Month: December 2017

Frugal, Home, Life, Organize

Tidy and Thrifty*bring in 2018!

veronica

If selling a house has taught me anything it’s that you can always use a healthy edit. This is true for our inner lives as well as possessions. I like to dig through cupboards and closets periodically and just get a little ruthless with the items hidden within. Has it been used in the last year? Do you love it? If either of those is a no then it’s probably something you really don’t need. Well, I love gathering as much as I love purging so this is an almost endless cycle at times. I’m working on a new edit system so we don’t get a pile up. It helps to keep things from coming in the house so that it doesn’t become clutter in the first place.

I always love a good container too. If I find some thing that fits the bill I will use it no matter what it looks like. If I find something that fits and is cute I will love it forever.

Here are a few of my finds from my latest thrift trip. They are of the functional variety, not the cute kind *sigh*

Gloves! And hats! And scarves! Oh my! Love these hanging organizers for those little items.
Napkins, we need them, OFTEN. Now they can stay on the table:)
The farm animal closet holds all of our extra small feeders and medicines. I found a small wire basket to keep the bunny water bottles in place.
Junk drawer organizer? I think, yes:)
Old samsonite to keep my sewing notions in one place? Yes, please!

I usually go there first if I’m in need of something then go to the next expensive place. The order is: thrift store, Dollar Tree, Walmart, Amazon – (that’s my money saving buying progression) so now you know another one of my budget secrets. 😉

Happy New Year everyone! I hope it’s fresh and bright and tidy and filled with blessings!

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DIY, Frugal, Sew

I’m SEW happy!

veronica

For those of you that sew you know the angst of not having a running machine or not having the time to complete your projects.  Well, I finally had a bit of time on my break where I did not feel like death and got to knock a few things off the list. I made a skirt for me, 1 for middle girl and 2 for little girl. I also made a “sower’s bag” to hold all my seeds and plant markers for my garden. But the project I’m sharing today is this:
This little bag was lovingly created from an embroidered piece that I had been hoarding…um, SAVING for a special little project. I am going to be using my travel size bible more as it fits in my purse and I made this bag expressly to hold bible, pens and index cards for taking notes. I love it!

Here’s how I did it:

I knew I wanted a lined bag so I started by cutting a piece of chambray to the same size and sewing right sides together.
Here it is with the 2 pieces right side out.
Next I pressed it with the iron (*important step*) and did a top stitch all around the edge. I also tucked the open end in and top stiched that so I had a complete square- embroidery on one side and chambray on the other. I don’t have a picture of it but after that I just folded the square in half and sewed up the sides to create the bag.
Almost done! Here the sides are sewn up and it’s time to put in the zipper!
I hand stitched the zipper as this is a smaller project and I have much better control with my hands. And it’s done!
Blurry picture but here is my little bag in use for its intended purpose! Love!

So if you are cruising the thrift store and find a sample of something you love you can create a unique piece that’s all you.

Happy crafting!

Being Mama, Kids, Life

Growth

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The fuzz free boy holding one of our monster icicles

Yesterday was not a holiday and I was actually feeling pretty decent so off we went to Walmart for some post Christmas clearance. Seems we were not the only ones who had the same idea. Normally this is when I buy cards and treat bags as well as a few baking supplies and small gifts for birthdays and such. There, now you all know my secret.  Extra frugal tip: use a gift card that was gifted to you and then you can get a years worth of items for nothing! Hey, when you live on a budget you gotta pull every punch sometimes. Anyhow, I was cruising along and I made 2 purchases that kinda made me want to turn back time. I bought my son a shaving kit….and showed him how to use it. That peach fuzz kept getting fuller as the days went by. You are all welcome. Secondly,  I bought my youngest a bath set with deodorant. Yes, she is little but she is mighty….mighty stinky! So I’m reaching new mommy milestones every day as my kids grow ever close to the adults they were meant to be. Well, this house has fresh faced and clean smelling kids in it and I am forever grateful to be called their mother. Now if they would just quit wasting all the dish soap!

Happy Wednesday!

Extra little fun side note: those charcoal sheet masks are EXCELLENT for scaring your kids!

DIY, Food, Health

 Trying to Stay Healthy with Fire Cider Tea 

veronica

I had made fire cider in the past and even blogged about it. Its basically a bunch of good for you ingredients steeped in apple cider vinegar for a few weeks. It is to be used as a health tonic to build up your immunity. Instead of eating whole cloves of garlic and smelling like an italian restaurant from a mile away you drink a small amount of this and still get the benefits. The ingredients : horseradish root, ginger root, lemon juice and garlic (plus a few spices) make up my fire cider tea. Here’s where I tweaked the original recipe. Normally these ingredients will steep in the vinegar FOR.EV.ER. and I’m not patient. So I decided to can the ingredients in boiling water like a tea and see if that sped up the process. It actually worked pretty well! I’m not sure if it affects the properties of the ingredients but it still has the same firey  bite to it so I’m thinking it’s about the same. Oh, and I add the vinegar to my glass before taking it.

My main ingredients: ginger, garlic, horseradish, lemon
Chopped ingredients ready to go along with rosemary, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and lemon juice

Here lay the humble beginnings of my fire cider tea. Chopped and ready to be canned up.

Into the jar you go!
All canned up:)

After canning I gave it a few day to steep and then tried it out. It seemed just like the regular version that takes weeks so I’m pretty happy. Stay healthy!

Health

Sniffle City

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 Whenever anyone is under the weather they have the right to camp on the couch and take up real estate. Leela and I are making the most of it. She has been sniffly for a while and we spent a good part morning waiting to see the doctor. Prognosis : common cold, ugh. So, here are some things that perk us up when we are under the weather.

Cold and flu favorites include:

Ricola cough drops

Essential oils -especially thieves

Fishermans friend cough drops

Hot tea with honey and lemon

7 up

Orange juice

Wasabi peas

Homemade chicken soup (that I canned earlier in the year)

Reading, sewing and stories (in between naps)

New favorites :

It’s muscle cream and it doesn’t stink!

Seems to be working…

Hope you’re staying healthy!

Life

All In A Day’s Work

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I went out to do chores this morning and made my sniffy girl some chicken soup.  The washer decided to die this morning and the laundry was getting iffy. My husband was able to borrow a washer so he went out to pick it up. I was expecting someone to drop by so I squeezed in a shower before things got crazy. I heard a crash juuuuust as I was stepping out of the shower. Please.don’t.be.the.soup.

I wrapped in my robe and cautiously peeked out. It was the soup… and so there goes miss sniffly’s meal and there goes my morning. *sigh*

*But* we got a washer in place. It’s borrowed but I am ever so thankful for friends that let you borrow such things as washers. And the kitchen got cleaned. Again. So that’s good too. And I was super quick getting ready today so it’s a win. Right?;)

Happy Saturday!

DIY, Holidays

Holiday Quick Craft

veronica

The completed half

My grandmother used to have a mistletoe up every Christmas.  I always thought it was kinda weird. I would take alternate routes through the living room just to make sure I was never caught under the thing. Just.in case. I’m not into PDAs much but I had a cute idea for some holiday photos and I thought this sweet little craft would be super fun for a hubby and me photo. Got a keep on his sweet side if I want him to take a picture with me 😉

Materials:

1 Styrofoam ball (4″?)

4 dollar store red rose bunches

1 hanging wire- mine was a leftover bit from an artificial tree

Hot glue

Directions:

Pluck your rose blooms off and hot glue each to the Styrofoam ball

Push hanging wire in and secure with hot glue

Place over your sweetheart

(Last step optional)

Farm

Our New Babies

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Introducing Sage and Sorrel our lovely little dairy maids! These two girls were born late last winter and are sweet as can be. We have not yet decided if we will have them bred and get babies or simply keep them for lawnmowers as we have a lot of space to clear. By the way… ***BABY GOATS ARE SO ADORABLE!*** yes, I really needed caps for that. Seriously,  Google baby goats and tell me they aren’t the cutest thing ever. So if we do have them bred you can bet your boots I will be posting cuteness everywhere 🙂 you’re welcome!