For all our readers here in U.S. we are something like 32 days till Spring! Here's hoping! Seriously, here in my region we have had a really mild winter, but I am more than ready to get out and do something outside without dealing with the mud and the cold!
I am seeing so many different types of birds at the feeders. I am seeing some I haven't seen for a few months. That is a good sign. I have daffodils poking through the ground. They are about 2" tall. The berry briars have red stems. All will be back to life soon. THEN we will be griping about the heat, mowing, pulling, etc.!!!!! No making us happy.
We have had cold, super cold, snow and rain this week. Woke to 2*F on Thursday - yep that was cold. It hurt to breathe. Today should be up in the 40's. Crazy weather.
The birds sure have LOVED the heated bird bath this week. The water is above freezing - but not hot. They would come get a drink and then sit and just warm themselves with the steam! It was busy constantly for 2 days! Just so sweet.
I think my garden angel was shivering!!!!
My week:
- Filled all the feed bins before the super cold came in. Filled all feeders
- Made a batch of squirrel treats to help fill in with food (was running low on corn again)
- Refilled my ice melt container - so I don't have to lug around a heavy bag (I keep a gallon ice cream container full)
- Made a big batch of rice. Froze part plain - for some other meal. Made some fried rice with part
- Dropped off a bag of items at church thrift store. Got some older free bread for the birds and I received a 2lb. bag of yellow split peas for FREE (I will never go hungry)
- Needing corn for squirrels by Saturday and I really didn't want to drive all the way to feed store. I happened to remember the garden center. I have know the owners most of my life - so I don't know why I never thought of it before. Much closer. Got corn and peanuts.
- Just around the corner from the garden center is a super Kroger. I have only been there a couple times (the parking lot is wacky). It is like WM - has everything. I just walked around to have something to do. I did buy 2 - .99 bags of oranges and 2 cream cheese.
- Just doing all the normal stuff. Cooking from scratch, using what I have, drinking water and fruit juice, straightening and de-cluttering, just doing odds and ends. SO BORING!!!!!
Meals this past week:
Leftover beef/cheesy mac with beans added
Chicken & dumplings (small Sweet Sue can) and mashed potatoes, green beans (from freezer)
Grilled cheese and tomato soup
Veggie fried rice
Soft tacos
Chili (from freezer) and cheese and crackers
Grilled Rueben
Homemade veggie fried rice with some left to freeze for later!
Nothing exciting again this week. I heard about a new resale shop just a mile or so away and plan on going there in the next week or two. They don't call themselves a thrift store but resale store. They appear to have everything. Sounds like a fun day. The orchard is re-open for the next 2 weeks to get rid of fall stock. May go there as well. Just trying to come up with something to keep me busy. I have a couple days coming up to watch the neighbors dog while they go out of town (he stays at his house - I just feed and let him out). I have a wedding the last day of the month - so maybe the days till spring will pass quickly.
How was your week? Are you staying on track with spending and your 20 challenge? Are you doing anything exciting or different to pass the time?
Look forward to hearing from everyone.
Stay safe and healthy my friends.
Blessings from my humble little home to yours.
How nice that you have a heated bird bath for the birds. I'm sure they love that. While my daughter was cleaning out this week she had a cube shelf that she was going to donate, but I told her the cats might like it. So we put it outside for them on the back porch and they have lived in it ever since. LOL...it's easy to make them happy. :) I hope you have a good week, Cheryl.
ReplyDeleteCats sure do love boxes! I bet that was just perfect for them. I sure do like reusing things.
DeleteGood job.
Have a good one.
You did well Cheryl...I read about using brownie mix for pancake mix yesterday and I wanted to say thanks for the idea!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. That sounds so yummy.
DeleteRoutines do tend to start to feel boring at times. Time to shake it up - by visiting that re-sale store or the orchard. Take yourself out for a tea/coffee while you're at it.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure my birds would appreciate a heated bath as well, but we get so cold it would take a lot of energy to keep it warm. They do appreciate the seed I put out for them though.
Yes, it is time to shake it up a bit. I need to get out more and just have a little fun. I think it's time.
DeleteThe birds are quite pleased with the seed I am sure. They always give such joy to watch. Thanks for feeding them!
32 days until spring? Yeah! Actually spring has kind of started here. I have seen sow drops coming up in bunches in the neighbors yard and the forsythia is blooming in several places in town. I don't want to get my hope up as we could get a major freeze and snow. But 30 days sound like such a short time.
ReplyDeleteForsythia blooming? WOW. I love when that happens. it will be a bit before I look out and see that.
DeleteIt will be here soon. I am ready!
Great week for you!!!! Early spring always scare me because then we go back into deep frost!
ReplyDeleteI dropped $146 for groceries this week. We needed a good stock of meat as we're doing Code Red eating plan for 8 weeks. So I feel good about the purchase overall.
I stopped at my fave thrift store yesterday. I got 4 yards of a quality neutral quilting fabric for $2.64. 3w ago, same shop, I got 1 yard for $1.99 which is also a great find. I also hit a sale and got 3y for $16.46. I'm all set to make 2 patriotic lap quilts for our VA quilt drive at my charity group.
Today I am going through donated fabric to make a backing for a huge charity quilt. All of the fabric in this huge top was also donated. I am blessed with good quilty friends :-)
It's a good week!
What a deal on fabric. I love that you make quilts for charity. Such a wonderful thing to do. Someone gets a lot of love in one of your quilts
DeleteBlessed indeed. have a lovely week.
Howdy! Hope you are enjoying!
ReplyDeleteOur first crocus bloomed yesterday! Daffodils have been up since December (waaaay too early), but no buds yet. Spring can't get here soon enough for me. I'm starting to get cabin fever, and I'm a homebody!
ReplyDeleteExercised every day last week. Took today off, but doing housecleaning and other physical activity. I'm 13 for 16 days in February so far.
Spent only $73.70 on groceries last week. Made chocolate chip cookies from scratch for Hubby. I use lots of chips, just the way he likes them. For Valentine's Day, we stayed home and had Arby's-style roast beef sandwiches. Much cheaper then Arby's and tastier, too. Homemade chicken pot pie for dinners this week. Got the chicken breast for $1.29/lb, the cream of chicken soup for $.98, frozen mixed veggies for $.79, and sour cream instead of milk all in Aldi's pre-made pie crust ($1.49). Eight servings for less than $5.00. A lot less sodium for Hubby's low-sodium diet (sodium sensitive high blood pressure) than the pre-made pot pies.
Hope everyone has a good week!
Same here - I'm a homebody - but enough already!
DeleteTis the season for posies to start popping up.
Your meals sound great and so much healthier than eating out. Choc. chip cookies sound good.
I'd say you had a great week!
What lucky birds you have. I made a big pot of tomato, veg and lentil soup with what I had to hand. Also made your Hershey's chocolate syrup and had some with icecream and banana. It is delicious! So thank you.
ReplyDeleteYour soup sounds wonderful. SO hearty. Glad you liked the chocolate syrup. Sounds like a banana split to me! YUM
DeleteYou are very welcome. Glad you enjoyed.
Over the past 2 weeks (while it wasn't raining!) I noticed huge flocks of geese flying north. My forsythias are starting to bloom and daffodils along with other flowers are showing themselves. I think Spring is on the way!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to a frugal week and hope you have one as well. You guys give me inspiration to look for more ways to save.
May God Bless us all in the coming week.
Rain! UGH. - It won't be here when we need it.
DeleteSpring won't be too long. Getting anxious. I think this will be a frugal week here as well.
So happy you get inspiration from everyone. I just love how everyone shares!
Blessings
It really has been a mild winter. We will see what happens. Hubby and I went away for a few days with another couple. We had a great time. It was very low cost but we had lots of laughs. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteOh that sounds like fun. Glad you had a good time.
DeleteYou have a great week as well.
Although I haven't seen the birds in our woody area, I have certainly heard lots of them talking in the mornings. Makes me excited for spring! We had a low-key week as well, but managed to do a few saving things to help us move toward our goals:
ReplyDelete*Found out we could buy the big bag of bunny shredded bedding in the back of the farm store with the feed products which is only 1/4th of the cost of buying the same thing in the front part of the store. I was grateful for the cashier pointing this out!
*Continued my quest of purchasing as few trashbags as possible by using another pet food bag this week.
*Got a load of books through the new inter-library loan program at our tiny local library. I got books on homemaking, organizing, hospitality, gluten-free cooking, building and growing in greenhouses, and finances. I feel like I have found a whole new way of doing research :)
*Came in a bit under budget in groceries last week and got a notification from the auto insurance that it has been lowered a few more dollars this month.
*More on my blog! https://www.cozyhomemaking.com/frugal-fun-homemaking-for-february-9-15-2020/
You go girl. It sure helps to get to know the staff of our favorite stores. They can give us a lot of cost saving information.
DeleteLove using the pet food bags for trash. I use them for yard waste - as they are just so strong.
Libraries are surely our friends - the world at our finger tips! Love it.
You are doing fantastic. Thanks for the link!