Floral dress revamp finished

I have finished altering the floral dress I showed the other day but I still think it needs something maybe a belt.  I will also probably wear a little navy t-shirt under it as our weather is rarely that warm.  I will see what else comes to mind but my husband likes it as it is now and it is less like a dress for a wedding which is what it felt like before.

I didn't like these little buttons, so they came off.

I added these two odd buttons from my stash, one is brownish grey the other blue.

I carefully cut off the sleeves and made two little bands from the chopped off bottom ( which I shortened quite a bit) I edged around the sleeves then used the bands to pull in the fabric at the sides of the chest.

After

This picture was taken in the evening with lights so colours are not that good.

I do think it needs a thin blue belt I will keep a look out in the charity shop. 

It will get some wear now in whatever combination I decide.  I know some people will probably have preferred it before but it was too dressy for day and too formal for anything other than a summer wedding I thought.  The main thing is to make things work for us I think, if you can't do anything with your clothes then pass them on to charity or friends/eBay, but if you can then why not try something.   I will try and remember to show it worn in different ways.  Total cost = free . Always the best deal.

Before

Floral dress revamp ideas

I got a little catalogue through from next, just a little spring one that they just post out for free so I thought I would flick through it.  I didn't have the intention of buying anything but it is useful to look at ideas sometimes for putting things together or items you might want to make.  I have had this floral dress in my fabric bag for a while that was given to me for the fabric.  It is a nice dress it's just a little dated so i have been wondering what to do with it.

The length is a bit long and the sleeves a bit flouncy so they will definitely have to be changed but the next book also gave me this idea...

This little skirt is £38 on the website! I would not pay that for that little bit of fabric but its a possibility out of the above dress only two layers I think though as there is not enough for three and maybe three is a bit much?  So that was one thought, another thought is leave it as a dress but change the style..

Little thin straps?  (£28  this dress)

Or halter neck ?  (£25 this dress)

I'm not sure which I will try but that is my project for this evening and it is a much better option I think than paying those prices (but then I wouldn't) I will show the results tomorrow.  I also don't understand why the dresses are less expensive than the skirts, surely there is more fabric in a dress and you have the full outfit. 

Hot porridge better than cold cereal, cheap and healthy

More on food today, as I have been getting up earlier I have  been trying to make sure I eat breakfast everyday so that I don't get that mid morning feeling when my energy lags.  There are not many quick cold cereals I like as many are way too sugary and what they charge for a box that lasts a couple of days for a family is just ridiculous. I do like porridge though and it is easy, plus you can add whatever you like to make it more interesting.   A while ago my husband came back from the supermarket thinking he had a good offer because the Quaker Oatso Simple were on offer, well even on offer they are a rip off!  I buy these...
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A box of this is £1 from the Aldi and you get 1kg of oats, a box of Oatso Simple is £2 and you only get 324g.  Why is anybody buying that? The Aldi version works out to 3p a serving without the milk. The Oatso Simple version is 18p per serving without milk. That is a massive difference and you can't really argue that the pre-packed ones are easier to use because they are not, unless you are incapable of putting a spoon in a box then emptying that spoon into a bowl!   I use 4 desert spoons (level) into a bowl, pour over a little soya milk and stir then put it in the microwave for 2 minutes, done.  It probably would take you longer to unfasten the pre-packed bags than to spoon it straight from the box.  I like to add just a little golden syrup ( just a tiny squirt) or sometimes some raisins. I usually feel full until lunch now, I think anybody trying to feed the children on less money should try and get them to eat porridge.  It is healthier and you may just have to experiment with different toppings to get them to eat it at first. A little bit of jam, grate just a little chocolate if that is what they are used to ( only a bit though) dried cranberries ( you only need a few).  This could save you loads on the cold cereal.   

I'm trying to be more vigilant about not wasting any food and I know I'm improving at this because we used to go to the supermarket and come back and be throwing stuff out from the previous week like vegetables or things that had gone off.  I know that is a back to front way to do things as we now check first.  Also if I've got a big bag of carrots and I don't think they will last I blanch them and freeze them in portions so they don't get wasted.  I also did this with cauliflower and broccoli last week that I knew I needed later in the week but wasn't sure it would be ok in the fridge for many more days.

My shopping bill is much more stable because of this and as food continues to rise I keep looking for ways that I can do things more cheaply so that the bill does stay more or less the same.  I appreciate hearing any tips anyone has about how you do things, you may have found a super cheap healthy recipe or a value brand that is amazing value.