Carboot bargains!

Hi everyone!

This I what I got from the carboot sale...

Books for Daisy 

More!

These lovely retro books only 10p each! 

There wasn't much in the way of clothes this week :(

Dolly clothes for Daisy...these are mainly hand knitted and another bit of retro loveliness!

Not sure if this is 1960s or 1970s (Dee can you help me here?) anyway I love it! I just wish the teapot had been there too. It is Pontesa...The Young Range...Ironstone...Made in Spain. Have a guess how much I paid for this lovely set...

Finally some toys for Daisy...all very much appreciated!

Has anyone else been carbooting yet this season?

Mandy x

I'm back! Holiday, illness and carbooting...

Hi everyone,

I've been away from my blog during October for a number of reasons, but I'm back now! So here's a little update for you.

We've been on holiday to Lancashire...

This was the view from our cottage (look at the blanket of fog!)

The cottage was built in the 16th century and had some quaint little features. The area was quiet and peaceful and we had the most gorgeous weather for October.

One day we went to Morecambe Bay and it was so windy! Sadly this is all that was left of the Eric Morecambe statue. 

This viaduct is massive! Sadly no steam train but we did see a modern train go over.

There were beautiful views as we travelled across the Yorkshire dales...

Quaint vintage shops...

And fish 'n' chips!!

When we got back I got ill with a cold and there was heaps of holiday laundry to catch up with. 

On Saturday we decided to sell at our favourite Carboot sale...

I sold loads of stuff...cleared some clutter...made some pennies for Christmas! We won't be doing another one though, so I have bagged up a lot of things to go to the charity shop. I will also donate items to a lovely lady who knits for Daisy as she runs a church pre-school group and will use toys and books that Daisy has grown out of. The clutter pile has reduced hugely and I will continue with this until it's completely gone. I need to make room for Christmas! 

Yesterday I made a lovely tea...similar to lasagne but much quicker and easier...

I've got loads of plans to make, lists to write and things to get on with and I'll be back soon with some more cooking, baking and homemade goodies.

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x

Shopping Saturday...

Hi everyone,

I've been carbooting today! I love getting things for 50p that I will sell again when Daisy has grown out of them...for 50p!

This is what I picked up for Daisy...

Jake from the tweenies...50p

A peppa pig character...50p

Tunnel...50p

(Excuse the weeds, I am getting there!)

Popoids! Daisy doesn't really have any construction toys and she actually spotted these first...£1

Apparent this is fifi and the flower tots? Daisy is really into small world play and although there are some bits missing, she loves it already!

I've been looking for this book for ages as Daisy loves anything to do with the moon and stars (Alice I know you used to have this book when you were little but we haven't got it now)...50p

Converse shoes...£2.50...bargain

Little next winter skirt for her to grow into.

Minnie Mouse romper suit

Floral romper suit

H&M dress

Minnie Mouse top

Red spotty top

Stripe top

Floral top

Little shorts

Sun hat (not in photo)

All this for £3

Navy romper suit

Lemon print leggings

Floral leggings

Pastel stripe dress

White top

Gingham top

Pink gap top

Strawberry print top

Heart top

Purple gap top 

Pink cards

3 x vests

2 x swimsuits

All this for £5.50 the man was tidying away so he did me a deal!

Finally, a few little treats for me...

DVDs...I'm trying to replace my video collection with DVDs and I love Foyles War...£1.50

Three tops for £1.20

Has anyone else been carbooting? Any good bargains this week? 

Thanks for reading,

Mandy x

Carboot goodies...

Hi everyone,

Sadly I've lost a bit of interest in my blog lately. I suppose that I sometimes feel I'm talking to myself and I really don't have the time for that! This used to be my online diary, but I had to make changes and as a result my blog became somewhere to share my ideas with like minded people. 

I'm not begging for loads of comments because I also read blogs and don't find time to comment, but I do ask if you find something I write useful or you try one of my recipes, that you send a short note to let me know please.

Like many people, my time is precious and blogging is a hobby, so I am keen to post up what is relevant to you. I love to cook from scratch and bake, so these are obvious choices to share with you. I have said before that I am not always thrifty and love pretty things...I suppose my title doesn't fit so well now. I sometimes make meals that have loads of ingredients too and this is not counting the pennies! 

Forgive me if you don't enjoy my Carboot/charity shop finds, but this is the thrifty person inside me so I think that kind of shopping fits my title. 

If I'm going to spend time doing recipes or tutorials, I need to know that it's what you want to read (I know I have a few loyal readers who 'chat with me' no matter what I post) so a little feedback would be very much appreciated. I have done things in the past that have been requested and then no response, leading me to think that either they haven't had time to read, or that it's not really what they were expecting. Am I making sense?

Don't get me wrong...I love writing and I love my blog, but it is a hobby that I want to enjoy and I want you to enjoy too.

Ok...

Now it's over to you...

If anyone has the time, please could you let me know what you would like me to write about? Do you want food related posts, household tips, money saving ideas, shopping, meal planning, or simply what I've been up to? 

I really don't want to be boring!!

I will look at your suggestions and come up with a plan!

In the meantime, I have been carbooting and this is what I bought...

It came to £9.95 and I also picked up a fisher price farm for £2, but Daisy is playing with it now! This totals £11.95. All useful and what I've been looking out for...no more impulse buying! 

I have also sorted out a huge amount of stuff for the charity shop...decluttering is a constant task to keep things under control. I have changed...I can be ruthless and I love the space I can uncover!

I hope you enjoyed reading and will be able to provide me with a little feedback.

Thank you so much to my loyal readers who already do this xxx

Mandy x

Carbooting...

Hi everyone

We've been carbooting this morning. I was looking out for books for Daisy and struck lucky! One seller was getting rid of her childminding stock of books for 10p each! I bought 24 books off her. That may sound excessive, but I like to rotate Daisy's books because we both get fed up with the same ones. She will look at a book on her own during the day (of her own choosing) and we share books at any time of the day. Daisy has at least six stories at bedtime too! We love books in our house. I bought another two books at 10p each off another seller, totalling 26 books for £2.60.

I also picked up...

A toy till, flash cards, a toddler book, a money box, a step for our other bathroom (so Daisy can reach to wash her hands, we already have one), a tweenies swimming bag, two Beatrix potter pictures, a cuddly giraffe and a cuddly hello kitty (free). All this came to £4.80.

I also picked up two scarves for £1, four lovely little tops for Daisy for £2, a dress, romper (to wear in bed in this hot weather) and two swimsuits for £2. This lot came to £5.

In total I spent £12.40

No impulsive buying...each purchase was      justified.

Still keeping the clutter under control...I am continuing to clear things on a daily basis to be sold when we do a Carboot. It's all cleaned, priced and put in stacking boxes ready to go ASAP.

Just a quick post to share with you.

Has anyone been carbooting lately?

Mandy x

Carbooting...a huge haul of bargains!

Hi everyone!

This has been a busy weekend for shopping! Yesterday we went carbooting to Finmere and picked up a huge amount of stuff. Don't panic...I'm not filling my home with unnecessary clutter! Next week I will be busy going through Daisy's clothes to throw away the grotty stuff (her clothes get stained from food because she is allergic to the plastic backing on bibs) and going through her toys...removing anything that she has grown out of. 

The money I spend is what I have made from selling at the car boot in previous weeks (I am very good at saving money for that purpose). I have lots of 10ps, 20ps and 50ps and use these to fund my purchases. Prepare for lots of photos!

Coat, cards and top...3 for a £

Fisher price telephone...30p...Daisy picked it up and said "hello" even though she's never seen this style of telephone before!

The tambourine and denim dress were 50p altogether. The summer dress was free! The lady gave it to us(before I picked up the other things) because of a little stain on the shoulder strap. I will try to remove it as she was going to throw it away.

Daisy is really into woodland creatures (from her love of Beatrix Potters Peter rabbit) and particularly foxes...50p

I plan to start doing more cooking with Daisy ...she loves it!

This was one of my best finds...a fold up garden chair for Daisy...£2...I've been looking out for one of these and they can be quite expensive new.

These puzzles are just right because Daisy can grab the pieces easily...50p (it looks funny because it's covered nk cling film!)

3 books for 30p

2 books for 60p

3 books for 50p

Cbeebies characters lunchbox...50p...I thought it was a bag, but it has a drinks bottle inside! I will use this for Daisy's wooden building blocks.

A photo frame the size I need and the smaller frame was given as a freebie...it's handmade and new in a packet.

All this for £2...clothes for Daisy 20p each...bargain!

Peach tunic top for me...20p

7 tops for me (50p each)...I don't usually find anything in my size and don't buy myself clothes generally, so a welcome treat and it all fits :)

This is a huge pile of clothes for Daisy...£4...25p each.

£1.50 for the two

3 books for 30p

Bag of balls for the ball pit...£2

There was also a Nemo bag and peppa pig toy but Daisy was playing with those! Sorry about all the photos but I like to share my bargain finds with you!

All these items will be washed and found homes around the house. Some of the clothes will fit Daisy now and some she will grow into. Daisy can easily go through four different outfits in a day!

Anyone else picked up some Carboot bargains lately? 

Mandy x