Yard Work

Last week was our week to focus on the yard.  We still have several projects remaining, but we managed to cross some things off the to do list.  I completed the two flower beds that I mentioned in my Frugal Friday post.


W took some time to pressure wash the deck, kitchen steps, and the front porch.  Everything looks nice and fresh now.

We also got the old storage building emptied and moved.  We had gotten a new-to-us garden shed late last year.  The old one was moved to the back of the property for use as a feed and chicken cage storage area.  We still have to clean up the area where it was, but the front part of the yard already looks more open.

We also discovered what happened to most of Rebecca's eggs.  Our turkey was robbed by wharf rat.  Hopefully with the rat's home gone, it has moved on as well.

Finally we cleaned part of the area at the back of the chicken house and the entrance to the rabbit house.  I have three sizes of pots for water.  The turkeys, bantam chickens, and some baby chicks all come to this area for water.  I like to have something available for all of them.  I added a small turtle decoration just for fun.



This week we are working on the living room.  I made a list of projects and chores to keep us on track.  Check back next week for the update.

Weekly Goals Update: Week 36

1.  Disaster Preparedness
Week 36 was sugars.  I keep a stockpile of sugar for the short term, but I also have stevia growing in the garden.  I already use packets of stevia or the leaves in my herbal teas.  I expect everyone else would have to get used to the taste if a disaster lasted long term.


2. Makeover the Garden
W mowed the garden earlier today.  Tomorrow my plan is to start cleaning up some of the beds to prepare for fall planting.  I still need to wait a week or two before I can plant any seeds, but I need that time to get everything back in order.


3.  Organize Recipes
I have to order some page protectors so I can organize my crochet patterns.  I opted for the slightly bigger package.  It is more cost effective and will give me enough for the two projects.


4.  Have 13 No Spend Grocery Weeks
I have no plans to go to the grocery store again this week.  I skipped shopping last week to get my total to 11.  I feel confident that I can knock this goal out very soon.


5.  Focus on Saving
I slipped a bit doing the websites to earn gift cards.  Since I have several things I want for the house, I need to get back to these this month.


6.  Etsy Shop
I have been busy crocheting samples of items to post in my Etsy shop.  If all goes well, I will add those later this week.


Also not officially on the goals list, but something we are working on - finishing up house projects and getting things in order.  Several neighbors have asked about an open house since we built our own house and it is unusual.  I am combining the Holiday Grand Plan with our projects lists.  Tomorrow I will share what we worked on in the yard last week. 

Weekend Book Review

The Taco Tuesday Cookbook by Laura Fuentes offers 52 taco recipes.  I love that there are varying degrees of difficulty for the recipes.  A few provide short cuts for days when time is limited.  The restaurant-style salsa is great for winter as it uses canned tomatoes rather than fresh.  The pulled pork tacos and siracha chicken tacos are at the top of my list.  I also like some of the extras such as watermelon aqua fresca and siracha lime dressing.  If your family enjoys tacos, this cookbook can help you add variety to your menus!

Olivia Hopps' The Edible Cookie Dough Cookbook is easily my favorite cookbook of the year.  The recipes are quick to make using basic ingredients for the most part.  The method for heat treating the flour uses a microwave to keep things simple.  I marked several recipes to try out but made the snickerdoodle cookie dough first.  It was delicious with just the right amount of sweetness.  The recipe made enough dough to fill a 23 oz container.  Most of the finished doughs can be kept on the counter with options for the refrigerator and freezer for long term storage.  If you have a cookie dough fan in your house, you need this cookbook!

disclosure:  I received this e-book from NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own!

Weekend Book Reviews

Goodbye Crueller World by Ginger Bolton is the second book in the Deputy Donut Mystery series.  Emily and her father-in-law are hired to do a doughnut wall for a wedding.  It seems to be going well until the groom dies from suspected poisoning.  The additional characters in this book are not quite as eccentric as the first book.  The mystery was on the weaker side since I guessed the murderer early on.  Still I love the idea of a former cop owning a doughnut shop and will give a third book a try.  I would like to see Emily moving forward in her own life rather than pushing her friends into romances.

Lynn Cahoon's A Deadly Brew is a Kindle single in the Tourist Trap Mystery series.  Jill and her boyfriend along with three other couples are spending the weekend in a haunted house.  This is a fast past mystery perfect for the upcoming Halloween season.  I liked that I could read it in one sitting.  The former owner's disappearance years earlier is the focus of the mystery.  I enjoy Ms. Cahoon's writing style and how she brings the characters to life!

The latest book in the Welcome Back to Scumble River series by Denise Swanson is Die Me a River.  Skye has enough to deal with following the birth of her twins while living in a motor home after her own home was destroyed by a tornado.  While she and her husband Wally are at the church planning the twins' christening, an explosion at the nearby bowling alley adds more chaos to their lives.  Wally is unsure if the target was the gambling machines or the unpopular insurance agent who was the only fatality.  This book has plenty of action and wonderful small town characters - including the quirky ones.  This is a great series for classic cozy mystery fans.

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

Frugal Friday (with Pictures!)

1.  Since we will not be doing the expanded front porch on our house yet I decided to create a couple of small flower beds on either side of the steps. 

I used bricks from in front of the old storage building which was moved this week to create the border.  I planted sweet Williams that were previously in pots and very root bound.  I left a couple of petunias that were already growing in the spot.  The plants should improve in appearance now that the roots have room to grow.  It cost nothing except some time.

2.  I had saved a crochet pattern that I liked on Etsy.  When I was looking through my favorites list, I clicked on the description and discovered I could get two patterns free by signing up for the shop's newsletter.  I choose the bee pattern that I liked and a penguin pattern.  I saved $11.

3.  Our two inside cats are older and often made a mess when using the litter box.  W took an old tote we had and made an enclosed one.  Most of the mess stays confined, and the tote is easy to wash out.  This was another free project since we already had the materials.

4.  I made sure to put any leftovers that we were not eating within two days into the freezer.  I started a list so we would remember what we had.  W thinks it will be nice to have an entire month of no grocery shopping and just eat freezer meals.  I am not sure that will happen yet, but it will be a nice goal for next year.

5.  One of the outside cats turned over a pot with a dragon fruit plant in it.  Unfortunately one section of the plant broke off.  I noticed that the broken section had some roots on it.  I stuck it into an empty planter on the front porch and have been keeping it watered.  If all goes well I will have an additional dragon fruit plant.

Weekly Goals Update: Week 35

1.  Disaster Preparedness
I could not get into the week 35 goal of carbs.  I do keep rice, pasta, etc on hand.  Since I am really only focused on short term emergencies rather than 20+ year disasters I feel okay.


2.  Makeover the Garden
The garden needs mowing again.  This week I am busy in other parts of the yard so the garden is taking a back seat.  I am planning out my fall garden and will work on that next week.


3.   Organize Recipes
This is going to be a cold weather project.


4.  Have 13 No Spend Grocery Weeks
I have 10 of these knocked out and plan to add another one this week.  I have no plans to go to the grocery store at all this week.


5.  Focus on Saving
I feel like September is not the month for savings.  I have been buying patterns and materials to stock my Etsy shop.  The patterns are an investment since I can use them over and over.  I have also been choosing patterns that are in a variety of sizes or can be adjusted to different sizes.  I still have a bunch on my wish list but for now I have plenty to keep me busy making samples. 


Second we are determined to finish the inside the house projects.  Most of these are minor but will require some spending.  It is best to just buy the items and get it all done.


6. Etsy Shop

I spent a morning last week adding a few items to my Etsy shop:  Chick-a-D Designs.  I am working each day to crochet an item to add. Hopefully by the end of this month I will have a well stocked shop.  I also want to set up a Facebook group page later this month.  I am starting with crochet kitchen items, baby photo props, and hats/gloves.  I have plans to add other items as I build my shop.

Weekend Book Reviews

Shattered at Sea  by Cheryl Hollon is the fifth book in the Webb's Glass Shop Mystery series.  Savannah, owner of Webb's Glass Shop, has been offered a temporary job as a glassblower on a cruise ship.  Her boyfriend, Edward, and his cousin, Ian, are going along.  The trip gets off to a bad start when Ian goes missing.  While the ship's security suspects suicide, Savannah and Edward are not convinced and begin their own investigation.  The change of scenery was a nice touch.  The mystery moved along quickly and kept me guessing until the end.  I enjoyed the information about glassblowing as well.

Tina Kashian's second book in the Kebab Kitchen Mystery series is Stabbed in the Baklava.  Lucy agrees to take on a catering job for a high society wedding.  She thinks it is the perfect opportunity to prove she can run Kebab Kitchen.  When the best man winds up dead in the locked catering van, Kebab Kitchen's head chef is the prime suspect. The book had several twists and turns.  The only thing missing is some hummus recipes.  All of the descriptions of the varieties on the hummus bar have me hungry for my own to enjoy!

Dim Sum of all Fears by Vivien Chien is the second book in the Noodle Shop Mystery series.  Lana is all set for a second interview for an office job and a way out of her parents' noodle shop.  Her plans are for naught when her parents announce they are going to Taiwan and put her in charge of the restaurant.    Soon after they leave the couple who own the shop next door are found dead.  The apparent murder-suicide is just a cover up for something more sinister.  The setting of Asia Village is a place I wish I could go to in real life.  The characters only add to the charm.

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