Frugal Friday

We stopped by a local motorcycle shop to pick up some tires.  We had seen them laying outside for weeks and weeks so I messaged the owner to see if he wanted to get rid of them.  He told me to take all I wanted.  We got the three smaller ones which we will use on our dragon fruit plant supports.

The weather has made line drying clothes difficult lately.  I have ended up washing items that can be dried inside on the rainy days.  On the sunnier days I wash as much as I can of clothes that need tobe dried outside. 

In the kitchen - We ate leftovers.  It gives me a break from cooking and means that nothing goes to waste.  I made breadcrumbs with some bread ends and hot dog buns that did not turn out just right.  I also made gnocchi from scratch.  I have actually never eaten store bought gnocchi since making it is so easy. 

Starting a new business is not particularly cheap.  I took advantage of the "Black Friday" sales to purchase patterns. I was able to stretch my money further this way.

I have been taking advantage of the Dollar General Saturday coupons to buy pet food and household items.  It is an easy $5 savings on things I am planning to purchase. 

Weekly Goals Update: Week 47

First an explanation for the total lack of posts here.  My dad ended up back in the hospital for the third time in just over a month.  He was worse than the previous two times.  Thankfully this time (after several days) he ended up with the right mix of doctors.  He had his gall bladder removed and is on the mend.  Life has been topsy turvy here, but I am expecting it to get back to normal. 


1.  Disaster Preparedness
I abandoned this goal after this weekly "missions" got too out there for me.


2.  Makeover the Garden
After everything that happened I did not get any planting done.  I do not have high hopes for this week either.  Life is like that some times.


3.  Organize Recipes
No - yet again.


4. Have 13 No Spend Grocery Weeks - Done
I did skip the grocery store Thanksgiving week.  I expect to skip it a couple more times before the year is out.  Cold weather makes me want to stay home.  If I lived where it snowed regularly, I would never leave.


5.  Focus on Saving
I did very little "Black Friday" shopping.  I bought patterns on sale from Etsy.  I tried to think ahead to the coming seasons and take advantage of the sales.  I spent a fair amount, but it was patterns I planned to buy.


6.  Etsy Shop
I failed horribly on my list an item every day goal.  Between getting ready for Thanksgiving and everything else that was happening, it fell to the wayside.

Weekend Book Reviews

The Pint of No Return by Ellie Alexander is the second book in the Sloan Krause Mystery series.  Sloan is continuing to stay busy at her job at microbrewery Nitro.  With Oktoberfest fast approaching everyone in Leavenworth is excited.  To add to the excitement and chaos, a film crew arrives along with a handsome but annoying movie star.  When he is found murdered, the suspect list is long.  I have little interest in beer, but I adore this series.  Sloan is a strong female lead, and the mystery was equally engaging. 

The third book in the Merry Ghost Inn Mystery series by Kate Kingsbury is Be Our Ghost.  Things are going well for Melanie and her grandmother Liza at the Merry Ghost Inn.  The possibility of a tacky arcade being built in town has most other residents angry.  Still no one expected the developer in charge of the project to be murdered.  When Liza's friend, Doug, is named as the main suspect, Melanie and Liza are on the case.  The ghost is a background story line in the book.  There is an ongoing story from the previous books, but it is explained enough that first time readers will not be lost.

Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron is the fourth book in the Cajun Country Mystery series.  Following a flood in Pelican, Louisiana, a body is discovered behind the Crozat Plantation B&B.  The mysterious man is a stranger to the town, but Melanie wants to determine his identity.  Her venture is sidelined when she has to take over as one of the judges for the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant.  When one of her fellow judges is murdered, Melanie has two murders to solve.  This is a fun book which moved along quickly.  Melanie and her family are typical southerners which is a good thing.  I also enjoyed the historical aspect of the orphan train. 

disclosure:  I received these books through NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own!

Etsy Sale

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I just wanted to let you all know that items in my Etsy shop are on sale through Monday. 

Weekly Goals Update: Week 46

1.  Disaster Preparedness
I had the same problem as last week with the suggestions.  This goal is pretty well done for now.  The website had good information, but it has ventured into areas more advanced areas of preparations.


2. Makeover the Garden
This week is supposed to not be rainy and just cool rather than cold.  I will get out later in the week and clean some areas for planting.  I still have time to plant lettuce and other greens.  I also have to decide if I am going to plant garden peas this year since that is done in late December.


3.  Organize Recipes
Not last week and definitely will not happen this week.


4.  Have 13 No Spend Grocery Weeks - Done
I will add one to it this week as I have no intention of going to the grocery store. Thanksgiving crowds make me nervous.


5. Focus on Saving
Shopping other than stocking up on groceries was very limited last week.  I have no real plans to much Black Friday shopping although I am holding out for some Etsy sales later in the week.  Not buying stuff remains one of the best ways to save!


6.  Etsy Shop
I missed this goal last week.  I only listed three items.  Things just got too busy, and it was easy to skip crocheting.  I hope to do better this week.  I do have plans for a sale for the holiday and will stop back in later this week to remind everyone. 

Flamingo Coffee Cup Sleeve

Giraffe Baby Photo Outfit

Newsboy Hat in Multiple Sizes

Mermaid Lip Balm Holder (relisted)

Busy Days & Giveaway Winner

First up the giveaway winner....Congratulations to Renee G. who commented "I love making caramel apples".  Renee G please contact me using the form on the left side of the blog with your full name and mailing address so I can pass it on to the publisher.  Thank you to everyone who entered.


I should know by now that November will never be a calm month.  I had good intentions of posting all week, but it seemed each day a surprise popped up that kept me from my original plan.  Thanks to some help from the youth at church I was able to get the 50 shoeboxes packed.  W and I dropped those off on Tuesday while out running what felt like 100 errands.  We did our big grocery shop so I can stay far away from the grocery store next week.  After dinner and feeding up I headed to the church to help sort donated clothes.


Yesterday I helped a homeschool student with geometry.  He had a great teacher, but she went on maternity leave.  He was having trouble with the new teacher's teaching methods.  He left in time for us to heat up leftovers for dinner (lunch).  All too soon it was time to feed up and then get ready to go to a community Thanksgiving service. 


Today was supposed to be a do nothing day.  Predicted cold weather with a chance of frost meant we rushed to get some delicate plants in the house.  That was mainly the dragon fruit plants which needed to be staked first.  A few other things were just moved to sheltered areas for now.  Cleaning the church took up some time as did cleaning up the house. 


On the plus side I did manage to finish up two crochet projects and hope to spend some time tomorrow on a couple more projects tomorrow.  I need to finish some things in order to keep up with my goal for this week. 


I am sure many of you are finding your days to be busy as the holiday season draws near.  Often I need to remind myself to stop and rest and hope you will do the same. 

Weekly Goals Update: Week 45

1.  Disaster Preparedness
The website I was following along has gotten more into long-term catastrophic disasters which is not my goal at this point in time.  My goal for right now is to use up the odd and end items in my pantry.  I want to use the grocery savings to then restock my pantry.


2.  Makeover the Garden
It was rainy all of last week here for the most part so I did not do any work in the garden.  There is just a slight chance of rain today so I hope to get a couple of beds fixed and seeds planted.  My problem is that most fall crops here are greens which chickens love.  I can see that for next year I will need some netted hoops to keep the chickens from eating everything I grow.


3.  Organize Recipes
The weather is starting to turn cold.  My plan is to focus on this goal after Thanksgiving.


4.  Have 13 No Spend Grocery Weeks - Done


5.  Focus on Saving
I waited until Saturday to do some shopping at Dollar General to take advantage of the $5/25.  I bought items needed to finish the shoeboxes as well as paper towels.  I need to start taking advantage of these almost weekly coupons.


6.  Etsy Shop
I hit my goal again this past week and listed six more items.  I am taking Sundays off.

Flower Trivet

Baby Football Cocoon (also in Pink)

Turkey Baby Photo Prop

Fitted Cloche Hat

Fitted Beanie

Slouchy Beanie

Weekend Book Reviews

Homemade Christmas by Yvette van Boven includes over 100 recipes for the holiday season.  The recipes included are best for more adventurous eaters.  The majority of them would not go over well with the crowd I host.  The pictures included are lovely, but the recipes are simply not for me.  I cannot imagine convincing my family to eat broccoli pot pie.  I did see a few dessert recipes that were good.  The Trifle with salty caramel, cheesecake cream, & chewy brownies sounds especially good.  I recommend you take a look at the recipes first especially if your family is not full of picky eaters.

Downright Dead by Pamela Kopfler is the second book in the B&B Spirits Mystery series.  Holly is expecting business at her B&B to pick up after a television show featuring footage of her ghost airs.  The show's host calls to say that are doing a follow up show after a debunker challenges the ghost story.  The problem is that the B&B's ghost has moved on.  The debunker and tv crew arrive and soon a murder occurs.  Flooding strands the guests at the B&B.  Holly must solve the mystery and save her beloved B&B.  The characters are engaging, and I enjoyed the ghost element of the book.  The mystery was strong and kept me guessing.  I look forward to the next book in this series.

disclosure:  I received these e-books through NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own!

Weekend Book Reviews

Assault and Beadery  by Mollie Cox Bryan is the fourth book in the Cora Crafts Mystery series.  Cora has organized a mom's craft retreat with her friends Jane and Ruby.  When the director of the community theater is murdered, their friend Zee is the prime suspect.  Cora struggles to prove her friend's innocence while keeping the retreat guests in line.  I enjoy the crafty side of this series.  Each book gives background information on a particular craft which is beading in this book.  The guests were a bit on the "moms gone wild" side, but it was nice to see a bit of a crossover with another series.

The Dead Ringer by M.C. Beaton is the twenty-ninth book in the Agatha Raisin Mystery series, but it is the first book in the series that I have read.  I had heard great things about the series and was excited to read this book.  Unfortunately I was disappointed.  The story jumped all over the place with no true consistency.  They murders were not really investigated but only mentioned now and again.  The remainder of the book was full of Agatha chasing man after man after man and screaming at people.  Perhaps I should have read some of the previous books to understand more about Agatha.  I do not see the charm based on this book alone.

disclosure:  I received these books through NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own!

November Grocery Plans

Since I reached my goal of having 13 no spend grocery weeks already, I want to focus on using up some pantry items during the month of November.  I made a menu for the week by shopping my pantry/freezer first.  I will share next Tuesday how the first menu plan worked out.  This week I spent $21 on groceries.  I probably could have gotten by on less, but W requested a couple of meals and those used up a few pantry items.  What did I buy?


carrots
tomatoes
bananas (W's impulse buy)
mayonnaise
olives (for pizza)
chicken tenders
sausage
sour cream
cheese - 2
yogurt
frozen pot pies (for hectic day)


My menu is going to cover three meals a day for W and myself.  I am hoping for at least one meal of leftovers each week.  I would love to keep my weekly spending at around $20.  One of the main goals is to use up a bunch of odd things in the pantry. 

Weekly Goals Update: Week 44

1.  Disaster Preparedness
Week 44 was collapse investing.  The site says it considers events such as hurricanes.  With that in mind, their advice of having gold is just silly.  Following the last hurricane stores were only accepting small bills/coins and absolutely no gold - not that I knew anyone who tried. I feel like this goal is going by the wayside with some of these preparations.

2.  Makeover the Garden
The bantam chicks got into my swiss chard and spinach seedlings and had quite the party.  That means I need to fix the hole where they got in and replant this week.  Chickens are wonderful, but free range ones are very resourceful.

3.  Organize Recipes
I actually worked on this a bit last week.  I cleaned out some from Pinterest and printed copies of a few to add to my notebook.

4.  Have 13 No Spend Grocery Weeks - Done

5.  Focus on Saving
My plan for this month is to save on the grocery bill and organize the pantry.  We have piles of random things in the pantry.  I want to make a menu each week of this month with a focus on using what we have.  I will purchase any items to round out the meals and hopefully save some money.

6.  Etsy Shop
My plan for this month is to add an item each day (except on Sundays) to my shop.  I am off to a good start and will hopefully have a variety of items for sale in time for the Christmas season.  Last week I listed three items.

Beagle Coffee Cozy

Berry Stitch Hat (Doll - Adult Sizes)

Cloche Style Hat with Ties

Weekend Book Reviews

The Nightmare Before Dinner by Zach Neil features recipes from the Beetle House.  The book features everything from sauces to desserts.  I found the sauce section to be most interesting.  A large section of the book is cocktails which did not appeal to me.  Only one includes directions for a non-alcoholic version.  I did expect to see a few more recipes for main dishes.  My husband quickly nixed the burger which included chocolate covered bacon.  That might work well in a theme restaurant but not in the average home.  If you are a Halloween fan, you would enjoy this cookbook though. 

The Frighteners by Peter Laws takes a look at people's fascination with the macabre.  Peter Laws just happens to be a pastor who loves all things horror.  He takes a look at everything from ghosts to vampires to zombies.  It might seem like the two do not go together, but it was interesting to read how watching The Exorcist led to him being saved.  I enjoyed this unusual look at horror through the eyes of a minister.

The sixth book in the Candy Coated Mystery series by Nancy Coco is Forever Fudge.  A film crew invades Mackinac Island over the Labor Day weekend.  Allie is busy with the end of tourist season.  It seems that a murderer is taunting Allie after two bodies are found with notes addressed to her.  I figured the killer out early on, but I still enjoyed the book for the setting and characters. 

disclosure:  I received these e-books through NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own!

Weekend Book Reviews

Final Roasting Place  by Devon Delaney is the second book in the Cook-Off Mystery series.  Sherri takes part in a cooking contest during a local morning tv show.  Her father is on hand to watch.  When the young co-host of the show is murdered with a tool from her father's ruggery shop, Sherri jumps back into another murder investigation.  This is a strong mystery with an equally strong female lead.  I enjoy both sides of the focus of this book:  the ruggery and the cooking.  This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series.

Book five in the Chocolate Whisperer Mystery series by Colette London is The Peppermint Mocha Murder.  Hayden is taking a break from her global chocolate whisperer job to vacation over the Christmas holiday in a small New England town.  She as invited by her financial adviser Travis.  Also along for the trip is her friend and sometimes body guard, Danny.  The small town is rocked when a murder is committed at the bed and breakfast where Hayden is staying.  The chocolate theme of the book is interesting.  I enjoy this series, but I am looking to see some growth in Hayden's character beyond her obsession with Travis while she strings Danny along. 

Premeditated Peppermint by Amanda Flower is the third book in the Amish Candy Shop Mystery series.  Bailey is spending her first Christmas with her Amish grandmother.  She is looking forward to a simple holiday season.  That is sidelined when her ex-boyfriend shows up with a camera crew in tow.  He plans to rekindle his romance with Bailey in Amish country to save his floundering career.  When the shows producer is murdered, he begs Bailey to help find the murderer before he is arrested.  I love this series.  The Amish setting mixed with Bailey and her non-Amish friends is well done.  The ending was a surprise to me, and I am looking forward to book four. 

disclosure:  I received these e-books through NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own!

Frugal Friday

The past few weeks have been hectic here with some family things going on.  I have tried to focus on being as frugal as possible.


I did minimal grocery shopping this past week.  I want to focus on eating out of the freezer/pantry this month.  I already have a turkey in the freezer for Thanksgiving.  Now if only we could get some soup weather, I would be set.


I reused the pumpkins from my front porch to decorate at my church's trunk or treat event.  Those $3 pumpkins have been well used this year.  I plan to continue their use after the season is over by feeding them to the chickens.


I kept up with the weather forecasts and washed clothes according to the weather.  Things that could be dried on racks inside were left for rainy days. 


I found dish washing gloves marked 90% off at Dollar General.  We also picked up a set of drinking glasses on clearance.  I will add these to my gift closet.  Paired with some crocheted dish scrubbies and cloths they will make a nice wedding shower gift. 


I gave away leftovers from our trunk or treat.  In the end there were still some hot dogs and hamburgers left.  I brought these home and put them in the freezer for future meals.