Shabby Chic kitchen progress & clueless about apples!

Hi everyone,

Another post to show my latest progress! As you can see from my last post kitchen was mostly dark - I have now repainted most cupboard fronts, just 4 more to go.

The door fittings came from ebay, ex MFI stock, and by buying in bulk, we were able to get them very inexpensively compared to standard DIY store prices.

Other progress is that we have obtained a full bathroom suite from Freecycle, white and fairly modern, completely free. This will be our next project as soon as money allows, possibly late Autumn, as our current suite is avocado green. It has saved us at least £200 on the main fittings, so we'll now keep an eye out for tiles at our local stores that are not too expensive. Of course if something suitable crops up on Freecycle that would be amazing too!

We have obtained a bathroom mirrored single cabinet for free from a house that was gutting their bathroom, it was in fairly poor condition inside but after a wash was acceptable. I then covered the shelves with some nice Cath Kidston paper and for now it's certainly much better than it was, and better than having nowhere to put things in! This would have cost at least £15.

Left you can see our crab apples have started to blush - we have no idea what to do with them! They are edible so hubby has started to take them to work, saving us around £1.50 per week, but I will look online for recipes as to what we can make.

Any recommendations for recipes, and indeed care of a crab apple tree? We are learning so much this year, it's hard to keep up with ourselves!

My next (small) project will be to repaint a Welsh dresser we purchased for £40. I will post pictures soon to ask for your inspiration and advice. My ideal result would be something like this (on right), which I saw a very talented MSE member complete on the Shabby Chic thread!

It looks amazing and I can only hope for such a result - only thing is I worry about the cost of paint and varnish - I guess it may cost around £30 but then at least we will have something we love - right now the pine colour is not my favourite!

Thanks for reading and do post your thoughts and comments, I will post another update very soon with hopefully a finished kitchen!

Summer plans

Hello everyone and sorry for the delay. With work and high rennovation costs, we've had a lot on, which I hope end of July and early August will finally calm down.

We have been able to do a lot in our new home these past few months, but not only is it a costly time but so tiring as well! You also learn how inadequate you can feel when DIY is daunting... however it's a great learning curve. My next project is to re-cover some £5 wooden chairs we bought second hand, then repaint a bathroom, all as inexpensively as we can to try and claw back some of what we have spent.

My next post will hopefully show some recovered chairs with before and after shots, and some re-painted bathroom - with before and after shots too! However I know I need to finish off the kitchen first - still a few doors to go, so some elbow grease and a final push needed.

Does anyone else here have some porojects on the go - or planned for the future?

The beginnings of a shabby chic kitchen

Hello everyone,

I have been busy with our kitchen - so thought I would show you the work that has progressed so far. The kitchen has dark wood units and deep blood red walls which were not doing it for me, so we have started to repaint the units as well as the walls. I would say that right now it's 60% complete, take a peek at the photos to see what I mean. The photo to the right is very early on before we even moved in.

You can see the dark wood units, deep red walls, carpet tiles on the floor plus to the right and old Economy7 heater on the wall.

Once we moved in and the cold weather had become less frosty, we decided one Saturday to completely remove all the kitchen carpet tiles, not olny were they unsightly but I feel unhygeinic in a kitchen, they came up very easily but did leave traces of carpet glue which are very hard to remove. As we are planning to redo the kitchen floor, we have left the floor as is for now. Now we just have to think of colours and types of flooring to put down and assess how much this will cost and when to do it.

Then below you can see the start of repainting the cupboards - I bought 'champagne' colour cupboard paint from the Crown range of paints, and although it does say 1 coat, have learnt I should never have trusted that and although the results are ok, would use a primer next time. I washed each door, dried it, then sanded down and once sanded and cleaned, applied around 4 coats to the back panels and 5 coats to the fronts.

My next project was to find suitable handles, which i did by first checking the DIY shops, then seeing if I could get similar things online for less. Sure enough, ebay came through for me and I found some shabby chic handles which were ex-MFI stock.

You can see to the right what the handles look like once applied, they add more light to the dark kitchen and I do love how well they go with the cream. At this point the walls were still nagging me, as the colour was too dark for the kitchen and i didn't feel veryt relaxed when cooking, too sinister a shade of red I think!

So whilst we carried on painting the units and applying handles, I started to think about colours that might go with the style we wanted which ultimately was shabby chic. I looked at many colour charts and we did purchase some samples as well, painting them onto the dark red walls to see what the finish might be like.

I chose a sage green colour, as I have heard this works well in kitchens due to opening the appetite! However I was also aware our north facing kitchen might feel cooler with green, so I was careful to choose a relatively medium/warm shade rather than a bluish green or heavy green. As you can see more units have been painted and we have started on the walls, but the red is still showing in places!

So far we have spent around £70 on cupboard painting and brushes, another £15 on wall paint and around £35 on handles. I think that for £120, it's enabling us to live with the kitchen for quite some time yet without wanting a brand new one, plus we are learning alot along the way and living with it like this will allow us to discover in time what a kitchen really needs to be like when we do buy new.

Spring has sprung!

Hi everyone sorry for the delay in keeping in touch. I have family emmigrating, work has been busy, and works starting on our home so things have been very hectic.

However, we have managed to start planting - so far we have some lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, chilli, potatoes, onions and sunflower seeds. This year though I really want the lettuce and carrots to survive - hopefully I will do it right this time! The sunflowers have already started to peek through so the first 2 leaves are showing now... Then we also got some Jasmine, which I need to figure out how to take care of as it is delicate, but I do love them so much.

The main thing I have learned this month is that a) budgeting has gone out the window, my finance management skills need severely reigning in, b) car insurance quotes are a nightmare and all seem to have differing standards and c) don't beleive it when cans of paint say 'one coat'! I have learned that primer is almost always needed when repainting - I will share a photo on here soon so you can see what I have been up to in the kitchen.

The other thing I have done is joined a site called FreebieGB, who give you a free prize if you register, select a prize, then refer a few people (amount of referrals depends on the prize you choose). It may not be for everyone, but it sounds to me that if you club together with friends and family to sign up, you will get an item you can all share. For our family we will be doing the TomTom Satnav and I have followed the sign up procedure with FreebieGB. Then all of us can use the TomTom amongst us and it saves everyone some cash. Anyone with any feedback on these guys feel free to share, but it looks good so far.

I will add some photos here soon of both the seedlings and plants, DIY work so far and also some lovely finds we have come across second hand, to maybe inspire folks who are looking to change decor or buy items cheaply. I love the idea of recycling items and giving them a second lease of life, plus furnishing a house with mostly second hand items.

Enjoy and do drop in any comments on what you are up to now the sun is out!

Websites that can save you money & time today

Today I'd like to share some of the sites that I use to save some money, but the benefit is that they also save time too. Some you may already use and some may be new to you - either way share yours on here too:

- BidNip - This site saves me alot, it is a site that will bid for ebay auctions on your behalf. I am terrible for wanting to 'Buy Now' and this costs lots more money than waiting until a normal auction ends and bidding the normal way. So I do reecommend if you use ebay, sign up to BidNip. You place your maximum bid and let them remember to bid for you. It saves you waiting to the last minute and then getting carried away with bidding. Their 'snipe' can go in seconds before the auction ends. As an example, I was paying £1.70 for 1 door handle on normal Buy It Now auctions, but I used BidNip (and some patience in havoing to wait!) and reduced the handle cost to £0.80p - a 50% saving.

- Boffer.co.uk - A site that has a daily deal, listed at 11:59 every night and once sold out, that's usually it. They do run occasional special offers where they extend the deal.

- FirstDirect.com - Believe it or not, yes, your bank an save you time. Time equates to money, so that's why it's on this list. I can pay bills and never have to queue - I can call them at 3am, any day of the year. I can post cheques to pay in. It's rare to love a bank, but I do love mine.

- Amazon.co.uk - Associates programme - You can earn money from books or 2nd hand items through this programme, sometimes it is better than ebay as Amazon pay a fixed postage amount. I have sometimes bought 5 books for £2 for example at boot fairs, then listed each book on Amazon at £0.01, making some cash on the Amazon fixed postage. Not much if you always list at £0.01 but sometimes you will list a book for more, which is when it really counts. I did this alot for the Moneysavingexpert.com challenge "Make money from nothing" and it worked really well. You start off by selling items you have already got at home or were given and the money you make from that, you invest in other items, so you never spend 'real' money from your pocket. I made over £400 in that challenge and learnt alot. One Chanel book was £0.20p and sold for £9!

- Moneysavingexpert.com - This one goes without saying! The Wednesday e-mail is essential and will keep you updated on all sorts.

- Paypal - Most of us already have an account but if you don't, it can really change how you make payments and save alot of time. No more bank transfers, international payments, converting currency. Any time you can save converts to cash in other ways as you can focus on other moneysaving.

- Online Calculators & Time Savers:
Pleasures V Treasures
WhichBook - Can prevent you from that quick impulse book buy!
Mortgage Overpayment Calculator

FixtureFerrets.co.uk - This site can save you lots of cash on your supermarket shop. Find out who has the best deals before you even go there - well worth signing up for.

So there you have it - what sites do you recommend? See my other articles on moneysaving websites.

Also as Spring approaches, might be a good time to review my Spring Money Saving tips article

How much unappreciated cash is in your house right now?

Ok, so you will probably look around and say 'none' or 'well I have £1.10p in my purse'... but what if you were to find out what's really in your home and imagine it like a little pile of cash?

I spent the day doing this and here are some examples:

- Thai money from an old holiday - £3 worth
- Dollars from an old holiday - £4 worth
- Books that I will try to sell on Amazon - £4 worth
- Books that I can't sell online as a bit tatty - £2 worth
- Collectible items I bought for selling on ebay but haven't done yet - £8 minimum or £16 max if they actually sell
- Clothes I keep meaning to put on E-bay - £6 worth
- Cash in an old savings account I keep meaning to draw down £0.90
- Small radio brand new that I need to sell - £4
- Old kitchen handles - selection - that I could sell - £2
- Next voucher I keep meaning to use but always forget to take into town - £10
- Kitten accessories we no longer need as our kitten is a teenager cat now - £5
- Old computer we could sell for spares - £10

So there you have it - around £61, and that's the things we *know* we have.
As Spring approaches - is there an empty box you can start filling for e-bay, or a car boot sale?
Maybe that cash could then be used to buy something in Spring at a discount that will come in handy for Winter for example. Anything bought now in the sales, or obtained free, could save money for the future. Question is - what to buy!
I think I will start to make a list so I can keep an eye out for things we will need later this year as our tule in the new home is to buy as much either cheap or second hand as we can... or even better - free! This week we got a free poster on Freecycle, so that's a start!

£0.15p recipe to save money on your pearly whites...

Ok, so the best way to save money on your teeth is to not eat sweets, no wine, no coffee and no smoking. However, if you have no way of giving those up (most of us have little addictions that get us through the working week)... then how about making some toothpaste and saving a little money that way? On average a tube of the stuff costs £2 - I am pretty sure we could cost the recipe below at, ooooh - £0.15p max?

Even if we said £0.30 it's still a huge saving and it's freshly made compared to a tube of the stuff packed with preservatives and all sorts of other stuff.

The reality is, most toothpaste these days has a) sodium Laureth Sulphate which many people prefer to avoid, and b) Fluoride which can supposedly be toxic.

So making your own is not only better for health but also for your pocket, as you can make some from fresh for pennies. Will it have the same brand factor as Colgate? No. Will it look as exciting as stripy mint fresh? Probably not. However, next time I run out I am prepared to give it a go, as our current £2.99 Tom's of Maine toothpaste is fluoride free but it's also very expensive...


So here's the source website:
http://www.ehow.co.uk/way_5278502_recipe-natural-toothpaste.html

And here's their suggested recipe if anyone wants to test it our and report back with results:

Ingredients to make toothpaste

For this gentle toothpaste, you will need:

6 tsp. baking soda
1/3 tsp. salt
4 tsp. glycerin
15 drops of peppermint oil


The baking soda works to whiten and cleanse your teeth. The salt has the same effect as an antiseptic, cleaning the teeth. Glycerin is a base to help with flavoring and make the mixture thick and creamy. The peppermint is used for flavoring and to provide fresh breath.
Process

Combine the ingredients in a small storage container. Stir the mixture until it forms a thick consistency. This natural toothpaste can be used daily, just like other toothpastes. Store at room temperature in a plastic storage container or jar.
Use

Put a small amount of the toothpaste on your toothbrush. Begin at the back of your mouth and go forward. Brush your teeth for at least two minutes.

I still have a couple of tubes of om's toothpaste left, but the money saving bug is calling on me to try this recipe very soon as I like the fact that it would have no SLS.

Smells like… Coconuts!

OK so we've all been through the January 'must get fitter' phase, which includes the 'I will eat so much more fruit and veg' and 'definitely no chocolates'. Well, this week I have been reading up about, of all things, coconut oil.

 

Strange but true – this seems to be one of the latest super foods that does wonders for the body. Apparently, the structure of coconut oil is very different to the other oils we cook with, making it much easier to digest. This means that as your body is working less to digest it, you digest food quicker, which helps metabolise faster thus losing weight for some people. I won't go into the technicalities, but the suggestion seems to be to consume between 1-3 tablespoons a day in varying ways – cooking with it being the easiest, followed by shakes and spreads on toast (ok but my main preference).

 

The other great thing is that it is meant to do wonders for anyone with a sluggish thyroid, as anything that speeds up metabolism helps. So cutting out the other types of fats (vegetable oil, soya oil, corn oil etc) and replacing them with coconut oil overall is a great change apparently. Supposedly soya oil has now been found to be one of the least beneficial, and indeed suppresses some of the body functions, sometimes on ingredient lists it is merely shown as 'vegetable oil'.

 

You can still enjoy extra virgin olive oil and organic butter in moderation, but all other fats seem to have had 'human involvement' and extremely high temperatures rather than someone pressing the oil out of them. Supposedly once the fats get into the body, the oxidise (rust) in your cells, wheareas a more natural fat like coconut doesn't and in fact helps the body along with lots of processes (the liver benefits a lot).

It is a natural antibacterial product and can also help with digestive products.

 

Beauty Regimes

It goes without saying that you can then use the coconut oil in beauty regimes – it works really well as a make-up remover (rub some between hands and once melted delicately apply to eye area, then remove with a damp warm cloth). Also for full beauty treatments, melt some in hands, massage on face and leave for 2-30 minutes depending on skin condition, then remove with a damp warm cloth. In the shower you might also use it as a body treat for soft skin,

A small amount can also be applied to lips as a lip balm.

 

Hair Treatment

Apply to hands and once melted apply to ends of hair and work up to around half the length of the hair. Wrap hair up in a towel and leave for an hour or overnight, then rinse out with some shampoo.

 

Soap Making

I imagine it could also be used to make soap, perhaps combining it with dessicated coconut or ground almonds for an exfoliating treat. It is so natural and so good for skin, plus would add a scent of the tropics to your shower. A few drops of lime might add a nice zing…

 

Buying coconut oil

 

If you buy some, a large jar will cost around £7 but can of course serve more than 1 purpose. I would also recommend you buy it in a glass jar rather than plastic. It should keep well for 2-3 years if kept cool and in the dark.

Make sure you buy Extra Virgin/Raw or cold pressed – this means that no bleaching / high temperatures were applied to extract the good stuff.

 

Whilst some may be skeptic, I am going to give it a go – have had some for a few days now and my energy is up but this may just be because the sun is out and Valentines is coming!

 

Lots of people on Youtube swear by it so see these links for more information to make up your own mind or type 'coconut oil benefits' for example into Youtube:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMJUdAyaVBY

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wpsik0W4NU

 

http://www.sharonmaas.co.uk/html/coconut_oil__why_it_is_good_fo.html

 

A study on coconut vs Soya oil:

http://cogprints.org/6565/

Cheesy Goodness - Another Cashback Site to click!

Hello everyone,

As you know, I love cashback clicking - it's a free way to earn a few pennies regularly, for free, that at the end of the year you can use towards something nice. For me, it's almost always free food and booze at Christmas.

Well I now have a new site for you to click on and add to your daily routine - do see the Cashback menu on the right for other sites you might like to look at and consider using.

Thin Cheese Cashback Site
Link: Click here to join

This is a sister site to the great FatCheese Clicking Site and both of them offer great ways to earn cash for free (by clicking), or for buying things you were going to buy anyway. Examples of these are below:

- Sky+ gets you £100 cashback!
- Hastings Direct Car Insurance £46.50 + FREE £30 Fuel vouchers + half price MOT
- T-Mobile £35.00 for phone contract
- Synovate. £1.50 cashback when you register.
- Coral - if you sign up to Coral, get £10 cashback instead of £5 by following my link above.
- Bingo Day - £45 Cashback - sealed with the FatCheese Guarantee!

These offers change, but ised in combination with Daily Clicks as shown on my Routine, van earn a tidy sum over a year.
My recommendation though would be to only join 2 or 3 sites to start, until you get a feel for it.
As an example, I have earned £6.50 cashback for free from a Vistaprint order I wanted to place anyway, and in a few months will earn roughly £30 for changing gas and electric to a new supplier, something we had in mind already.

I hope thi shelps you save some cash in 2010 towards a treat, debt reduction, or Christmas - enjoy!

Home - How To Start Anew

Hello everyone,

I do hope you had fantastic Christmas and new year. 2010 is truly upon us now!

I have had no time to write really as we are still settling in, and with no furniture and no gas heating, the cold and needing household items have taken priority. However, we are not going to rush.

The rule for our new home is - unless we love it, it won't be brought into the house. So we'd rather wait and take time to buy than rush on grabbing things this month. It means we will have to do without for a while but also means we will be more careful. No more buying something that 'will do for now', as we'll have a home full of things that are just 'OK' and we will end up giving away.

The garden will need some attention soon, and it will be an amazing feeling when I have time to actually look out there and learn what needs to be done.

Any tips from folk on here as to what I can do in January/February garden wise would be awesome, and of course any other tips for a new home.

So my next post will no doubt be on some of our new experiences as we start to furnish the place, get bargains and start to hopefully cook more and utilise the space better (as currently it's a mess!).

Have a great end of weekend and hopefully I can do some blog reading and drop by your blogs soon, now the whole move is over!