January Pantry Challenge

I am joining in on the pantry challenge organized by Jessica at Good Cheap Eats.  I love that she does not set any "do this or don't join" rules.  I know I will need to do some grocery shopping for fresh fruits/vegetables and coffee creamer.  Here are my goals for this pantry challenge...

1.  Eat up the Odds and Ends in the Pantry/Freezer
I have some things that keep getting pushed to the back.  I have no intention of having a completely empty pantry.  I live too far out in the country for that.  A more organized pantry would be great.

2.  Save Some of the Grocery Budget
I ordered garden seeds earlier in the week and plan to use the grocery savings to pay for them. 

3.  Focus on Minimal Food Waste
I rarely just throw out food and if I do it is thrown out to the chickens or turkeys.  I want to do better with making sure we eat everything we can.  Although I will still save some end pieces of bread to feed Frank the turkey who will finally eat out of my hand.

4. Post What We Eat in a Weekly Roundup


Anyone else doing a pantry challenge to start the new year?

New Year's Eve Food

Each New Year's Eve my church has a little party.  The difference is that we hold it earlier in the evening and are home long before midnight.  This year we celebrated New Year's with the Azores Islands.  It is always a small crowd, but we have a great time.  We eat, talk and eat a bit more.  This year I waited until that day to decide what to contribute.

I decided that we could probably use something healthy so I made a vegetable tray.  I brought plenty to snack on throughout the week.

I balanced that with something not healthy but oh so yummy.  I made Blueberry Pie Sugar Cookie Bars a variation of these.  I have made it several times with different types of pie filling, and each one is delicious.  For some reason I had never taken it to church.  It got rave reviews and multiple recipe requests. 



My favorite part is that it uses just four ingredients, and two of those are pantry staples.  It is quick to mix together and always a favorite.  On a side note I used blueberry pie filling since that was on sale when I went shopping earlier that day.

2020 Goals

This year I decided to pare down my list of goals and focus on just a few rather than trying to do everything when I have so much going on.

1.  Save all of our Change (Coins) for One Year
This came about after W showed me a story about a man who cashed in the change he had been saving for 10 years.  I thought it would be fun to do that for one year.  I emptied our change so we can have a fresh start. I am undecided if I will count it at the end of each month or the end of the year.

2.  Plan Ahead for My Business
I ended up being stretched a bit between my Facebook page, Etsy shop, and store booth.  I want to continue to do new items but stay ahead of the seasons.  I would also like to add one item to my Etsy shop each week.  I hope to organize my Facebook page and post several times a week.  Finally I want to better stock my shop booth.

3. Get Back to Basics
This one is pretty broad, and I am sure it will change over the course of the year.  I want to focus on the garden and growing stuff to help with the food bill for us and the feathered and furry ones.  I want to focus more on savings and stretching our money.  That will probably include doing a few things to earn gift cards and get back to entering sweepstakes again.  Time will tell how this one shapes up. 

There you have it....one simple goal and two that could lead me anywhere.  Over the last two years it has felt like a bit of a roller coaster so I am hoping 2020 brings calmer days.  Although I am sure there will be some adventures along the way!

Happy New Year!

I was joking nearly a month ago when I said orders for sloth planters were going to take up all of my time.  Little did I know Christmas orders including those sloths would keep me busy past Christmas Day.  The later orders were taken with the understanding they would not be ready by Christmas.  I was blessed to be so very busy, but it meant that the holiday season basically passed me by. 

Now that we are in a new month and a new year I am hoping things get back to normal.  It is my intention to get back into the habit of writing my posts a day or two in advance so I can keep up with the blog better.  With that in mind I am off to write a goal post for 2020.  Stop back by tomorrow to see my plans for this year!

Toby

Last month Toby turned two.  It seems like just yesterday he was the tiny (and sick) puppy we rescued.  Now he is healthy and no longer tiny.  Toby loves treats, naps, and being chased.  He does not care who is chasing him.  It can be me or W, my parents' Chihuahuas, or a cat.  He is definitely spoiled as are all of the animals in our yard.

Sloths, Sloths, and More Sloths

A few months ago a friend sent me a picture of a sloth plant holder and asked me to make a couple.  She mentioned they were very popular with people who grow succulents.  I decided to list them on Etsy as well.

I sold a few here and there.  Then this past week I was slammed with orders for them.  For a small business owner that is an amazing thing.  If my posts are a bit short this week, you will know that I am busy making sloths!  

Can I just add that I love when people send me links to cute projects or ask if I can make a particular item?  Often those things turn out to be some of my best sellers.

Hello, Again!

The past few months have been a whirlwind, and I ended up letting some things fall by the wayside - the blog being one.  Most of it has had to do with my crochet business.  I was working on orders and preparing for a festival booth.  Out of the blue I get contacted by a local business owner who is setting up a marketplace on the main street filled with handmade items.  It was a great opportunity but came at a time when I was overwhelmed.  I pushed on and with help from W made it happen.  

This is just the front.  I also have items down both sides.  I have been in there a little over a month now.  I have covered my booth rent with a little extra for the first month.  Hopefully after Christmas when things settle down I can put more focus on filling it up.  For now I am excited (and a bit nervous) about the new opportunity. 

My goal for December is to get back on a regular schedule which includes blogging again.