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Hello and welcome to Thrifty Nana; a place to share knowledge, tips and ramblings on helping your pennies go further :-)

Tuesday 28 February 2012

BEAUTIFUL decoration

I love making things. I especially love making things that look as beautiful as THIS:



Amazing, right?!! Click here for the original post and how to. I think I may make several, tie some thread around the stalk and pop around my home :-) Gorgeous! TN xxx


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Monday 27 February 2012

free tags...

I have loads of birthdays and occasions coming up soon and thought that these adorable (and stylish) tags would come in handy (as you all know I love a good freebie)! If you don't have coloured thread, ribbon, wool or raffia would also look super:


If you fancy some without lettering, click here :-) Add beads or old jewellery to give an expensive feel without breaking the bank:


Happy Wrapping! TN xxx

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Wednesday 22 February 2012

Wednesday DIY

Fancy a bit of  furnishing DIY on the cheap? Take a peek at this lovely lampshade! It looks really easy to make and better yet, can be made from items you probably already have in your home! Click here for the full tutorial.


TN xxx


Do you have a tip you'd like to share? 
Feel free to post it in the comments section below! The best ones will be featured on the main blog page for everyone to see! 

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Pancake day!

It's pancake day (also known as Shrove Tuesday) which is the last day before Lent. Lent is traditionally a time of abstinence so pancakes are eaten the day before as a last indulgence and to use up ingredients which shouldn't be eaten during this time.

I'm having my family over tonight for a meal which will be finished off perfectly with these yummy, fluffy pancakes, why not have a go yourself? http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fluffy-pancakes-2/

I hope you have a great night! TN xxx ps. today's tip is just in case things go wrong... !

Do you have a tip you'd like to share? 
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Monday 20 February 2012

Walking free

This weekend I was lucky enough to enjoy a beautiful walk in Windsor Great Park; not only did I giggle at squabbling pheasants and admire very regal swans but I was incredible fortunate to see (and get quite close to) around 150 deer strutting around the park grounds! It lead me to search for yet more walks and I found this great site with literally thousands of walks and free downloadable maps: http://www.walkinginengland.co.uk/index.php 




perfect for a thrifty afternoon; I must remember to wrap up warm in this cold weather! TN xxx


Do you have a tip you'd like to share? 
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Friday 17 February 2012

Bridesmaid duties

I've been lucky enough to have been asked to be a bridesmaid at my step brother's wedding! Lucky me! I have been given the duty of finding shoes and shrugs for all the bridesmaids and when searching for such items, I came across this site about having a wedding on a budget.


The author of the site claims her wedding cost £5k which is well below the British average cost of £22k! I'll definitely be keeping this site in mind if I ever get hitched! TN xxx


Do you have a tip you'd like to share? 
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Tuesday 14 February 2012

Happy Valentine's Day!

Oooooh, Valentines Day! Here are my top 3 Valentines Freebies!




Enjoy celebrating with your loved ones! :-) TN xxx

Do you have a tip you'd like to share? 
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Thursday 9 February 2012

French toast

Hey there! Yesterday I posted about cheap recipe ideas and thought I'd share something from my sister blog, Nanny S-A. It also links quite nicely to yesterday's tip about what to do with stale bread; you could always make this!


The site where this is posted is called They Draw and Cook, you can find hundreds of beautifully illustrated recipes for all sorts of edible and drinkable delights :-) TN xxx


Do you have a tip you'd like to share? 
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Wednesday 8 February 2012

Cheap recipe ideas

I love cooking as I'm sure you may have guessed from some of the tips I've posted in the past! One of the best sites I use for new ideas or indeed a twist on an old favourite is the BBC Good Food site. They have a wonderful feature entitled Cheap Eat Recipes which I'd like to share with you. YUMMY!


Mmmm... lots to choose from :-) how about spiced glazed pineapple with cinnamon to start?! TN xxx


Do you have a tip you'd like to share? 
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Wednesday 1 February 2012

Recycled storage solution

Hiya folks,

I came across this impressive but also very attractive (especially considering its made from old paper packaging!) basket tutorial and simply had to share it :-) Click here for details.



Doing the same but with old wrapping paper or paper bags instead would make them even more attractive! TN xxx