1. The plumber was supposed to come this morning, but had an emergency visit elsewhere. We haven't heard from them since then, so we are still waiting. Ours is just for replacing parts on some leaking faucets, so I'm willing to wait. The replacement parts had to be ordered, as the identical faucets throughout the house are a really good quality, but parts are not readily available for them these days, and we have several that have small leaks . It reminds me of the time we had an issue with the kitchen faucet in our very first house. It had been built during the 1940s when all metal was going toward the war effort instead of more everyday uses at home; when the house was built, things like faucets were few and far between. Our kitchen faucet was not made for a kitchen, it was made for a scientific laboratory. That makes me smile today. I loved that house, and I loved the plumber for telling me that story.
There is really nothing frugal about this #1, except maybe putting off writing the check to the plumber for another day or maybe next week. Unless you consider home maintenance as falling under "a stitch in time saves nine" adage.
2. I completed a menu plan and grocery order, and I picked the order up this morning. Sadly there were no great deals going at the market this week, but having groceries to cook at home is better than eating out.
3. I heard on the radio this morning (while I was picking up grocery order) that the 'creative reuse' shop that I like to make donations to and occasionally shop (think Goodwill for craft supplies) has an upcoming class on mending. I thought they said darning, so I thought it might be worth attending. When I checked their website, the class was $35 and was for visible mending, like patches, yes, but embellished to have a funky vibe. From the photos of projects, I decided it wasn't really my interest, so kept that money in my pocket. And I continue to be forever grateful to my sewing mentor, who taught me for free how to mend as a young mother whose son went through knees of jeans like they were made of the finest silk rather than sturdy denim. :)
4. When I got home and put away groceries, I immediately put a chicken from the order into the slow cooker. I'm about to go get it out and debone. I will have chicken cooked and ready for meals later in the week as well as for tonight's supper.
5. I woke up in the wee hours this morning to a HIGHLY realistic dream of there being a fire somewhere in the house with smoke swirling visibly. It took me a few minutes to awaken and realize that I didn't smell smoke, and that the wisps were disappearing. I was unable to return to sleep for hours just in case it was really smoldering silently somewhere. It wasn't. But I am so very thankful that it was just a nightmare and not a reality. Not having your house on fire is definitely frugal!
On the menu this week:
**Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: Sunday family supper at Kasey and Beau's
Monday: Homemade BLTs
Tuesday: Homemade Pizza
Wednesday: takeout Chinese
Thursday: Frito Pie
Friday: Homemade Chicken Quesadillas w/ grilled onion & bell pepper and guacamole
**designates meatless meal
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup of water
1 Tablespoon plus 3 Tablespoons of oil, separated
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425° F.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
Add in the water and 1 Tablespoon oil to the dry ingredients, and mix together using your hand until dough clings together in a ball.
Once the pizza dough forms a ball in the bowl, add in the remaining 3 Tablespoons of oil and mix so that oil just coats the outside of the pizza dough ball.
1. I worked one day this week. Money in.
2. My sister-in-law sent home several sheets of Forever postage stamps with Carey that his mom had not used up. Several years ago I built a kind of lap desk / mail organizer for her, and had included postage stamps among the pens, cards, and return address stamp. Not sure these are all ones I had provided to her, but I can promise they will all get used now.
3. I've been in the craft room (again/still) using up large-ish scraps of paper that are just too pretty to toss and dies cuts that were extras from another project. I have a few more ready-to-send cards in my stash now, which is a good thing as this fall will see two grand girls in college rather than just one.
4. I canceled the Acorn subscription. I just wasn't watching it often, and didn't want the price to revert after the promotional period. I also cancelled the Starz subscription. I had subscribed at promotional price of $1.99/mo for 3 months to watch Outlander...watched some of the most recent season, but got bored. I didn't want to risk forgetting to cancel later.
5. I confirmed a week of work for July. It's hard to work a whole week at a time; retirement has spoiled me, but I'll be happy to see the check boost the savings.
On the menu this week:
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: Sunday supper at Kasey and Beau's
Monday: Mexican Cornbread, Avocado & Cherry Tomato salad
Tuesday: leftovers
**Wednesday: Pasta w/ Roasted Vegetable Sauce, Salad, Garlic Bread
Thursday: takeout Barbecue Baked Potatoes w/brisket
Friday: dinner out for sushi
**designates meatless meal
My critical goal is to decrease the superfluous items in our house, and to live in a home that welcomes us and others with peace; a home that shows off the objects that are special to us, instead of having them be lost among the crowd of unimportant possessions; and to live with the knowledge that I have done all I can to make my eventual absence as easy as possible for my loved ones to settle.
Critical :
My aim is to have a safe and peaceful place to create with joy, and where order and beauty reflect my gratitude for the blessings of space, skill, artistry, and satisfaction.
I am curious if others set down the particular reasons for personal action, and if so, in what manner...journaling, mission statement, self-reflection?
1. Several months ago I tried moving a shelf from my closet to the craft room. It works adequately in the craft room, but I really miss the flow my closet had with it in there, so it is going back into closet service. I've ordered an IKEA shelf for the craft room which I will pick up this morning. Happily it had a recent hefty price reduction, and I ordered it for pick up at the door, so I won't have any impulse purchases. I'm happy that I experimented with using what I had before buying.
2. A talented friend recently sent me an incredible card that I wanted to try my hand at for someone's birthday this week. My friend alerted me to the fact that it was kind of finicky to deal with all the measurements and cuts, and that after making one, she bought a die that cut out the pieces. I looked for the die, and it was $35, which after making the card I would say is a fair price. But I'm happy to have completed mine without the expenditure...though I may budget for it in the future. It folds flat and fits in an envelope, so I'm happy.
3. Carey is attending another funeral several hours away today. He is making the round trip in one day avoiding a hotel bill.
4. The heat has set in here, and I was up for a change in wardrobe. I reached deep into the closet, and pulled out a pair of capri slacks. Capris aren't my favorite look, but these were purchased for a trip several years ago, and worn very, very seldom since. Carey saw me in them and said I looked cute. Using what I have.
5. Continuing to work on clutter reduction. Making an effort to put things where they belong or rehome.
On the menu this week:
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: takeout chicken
Monday: Baked sweet potato with grilled sausage and onions
Tuesday: Chicken Curry w/ rice
Wednesday: Chicken Fried Steak w/ Cream Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Corn
Thursday: leftovers
Friday: leftovers
