Saturday Roundup

 

Nothing really completed this week, just the working on the pantry items and getting an inventory made of all that we have, and all that we are short on. I am hoping that this helps Thus (well me really) with the using up and shopping at home first. I really need to be more aware of what needs to be used.

This week I will try and get the two freezers in the basement tidied and an inventory of each made. This will enable me to use items up before frost damage and before spring arrives and the garden planning begins. I really need to know what needs using up before we start stocking things once again. Pretty sure there will be more items than I figure on. 

I have been knitting and working on the counted cross stitch. Not getting as much done on either as I would like. Next cloudy day I will be copying some of the recipes we have tried that were absolutely wonderful. I also have some new recipes that I will need to try out over the next little while. 

While I am trying to make my life simpler, I don't want to do anything too quickly or get rid of items that would actually be useful in a simpler life. I actually think that attaining a simple life is not quite as "simple" as it is made out to be.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Simpler Living

 

As most of you know I am on a quest to make our lives a bit simpler. Not that anything in this day and age can really be considered simple. 

Our world is getting more and more complex and what we need to do is work through the complexity. Firstly we need to acknowledge this and view this as a challenge. Then we need to look for the answer to that challenge. Instead of saying What can I do?, ask ourselves instead What will I do?

One thing I have learned is not to go to extremes. Take your wardrobe for instant. If you are still working, don't whittle things down to 2 pairs of pants, 1 blouse, 1 dress, a couple of skirts, and a few t-shirts. That will never work. In my quest to simplify as things get badly worn or no longer fit, I remove them from my wardrobe and donate them, or if they are in really rough shape, cut into rags, or material that can be used in another project. 

This just goes to show that pairing ones wardrobe, household items or even credit cards below a sensible level is not simplicity but could be an emergency waiting to happen later on. 

Leaving things undone (like not making your bed, or doing the dishes) is not simplicity. In fact I feel they take away from living a simple life. In fact doing these types of things could even lead someone into becoming a hermit. After all since you won't be entertaining any longer why take baths as often, why not eat out of the pots that you cook in rather than keep using your plates.....

Having a simpler life does not mean doing without, it is just a different life. It is not one of doing without, it is doing with just a bit less.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

 Thrifty and Frugal 

Once again even though we had snow most of the weekend, and again yesterday, the week has speed past. In just two weeks we will be in the city for my cancer check up. The year has gone by quickly, but not quickly enough for that particular session. Then in about 4 weeks I have to go back up and get the results. 

So what frugal and thrifty things have been happening on the Phillips homestead.

Harvey used items in his workroom to build a table to do his puzzles on. Well this table goes on top of the other table he ordered but with the edging he put on he is able to do the puzzles much easier.

Since the weather was so crappy we did not drive any where for a number of days. The only driving was to the vehicle dealership to get the oil changed and the estimate on the repair. They gave us a free cleaning as well. Free is good.

Went out for coffee with a friend at their home a couple of times. Free coffee is always welcome to me.

I repaired a seam on a nightgown.

I cleaned some cupboards and made an inventory of what I have and now know what I need to purchase when the items are on sale.

Saved the elastics from the asparagus. They are so nice and wide.

Fixed the waistband on a pair of Harvey's boxers.We

Worked on using up all leftovers for our lunches. 

Hung clothes on the lines downstairs.

Turning off lights in rooms not in use and making sure the lights are off on those sunny days.

Went for a walk on a couple of the days when the weather was conducive to that. Free exercise.

No spending other than the oil change.

Shoveling the snow for more exercise.

Wearing an apron when cooking or doing messy tasks around the house. 

Reusing plastic ziplock bags whenever possible.

So that's about all I can remember right now. Hopefully the new frugal habits stick.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Midweek

 

Here we are at the first midweek of another month. I have a feeling that even though we are becoming snowed in a bit this is another month that will whiz right by.

We got snow late last night that kept right on falling for most of the day. Harvey and I shoveled again today. Not as much as the first big snowfall, but about 4". One more cold day and then the temperature starts to rise once again. We will be over the freezing mark during the day for the rest of the week and hopefully beyond. 

It was overcast for most of the day so no cross stitching took place. Still there were a few projects I could work on that not much light was needed. Of course one of those projects was knitting (which will continue this evening) and I worked on cleaning and inventorying the pantry in the kitchen. No before picture, but here's a picture of the finished kitchen pantry.

While I can't see every item, thanks to the clean up I know where everything is and thanks to the inventory I know how much we have of each item. This also helped me see what I need to look for when things are on sale to restock some items that have gotten low.

I don't know why the first photo is so blurry. Must have moved the camera slightly.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits

 

We took the vehicle into to get an oil change, and get an estimate on what it would cost to fix our plug in. The plug in is going to be pretty darn costly, but since winter is slowly loosening its grasp here on the prairies we can wait awhile to get that done. It also gives me a bit of time to save for that as well as new tires for Harvey's truck and the replacement of a sensor on the same truck. Could be an expensive year for vehicles this year. We could easily pay for those, but I kind of like making a game of the whole thing.

We are supposed to get more snow starting tonight and into tomorrow. Then we have a warmer number of days to look forward to. I am hoping that winter's icy grip is loosening. So looking forward to planting and starting seeds. 

I changed the menu for tonight to one we were going to have later this month. We picked up the vehicle so late that the time to make a casserole was really cut down. We will still have the casserole on Thursday, and I will freeze half to have later on the day we were going to have this meal.

So, what have I been doing all day? I walked to my friends for coffee, stopped in and talked to another friend for a bit on the way home, knit, did the household tasks, and planned what extra things I will do tomorrow. My life has no big swings from highs to lows and that is how I like it. Life is not always exciting and that is what makes those times of travel, meeting with friends and the company of loved ones just so special.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

 

Menu Monday

 

A new week. One in which we will continue our digging out from the snow. Probably a bit more will be done tomorrow after we take the SUV in for an oil change.

Even though it is cold outside, the sun is at least shining. That meant I got to do a bit of stitching before my eyes went crazy. I think I just might have placed another 50 or so stitches in the cross stitch I had set aside. 

Most household tasks are completed. I do need to clean the bedrooms. They just need a quick dusting.

So here are the menus for this week.

Monday 

Chili over pasta with some sour cream and grated cheese on top.

Tuesday

A casserole out of the leftover chicken. Served with the remains of the salad I made on Sunday.

Wednesday

Soup and sandwiches. It has been awhile since we had egg salad sandwiches and I have lots of eggs.

Thursday

Leftovers from Tuesday, plus I will use up the last of the asparagus.

Friday

Lentil Curry on rice and a salad.

Saturday

I have a package of Mexican Rice and beans that I will make up. I am planning on adding some sausage to it as well.

Sunday

Roast pork, roasted potatoes and roasted carrots.

Later this week I will make some pudding for two nights desserts as we still have some of the pumpkin cake left and that needs using up.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 

Not much rambling happening here today. The snow must have started in the middle of the night, and now though only lightly falling at this time looks to be continuing for a bit yet. Pretty sure we now have more snow than we had the rest of the winter.

So I was inside for the day, looking out and hoping people were not silly enough to be traveling in this (but of course there were). Harvey moved his truck off the street and a cute bush bunny went running away from underneath it. Now the truck is in the driveway and so is the bunny. He/she came back looking for the truck on the road and once he/she found it in the driveway, it scurried back under it. 

Being stuck in the house I worked on projects and have some things to show you next Saturday (pretty sure there will be a few more). I actually finished one of the projects for this month. 

Pretty sure tomorrow will be much the same as today. I really don't want to walk through at least knee high snow, so staying in could be my best bet. That means perhaps completing another goal for this month and getting a bit of extra cleaning done as well.

Life is good, even if we are more or less housebound for a few days.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.