One thing you recently discovered that has changed your life

[rosemole]

For the better, obviously.

Can be a thing, person, activity, place...anything really.

Mine is trig bagging. It's so much fun and gets you out there, to unexpected and unknown places.

What's yours?

The rice cooked thing confuses me, I thought the advice with rice now was to avoid the absorption method because of the increased arsenic levels. You're supposed to boil in a big pan then drain and rinse with boiling water.

For me it's clothes storage. Replacing drawers and most hanging space with shelving and various sized baskets then you can fold and file a la Marie Kondo but it's much easier because you can lift the basket out and seperate clothes into lots of different categories. I can now find everything and it's so neat, like books on a shelf.

I think this looks so interesting. I used to suffer badly from depression but don't any longer otherwise I'd be trying it.

It sounds like the NHS think it's worth a go.

Jumping in here re the global radio stations. If it is of any use, I have TuneIn radio app. Can listen to any station in the world including UK. That's the free basic version. There is a premium product for audiobooks and podcasts, but I have other (free) apps for those - Borrow Box for books and Apple podcasts.

@Resisterance

I have had a flow headset for over a year now , the principle is that the pre-frontal cortex can be less active in people who are depressed and the headset uses a micro current to stimulate that area of the brain. You use it 5 times a week for 3 weeks then twice a week after this. There have been clinical trials and it is being used by the NHS in some areas. It runs via an app you install on your phone or tablet

I just use the VR streaming radio player app. I've no problem listening to overseas stations with it.

I'm with you there. BBC Sounds has a whole range of free audio books. Also can sometimes get free audio books on audible.. and 10 hours of audiobook listening a month if you have premium spotify. Lots of good podcasts too from Goalhanger.

Definitely, listening to audiobooks free from my library on the Libby app makes the drudge of chores so much more bearable!

Do you have a link to the bra tops please?

We go to Estepona, it's between Gibraltar and Malaga so you can fly into either airport, although Malaga is handier with many more flight options. It is a working Spanish large town and is not high rise or dare I say it "tacky", it's chocolate and churros for breakfast rather than a big old English fry, if you get my drift!

Since we go for a month it's a good base for trips elsewhere in the region. Easy to get to Seville, Ronda, Casares, Cadiz, etc. The weather this year and last was very pleasant and warm, not roasting but around 18-20d daytime. It was nice to sit on the terrace and watch the freezing cold weather at home. And TBH even if the weather was cooler than expected (it IS Winter there too!) it wouldn't matter, the blue skies and later darkness (6pm) is so good for the soul. We are lucky to be able to do it, I don't want to sound smug.

This is genius!

Old style toe nail clippers that look like pliers. 12 quid off Amazon. Have sorted out my ingrown toe nails a treat

I have all drawers, including under my sink too (Ikea kitchen)…it houses the bin and recycling bins.

I use packing cubes in our touring caravan. Before that, when we arrived on site, due to bumpy roads and awkward bends en route, I'd open the overhead locker to my clothes all tumbling out in a jumbled heap onto the sofa - no more! 👍

The Organised Mum App….I now do half an hour’s housework each weekday, using the app to talk me through a clean. The house is always clean and tidy (although the DC have left home so that helps!) and I‘m never using a whole day to catch up with cleaning when I could be doing something more fun. It’s the best £5 or whatever I spend a month and I feel organised and in control without it impinging on my life too much.

Translation.
While Chat Gtp (and also Deepl) will never be as good as a human translator, they're definitely good enough for what most people need.
I used to translate lots of articles about tourism, websites for hotels, that kind of thing. Now they all just put it into Chat Gtp and they don't care if it's not 100% perfect. Which is totally understandable, I'd do the same in their shoes.

How do you stack the baskets, please? Are the baskets inside your wardrobe or just out? I really like the sound of this and just want to picture it. Most of my clothes are black and they are all one generic mess in my drawers 😳

AI in general. Deepl is also an excellent translation tool (unlike Google Translate which is absolute rubbish!)

Fun fact about potato ricers. If you put the potato through twice, it comes out like spaghetti. The kids used to love it 😁

@Fink - please tell him there’s a proven link between untreated hearing loss and dementia. Surely it’s better to use aids now than risk dementia in a few years? My mother ignored hers for ten years and I’m sure it made her decline earlier and quicker.

From a website. Fix my white goods. https://www.fixmywhitegoods.co.uk/bosch-washing-machines-don-t-have-a-spin-only-setting

"Therefore, to spin only, the customer selects this setting then has to wait for the machine to first rinse before the desired spin.

The answer to this is not completely clear in the instruction sheet but you can make the machine spin only without a rinse.

The answer is to select the rinse/spin setting then TURN OFF the rinse by touching the 'aqua plus' button which is initially illuminated when rinse/spin is selected. Turning this illumination off switches off the rinses and the machine goes straight to spin."

For Bosch washing machines

@Havalona @ShinyAppleDreamingOfTheSea @NeonGiraffe

Sounds wonderful - I would like to spend a bit of time away from the cold of winter in the Uk.

Please can you tell me how you go about finding accommodation?

You can retrofit drawers to a cupboard. Like this.
Loads of similar ones at all different widths. I've fitted them in a 600mm wide cupboard and in a 300mm wide one (which was a bit tricky because it was narrow, but the cupboard was pretty useless before.

I was furious with my Candy washing machine for not having a “spin only” function. Nothing in the instructions or online. I even contacted the help desk (no reply).
Then out of desperation I did Rinse and Spin, then Options to remove the rinse.
Why all the mystery???

Frozen spinach balls. I make my own soffritto mix but they are cheap to buy in the supermarket.

Great thread. I dream of having drawers in my kitchen. One day I won't have to rummage around the back of cupboards. I've organised them as best I can with plastic crates but of course the crates don't last.
I agree with the PP about soup makers, so much more relaxing than standing over a noisy stick blender for ages, or washing up all the parts of a food processor.
Does anyone think that a weighted blanket would help with the dreaded 3am wake up?
Finally, and most importantly, I'd welcome a link for the microwave popcorn maker. I found this www.josephjoseph.com/products/m-cuisine-popcorn-maker-set-orange?variant=36470414147656&frt=19&utm_source=google&campaign_id=18513060622&ad_id=&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=PMX_[PerformanceMax](G-United_Kingdom)%7BTier3%7D_(PT4-Tier3)£15_to£29.99&utm_content=&utm_term=&gclid=Cj0KCQiAyoi8BhDvARIsAO_CDsBgpgMWOn7xLCbsNeBibNSjkirrk3qKP-iY4Nhje1uWrnOryfUcT5waAvnHEALw_wcB&gad_source=4&gbraid=0AAAAADm6GSAnDe_Xd78YuZQpTd_Kt-r0
But it doesn't take any oil, so I'd be worried that the popcorn is like the stuff that comes out of the electric popcorn hairdryer makers- dry, tasteless and cardboardy. DC love making popcorn so if there's a way they can do that without putting on the gas I'd be happy.