Frugal Friday File 2019, week 39...

Successes:
1.  I had a list of errands to run in the city.  One of which took me near IKEA.  I'd signed up online to be an IKEA family member several months ago, but hadn't been by the store to have a card printed, so I dropped in.  I had the card printed (free), and then got quite a workout browsing, but left with no purchases (though I was tempted by some holiday items they had on display).  Decluttering is a good reminder not to buy more stuff.

2.  Paid all bills on time avoiding late fees.

3.  Carey changed the oil in the car and checked it over in preparation for a road trip.  I do truly appreciate all he can do and maintain.

4.  I cancelled three online subscriptions that I wasn't using.  Two of them I really liked and will probably re-subscribe at some time in the future when I have time to take full advantage of them.  But for now, I should not be throwing away money.

5.  Verified that both of our paychecks had been deposited.  I returned some documents to the safe deposit box, as well as a USB drive to which all photos stored on my computer were recently downloaded.  It's frugal to protect items that would be difficult, costly and, in the case of photos, impossible to recover if stolen or destroyed.

Saturday:  leftovers
Sunday:  Sunday family supper at Kasey & Beau's
Monday:  *tacos
Tuesday:  PB&J
Wednesday:  *baked potato
Thursday:  *Schlotzsky
Friday: sandwich

Number of individual servings made and frozen for work lunches this week:  

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

Thankful, Grateful, Blessed #1...

Recently, Pamela who blogs at The Lady of the House Speaking, started a Thankful, Grateful, Blessed post on Thursdays.  What with the holidays coming up, I'd been giving this some thought as well.  In the past, I have participated in Thankful Thursdays in November, but I kind of like the idea of it being a year-round feature.  So this is my inaugural post.  And thanks, Pamela, for the inspiration.

With a lot on my calendar this fall, I thought I'd better take advantage of some time at home right now to get some long avoided tasks done.  (Lucky me, among the 'treasures' I found was a quote I had written down...'Procrastination is just sloth with more syllables'...isn't that cheery?)  This week I took three boxes of donations to Salvation Army, and one corner of my house feels lighter and brighter, 

So, as much as I avoid it, I am blessed to be able to do work around the house.  I am so very thankful to have a home.  

What I'm reading Wednesday...

The Sentimental Person's Guide to Decluttering by Claire Middleton

Last weekend something got into me, and I started going through some long ignored areas of the house and clearing out some clutter.  I've been listening to this book on my Kindle for motivation as I work.  I wouldn't say it has any thunderbolt revelations (at least so far), but it's keeping me plugging away (at least so far).

A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich

I posted this one a few weeks ago when I needed a break from the historical details and political facts in The Big Burn.  But sometimes just saying I need a break is enough to help me stick with the job at hand and push through.  That's what happened; and I never picked this one up after all.  So this week I did.

I have some time off of work.  When I go back, it will be pretty much non-stop for awhile, so I plan on taking full advantage of some reading time while I have it.

Making it Monday...

I made this yesterday while a cake was in the oven.  Neither the wreath nor the cake were the best work I've ever done, but they both were passable.  I took them with me to Kasey & Beau's for Sunday family supper.

I saw this tutorial on Youtube, and I just really wanted to make one.  I don't usually decorate with wreaths, so I figured if Kasey didn't want it, maybe one of the girls might want to hang it in their room.

And it's a good thing I had intended all along to give it away, because it drove Rudy crazy!  He wanted to tear into it SO bad!  LOL  I think he thought it was a toy for him, because the legs do bear a striking resemblance to his Monkey Love (of which he has had many).  🙈  

Saturday snail mail...

When I realized there were no birthday cards among the first batch of cards I had made to send my mother-in-law, I made a few more cards.  These photos are really poor, because they were taken very late at night.  

Not all of the cards would fit in the VHS-tape-sized box I wanted to mail them in without risking distorting them, so I took a few from the first batch out and replaced them with these three, but that was good, because it made a more cohesive set.

I even got them in the mail.  Which was a major accomplishment this week.

Frugal Friday File 2019, week 38...

Successes:
1.  I made a trip to Costco, and I didn't succumb to impulse purchases.

2.  The chickens are laying gangbusters for my non-POA-sanctioned chicken wranglers right now, so I was gifted (and used) quite a few eggs this week.

3.  Gave Rudy an at-home pedicure.

4.  I worked two days this week.

5.  I found Carey's favorite wheat bread at Dollar Tree; $2.88 at grocery store, $1 at Dollar Tree.  

Saturday: ribs, mac & cheese, green beans
Sunday:  Sunday family supper at Kasey & Beau's
Monday:  Hashbrowns breakfast casserole
Tuesday:  Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Wednesday:  meatloaf, twice-baked potatoes, veg
Thursday:  leftovers
Friday: leftovers

Number of individual servings made and frozen for work lunches this week:  7

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

What I'm reading Wednesday...

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

Willa Cather is one of those authors that I keep meaning to read more of.  Of course I found one that will tick a challenge box.  :)

Frugal Friday File 2019, week 37...

Successes:
1.  I worked 5 days this week.

2.  No need to purchase gasoline this week, as the office where I was working was a mere 5 minute commute.  :)

3.  I made an extra payment on my car.  Really, really close to getting it paid off.  Trying hard to do that before Carey has to replace his truck.

4.  Menu planning to use what's in the freezer and pantry first, with a grocery list for what we're out of.

5.  Gave lightly-worn clothes from last week another wear this week before putting them in laundry.  Took iced tea from home to work with me each day instead of stopping for a caffeine fix on the way.  Came home for a PB&J for lunch every day but one.

Saturday:  leftovers
Sunday:  Sunday family supper at Kasey & Beau's
Monday:  *Italian
Tuesday:  baked potato
Wednesday:  *chicken
Thursday:  *Schlotzsky
Friday: *Chinese

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

Saturday snail mail...

This week I have been trying to cut up a lot of my cardstock and papers into frequently-used sizes for card making, to better organize my desk and make it quicker and easier to create.  Of course, cutting up all that paper left me with a few scraps, mostly of a usable size, which I saved in a designated place of their own.  But with almost every sheet I was left with about a 1" x 1" square, which I considered too small to save...and yet I kept pushing them off to the side of my work space rather than throwing them away.

After all that cutting, my desk needed a good tidying up, and a day or so later I went in to clean up.  When I got to that pile of little squares, I challenged myself to make a card with them...because...you know...creating is more fun than cleaning.  :)  The stamped flower was actually a scrap too, from a previous project, and was also still lying on the desk.  I kind of like the bold color blocking contrasted with the delicate flower.

The sunset-like panel on this one was an experiment.  Again, it has been lying on my desk for a few weeks.  It occurred to me recently that I should create some cards that are more masculine, and I thought this one could be used toward that end.

Here's a little back story.  Carey got a card from his mom for his birthday, and the card she sent was one that I had sent to her recently.  (When I send her a card, I leave it blank and just tuck a note inside.  I also enclose it inside two envelopes, so that I address the outer envelope and then she is left with a blank card/envelope set ready to use for her own correspondence.)  

My mistake has been in sending her only cards that she would think are pretty, because I realized that the card she sent Carey was decidedly 'girly.'  LOL  My dear mother-in-law has FOUR sons and lots of grandsons.  Why have I not thought about making her some more masculine-themed cards to have on hand?!

Another one that was made to use up scraps and be more manly.  :)

And another.  The tweed-print paper was in the dregs leftovers of a pad of assorted papers.  It doesn't look like dregs anymore; I kind of wish I had some more of it.

I moved away from scraps for this one above as well as the one below.  They were CASED from cards I saw on Pinterest made by Carolyn King. 

Back to scraps.  Not completely masculine, but not overtly feminine.  

In the coming week or so, I will send her all of the cards above as a set for her use.

This was one I dropped in the mail for a birthday a couple of weeks ago.  See the similarity to the sunset-like second card at the top of this post?  This one definitely has more soothing colors however.

This one was also mailed a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't want to post either of them to the blog before I was pretty sure they were received.  This one was so fun to make.

And I loved the way it looked so bright and cheerful in that yellow envelope.

Okay, back to chores.  I've got a ton of things to get done yet this weekend.

The Frugal Friday File 2019, week 36...

Successes:
1.  I had everything on hand to make Carey's favorite pie for Sunday family supper...Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie (a.k.a. Derby Pie if you're from Kentucky).  I usually leave the dessert leftovers for the kids, but since Carey's birthday had just passed, we brought the last two pieces home so he could continue to enjoy it.  I still have plenty of pecans in the freezer, but I used up the last of the bourbon.  I guess I'll have to go buy some before Thanksgiving.

2.  I challenged myself to make cards using up scraps on my desk.

3.  Worked three days this week, and at a branch close enough to come home for lunch!  It's so close, I get to sleep a little later!

4.  Brewed tea and took my own iced drinks to work with me rather than stopping on the way to purchase.

5.  Scheduled LOTS more work days over the next couple of months.

Saturday:  Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, and Noodle Casserole
Sunday:  Sunday family supper at Kasey & Beau's
Monday:  Cabbage, onion, white & sweet potato, and bacon hash
Tuesday:  Spaghetti salad
Wednesday:  *Schlotzky sandwiches
Thursday:  leftovers
Friday: ?

Number of individual servings made and frozen for work lunches this week:  2

(*not-frugal takeout or dinner out)

What I'm reading Wednesday...

A Lantern In Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich

I haven't been reading much, and haven't finished last week's book (which is SO full of historic details).  I think I will take a break from it and re-read this book, which is an old favorite, and it will tick the box for Nebraska on my list.  :)