Sunday, September 8, 2019

Weekly Wrap-Up 9/8

Good morning.  Hope this finds you all well.
We have been having some cooler weather this week, but that is coming to an end for the upcoming week.  We will be back to close to 90* this week and some rain.  It seems that summer doesn't want to give up the fight.
The daylight hours just keep getting shorter and shorter.  UGH!  Supposedly we lose over another hour of daylight this month.

It appears the hummingbirds are getting ready to move on.  The activity has dropped markedly.  I am now down to 2 birds.  So sad to see them go.
The darn racoons have been around a lot.  They are cute - but I don't want them around.  I took down all the corn that was growing (squirrel planted) and harvested it (for squirrels).  The racoons  just keep showing up to feast on it.  I put the stalks and immature corn out by the alley - they can have at it out there.  I just don't want them in the yard!  I don't trust them.

All things are still green, although I do see bits of color starting here and there in the trees.  I am still harvesting a few tomatoes, and my brothers garden is going gangbusters.

My week:
  • My brother gave me a nice big bunch of fresh green beans (3 lbs.) and cherry tomatoes.  
  • I gave my SIL a big bag of paperback books
  • Cooked all the beans up.  Shared some with my neighbor and ate on them a couple times.  Remainder went into the freezer for another day
  • I froze leftover baked beans
  • Did some fall decorating  - doors and porch (with things I already had)
  • Mowed and did a bunch of yard work.
  • Picked several tomatoes
  • Cleaning and re-arranging  a bit - there is always so much to do
  • I ended up with 400 gas points for Aug. from Kroger.  That is .40 off per gallon of gas this month.  I did not spend that much.  I got 200 points free for doing 4 surveys and our local stores had coupons to double points each visit on certain days.  
  • I ran to the church thrift store to look around.  I received FREE bread and bagels and got a new sweater for .99 (still had a partial tag on it).

This will look cute over a colored lightweight top
  • I tried going to the area Goodwill again - I truly don't know why I try.  So stinking expensive for thrift.  Seemed like a lot of junk.  Bought nothing at all.
  • I received from family - 2 books, some thread, and a ceramic lighted Christmas tree (that I made years ago).  One book was a hard copy of Complete Tightwad Gazette, the other was a book of hints and tips.
  • Did lots more paperwork
  • All normal things - drinking water, meals from scratch, AC off when possible, minimal lights, staying home a lot, etc.
Meals this past week:
Big salad of fresh garden veggie chunks (no lettuce) served with Ranch (meatless day)
Dbl. cheeseburger and baked beans
Chicken tenders and sliced tomatoes and cucumbers
Green beans, sliced tomatoes, and grilled ham & cheese sandwich
Fried smashed potatoes, green beans and sliced tomatoes (meatless day)
Cheesy/spicy zucchini and hominy skillet and chicken
Leftover beans, cheesy zuc./hominy, and sliced tomatoes (meatless day)

Zucchini/hominy - I sliced a zucchini, added a bit of onion, and a small drained can of hominy.  Sautee till tender, added about 1/4 jar of homemade spicy salsa and topped with shredded cheese.  Oh my this good.

Fried smashed potato - Microwaved one medium potato - cut in half lengthwise (when cooled a bit) and placed (cut side down) in a pan with a little oil.  Smash down with egg turner.  Fry each side until golden.  Yum.  Tastes like a thick fried potato - crunchy outside - soft inside.

How was your week?  Did you get any deals?  How are your gardens doing?  Are you harvesting  - canning - freezing?

I hope you all have a great new week.  May you and your families be healthy and safe.  Prayers for healing for all those that need it.
Blessings from my humble little home to yours.

26 comments:

  1. I know Goodwill is so high, I just tell husband to go on by. I love your sweater and what a deal. Free bread is always good.

    Thanks for reminding me of sliced tomatoes for part of our dinner. I'll do that. Your menu sounds so good as always!

    It's cool here this weekend but we are supposed to be near 80 this next week. Hope so!

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    1. I love eating tomatoes any way I can while I have fresh ones.
      We have had decent weather too - but heat is coming back for a while.
      Have a good one.

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  2. I think many thrift stores are way too expensive. Gone are the days of .25 cent yard sales.

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    1. Exactly. The church store I go to has pretty much everything for .99 each. I have a big yearly sale next weekend that I plan on going to. It is a yard sale that is a fund raiser - looking to find good prices.

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  3. Cheryl, Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. I enjoy reading about your garden and the good deals you found. Hope the sun is shining upon you and your week is overflowing with pleasant surprises. Kindest regards, Anita

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    1. How sweet. I look forward to seeing any replies I get - they always make my day.

      Yes the sun is shining upon me today. It has been a pretty darn good day, had visitors, so always nice.

      Have a wonderful week.

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  4. Most charity shops are very expensive here though I do have my favourites.

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    1. I will stick with my church thrift store - pretty much .99 on about everything.
      All others charge way too much.

      Delete
  5. I've found our local Value Village has raised their prices significantly, so I tend to go to our Salvation Army thrift store instead.

    I did get a couple of deals this week from regular retail stores. Our Save-On grocery store was offering a $10 gift card for a $25 purchase. All of the items I purchased were on sale, saving me an additional $9 off regular pricing so a double win in my mind. And I picked up three two piece sets of t-shirts/shorts for my grandson at Walmart for $3 each. He may outgrow the shorts by next summer, but the shirts will be used all year round.

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    1. I wish we still had Value Village. They closed about 3 years ago. I really liked them
      WOW, great deal on the gift card! Yes mam - win-win!
      That is a great price on the short sets too.
      Great job.

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  6. We feel the very same way about Goodwill. Prices are just too high for a thrift store even on their 50% off days they are still high. Salvation Army is much better and they have 99¢ days.

    So nice about your brother giving you all those green beans. My BIL and I canned green beans yesterday and ended up with 2 dozen jars. I love just looking at the jars. LOL

    I hope you have a great week, Cheryl. :)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I am not even sure where a Salvation Army is any more around here. So many places closed.
      Home canned good look so pretty! It is just like a painting. How nice of you to help and wonderful to share.
      Have a great one!

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  7. I hate to see the hummingbirds go, too. I was worried that the hurricane might make them leave early, but nope, there are three still hanging around. Have a great week!

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    1. It is always sad to think of those little rays of sunshine going. I love watching the.
      Have a good one.

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  8. Sounds like a good week with yummy meals and good deals. Lovely sweater and you sure can't beat free bread and bagels. Thanks for the tip for smashed potatoes. I hadn't thought about microwaving them first before smashing and baking. Yum! Thanks!
    Dh picked up a bag of jalapeno peppers at the farmer's market, so I am going to turn some into your poppers to enjoy while we watch a movie tonight.
    Sorry about the raccoons. I don't like having them around either although the skunks are worse. ;) I saw 3 deer in our backyard yesterday, but my garden is about kaput now. I sure enjoyed my tomatoes while they lasted.
    Hope you have a blessed week.

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    1. It sure makes the potatoes cook faster!
      Poppers sound so good.
      Deer is one thing I don't have. I swear I smell skunk once in a while - but it appears to be off at a distance. UGH. That would be awful to have.

      Sorry your tomatoes are done. Have a good week.

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  9. Good for you on your finds. I have been doing a bit of research into the thrift stores. One thing is that both Goodwill and Value Village are “for profit” shops. Only a small portion goes to charity. The second thing is that most of the thrift shops have gotten into this new to them thing where they get new furniture at a discount and sell it at a lower rate ie. my daughter bought a sofa from the local furniture store. It and it’s replacement were both damaged. Those two sofas are now sitting in a local thrift shop. It is supposed to be a way for furniture, appliances, clothing etc. to be sold instead of going to the landfill. This is the reason the prices have gone up. As for still donating to the thrift stores, many are keeping their clothing, repurposing, or they giving three to charity. Value Village will always try to get as close to what they estimate full price would have been. It is a big complaint here that often times clothing that they have received from stores that couldn’t sell it are marked at much higher amounts..lots of the clothing they get this way still have the price tags on it. So it is now becoming another place for buyers to be ware. Love your blog.

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    1. Wow, I wasn't aware of that. I have seen new tags on some things - but figured a person just donated. I guess stores can probably take off their taxes for 'donating' and thrift stores can make more money.
      That is why I now prefer my little church owned store that I go to. They have 2 locations and all profits go into feeding the hungry. Win-win situation in my opinion.

      Thank you. I am glad you are here. Love hearing from all of you. Have a good week.

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  10. I love my copy of the Tightwad Gazette. Hubby got it free for me a few years ago. I have a ton of cherry tomatoes too. We have been using them in lots of different dishes. I finally did a post on my blog today. Hoping to get back to it on a regular basis. Have a wonderful week.

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    1. I had the 3 individual copies of TWG for years. They are so worn - so was thrilled to get the all in one book.
      Cherry tomatoes are like candy to me. I can't walk past the bowl without grabbing a couple!
      Can't wait to read and catch up with you. You have been busy for sure.
      Have a good one.

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  11. Hi Cheryl,

    Picked up five Mums at Home Depot's labor day sale for $.88 each, planted them along my front walk to add a bit of color. Bought two 24 packs of water on sale for $1.69 each and then brought outdoor furniture and recycling cans into the garage in preparation for Dorian. We ended up with about an inch of rain and good strong gusts of wind on Thursday, it brought the temperature down to 70 degrees and I opened up all the windows to air out the house. Its silly that the nicest day of the week was because of a hurricane. Back up in the 90s this coming week and the next. Your menu sounds delicious!

    Nichole

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    1. what wonderful prices you got.
      So happy you only got a little rain and no damage. Those darn hurricanes are just horrible.
      Well I am glad it gave you the opportunity to open those windows and enjoy a breeze.
      Stay cool. The temps going back up to 90 this week here as well.
      Thanks - I just cook whatever sounds good at the moment!
      Blessings

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  12. You find such good deals, Cheryl, and do a good job as a steward of your finances. I need to get better at it.
    I never go to GW anymore. They price things there for more than you can buy them on sale in a regular store. Crazy. It supports very highly paid CEO's and executives and I refuse to pay their salaries.

    Have a great night- xo Diana

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    1. Yes, that is another reason not to go. I have heard how the CEO gets paid, and it makes me sick. That is not right, especially when promoting yourself as a charity.
      I have no reason to pay full price for anything especially from a thrift store.
      Thank you for the compliment.
      Have a lovely day!

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  13. We have two rather small second hand stores here, and both leave lots to be desired. I try to hit the church rummage sales here as for some reason the prices are better as is the selection.

    God bless.

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    1. It used to be fun going to thrift stores, not so much any more. They sure aren't what they used to be.
      Blessings

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