonderful little animated history of Lego by clicking this link. Lego story or just click on the image below, I believe they both work!

                                                    Watch The Lego Story it's so nice

I liked that the film had the message you don't have to follow the instructions, this would apply in life as well as with Lego and had some messages in there that only the adults would probably get.  The sad thing is that although it gives the super message of what Lego is all about, building whatever you want with the pieces you have. They then go and spoil it by stocking in every shop Lego movie themed sets! Argh!!!   I suppose there will always be people, adults and children who just have to follow the instructions no matter what.   Of course the real life President business has to keep those commercial wheels turning.  ( You will not know who this is unless you watch the film)
I was very proud that my children came home and started building with their existing Lego and did not even contemplate asking for more, I'm not saying this never happens but we had a little joke about the film and they are intelligent enough to get it.
I would also like to share what my son made for me the other day.

 It reads 'I'm in!' and it is the slogan for the current Mary's Meals campaign.. if you haven't had a look  at what this charity is about please take a look now here Mary's Meals

The idea is you make your own 'I'm in' poster of some description and share it on facebook with a link to Mary's Meals. 

It really is a great charity and I like that it's about educating  children but getting them to access this through a guaranteed meal.  This not only ensures the children are fed but also they will have better prospects so it helps break the cycle. Super work. 

Recycled sweater hot water bottle cover

I mentioned yesterday that I would make  a cover for my hot water bottle like the one I saw on-line, and this week if you are in the shops you will see everything has hearts on it! Now like hearts on  hand made things any way it's a good simple shape to appliqué, but you can be sure that all that valentine themed stuff will be marked down come next week!  I don't tend to fall for all the marketing ploys and if you can sew,stick, carve or draw you shouldn't either! If you must give a gift I think it says more if you put time into it instead of going out and buying some of the mass produced rubbish and this could be taking someone out for a treat it doesn't have to be a thing.
So getting back to the cover, this is not for a gift I just fancied a change and everything I used I already had to hand, so no cost. Here is the hot water bottle, an old sweater too small for my son and a heart cut from some fabric.

If you are unsure about cutting out a heart shape, fold a piece of paper in half, draw half of a heart starting at the fold curving outwards, cut it out and open up. This can be your template before you try it on fabric, use old envelopes to practice on until you get the shape and size that you require.

I just lay the hot water bottle on top of the sweater and cut around it leaving a seam allowance, because the knit is stretchy you will be able to fit the whole bottle through the neck when it's finished.  Sew all the way around except for the top of the neck of the bottle, then zig zag all the way around also to prevent the knit from unravelling.  It is also a good idea to make your stitch quite small.

Here it is finished with the bottle inside, you have to fold the empty bottle in half lengthways to get it through the opening then it just flops out flat. if you are using a non stretchy fabric just use and envelope style opening at the bottom on the wrong side like you would on a cushion.  It will look a bit plumper when full of water.

Yesterday I started reading A Country Doctor's Notebook, I watched the series A Young Doctor's Notebook when it was on Sky Arts and enjoyed it so I though I would try the original stories. I've had it on order at the library and it just came in last week. 

 If you haven't seen the series it is worth watching, it's clever, funny and dark in places.  If you don't have Sky ( which I think has become expensive) you can get the first series from the library for a £1 and lots of other stuff you may have heard about but missed. I think this is much better value, but I don't think my family would give up the Sky even though most of the time there is nothing I'd watch and the stuff I like is usually on the BBC ( apart from the sky arts stuff, ha, ha, but look I could have got it from the library)

I also found a good bargain today in Aldi 

Rose Shloer for 75p!! It's £2.25 in Asda what a difference.  I think  it may be because they are still selling off the odd bits and pieces of Christmas stuff, or has anyone one found it's always this price in there? I have only just discovered I like it as I went to a meal at a friends and I took one from Asda at £2.25  and liked it ( I no longer drink wine, and it appears I should have gone to Aldi that day too!) my friend also likes it and doesn't drink. At the time I also thought it was a bit much for fizzy pop. Any other ideas for when you fancy something nice and non alcoholic to drink? I'm finding if I go out a lot of drinks are too sweet.   Yes I know water is the best thing for you but no way am I paying for bottled water when I go out for a meal, which is not very often, but paying for water, we already do they are called water rates.