It sure doesn't feel like it here at the moment. We are back in a colder state and going to get colder yet this week. Brrrrrrr. Back to more normal temps by the end of the week. It sure doesn't feel like "spring" month. I understand those in the southern hemisphere are now in "fall" and happy for it. It has been so very hot there.
I find it amazing and just neat how drastically different it is where we live, yet we are all so similar!
I have noticed that every morning when I go out to feed the fur babies (generally before dawn) the birdies are happily singing. I hear so much more variety and it does sound like spring. The daylight hours are most definitely getting longer! YAY! I can look out at the horizon and see a bronze mist in the distance - the trees are starting to get leaf buds and it looks kind of bronze like. I noticed the other day that a few tips of lilies are poking through the ground as well as a few red tips of peonies. It truly won't be long till the earth comes back to life!
It has been another relatively quiet week here.
My frugal week:
- I made a butter sheet cake for snacks (I love butter cake)
- I also made mousse-like chocolate pudding (it was good as a topping on the cake)
- Early in the week I went out and picked up lots of trash that had blown in from those crazy winds we had
- I accomplished a little bit of yard work and picking up sticks (again) on a warmer day
- Colored my hair for about .67! I used a third of a $2.00 clearance box of dye.
- Got to air out the house on a couple of afternoons
- Continuing spring cleaning - mopping, cleaning windows, mirrors & pictures, working on the cabinets, etc.
- Received another of my "gifted" Martha Stewart Living magazines - those are neat
- Did not have to purchase any fuel for the Blazer this month (Feb.)
- Been working on coming up with a plan for a baby quilt for a soon to be first time Mommy in the family
- Used a leftover chicken breast and used the meat in soup, and used the skin and bone to make broth for the same soup. I also used the hard ends of asparagus in that broth for flavor
- Used all leftovers for breakfast or lunches
- I finally ran out on Saturday - I just needed to get away from house. I ran to Aldi and bought 4 lb. bag of juicy & sweet navel oranges for 1.99. I think I need to go get more before price changes - they are wonderful. I also bought a bag of frozen peas (for salads) for .85 and a gallon of milk for 1.59.
- I am saving the orange peels in a baggy to make cleaner with
- I washed my quilt and comforter and felt they needed a bit of brightening up. I washed with peroxide in the water - and the whites are so much whiter and the colors brighter! It is natural too!
- Just doing all the normal stuff - cooking from scratch, cold water wash, making tea, etc.
Mexican casserole
Meals this past week:
Homemade beef sliders (like White Castle) and chips and dip
Cream of asparagus soup - 2X (with chicken in it)
Mexican oven casserole
Sausage gravy over toast and chicken tender strips
Homemade meat pie (pot pie)
Homemade pizza
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I have just been trying to use up everything that we can and not waste. Thankfully G isn't a traditional breakfast kind of guy and he likes leftovers for breakfast! That helps use everything up.
Still mainly using the pantry and the freezers for our meals. I really don't need weekly groceries, except for re-stocking items we get low on or that occasional thing we run out of!!! (Rarely happens - but it does sometime)
I sure love having a well stocked pantry and freezers!
How was your week? Any great deals? Are you all ready the changing of the seasons? I can't imagine too many that aren't!!!!!
Here is wishing you safety and health in this coming week. The promise of a new season is upon us, so we should rejoice. Take time to hug and share this week - those are things we all need.
Many blessings from our humble home to yours.
We are scheduled for the deep freeze too Cheryl. I've heard the birds too and such a promise of warmer weather. We just bought the oranges you got for the deal today. It's good to hear they are sweet. Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteLove all the signs of upcoming spring.
DeleteOh, the ones I got were absolutely wonderful. Best I have had in ages.
Hope yours are good too!
I told my friend to remind me of how cold I was all winter when I start griping about the July heat!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't at all pleased with my Feb budget so I'm going to rework March and hope it works better.
Cheryl, I tried your hair dye trick and used half a box. It worked perfectly and my hair is below my shoulders! I did all the roots and edges and the grey is gone! Thanks for that tip!
I know, I always swear I will not complain about the heat but...…!
DeleteGood deal on the hair dye. My hair is short, so it really works well for me. If you were like me, I always ended up with a lot left and it got thrown away. That is throwing away money. Glad you got a tip you could use!!!!
Oh, meals this week were:
ReplyDeleteA communal church meal (meatloaf, mashed taters, and salad)
Black bean and rice burritos
Tuna Melts and chips
Peppery beef over noodles
Tacos
An Aldi pizza and salad
Ham and beans
It all sounds yummy. Love getting new ideas! Thanks
DeleteThat Mexican casserole looks delicious, Cheryl. We had a cold snap last night too. I just want all the mud to dry up from this rain. We are not in danger of any drought right now, so that's looking on the positive side. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteI figure come August - we will be begging for water! Seems that is how it works.
Warmer days are ahead.
Have a good week.
We are very cold, for here this morning. 27* with the wind chill 17*. I know it's all relative because there are colder places in the US right now. I've been crocheting a bit this week and have several face scrubbies done up but with the thought of new carpet going in kind of puts a halt to sewing or canning because I need to move everything out of the rooms. Your menu always is inspiring!
ReplyDeleteIt is cold every where it seems.
DeleteFace scrubbies sound neat - what a good use of bits and pieces.
I would dread the thought of emptying out rooms for new carpet.
Thanks - I just experiment a lot!
I got the oranges at Aldi this week too. They tasted like summer to me. They were so sweet. The kids went away for a few days so Hubby and I have had the house to ourselves. We had friends over one day. Dinner out twice in one week. It was like a mini vacation for us except hubby still had work. We used a gift card for dinner one night so only had to pay for the 2nd night. Brought all leftovers home and ate them for lunches. Today was the fist day I cooked breakfast since the kids left. Hubby and I have been eating leftover waffles, bagels and pancakes from the freezer to use them up. We have had snow twice this week. About 4 inches total so not bad at all. Have a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a really nice week.
DeleteThose oranges are just scrumptious to me. I need to go tomorrow and get more - in case price goes up on Wednesday.
Love having breakfast things on hand for those quick mornings! Good job.
How much peroxide would you use in your wash? I sometimes splash a liberal bit of white vinegar for freshness, but am wondering about the peroxide.
ReplyDeleteI get the regular size bottles (not sure oz. they are downstairs)
DeleteFor an extra boost now and then I use about 1/3 bottle per load. It really does help - I don't do it all the time, but especially during the winter when I can't hang stuff out in sun.
Hope that helps.
Google keeps unsubbing my newsletters. Only Google, lol. Sorry for the late reply. Least I catch them at their silliness.
ReplyDeleteIt is cold here too. Really cold at 3 degrees! Are you kidding me? LOL! I told my DH this is good sugar snow season and we should go out and tap the maple tree. He looked at me like that is never going to happen, lol. He liked the history of sugar now when I told him. My DH is diabetic and maple is a bad idea. :) My birds are chirping too. Warm weather this weekend. Here's hoping for you to get warm weather.
Spring cleaning- Bedroom and hallway closets decluttered and arranged for the season. It was easy but still it's nice and refreshing. My hallway was not easy. I had to buy new bedding when I got my bed. I had to do a lot of sorting. My strays and rescues now have nice bedding. My friends tease me that my strays have better bedding than most people.
Spring cleaning my art studio. Working on my coloring tools. This takes a lot of time. I have a lot of coloring tools! I test everything, reink, refill, etc.... Keeping my art tools is like keeping a good pantry. Keeping everything well maintained, refilled and stocked saves money. I did all my markers last week. I refilled my waterbrush markers. I even refreshed my Crayola markers and Sharpies. This saved me over $500. This biggest expense if I had to replace would be my water brush markers. I refilled them for pennies on the dollar.
I love to do paper piecing. Scrapbook paper piecing layered files. I am obsessed with this. I have to buy a lot of colored cardstock. I realized I am an artist so why I am not coloring my own cardstock, lol. I made a ballerina girl this week out of white cardstock. I colored her and embellished her with my coloring tools. She turned out so beautifully. Everything I used was so frugal, except my Copics. Those are refillable. :) Best part I can stop buying so much colored cardstock. I have custom colors. Such a big win.
DH needed an expensive car part and I was able to order it for 75% off brand new. He was thrilled and the car is happy too.
DH called the utility company again and screamed at them to fix the plumbing issue. We did buy an auger. He got it out all the way to the main sewer line. Guess where the clog was? In the main sewer line. They came out and found the problem. I was able to get a professional auger for half off. DH is happy to have it. Finally after three months, yes three months the issue is fixed. I hope the neighbor's across the street their issues are fixed too. They were having the same issues! The auger it was cheaper to buy than rent.
All in all last week was huge savings. DH said the plumbing issues would have cost us at least $3,000. Car part would have been over $150. My marker replacement would have been over $500. Close to $4,000 dollars saved!
Well all the geese are flying in to nest and our birdhouses are full, so I think spring is coming but from the temperatures, not so much.
ReplyDelete