I know that you know that I've been banging on about this topic since...well...forever. DIY may as well be my middle name. It's a peculiar passion, that even now, when I don't NEED to DIY, I still find I WANT to.
I'm also fascinated by the societal changes, that worship buying ready made everything, whilst also bemoaning being locked out of the housing market due to rising prices. Amongst other things.
When we were kids, we actually felt sorry for the kids who only had 'bought stuff'. Everything we had, from cupcakes in our lunchboxes, to hand embroidered, pure wool, satin lined Winter coats, was made-from-scratch.
Where did that mentality, that level of skill, go to?
Me? I couldn't make a hand embroidered, satin lined Winter coat to save myself. But my Nanna could.
She could also behead a fowl, pluck it, remove it's innards, and have it in the dinner pot, before you could say Chicken Soup. Apologies for that visual. I couldn't do that either.
BUT.
I can make a dang mean vegetable flan, complete with made-from-scratch gluten free pastry. When I say made from scratch, I mean I made the home made Bisquick multi-purpose baking mix on one day, and turned it into pastry on another. I'm not completely immune to time saving tactics.
Waffles. We craved them. I made them. Gluten free of course. Courtesy of the same Bisquick stuff.
And when you decide that you love a good statement necklace as well as those cute brooches, what else is there to do, but buy a couple and upcycle those into something uniquely 'self'.
Of course, the Daughter continues to need the occasional bulk cook-up, and not wishing to have rusty skills in this area, Mother provides.
Another necklance, meanwhile. This one is indicative of the next stage of my life.
And in the midst of it all, there's always cupcake decorating with the granddaughters. A special pleasure, always. Why would we pay for entertainment, when it can be had for free at home?
Custom statement necklaces can be up to $300 each on Etsy. Mine were $50 each, plus vintage beads at around $10. Three necklaces at $900 all up, mine, $160.
Savings $740.
Ready made meals...two weeks worth. Around $350. Cost to me...around $25.
Savings $325.
Those gluten free waffles are $14 for a pack of 4 at the local posh deli. I make a dozen at a time for about -75c. That's a saving of $41.25 on waffles for petes sake!
Time with the granddaughters...well I dare not put a price tag on that. If they really wanted an outing, we'd have one and not think twice. But they look forward to just hanging round the place.
Savings of $1131.25 this week on equivalent bought items.
DIY wins. Every. Single. Time.
Tell me about your DIY in the home. I'd love to hear!
...Mimi...
Love this, as always. A couple of days ago we were doing battle with the small sticky flies at Kata Tjuta. I saw some walkers with fly nets and then saw them for sale in the local shop. Not super expensive but imported and quite poorly made. So, we made do with the insect repellent and our hands but I have determined to make some for us for future adventures.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic tip Yvonne! A must have that you wouldn’t otherwise know about until you’d arrived. Can’t wait to see your version. Mimi
DeleteWhat a fantastic tip Yvonne! A must have that you wouldn’t otherwise know about until you’d arrived. Can’t wait to see your version. Mimi
DeleteMy favourite shortcut lunch tip is to grate some carrot, chop some mushrooms and spring onions,it any vegies you like, and squish into the big silicone ice block trays (available for a song at Kmart) with as much cooked egg or rice vermicelli noodles as will fit. Freeze, then when you want to eat or prepare a quick lunch on the go, add a cube or two to a sachet or spoonful of miso paste, pour over boiling water to fill your soup cup or thermos, and bingo, a healthy and delicious lunch.
ReplyDeleteThat’s a brilliant idea Jodi! I’ll pass that one on to Daughter xxx
DeleteLove your tips! My youngest daughter and I do lots of diy, usually having to do with meals. One of my favorite timesavers is to buy onions and celery in bulk and then chop and dice and freeze. That way when we need it for a recipe, it’s already processed and quick to add.
ReplyDeleteDo you have a recipe for your GF Bisquick mix? I am fairly new to GF and would love something that saves both time and money
Dear Mimi so nice to see a post from you. You are as always very inspiring and encouraging. Love,love, loved the necklaces. Hooe to see some more from you soon. Cheers Kate
ReplyDeleteHi Mimi! Yay, I love your posts!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely pictures. I don’t have a waffle make but am very tempted to get one. Are there any special tips for the gluten free mix or do you just use a regular recipe and substitute gluten free flour exactly?
Your daughter must be so grateful when you drop off bulk food like that! I truly think giving food is one of the best gifts, especially when all the hard work is done. It can make such a difference to a bad or busy day knowing at least there is a good meal at home.
I’m trying to get some jobs done that will make me feel more organised, beyond just the ordinary day-to-day. Like taking things to the op shop, clearing out spaces that aren’t working well and rearranging them. It’s slow progress, but I’m hoping if I do it well it will have more of an impact. I want my house to feel ordered, it helps me feel calmer.
Have a lovely rest of your week
Jen
Dear Mimi,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post. It is a lovely reminder. I have wanted to write for some time and thank you for the blessing and encouragement that your blog is and today is the day.... So thank you. One of the things that I have done this year is read your blog posts from start to finish. Such a tremendous encouragement to me that I think I'll have to start over and do it again! I suspect we probably don't live far from each other and I keep wondering if we are passing in an op shop some time!! In any event, as I doubt I'll ever see you at this stage - Thanks for taking the time and energy to blog. The rest of us are richer for it.
Missy