Moving Towards A Simpler Life

 I tried some of my homemade cleaners this week, and I must say the window/glass cleaner is wonderful. I am still holding back on the soap scum one, but if that works half as well, I will be extremely happy. Simple ingredients that make wonderful cleaners that cut my carbon footprint, and save us a bit of cash.

My movement towards simplicity this week has been cleaning and organizing my desk drawers, as well as removing some items we haven't used in years from the kitchen drawers as well. This is making it so much easier to find what I am looking for. Next up will be the dining room hutch. Pretty sure I will be removing things from there. Thus giving me less to dust, and clean. 

I am enjoying my days putzing around the house and getting little things completed. Those little things have been put off for too long. But perhaps I am procrastinating in not getting the larger and more complex tasks done. However I have come to a conclusion that actually surprises me. There is always tomorrow at least for the foreseeable future. And getting things done is not quite as important as enjoying the day.

Everybody have a great day. Take care.

Thrifty and Frugal Thursday

Thrifty and Frugal 

It is another week of thrifty and frugal living here on the old homestead. Taking care of using everything we have to the best of my/our ability. Trying to leave a smaller carbon footprint on the earth and give back to the land by cutting down on waste, fuel, and chemicals where possible.

1. Hanging clothes on the lines downstairs to dry. Washing full loads of clothes to save on water usage.

2.  Repaired a hem on my pants, and fixed a seam on one of Harvey's shirts.

3.  Using up lotions and potions that have been collected over the years.

4.  Put $0.55 in the change jars.

5.  Walked for free exercise every day.

6.  Made Vegetable stock from the scraps collected. 

7.  Made all our desserts this week from scratch using and using up things in the pantry and fridge. 

8.  Harvey planted more grass seed and some clover. The seed was from last year and he bought the clover this year. We just want a green front yard and clover just might allow that to happen. 

9.  Baked bread.

10.  Continuing the decluttering process.

11.  Cut out some patterns to sew for the summer. Remnants used and the bits and bobs put away to use in other sewing projects.

12.  Used up a ball of black yarn, a ball of grey yarn, and a ball of red yarn making the first scarf. 

13.  Saved the water while it was warming to water the plants this week.

14.  Saved the small plastic containers that the cherry tomatoes came in to use to plant on seedlings.

Life is good. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Midweek Ramblings

 I think the neighbour on the other side of me is starting the moving out process, but I am not really sure as they are going about it very strangely. We shall see what happens later on. 

It has been a pretty grey day until about 30 minutes ago. The sun is out and shining brightly, but the wind is something else. The air is full of dust at times from the topsoil blowing around. We definitely need a good soaking rain.

Today has been spent decluttering, and I think that will continue for another couple of days. I have also looked up a couple of recipes to make when our weather changes tomorrow and Friday. They will be days to stay at home and keep busy.

First off on the cooking will be the veggie stock. I am pretty sure I have enough vegetable scraps to make some. I will probably freeze that in the smaller 1 cup molds. Then I will move on to some baking and get a carrot cake with cream cheese icing made. This will use up some raisins, some of the carrots in the crisper, and the cream cheese that needs using. Move on after that to Oatmeal Raisin Cookies to use up the remaining raisins. I should make some Hamburger buns as well as on Friday we will be having Fish Burgers. 

The menu is pretty well made up for next month. I will be pulling lots of ready made meals out of the chest freezer to use. Some are getting pretty dated. There is also a pie crust ball in there that I may try and make some calzone type things out of. Those will go back in the freezer as if they are out and have turned out I will eat them until they are gone. 

Managing to work on some projects, but my shoulders and arms start to bother me after about an hours weaving and I need to move on to something different. 

Tomorrow night is the once a month meeting of the ladies who knit and crochet, so if the weather cooperates I will make the effort to get to the meeting. I will just make sure to park in a different area of the lot. Making sure I do not have to crawl in again. That acrobatic movement caused me pain for many a day after. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Tuesday Tidbits and Stuff

 

Wow, we actually reached a summer temperature today. It was almost 30C, which is very abnormal. However this will change as a spring storm is moving in which has rain and snow arriving probably on Friday and through the weekend. It seems as if winter never wants to leave, just when the garden is starting to dry up nicely.

Really all I did today was the to do list, bake bread, and work on the weaving. I re-thought getting the cards done, and decided that perhaps this weekend when the weather is blah would be the best time. I would also more than likely be finished one of the scarves and perhaps have the second one warped and ready to go. 

I am pretty sure that I will not be finished all the projects I had listed, but I think the only carry over will be the second scarf. Which really isn't that bad I guess. Definitely going to try and get as much done as possible before it is time to plant. We also want to go up and visit Kris for the Victoria long weekend. Perhaps give him a bit of a hand cleaning up his yard.

Decluttering is going well, I am now up to 215 items. Keeping my fingers crossed that more will either be donated, or tossed, or changed into something else entirely. Also will be using up all the fabric and yarn that I can. I might even make another set of ornaments (if I have enough) for the silent auction. 

I have pulled some more embroidery projects that I inherited from my mother. These are dresser runners, and there are three of them. I am going to embroider them and sew those together, add a border and make a new tablecloth. I find myself replacing tablecloths very often. They seem to get dirty so very easily. I could also make a patchwork cover as well. Making fabric from what fabric I have collected from old clothing. 

Nothing I am planning should really take loads of time, well other than the embroidery portions. To make matters even better, I could actually sit outside and work on a few of these projects. 

Life is good and as I declutter, use up, remake, and simplify things will get even better.

Oh and tonight Harvey is going to BBQ the pork chops which is awesome.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Menu Monday

 

I went shopping today for all the great meat deals available this week. We are now pretty much stocked up for many weeks and months now. Except for roasts, whole chickens and hams. Which will be easier to find sales on. I am now hoping not to have to go shopping at all until probably the middle of the first full week of May. Keeping my fingers crossed for that.

I will also be working to get more cleared out of the chest freezer. There are lots of ready meals and soups that need to be used up and planting season is coming up. This is true even though the forecast for later this week is calling for snow. Rain first of course.

Now onto this weeks menu.

Monday

Leftover Jambalaya from Saturday and a salad.

Tuesday

Pork chops, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies and any leftover salad.

Wednesday

Sweet and sour meatballs, rice and a tossed salad.

Thursday

Soup and sandwiches. I will probably make egg salad sandwiches. 

Friday

Fish burgers, the remains of the tossed salad, and probably pickles and cheese as I have pickles that need to be used up.

Saturday

Small sausage casserole and as there are loads of veggies in this just some bread or buns to go with.

Sunday

A Roast beef, roasted potatoes, roasted carrots and a coleslaw to use up the cabbage.

Some of these meals are leftovers in the fridge freezer, some are new and some are using up things from the pantry and chest freezer. 

I am working on using things up even though I am stocking up at the same time.

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.

Sunday Ramblings

 Another quiet day here on the old homestead. I got my lists made up for the coming week, did some of the household tasks to keep the house running smoothly, and worked on a couple of projects. 

Spent a bit of time pondering a few questions that have been on my mind for awhile, and may, just may have come up with an answer to one of them. The other still needs some thought and I am not sure I will ever come to a conclusion on that one. 

I want more time, time to get things completed, time to spend with family, time to enjoy what we have. Time is not infinite, we don't know what awaits us around the corner. I think that is why I have been trying to simplify my life and work towards a more sustainable lifestyle. 

Having more time to work on my projects, find those people who enjoy the same things I do is becoming more important to me. Funnily enough Harvey asked me went the next night I would be going to the knitting/crocheting get together would take place. I told him that will be on Thursday night of next week. I would love to go to The Great Create as well, but Tuesday mornings are not the best for me. Perhaps I should change things around a little bit so I can attend. Another question to ponder. Life often gets in the way of attending a morning get together. I do/did enjoy both those outings. 

Now that the days are longer, I can actually do more of the things I enjoy and once my home is decluttered and made a bit more easily looked after things will change and I will get more time, or at least what seems to be more time.

Everybody have a wonderful evening.

God bless.

Weekly Roundup

 

This week has been one of getting little things completed by putzing around the house, taking my time and working a bit here and there to make life a tiny bit simpler and a tiny bit more organized.

I filled some baking containers with the items I bought to restock those. 

Used leftovers to make lovely meals that fed us a couple of suppers and even a couple of lunches. 

Cleaned the stove and oven, did some decluttering, rummaged through my fabric drawers to see what else I could find to use up in clothing making. 

Cut out three patterns to sew next month.

After rummaging through my fabric drawers I found a few more larger sized pieces to make a couple more items and will get those cut out tomorrow. 

Lots of leftover bits and bobs, but I believe the one on top may be enough to make a small jacket with. We shall see once I find that pattern. 

The rest are really too small unless pinned together in a patchwork design, and I found lots more like that which I will probably cut into squares and or strips. Hmmm, perhaps some yarn will be fashioned from these remnants. 

I finished the size 8-10 mittens.

Filled the cookie jar with Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies.

Filled my yarn basket with more yarn, mostly orphan balls and a few that a good friend gave me when she moved away.

There should be enough there to make lots more mittens to send back with Kurt. I believe I now have 80 pair made and I am hoping to reach at least 120 pairs by the time they are needed. I think my next task will be knitting some toques for them as well. Should have enough mittens now to last a good long while. 

Projects are slowly getting completed, though only one scarf will be woven this month, with the second one carried over until next month. I may manage to get the loom warped for it though. 

Thinking through what needs to be used up and planning some meals in my head for next month (though I will have to get those down on paper very soon). I will know more once I get my chest freezer organized and the inventory completed on it. I think there could be many items I have forgotten about hiding in its depths. 

Everybody have a wonderful evening. 

God bless.