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Well, here we are just a few weeks after the Christmas
celebrations and already they seem in the distant past and all
we are left with are happy memories (I hope), a few pounds
heavier and lots and lots of sterling pounds lighter. But, never
mind, this is the time of year when we forget the grey skies
outside, turn to the tantalising holiday brochures and picture
ourselves lying on that sun drenched beach in the Bahamas . . .
Well, we can all dream can’t we? Personally, I need a goal ahead
as I always think that February is the dullest month of the year
when nothing is actually happening (apart from developing what I
call the ‘February face’), so I delegate this month as the
opportune time to complete all the jobs I have been putting off
during the past year and getting the house and finances in some
sort of order, which will hopefully shift a few of those extra
Christmas pounds . . . and, to shift that ‘February face’ how
about mixing a few blobs of self-tanning lotion/cream into your
usual face cream and in a few hours you will have a healthy
glow. Your friends will say (just like the song) “My, you do
look well”, and if you hear the phrase often enough you will
begin to feel well. You don’t believe me? Try it!

Now, as we get older the two things paramount in our minds are
health and money. Health, we will deal with at a later date,
but, meanwhile, as they say ‘keep taking the tablets’ and by
that I mean eg. a good multi-vitamin and mineral, extra Vitamin
C during these winter months, Omega 3 (pure fish oils), perhaps
Echinacea to boost the immune system, Glucosamine & Chondroitin
to help the joints, and Ginkgo Biloba to help the circulation,
and

Money, well it’s time to remind you that if you have any savings
and the tax man is siphoning off 10% or 20% of your interest,
then don’t forget (if you haven’t already used up this year’s
ISA allowance) that you can put £3,000 out of the tax man’s
reach by investing in a mini-cash ISA. It is important to
remember that this year’s tax-free ISA allowance must be used
before the end of this tax year which is the 5 APRIL 2005. So
there are only a few weeks left … and as the saying goes ‘If
you don’t use it, YOU WILL LOSE IT!

So, still thinking of money (or the lack of it) why don’t we get
together and pool our ideas? Let us come up with great ideas
that won’t cost us a penny.

Now, I’m going to start off with something that all we ladies
have plenty of ‘Old Tights’. . . And, why do we end up with a
load of them instead of throwing them away?. . . Because when we
hitch them we put in the drawer and think that they will do to
wear under trousers or around the house. Or, when we buy the
same shade (as the thrifty ones among us invariably do), we just
cut off the damaged leg and so acquire a new pair with the added
advantage of a double thickness around the ‘botty’ for the
winter. However, there comes a time when even the single leg
tights die a death, so suggestions please on what we do with
them? ? Now, before you say “put them over the head and rob a
bank in order to pay the Council tax” (although we all
understand the feeling), this is not exactly what we had in
mind, and to start you off, I will throw a few ideas ‘into the
pot’, under a couple of suggested headings to get the brains
working. We’ll add more headings as your ideas come rolling in!

Garden: Don’t bother to buy gardening twine, plastic ties, etc.
for tying back your plants, just use old tights/stockings and I
promise you will never revert back. You can cut the tights into
strips for delicate plants/branches or make use of the whole
stocking or tight leg for tying back shrubs. |You cannot beat
them for strength and also they do not rot like garden string,
but, more importantly, although the material acts as a firm
support, it ‘g-i-v-e-s’ so that it does not cut into the plant,
and is almost invisible among the branches and flowers. We even
have a use for the foot (nothing is wasted) as tied onto the end
of the downpipe as it goes into the rainwater butt, it collects
all the leaves and debris before they have a chance to foul the
water, and when the foot is full you can just slip it off the
pipe and deposit the contents onto the compost heap or put the
whole thing into the refuse bin. The thick part of the tight can
also be used as padding to stop branches rubbing and becoming
diseased. I also find tights very good for wrapping large
cordylines into an umbrella shape before covering with winter
protection, as they hold the long pointed leaves gently but
firmly. (As you are probably aware, if the winter rain
accumulates in the inside of the cordyline and freezes, then
unfortunately it is goodbye cordyline, which is a shame as it is
such a beautiful architectural plant).

Garage/Shed: Tights are also very useful for storing garden
bulbs, onions, apples, old carrier bags, etc. Hang up in garage
or shed and just take from the bottom and reseal with peg. Also,
good for straining lumps/skin from old paint, or placing over
the tin before replacing lid - it makes a good seal and you can
remove the lid with ease. Useful when painting - cover half of
the open top with a tight in order to make a temporary rest for
your brush and any excess paint drips back into the tin

. . . . . and so on . . . . .

I know that our brains feel as though they are hibernating this
cold weather, but I hope the above has started them ticking over
and we really look forward to hearing your bright ideas. So,
don’t throw away all those old tights when you are doing your
spring clear-out - WAIT FOR ALL THE FORTHCOMING GOOD IDEAS . . .

Talking of spring cleaning, I’ve just remembered another tip;
avoid the messy job of extracting cobwebs etc from your fluffy
duster after dusting ceilings, lamp shades, etc., just put the
stick duster inside an old tight and then peel off the tight
(the cobwebs are then inside the tight) and deposit into bin.

I’ll leave you on this happy note - the next time you ladder
your tights, you won’t feel quite so annoyed - you’ve not lost a
tight, you’ve gained a useful friend!