Weekly Savings

I stuck to my pantry challenge for the most part this past week.  I focused on using up some items from the freezer.  My goal for the remainder of the month is to only purchase perishables.

We put tarps up around the chicken house during the winter months to keep the cold wind out.  We took those down several months ago but had no good place to store them.  The old ones had been kept in a cardboard box.  While cleaning out a storage building, I found a plastic tote of Easter decorations that I no longer used.  The decorations went into a cardboard box for donation, and I used the newly emptied tote to store the tarps.

I harvested sweet mint from the garden.  I used it along with some purchased dried herbs to make an herbal tea.  I steeped mint, chamomile, rose hips, lemongrass, hibiscus, and raspberry leaf in near boiling water.  That gets mixed with a little bit of fruit juice for an alternative to the artificially colored and flavored typical sugary summer drinks.

I wanted to plant some calendula seeds in my garden.  I searched the usual places that I buy seeds but wanted a cheaper option.  I ended up ordering some off eBay for around $1.  Hopefully W can finish rebuilding the last of the raised beds so I can plant the seeds by the end of the week.

Mother's Day gifts here were crocheted dish rags.  I had purchased two cones of cotton yarn so I could do a mix of colors.  I know that may seem like an awful gift, but both my mother and mother-in-law like usable gifts especially if they are handmade.

The weather has been mild here.  Many people may not consider it mild since the highs have been in the upper 80s/low 90s.  We have been using fans rather than the A/C.  I am not sure how much longer W and Leo can hold out, but for now it is good for the electric bill.