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. 

Free Exercise

I've just been out in the heat for a run, well I say run  it's more run walk at the moment, but that's how frugal queen began and that is also how I began a couple of years ago and then stopped.  I stopped because I was getting a lot of pain in my ankle and it was causing me to limp the following morning after I had been running so I just stopped. I continued with swimming as this puts no pressure on your joints but I was a bit put out as I am only slim and could see no reason why I should have a dodgy ankle.
  Well I have been a few times a week for the last couple of weeks, I'm not sure how far and as I say part of it is walking but so far no ankle pain so maybe it was just an injury isolation, time will tell.
What made me want to do it was it is just so accessible  and free if you can motivate yourself to get out there. I feel a bit silly I have to say and I take the two dogs which may have caused ankle strain before (they do drag me about!) so as I go down the main road I tend to walk fast when I first set off, then run as I get to the park and can let the dogs off the lead ( so I can move arms properly) through the wood then three laps of the park field then run back up the hill.  It was very hot just now but I was pleased I only needed to slow to a walk for a few seconds on the way back up.
I hope I can continue as I have my music on and there are no time restrictions like there are when I want to swim.  When swimming lessons are on  I can't go or swim team sessions, plus early bird doesn't start until 7.00 am  which is too late for me as I leave for work at 7.30.  Our pool has a very tight schedule so if something happens to mess up my timings in the evening when I want to go I've had it.  So if I can keep at it and improve I can do it when I want.
My son has been with a few times last week but he gets fed up, my main concern is that dark nights will come along and then I wont want to go alone for personal safety reasons. I know loads of people do it, but if I get fit enough I may be able to out run shady characters.

Now it looks very scenic where this guy is running.

The above image is from running world and there are tips for people who are new to it here 50 Best Beginner Tips It does say get a buddy to run with but again that involves relying on someone else to go when you want to but it would solve the fear of running alone in the dark.  Maybe I can convince my husband at some point.

The main thing I think is so appealing is that it is some time alone, it is free, involves no gym timetables or restrictions and I come back feeling better.  Please share your thoughts if you are new or an old hand at this I would love to hear how you started and where you are now.

Shopping Zombies

A strange title for a post I know but we saw many of these this morning when we popped to Meadowhall. My son had won a voucher for 100% attendance at school for three years and he wanted to go and spend it in the Lego shop.  I said we could go but we would be in and out, it's a lovely day and there is absolutely no need to be wandering around that place for hours.
  Well! It seems many people think it is the perfect way to spend your Sunday. My son even pointed out to me the amount of bags that some people have (quietly in my ear, not shouting and pointing!) and everyone seemed to be shuffling along, we had to overtake in a few spots as it was getting ridiculous. The whole scene brought to mind a zombie film, vacant faces, shuffling along with no purpose other than to spend.
 If these shoppers were in there with a purpose I'm sure they would have been moving quickly in the direction of the shop they needed to get to, made their purchase and left. However I don't think that is generally the case any more, people just use shopping to kill time and buy what ever takes their fancy at the moment. They will often worry later when the credit card bill comes.
After a busy week at work I don't believe time should be killed, it should be used wisely, lots of people have concerns about when they will be able to retire and have time to enjoy themselves, yet when they get some free time they use it to spend money. This is why people feel they will have to work into their seventies in the future because they want to retain their shopping lifestyles.
I understand you may be thinking well you were their too, well my son had earned this reward from school, it was in the form of a Meadowhall voucher so it had to be spent there and it was his to do with as he wished.
He sat and enjoyed building the model.

One of my dogs getting his nose in the picture.

The trouble is many adults feel like this about all their income, ''well I earned it I can have whatever I  want'' yes you are right you can,  just don't complain about it later or when you are still working right into your old age.  The trouble with this kind of thinking is that many people who don't work also feel the same way.
I didn't buy anything while we were there as we went with a purpose and then left to come home and get on with other things.
Having no real interests or hobbies can create this need to go out and shop because it gives people somewhere to go, the other side of this is that some hobbies can be expensive in themselves.  With the school holidays ahead for me and the children I will be making lists of things we want to get done (free or low cost like dip for a quid at our pool) we will be busy but not shopping.
On a positive note a good conversation was had between my son and a young lady who worked in the Lego store, she said she was a new team member and that she would be building some of the display models soon.  She explained how long they took and how she was looking forward to that.  My son has said when he is older he would like to get weekend or evening work there.  It would be nice if his hobby helped him save a little for some independence in the future.

I do not intend to offend anyone with this post but I would hope it might make a few people look around at the zombie faces the next time you are in a shopping mall and run like hell!

Leaving Primary School is Expensive for Many Families

It has been quite an emotional week as my younger son left Primary School yesterday  and he and many of his friends were a bit overwhelmed by the time the leavers party finished.  I say leavers party but apparently a lot of people were referring to it as a Prom  and had spent the appropriate amount of cash they deemed fit for such an occasion.
 The children left the School in a party bus and stayed on this an hour then had an organised party complete with red carpet and food for a further two hours. The party bus was split cost wise between all us parents as was the venue which we had at a reduced rate due to a fellow mum working there.  I know my son enjoyed it all but you sort of feel, where does it end as these things seem to get bigger with every passing year.
  When my older son left four years ago these celebrations were already an expected thing but they had a stretch hummer to take them to a nearby restaurant where they all had tea then ran around outside.  I might also add they remained in their school clothes for the whole time.
 Now, the parents have been discussing outfits for weeks! The children mostly had expensive prom gowns and some boys had waistcoats and ties. My son was asked if he would like a shirt, he replied no I have clothes already I will wear chinos and a T-shirt (good lad I raised him well) I was also pleased to see that a couple of his closest friends were also dressed similar to him, you know, clean and looking like eleven year old boys not mini adults.   He told me one of the girls dresses cost £300! I thought that wont fit long they grow so fast at the moment!
 I may be cynical but what has happened where people feel the need to spend those amounts of cash on a disco? Lets face it that's what it is, I know they would all have loved the party just the same without all the bling as long as they were together having fun.  It's a shame that many of them are already programmed to feel that pull towards image and what their outfits cost. Clearly it is already in their minds that it is important for them to be comparing dress prices. One of the boys had also mentioned to my son that his suit was £500, not sure if he was exaggerating but again it shows that some kids think this stuff is what matters.
What really made me laugh is that a TA spoke to me on the drive and said these have been playing on the adventure playground (with a tut as she said it) gesturing to my son and his friends. I just smiled, they had to wait for the bus to arrive for forty minutes while children got dressed, had hair straightened, applied make up etc. Then posed Hello magazine style for the camera, my son and friends were on the adventure playground  after one photo running around in their change of clothes, being eleven. I was pleased to hear this because he is after all, a child and these years pass too quickly.

I wonder what will happen next year at the same school to top the event as that seems to be what is happening, I'll never know as both my children have left.  Now that is over we all have the expensive uniform to buy, and all the necessities for secondary school, fortunately as I didn't blow the family budget on one outfit we will be fine.

They are all such a super bunch of kids and have been really good friends all through school I just hope they don't lose too much of that as they move into their new school and popularity becomes the thing to aspire to for many. 

I did feel that if this is happening at most schools now it must be a tremendous strain for a lot of families.  people who are already worrying about kitting children out for the new school year but also don't want to disappoint their child.

 Maybe if schools all decided to have the end of year  6 disco there it might eliminate some of the expanding costs of limousines, buses and venues which all have to be booked and arranged sometimes a year in advance.  I know teachers will be groaning as these things have to be supervised and many just want to get going at the end of term. I work in school myself so I know what I'm suggesting but I just think it would really take some of the pressure off some families out there and maybe even a little off the kids.

Used Goods Save You Money, Lose the Fear

I was thinking about this the other day when we had a school fair. I was on the toy stall and lots of children were quite happily paying a few pence for their toys when some one said to me 'oh I don't like these things they make me sad'. Well I found this a little confusing as it was an adult who mentioned it and no one was making her buy anything.  Also why is it sad? The children were all very happy with what they bought but then I suppose they have yet to be conditioned otherwise. Also mountains of debt is much sadder I think, some people would never buy used clothes but are happy to use credit cards for new ones and leave no money for bills.

Also it is quite acceptable to most to buy used cars or houses so why the stigma when it comes to clothes and furniture?  I think a lot of it comes down to making a statement for some people, they think  that by buying second hand they might be suggesting they are not very well off.  Some people find this sort of image very important, the truth of it being that people who are better off are the ones who make careful financial choices.  They are more likely to shop used, pay upfront and seek out a bargain.  They are also less likely to be drawn by the designer label as this is only ever going to drain your finances.

I read an amazing post by Mr Money Moustache about saving ten bucks at a time to become rich (about £5.80) now he is not saying the odd amount, this is about all those little decisions that make up these amounts and then eliminating them.  Nobody says you have to give up everything, but lets face it, if we really want something we will try to obtain it so why is this not the case for most people with savings and independence.  It gets me a little annoyed when people think oh you have this and that so it's ok for you.  Well  no it makes me really mad! We both left school at 16 and have worked ever since and saved, we also live within our means and don't ever go down the designer label route. If we were to find ourselves out of work we would make a job  out of looking for a new one and would cut back  further to tide us over.  We would not wait for it to land in our laps as we never have and it makes me crazy that so many people just take and feel sorry for them selves.  What can you do? What can you sell that you no longer need? Also if you are out of work how many jobs have you applied for today?  If the answer is zero why?  There is stuff out there and yes there may be loads of people chasing those jobs but if you are out of work you should be one of them doing the chasing, all the time! There is also an article on Mr Money Moustache that suggests for every saving you make and permanently erase from your weekly expenditure the less you will need forever!  I think that is something worth considering. 

Used! So what, get over it.

Garden Makeover Update

I posted a few weeks ago about the bottom of my back garden which was in need of some attention.  We had bought the garden seat and my husband had made another piece of seating to go around the tree.  The final job was to sort the fencing and remove the middle fence that divided the top of the garden in half in that area.  We used the fence panel that came on the back of the seat we bought, (it was supposed to be fixed to it but we used it as a fence panel) to match up the fence at the bottom and just painted with stain we already had. My husband used random large rocks we had to make a little wall in front and to make a step down, this was because it was too high to level.

This is how it looks now

This is what the tree seat area looked like at first with the old fence around it on both sides.

This is it now and I would say we are finished. We have lived here for 7 years and everything we have done to the garden has happened a bit at a time.  We have saved up and done each bit when we could.  The fences on the right got replaced a few years ago when the original ones blew down in the wind, decking has been done in different areas over the years and is maintained by my husband, when he sees the stain on offer he buys it and puts it away for when it is needed. Like I said yesterday pots have accumulated over time.

We do not know a lot about gardening but fortunately my husband is good at woodwork and if I have an idea for what would look nice he can usually make something and we try to do it on a budget (remember the tree seat materials were free)

We will spend a lot of time in the garden over the coming months so I think it is worth the time and money.

Gardening and Aldi Planters

It has been so lovely today, some might think too hot but I love the summer and the chance to spend more time outside.  We went to the local Nursery to get some plants and we were really pleased with what we bought.  We had a look in B&Q a couple of weeks ago but they didn't have much on offer that we were prepared to pay their prices for, the Nursery near us was much more reasonable.  We use the same pots every year occasionally adding a new one or if we need to buy a particularly large one to re-pot something.  We also had to wooden planters that my husband spotted in the Aldi the other day, they were reduced from £10 to £5 each and he bought two to go outside the front door.  We also had some bright pink wood stain that we picked up reduced in Asda a few weeks ago so here's  what we did. (Or he did)
My husband assembled the planters which looked good as they were but we wanted them to stand out a bit.

He then painted each one in the shocking pink stain, he said it actually smelled like bubble gum, now I couldn't smell that so I wonder if his mind was playing tricks because it looked like bubble gum?

Next attach the inner bags that line the planters and pot up with two pink Dahlias.

We positioned one each side of the front door to brighten the place up a bit.

The other plants we bought I potted up and positioned them on the back garden. We don't spend on plants a lot, we tend to find each year we will get a couple of things that come back year after year and a few cheap bits for instant colour.  We bought three Dahlias at £2.49 each, a cordiline £11 ( the most extravagant thing but much cheaper than anywhere else).  Also a couple of purple leafy things (ha! I can't remember what they are called) and 6 pertunias for £6.   

We have different areas of purple slate and pebbles on our garden so most of what we plant does go in pots  the reason for this is that we have dogs and found that they wore a race track around the lawn when we had one so that did not look good, also dog wee kills grass. I like the way it looks and we have hedges all the way around us and trees so there is no shortage of greenery.  

Frugal Sewing, New Dress

I sat down this afternoon to get on with a dress I have been intending to make. I bought the fabric a while ago and I must admit that when I bought it I just liked the purple colour and didn't give the actual fabric as much thought as I usually do.  The thing is it has far too much lycra in it.  Some people might like working with this but I don't!  Some people work with tricky fabrics and think I'm going to beat you and see it as a challenge, again I don't. Life is too short,I want to sit down at my table and enjoy the process, not be at war with the fabric!  When my over locker was working properly this made these fabrics easier to work with, this fabric today had far too much bounce.  I made a skater style type of dress that I have made many times before pattern free and the initial making up of the dress didn't take that long.   I used my mannequin ( I also had a battle with that) to hang it on to start, but then decided I'd better try it on as she is larger than me.  It looked nice after all the bouncing around while sewing (ball point needle I know) but the neck gaped because of the give in the fabric.  So I took up the shoulders, still gaping so I decided to put a little tuck at the front to bring in some of the fullness, then I didn't like that but had stitch marks so it would have to stay.  So I must have spent the next hour just staring at it and trying things out, flowers, placket, pleat all to try and hide this mistake at the neck!  I have to admit I was getting very annoyed with it by now also it wouldn't just slide on the mannequin like it does on me because of the fabric it is covered in, it sticks, also she is a little larger and quite wide shouldered I have realised.  So I finally decided on a mock placket with two buttons and I battled it back onto the mannequin.

My husband said he liked the dress but then he was not so sure about me putting the placket on,  well I had to do something or I would have sat staring at it all night.  It looks snug on her but fits me well, when I bought the mannequin my husband did say send it back if you are not sure and get the smaller one, I should have done that.  I may have to go back to taking photos in the mirror as when I was battling the dress on her to take the photo she split some stitches and I had to redo it. She needs a diet!

  

I am wondering weather I should carry on the purple top stitching onto the placket so it looks more finished any body any ideas? Still after all the drama that is another dress for the summer.  I usually find it more relaxing than I did today though.

I have some more jersey left and I have checked it feels normal, not overly bouncy so that will be next.  I will be trying it straight onto my body next time though to save fitting issues with the mannequin. I was so excited when she arrived as well, maybe I need to reserve her for looser garments.

Shoes and Pools

I have had  few unexpected must buys this week and a few that I knew were coming. First of all younger son puts on School shoes on Monday and announces there is  a hole in the bottom! Great off to Meadowhall that evening to buy new ones, this is unavoidable we can't have holes in our shoes.  Then on Friday older son comes home in rain saying feet are wet he has got a hole in his shoe also, what are they doing to them! They have only had their shoes for six weeks. Is it me or should shoes last longer than that when you have not outgrown them? This seems to be a regular thing, they are from different shops so I can't blame that but they never last more than two months. Do I expect too much? Also older son is  in  men's leather shoes so we can't just blame this on kids shoes in general, maybe my too are just very heavy on their feet.  I then had to buy a gift for a children's party and also a gift for a family birthday this week.  Some would say opt out of the whole gift buying thing but if a child gets invited to a party then they should be able to go I feel and not empty handed. If it was every week  and some ones finances couldn't stretch then fair enough but it's not usually every week is it?  The other gift was for one of the grandmothers so again a genuine need I think.  I don't agree with the whole gift giving to every one you ever meet at birthdays and Christmas, that can get a bit ridiculous but close family and friends then yes.
That said we haven't done anything other than food shopping this weekend and a walk with the dogs today which led me to quite a silly internet search when I got back.  There is a house for sale near us that has been on the market for ages, the reason being it's very expensive.  I heard it has a pool out back and as I love to swim and get stressed with the crowding at my pool when I'm trying to swim, I thought I'd have a look on Right Move.  It is very  expensive, but the pool looked lovely. So then I got looking at houses in California which have pools and the properties are so much bigger yet far cheaper, £200,000 cheaper in fact than the ones with pools here.  Lets face it though they do have the right climate for an outdoor pool and we don't.
Then my search led me here...

Now this looks more like it I thought I could buy that much cheaper than moving... ARGH! What was I doing.  All I did was go for a walk perfectly contented with my lot (aside from annoying shoes that don't last!) and I came back ready to move countries, disgusted at our overpriced housing market and lack of affordable properties with pools, then a yearning for an affordable above ground pool.  Can you see where I'm going with this?  I will not be doing or buying any of the above but it easy to see how people can quickly convince themselves that they need or want something, be it anything from a pair of shoes, a jacuzzi or a new bigger house.  I have always planned and saved for any major purchase, along with a discussion with my husband finding the best deal and then waiting to be certain.   I know that with the arrival of internet shopping this no-longer happens for most people.  A search such as the one I had may have led some to buy a pair of designer shoes (OK it's not a pool) but lots of impulse buys like that are what  lead some people to debt. With the internet it is just so easy to sit at home and click add to cart.  It's also easy to convince your self that what you have is not enough.  Well many of us have more than enough and it's even better if what you have is debt free.  I recognise how silly my little wander around the net was this afternoon, but I just wanted to share how easy I think it is  to get pulled into that state of discontent if you look a little too long. 

Frugal Friday Dinner

Just got home tonight and realised that there wasn't enough quorn mince for the bolognaise  that I intended to do for dinner.  I was loath to go out and buy any more as we are going to do the shopping tomorrow, also it is raining and I really didn't want to go out again. I had one small chicken breast left and there was a can of chick peas in the cupboard.  I added the chickpeas to the bolognaise and fried the chicken in a pan separately as with two of us being vegetarians we really didn't want chicken juices in our food!  I also had a garlic bread in the fridge so we had that also.  A grating of cheese finished it off, it tasted good,  filled us up and I didn't need to go out to the shops.  I might also add that the sauce was out of the freezer that my husband spotted in Tesco a couple of weeks ago in the marked down fridge for 15p. It was over a pound to begin with and was perfect for freezing so he bought two.
I then found this site after thinking how useful it is to have chickpeas in the cupboard, . 10 weeknight dinners with chickpeas

I might try this, Braised Coconut Spinach and Chickpeas with Lemon

   I should have took some pictures but everything was just cooked and gone in no time, which is how it should be really.  Had I been in a lazy mood I might have said 'Oh what can we have?' and either popped out or suggested a trip to the chippy which is not a fortune but I often think well they were rubbish when we do that.
 I read a post the other day about using up what you have and while I do generally eat what is in and planned for, I find that it is not so easy to make do with what is in the cupboards sometimes with children around.   Even the best thought out meals sometimes elicit moans (teenagers!) so I do admire the likes of Elaine from Mortgage Free in Three who has boys who eat all her frugal creations without complaint.  I have not been too soft and foods have been introduced again and again along with variety but there is some real fussiness.  (I have been told I was equally fussy ) Funny I don't remember, ha!
I have made a decision to be more mindful of spending again as I feel I have slipped a little recently I think it very easy to get into the habit of thinking it's ok to just pop and buy stuff from the shops on a whim. I could afford to go and just eat out this evening but why?  Often it is overpriced and poor quality. (I would recommend using discounts and finding somewhere that serves fresh food . See previous post on cheap Lunch)
I do like to meet up with friends sometimes, so on these occasions we will find somewhere reasonable and eat out then but that is very occasionally.  Most of the time I feel I would rather save for something else.  If anyone has any fail safe recipes for fussy teens  I would love to hear about them.

Cheap Lunch Out

Yesterday we went for lunch at Green City Coffee. We had a voucher from discount vouchers, well actually we had two because all four of us went and the offer was for two people.  I had not been there before but I will be visiting again the offer was for any sandwich and a slice of cake for two people for £6. The food was delicious and fresh, they had a good choice for vegetarians, friendly staff and a really nice spot.  It helped because the sun was shining so we sat outside but it looked nice inside too.

We occasionally take up the offers that are forever being emailed once you sign up for these things, but I think it is good as you find places you wouldn't have known about otherwise.  We said we will go back again at some point, so if you are in Sheffield and want somewhere to go for lunch this a good choice.  

Today we went to an event at Millhouses park called Cliffhanger. 

This was £12 for us to get in as a family and was not as good as I thought when I saw the promotional videos for it. The children stood in a que for nearly an hour to go on this free fall drop thing and just as we were nearing the front they had to shut it down due to technical problems ( a wasted hour!) That probably couldn't be helped but most of it was small stuff and large ques, it was nice weather but I think that we maybe would have enjoyed the park without the event and the admission fee.  The promotional video showed lots of stunts and demonstrations going on but we didn't see much just some bike polo!  It was on yesterday so maybe it was more of that then, others may disagree but I don't think I would bother again with that.  When we got back the sun was still out and we did the garden, I think I enjoyed my afternoon more at home.   I  must also remember to weed more often as the little ones come up so easily and the big ones are just a pain.

 I  have some dress ideas for this week so I will start those tomorrow but I did repair my husbands zip in his work trousers so some money saved there and a little sewing repair for someone else. 

Re-fashioned, Skirt to Top

I have had a bit of time today to get some sewing done.  I also wanted to get making some more items to list on Folksy.  I had the skirt that my mother in law gave me, lovely fabric, originally form French Connection but she bought it at a charity shop.  I sat and stared at it for a while then decided to completely cut it up and make into something else entirely.  Here is how it started out...

It was washed, cut up and the pieces ironed.

I have some little bits left that I will turn into something else.  I used my dress mannequin to drape and decide what shape I was going for, I still find  I am working like this rather than planning first on paper. That was the intention behind the fashion drawing books but as I have always done it this way I suppose my habits of working are hard to break.  I decided I was going to make this item as a size 12 as that is a more common size, also I went for a halter neck that hung and sat just above the hips but hiding the tummy as people don't always want to be hitching their top down do they?

Here it is, there is a little tuck at the front and the rest has been left to just drape as I thought this would save any sizing issues as everyone is so different.

Here is the back view, I added a little band of elastic on the inside to make the back a bit more secure.  Also how high the neck is at the front will determine how far down the back can be worn.

I really like the fabric so I always just want to keep the stuff I make!

So I have listed it on My Folksy Store and it will remain on there this summer. If there are no takers then it will be resized for me next summer! I have decided if I do it this way I am less likely to feel like I am not making any progress. I like clothes so this just means instead of thinking oh no that item didn't sell I can reframe the thought to oh good new clothes for me.

Focus on the positive. 

So that was my afternoons work, now I must iron boo!

Making money from your passion

A couple of conversations this week and reading a blog post by Andrea at Four Square Walls got me thinking how many of us are lucky enough to make a living by following our dreams or hobbies.  I really admire people who do, who stick to what they want and don't give up no matter how long it takes.  I never really knew what I wanted to do when I was at school and it was sort of expected I would leave and get a job, any job and that is what I did.  I have never been out of work from leaving School at 16 and I am grateful for that but I do envy those who have a true passion, one that is unwavering over time.  I returned to education later, and studied part-time while working from home when the children were younger, I did this  to improve my options and it did. I changed my job from working in a sewing factory which was killing my love of sewing to becoming a teaching assistant.  I do enjoy my work but there are days when I feel I am missing something.  I suppose a lot of us feel that way sometimes, I have done a few  alteration jobs for people this week and I really enjoy these jobs, just me, the sewing machine and some loud music.  I sort of need the stability of a regular income too though, very brave the people who own their own businesses and may not know how the next month will pan out income wise.
I have a few bits listed at my Folksy shop and I did sell another bag this week, only a small profit but such a wonderful feeling that someone wants to own something I made.
When I see fabric I am full of ideas what I could do but the thought of items sitting unsold in the cupboards puts the breaks on a lot of the time.  Fabric is expensive which is why I choose to use recycled mostly  but how gorgeous are those prints below?

 I want to do more of this  but working full time and having a family means I sew when I can. I know that is not very brave or daring and maybe I should be taking more risks with it.  In Andrea's post she confessed to having given up her job and taken a job in a sewing studio to learn more and follow her dream.  How brave is she and although I would not want to go back to working as a jobbing machinist in a factory by choice  (don't get me wrong I would if I was out of work and needed to) I love the way she has just gone for it to see if this is for her.   I spoke to friend last night who's daughter is at college doing performing arts, she wants to sing and that is all she has ever thought of doing, her parents are very supportive and she is working on songs for an album and is always out doing performances.  I just thought wow! If she is going to give it her every best shot I'm sure she will get somewhere with it.
I think sometimes we compromise because we need some stability, of course more so when you have a family you are not just thinking of yourself when you make choices. Working for some one else means you have to bite your tongue quite a lot, you feel your life is not your own at times and there are things you just don't agree with but what can you do?  We make this trade for the comfort of having a pay cheque each month and someone else having the worry of how that comes about, I just think sometimes are all those hours that we will never get back well spent if we are not truly happy?  I just want to say to every one out there who is following their dream and working doing what they love most, good on you, I want to join your club one day.  I just need to figure it out...

Being healthy without spending a fortune

I have just started the evening meal and later on I will be going for a swim, we were talking about exercise and the gym etc. earlier at work and it got me thinking about how much is spent by some on memberships and how little they are used.  I joined my local pool a year and a half ago when the Change4life scheme had posted through my door.  I  have always gone to the pool but I only used to go once a week and sometimes that wasn't a definite thing, but the cost was always an issue as a quick swim soon adds up especially when you are taking the children along.  I had looked at joining before but it worked out too expensive however when the offer was on I got two years membership for £249 which is great, it covers the gym and sauna also but I don't use these.  When you consider I was paying £4.00 per swim before this is a huge saving plus I go two or three times a week now, the only downside is that with lessons and swim team meetings times can be limited in the evenings. If you are looking to join a gym or pool I would definitely recommend keeping an eye out for the Change4life posters outside your local leisure centre.

I think they look like jelly babies (but that is not very healthy)

It should have been £249 for the year but if you paid in full you got the second year for free, I think this just shows it's best to save when you can and then you can make the most of offers like this.  There was the option to pay monthly by direct debit but that was just for the one year  membership.

When the posters were up again near us recently my husband decided to join but he prefers the gym as he doesn't like to swim.  There are lots of things you can do if you don't want to spend money however, walking is always the easiest and cheapest plus most accessible to all ages, my friend has just started going to jive dancing in the week and she says that is really good for working up a sweat they are not formal lessons it's more of a social evening.  I have borrowed DVD' s from the library, there are all kinds of exercise workouts you can get there.  You can also get free trial sessions at some gyms and if you have health problems there are great reductions you can get from a GP referral.

Frugal things

Well the sun was shining at last all  day yesterday so the washing was on the line, that is the first frugal thing of the week and what a difference I think it makes to your mood just to get outside and feel the sunshine. I can never understand when people complain about the warm weather we just don't get enough of it for anyone to complain!  Wear a hat, open some windows but please don't complain when the sun shines!  A walk with the dogs to the park and a visit to family and while I was there I got given this skirt for the fabric...

I don't know if I will modify it and keep as a skirt (probably a bit shorter and less gathered) or if it will become something else, still free fabric is a good thing it cost so much now.  We then discovered had not picked up a pudding for desert when we went shopping so I made a chocolate and orange cake and the best bit was the eggs were form my sister in laws hens that she gave me the other day.  She actually said they don't really like eggs which I though was funny seeing as they keep hens. So cheap desert sorted! 

i had a sit at the top of the garden in the sunshine and we had been talking about what plants and stuff we need for the garden when I spotted this...

Can you see that little splash of pink? Roses growing among all the brambles at the other side of my fence near the tracks. I took a close up.

How beautiful is that? It will be really tricky to get to as the thorns on the surrounding bushes are huge but my husband said he will get boots and gloves on and get us a couple of cuttings.  I read that it is ok to take cuttings from wild plants just don't damage or uproot the original, which is bizarre when you consider the land that gets cleared for houses etc. Also it was mentioned that wild roses only flower for a couple of weeks early summer and that cuttings should be taken August to September.  I think if I wait until then I will not be able to find the plant without the flowers! Does anyone know if it will still work if we do it this early, rather thrilled at the idea of a free plant.  

One last frugal thing that got done this weekend was my husband finished re-staining the decks.

I think that has transformed them ready for the summer lets hope we have a good one. 

Fabric printing testing

I had a go at printing on some fabric today, I only have the one colour as I wanted to see how it works and how it lasts through the wash before I invest in any more.  I chose aqua (just because I like it) but if I plan to get any more I am going to buy just the primary colours and white so that I can mix my own colours.  I bought it from a shop called the Range and it is a little pot for £2.49, it was £2.99 in hobby craft and the same online, the make is Dylon.  If anyone knows that the cheaper makes work just as well let me know as I saw there were sets of these online and they were reasonably priced.  For my fabric I just used an old shirt of my husbands (he always passes them  on to me for fabric) but it did have a fine raised line in it which does affect anything you print.

I decided to use a potato to try it out first as they are easy to cut into and I didn't really have anything else suitable to print with, I know you can buy all the tools and foam stuff for making your own print blocks but I really just want to see how this works first. To be honest I don't want to be spending much on it so anything from around the house I can use will do just fine. I cut it into a square then I  cut a square from inside that one, that bit was tricky as I had to score the centre square then chip the bits of potato out.  I blotted the potato then as it is full of moisture and I used a small brush to paint the fabric paint on. 

I went along the fabric in rows so as to cover the whole thing, at first I thought I could paint it on then do maybe three prints but the colour fades so much immediately after the first print that you really have to load up the paint before you print each time. 

You can see that you get a bit of variation in the squares I think some of that is of course the way the potato has held the paint but some of it is the raised lines in the fabric.  I quite like that though as it is not too uniform. 

This is what it came out like and I like it but can you see where disaster struck? I dropped the potato just as I was finishing and there is a little splodge in one of the squares.  It now has to be left to dry before setting with a hot iron so I moved on to another bit.

This one I did just using the brush and it is supposed to look like waves.  My teenage son came in and said he liked  this one, he had been laughing and asking me how old I was when he saw me potato printing.

Here they are drying, the yellow one was to see if it would go green on yellow or just sit on top of the colour. as you can see it does go green on this very bright cotton. I used the square again and overlapped it lots,  not sure I like this one though. Next time I will try and cut some stencils but they will have to be paper  so they may go soggy quick. I want to see what the paint looks like with a crisper edge.  I suppose you could just paint a border on things free hand if you are artistic.  I think this would be good for people who do quilting because if you get given fabric you can change the look in lots of ways or maybe just stencil or print on certain little blocks.  I don't what I will use these bits for yet but I want to fix it and then wash it just to test the staying power of the colour, I will let you know how it gets on.

Our Italy Adventure

We just got back yesterday from our trip to Italy and were greeted by the grey clouds and pouring rain!  This is sort of the reason many people like to go abroad for holidays despite the fact that we live in a beautiful country we just don't' know what the weather holds when we book for holidays at home.  I have had a lovely time, so have the children  however my husband is not so sure. He said it was not what he expected, (expensive, crowded, people being rude and too many beggars!) well to be honest he was right on some of those points but it didn't spoil my experience, well the prices did make my toes curl on a regular basis but then we knew that before we went.
We chose a city based holiday so I think that is perhaps the reason my husband didn't see the beauty he was expecting, of course the historic buildings were beautiful but I think he would have preferred a more rural setting. We stayed just outside Pisa in a hotel and though the hotel was lovely and had apparently won many design awards, as a person who likes the outdoors and a bit of freedom I found this a bit restrictive.  for a start there were no tea or coffee making facilities in the room! Anyone who is English will know how ridiculous this is, what no cups of tea when I want?  Going and ordering one whenever you felt like it would not be an option as the hotel prices were so expensive.  We did buy in juices and water for the children and kept them in the mini bar fridge but water is not always enough is it?  The grounds of the hotel were very beautiful.

These were covered beds you could lounge on outside, but the bar for this was overpriced on day one we ordered drinks for all for of us and it came to 10 euros but the next day the children had gone to the room out of the sun and we had a juice each but this time it came to 12 euros for two drinks!  Now how does that work?  The only reason I can imagine is that the waiter brought them over this time but husband ordered at the bar so I'm sure he would have preferred to carry them himself for such a huge difference in price.

Also the hotel room was quite dark and we didn't have a balcony so if  you were in you were in and this could feel a bit oppressive.  I would definitely go self catering if we went again and this is usually what we have done in the past but a hotel seemed like a big treat, obviously it's not so much of a treat as I thought. That caravan of ours must have changed me more than I thought (ha!)

We spent our first full day in Pisa and got a bus straight away at the end of the street, bought tickets at the new agents (tobacconist they say) and the bus came in a few minutes.

I didn't even know my son had taken this picture until I was loading them all on the computer just now.  We had just got off the bus and bought a map from the machine, we were trying to figure out where things were and then we just set off randomly walking anyway.

We decided against going up it, there was a very long que, I had read before hand that you would be rushed once inside and also very expensive again! I was happy to be there and seeing it with my own eyes I didn't feel I had to stand on it to make the experience worthwhile but I do realise lots of people think that way.

This is in the centre of Pisa, we found we didn't use our map at all after that initial first look, we just walked around found the tower by the street signs then just wandered. Always a good way to see everything I think but you can relax knowing you have a map if you need it. We wanted something to eat but not a lot as we had had a big breakfast and knew we would be having an evening meal at a restaurant so we found a bar away from the main tourist trap of the tower.  We sat outside and ordered a pizza and four drinks but when my husband went to pay at the bar a very rude owner said no you cant sit there and only order that!!  So he said come on we are going.  We found somewhere else and ate there.  This was one of the instances of rudeness we didn't like, however the restaurant we ate in near our hotel in the evening had wonderful friendly staff.

I  also had a look in the Desigual shop while I was there, and my husband thought I was very odd for wanting a picture taken outside a shop.  I love it, though I didn't buy anything way too expensive but look at that shop front, so colourful! 

For anyone who doesn't know Desigual is Spanish and based in Barcelona but they have stores all over the world but I have not been in one until now, I usually look online, in the UK the stores are in London so not near me anyway.  I walked around and oohed and arghed at all the lovely colours, dresses and bags then a sales lady came over to tell me that if I spent over 100 euros I would get a free holdall.  (not happening)

We went to Florence the next day, again a quick bus, then an hour on a train and we ere there. Very, very busy in Florence, beautiful  buildings but so crowded, you are literally walking into people and you sort of get swept along in some points.  We found it a bit more difficult to navigate our way around here as the street are so close and the buildings so tall you can't seem to get a good feel for which direction you are going. We found our way to the Medici chapel and museum which is somewhere I wanted to see and paid to go in there, I have been reading about Leonardo de Vinci and his connection to the Medici's  it was also good to see the statues by Michelangelo in there. Quite amusing I thought was that the ticket lady just threw the tickets on the counter at us! Rude again but you have to laugh. You were not allowed to take pictures in there though which was a shame as it was amazing.

Here are a few pictures of Florence...

What I did find was that it was hard to have much choice to eat when you are a vegetarian, I had pasta with tomato or margarita pizza, now I was expecting to be eating all different types of pasta with lovely sauces but as I don't eat meat I had only the choice of two things.  I did ask in one restaurant if they could do me some vegetable and pasta and I was told no just cheese with pasta, very odd.

Our last day we went to the city of Lucca, and we agreed that this was the prettiest place.  It is a walled city, once a fortress and the walls are now pedestrian walk ways with people running or cycling around the top. We walked around then down into the town for a look around, much more relaxed and very clean.

We were on top here and you can see some of the wall at the other side, this is the view outwards. 

This is the view down, once you cross the street you are in a maze of old buildings.  The town is enclosed by the wall.

We bought yet more pizza from a deli here and ate it on the steps. (must eat lots of fruit now I'm home)

It really is a lovely place Lucca and I would recommend a trip there if you are holidaying close enough ( we were an hour away by train).

Yes that is a bag in my hand I did buy something, I bought a little jacket from a shop which I think is probably their equivalent to our Select or something like it as it was very reasonable. No designer labels for  me. On that note though I looked in the window of Prada in Florence and the clothes were just plain ugly! I tend to think you like what you  like and the label has little to do with it. I said to my husband I didn't see one Italian charity shop, do they have them?

Finally how pretty is the airport? There were lots of these statues outside the building on the grass we checked in the bags then went and sat back outside to make the most of the sun before we had to come back home, this was at 8.15am yesterday. I'm looking out of the window now and the sky is full of grey clouds.

Now extravagant holiday over I will back to saving and keeping myself in check.  This was our first holiday abroad in about 5 years so well planned and saved for. Things I would do different, definitely self catering, a more rural location ( though close enough to get public transport) and we are thinking of maybe using the ferry or tunnel crossing next time.  I don't know if that will be to Italy we may try France (maybe take the caravan), but I would like to see Italy's Lake Garda one day, but that could be a longer way off. I think it's good to have things to look forward to, but I always like to make sure they are well planned, well within our means and at the best deal. 

Oh something I was massively impressed with was the Italian supermarket, we went in and bought some cold stuff to eat on our final night as we didn't want another overpriced meal out and the food on offer in there was unbelievable. A whole section just on olives, seafood, fresh produce just gorgeous, we bought all sorts a cooked chicken for meat eaters, spinach pie and salad for vegetarians, plus drinks and puddings.

We took it up to the hotel roof terrace and had a little picnic, we probably shouldn't have but oh well.  Like I said self catering next time.

We booked this holiday last September, hotel and flight separate and sorted all our own trips and transfers, we found the hotel we were staying in was now double what we paid.  This just shows that a bit of forward planning works.   On a final note I went and did all the food shopping for the four of us for just over a week yesterday in Aldi when I got back. I spent less than what it has been costing us for one family meal in Italy!!! Ouch.