Bean Around Town

Beating the February Blahs

2012-02-08T17:49:00.001-08:00

I admit it. I don't like winter very much, I find it tough to get going out of bed, to eat anything that doesn't have chocolate in it and especially to do anything remotely physical. So, when I was asked to play broomball in the winter carnival tournament, I didn't really want to at first. I mean, run in the street with a broom after a ball? In minus twelve degree weather? It turned out to be super fun and a great way to bond with my new co-workers and clients. It also warmed me up and made me smile. We played against BMO and their team was pretty good. There was a rule that two females had to be on at a time and luckily we had four girls on our team, the Mainstreet Maniacs. We could spell off. Since I am an ex- smoker

(and did I mention my fondness for chocolate?) let's just say I was so happy to be able to switch off when I couldn't run any more! We played hard and with spirit and gave them a run for their money in the first half, scoring two goals right away. Then they got one in and then we got another in. In the second half they owned us, and we finished 6-3. At the end, everyone had rosy cheeks and a feeling of accomplishment and team work. If that doesn't warm the heart in the coldest of months, I don't know what will.

January wind up.

2012-02-01T18:45:00.002-08:00

Do you ever sell things online? I know I like to buy things online, so I thought I would give it a shot selling things. Sometimes I sell the things I bought but didn't need. It all started long ago with a slipcover for my recliner. I paid about $40 for it, used it once and then it sat in the closet for like a year because I didn't know what to do with it. Finally, I put it on Craigslist and it sold the very next day for half of what I originally paid. Not bad! So, now, I am trying a few things around the house: new shoes that were worn once or twice, costume jewellery, and, uh, vintage 50's lingerie. Well, one woman's junk is another woman's treasure, as they say. I think of it as holding a virtual garage sale. Since I have no where to do that, this is my solution. I have started the New Year trying to find little ways of bringing in extra cash and this is one of them. Sure, it's peanuts, but if I save the peanuts, then I have enough for peanut butter. I'm also collectiong coupons again, we'll see. Coupons can end up costing me money if I am not very careful. I have a goal for all my meagre earnings, they are going into my vacation fund. I robbed the jar a couple of times last year when I was desperate, but I am vowing not to do it anymore because I really want to go somewhere next year! We also have a goal of buying a new couch and we are very close to having enough saved. It feels so much better paying for things when you have the money than putting them on credit. I don't want to pay for my couch or vacation twice or three times over. Been there, done that. Work has been picking up lately as well, which I hope will help me grow a debt snowball this year. So, I'm off to a good start and I think I will keep up the good work.

Keeping the home fires burning.

2012-01-22T23:06:00.001-08:00

We had a cold snap last week. It wasn't that bad, in fact, we have had it pretty good this year, but there were a couple of frosty days where the temperature dipped into the minus high teens and even down to minus thirty with the wind chill. I avoided it at all costs except for the coldest day when I had to work, there was no choice. I managed to stay warm and cozy by finding reasons to put the oven on and staying home as much as possible. Instaed of running to the store, i made do with what was on hand. I didn't make too much, some chili warmed us up, so did some french toast. I thought i was just being a lazy bum staying in my jammies and finding sweaters and slippers and blankies, but I finallyI realized I have been fighting a cold. So, that has led to less motivation for cooking. What I did today though, was very frugal, and I got to warm up the kitchen at the same time. I made homemade bread crumbs. Now, why would a person do that? Well, for one thing, I use them all the time. Whenever I make meatballs or meatloaves or macaroni and cheese that needs a crunchy topping, I need bread crumbs. So, I save all the ends from my bread loaves in the freezer until I have a full "loaf". Then it is time to toast the bread and make the crumbs before my husband comes along and throws them out and tells me I am nuts for saving old bread crusts. He doesn't get me sometimes. That's O.K. The other reason I make my own crumbs is that the bread crumbs at the store are ridiculously expensive. Three dollars for crumbs? It seems crazy to me, especially when I imagine that the process used for making the crumbs is probably exactly the same as what I do in my own kitchen, albeit on a much smaller scale. I remember my instructor in high school drying out the crusts in our school's commercial kitchen, on top of the ovens using the residual heat. He was a very thrifty cook, nothing was ever wasted. That was how he kept costs down and provided healthy and cheap meals for the students. I always remembered the bread crusts and how much bread he saved from going into the garbage can by making his own crumbs and croutons. I didn't think to take a photo of one of my more routine chores, but I thought that being the third week in January a nice austere post on saving more of the staff of life seemed appropriate. The weather is now back to being quite mild and while I am certainly glad for it, a nice drop in the mercury gives me pause to remember to waste not want not and to be truly grateful for the relative ease and comfort we enjoy during the cold winter months. How is your winter going?

Goal Setting

2012-01-13T21:19:00.000-08:00

Well, I am feeling the desire to set some goals. I always say that I do not make resolutions and it is true because resolutions are hollow. Am I willing to do what it takes to achieve a goal? If not, there is no point in resolving to do things. I know what a slacker I can be, so resolving to lose weight won't do it. I have to make a goal to go walking or join a gym. I have to be very specific, or let's face it, shit ain't gettin' done. I liken goal setting to this garden over here. Plant a seed, tend to it, pull the weeds of negativity, water and wait. Things grow. That's how most of my goals happen, anyway. So, here we go. Here's my list for 2012. I'll try to keep it simple and smart.
1. Finish my Biology course. I am so close I can taste it, but am losing focus and motivation. Need to kick it into gear and put this bugger to rest.
2. Get more work. Actually I have already landed this one and I start a new gig on Monday. Cool.
3. Purge the closets and cupboards. I need more room.
4. Organize my files. Paperwork lost is money lost.
5.Be more active. Get outside everyday.

EDIT: New goal: Herb Garden!

O.K. That oughta get me through the winter, at least. Here's to accountability.

New year, old socks.

2012-01-02T23:00:00.002-08:00

Why should they be thrown away, put into disuse after warming the feet for such a long cold season? What has happened to the sentiment of keeping and mending cherished things? These socks are probably perfectly molded to the foot, why they could probably stand on their own if only given a second chance! These are the socks that have protected and covered the feet and were, in the case of the mustard coloured socks, hand knitted with love especially for the wearer. Why would the whole sock be thrown away simply because of doing its' intended job? No, it doesn't seem right, does it? So much in our society is wasted, laid to rest long before it's time is up. The amount of food we throw away could probably feed another family or two if we were more careful. I have said before that I do not make resolutions, and I will not begin now. Let these socks be a reminder to be grateful for what I have, to make use of things for the life of them and to not get new things just for the sake of consumption. Then, it shall be a Happy New Year indeed.

Six more sleeps!

2011-12-19T22:17:00.002-08:00

We've been busy bees getting ready for Santa!

Shortbread and Gingerbread and Oatmeal raisin Oh My!

Apple sauce cake, chocolate covered pretzels and more! Good thing we've been giving away almost as much as we bake or I would be in some serious trouble!
Santa better wear his cookie eating pants.

Thank you, Shopping Channel

2011-12-08T16:34:00.001-08:00

Hello folks. I know I haven't been around in a while. No matter, I am here now! With a treat! I was whiling away some time on the Shopping Channel yesterday when I came upon these gourmet pretzels. They were enormous and dipped in caramel, chocolate, toffee and many other delights. They were positively drool worthy, but I wasn't about to pay $30 for 9 pretzels, no matter how gorgeous they were. So, I made my own version. I melted 1 cup dark chocolate chips with 2 tbsp vegetable shortening for my dipping chocolate. Then, with the help of my son, we dunked pretzels half way and then dipped in either; cocoa, cinnamon sugar, or sprinkles. Pretty much anything goes here and it was a cinch. Yes, my pretzels were lovingly hand made and they taste amazingly fantastic. If you don't believe me, try it for yourselves!

Uh, October? Where'd you go?

2011-11-16T08:43:00.001-08:00

Late Night Snack

2011-10-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a hankering for something salty and crunchy. I couldn't go out for a junk food run because my little guy has the flu and my hubs was out, so I made my own chips. It was incredibly easy, I just sliced peeled potatoes on the side of my grater, paper thin and then fried them in a couple of inches of vegetable oil. They were mighty fine, especially hot. When the man got home he demanded, not unlike Thor, in the movie, "Another!" I'd like to get a proper mandolin, to make the chips even prettier and experiment with some other flavours. It is true: there is probably about a potato and a half in a bag of chips, all told. Huh. Who knew?

Picture Post

2011-10-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving Mish Mash

2011-10-08T21:09:00.008-07:00

In the spirit of holiday laziness, this post will be dedicated to links I like, things I want to try, a recipe I want to share and a photo of my WIP night table. Seriously, why would they paint this green?

First up, this bag made from cargo pants. How cool is that? and I know I have a pair in the closet just waiting to be cut up and made into a neat-o bag. I just love it when people take the time to post tutorials so I can steal their ideas and then blog about them. O.K., moving along to this delicious pumpkin dessert that I had at work with our fantastic Thanksgiving lunch on Fr

iday. It was so good that I got a photocopy of the recipe and made it for my own feast. It is like pumpkin pie but you use a cake mix and sprinkle it on top of your filling and serve chilled with whipped cream. I think it originated from a Company's Coming book, but I can't be sure. I liked this better than pumpkin pie because it seems lighter without the pastry, more like a mousse. I'm sure the caloric value is similar but this makes a 9 by 13 pan so it's loads more servings!! Hooray!! Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Dessert

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 28 oz can pumpkin

1 tsp EACH cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger,

salt

3 cups milk

1 cake mix yellow or white two layer size

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/3 cup walnuts

whipped or ice cream

Beat eggs, Mix in next 7 ingredients in the order given. Pour into 9x13 inch pan, (or two 8 inch,take one to a friend)

Put cake mix in a bowl, cut in butter until crumbly. Mix in nuts. Sprinkle over top of filling. Bake 350 for 1and 1/2 hours or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve hot with ice cream or chilled with whipped cream.

Mmmmmmmm. Alrighty. On to my next tip and that is this website, Tipnut. Wow, what a powerhouse resource site. Why had I never seen this before? I love sites like this. Basically it does all the searching for you and then gathers all the good stuff into one place, kind of like I am doing with this post, but on a much grander scale.

Finally, here is what I want for my kitchen. This is a dream, mind you, since a reno does not seem to be in my immediate future, however, when it is time I would like these colours and ideas, please. Thank you for your time and attention. We now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Rudimentary Refashion

2011-10-05T13:14:00.004-07:00

I bought this seemingly cool tee from the second hand shop the other day. Silly me, I forgot to inspect thoroughly and I found that it was coming apart at the seams. Can you see the tear on the sleeve in the photo? Grrr...
I decided this could be a good candidate for a refashion. I am no seamstress so this DIY was as simple as they come. Basically I cut apart two shirts and made them into one. I will spare you a tutorial because, honestly, if I can do it, so can you. I did take photos along the way, though and as I was cursing my sewing machine and the stretchy t-shirt fabric, I had a flash back memory of my grade nine sewing class. There was one single boy in our class, Kevin. He made a T-shirt from a pattern that

year and got an A. How he explained that one to his teenage peers, I have no idea, but now that I think of it, Kevin was a pretty smart fella. How else do you get to spend an hour a day with 24 teenage girls and have them help you, lean over you and praise you for learning a so-called feminine skill? Nope, Kevin was no dummy. And like my husband is to me now, Kevin was then a superior seamstress. Tailor? Who knows. All I know is I did not receive an A

on my project...and I probably wouldn't get a good grade on this one either, but it saved two shirts from the landfill for a bit longer, so what the heck? Here's to DIY refashion!

More Fall Food

2011-09-25T12:09:00.007-07:00

I have been making food for friends and family lately. I don't always cook so when it turns out well, I like to give myself a pat on the back. I do this self congratulatory back patting by taking food photos, and posting them here to make you both hungry and envious. There must be some evolutionary reason

that people like to brag

about their food. I know that for many years my two uncles would phone each other long distance every week, just to boast about what they had eaten for dinner. They probably still do this.

Well, I don't have a brother, so here is what I have been eating:

First up, a turkey dinner made weeks before Thanksgiving simply because it was on sale and we like poultry. Then, last night, I had a little get together and made up some party trays. I snapped a couple photos of my handiwork before we dug in. last week, I baked up two loaves using the butternut squash from our turkey feast because, as it turns out, no one in this family really cares for sweet vegetables, unless it is in bread form. I haven't done any other baking and I think I will hold off, if only for health reasons.

I also made Knorr Spinich Dip for the first time and it was quite good, though next time I think I will use fresh

spinich, as opposed to the frozen kind, and let it sit in the fridge for a longer time. I wasn't quite industrious enough to make my own bread bowls, but I can see that being a fun indoor, it's-a- blizzard-out-there kind of activity. In my case, Superstore did the baking for me.

Tonight, I think I'll let my hubby do the cooking.

Fall Food

2011-09-19T10:36:00.004-07:00

I'm so happy to be able to turn on my oven again. Recently I made a delightful chicken noodle soup from a grocery store deli chicken carcass, chili and today I am roasting a turkey. Of course it helps to have people to feed in the house. I am looking forward to doing some baking with the fruits I have been stockpiling. I also plan to make turkey soup and a million other turkey things as well. My girl friday, (you remember her) told me she made a cheddar and jalepeno bread using the recipe I gave her for white bread. I will definitely have to try that. It sounds heavenly. Next week I am having a little get together, we'll see what I come up with for that. I'm thinking of a hot dip of some sort, mmm. Cheesy goodness.

Here's what I hope to bake this week for the freezer:

Pumpkin Ginger Bread

Fruit Crisp

Blueberry Muffins

Banana Bread

Neiman Marcus Cookies.

Chili-done

Turkey Stock-done

Finished!

2011-09-12T20:09:00.003-07:00

Just thought you might like to see my finished cowl, which is a lot shorter than the inspiration piece. I like this length though, no fuss, no muss, no dripping in my coffee cup. It looks pretty cute, though right now, we are in the midst of a heatwave, so I didn't keep it on for long. I'm really liking loom knitting and I highly recommend it if you enjoy instant gratification, like I do. I got my loom set at Walmart and Googled (when did this become a verb, exactly?) some basic instructions and patterns. This isn't even a pattern, I just used the largest ring
and knit away until I thought, "Meh, this is good." And it is!

So, go, get loom! Knit!

Full Moon, Baby.

2011-09-11T19:08:00.003-07:00

I am one of those wavy gravies who believe in the powers of the changing moon cycles. I'm not always exactly sure how or why the moon seems to affect me, I just feel that it does. For instance, yesterday I felt very drained and exhausted and today I feel refreshed and energetic. I did some projects and house cleaning that I have not felt motivated to do, nor felt I had the time to do, for weeks. I feel optimistic and positive about my goals and intentions. I am also slightly more driven and demanding today.

As a health care worker, I have long suspected that the full moon intensifies moods and emotions. Many of my busiest shifts in long term care facilities were on full moon evenings. Ask any nurse or care aid to attest to this phenomenon. It got so that as a casual employee, I would often turn down shifts if I knew they would fall on a full moon, because I knew they would be about five times busier than a regular shift.

I also am feeling a sense of completion today because of the decade anniversary of 9/11 and the returning of the kidnapped boy from Sparwood, B.C, Keinan Hebert. I allowed myself to become emotionally invested in the case, which was a dangerous thing for me to do, knowing that most of these cases do not turn out well for the abducted child. I felt so positive and encouraged by the response of people online and felt that there was a collective power at work to get that child home safely to his parents. Now, I realize that we were all at the mercy of the person who abducted the child, allegedly one Randal Hopley, and his decision to return the boy could only have come from within. Did he hear the pleas of the parents, or the public? Or was it something bigger? All I know is that there are many questions left unanswered and no matter where he hides, at some point, the kidnapper will have to atone for his actions, whether here on earth or somewhere else.

On a lighter note, I pulled out my loom yesterday and I have begun knitting my cowl. I am very pleased with my progress thus far and am enjoying the ease and quick sense of accomplishment it is giving me so far. The weather is unseasonably warm, but I know that could change at any moment, so might as well get a jump on it.

Photo courtesy dreamstudies.org

Projects, hobbies and the like.

2011-09-09T19:16:00.006-07:00

I have many ideas for projects and some I even start. I don't always complete them, but I usually start. My latest is stripping the paint off of a wooden bedside table. I got it for free because it was painted Hospital Green (It's remarkable how many free items of furniture are this particular hue.) Well, yesterday was the day and I got most of the paint off. Next is to sand it with the orbital sander, and then varnish. Already, I am happy with my progress. I have begun to take photos but I will reveal them closer to completion. (Since completion isn't my strong point, ahem.)

My next idea is to knit a cowl. I have a great inspiration from somewhere in the blogosphere, it is an amazing herringbone worsted weight merino wool creation. Mine will probably be a multicoloured acrylic, knit on my loom, but whatev. It's a knitted tube. Get over it. Finally, I plan to make more handmade cards. Every time I am in a dollar store or scrapbook aisle, I buy something, so time to get it out and put it all to use. This is the time of year that I tend to enjoy, the harvest, getting back to the home and leisurely pursuits. There has been nothing leisurely about the summer, I can assure you.

Okay, back online.

2011-09-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

No ants allowed.

I'm back, by popular demand. Well, that and the fact that I really got no place else to go. I had a crazy summer and it seemed like I didn't have a minute to think, let alone blog. Today was the first day back to school for the boy and for me to upgrade my first aid training. Must be fall or something. I'm thinking that I will have to figure out what I want
to do with myself pretty soon, but for now, I will regale you with the minutiae of my life. My husband worked out of province for the entire summer and during that time, I vacillated between euphoric bouts of freedom loving fun and self imposed misery at missing him and resenting all the burdens I now have placed solely upon my shoulders. We spent two weeks on Vancouver Island, with the second week resulting in torrential downpours leaving me to wonder why I had ever ventured away from the sunny Okanagan in the first place. Also, two weeks with ones' mother is far more than enough, I should think. I also visited my aunt in the Shuswap, my friends in Salmon Arm and my family in Barriere for our annual Smokefest. Once again a wonderful party, each time it grows bigger and bigger. This time I did find it a bit overwhelming trying to fit in seeing my husband and the rest of the family but as they say, c'est la vie. And even though my Aunty made sure to tell me that I am getting too hefty, it was a hell of a good time.

I'll be back in the fall.

2011-08-09T17:55:00.002-07:00

I haven't abandoned this blog entirely. Just sort of lost inspiration. I'll be back in the fall, when life has structure again. Maybe that will happen? Who knows. Have a good summer folks!

My "baby" is seven.

2011-07-13T22:32:00.003-07:00

I am feeling quite nostalgic but also so proud of the boy he has become. He is a smart and hilarious sensitive boy who is kind and caring. What more could a mother ask for? I love you Simon. Happy Birthday.

We're on vacation!

2011-07-12T17:00:00.004-07:00

We are taking a frugal vacation...at my mommy's house!
We spent the weekend in beautiful Victoria BC and spent two nights crashing at my sister's place. We saw all the sights without breaking the bank! So far, my major expenses have been gas food and of course, the ferry, but what can you expect? Nothing is free after all, and it sure beats hanging around at home with nothing to do. My posts are sporadic and that's just the way it is for now. I may come back in the fall, depends on how settled I am. Right now, I am not settled at all, not one bit!

Spring

2011-05-17T11:23:00.002-07:00

Soccer, learning to ride a bike, easter eggs oh my!

Spring is busy!

Do you like my meat pie? I made it from scratch. Even the pastry using my food processor, as I find this is the only sane way to make pastry and the only way that ever works out for me. Also, I roll it on waxed paper and then gently peel it off into the pan, otherwise I have trouble getting it the proper thin-ness. Another kitchen tip I tried recently, which came from the blogs, is to run a hot soapy wet cloth over my kitchen counters and let it soak while you do the dishes. When youare done, all the stuck on bits wipe easily away without scrubbing. It's sort of like pre-wiping the counters. I know, I am close to my mid-thirties and just learning how to clean properly, but hey, I am a life long learner.

This is my new favourite song. Well, for the week anyhow. I am a ficle music fan.

Bye for now.

Knit your own royals, LOL!

2011-04-22T18:37:00.003-07:00

Ha ha ha, Check this out! I wish I was craftier and had more time. As it is, I just paste links with funny knitted royals and call them blog posts. I am off to the theatre (say theat-ah with a phony british accent) to volunteer as an usher. This is how I see the play for free ;) Back soon with an Easter post! Enjoy the weekend!

Talk about recycling!

2011-04-19T23:11:00.003-07:00

Check out this Spring Hoodie over on Refashion Co-op. Why is it I never thought about using different pieces of clothing of similar fabric weights to put together like this? Genius? I think so!My head is spinning with ideas for spring dresses. Good on ya, Be Grim!

Smoothies

2011-04-14T10:06:00.003-07:00

I love 'em! Here is my latest concoction:

Banana Citrus Smoothie:

-one frozen banana

-1/4 c lemonade

-juice of one orange

-one apple juice box (200 mls)

Blend in the Magic Bullet.

I like this one because it is non dairy and sometimes you need that, like when you have a cold.

What's your favourite blended drink?

Two yummy treats

2011-04-10T12:48:00.004-07:00

I am making rocky road brownies. Sometimes I add walnuts, sometimes chocolate syrup, but always the marshmallows :) You can use minis, but if you only have the big ones, cut them into quarters and add to your brownie mix. Mine's from a box from the dollar store, homemade would be fine too. I find it cheaper to use a mix for brownies because I only need an egg and water, instead of all the butter and sugar.

Last night I had a hankering for an Orange Julius. Instead of schlepping to the mall, I made my own in the magic bullet. Because I added banana, I am calling mine Orange Banoolius.

Here's what I did:

juiced two oranges (good for the wrinkly ones)

added frozen banana chunks ( I freeze mine before they rot for just this purpose)

1/2 cup milk

a bit of vanilla pudding I had left over 1/4 cup? yogurt would be good too.

Whizzed it all together in the bullet. YUM!!

Fun Saturday.

2011-04-09T18:01:00.003-07:00

We went shopping at Zellers today and I bought $50 worth of loss leaders, including a ten pound bag of flour for 6.99! I also used three .75 coupons for wonder plus bread and since it was on sale, the coupons worked out to my getting a loaf free. We have tons of flour now, including whole wheat, so my plan is to make some whole wheat bread and other bread products like pitas and naan bread. Then we drove a few miles down the road to Enderby and filled up at 120.9 instead of 131.9, which saved us about 5.00. Not bad. We were out that way anyhow. Then we stopped at the Armstrong cheese factory and ate samples and bought some cheese. Besides Walmart, which sells it in a tiny bag, this is the only place my husband has found fresh cheese curds and as a French Canadian, he must have his cheese craving satisfied every so often. We rounded out the day's outing with the home show, trying out the massage chair and sampling things here and there. A great morning!

Ten convenience foods that are cheaper and better at home.

2011-04-05T17:57:00.012-07:00

1. Garlic bread. I bought a loaf of french bread for a dollar. How much cheaper would it be if I made my own bread from scratch? I added my own butter, garlic whizzed up in the Magic Bullet and parsley flakes. Cheap and cheerful.

2. Chicken wrap snackers/burritos Try saying that ten times fast. They sell these for two bucks each, but I am sure they could be made a lot cheaper than that at home with grocery store stuff. Imagine with homemade tortillas! Dried beans!

3. Pad Thai. This is essentially a stir fry. Make it at home and eat it with chopsticks.

4. Pizza. I can make gourmet pizza for about half the price of so-so take out pizza, even when I cheat and buy the crust already made.

5. Popcorn/chips Buy a case of microwave popcorn and don't bother with the greasy stuff at the movie theatre. Or better yet, pop from bulk kernels. I always burn it, so I have quit doing this. Try caramel popcorn or marshmallow popcorn for a treat. Buy a big bag of chips and bag them up in snack bags for lunches. I get multi grain rounds and pack a bit of salsa with them. Yum.

6. Chili. I just made a vat of chili for 30-40 people for about .40 a serving at my aunt's party. Seriously, why would I want to pay $4 for a little bowl?

7. Chai tea lattes/espresso. Five bucks a cup?? Puhleese. It's tea/coffee and milk. Enough said.

8. Granola. Oh so freakin' cheap to make at home, plus you know what is in it and you can make a basic one and add other ingredients to your bowl at breakfast. I love this for summer, saves on commercial cereal costs.

9. Yogurt. Again, I love this in the summer for smoothies, baking and breakfast.

10. Jello/ pudding. Buy some containers and pack your own from a big bowl. You get more at lunch and it's cheaper.

Bits of Beauty

2011-04-03T22:45:00.004-07:00

Not much to say, home from my aunty's birthday. The chill in the air did nothing to dispel the warmth in our hearts. I love my family!! Enjoy the beauty shots.

I have GOT to try this!!

2011-03-30T09:22:00.005-07:00

I am going to make a top like this. It is amazing! Thanks to two butterflies for bringing it to my attention. I had a rare great sewing day yesterday and it has made me think that maybe I can actually sew after all. My machine is very temperamental. It is only a few years old but it was a starter machine to begin with and I feel I've outgrown it. My budget says otherwise, however, so, as Katy Wolk-Stanley, of the Non Consumer Advocate says, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." Sage advice, to be sure.

I don't think I should have uploaded this photo of chocolate chip cookies though. I may need to make them and then sew my top even bigger.

Spring Cleaning part deux

2011-03-29T16:12:00.003-07:00

Well, perhaps I was a bit ambitious in completing my whole spring clean in two days. I had to prioritize a bit in order to get it all looking in order again, and there is always more to do, but so far I am satisfied with my efforts. I tend to expect more of myself than is sometimes humanly possible, so I am working on that. Today, so far, I have completed:

-Pick up garbage/clutter -

-Put away shoes and coats -

-Sweep all floors

-Vacuum and deoderize carpet in master bedroom

-clear simons floor

-clean bathroom#2

Still to complete: Wipe down all surfaces, Clean windows Fold Laundry Put away "stuff" in baskets.

Oh, I also sewed an Elvis cape. More on that later. :)

Spring Cleaning and Menu Plan

2011-03-28T15:01:00.008-07:00

Using the spring cleaning checklist from Cents to get Debt Free as a guide, I began my two day whirlwind cleaning spree. It's taken me much of the first day on the kitchen, but I hope the other chores won't be as time consuming.

Here's my list for Day One (today)

Kitchen:

Wash Dishes-done

Deep Clean Stove-done

Wash out Fridge-done

Sweep and scrub floors-done

Wipe down cupboards and counters-done

Run empty dishwasher with vinegar-done

Garbage/recycling-done

Living room:

P/U garbage and clutter-done

Dust-done

Sweep-done and mop vacuum

Clean sliding glass door

Febreze

Entry way:

Vac and mop

tidy closet (did a major closet overhaul recently so this should be easy)

wash mirror doors

Laundry area:

Vacuum around machines

Mop

Tidy cleaning supplies-done

Wipe down machines

Run washer on empty with vinegar-done

Bathroom #1

Clean organize-done

Menu Plan:

Monday:

Pinto Bean and rice soup (kitchen sink soup)

Cheddar cheese biscuits

Tuesday:

Frittatas and home fries

Wednesday:

Seafood linguine

Green salad

Thursday:

Pizza night.

Friday:

Homemade chili and cornbread for my aunty's party

Saturday :

At my Aunty's Birthday Party outta town wooot!!! Party food!

Sunday:

Leftovers/Soup and sandwiches

Can you afford to stay home?

2011-03-26T20:59:00.008-07:00

This is a question every mother asks herself at one point or other, I think. I know I have used the calculator at several different points from toddler hood to school age wondering if the time I spend away from home is worth the income that I contribute to my household. At certain times I have felt that there wasn't enough money in the world to take me away from home, such as when my child was a baby. We felt that there was no substitute for what our child needed in the first year of life than what I could give him. Even though living on maternity leave benefits (which while generous in this country are still a pittance compared to a real pay cheque) and a student loan income was near to impossible to do long term, we knew my husband's education would pay off in the long run. We also had help from my generous mother who allowed us a lot of leeway when it came to paying the rent on time. When I did go back to work it was difficult, I will admit. My son dropped breastfeeding like a hot rock when I started back to work in the evenings, finding the convenience of the sippy cup and cow's milk much preferable to sitting still in momma's lap for an extended BF sesh. Gone were long lazy mornings of nursing on demand and no schedule but baby and mama's. It took me some time to get over the fact that I was no longer the most important thing in his world and that he could survive without me for a few hours. Survive he did and as we went on I took on more and more hours at work, trying to "get ahead" and give him everything I never had as a child. We made some financial decisions that in hindsight were not the best, but we also bought our home, which got us into the market and which we still live in today. I learned many things about that period in my life and the biggest thing I learned is that it doesn't have to be all or nothing. I don't have to work forty or fifty hours a week, paying others to rear my child and cook my meals to get ahead. In fact, I probably won't get very far ahead this way and the debt we incurred during that crazy period proves it. Yet, staying home full time is not an option either. Whenever I stay home for long periods of time, my husband feels a lot of financial pressure to "bring home the bacon" and I feel a lot of pressure to fry it up and clean like Martha Friggin' Stewart every day. It just isn't us. So, since my husband makes three times the cash than I do, we put the priority on him getting to work, being fed and happy and having a little extra to do something fun once in a while. Our solution? I work part time. I figured it out on the calculator and my contribution is, admittedly, small. My costs to work are also minimal though; no dry cleaning, no real transportation costs, ( I could walk if I wanted to) and not even the need to pack lunches makes the only real "cost" my time away from the family. I used to feel a lot of guilt about the fact that the boys had to have dinner without me some nights. I have decided that the nights that we get to eat together are just all the more special because we are home together. My attitude about going to work is that I choose to work because it works for me and it helps me pay my own bills and give a feeling of taking the pressure of my husband to provide everything. I also abhor asking him for a penny because it's a matter of control to me. If I have no money that I have earned, I have no power. If I have no power, I feel powerless about our financial future. So, can I afford to stay home? No, I can not. In more ways than one, I can not.

What about you? How and where are you on this ever controversial issue? Feel free to comment about it!

Spring Break

2011-03-23T14:24:00.005-07:00

Here in our neck o' the woods, Spring Break is two weeks long. Ten school days and two weekends to fill while all the kids are free to roam around, ask too many questions, try to ask for too many treats, watch too much t.v., yell too loudly, and just generally be kids. It would be fabulous if we actually had the money to go on a holiday to have the time off school, but as it is, the man works and I took time off to stay home and save the daycare fees. My job is casual, so I can do that, and I think it pretty well evens out financially so I might as well spend the time with my boy. I thought up a bunch of frugal activities well in advance, so I wouldn't be stuck for what to do when I just couldn't stand another minute in the house. I also hope to do some Spring re-organizing. ( I never say the C word, it's too demoralizing)

So far, on day three of Spring Break, we haven't really stuck to the pre-planned ideas, but it's nice to know they are there.

Here are some of the things we have done so far for fun:

-Practiced our Elvis dance routine for Aunty's 60th

-phoned Gramma to brag of our dance moves/accomplishments

-gone to the twoonie swim

-made homemade blizzards (yum!)

-walked around the multiplex, seven laps is a mile (good thing, too)

-Hunted through Value Village after donating 5, (count 'em 5!) blue bags filled with old stuff and earning a 30% off coupon.

-Cleaned out the entryway closet from winter to spring

-had $1.99 Whoppers from BK (need another seven laps :P)

-played at the park with a school friend.

What are you doing for Spring Break?

Feel free to let me know in the comments section.

Pioneer Thinking

2011-03-19T19:52:00.003-07:00

I have just found a most interesting website, Pioneer Thinking. It is a wealth of information and I found it by searching on How to make Paper, something I would like to try. Wouldn't it be nice to turn all of those envelopes and junk mail into something worthwhile? Something crafty? Could this be a Spring Break activity? I could use my thrift store blender...

I have so many aspirations toward living a simpler, greener lifestyle, at least in the way of reducing garbage and recycling. I also liked the article in budgeting, Saving Dimes. I have decided that my vacation fund will be comprised of every dime and penny I can find. Every time I return my beverage containers, it goes in the fund. I want to lay on a beach, for an entire week, knowing that I can truly relax because there will be no enormous credit card bill awaiting my return.

Finally, and this is something near and dear to me, the article on Laundry. While the blurb was seemingly just plain common sense, it reminds me of a few new tricks that I can put to use to to tackle the laundry beast. Perhaps I will install a hanging bar above our machines. Our laundry truly has a life of its' own.

So, go. Check out Pioneer Thinking and then come back here later when I write my next post.

Sister

2011-03-11T09:16:00.004-08:00

I was absolutely blown away by the loss of my thirty year old sister in-law, Cyn. She was an amazing, spiritual person who taught me a lot about friendship, love and compassion. She had an especially close relationship with her brother, my husband, and we had our love for him in common, which made us instant sisters. As soon as I met Cynthia, (almost eleven years ago) she welcomed me into her family, even though I was different, Anglais, even. She tried her best to speak to me in my language and I in hers, and the result was often sign language, but we always communicated beautifully. I envied at times her work ethic, her approach to life and her perseverance and steadfast belief that happiness could always be achieved if you worked hard enough at it. She had a beautiful home in the Quebec country side with her husband, Matthieu and her two children Seime and Kina. She worked alongside Matthieu to renovate, landscape and to make their house a home. Cynthia was a vegetarian and she enjoyed music and drumming. She was a free spirit, a traveller, with a grounded sense of her responsibilities. She worked with troubled youth and was adored by her community. She was my sister. I will miss her always.

Cynthia

2011-03-04T23:54:00.002-08:00

Grief

2011-03-04T10:27:00.002-08:00

I have lost a sister. My heart is broken.

We love you Cynthia.

Random update

2011-02-26T20:25:00.004-08:00

Somehow I have fallen out of the habit of blogging. I have been going along, doing fabulous things like making my own delicious Pad Thai, Homemade Chocolate Syrup and Elvis costumes and I haven't been writing about it?! What's that about? Who knows. All I can say is I have been living, just not necessarily sharing everything and sometimes I think that is OK.

The weather here has been extremely cold the past week, a cold snap they call it. Whatever it is I am about to snap if spring doesn't hurry up soon! If it weren't for the sunshine, the -27-with- the-windchill temperatures would probably drive me to full on cabin fever. It's hard to be sociable and friendly when everyone is stuck inside together for this long. Tonight, after playing Yahtzee, I made chocolate brownies from a dollar store mix and added walnuts, marshmallows and chocolate syrup. This helped some, I must admit, but it is not a long term solution!

Spring you better hurry up, or so help me...!

Inspiration

2011-01-26T23:29:00.004-08:00

Lately I have been into scrapbooking and card making. I was kind of late to this craft fad but all of a sudden it hit me how fun and simple it is. Also addictive I must admit, I never used to look twice at all of those letter stickers and embellishments, now, suddenly I can't get enough. Right now we are working on making my son's Valentine cards. Fortunately, I am still frugal and I look for sales and clearance. I found a bunch of summer scrapbooking items on clearance which I will put to good use with the summer pics.

I have also been sewing a bit. I made a simple cape for my son who needed a superhero costume for school. I had some freecycled red suiting material, twill tape and a thrifted pattern that I bought with rare foresight. It was a fun project which reminded me that my sewing skills don't have to be perfect for things like that to be fun and satisfying. My son played with the cape endlessly and is very proud of it. It helps that the bottom is scalloped, like bat wings. Now, I think my next project will be these reuseable snack bags! What a fantastic idea. I know that I can find those materials cheaply. Imagine not having to buy anymore sandwich bags for the lunch sac. Too cool.

Good Food Box

2011-01-20T17:33:00.003-08:00

I've got the winter blahs. You know, when you just want to sleep and eat carbs and nothing holds your attention? Yeah, I've got it bad. As we speak, (in our bloggish type of one-way conversation, that is) I am burning my tongue on a melted chocolate burning hot spoon. I know that sentence doesn't make sense but you get the drift. Usually I can formulate a thought when I write, or at least summon enough energy to correct myself when I can't, but, alas, not today. My photo of muffins is recycled, I did not bake them today, they are only a figment of the imagination now. They do look good don't they? Mmmm. Muffins. I did make peanut bull balls dipped in burning hot melted chocolate though, and never fear, my Good Food Box arrived today. Just in time, I must say. Maybe I will even sneak in a vegetable or two. Here's hoping!

Happy New Year

2011-01-04T09:04:00.002-08:00

Welcome to 2011. This year I will probably shift the focus of the blog. As you may have noticed, this used to be a blog about frugality, which I still intend to explore, however, there are many other subjects that interest me and limiting myself to just one area is proving to be a bit stifling for me. If I wish to be creative then I must go where inspiration takes me. Exploring the perfoming arts has been a wonderful experience for me. I had so much fun and learned a great deal about acting, singing, dance and performance. I met many wonderful people and had so much fun. I suppose it is time for me to get back to the serious side of life, work and all, but hopefully I can find a way to balance my creativity with work so that life is full and meaningful. Here is to a happy and prosperous New Year.

2010-12-14T23:49:00.003-08:00

What a wonderful experience working with Jeff Hyslop. We are in the second week of the run of Grease and it is as exhilarating as when we began! More pics to come of opening night, right now my eyelids are stuck together from too much eyelash glue and my legs feel like lead from shakin' at the highschool hop. Grease is the word!

I also had a wonderful birthday with friends, family and the show. Womp bam a loom op!

Grease

2010-12-01T13:15:00.007-08:00

Well, here we are, the next few weeks is the show. We do a family thank you night for our nearest and dearest on Sunday, Dec 5th. This will be a great chance to work out the bugs in the show before Opening night on the 8th. I am so excited about this show. We have been rehearsing since October the songs for the month of October, the dialogue blocking and choreography for the month of November and now the big moment is almost here! This show is why I have not been blogging very much. We have been rehearsing up to seven days a week at times and all my thoughts are concentrated upon remembering my lines, dance steps and blocking! So, if all you hear out of my mouth for the next little while is Grease this and Grease that, now you'll know why.

If you don't like it, Fongool! I'm Sandra Dee!

Amish Friendship Loaf

2010-11-26T12:39:00.005-08:00

I went to a dinner party recently and was given a gift: a zipper top baggie with batter in it to start my own Amish Friendship Loaf. The idea is to mix up your starter and then give starters to two or three friends, so they can bake up their own delicious loaves. If you keep a starter for yourself, you will be baking every ten days. This is the kind of motivation I needed to kick start my Christmas baking! Luckily for me, since I am impatient, my friend gave me my starter on day 9. Yes, this starter takes ten days to be ready to use, but I hear the results are worth it. In about an hour, when my loaves come out of the oven, I will let you know for sure :).

The starter comes with instructions, which you are supposed to pass on with the starter. They are not terribly difficult and it feels kind of like you are in a special bread club while you are baking. At least I felt this way while mixing away my batter. I was also thinking of whom I will share my good fortune with.Will it be my neighbour? My friend that I will meet for coffee later on? It is also nice to think about which of your friends will bake bread next and think of you, just as I am now thinking of the woman who gave the starter to me.

Here are the instructions for the basic loaf. There are many variations as well. Comment if you would like them.

-DO NOT use metal spoons or bowls for mixing (the photo here is some other bread I made, mine is still in the oven)

-DO NOT refrigerate

-If air gets in bag, let it out

-It is normal for the batter to rise bubble and ferment

Day 1: Do nothing

Day 2-5: Mush the bag

Day 6: Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk and mush the bag

Days 7-9: Mush the bag

Day 10:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Pour contents of bag into non-metal bowl

Add 1.5 cups flour, 1.5 cups sugar and 1.5 cups milk. Mix well.

Measure out three separate batters of 1 cup each and place into clean zip top bags. Pass on to 3 friends or 2 if you want to keep a starter for yourself. Give these directions and be sure to tell your friend which day the starter is on. ie: date the bag.

Add the following to the remaining starter.

3 eggs

1/2 c oil

1/2 c apple sauce

1/2 c sugar

2 cups flour

1 lg pkg instant vanilla pudding

1/tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp bkg pwdr

1/2 tsp bkg soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2tsp cinnamon

optional: 1 cup nuts, raisins, dried cranberries, choc chips, etc.

Grease two large loaf pans

Pour batter evenly into pans

Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon, sprinkle evenly over loaves.

Bake 1 hour. Cool until breads loosen from pan. Turn onto serving dish.

English Muffin Pizzas

2010-11-06T18:51:00.003-07:00

This is a super fun dinner to make with kids. I did some minor prep work and then left dinner to the chef! After these were baked and we had eaten dinner, the left overs went into sandwich bags and were brought for lunch snacks. These little pizzas are not a brand new idea. I have also done pita pizzas, if you recall.

In conclusion, not having to make pizza dough from scratch and using up a bag of English muffins and being the best mom ever, and a kid-friendly, somewhat healthy dinner in less than 20 minutes? Pretty cool.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-30T20:54:00.008-07:00

Hey what's shakin'? Me, I'm just rockin' and rollin' and whatnot. Check out our Halloween digs. Mine is a complete DIY, I am a Beauty "Ghoul" Dropout. That's a reference to Grease. I know... I'm hilarious! Originally I was going to be a bubble gum princess, based on the pink wig, which I bought on clearance last year, right after Halloween. I'll score more cool stuff next week for next year. Why pay full price? Rather than a princess, I thought it would be more fun to look dead. Why not?

The turtle costume was a Value Village deal, bought last spring. They raise the prices right before Halloween, didja notice?? It has been used for playtime a few times and is a bit too short in the legs, but a green pair of PJ bottoms, a safety pin and gumboots solved that problem quite nicely. My polka dot dress? I wore it once and didn't care for the matronly drape of it so, I cut it to ribbons. It looks way cooler now! We wore our costumes for two hours and we were the best dressed folks in town. We look like a million bucks, don'tcha think???

Thankful

2010-10-10T10:41:00.002-07:00

I am really enjoying all of the fall activity lately. I am involved in my local community theatre's production of Grease and I am so excited about it. Between work, school stuff, karate, rehearsal and general life, the blog has taken a backseat. I am sure many of you can relate.

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the opportunities my family has to explore our passions and gifts, for the (small amount 0f) time we get to spend together and for our friends and family who support us and love as just as we are. I am thankful for my beautiful child. He surprises and delights me every day and his quick mind and intelligent wit give me pause and wonder. I am thankful for my wonderful, hard working, passionate husband who is not only heart- stopping-ly handsome, but is so smart it is frightening at times. He accepts me as I am and enjoys my creativity and unconventionality. I am thankful to my extended family. They always believe in me, even when I don't believe in myself. I am also grateful for our happy home, our cars and our jobs. We are a lucky family, indeed. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Poor, Poor Bloggy

2010-10-05T15:43:00.003-07:00

I know I am neglecting you. I went and got busy again. I'll be back, someday. Until then, enjoy this.

Secrets revealed.

2010-09-10T08:22:00.009-07:00

Remember when I told you about my hoarding ways and stockpiling food for the winter? Well, I don't have anything on my cousin's maternal grandmother, Bernice, whom I have the pleasure of adopting as another grandmother for my family. She is truly incredible. I wish I knew more of her story so that I could properly portray her here. The best that I can do is show you her secret root cellar which is in an undisclosed location on her property. I haven't exactly asked permission to put this information on the Internet, but I did ask for the opportunity to photograph it and that was O.K. So, if you happen to guess where Bernice's root cellar is, don't tell her you got it from me ;)

Are you ready for this? O.K. here it is... Creeeaaak. It kind of reminds one of a dungeon and it is a little spooky to walk inside. It was built by Bernice's late husband, Jack. If you look very closely, you can see my aunt Rosealee in the shadows of the doorway. The bunker, (OK , not really a bunker but close) is actually built into the earth on the side of a hill and reinforced with wood framing on the inside. It is where they store all of their preserves and stockpile their food for winter. They probably have a few years worth in there and some items have been stored there for longer than anyone can remember. Some of the jars looked like a creepy science experiment the last time I was in there, but I think recently there has been some inventory done. I'm sure if you ask Bernice how many jars of jam she has left from last year, or even years past, she will be able to tell you without rising from her comfortable position in her favourite recliner.
Ready for the inside tour?

O.K. That is all I can show you. I have told you too much already. The punishment for revealing a hoarders' secrets is no more preserves and I would hate for that to happen.

Please, don't tell Bernice!

Bountiful Beauty

2010-09-07T10:59:00.008-07:00

Having just returned from the loving arms of my family, I have a single day to get ready for school and say a final adieu to the summer for the year. How do I spend my final day? Squeezing in one last relaxing day, drinking coffee and blogging, of course. We had an amazing time, as usual, and ate fantastic food. The theme of the party is the smoked salmon that my uncle prepares for the year and that is the reason we have entitled our celebration "Smokefest." Here, my cousin is laying the salmon onto the racks to go into the smoker. They have been marinating in the brine over night. These tomatoes were quite delicious as well, made with balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese and melted with ooey gooey brie cheese on top. We got to bring home a couple of the smoked salmon. My husband has eaten it all already. Lucky for us, we know exactly where to find more. Now, this party is certainly not what I would categorize as frugal, per se, however, next time, I will let you in on some of the trade secrets of a lady I know that lives here. She has a secret room. What is in that secret room? Well, let's just say that she is the freakin' Queen of Frugalistas. She is the original, the bonafide bodacious bountiful Bernice. If ever there is a natural disaster, or if ever I just feel like falling off the grid of society, I am going to live with her. Stay tuned...

You can call me Alvin

2010-09-02T13:29:00.007-07:00

I'm a chipmunk, hoarding my nuts for the winter. I can not rearrange my freezer anymore as it is now stuffed. I have reached the point where I must eat all the food, I absolutely cannot buy anymore. This gives me such a satisfying feeling. The minute the weather cools off I seem to get into this frenzy of storing food. I come by it honestly. You see, my relatives are hoarders. Not in the extreme sense where you can't see over our piles of newspapers or anything. We just like to keep stuff. Lots of stuff. The more the better, really. You never know when you might need it! Remember my zippers?

I only keep the most recent two newspapers tops. Otherwise my husband will have a conniption fit. He thinks I must be afraid of starvation or natural disaster. Maybe that is true, but it doesn't come firsthand. This fear was bred into me, I think, from my ancestors. I am of Irish descent, after all.

I also did some baking today, using the same recipe booklet as the banana bread. (In other words, I kind of made things up as I went along.) I made two different kinds of muffins; carrot-pineapple and apple-cranberry-lemon, as well as a zucchini bread. The latter was a huge recipe, it filled my 9x13 pan. I am taking all it to the relatives so they can eat it on Saturday. By then, all the flavours should be just right.

I also finished my menu plan and ordered my first Good Food Box. It will arrive in a couple weeks. I can't wait to see all the fresh goodies from local farms. The price was so reasonable, and I can never seem to get to the farmer's market. I have been meaning to do this for over a year, so I am glad I finally got off my butt and did it.

I am looking forward to the long weekend, but with a smidgen of sadness because after that, summer will truly be over. It's a good thing I love the autumn so much.

Banana Nut Bread.

2010-08-31T11:39:00.003-07:00

The weather is cool and rainy. I am wearing jeans, but just barely, after eating this delicious banana bread. I got the recipe from a bread recipe booklet called, Quick and Delicious Breads by Johna Blinn, that I got at Value Village for 99 cents. I have a feeling I will be making a few of these recipes in the coming months. (I also scored both my fall and winter coats at their big 50% off sale, but that's another story.) This is an old favourite and this recipe was pretty standard. Of course, because I am the Queen of Substitution, my banana bread will never taste the same twice. It may not even contain bananas. I added 2tbsp of molasses because I was out of vanilla, and used ground up trail mix instead of walnuts. I used yogurt instead of sour cream. I also didn't bother separating the nuts and sugar mixture and pouring on top as it suggested in the recipe. Yes, I said 'suggested'. I am not a big rule follower in the kitchen; The fewer bowls to wash, the better, I say. Here is the recipe that I sort of used as a guide, but didn't really follow at all, now that I look at it more closely :

Vanilla Banana Bread
Makes one 9 inch loaf
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
10 tblsps butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 cup mashed ripe bananas, (2 or 3)
1/2 c dairy sour cream

There is a big long explanation that I won't bother to transcribe here. The scoop with quick breads is: Dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another. Pour wet into dry and don't over mix. Pour into greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees. The pan that I used here took an hour to bake. See if you can wait until the next day to eat, banana bread always has more flavour the next day. Enjoy!

Living on a Prayer.

2010-08-26T11:36:00.004-07:00

I don't usually talk about money. That's just how I was raised. We never had any money, so it was best not to talk about it, I guess. Today though, I will talk about money. I live in the now. I am not my past.

I have just been informed by ING Direct, that I am half way to my savings goal of an Emergency Fund! This is so motivating to me. Saving has not been so terribly difficult because I have kept my payments affordable and automatic. Still, there is a part of me that wants to shut me up, lest someone take my meagre stockpile away from me. I wish to be fantastically frugal and not merely miserly and it is my hope to repair my dysfunctional relationship with money and to speak more openly about it. I plan to keep this emergency fund for the next time we need a van repair, or another major expense comes up. They always seem to crop up at the worst possible moment and this time I want to look ahead, just a little. This will free me from having to use credit and thus, in the long run, save me some hefty interest charges. Once I have attained this fundamental step, I can begin to work on my other financial goals. This Emergency Fund is a biggie though, and I am half way there.

My Orange Key is 34802436S1. Just in case you want to start your own Emergency Fund with ING and be referred by me ;)

Butterscotch Parfait

2010-08-24T10:29:00.003-07:00

I wish I had a photo of the dessert, but it is a testament to how delicious it was that I don't. Instead, you can all bask in my nephew wearing a Where's Waldo-esque tuque in August and riding a pink barbie bike. He sure makes an auntie proud!

Last night, we all had a hankering for something sweet, but here in the Okanagan, it is still too hot in the evening to turn on the oven. This limited my baking options, so I got out my new Magic Bullet (I love this thing) and ground up some graham crackers, about ten? I think. Then I melted a couple of tablespoons of butter and made a graham cracker crust in my 8 inch Pyrex cake dish. You can use whatever you have, I might do individual ones next time, in ramekins. I then made up a box of instant butterscotch pudding, with a bit less milk than called for to make it thicker. I poured that over the crust. Then I topped the pudding layer with 9 whole graham crackers and dispensed nine whipping cream flowers on top from the spray can. This was all that was left in the can after each of us, when no one was looking of course, sprayed mounds of whipping cream into our mouths while pretending to search for some other, healthy food in the fridge. I wrapped it up and let it chill for thirty minutes, because that was as long as we could wait, and then we enjoyed! Everyone wanted seconds, but since we have managed to score dessert twice this week, an abnormality in this house, I advised them to wait. This meant more for me when they went to school and work, ha ha. It's even better this morning!

Butterscotch Parfait.

You will need:

Graham crackers, most of a sleeve

Instant pudding, I used the four serving size, you could add layers of different flavours, too.

Butter, for what is a dessert without it?

Whipped Cream, Real only please. None of that edible oil product, yeesh. You don't have to use the spray can, you'd have more if you whip it up yourself. I just happened to have a little bit left over from our pie, which I also do not have a photo of.

We all knew it couldn't last forever

2010-08-21T19:31:00.004-07:00

Time sure flies when you're having fun and we've been having our share of it. Now, as the end of summer draws near, I am beginning to look forward to the upcoming autumn and thinking of some goals I would like to set for myself and my family. I wrote previously about beginning to prepare for Christmas and gathering supplies for Halloween.

As for the return of pencils, books and teacher's dirty looks, this reality is beginning to dawn on me as never before. I have purchased the school supplies and there they sit, in the same plastic bag as the day they were bought and plunked unceremoniously on the floor. At some point they will need to be opened, labelled and utilized. My child will need to be reigned in from weeks of late nights, unkempt hair and face washing being deemed optional. Popsicles can no longer pass as a snack. We need routine. In my realization of the impending end of our party time, I sent out a family memo. It read something to the effect of : Summer's almost over! Clean up your own damn messes, you hillbillies! I am not your maid! and so on...The memo, which was read in my absence and was left with sticky Popsicle fingerprints on it, was met with, well... apathy, frankly, but thankfully, no resistance. It was a response something along the lines of; "Meh." Some half hearted attempts have even been made to 1) aim, 2) put the lid down and 3) flush. For these things I am grateful. And yet, I yearn for more. It is my hope to reinstate some kind of order to this household, starting with good short haircuts all around. Well, not for me. I am not that militant. With proper menu planning, chore charts, budgeting and regular family meetings, we will begin to have some structure security, and less panic and low blood sugar at supper time.

These are not new concepts for us. I think the key will be consistency. I have learned much from my fellow bloggers and I continue with the heart of a new student to receive and pass on information I gather and what is useful to me. I will renew and redouble my efforts, taking what I have learned and putting more theories into practice.

Here are my 5 goals for the week:

1)Begin to pack away/donate some of the summer clothes

2) Make yogurt, fruit lax, muffins

3)Write up agenda for family meeting

4)Fill out chore charts

5)Make up a menu plan for September

Just droppin' in.

2010-08-11T14:59:00.001-07:00

I'm taking another break. Living life in the fast lane, you know. Time to slow it down a bit and head out to the lake. Will catch you on the flip side. Peace out frugalistas.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

2010-08-07T19:59:00.006-07:00

to get ready for the holidays! This is the year, the year I will get all my ducks in a row well before the two weeks before Christmas. With the help of my husband, we have organized and stored the decorations in an accessible place and I have even begun my gift shopping. With all of the summer clearance sales, especially toys, I am picking up things here and there for Christmas. Today I bought a beautiful table cloth, as well as a pattern for Halloween capes. Since my son's birthday is done, and the back to school stuff is purchased, I can focus on fall and winter. Maybe this seems silly, but that time of year is so pressurized, I think the more prepared in advance, the better. I don't like feeling like I am not ready.

Don't worry, I still hate it so much when people ask, "So, you all ready for Christmas?" on, like, December 1st. Or, like when people say, in this weather, "Hot enough for ya?" and you just want to punch them in the mouth but then you remember you are a lady and ladies don't do such things, even when the heat and humidity make those ladies crazy. No, I just want to look those people straight in the eye and confidently reply, "I've been ready since August seventh" That ought to put a sock in their pie holes. Well, I am off to my air conditioned bedroom. I think that is best under the circumstances.

Good Bits

2010-08-05T14:39:00.002-07:00

Well, it's hot. It's busy. I have so much to do. My life is chaotic. Is that enough excuses yet? I know my blog isn't getting the attention it deserves, but I am sure once the cool weather rolls around I will be back to my regular programming. For now though, I thought i would share the Good bits that other people are doing. This beautiful Hawaiian cake, made for her two year old princess, was made by lovinglifebabymama , a new/old friend of mine. New, in the sense that I just found out about her blog, and Old in the fact that we used to cruise the night clubs together in our high heels.

Our disco days behind us, we now focus on our little ones, spoiling them with handcrafted dolly cakes and the like. She gives a great description of how she made this amazing cake over on her blog, so check her out and follow her too. She's funny!

I am in the midst of mid summer re-organization. My apartment is in absolute chaos. The thrift shop is going to get a nice donation from me, I tell ya, just as soon as I can peel myself away from the monitor and keyboard. My old clunker of a computer has been serving me well for many years, even though my husband scoffs at me over the thin screen of his laptop, asking me to keep the tap tap tap of my old keyboard down. I quite like the sound, it reminds me of a simpler time. I envision myself as a fifties secretary, hammering out my correspondence in an efficient manner, in a plume of socially acceptable smoke, in the midst of a busy steno pool.

Except that I can't type, and I no longer smoke. Oh well.

I start my Vacation Part Deux in a week or so. Again, no plans to leave town, just to get ready for the start of school for my grade one-er. I got all of his supplies and I have been saving clothes for months, so if I buy anymore for him, it will just be excessive. Clearance sales are my best friend.

Well, I am back to sorting, sorting, sorting and purging. Until next time, here are sixty uses for baking soda!

Keep frugal my friends!

Hot child in the city

2010-07-29T21:55:00.005-07:00

I have been mostly at the beach with some intermittent, annoying interruptions of working shifts. I have been burning the candle at both ends as well as the fuel gauge. Still, you just can't beat vacationing in your own back yard while still earning a pay cheque.
The boy is busy all day at day camp and then visiting campsites and friends in the evening. We are just trying to pack the most fun into the shortest season of the year as we can.
Every meal is a picnic and my latest trick is to freeze all of the juice boxes and water bottles so that they act as ice packs for the lunch. I did this in the cooler for camping. I froze a big square jug of juice as my center cooler and then the individual water bottles and juice boxes. I packed the food around it. When it thaws, you have cold beverages and no melted ice water to get the food all soggy. Why didn't I think of this before? Some people need time to figure these things out. I am one of those people.

I'm very excited!

2010-07-24T19:53:00.006-07:00

My sister is on her way to my house this very minute! She is on vacay and I might actually get to see her for a bit before she galavants to see all other family members in the area. I think it helps that she was delayed and I am the closest relative with a ready bed for her and the kids. I use the term "kids" loosely as they are now gigantic teenagers :)

Today we went cherry picking. Well, scratch that, we tried to go cherry picking. I couldn't find the U-pick farm so we went to the fruit stand and bought some instead. No matter, they were delicious and it was, at 34 degrees celcius, too hot to go picking anyhow. Then,we went to a thrift store that I had never been into before called The Bargain Bin. This was an apt name as many items were priced at ten cents! Gotta love that! The boy, with his keen eye, found me a citrus juicer for twenty five cents. It has a strainer so that pulp and seeds are kept out of the juice. Too cool for a quarter! We had great fun squeezing all my old wrinkly oranges into fresh juice. We then took our cherries and had a lovely splash in the lake. So refreshing! Now, I am tidying and mapping out sleeping arrangements. I love having visitors!

Staycation, all I ever wanted...

2010-07-20T12:27:00.008-07:00

Hey folks, I'm back to my blogging and my regular life, hell yeah! I had one heck of a Staycation filled with good food, family fun, local camping, two rocking concerts (Nazareth and Rhianna, oh yeah!) and a super fancy wedding to boot! It was all both exhilarating and exhausting! It was great to have a real break from the everyday but still sleep in my bed for (most of) the nights. I figured, I live in a world class vacation destination, why not take advantage for a change? It sure saved on gas and airfare! A huge thank you to my girl, friday, for steering to the ole' ship while I was away. What a fabulous treat to see what she is up to in her neck of the woods, and for you all to get to know my BFF. You did a wonderful job, my friend, hope to see your new blog debut soon. You are a natural! Now that I have spent all my hard earned pennies on concert tickets and convenience foods, I am more determined than ever to strap the old belt a little tighter as we approach fall and the coming school year. I have been preparing by scouring the thrift stores for gently used kids clothes for next year. I already have two new kid's backpacks with cost me less than $12 for both. Score. I also went to an awesome bag sale at my work thrift store. Well... I was technically working, so that entitles me to first dibs. I LOVE my job. I found some ah-may-zing deals and filled two five dollar sacks, jammed with interesting, colourful clothes, kids' books and a really cool photo silver coloured frame. When someone says "bag sale", I say "let's see how far this bag can stretch!" It really is a thrill for me. I will now have to go through and purge some older stuff. At least it is recycling, right? I'm so glad to be back and can't wait to catch up on the blog roll to see what y'all have been up to.

Ciao Bella! What? Just because I never did leave home, that doesn't mean that I can't dream...

2010-07-12T14:58:00.006-07:00

Hi, it's me, friday, again... just hangin out today... went for a walk along some of the trails around here- checked out the local bowling alley. anyone into glow in the dark bowling? it's super fun! not sure if you guys are into camping but, if you are, you might be surprised to know that there's tons of free camping in canada (maybe everywhere? i can only speak for here) many 'recreation' or 'forestry' sites are free! they have maintained outhouses, fire pits, and lots are lake front or near hotsprings. We use Back Road Map Books to find spots and then go explore! (these books are available by region and are easy to find, not expensive, look for updated version, if buying second hand) A lot of the time we have the place to ourselves, sometimes one or two others are there... it's like having our very own lake front cottage! i've been trying out painting rocks. I figure this is a free canvas. It was fun for a while but I think I'm just doing too many tiny details and it's become less fun so I don't know if i'll keep that up or not- I need to get some new inspiration... Does anyone have any great vegetarian recipes that involve a food processor? just got a new one, it's really pretty and i need some ideas because i've never had one before, it can make dough and everything! have fun, ciao

2010-07-07T07:16:00.004-07:00

hey folks, is it crazy hot where you live too? it's swimming in the lake season!!! hooray!... i've been helping out with dan and cathy's garden since i moved here- it's fun and relaxing and helpful, plus they feed me and send me home with produce! my grocery bill is shrinking, i love it! so i'm heading over there in a bit and then to the beach! i had a job interview a couple of days ago, just waiting for them to talk to my references- we'll see... anyone else looking for a job right now? i tried a more casual approach this time, informal cover letter, brought a cup of tea to the interview, just wanted to be more natural. i used to pretend i was all formal but that's not really me- i can be professional but i'm also creative and maybe a bit unconventional so they may as well know who they're hiring right? have fun, wear sunscreen -friday

2010-07-04T09:51:00.005-07:00

hey folks, how are ya today? my name's friday. i'm a friend of sandy's filling in while she takes a little break from blogland... i'll just do a little guest blogging here and there. a few weeks ago, my life was turned right side up when i moved from a big city to a small town down the highway from our good friend miss hiptobecheap. i've replaced the sound of sirens and traffic for birds and frogs- lovin life in the slow lane! on wednesdays in the summer they hold a farmer's market and live music, which we checked out... it's called wednesday on the wharf. i got a potato salad recipe from the internet (all my recipes were fancy and i just wanted the ol standard) and i invented a crisp as i went... some frozen rhubarb, two apples, a few bits of frozen strawberries. for the crisp i mashed together some rolled oats, margarine, brown sugar, cinnamon, a bit of flour (not sure if it was needed but it seemed like the right thing to do) i think that was it- turned out great for our little picnic! do you guys have cool community events too? free entertainment for the whole family! yeah!

Thrifty Tuesday.

2010-06-29T19:23:00.007-07:00

I like Tuesday. It sure beats Monday, that's for sure. I made a rule never to do business on Monday. People are too stressed. If you call me Monday morning before ten, chances are I won't answer. I save it all until Tuesday. By Tuesdays, I've got my priorities straight. Today for instance, I took my son to Denny's for breakfast. Yes, I could have, and probably should have, made my own pancakes, but it turned out that their Grand Slam is only 3.99 right now, so breakfast for two certainly didn't break the bank. they also gave me a rewards card and said I will get a free hamburger at some point. Then we checked out the Best Store of all Time. I finally found a king size bed skirt that matches my bedding, yay! It will cover the tomato soup cans nicely. I found a twin one as well, though this was not such a surprise. Twin bedding is ubiquitous. I also got the boy a backpack, new with tags, for six bucks. His other one has holes in it from his dragging it on the ground instead of wearing it. We found a like-new lunch kit as well. When we got home, I rolled out the newsprint and let him go to town with his new-to-him 3D paints. What a blast he had! I treated myself to a mani-pedi while I read blogs and farted around with Picasa. I had used this program before and I liked it, it is easy to use. The photo above was taken by my cousin. She has an eye for photography. It must be genetic with all that creative brilliance running through her veins. I lightened it a bit and added the text. I like the back lighting that gives our hair that ethereal halo effect.

For supper, I made mac and cheese casserole with some cubed pork thrown in from the freezer. Anything covered with cheese and homemade breadcrumbs is probably an effort by me to clean out the leftovers from the fridge. Just don't tell the boy. Any day that one can use up leftovers and hit the thrift store is a good day, indeed. Tuesday is my kind of day.

Coupons and Dumpster Diving

2010-06-23T11:01:00.005-07:00

Look at what I scored! I never used to admit this to anyone, let alone proclaim it in a public forum, but now I can, without shame, call myself a Dumpster Diver. OK, so this wasn't technically inside of the dumpster, (eew!) but it was dumped, and I did dive to get it. It's a partially used roll of perfectly fine newsprint paper! Who would throw this out? Well, I suppose if one were moving or downsizing they may not wish to burden themselves with a large roll of discarded paper...but...uh, I digress...ahem.... My son is going to be thrilled! Imagine all the fun drawing we can do. I just had to share this with my faithful readers. I know you'll understand my excitement, even if my real life peeps don't. If you are reading this, dear, just look away. You knew what you were signing up for.

The other new thing is that I am back on the coupons. I took a little break because I was beginning to become a tad obsessed and overwhelmed. I had stacks of coupons in a photo album that mocked me with their expiry dates. I was throwing out more than I ever used and then feeling like I had wasted my time clipping and sorting only to end up chucking them. Also, I was buying silly stuff just because I had a coupon, which is not very frugal. Now, I have wised up a little. I have decided to only clip coupons which are actually useful to me, such as those for bread and juice. The rest, like those for air freshener plug ins and scented candles, go directly into the recycling bin . They do not pass go, they do not cost me two hundred dollars. I also have a new system that I am trying out. I used to use this mini photo album, which was OK because I could see all my coupons at a glance, but it was hard to get them out of the book quickly in the store. It was awkward and conspicuous. Also, once, I brought the book in my shopping cart and it was actually inspected and tagged by the store greeter. I did not like this! I wanted to be a bit more discreet.

After some searching, I found a mini, expandable file folder at the dollar store. I like it because it is a good size and fits inside my purse. I can open it quickly and find my coupons at the till, because they are filed alphabetically. No one objects to my rummaging around in my purse at the counter, but a book of coupons is taboo, for some reason. I am careful to be obvious about what I am doing, so that no one thinks that I am shoving stuff in there. My short lived, pre-adolescent crime spree when I was eleven cured me of shoplifting for life. They scared me good!

I may change to filing the coops by categories later. For now, though, it is working because a) I don't have so many coupons that I can't keep track of them and b) I can find them quickly if I spot a good deal in store that matches my coupons.

So that, my friends, is my latest evolution in couponing. I know that many people out there are coupon experts, but I have decided to remain an amateur.

I still like getting the dollar off a lipstick.

It makes me feel like I did when I was eleven.

Free Fun

2010-06-20T22:41:00.006-07:00

We spent the weekend doing fun start-of -summer activities. Saturday was the aptly named Sunshine Fest, which I heartily enjoyed because most of the attractions were free! Free bouncy castles galore, free face painting, free lollipops and free entertainment. We even got a cheap on-the-street festival haircut, but I had to trim it up a bit once we got home. I didn't mind, the hairdresser still saved me a lot of work and time and the boy's hair was starting to look mop-like. I'm sure he felt a lot cooler after being shorn on the street.

Today we were off to the local airport for Wings and Wheels, with all things having to do with, well, wings and wheels. We did lots of fun free things, including : drive a go-kart, fly a paper airplane, get a balloon sword, stickers, and tattoos and see all kinds of aircraft and a helicopter demonstration. It was a lot to pack in before lunch! When we got home, I realized that I had missed a spot on my shoulders with the sunscreen and they both looked like cooked lobsters. Ouch. By the way, that water pump above was a cool steam powered engine which we were simply fascinated with. It also made me very thirsty to look at it.

By far, the best of all:

The admission tickets were free from the radio station. Hooray!

As promised~ Cheese Bread

2010-06-16T09:34:00.004-07:00

Don't you wish we had Smell-o-vision? Or Taste-o-vision? I made this recipe from the one Kristen posted over at The Frugal Girl. Today she has Italian cheese twi sts. Oh my! Must do that one too! I didn't get too fancy with my dough shaping, I just made one loaf and four mini loaves, two of which my son gobbled up while still hot out of the oven. OK, I gobbled a little bit, too. This bread has all the elements; soft, cheesy and wonderful. Served warm with a little bit o' butter? That's a little bit of heaven right there. What a fantastic addition to an otherwise regular Tuesday night meal. It was very pleasant to warm up the house on a rainy evening. I made another batch of granola, too. This time I added some chopped up trail mix in the last five minutes of toasting for that added bit of luxury. Along with supper, this is the most cooking I have done for a while. With the warmer weather and busy schedule, I haven't wanted to turn on the oven, so it was a treat to have a hot meal for a change. Now I have plenty of prepared food to work with for the rest of the week. Hooray for batch cooking! Saves energy in more ways than one.

OK here's another beauty shot, just for the heck of it.

Yum.

Making Bread and online window shopping

2010-06-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

The Schwinn Romper Grosgrain Giveaway
Did you know rompers are back in? Darn my over efficient packing of all things crafty and sewing related! Hubs knew I would miss them, I told him I could make it through the summer. I can't. I can't make it through the summer. I must craft! I made cheese bread tonight using the Cheese Twists recipe over at The Frugal Girl. Oh. My. This bread is so soft and delicious. I made it into loaves which I photographed and may share tomorrow. For now, must get the child off to bed. It's raining. A good night for homemade bread.

Self imposed confinement

2010-06-13T11:15:00.005-07:00

I am holding a spontaneous Open House. We noticed that the upstairs apartment is holding one today so we decided to piggy back on their traffic. We figure the Realtors would do the same thing if they could, so why not? I already had one young couple come who had come to see another apartment, so I guess it's working. It also means I can't go out in the beautiful sunshine today :(

Do you want to hear about my frugal staging tricks? First, I bought new towels and bathroom accessories which are folded up neatly and put away when we are not showing the place. In the living room, I used slipcovers and new throw pillows. The lamps are from Walmart but I fancied them up with some Freecycle tassels. Now, here is my deepest darkest staging trick which is almost laughable it's so crazy. But it works.

My bed, which is a king, was a mattress and box spring on the floor and I was going to get my husband to build something like a platform type to get it off the floor for showings. We plan to get a new frame eventually but I needed something in the meanwhile. I phoned my stepdad, who is a carpenter and had to spend some time in a basement apartment near his job with spare furnishings. After some hemming and hawing and vehement discouragement of using MDF from Home Depot (an insult to his craft, or "cheap sh*t" as he called it) he finally let me in on his frugal bed frame trick. I bet you all want to know what it is, don't you? OK, I will tell you, but don't laugh! Especially once I tell you that my bed is the perfect height off the floor and this cost me next to nothing: OK, here it is...are you ready for this? Friday, you already know, because you are my best friend and I tell you everything. And yes, she smirked, but she did not laugh at me.

So there you have it. Tomato juice cans. I needed twelve cans for my king size bed. If one were patient, they could pick through recycling for the cans. I bought mine at the grocery store. Up to you.

OK go ahead and laugh at me. I don't mind. I won't cry into my pillow at night :)

My Advice to a New Graduate

2010-06-10T10:26:00.006-07:00

Congrats to my hip-to-the extreme cousin Jake who graduated this year and is now a full blown adult. Craazy. I think back to when I was that age and thought I knew everything and well, the fact is, I am much the same person now that I was back then, I just know a couple more things.

I hereby bequeath my pearls of wisdom from my vast experience in the real world.

Pearl #1 When you are eighteen, dating men who are eighteen is not at all what you are interested in doing, but it's probably what you should stick to for a while until you get your feet wet. 18 yr olds are good to practice on, they are just like puppies and they are about as harmless. They will follow you around loyally around with the hopes that you will scratch their bellies. This is what you should aim for. They also have an insatiable appetite, so have lots of kibble available, but dole it out one. piece. at. a. time.

Pearl #2. Move out! Many (including your parents and grandparents) will try to extol the virtues of mooching for a couple more years while you get established, but in my experience, nothing teaches you money management quicker than the fear of being evicted or having your telephone and utilities cut off for non-payment. Life experience requires just that; Experience. Your parents' couch will probably still be there when you inevitably bankrupt yourself and have to live on vending machine Cheetos bought with scrounged change from a friend's couch. So get out there. Fall on your face and get it done with already. All these thirty year olds who are just starting to get out in to the real world make me wanna puke.

Pearl #3. Do all that crazy shit. Get a job in Alaska. Play in a rock and roll band. Get married then annulled in Vegas Ala Britney Spears. Now is the time. Once you have kids is NOT the time. So do it now. P.S. Don't have kids yet. Not yet.

Pearl #4. One should waitress at some point. It keeps you humble.

Pearl #5. Just because you're doing all that crazy shit, doesn't mean you've lost your head completely. You know what's right and what's stupid. Stay away from the really stupid stuff. Your adult self will thank you for it. No regrets. It's all about the journey.

Pearl #6. Know that you are loved and that I have plenty of Cheetos.

Summer time and the livin' is easy

2010-06-09T11:27:00.004-07:00

We made our first exploratory visit to the beach yesterday. I decided on a whim to go get milkshakes after school and go to the beach because it was hot and I didn't want to do housework. I'm glad I took the opportunity because today it is raining cats and dogs.

This is my sister and I on a summer's day past. I am the overexposed baby on the right. I tend to look like that in the sun, even now. I've never been a tanner. I just love my sister's Dorothy Hamill haircut. She always did keep up with the trends. I can safely make fun of my big sis because I don't think she knows that I blog. Ha ha, little sister's revenge :D

I have been getting out a lot to local events lately and in particular the craft fair that I visited for the first time last year. Once again, it was jam packed with artisans from all over hawking their wares. I managed to restrain myself to buying gourmet fudge (and only with the persist ant urging of a co-worker, "You HAVE to buy this fudge, you just HAVE to!") and a CD of children's music. The little guy also talked me into a $5 zip lock bag of wooden blocks, which were such a great deal and an open ended toy that stimulates creativity, I just couldn't say no. My boy knows me like he knit me, educational toys are a sure bet with me.

All in all it was a music filled, sweet experience. The best part? Spending a good time with my friends that I met at the fair.

Peanut butter granola

2010-06-06T13:53:00.005-07:00

I googled this recipe after I made it and it was similar. I didn't really measure my stuff, I just used what was on hand and it turned out really good. The only problem with it is that I can't stop munching it.

About a quarter cup of butter.

1/2 cup sugar (I used pancake syrup) honey would work too but I was out.

about a half cup of peanut butter.

as much oats as to make a moistened but clumpy texture. I guess I used about five to six cups.

I also had some peanuts, so I chopped them up finely to make about a half cup.

Melt the sugar butter and peanut butter in the microwave. Toss with oat and nut mixture until moistened. Spread out onto oiled cookie sheet.

I cooked this in an oven which had been heated up to 350 then turned off. Basically I was through cooking supper and used the residual heat to make the granola. I set the timer to turn it every ten minutes. Then I forgot about it and went to bed. Good thing I remembered to turn the oven off. I also greased the cookie sheet. I don't imagine for one second that this is lo-cal granola, but it is the first time I have done granola in the oven without it burning. It toasted up nicely but not as hard as the stuff you buy in the store, which is just fine by me.

I was glad to make some frugal granola, because I had to atone for my spendiness (I know, I know, not a word) this weekend.

It was totally worth every dollar.

Cheap toilet paper and other blunders

2010-06-03T09:00:00.003-07:00

This article made me laugh and it reminds me not to get too obsessed in my quest for frugality. The lady with the extra caskets made me snort. I too have had a bad beauty school experience, but I have also had a good one, so I am on the fence about that one. Like maybe a beauty school mani-pedi would be OK? Actually, I have seen bad gel nails and I can assure you they are not pretty. Cheap toilet paper? Well, it doesn't last very long, so that makes me wonder if I should just invest a little more to begin with? What's your worst idea for saving money? Your best? Have a read if you are so inclined and leave a comment in the comment section.

When life gives you lemons...and oranges.

2010-05-29T22:01:00.006-07:00

Just because I am frugal, doesn't mean I don't like indulgence once in a while. I was tinkering around in the kitchen today and poking through my fruit basket when I found a wrinkly mandarin orange, too dry to enjoy, a lemon just past its' prime and an orange that time almost forgot. What to do? Well, I wasn't too sure, but I decided I had better act fast if I didn't want to waste perfectly fine citrus. I set to peeling and chopping the zest into pieces and put them in a pot to simmer. Then I cut the lemon into thick slices. It was turning brown on the inside. I was going to use it for a lemon/orangeade combo, but the brown turned me off. Probably, it would have been fine. Instead, I decided to try out a trick I once read in a magazine; cleaning my copper pots. I can attest that lemon juice is a very strong acid and with a small amount of elbow grease, my copper bottomed pots have been reborn! I highly recommend this tactic to tackle your copper. While I was scrubbing away, my lemon and orange peels began to become fragrant as the simmered in the pot, making my home smell divine. I poured off the liquid over the peeled oranges and used my immersion blender to turn it all into juice. I poured that into a recycled sports bottle and put it in the fridge. I'll try it tomorrow. Then, I had softened peels and was about to throw them away when it struck me that they might make a nice foot soak. I got out my trusty foot bath (a plastic dish drainer from the thrift store) and threw in the peels, some salt, a handful of oats, the last dribble of olive oil, and a pinch of cinnamon. Presently, I sit in absolute blogger's transpose as my hard calloused feet are softened into submission in all the luxurious splendour. Yes, this is how I spend my Saturday nights. Ain't no shame in it. No shame whatsoever. I like to think that the ladies above would agree with me. If they read blogs. They might. One never knows.

You know what's Cheap and Hip?

2010-05-26T12:01:00.006-07:00

Macaroni Salad, that's what! This is my lunch. Doesn't it look good? I made this delicious salad last night to go with dinner. We had burgers. I love summer. I was going to buy a tub of it at the grocery store but my husband, bag of macaroni in hand, told me, "Yours tastes so much better, could you please make some?" How could I refuse? I used up some stuff out of the fridge and it turned out fabulous. My mom taught me how to make this and potato salad, which basically has the same dressing. Here's my non-recipe. It may change depending on what's on hand. I used:

The end of the jar of mayo mixed with about a heaping tablespoon of regular mustard. I also had a tiny bit of Miracle Whip so I threw that in too, just for the tangy zip. I was going to make up the rest of the base with yogurt, but my sour cream was older, so I threw in about a cup of that. Then I opened up the pickle jar and poured in two splashes of pickle juice. I chopped up two pickles finely and added that to the big mixing bowl. Of course, I forgot to mention, my salted pasta was boiling on the stove while I was doing all this, 2 cups. Then I chopped up 2 stalks of celery, a quarter of a red pepper, a few slices red onion and added a splash of milk to thin out the dressing. I whisked this all together on the bowl. When the pasta was cooked to a firm texture, I quickly poured cold water through the strainer until I could easily handle touching the lukewarm pasta. I mixed it all together, pasta, dressing and veggies. The dressing seemed a bit liquid-y (Is liquid-y a word? Not according to spell check) at first, but I knew that the pasta would suck it up as it hung out in the fridge. I chilled it for a couple hours and served it with supper. It really is better the next day, though, when all the flavours have had a chance to meld. This made a huge bowl, enough for probably eight people. You'd think we'd have tons of leftovers. You'd think that, wouldn't you, honey? Honey? Hey! What happened to all my leftovers?

My Next Amazon/Swagbucks goal

2010-05-24T10:53:00.007-07:00

So, the last time I used up all my Swagbucks on Amazon gift cards, I bought this and was very happy with the free-ness of it all. This has inspired me to create a new goal; to save $40 worth of Amazon gift cards so that I can qualify my purchases for free shipping.

Free+Free=Happy Hiptobeme.

There is a book that I have my eye on. I recently discovered a new frugality guru and his name is Jeff Yeager. I have begun following him on Twitter. We'll see if he has any pearls to share. I am so far inspired by his article that I happened upon today, 12 Surprising Ways to Reuse Tin Foil. This is always of great interest to me because somehow, for me, using loads of tin foil is akin to using gold foil. I just know it's costing me moolah. I never feel quite the same horror about using plastic, though I am sure I should. For some reason, the aluminum foil is more concrete, (or should I say metallic?) for me. Something about imagining the sheets of metal pouring out in the aluminum factory come to mind whenever I peel a sheet off of the roll to line my pan. Therefore, I hope to snag The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches: A Practical (and Fun) Guide to Enjoying Life More by Spending Less. Not only will I save foil, but, who knows? I might learn a trick or two. Have you read this book? Reviewed it? Hook me up to the new scene in the comments, folks.

Use The Force on your breakfast.

2010-05-18T21:42:00.003-07:00

I MUST HAVE THESE STARWARS PANCAKE MOLDS!

I would be the best mom evar!

How can I get them free or cheap???
These are a necessity. My son would DIE. My husband would DIE. I would DIE.
That is all.

(Ridiculously) Optimistic

2010-05-16T23:21:00.006-07:00

I am feeling ridiculously optimistic these days. The sun shines, the flowers bloom, the birds sing...Is this what they call spring fever? Or perhaps I have had one too many iced cappuccinos. Either way, I love this feeling! It is still not so hot as to be sweltering, yet the vitamin D is doing wonders for my mood. I have several things to look forward to such as my husband's return, an open house, and new adventures which are as yet unknown. This feeling seems to be everywhere around me and it's contagious. It seemed to me that winter took it's time to get lost this year, so spring is certainly most welcome. It also helps that I have completed the bulk of my spring cleaning. The windows are bright and sunshine streams in. All the old dirt from winter is swept and vacuumed away. The air smells fresh and clean. I spent some time on the weekend cleaning out and washing down my kitchen cabinets. I also put shelf liner inside the drawers. I highly recommend this as a frugal update to the kitchen. I used low tack plastic which laid in place. I trimmed around the edges with a utility knife, after using a damp cloth to smooth out the wrinkles. My drawers look ten times better. It's amazing what spending a little time and using a little elbow grease can do. What heralds spring for you? Feel free to tell me all about it in the comments section.

This used to be Our Town

2010-05-14T19:29:00.004-07:00

Well, as you may have noticed, selling real estate, working and child rearing takes up precious blogging time. So, I halfheartedly apologize. I mean, somewhere along the way a gal has to prioritize, right? I have been enjoying coming up with frugal ways to market, advertise and sell the condo. Unfortunately the upheaval has led to some rather spendy meals, coffee breaks, take out and convenience foods. When I am home, I try to prep vegetables and minimize food waste, but I will admit to a few more $5 Little Ceaser pizzas than usual. I still buy more from the grocery store than restaurants, which still saves some money and is more like real food, so I guess it's not all bad. On the plus side, I have lost five pounds because a quick smoothie is all I have time for in the morning! At night, I'm tired and the summer-like weather makes it difficult for me to remain staunch in my home-cook-only convictions. O.K., that's enough of the confessional.

There's just something irresistible about the lure of the drive-thru ice cream cone on your way home from loading boxes in the storage locker...

I am happy to report that the farmer's market has re-opened for the season and I am looking forward to buying fresh produce and other local, fresh goods. I made one exploratory visit last week and purposely left my wallet at work. Good thing because one guy almost had me sold on a $2 beaded bracelet that was probably made for about ten cents. (It had memory wire, note to self) I am buying less because I am cooking less, so I don't waste. It's tricky, so I use my freezer a lot. Tomorrow I have great aspirations for more deep spring cleaning. I have tried to borrow a carpet cleaner, but so far, no luck. I suppose I may have to break down and rent one. You get two days for the price of one if you rent on a Monday, so that is what I will aim for.

Who wants to clean carpets on Saturday, anyway?

Not me :)

Bodacious Berry Cake

2010-05-04T17:56:00.003-07:00

I made a blueberry bundt cake at work and I had to leave it cool at the end of the shift. I thought, "No fair! I want cake at home too," so here it is. My son was the one who told me to blog about this cake, in between mouthfulls. This photo was snapped quickly at dessert, so you won't mind the bite taken out, now will you?

I modified the recipe that I made at work, it was a blueberry bundt cake which I snagged out of their cook book. This is a mixed berry cake made in a 9 by 13 rectangular pan. I also used orange juice and zest, so I can claim the recipe as my own. I suppose any berry or soft fruit will do. Rhubarb would be amazing...

Bodacious Berry Cake

21/4 c flour

1tsp powder

1tsp soda

1/4 tsp salt

zest of citrus fruit (orange)

1 cup walnuts, optional

2 lg eggs

1 cup milk with 2 tbsp citrus juice (orange) or buttermilk

3/4 c soft butter

1 c sugar, brown or white

2 c berries

Sift together flour mixture. Cream sugar, butter, eggs and milk mixture. Beat wet ingredients into dry, adding a bit of water if needed, fifty strokes. Fold in berries. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. I topped this with an orange glaze. Lemon would work well here, too.

Enjoy your berries this season!

Linkety links

2010-04-30T08:40:00.004-07:00

Hey, did anyone catch moi over on My Year Without Spending? I'm a star, darling! What a great boost to the self esteem, thanks Angela!

Also, I am selling my condo. Have a look, you never know, one of my blog followers might have a hankering to move to the sunny Okanagan :D

Selling our home ourselves fits with our family theme. We DIY with nearly everything.

Have a great weekend, friends!

Frugality Update

2010-04-25T12:36:00.004-07:00

Or, "What I have been doing with myself" could be an alternate title to this post.

I am trying to get my place to this level of banal sterility for the purpose of marketing. You see, the buyer needs to be able to picture their own belongings in the space...yep, that's what I have been up to, frugally moving, without actually moving...yet. Of course, time is my friend here, the more time you have the less money things cost. Over the past few weeks I have been collecting boxes a few at a time, for free of course, (who would pay for cardboard, I wonder, when it is ubiquitous if you know where to look?) and steadily weeding out the useless from the useful and donating the rest. Though this task has been daunting at times, repeating a certain question over and over in my head seems to help. The question is : "Are you willing to pay money to keep this item?" Same goes for buying stuff at this point. I know I will have to pack, ship, move and store this stuff, so is it really worth consuming anything right now? Nope, it ain't. It is really putting my non consumer attitude to the maximum and my recreational shopping to a bare minimum, which is a good thing. I will need that cash for the eventual move!

Here are some other random, frugal things I have been doing;

-making soup stock from grocery store chicken carcasses

-making chicken salad and casseroles from aforementioned chickens

-trying to buy as little new food as possible before the old food is used up. Chicken anyone?

-freezing things before they go bad in tiny little labeled containers

-REMEMBERING MY REUSABLE SHOPPING BAGS (OK, trying to remember)

-saving regular amounts of money, automatically!

-bringing in refundable containers for spending cash, (BOGO 25 cent DQ blizzards, yum!)

-taking the time to recycle properly

-turning my swagbucks into amazon cash.

Let's talk about snot.

2010-04-22T10:05:00.005-07:00

No, not really. Well...sort of. Let's talk about how to deal with snot.

A while back, I became acutely and severly ill with the H1N1 flu. It was not pleasant. In fact, I was the most ill I have been in about 15 years, when I had strep throat as a teenager. Ugh. This illness kept me in bed, (and away from my blog! horrors!) for approximately two weeks. Not wanting to infect others, I tried to keep myself isolated as I had been told to do by the friendly doctor on the Health hotline during the outbreak. He sounded really cute, Australian, I think. I imagined he was like that hot guy on House, you know, Cameron's man...Anyhooo...While in my fever induced fantasies of hot Australian doctors, I actually gleaned some good advice from the guy. He asked me if I had a neti pot. For those of you who don't know, like I didn't, a neti pot is a teapot like device used for nasal irrigation. Huh. Who knew? Since I was deathly ill and dreaming of Australian hotties and I had no idea what he was talking about, he let me in on a little secret, which I will now pass on to you, my sensational seventeen: You don't need a neti pot. All you do is mix 1/4 tsp regular old table salt into 1 cup of regular old tepid water ( I use water from the tea kettle, cooled) and snort it up your nose. It will not hurt and you will be astounded as to what gets cleaned out of there. Congestion? Snort it. Allergies? Snort it. Runny nose? Snort it. Winter dryness? Air conditioning? You guessed it, snort it! All kinds of snot will blow out of there. It doesn't hurt, it's drug free and you can do it 1000 times a day if you like, as opposed to decongestants which you could overdose on, not to mention dry out your mucousal lining. Ever since learning about this uber-frugal health tip from my faceless, possibly Australian doctor/hero, I have been breathing easier. I thought I would pass these pearls on to you. Have a great day. Breathe easy!

Family, food and fun

2010-04-20T19:42:00.003-07:00

Whoa. Time flies. Wasn't it just Easter? Sigh. I have been so busy! Like, not enough hours in the day busy. The sun comes up and I have a million things to do. It goes down and...same thing, million things to do. Have had more changes going on in my family, never a dull moment around here. I splurged and got my hair professionally cut and coloured with my girlfriend last week. It felt great to use my fun money for this boost of self esteem. I have had many compliments on it and what a great way to spend time with your BFF. New hair is just huge, what can I say?
I am in the midst of a mass reorganization of my stuff, and I have donated bags and bags and boxes and boxes to the thrift store. I feel twenty pounds lighter every time I get rid of something outgrown/outdated/useless/boring and make room for something new and exciting. Once I am finished the overhaul of the clutter, I will start my enormous spring clean. I have made myself a deadline of the end of April. If you don't see too many blog posts in the coming days and weeks, you'll know why. I will be slaving over a dirty kitchen floor.

OH! I ordered my copy of The Tightwad Gazette! Squee! Free!! with my swagbucks giftcards at amazon!! YAY!
I can't wait until it arrives.
Did I mention... I LOVE FREEBIES?

Ahnahnsisi

2010-04-09T21:33:00.012-07:00

This post features a great artist that I have the pleasure and fortune of knowing. His name is Ahnahnsisi. He is a Woodland artist, this is the name of his style of native artwork, but I think there are many other forces at work here as well. The way in which this man became a painter and sculptor is perhaps the strangest tale of all I have known and I will do my best to convey it to you, my faithful seventeen followers. About ten, no twelve, years ago, I was a young, broken-hearted woman who had moved to the city of Vancouver, British Columbia to find that elusive thing we call Self. I thought that Self must be hiding there, because it was such a cool city. Therefore, being so cool, my Self must be there somewhere. I searched in laundromats, coffee houses, parks, bars and nightclubs. I even searched in college for a year or so. While I was doing all this searching, I happened to land myself upon the available couch of my cousin Sherrie, a woman who deserves her very own blog entry, or perhaps an entire novel, so I will delve no further into her for the moment. Sherrie happened to be married to this guy, this half-Ojibwa, half-Scottish combination of hilarity and street smarts, whom I have known since I was ten, as Cousin Donnie. They weren't always married, they have a child, a girl child, Jake. Yes, a girl named Jake. Oh man, these posts are going to get out of control. Let's stick with Donnie. No, Ahnahnsisi. Back to him...

When I got to the city, famished and exhausted, he took me to get me something to eat. He picked me up (with little Jakey, who was wearing a tiara) at the bus station in a taxi, which I thought was very charming. I noticed he said, "Happy New Year," to everyone he met. He always asked receptionists how they were doing before he stated his business. Whether they were cabbies or lawyers, everyone got the same treatment. Most people, including myself, were very pleasantly surprised by this. In the ever increasingly cynical world in which we live, here was a smiling man who was wishing happiness and prosperity to everyone he met. Donnie showed me the ropes in that city. This is a falafel. That guy sells drugs. That guy sells ass. Yes, she's a hooker. Yes, a real one. This is an Americano, the lifeblood. That way to cheap breakfast. This way to cheap beer. I soaked it all in. Being a small town girl, he was giving me pearls and I knew it. I remember him taking me to the student union bar at UBC so I could check out cute guys with potential futures.

He was studying to be a lawyer, about to take the LSATs if I do recall, and then it happened: Donnie got hit by a bus. He said he was on his bike, parked, standing next to the bus stop and the driver came up fast to the stop and knocked him clear off his bike. He sustained quite a traumatic head injury, of which he is still suffering the consequences today.

All I remember is everything changing after that. I got a roommate and moved out of the apartment building and some other crazy things happened and life went on in another direction. I sometimes wonder if it truly is all random or if things really do happen for a reason. All I know is the next time I saw Donnie, he wasn't the same guy anymore. You might say he was Ahnahnsisi now. It was a few years later and he hardly knew me. Oh sure, he knew of me, had heard stories and seen some photos, but all of my fun memories with him were mine and mine alone now. It was almost as if I had made it all up in my head. It took me some time to accept this.

I think he gradually got some things back. He did become a lawyer. He is and always was an amazingly intelligent man. And now he paints these amazing works of art.

I say; The bus knocked the paintings out of him.

But what the hell do I know?

Fabulous Freebies

2010-04-01T10:12:00.003-07:00

Last Friday, I called in to my local radio station and I won The Impossible Question! The question was: 40% of us would rather have painful surgery that do ...this... four times a week." I had been sitting on the phone all week, throwing it out to the Universe that, "I won the Impossible Question,"(that LOA stuff really does work) yet it was still a bit of a shock when I was the first caller through and got the answer right! I won a multitude of freebies, free sandwiches, two free lunches, an oil change, free hot cross buns (which I must go get today, note to self) and a couple other things that I can't really recall right now. It was such a juicy bonus! I have already taken a friend for free lunch and eaten a free sandwich. Life is good! Off to see the fam this weekend, so excited for that. Must recede from the world of Internet for a few days. It will probably do me a world of good, if you bloggers know what I mean. Ciao and Happy Easter!

PS, If you can, answer The Impossible Question for yourself in the comments section!

Low grade Spring fever

2010-03-25T08:43:00.008-07:00

I have been busy and happy and, most recently, healthy. Having a bad cold over spring break allowed me to have some time at home (in between naps) to get my spring organization started. I cleaned out my craft bin and made a clear out for the charity shop. It felt great to dump the clutter and old toys that we no longer have need of. My closet real estate is at a premium and I need it for new deals that I find!

We also made some spring crafts and are currently working on some cute Easter crafts. I will take a photograph when we complete them, though some are surprise gifts and some of my readers are the intended recipients, so it may have to wait a bit. That's the price I pay for Internet fame ;) Hmm, what else have I been doing? Oh, I made my own peanut butter. This has been on my list for a while, but I only tried it in the last week. Wow! So hip! So good! So cheap! I accidentally added a bit too much salt, so my nut butter will really only be good for baking, (oats come too mind) but the principle is there and since I paid just two bucks for the natural peanuts and got about two full cups of peanut butter, I can see repeating this experience for toast and such. My next plan is to make homemade chocolate hazelnut spread *drool*. I also made a batch of yogurt, which turned out too runny. I added a pack of instant pudding and froze it into pops. Voila, I am the best mom eva! I also whizzed up a batch of hummus made from dried chickpeas that I pre-soaked overnight then froze in small batches. This method seems to be the most logical for me, because I don't need huge quantities of beans at a time and the pre-soaking, flash freezing thing really cuts down on actual cooking time. Sure, it's a bit of prep but it costs pennies compared to canned beans, and the prep is uh; 1. Dump beans into a bowl of water, 2. Walk away until tomorrow sometime, so I think I can handle it. The other thing I did was to buy some new spring fashions at my favourite store ever. I got four new pairs of sunglasses at 1.99 ea, a cool spring scarf, .99, a jean jacket (free with BOGO coupon) and a teenage mutant ninja turtle costume (a fashion must this spring in the five year old set, also my BOGO item ;) 5.99. I have already had many compliments on my fresh look and I get that nice feeling of having something new to wear. I always say that Fall is my favourite season, but Spring is in the running for first in my affections these days.

Leprechauns took over my blog! Welcome spring!

2010-03-21T10:59:00.004-07:00

I don't know what happened on March 18, but I am going to say that it was those lickety leprechauns! We have had a mild winter this year, and it has been wonderfully pleasant except for the fact that I seemed to have caught every rampant virus that went by. I was sick last week and all my extra activities went by the wayside so that I could reserve my energy for getting well. Needless to say, my housework is a disaster. Oh well, now that I am better, I have all that catch up to look forward to...oh man. I did not get to my planned wardrobe refashioning, however I did stick to my menu plan! It saved me really because I was too ill to think of "what's for dinner" questions, it was all too much for my addled mind. We stayed home and made St Paddy's Day crafts instead. I printed off some free colouring pages and took the time to organize my craft storage tower. We also made spring windsocks using crepe paper streamers and foam plates, they are so pretty blowing in the wind. Now that the craft supplies are in order, I can find what I need when inspiration strikes! Unfortunately, the same can not be said of my kitchen. I need some serious inspiration in there. Today I am trying to get my files and tax things organized and attack the holy hell fire of a mess I have going on in the scullery. I think the leprechauns have been having a heydey in there, I really do. I blame the leprechauns.

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Menu Plan and Deal of the Day

2010-03-15T18:13:00.004-07:00

This goofy grin is proof that $1.49 can make you deleriously happy. That is how much I paid for the lovely salmon coloured pashmina I am modelling for you today. I have had many compliments and envious glances while I wear it and to me, it truly shouts, "Spring is here!'
But enough about me. I had planned on posting a photo of tonight's dinner, which, in my cheeky way, I had named, "White Trash Chinese Food". It was your standard handful of this and that vegetable with last night's rice, stir fried with soy sauce and a little bit of love. I had begun spinning out the details of my witty prose in my head and had just taken a stunning photo and was about to upload it when, alas, my camera batteries had other ideas. They unceremoniously died. One of the drawbacks of being cheap is that I always wait until I am utterly without one. single. battery. left in the house before I pony up the cash for more, therefore, all the battery power I wasted taking vain photos of my self in a pashmina could have been used for bloggy zucchini and last night's rice. Oh well.
Here's what we are supposed to be eating this week. This doesn't always go to plan, but at least I try.
Monday-toast, pastrami sandwiches and orange slices, supposed to be Tacos (substituted White Trash Chinese Food, I am so not in the mood for ground beef) yay! Meatless Menu Plan Monday! Except I didn't plan it. Oh well.
Tuesday, PB baked oatmeal (never got to this last week), egg salad, Fish and potato
Wednesday, yogurt smoothies, toast, Irish stew.
Thursday, pancakes, leftovers, Tacos
Friday, cereal, tunafish and crackers, HM pizza
Saturday, froot loops, yes, froot loops. soup and san, leftovers.
Sunday Pork roast and potatoes

Wish me luck. I'll need it.

Where do you draw the line?

2010-03-11T22:02:00.000-08:00

I love used things.

My foray into frugality thus far has been fruitful. I can go to a thrift shop and know in about five minutes whether I am going to come out with a deal or not. I can get things that are trendy and hip for a fraction of what people pay in the malls, and usually with better quality. I know how to compare sale prices and loss leaders and clip coupons, but one thing I don't know, exactly, yet is; Where do you draw the line? What is too frugal? I know this boils down to preference and choice and even your personal situation at the time. For example, I distinctly remember vowing that I would never buy used underwear, and for panties, I can honestly say that this vow remains unbroken. A dollar a pair is worth it for me, knowing that no other hoochie has grazed the gusset but mine. However, there was an occasion when I was in college, subsisting on student loans and pizza tips, with a safety pin holding my straps together that I did peruse the ladies lingerie at Value Village and I came away with a very good quality bra for four bucks. In that state of need, I looked the other way on the personal nature of the item and after washing, it didn't bother me a bit. I find that is usually the case, if I can wash it, I can make it mine. I haven't bought a used bra in a very long time, mostly because I need the support more than a bargain, but if I had to, I'd do it again. I recently read some comments about a person finding a bargain on shoes in the thrift store. I did buy used shoes once and found that they never felt like they were mine. I always felt as if I were wearing someone else's shoes, which I must say is a very odd feeling. I've not bought a used pair since, nor do I intend to. I won't say never, because let's face it; if I needed to, well then that would be a different story altogether. What I am beginning to realize is that if I am frugal in the small things, the everyday items, then when I need to "splurge" on a new bra or pair of shoes, I can and I can feel good about it too, knowing that I have been wise with many other small purchases, clothing, food and toiletries, in order to make better use of my money. The more I get into these habits, though, the more eccentric I must seem. I am horrified to spend more than fifty cents for toothpaste. For crying out loud, why would anyone do that? I've got six tubes stashed if anyone needs some...got them with a coupon...hello? What? Is that too weird?

Pita Pizzas

2010-03-10T07:20:00.001-08:00

I have found the answer to saving money AND time with homemade pizza for my family! That answer comes in the form of Greek meets Italian cuisine!

I saw many people do this before but for some reason it just never clicked. Pita bread as pizza crust. So simple! I used to buy the specific ready made pizza crust and I would get them for two for around five bucks. Still a bargain compared to takeout prices. Here's the breakdown of my ingredients cost, approximately.

Pita bread cost me 2.50 for eight pitas! (I used four for dinner, $1.25.) Pepperoni,$5 (of which I froze half and used 1/4 of the package, $1.25 ) mozzarella block, $5, (I used less than 1/4 block for four pita pizzas,$1.25,) homemade garlic and herb tomato sauce using canned tomatoes, pennies, .10 1/2 a chopped white onion, .10, 1/4 green pepper .20.

So, for four pita pizzas I estimate that I spent a grand total of : $4.15 or $1.04 per pita pizza! Not to mention that I have more than enough ingredients for another meal, and if I buy more pitas, three more pizza meals, at least! This is the type of frugal finding that excites me these days. Go ahead, make fun. I don't care. I'm eating pita pizza!

I especially like the thin crust option, and the fact that my pitas were wholewheat. I also enjoy the fact that it switches up the homemade pizza menu. I have been experimenting with different types of crust and for ease and price, so far pita pizzas are in the running for first! We were so excited to eat our pita pizzas that we couldn't wait for Friday night and had them on Tuesday instead.

Now, that is living dangerously!

Menu Plan Monday

2010-03-07T21:47:00.000-08:00

I am trying to get back into the menu planning more regularly again.

Here's what we'll (hopefully) be eating this week.

Monday:

Pancakes, orange wedges

Leftover mac and cheese

Meatloaf and potatoes

Tuesday:

Cereal

tom soup and grilled cheese

Chicken and rice and beans

Wednesday:

french toast

leftovers

sausage peas and pasta

Thursday:

PB baked oatmeal

chicken salad san

crustless ham quiche

Friday:

yogurt, fruit, toast

egg salad san, celery with cream cheese

HM pizza

Sat:

Free choice

Leftovers

HM bread (?)

Sun:

Cereal

veg soup

Chili or stew in the crockpot

Oops!

2010-03-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

Why, oh why do I EVER buy things new?

Recently I bought a new copy of a popular self help book that was reccommended to my husband and me. We needed two copies, as he was leaving town and we both want to read it and compare notes. I rushed to the mall and paid $18.95 for his copy and thought I'd order mine with my swagbucks gift card redemptions. This way, I'd be splitting the cost of the two books in half, theoretically anyhow. Except, I forgot to do one thing; shop around! A few days later, I found the very same popular self help book at Value Village for .99! Of course I snapped it up, thank goodness, I won't have to use my swags on it. Now, I am kind of kicking myself for buying the new book! I had assumed I would never find it used because it was newly published. So the lesson here is: Never assume you can't get exactly what you want used and cheap, frugalistas. It only makes an ass-out of -u- and -me. Sheesh.