Entertainment With A Retro Twist!

First a report back about yesterday's washing with conker liquid. An initial success! I chose washing that wasn't too dirty except one of Tom's shirts that was a bit grubby around the collar and washed it on a 30 degree wash which is what I would normally use for an only lightly dirty load. When the washing was going round and round in the machine there was not a bubble in sight and I was prepared for it not doing anything. However after only a 30 minute wash I was pleasantly surprised. The washing was fresh and clean. Although there was no scent, it smelt fresh and definitely soft. The grubby marks on the shirt collar had all gone. Youngest son and daughter were amazed and frankly won over. Today I am going to have a go with clothes a bit dirtier and see how I get on.
  In my quest for a more ordered household I'm always reading about ways of decluttering. Always reading never really succeeding! I came across one website recently that made me realise how stuck in the past I am. They gave a list of things no one has in their house anymore. One of the things they said to get rid of was CD's as everything now can be listenend to digitally. I know this is true but Tom loves his collection of CDs and is always trawling jumble sales and Car Boot Sales for new additions and I am even further back with a large collection of LPs and singles I still have from the 70s and early 80s.I even have a collection, of dare I say it, music cassettes I listen to on a little 1970s cassette player (rescued from a skip!) with the cassettes stored in this lovely orange cassette case I bought at a jumble sale for 50p.

   Another item was filing cabinets. It said scan all your precious documents and store them on the cloud and no more lists and wall calenders, just write them on your phone. Oh dear the one and only time I tried to copy what my eldest daughter always does and write a list on my phone I couldn't find it when I arrived at the shops and as for important documents in the cloud. I'm not even going to comment. The final item on the list was DVD's. Now I would have probably agreed with this until recently. At the beginning of the year we had a clear out of a lot of DVDs as we had subscribed to Netflix this time last year. Recently when I was going through our bank statement, I noticed the Netflix payment of £5.99 a month. "Do we really need this?" I asked everyone. Youngest son? "No never watch it." Youngest daughter? "Ocaasionally, but I'm not really bothered. Get rid of it if you want." "What about us?" I asked Tom "Oh yes we use it." He said "We watched all the episodes of Merlin earlier this year." "That was last year." I said. When I thought about it that is all we have watched. We really enjoyed it again but I could have bought all the series for about £20 secondhand on ebay instead of the £72 we have paid over the last year to Netflix. That's it, Netflix has gone.
   So rather than decluttering to live in the 21st century I have decluttered any up to date bits. I'm probably just not in the modern world really. I suppose I could set up a little business as a vintage entertainer using my retro items to play music at weddings and vintage events, Yes there really is such a thing. Well it's a thought!
  The sun is shining here though I'm not sure it will last. I hope you get a bit of brightness what ever you do today. xx

The Eco Friendly Conker Washing Liquid

What a lovely day it was yesterday. The sun shone and I felt very productive and cheerful. After my second operation on my thyroid they told me I may never be able to sing again but even though I was very croaky in the early days I can sing fine, well as well as I could before anyway! When I catch myself singing away whilst I am doing things I am always very grateful. It's funny the things you take for granted in life. Anyway aside form me singing all day I managed to get lots of little jobs done in the sunshine and after lunch I started on the job I was looking forward to most.
  I put aside half the conkers I had to experiment with my horse chestnut washing liquid with, which was a nice little hoard. Thank you very much Scarlett!

I started bashing with my hammer as the instructions online had said but with conkers flying and dogs barking it wasn't as easy as I thought.  However with a bit of experimentation and the use of an old towel I got a rhythm going and it started to work.I found using the claw part of the hammer and hitting dead centre was the most effective. "It's a good job Scarlett can't see what's happening to her precious conkers" youngest son commented as he walked past the kitchen. I had intended to put them in my Mum's old Magimix as the instructions said but they are so hard I was a bit worried about damaging it so I just kept bashing.

  Only a short time later the conkers where all in a satisfying pile of small pieces and I removed any loose outside bits, although the instructions said you don't need to, and then put them in a Kilner jar.

  Then I poured very hot, but not boiling, water over them level to the top of the conkers. Different sources say different amount of times to leave them soaking some say four hours and some say overnight.

  I left mine overnight on the kitchen windowsill and this morning strained the liquid through a muslin into a bowl.

   I poured the liquid it into a smaller kilner jar and here it is. It's a bit more watery than I imagined it would be but maybe that's because in my mind I am picturing Persil liquid! The proof will be in the using but youngest son and daughter have said "You're not practising on our clothes!" and who can blame them. 

  I'll try it out today on some of mine and let you know how I get on. Hope everyone has a lovely day what ever you are doing. xx

Keeping Dogs With A Small Eco Pawprint

It was a sunny start yesterday morning, but by the time I was leaving to meet my sister and go to visit our Dad it was pouring again. However with the way these showers are at the moment when I arrived in Ashtead there was bright sunshine again. My Dad wanted to visit the garden centre to buy some plants for a gap in the flower bed where he had been cutting back and we mananged to fit in a cup of tea and cake there still in warm sunshine. Chrysanthemums bought we headed home with dark clouds approaching and just as we arrived back to his house the rain really set in. It poured and poured! Luclily my sister dropped me off at the station but by the time I arrived at Sutton the trains were all ready being delayed and cancelled. I managed to get my connection but I didn't envy the passengers standing around on lots of the other platforms. I hope they finally got home as the rain carried on heavily for most of the evening.
  I popped into the shop by the station to buy some gravy bones as a treat for the dogs as yesterday was Bud's 13th birthday. Or at least the 1st of October is the day Battersea Dogs Home chose for him as they didnt know is exact age. Bud is a Border Collie and the oldest of our dogs.

Then we have Cassie the Yorkshire Terrier who is 6. Here she is looking very smart out and about in her winter jumper!

  After our beagle Poppy died two years ago we decided to get another dog as Cassie missed her so much and Bud has always been rather aloof. So we got Tess the Border Collie puppy then a couple of months later out of the blue Layla the Springer Spaniel arrived. My eldest son took her from a couple he knew who were going to put her on the secondhand selling site Preloved at a very cheap price as they just wanted her “out of their flat” as she was “bonkers”. He was horrified and told them that it was a very bad idea as she could end up anywhere but they didn't care. Less than four months old she bounced into our life with a string of previous owners and names on her inoculation certificate. Staying for the weekend before my son was going to take her to springer spaniel rescue, we decided we never wanted her “out of our house” and she has settled in perfectly to her new four dog pack. Tess and her have bonded beautifully and are like partners in crime, the happy youngsters who were meant to be together. Here are the naughty pair!

   However feeding four dogs well is no easy of cheap task. We have always fed our dogs tinned meat with mixer meal supplemented with scrambled eggs and vegetables. Not only was this extortionately expensive for four dogs, I was horrified at the pile of tin cans in the recycling bag outside our house each week. I always worry the quality and source of the meat in these tins and for some reason with poor Layla, who has a sensitive stomach and because of her early stresses a nervous disposistion, it just goes straight through her.

   We are lucky enough to still have a fantastic local butcher who prepares pet mince. It is a mixture of the off cuts of all the meat they prepare which is all from sources they are sure of the high quality of and reasonably local. It is certainly not the rubbish, it looks delicious when we cook it! We either feed it raw or put it in tray at the bottom of the oven when we are cooking our meal. They love it both ways. It costs £1 per kilo which although not the cheapest option for the quality is very reasonable. We give them rice, pasta, vegetables or scrambled egg  with it, what ever we have in the cupboard.

  The dogs are looking fantastic, glossy coats, bright eyes and best of all Layla’s wind and diarrhoea has disappeared.  Since the end of the dogs eating a highly processed meat diet which has been transported miles their carbon paw print must have been greatly reduced. Not only this, the dogs are clearly happier and we are also supporting a brilliant local business 

  And finally Cassie who was feeling so lonely has found a new friend to cuddle up with!

  Happily this morning is a lovely start and apparently it is set fine today so I am off to catch up on lots of little jobs that need doing. I hope you all have a great day what ever you are doing. xx

A-Foraging We Will Go

It was a much brighter start yesterday morning so after breakfast Scarlett and I set off for the morning before the promised rain arrived in the afternoon. I had a couple of bags of old clothes to take to the recycling bank and a bit of shopping to do but once that was out of the way we went to a local park for the real mission of the morning. Scarlett just loves collecting things when she is out and about. Twigs, feathers, leaves, pretty stones, they are all brought proudly home to display. This autumn however has bought a new obsession in her little two and a half year old life. Conkers! My eldest daughter has bought her a little basket they call her "foraging basket" and she couldn't be more excited. Scarlett's latest obsession has coincided with my interest in learning about foraging for food, so it was with mutual excitement we started our search.
  I have been reading about making washing liquid for laundry from conkers so thought it would be a perfect time to collect enough to try. It was a really enjoyable way to spend our morning.

  I told Scarlett we must leave enough for other people and for the squirrels to have some food this winter. Coincidentally only this week there has been reports that the Horse Chestnut Tree is under threat and may even become extinct in the future following declines caused by the leaf-minor moth so next time she comes we will plant a few in pots to grow some trees. I already have two lovely horse chestnut trees in pots that I grew a few years ago, one of which that is now taller than me, but no harm in planting a few more.

  Scarlett took some home with her and the rest I have sitting in the dining room waiting for me to make the liquid detergent with later in the week. I will share how well the experiment in my new foraging lifestyle goes. 

Happy 1st of October everyone. I hope your day and the month ahead is a happy one. xx

  

A Cosy Sort Of Day

Yesterday was a family Sunday. A day when we were all at home. The sort of day I love. The weather was wet and windy but it makes me look forward to evenings round the fire as winter approaches.I took the dogs for a walk in the morning and although there was a steady drizzle, wrapped up in a rain coat I don't really mind. At least the park was nice and empty, except for the usual dog walkers and one poor young woman trying to settle her screaming baby by pushing him round and round in his pram. I tried giving her a sympathetic smile as we passed but she ignored me, probably feeling too stressed. While I was there, there was a spectacular sight of a large flock of starlings flying in to land on the grass. The wet weather must have brought some kind of insects to the surface. I think it is called a murmuration when starlings fly like this and I waited hoping to catch them flying away but they were far to engrossed in whatever they were eating I'm afraid.

 The afternoon was spent dodging showers while I planted some pansies in the window boxes and trying to bake a chocolate cake for after Sunday evening tea. I use the word trying as it was only when I had got all the ingredients out I realised that I was missing cocoa and had to run to the Co-Op in the rain to buy some more. My raincoat was certainly getting some use yesterday!. I was starting to think the chocolate cake was not meant to be as when I got my Mum's old Magimix out to mix the ingredients it wouldn't start. I realised the power knob at the front was missing. The only way I could get it to work was to stick a screwdriver in the hole where the knob had been all the time praying I wouldn't get electrocuted. This is obviously my next mending project! All in all it was a nice productive day. The pansies look quite bright in the boxes even if it is far to wet to take a photo of them and the cake turned out not too bad considering.

We spent the evening chatting over a nice cup of tea and munching on chocolate cake while looking out at the hooley that was blowing outside. Yes quite a cosy sort of a day really. I'm hoping as I'm looking after Scarlett for the day today the weather might be a bit better. What ever your doing today I hope you get a bit of sunshine and your day goes well. xx

Turn Off That Television For Your Health

Last night Tom and I were babysitting for my eldest daughter and her partner who were going to a Queen tribute concert. They has warned us that bad weather had damaged their sky sattelite dish and the only channel working was Sky Sports (Hmm!). So when football had finished and Scarlett was asleep we looked through the Catch Up channels for something cheerful and light hearted to watch. We settled on an old Christmas special of Darling Buds Of May. We haven't watched an episode of this programme from the early 1990s for years and years and even though it all did look very dated we both said we did really enjoy it for a change. Christmas with the Larkins looked so perfect and idyllic my spirits were definitely lifted by the end of it! One thing I did think was that although I'm sure life was far from perfect or "perfick" as Pa Larkin would say in the 1950s there was no telelvision to intrude on a family Christmas.
  Not just Christmas but everyday life seems to be completely ruled by it. While I love some dramas I'm afraid I have made a descision that, for my health, the news programmes have to go from my life. It's not just politics which is so dire and depressing at the moment but the news seems to report on only misery, cross county lines gangs, modern day slavery, stabbings, starvation, war and endless ... no I won't mention the B word, all in our living rooms 24 hours a day. From now on I am just going to get a quick round up on an app on my phone and not watch it anymore. When Tom and I are in our caravan we choose quiet sites and don't have a TV or WIFI and often not even mobile phone access. It is heaven, we listen to music on our little 70s cassette player and play cards or a board game, walk the dogs and just relax.

 Could we live an adaptation of our caravan life all the time? It is something Tom and I discuss endlessly at the moment. We are definitely a family of frustrated hippies! We all long for something simpler and unless you grab your dreams I'm scared we will be taking them to our grave. We will keep planning for now and we have bought a bigger 1970s caravan this summer, which I will share photos of soon, but I am sure that in our future there will be some big changes.

Solving Problems!

I have thought about my blog and all the dear people in blogland often over the past year. After a gap of blogging and a new computer I found I had somehow got locked out of this google account. Instead of sorting out the problem straight away I opened a new account and put that problem on a back burner as I often do. But a new me has been emerging in the last few months! One that fixes and mends! I suddenly decided that I will sort out so many irritating little problems. I have decluttered all the small outgoings on our bank account (How easy it is to hang on to a small house accident policy costing £5 a month for years as it takes precious time to sort it out) fixed broken items in cupboards which are now perfectly useable and have started to use other precious items I have put away, what am I waiting for I asked myself, life is too short to have unused items in cupboards.
  Over on instagram today I saw Marlene has started a new blog which looks right up my street The Secondhand And Savvy Shopper. That's it I thought I must sort this problem out so I settled down earlier today and went through all the steps to resolve the problem and that's it sorted! I can't tell you how pleased with myself I feel and how happy to see so many of my old favourites still going strong.
  I have found this problem solving is becoming a bit addictive. I had such a feeling of satisfaction when I cancelled one internet provider and returned to another saving myself £50 a month doing so. I had been putting it off over and over again thinking it would be hell, well to be honest it was a bit, but it is done and £50 is a lot of money to save. I wake in the morning thinking what problem can I solve or item can I mend today! If I'm not sure how to do it I look on youtube there is always someone telling you how to do it. "It looks very light in here tonight" my youngest son said as we settled down for our evening meal a few days ago. "That's because I have fixed a light that was put away in the cuboard and put it out" I said proudly! It was only a 50p car boot sale buy but I couldn't have been more pleased.

 So that's it today's problem solved. I'm off to read a few blogs and hopefully my new organised self will get round to writing a few posts too!