Do it yourself! It's cheaper

I painted the rest of the kitchen yesterday and was pleased to have this completed, it didn't take that long as a lot of it was tiled and I spray painted them the day before. It took three coats to cover the existing dark colour red, I had the radio on and I really don't mind painting and always do our own but it got me thinking how much would it have cost if we had to get someone in to do it?

The room is a lot brighter in pale blue.

I had a quick look around online to get some ideas and found these prices here, £200 just to paint a small room, I don't understand why any one would pay that, but my next thought was maybe I should do that!  I'm sure there are plenty of ladies who would rather have a female come and paint their house instead of some strange man ( not that male decorators are strange, but you know what I mean from a safety point of view.)
Then again I would probably not enjoy the process any longer if I had to do it day after day.
I think the ideal way of working for me would be to do a collection of things, some alterations one day, dog walking service, a bit of decorating and any other random thing that would bring in a bit of money and mean that I was my own boss.
I really like the idea of not having to answer to anyone else, tricky customers could be a problem I suppose but you could always move on from that. If anyone has that way of working it would be good to hear from you and how you make a go of it.
That said though I would like to encourage anyone thinking of hiring a decorator to paint your room not to! Just have a go yourself, I had not decorated before when we bought our first house 20 years ago but you soon get the hang of it. The good thing about paint is, it washes off, you can go over it and even if you do make mistakes they will be quite easy to fix and still cheaper than hiring some one else.
 Wall papering also just needs a bit of practice, buy cheap paper the first time and try it out in spare room or just one wall, again if it goes wrong it comes off easy enough but don't be put off, plus a few bubbles are normal when it is damp and will go when it is dry, loads of big bubbles and you might need to do that bit again!
I  have a bit more organising to do now in the rest of the house, for some reason when we all at work and school things get shoved in cupboards and drawers just out of the way but now they are full of clutter.  I wonder how it happens so quickly?  When you move house you tend to have a big clear out and think you will never accumulate so much random nonsense again but then you do!
Of course it is harder when you a have a family  as you are battling their stuff every where as well, I'm thinking of having designated boxes in a cupboard in each shared room so that if stuff is left on sides I'm just going to scoop it into there and then into the cupboard (once the cupboards are clear of course!). Then I will take the box out once a week and say get everything out of here that is yours and either put it away properly or it goes in the bin.
I am hoping this will work or at least stop us plonking things down on the work tops or coffee tables. That is what seems to be a problem, you think I will clear an area but then all the stuff belongs to different people and you don't want to be wandering around the house doing it for them all the time.  I hope the box system solves this.
One last thing I need to do is try and get us removed from some mailing lists or all of them! I spend too much time picking up mail from the floor in the hall, tearing it up and walking to the recycling bin!

Kitchen Tiles Upcycle

I have been having a lovely time being off work but yesterday decided it was time to get on with some of the jobs I have around the place which need doing.  I posted a while ago about changing the handles on my kitchen cupboards, well another thing that has bothered me for a while is the colour and pattern of the kitchen tiles.  When we have moved into a house in the past I have changed as much as I can almost immediately, when we moved here 6 years ago everything had been freshly done so while we did put our stamp on it, it would have been foolish and wasteful to change everything.  I have lived with the tiles which wouldn't have been my choice but now it was time for a change.
 I thought about re-tiling but that would create mess and a lot of expense.  The main thing I don't like is the beige colour so I looked at tile paint, now I have done this before with an undercoat and top coat at the old house but to be honest I didn't think the finish was that good up close.   We had a look when we were out at the weekend and found this...

You don't need to undercoat first just give your tiles a really good clean with bleach to remove any dirt or grease.  I have to say if you are going to use this cover everything including your mouth, have every window and door open!  It is really high in fumes and I had to keep doing a bit then going to the back door to breath.

I covered everything with newspaper and masking tape and still found a coating of the dust on the floor behind me nowhere near where I was spraying, so like I said cover your mouth. 

 I also had the annoying matter of running out halfway through, I bought two cans which my husband said would be enough, wrong! It took three so I had to pop out for more, I was glad of the breather though.

This is the before picture, the border tile all the way along is beige that doesn't show clearly in this image. 

Despite the fumes I am really happy with the way they turned out.

I think it has transformed the look and the room looks much brighter, it is not a very quick job as you have to spray it on evenly in a fine mist then re-coat at 15 minute intervals, if you try and get complete coverage all at once you will get runs in it.  I found this out the hard way and had to wipe it quick, and I mean quick as it dries fast.  The coverage is much better than the old paint it on method as you can get right up to it and it is completely smooth.

Today I will paint the remaining untiled walls in the kitchen pale blue, they are a dark red at the moment, I did this room a few years ago and they are ready for a freshen up now.

I had a nice surprise brought home for me yesterday, someone at my husbands work was selling her set of Game of Thrones books so my husband bought them for me at £5 for all of them! I have been watching the show but thought I would like to read the books as they often miss out things in the adaptations for the screen. 

They should keep me busy for a while!

I am also reading another book which is actually about not worrying about stuff, now I have to say I don't really worry that much, (I suppose we all do sometimes) but it was recommended and I have read some of his other books so I thought I would give it a try.

A lot of it is common sense, the things we worry about often don't ever happen, or worrying about them will not make them not happen so what is the point.  Also giving thanks for what you have, there is always someone worse off. 

 The most relevant points I found were about keeping busy and helping someone else, they key thing being don't allow yourself to sit and wallow about things go and do something and really throw yourself into it, that way you will be too pre occupied to think about worries.  Also find some way to help someone else as people who help others are not so inward looking as to be concerned with their own troubles all the time.

Some of the writing is a little dated but the message is good, anyone who has a problem with this ought to take a look.

Children do not need you to spend a fortune!

I have heard again today via the media that apparently parents are spending on average £80 per child per week to keep them entertained during the holidays! What! Who are these people and how come they have so much money to waste in times of so called austerity?
I certainly do not spend that and I don't know of any parents that can afford it, I think the figures may be skewed a bit here, are they factoring in childcare? Actual holiday costs for travel etc.? I think this must be the case as who can afford to spend that amount consistently for six weeks on entertainment alone without ruining the family finances.
The weather this summer in England has been fantastic so far as well so there really is no need for so much excess.  Monday I met up with friends at Endcliffe Park we all took food for a picnic, four adults and five children from five to fifteen, they all got on great.

Its a big park so they kept going off to the play area or kicking the ball around then coming back to us for a rest, we had a whole afternoon there, the only cost being an ice cream for the children.
This park is not our local but we chose it for a change,everyone has a range of parks in their city they can choose from and they are free!  I don't get why people feel that children can only enjoy the day if they have been taken to a costly holiday event.
Yesterday my two went to the local park in the afternoon for a bit, did some drawing, played computer games, we walked the dogs etc. (every day doesn't have to be planned out for them)  Today we have picked up one of their friends in the afternoon he is sleeping here and then we are going to the pool 'dip for a quid' all of us in the morning.  So it will be Thursday tomorrow, everyone is happy,  no one is bored and I have not come anywhere close to spending that ridiculous figure above.
I have a clubcard voucher for £8.50 which is worth more in rewards so that will be going on  cinema tickets for us.  We will wait for a rainy day for that one, I would not be going if not for that as the cinema is so expensive now for a family, you are looking at over £20 usually just for tickets so we usually just wait until they are on DVD.  Movies for juniors in the mornings are cheap but my oldest is too big for many of those films now.

 On a wet day you could let the kids invite friends round, rent a film from the library and buy pop corn and drinks, much cheaper than a day out at the cinema and having their friends there will make it feel like more of an event. (Just a thought, you may spend a fiver tops)
There are lots of things you can do that don't cost a lot or are completely free, libraries and museums always have events, as do parks, there is grass sledging near us this weekend plus football coaching all free.  I think sometimes people think activities are only worthy if they are costing money and some might shy away from the free stuff or less obvious choices, don't! Keep your money for more pressing emergencies or the actual family holiday or day trip if you are having one, but I don't think children should expect this every day of the week and if they do what are we teaching them? That you can only be happy if you can afford it. Bad message that one.

Organised Sewing Space

I have not done  a lot of sewing recently but we have been away, that is the first excuse, the second is that I could not see my sewing table for mess and I think I had become a bit complacent about sorting it all out.  I have kept adding to the clutter and so has everyone else in the house! Not all the stuff on there is mine,  some of the stuff is used school books my son was asked to sort but he has just popped them in a pile on my desk.

On the table are also some of my T shirts I need to shorten ( my own alterations always get left and other peoples get done straight away) also my Spanish book (two weeks of school holiday over and I have not done any) and of course various bits of fabric, bags of fabric on and under the table, a tin of decking stain beside the desk (why??)   So I think this was no longer a very inspiring area.  I got on and went through every bag, you would not believe the amount of fabric under the desk. It took ages to clear this small area as I culled all the fabric bits that will never be used as I have had them forever.  Small shelf from beside the desk has been removed as people see it as somewhere to stuff shoes because it is near the door and other nonsense.  When everything was wiped down and clear I felt so much better and I wonder why I have let it get that way. (oh yes, procrastination)

That's better you can actually see desk now.

I have some sewing to do for a couple of friends and my mum this week so that will get done, I always prioritise other peoples stuff.  I need to get some sort of order in my life for prioritising my own projects though.

  I have not made any more baby dresses as  I only sold two privately from a friend through facebook and I really didn't want to get stuck with a load of them, that feels a bit like giving up but the cost to make them is not worth having them sitting in a cupboard forever. 

 I know people who sell have loads of stock sitting in storage or whatever but it just drives me nuts.  The money saver in me is always complaining I have wasted cash but how can I get anywhere if I don't try.  

I need to have a serious think about what I can try next, but whatever it is, time consuming and expensive it shouldn't be, as people do not have the funds at the moment and they do not want to pay a premium for all the hours it takes for custom items.  

I have a tidy space to work in now, I just need some ideas and inspiration before it's time to go back to the day job!

Charity Shop Dresses and Feeling Good

I have just had a few days away in the caravan at  Whitby and lucky for us we picked a good week.  The sun has shone the whole time and it only rained one evening during the night.  Anyone who has a caravan will know that this is good news as there is nothing worse than being stuck inside while it pours.  We always take the dogs so it is not as if we can go and do an indoor activity if it rains because you can't usually take the dogs in anywhere.
 So lovely sunshine and a little bit of a look in the Charity shops, I don't know  why but Whitby and Scarborough have all the best Charity  shops or at least I always seem to spot something when we go there. We had a day at Scarborough also as it is just a short drive but Whitby was just a two mile walk so we walked there and back everyday.

Scarborough

When we get such good weather it really makes a difference.

So I had a look in the Charity shops like I said and spotted three dresses. Each one was £5 and I love them all, to be honest I saw more than three but I did restrain myself from buying more I'm going away again later this year so I though I had better pace myself. 

This one is a Dorothy Perkins dress and I have  a yellow dress in similar fabric that can be just washed, hung up and never needs ironing ( so a favourite of mine) I don't know how the little pleats will survive without an iron though, it is in the wash now so I will soon find out. 

This one is a make I don't know (Voodoo ?) again that lovely fabric that doesn't need an iron.  A summery dress but one that I think could be layered in the Autumn.

This is a definite summer dress but I love the colours.

So for £15 I have three new outfits. I am not some one who lets clothes sit in the wardrobe unworn, so the little bit of advice that tells people to get rid of clothes they haven't worn for a while rarely applies to me.

  I like to wear something nice everyday if I can.  If I am home on my own that makes no difference because I like to wear  clothes for me and not other people. 

Some items will only be worn in the summer but they will come out again next year and the year after.  This will go on until they no longer look good or I am fed up with them, if they are still in good condition when I tire of them they will go back to the charity shop.

It would have cost me more to make any one of these dresses and while I love to sew I also like to be practical about the value of it.

I think a dress is quick and easy you don't have to hunt around for something to go with it and I think they always look nice I'm also most comfortable in them.  

My mum likes to buy herself clothes to go out in at the weekend (she goes out once a week) she buys a lot, something new most weeks, however she will only wear these items for her weekly night out.  I really don't get this, she has an ever mounting collection of nice clothes that are rarely worn as she is always buying new but wears the same things day to day.  Her logic being 'but they are too nice to wear every day'  Why? Are we only allowed to look nice once a week?  

It is up to individuals how they dress and how they feel about this I know, but my feeling is if I think I am well presented then it makes me feel good, and I want to feel good everyday.  If other people don't like like that then that is up to them.  I don't think it needs to cost the earth and I certainly don't go in for expensive beauty treatments but if that is what makes you feel happy and you can afford it ( very important that bit!) then good for you. 

I have an amazing book called 'The 24 Hour turn Around' I think I may have mentioned it before...

My book doesn't have this cover it is very old and has been read many times.

In this book there is a whole section on appearance,( not as vacuous as it sounds) it is about they way people feel about them selves about how others perceive you.  It states that often when people have anything from a splash of perfume to cosmetic surgery it is not the thing that creates the feeling or change in appearance or mood, but rather the confidence it has given the individual that brings about the most change. 

If you have never read this book I would recommend it, some bits are cheesy but the positive message it has on many different aspects of life are just brilliant.  It is a quick read, intended to be read and digested over 24 hours, I read it a t 23 and have read it again many times since.  After my first reading of the book I enrolled in higher education, gained a degree, changed my job and my attitude, reassessed my attitude towards money and many other areas.  It was originally given to me by a friend  who never read it, I offered it back to her saying you should really read this, she didn't she wasn't bothered.  Personal development reading may not be you thing but you can get this book on Amazon for £1.77 it will be worth every penny. 

I might just mention  I have no affiliation with Amazon nor do I advertise or promote for pay, this is just a tool that I have found useful in my life. Let me know if you read it.

Share, Recycle and Save

This past weekend my husband and older son helped my mother in law move house.  They were in need of a lawn mower and my husband mentioned that we have a nearly new one that we no longer need. ( We have slate and pebbles now)  So this one got passed on to them.  It got me thinking about the amount of times we might buy something that we hardly use.  Now a lawn mower will get used regularly in the summer so you may not be wanting to share this but what about tools or decorating equipment?
 I used to have my own wall papering table but it broke, the last few times I decorated I popped to my mums and just borrowed hers then took it back. It is not a high cost item but it would be unnecessary and need to be stored.  Now my parents don't own many tools but we do, so if a job needs doing my husband has gone round to their house and helped them.
  If you think in terms of tools that only get get used a few times a year or decorating items like wall paper strippers or specialist items would you not be better sharing them among the family.  This would save everyone if you decided who would have what then borrow when needed.  I understand this would not work if your family doesn't live close by or you don't get on etc.  There is also the option of just hiring large items if you only need them for one off occasions, a carpet cleaner for example may be more powerful if you hire one than just buy a cheap one and only use it once a year.  I  found this one here to rent for £30, I know that when we bought ours it was about £120 and we have used it twice on a couple of rugs!
I think that years ago it would have been more common to share items in this way but now that everyone is always dashing around and not speaking to their neighbours we all own every item even if it is rarely used.
We go away in our caravan but if you enjoy camping you  could club together with other family members and share a tent if cost is an issue.  You would have to agree on who is having it when, but if you all enjoy the same style of holiday why have one each. (Unless you all go together of course)

I think it is sometimes the same with things we have around the house, we tend to double up on items when it is just not necessary.  I was recently sewing in the back room when I thought I could use a music set up for in here.  This was a pointless thought as I have a digital radio upstairs which I have a cable for to plug in my mp3, all I have to do is bring it down! 

 On that occasion I must have been having a lazy moment, needless to say I realized how pointless the thought was.  I think it just shows that sometimes we need to think things through before we buy, has someone got one we can borrow? How often will we use it? Is it a fad? 

  Some things will be worth every penny, others not so much.  My mum grumbled about me buying my first sewing machine  at 16 saying I'd never use it, on that point she couldn't have been more wrong, however there have been other items over the years which I could have probably done without.  

No Spend Tuesday

Had a great day today and it didn't cost a penny contrary to what they keep telling us about how much the kids  school holidays cost everyone.  The key board has made its way out  onto the landing (more room)and was played briefly by one child, lego building and film making by both of them. We visited my mother in law earlier and when I got back I had a go at making some apple crisps that I had seen. I had apples that needed using up.

Now I like them but one son said he wouldn't try them and the other tried three but said ooh no.  I ate most of them.  I like them but I'm not sure they were worth the energy of the oven unless you are cooking at the time, a pie or crumble would probably have been eaten by us all.

On the way form visiting my mother in law we posted a parcel as my son sold a puzzle on ebay.  He made £2.50 which he didn't think was great but as he finished it ages ago he thought it was better than nothing.  We were going to donate it to charity shop last week and he said he would give it a try on ebay.

I  had some time on the garden this afternoon with my book.

I'm reading Dublinesque which I'm taking a while to get into, but I'm of the mind at the moment that it may improve and I don't want to give up on it just yet. It's from the library  and I really need to get on the site and order some more as I find I get what I want that way. If I just go in and browse I never know what to pick up.

We had curry for tea, Dopiaza sauce from Aldi chickpea and veg for the vegetarians and chicken for the meat eaters. I worked it out and it cost 70p for my plate with everything on, the chicken curry was more like £2 per plate due to the chicken breasts.  Much cheaper to be a vegetarian.  The vegetables were frozen on 

this occasion.  (All items bought while shopping on Saturday so no spending today) 

We have been for a walk this evening down to the park as it was a bit cooler, no one is bored and we don't intend to be but that doesn't we will be spending money on loads of activities either.   We are going to the pool on Thursday, Dip for a quid for the kids and I use my membership  ( which will expire in September) also meeting some friends tomorrow so lets hope for another sunny day. 

I  don't intend on being part of the statistics that show parents spending hundreds on holiday activities. They can amuse themselves sometimes you know, and if they can't  now then the worry is they might never be able to.