I have a boy similar age to hers...last thing I’d want to let him do is get anywhere near a toilet that needs unblocking 
this is not a skill he needs right now!
this is not a skill he needs right now!
Jack Monroe #12 Eight thousand pages from her printer, this could take us through to winter.
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This is brilliant - you rock! It's so satisfying when you accomplish something like that for yourself.So, after waiting patiently for a fascia to arrive so I could go to the garage and have my new car stereo be fitted so I can FINALLY (after a month of waiting) have my Apple Music in the car - only to find the bloke was off and I’d have to wait till Tuesday.
In a flash of inspiration, I went in the house, got the toolkit out and fitted it all myself. Brand new stereo and facia and saved myself £30 on fitting cost. It’s all working perfectly and I think I need a new career
You know why I did it? Because this thread is full of inspiration and people doing random things makes you want to do random things. So I did. And now I’m dead proud of myself.
Despite the fact JM is an idiot and we could tweet about her till the cows come home, we’ve got a merry band of people going on here and I’m thankful to call each and every one of you my fellow Tattlers. I would say when this is over.....but we all know with JM she just gives so much ammunition.
I have to say, I'm a bit in awe of a lot of you here. You could write a life guide between you. Legal and media knowledge, culinary wizardry, gardening tips in abundance...
I'm an ok cook, I mean, I have ten or so reliable favourites that I make on a regular basis, but I've realised how stunted my knowledge is. I have a handful of veggie cookbooks, none of them published in the last decade. You guys are making me want to buy a whole load of new books and get cracking on some fresh ideas.
So thank you! XX
and how will she find the time to homeschool with her 20hour work days?!
On a plant related note - why is my basil dying outside? Also something seems to be eating it but theres no slugs or bugs on it?
On the subject of new cookbooks - I have a tendency to buy far too many of them for the space we have. I have a few on Kindle but mostly I like to have a big chunky hardback to read and pictures to gaze at
. I saw yesterday, That Man has a new one due out in August. When I mentioned this to my husband, he counted up how many of That Man's books we have. I have 16 
What happened to the shed though?
Why would you completely refurbish it in 48 hours to then just forget about it and now push yourself as the Joe Wicks of teaching primary school children how to budget and light a fire?
Why would you completely refurbish it in 48 hours to then just forget about it and now push yourself as the Joe Wicks of teaching primary school children how to budget and light a fire?
Perhaps it's a regular occurrence in her "crappy bungalow". Post tinned peach curry.I have a boy similar age to hers...last thing I’d want to let him do is get anywhere near a toilet that needs unblocking
I mean it's a recipe for disaster....so to speak.
Basil hates the cold big time. Sunny windowsill in the UK has always worked best for me
This is so true.
I also like that it’s not been just all out slagging off nastiness, it’s for the most part been reasoned statements and opinions, interspersed with nice friendly chatter. it’s the least toxic discussion I’ve been a part of on the interwebz
Omg you are AMAZING - I’m print screening this, buying a £120 printer, £30 worth of ink and £15 of paper and printing it out #frugalliving. No but I’ve absorbed and print screened this, thank youSo you have plastered brick walls? How fresh is the plaster? Anything over a week, assuming it's skimmed, should be fine to drill into.
Things you'll need. Shelf + brackets (unless it's one of those magic ones, then just screws), rawlplugs/wallplugs, and screws to fit them. Longish if you can drill deep enough, spirit level, pencil, masking tape, tape measure. Hammer drill and masonry drill bit.
Two important things. 1) Make sure there's no electricity or water where you are drilling. Water isn't a problem in most rooms, unless your radiator pipes are behind the walls, but it should be fairly obvious where they might be. Electrics can be tricker, but you can buy a gizmo, or have a google for how to tell where electric cables generally are. I haven't ever used a gizmo, just followed the guidance, but if you're worried you can. 2) Measuring and checking things are level. Some brackets allow for a bit of a mistake when drilling, have a slot rather than a hole for the screw, but lots don't. So measure from ceiling to where you want the shelf to be, and measure distance apart for brackets, mark with the pencil (cross rather than dot) and then use the level to check that your ceiling is in fact straight and the holes are actually level (mine aren't as my house is 100+ years old). Adjust until you're happy.
Then you need a masonry (ones made of carbide or tungsten are the strongest) drill bit, and a fairly powerful drill, ideally a hammer drill, I bought a corded as they are cheaper but have enough oomph. If you're worried about the plaster cracking, then masking tape over the area you're going to drill is a sensible precaution. Go slow at the start, to get through the plaster (lowest drill setting) that will help prevent cracks. Drill as deep as you need, let the bit do the work, don't put too much pressure on it, then reverse direction on the drill and run it while you, ahem, pull out. You want to drill a hole that is big enough to fit your wallplug, but not so big it moves around. Check the bit against the wallplug before you start. Then screw the brackets in, I normally do this with the drill, with a screwdriver attachment. Shelf on and fix it to brackets, however indicated. If no instructions, then you just need small wood screws (assuming wood shelf) to fix it. Again I'd use the drill, but you can do it by hand. *
Ta-daa! Shelf!
*Vague credentials: I used to be a builder's apprentice years ago, and was taught a lot of DIY by my dad. I'm a little cavalier though, so hopefully haven't missed anything important out.
Also how amazing being a builder’s apprentice?!We have a really good hammer drill because my darling Eddie was insistent on it, and paid for it haha, but it terrifies me. And one of those little portfolios of extra drill bits you open up but duck knows what any of them do some of them look like something that demonic jigsaw puppet from the saw franchise would be into. The plaster is all about a year old now thankfully, and yes the walls were skimmed! We had a handyman duck up putting up some corner shelves and he had to come back like 3 times to fill the plaster in so I’ve got the fear, and our walls aren’t straight either!
I’ve bribed him to finish the garden chores this weekend so next weekend we’ll probs get divorced over these shelves, can’t wait x
Ha! Jack still hasn't returned last year's tax return.
Is she going to teach him to save most of his money, then during an economic downturn beg from others (most of whom could only dream about having significant savings) to donate to you so that the savings don't need to be touched? That's our Florence nightingale..
I'd deffo recommend any Jamie Oliver book. In all seriousness we own a lot of them and they're all really useful. Cook at least one of his recipes every week from our list of favourites.
Also love John Whaite's books. He's such an adorable fella and his instagram vids are brill at the min with all his hints and tips and recipes.
Have to say though you cant beat BBC good food website for decent, quality recipes. Sans any of the JM recipes obvs.
Just promise me one thing, ladies. And Saturn.
If and when this goes to court, and we're all asked to solemnly swear that we will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, we will reply tout ensemble 'YES, ABSOLUTELY!'.
And whatever the verdict, we'll round off proceedings by singing (I've Had) The Time Of My Life, all pointing at Jack with those giant foam fingers people wave around at baseball games.
If and when this goes to court, and we're all asked to solemnly swear that we will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, we will reply tout ensemble 'YES, ABSOLUTELY!'.
And whatever the verdict, we'll round off proceedings by singing (I've Had) The Time Of My Life, all pointing at Jack with those giant foam fingers people wave around at baseball games.
Ha! Her hypocrisy knows no bounds! She even targets her son with it. "Do as I say not as I do"
You go girl. I hope you at least allow Eddie to paint the walls on the staircase - I can see him descending at a rate of knots with a roller in each hand.
I’ve shared about this before but a millennia ago my husband won like... the equivalent of Wimbledon for his sport (please note, NOT Wimbledon
Talking of strong. independent, high-achieving women, I meant to mention this the other day - I had no idea that Cherie Blair had won Wimbledon!!
I’m sure there are a few trolls in there. I liked all the ones I thought were trolls. The ones about writing complaints also v funny.
Absolutely top notch shelving tips from @Flumps, recipe ideas, car stereo fitting, moral support, sartorial guidance (tin-themed only) and a healthy dose of comedy bitching. And Eddie the Eagle's missus .
duck me, I love this thread.
.duck me, I love this thread.
Quite. Do you know something, in the midst of all this bantz, it quite passed me by that 'VIP' status had been bestowed upon me. 'Chatty' is great though.
It might get a leetle cold for it at night still. It doesn't like having wet roots overnight in the cold, so make sure you water it in the morning. I keep mine in my lean to (unheated) so like a cold greenhouse really and it seems happy there. Might be slugs or snails, sneaky little bastards, they come out late evening/night to feast, and then disappear during the day, like ninja nibblers. I sometimes go slug hunting in the evenings, just before bed, because I am all the fun times.
Bloody hell this thread has run away from me. Been a tad hungover and making focaccia. I caught the tail end of SK. S was great, would those of you who have bought the book give us a review when it's time.
Re cookbooks, Ive been working my way through this during lockdown https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00RRT34GY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
I haven't had a duff meal from it yet. It's american, so you need measuring cups BUT OMG DELISH. I am slightly biased as I love David Chang and he is a contributor. If you're looking for some lockdown tv food tele, I recommend Ugly Delicious on netflix.
Also, me and JM have similarly aged children. I cannot fathom why I would teach her all that now. Do some baking as it includes science, maths and home ec. Look at the stars and maybe track them. Read, zoom friends and family. We have been doing so much art. Now if the time for nurturing a child, not forcing them learn stuff you think they need to know. And seriously, taxes? Don't most people just get it whacked off their wages or use an accountant.
Re cookbooks, Ive been working my way through this during lockdown https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00RRT34GY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
I haven't had a duff meal from it yet. It's american, so you need measuring cups BUT OMG DELISH. I am slightly biased as I love David Chang and he is a contributor. If you're looking for some lockdown tv food tele, I recommend Ugly Delicious on netflix.
Also, me and JM have similarly aged children. I cannot fathom why I would teach her all that now. Do some baking as it includes science, maths and home ec. Look at the stars and maybe track them. Read, zoom friends and family. We have been doing so much art. Now if the time for nurturing a child, not forcing them learn stuff you think they need to know. And seriously, taxes? Don't most people just get it whacked off their wages or use an accountant.
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