Our Garage/Storage Area

Our storage area in our garage is the made up of the space left over after we did the bedroom conversion.  Up until that point we rarely parked in our garage.  It is small and narrow and better suited to storage than for actually parking a car inside.  So when the need for more space to accommodate my expanding family, in particular the addition of my two beautiful daughters, I decided to convert a large portion of the garage into a third bedroom rather than sell our house and buy something larger.

I paid cash to do the conversion and worked on it over the summer.  When it was done my son moved in and his old bedroom upstairs became my girl's bedroom for several years.  When my son moved out on his own we made his room into our family room.  Last fall when we moved back into the house after fourteen months away we collectively decided I would use that room as my bedroom and the girls would each have their own room upstairs.  It has worked out very well for us.

The storage area used to be jam packed with crap.  And I do mean "jam packed" and "crap".  I used to have two sets of floor to ceiling shelves as well as rows of bins and boxes stacked and tuck in everywhere.  There was also four bicycles, camping equipment an upright freezer and a full sized refrigerator out there.  I look back and I still am not sure how we managed it.

When we moved back in we had a whole lot less stuff.  One small chest freezer, two bicycles and an assortment of boxes and storage bins.  The goal was to empty as many of those bins and boxes as we possibly could and find homes for everything inside.  I also removed all of the dirty dusty particle board shelving and got rid of it.  The metal shelving unit was repositioned and screwed to the wall for stability.  That is all the shelving I am allowing myself.

Despite the fact that we arrived with what seemed like very little in the way of possessions it still took us from Labor Day to Memorial Day to unpack and move in.  And guess what?  I'm still working on it.  I'd say I've made it through 95% of it, however.  I want everything I own to have a purpose and a proper place to be stored.

We now have space for our trash and recycle bins, which are big and a bit of an eyesore.  I like to keep that kind of stuff hidden and out of sight so it was important to me this time to have a space for them in the storage area.  Our freezer sits perfectly in the space right next to them.

I want to make good use of our vertical storage spaces.  Yard tools are hung up on the pegboard which includes an old laundry soap bucket to hold the variety of smaller items all corralled together.

The shelving unit now holds my power tools, canning jars and canner, pet supplies and holiday items. 

I still feel I have too much stuff in there so I will be working to thin it down and get rid of stuff.

Last Week's Thrifty Moves

Sunday morning I baked a fresh loaf of French bread and once it was cooled I sliced it and made poor boy sandwiches.  I used bologna and salami, sliced cheese, lettuce, sliced tomatoes and mayonnaise to put them together.  We took our sandwiches and our water bottles and had a picnic at the park.  Then when we were finished eating we walked through the MK Nature Center.  It was a perfect family outing and my youngest was thrilled to be able to get out of the house.

I relisted a couple items for sale on Craigslist for free.

eBay offered me 20 free listings this month.  With my oldest's help we managed to sort, organize and photograph a bunch of stuff.  As a result I listed eight groupings of older styles of eyeglass frames.  If I manage to sell them all I will have eliminated two bins of stuff from our storage area.

I added two more items to my Etsy store.  It costs me 20¢ to list an item on Etsy.

I made two hanging dish towels to give as gifts.  Now I just need to make some for my store as they tend to be pretty good sellers.

I printed off six online grocery coupons.

I made a pint of homemade chocolate syrup for ice cream.

On Wednesday I baked another loaf of French bread.  The girls wolfed down the one I made Sunday and said "it was sooooooo good can we have another?"  How could I refuse?

I harvested the last of the blueberries, some lettuce and four cucumbers.  I shared some lettuce and stale whole wheat bread with our chickens.  I composted coffee grounds, tea bags and the suckers I trimmed from our tomato plants.

We had enough rain that I only had to water the lawn once and the garden twice last week.  It was also cool enough to go without the A/C.  I kept the house cool by opening the windows and back door early every morning, then again after the sun went down and using our box fans.  We were quite comfortable.  I also did all my baking in the garage using the convection toaster oven from our old RV.

We gathered up all the sticks and bark that had fallen from the trees after the wind and rain we had.  I used that and our shreddable junk mail to start a fire in our firepot on our deck.  We sat outside on Friday evening and enjoyed the fire, grilled some hamburgers on our little grill and ate our dinner.  It made for a wonderful evening.

We watched a few programs for free on YouTube.  I watched a program on Amazon.  We also listened to music and watched a sustainable living documentary on YouTube.  On Saturday I watched a NASCAR race on YouTube while I did some projects and cleaning around the house.

The girls caught the corner of the rug in the vacuum cleaner.  I repaired it by grabbing a big needle and re-stitching the thread that was pulled out.  Took me only a few minutes.

I did a marathon of projects around the house Saturday.  I cleaned and re-organized the storage area in our garage.  In the process I was able to fill up the big garbage bag we had started a few weeks ago with donations.  It feels so good to be able to purge a little more.  I finally installed the two mini blinds I had bought on sale back in September for the laundry room and kitchen windows.  I was finally able to wash the filthy mini blind in my bedroom (it was seriously grossing me out).  It looks so good now.  I washed all of the downstairs windows, windowsills and cleaned the living room.  I also washed the mirrors.  I polished all of our wood furniture.  It felt great to get so much done and be super productive, but I was really pooped afterward.

How thrifty were you last week?

Healthy Eating Is Completely Affordable!

Beef sirloin steak and stir fried vegetables

We got in a huge debate at work one day and of course I had something to say.  The topic of conversation - "It's too expensive to eat healthy."  My response - "That is so not true!"

I'm a firm believer that the value menu at a fast food restaurant is not less expensive than buying groceries and you'll never convince me otherwise, but that was one of the arguments.  However, when I pointed out that a bag of potatoes cost less and goes a whole lot further than a bag of potato chips not to mention an actual potato is healthier the conversation began to lose its momentum.

Two homemade pizzas using homemade whole wheat dough
and fresh ingredients. Cheese, mushrooms, pesto, pepperoni.

The closer you are to a food's original form the less expensive it is to buy.  The more it is processed the more it costs.  I can make a healthy delicious homemade pizza for far less money than one you get delivered.  In fact, I can make several.

I keep a lot of fresh produce in my house as well as milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese, whole wheat bread, lean meats, nuts, dried fruits, oatmeal, whole grain cereals, and so much more.  As a rule I tend to buy ingredients at the grocery store and then I go home and make food rather than buy my food at the store or the drive thru.  Does that make sense?

One of our weekly produce hauls for three people.
I also buy canned and frozen fruits and vegetables.

I won't say I never buy chips or convenience foods because that would be a lie.  And I'm not saying one should never buy those things, but if it comes down to being able to afford healthy food or prepared food I'll choose the healthy stuff and leave the chips at the store.

Another thing to think about is that a lot of Americans, in general, tend to eat too much.  We also tend waste a lot of the food we buy, rather than eat it.  It costs a lot of money to support an unhealthy high calorie diet.  Not to mention the costs associated with the medical ramifications of that type of diet, but that is a whole other issue.  

Homemade vanilla yogurt with frozen berries

I still think my healthy eating lifestyle is a constant work in progress.  I know I can do better and I'm going to keep working at it.  And I know I can do it affordably.

Developing and maintaining healthy eating habits is near and dear to my heart. 

How about you?  What are your thoughts?

Homemade whole wheat bread and granola

KIS - Canning Essentials

I enjoy canning and preserving food to stock in my pantry.  However, I don’t can a ton of stuff.  I'm more of what I like to refer to as a small-scale canner.  I can in small batches and use the water bath method.  Most of what I can goes in pint jars - pears, peaches, applesauce, tomatoes and salsa.  I use half pints for jam, jellies, relish and salsa.  Quart jars work great for pickles.

These are the items I consider essential for this type of canning:

Water bath canner with jar rack

Assorted canning jars

Flat lids and rings

Jar lifter (to safely remove jars from canner)

Jar funnel

Depending on what I am canning I find that I can get by quite nicely using what I already have in my kitchen for preparation.  I love to use my dishwasher to sterilize my jars and rings.  The canner filled with boiling water works well too.  I sterilize my lids simply by placing them in a saucepan and pouring boiling water over them.  I cover the pan with a lid until I'm ready for them.

Canning half pints of strawberry jam in great grandma's aluminum dutch oven

I love to use my slow cooker to make applesauce and apple butter.  My great grandmother's aluminum dutch oven gets a workout for blanching peaches and tomatoes to slip the skins.  I also use it to make my relishes, jams and jellies.  I like to cold pack my pickles.

All in all I keep my canning processes as simple as possible.

Need more canning tips and information?  Check out this website.

Upcycled Denim Skirts

I was fortunate to have the Friday before the 4th off from work and I decided to make it a sewing day.  I began at 8:00 that morning and finished up just before 4:00 in the afternoon.  I had a ball!

I made my oldest two skirts using two pair of short shorts (too short, in my opinion) that had come in the two bags of clothes the girls received a couple weeks ago from a friend.  I originally planned to toss them into our donate bag when I got an idea to make skirts out of them.

I had cut the legs off of my youngest's holey jeans at the beginning of June when I made her three pair of jean shorts.  The denim past the knee area was still in really great shape and I was sure I could do something with them so I saved them.

I used my zipper foot to get close enough and stitch the legs all together

I carefully cut each one of them up the sides and stitched them together with 1/4" seams carefully lining up the hems so they were even.

I turned the shorts inside out and positioned them to pin the skirt to the shorts just below the pockets and zipper.  I trimmed away the excess on the shorts and then stitched all the way around with another 1/4 seam.  Once turned right side out I pressed the skirts.

Back

Added button embellishment

Finished!

I used pinking shears to trim the raw edges of the seams so they wouldn’t unravel and make strings.  Then I added some buttons I had to decorate it a little more.

The other skirt I made with a scrap of calico cut in a long wide strip that someone gave me after finishing a quilt.  I added the eyelet trim I already had along the hem and then top stitched it.  Then I sewed two rows of stitches and gathered the calico across the top.  I attached it the calico to the shorts the same way as I did with the other skirt.

I added a belt by simply stitching another narrow strip of fabric, turning it right side out and pressing it flat.  I finished the ends and ran it through the belt loops.

When my daughter got home from work that evening I surprised her with them.  She was so excited when she saw them and I was tremendously relieved and happy that she liked them so much.  You just never know for sure with teenagers if it will be a hit or a miss.

I love that I was able to recycle these random pieces into two items of fashionable and functional clothing.  It was a ton of fun and I'm excited to try it again.

Have you ever done anything like this?

New pics, as promised, of my daughter's new curtains.
Ignore the ugly A/C unit, if that is even possible. :)

Fun pom pom trim and cute fabric strip.
I made the tie backs our of the same fabric.

Yard Update!

Leading up to our front door.

I was so happy to finally finish the cleanup of our entire yard.  Our backyard was in the very worst condition and the last part to be completed.  Over the long 4th of July weekend I tackled a lot of projects and that Saturday morning I focused my attention to finishing up and getting that backyard done.

Our front door and porch

I cleaned up the rest of the debris, pulled weeds and gave it a good raking.  Then I started with the deck and cleaned it and our patio furniture before moving on with the hose to clean the walkway that leads to our chicken coop and raised garden beds.

Our little pond area

One of my new hostas

I tossed out a set of broken patio tables, organized hoses, tidied up around the compost bin and cleaned up the flower bed that runs along the fence.  I finished up by raking the lawn and got everything put back into its proper place.

Our backyard.  So pretty now!

Tomatoes, cucumbers & strawberries

Peppers & lettuce

Once my tools were put away I stood back and took it all in.  Finally my yard looks the way I hoped it would.  It is so nice now to look out my windows and see it neat and presentable rather than a yucky old mess.  We are now able to thoroughly enjoy our deck and I plan to put it to good use.  Every space has now been give a complete makeover.

I even think my chickens are impressed.

Last Week's Thrifty Moves

Remember how I got all those school clothes for my kids?  Well this time it was Mama's turn! 

I went online to JCPenney.com and ordered six short sleeved and sleeveless tops from their "clearance rack".  Three are Liz Claiborne and three are Worthington.  At checkout I received an additional 25% off and because I opted to pick up my order at the store the shipping is free.  With sales tax my order came to a whopping $46.84 - 2 for $5.99 each, 3 for $7.49 each and 1 for $9.74.  I really needed the tops as I am down to four right now that I'm rotating each week and I noticed they are starting to show wear.

I clipped six online coupons from Coupons.com.  I read the ads online Sunday and Wednesday and mapped out my grocery list for the week.

We got a lovely reprieve from the hot weather and on Wednesday a storm rolled in and dumped a bunch of rain.  A real gulley washer!  I turned off the A/C units and opened all the doors and windows to let in the fresh cool air.  It was heavenly, to say the least and boy did it smell good.

It rained again on Thursday for quite awhile.  Everything was good and saturated Friday morning.  Then on Saturday evening we got drench again.  I watered Monday morning and then didn't have to water anything for the rest of the week!

Sunday I filled out a store survey to earn an additional 50 fuel points.  I then stopped after work on Wednesday and filled my tank and because of those added points I had enough to save an extra 10¢ a gallon.

I went to Albertson's to pick up milk and dish soap on sale.  I used coupons and ended up with two large bottles of Dawn dish soap for $1.69 each.  I also redeemed a coupon for a free container of ice cream.  Yum!

I was seriously on a clean out the fridge and used it up kick this week.  Most of the breakfasts and lunches I took to work were a hodge podge of leftovers I finished up.  I used up the last of a bottle of barbecue sauce to make pulled pork for sandwiches, the last of a bottle of mustard and jar of dill pickles went in a potato salad I made, several odds and ends of a variety of cheeses went into a batch of macaroni & cheese for supper and the girls were kind en0ugh to finish up a bucket of vanilla ice cream and the rest of the homemade chocolate syrup.

I turned a bottle of lotion upside down and managed to get that finished up.

I gave our kitchen scraps to our chickens, which always makes them happy.  I composted coffee grounds, tea bags, egg shells and onion skins.

I was super excited to see our sewer bill has gone down.  Yaaaay!

I washed out two Ziploc bags to reuse.

While working around the house Saturday I watched two NASCAR races on YouTube.  I'm so glad NASCAR puts those up for me to watch.

I trimmed my bangs.

I re-opened my Etsy store and listed five crib size baby afghans I had made.  Hopefully they will sell.

My girls received another bag of clothes from our family friend.  She gave them several tops, a pair of shorts, and several pair of shoes in like new condition, including a really nice pair of Birkenstocks.  The girls were thrilled.

How thrifty were you last week?