Oh, my, what a fun Saturday morning! It's pouring, gloomy, and cold, but so far it's been a lovely day.
Poor hubby was out studying, and is now working his tail off because something went wrong at work. So while he's gone, the baby and I went to our church Olympics this morning. We were divided up into countries randomly, and off we went!
We had group events, such as tug-of-war. We had a three-legged race, a boot toss, a hula hoop contest, a diaper derby for the little ones, a marshmallow eating contest, and a game I had never before seen that was hilarious.
Divide into couples. Each couple ties a balloon the size of their head (it needs to be pretty big) to their right feet. Assume dance position, fairly close together. Turn on music and stomp on other couples' balloons. Last couple with at least one balloon left wins! It was absolutely ridiculously fun.
During lunch, we awarded medals and I can't think when I had more fun. The best part was the rain, so instead of being on a big field we were corraled into the gym at the church. I assumed that being by myself with the baby I'd be unable to compete, but plenty of people stepped up to watch him while I competed myself.
What a fun way to spend a Saturday!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Friday, September 28, 2007
Book Review: The Tightwad Gazette II
I knew that I would enjoy this book, which is why it was easy to put it on my list. I checked it out from the library (the author would be proud!) to learn more about frugal living.
If you've read any of Amy Daczyczyn's writings, you'll know that she is a wonderful resource for exploring all aspects of saving money and being frugal. She openly admits that many ideas will not work for everyone, but she does her best to present inspiration to help the individual.
This particular volume is a compilation of many money-saving ideas and articles published in her Tightwad Gazette publication, which I believe is no longer being produced.
If you'll check out this post, you'll get an idea of some of the more philosophical articles presented in the book. I'm sure if you were to pick it up, like me you'd have difficulty putting it down until you'd gleaned every bit of information from it possible.
If you've read any of Amy Daczyczyn's writings, you'll know that she is a wonderful resource for exploring all aspects of saving money and being frugal. She openly admits that many ideas will not work for everyone, but she does her best to present inspiration to help the individual.
This particular volume is a compilation of many money-saving ideas and articles published in her Tightwad Gazette publication, which I believe is no longer being produced.
If you'll check out this post, you'll get an idea of some of the more philosophical articles presented in the book. I'm sure if you were to pick it up, like me you'd have difficulty putting it down until you'd gleaned every bit of information from it possible.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Dinner Group
I live in an apartment complex full of married college students. We get to be pretty good friends with our neighbors, so when my upstairs neighbors proposed the following idea, I was very excited.
The premise: cooking once for eight is easier than cooking four times for a couple.
Execution: Monday through Thursday nights, we have dinner together. Four couples, four homes, four fun dinner parties. I cook once, and do dishes once, but eat four times. This is the part I love the most. How much harder is it to make more? Not very. How much fun is it to eat with my friends? A whole lot.
Tonight it's my turn to host, so we're having one of my favorites--crock-pot stuffed cabbage. Simple, but delicious.
I brown some ground beef with onion (in the crockpot, of course) then blot off as much of the fat as I can get. Throw in a can of diced tomatoes, two small cans of tomato sauce, a bay leaf, and a tablespoon of parsley (or dill if you prefer). Roughly chop some cabbage. Half a head should be enough. Maybe a bit more. Toss it all together, and cook on low for four more hours. Serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese if you're a dairy fiend.
Tonight, we'll also be having rolls, corn, and a butternut squash dish (my first attempt--the butternut squash came from a friend's garden). Hopefully, it will be a hit. Knowing my friends, though, it will be a whole lot of fun!
The premise: cooking once for eight is easier than cooking four times for a couple.
Execution: Monday through Thursday nights, we have dinner together. Four couples, four homes, four fun dinner parties. I cook once, and do dishes once, but eat four times. This is the part I love the most. How much harder is it to make more? Not very. How much fun is it to eat with my friends? A whole lot.
Tonight it's my turn to host, so we're having one of my favorites--crock-pot stuffed cabbage. Simple, but delicious.
I brown some ground beef with onion (in the crockpot, of course) then blot off as much of the fat as I can get. Throw in a can of diced tomatoes, two small cans of tomato sauce, a bay leaf, and a tablespoon of parsley (or dill if you prefer). Roughly chop some cabbage. Half a head should be enough. Maybe a bit more. Toss it all together, and cook on low for four more hours. Serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese if you're a dairy fiend.
Tonight, we'll also be having rolls, corn, and a butternut squash dish (my first attempt--the butternut squash came from a friend's garden). Hopefully, it will be a hit. Knowing my friends, though, it will be a whole lot of fun!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Ruminations on Frugality
Whilst reading The Tightwad Gazette II, by Amy Dacyczyn, I came across an article that really struck a chord. Amy discusses frugality as being economical and thrifty, in regards to the expenditure of any resource.
"All of us attempt to achieve the highest quality of life possible by balancing four basic resources: money, time, space, and personal energy. We must manage these four things in relationship to one another."
I find this rather an important aspect of frugality that isn't discussed on the web as often as the frugal vs. cheap question. So, let's have a go, shall we?
The real trouble with balancing our money, time, space, and personal energy is that it is so personal. All of our resources are limited, some more than others. Mine certainly in a different capacity than yours. Solutions that might be great for my favorite frugal blogger are ludicrous for my life. No matter how many closets I see go from cluttered to organized, it won't change the fact that I don't have any in my home.
My resources differ from yours, but so does my perception of a quality life. I far prefer borrowing a classic movie from the library and munching homemade pizza to going out. This works well given our limited financial resources; my husband or I have to work extra to pay for that dinner out and show, and it would mean sacrificing more family time during the work week. That would be off-balance for our family.
My personal solution for balancing space is to declutter. I don't save things that might have an undefined future use. I use my limited storage space for food storage and bulk food buying, as well as books and baby clothes. Food, family, and reading are my top priorities space-wise.
To balance the money (and keep that balance with my space) I don't buy things. I think long and hard before spending the money we work so hard to earn. Often, I'll have a purchase in mind for several months before I commit to it.
To balance time, I commit to buying less in order to spend more time with my husband. I spend more time home baking from scratch, and less time shopping.
As far as personal energy is concerned, I want to have enough energy to care for my family. So I always keep playing with the baby, or spending time with my husband, at the top of the list. I need quality fuel, too, to keep up that energy, so next comes preparing quality food.
As you can see, these four aspects of a frugal (and happy!) life require a delicate balance. The result of fine-tuning that balance is peace within ourselves, our homes, and our relationships. Well worth a little extra work to find what fits, isn't it?
"All of us attempt to achieve the highest quality of life possible by balancing four basic resources: money, time, space, and personal energy. We must manage these four things in relationship to one another."
I find this rather an important aspect of frugality that isn't discussed on the web as often as the frugal vs. cheap question. So, let's have a go, shall we?
The real trouble with balancing our money, time, space, and personal energy is that it is so personal. All of our resources are limited, some more than others. Mine certainly in a different capacity than yours. Solutions that might be great for my favorite frugal blogger are ludicrous for my life. No matter how many closets I see go from cluttered to organized, it won't change the fact that I don't have any in my home.
My resources differ from yours, but so does my perception of a quality life. I far prefer borrowing a classic movie from the library and munching homemade pizza to going out. This works well given our limited financial resources; my husband or I have to work extra to pay for that dinner out and show, and it would mean sacrificing more family time during the work week. That would be off-balance for our family.
My personal solution for balancing space is to declutter. I don't save things that might have an undefined future use. I use my limited storage space for food storage and bulk food buying, as well as books and baby clothes. Food, family, and reading are my top priorities space-wise.
To balance the money (and keep that balance with my space) I don't buy things. I think long and hard before spending the money we work so hard to earn. Often, I'll have a purchase in mind for several months before I commit to it.
To balance time, I commit to buying less in order to spend more time with my husband. I spend more time home baking from scratch, and less time shopping.
As far as personal energy is concerned, I want to have enough energy to care for my family. So I always keep playing with the baby, or spending time with my husband, at the top of the list. I need quality fuel, too, to keep up that energy, so next comes preparing quality food.
As you can see, these four aspects of a frugal (and happy!) life require a delicate balance. The result of fine-tuning that balance is peace within ourselves, our homes, and our relationships. Well worth a little extra work to find what fits, isn't it?
Culinary Adventures, à la Julia Child
This morning I roasted a chicken, following the instructions in a lovely book I found at the library, Julia's Kitchen Wisdom. It's a great reference for making classic French dishes. Today I tried the roast chicken, and my goodness! It tasted heavenly, full of flavor and very moist. Here are the basic directions.
Baking time:
15 minutes at 450 degrees, then--
30 minutes at 350, plus 7 minutes per pound
Wash chicken rapidly in hot water, then pat dry. Season inside cavity with salt and pepper (adding anything else you like--lemon slices, onion, apple, herbs, etc.). Salt all over and rub the chicken with soft butter.
After 30 minutes in the oven, strew 1/2 cup each onions and carrots (both chopped) into pan.
This made enough for us to eat for lunch with vegetables and biscuits. There's also 2-3 cups of shredded chicken meat, and I used the bones and remnants to make a fair amount of chicken stock. I could have deglazed the pan and made gravy, but decided to use the yummy bits in my chicken stock.
And, as Julia would say, "Bon appétit!"
My First Book Review!
Here we are with the Fall Reading Challenge, and I've already finished a book! Of coures, it helps that I have a book club meeting to host this Thursday.
Last night, I finished reading The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith. It was a charming read, but I found it rather slow-paced and trite for a detective novel. The stories were all fairly easy to figure out, and I far prefer my Agatha Christie when it comes to mystery. Of course, this book is more about Africa, Botswana, and the lovely Precious Ramotswe than it is about her cases. The end result was a book that was too easy to put down and leave. I would never have finished it, had it not been for our Book Club this week.
All in all, it was a sweet read, but I have little desire to read any of the sequels.
Now onto some fun nonfiction--The Tightwad Gazette II! I have no doubt I'll have it finished within a day or so, as I devoured the 1st and 3rd books in less than a week.
Last night, I finished reading The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, by Alexander McCall Smith. It was a charming read, but I found it rather slow-paced and trite for a detective novel. The stories were all fairly easy to figure out, and I far prefer my Agatha Christie when it comes to mystery. Of course, this book is more about Africa, Botswana, and the lovely Precious Ramotswe than it is about her cases. The end result was a book that was too easy to put down and leave. I would never have finished it, had it not been for our Book Club this week.
All in all, it was a sweet read, but I have little desire to read any of the sequels.
Now onto some fun nonfiction--The Tightwad Gazette II! I have no doubt I'll have it finished within a day or so, as I devoured the 1st and 3rd books in less than a week.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Fall Into Reading
I am so excited about this! I've never participated in a Reading Challenge, hosted by Katrina at Callapidder Days .
My list of books for this Fall include the following:
The rest of the Bible
The Tightwad Gazette II by Amy Dacyczyn
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Mr. Darcy's Daughters by Elizabeth Aston
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall
I'm sure I will also add various non-fiction selections as I go along, as I am apt to pick up random non-fiction books from the library. I'm so excited to have a goal for reading! After having taken a break from reading after the long slog of university studies, it's been wonderful having a book club to inspire me to read more often. Having discovered the local public library has only added fuel to the fire!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Saturday Adventures
Today has been quite the day!
We started off by going to the homecoming parade here at school. Since we live next to campus, it was a short walk to the parade route. Lots of fun seeing the floats, the people dancing, throwing candy, and the little kids having a ball. Definitely something we'll do again next year.
After that, it was off to Enrichment. Fun, but it meant that I was gone for Guy's entire first nap and didn't get anything accomplished at home. Lunch was served, so that was nice to not have to cook anything. There was even extra to take home to the hubby!
I then went and did some very necessary grocery shopping. And after that, it was off to a birthday party for a couple who we're good friends with. It was a barbecue, so I didn't have to cook dinner, either!
This evening has been spent working for me, and doing homework for Josh. Now, I'm done staring at a computer screen and get to go do some more work, in the form of that mountain of dishes in my kitchen! At the very least, I need to transfer the leftovers from the crockpot in the fridge so I can wash the crock.
Which reminds me of my Sunday solution: Josh is often gone at meetings most of the day on Sundays, and I rarely know when he'll be home. Since he longs to have a good home-cooked meal on Sundays, I avail myself of the breadmaker and the crockpot. Then, I have dinner ready from the time I'm home from church. Not much work, and it's always tasty. Except that chili I burned that one time! Well, and last week's lentil stew was a bit gross-looking, but it tasted fine to me.
We started off by going to the homecoming parade here at school. Since we live next to campus, it was a short walk to the parade route. Lots of fun seeing the floats, the people dancing, throwing candy, and the little kids having a ball. Definitely something we'll do again next year.
After that, it was off to Enrichment. Fun, but it meant that I was gone for Guy's entire first nap and didn't get anything accomplished at home. Lunch was served, so that was nice to not have to cook anything. There was even extra to take home to the hubby!
I then went and did some very necessary grocery shopping. And after that, it was off to a birthday party for a couple who we're good friends with. It was a barbecue, so I didn't have to cook dinner, either!
This evening has been spent working for me, and doing homework for Josh. Now, I'm done staring at a computer screen and get to go do some more work, in the form of that mountain of dishes in my kitchen! At the very least, I need to transfer the leftovers from the crockpot in the fridge so I can wash the crock.
Which reminds me of my Sunday solution: Josh is often gone at meetings most of the day on Sundays, and I rarely know when he'll be home. Since he longs to have a good home-cooked meal on Sundays, I avail myself of the breadmaker and the crockpot. Then, I have dinner ready from the time I'm home from church. Not much work, and it's always tasty. Except that chili I burned that one time! Well, and last week's lentil stew was a bit gross-looking, but it tasted fine to me.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Weekday Widow
In case I haven't mentioned it before, my husband is a university student. He's in a top-rated program, where they ask their students to work no more than ten hours per week in order to focus on schoolwork.
My husband also has a job. He's got a lot to keep him busy at work, and often ends up working thirty hour weeks without having planned. This means that most days are a lot like today.
He had only six hours of sleep, interrupted twice by an unusually fussy son. Home for lunch after class, we had a few minutes to chat and relax. From work, he went to to a professor's home for dinner. It's 7 p.m. and my son didn't see his father all day.
This makes me a bit sad, but it gives me motivation to work hard around the house so that it is peaceful and happy when he comes home. Every minute counts when you don't see each other very often. Who wants to waste time bickering or sniping? Not me!
What works well is keeping on a schedule, keeping busy (but getting things done--not too much socializing), and having fun whenever I get the chance. Nothing he needs more than a happy wife.
My husband also has a job. He's got a lot to keep him busy at work, and often ends up working thirty hour weeks without having planned. This means that most days are a lot like today.
He had only six hours of sleep, interrupted twice by an unusually fussy son. Home for lunch after class, we had a few minutes to chat and relax. From work, he went to to a professor's home for dinner. It's 7 p.m. and my son didn't see his father all day.
This makes me a bit sad, but it gives me motivation to work hard around the house so that it is peaceful and happy when he comes home. Every minute counts when you don't see each other very often. Who wants to waste time bickering or sniping? Not me!
What works well is keeping on a schedule, keeping busy (but getting things done--not too much socializing), and having fun whenever I get the chance. Nothing he needs more than a happy wife.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Here's lookin' at you, fridge
So, in the quest to keep my kitchen clean, I have challenged myself. Fourteen straight days of a clean kitchen at the end of the day (or at least cleaner than it started, seeing as I started with a mountain of dishes). This means any dish used must be washed before going to bed.
The reward? A new dress. I've only got two Sunday outfits right now, as I've skinnied myself right out of everything else. Two days in, I'm thinking I can make this work. Even while preparing two meals a day for the family, it's a doable task, and I love cooking in a clean kitchen. So motivation is right in front of me.
In other news, I read an odd blog post today claiming that it's not any cheaper or healthier to make baby food than it is to buy jarred food. This I do not believe in the slightest. For one, the baby food is processed in order to jar it. This would include heat, and other methods that weaken or alter nutrients. Secondly, the jars then sit on the shelves for ages, further reducing nutritional content. Thirdly, it's cheapest to simply breastfeed until the child is old enough to start eating real food. Mashed bananas, veggies, oatmeal, etc. are good starters until your child has teeth and can start to chew.
Honestly, I've been amazed at my son's ability to bite, chew, and swallow as a 9-month-old without much practice on even eating food. He can even drink from a cup, which he did on the first try. Sometimes it takes lots of practice, but it seems to me that it's all pretty intuitive for my little bubby.
The reward? A new dress. I've only got two Sunday outfits right now, as I've skinnied myself right out of everything else. Two days in, I'm thinking I can make this work. Even while preparing two meals a day for the family, it's a doable task, and I love cooking in a clean kitchen. So motivation is right in front of me.
In other news, I read an odd blog post today claiming that it's not any cheaper or healthier to make baby food than it is to buy jarred food. This I do not believe in the slightest. For one, the baby food is processed in order to jar it. This would include heat, and other methods that weaken or alter nutrients. Secondly, the jars then sit on the shelves for ages, further reducing nutritional content. Thirdly, it's cheapest to simply breastfeed until the child is old enough to start eating real food. Mashed bananas, veggies, oatmeal, etc. are good starters until your child has teeth and can start to chew.
Honestly, I've been amazed at my son's ability to bite, chew, and swallow as a 9-month-old without much practice on even eating food. He can even drink from a cup, which he did on the first try. Sometimes it takes lots of practice, but it seems to me that it's all pretty intuitive for my little bubby.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Basic Kitchen Tip
Home-cooked meals are invariably cheaper than the storebought variety.
Cooking in a clean kitchen is a joy, while shuffling the dirty dishes while trying to cook is frustrating beyond belief.
Add two and two, and you realize that having a clean kitchen is a good step towards wanting to cook frugal and healthy meals.
Get a clue, Emily. Seriously.
Cooking in a clean kitchen is a joy, while shuffling the dirty dishes while trying to cook is frustrating beyond belief.
Add two and two, and you realize that having a clean kitchen is a good step towards wanting to cook frugal and healthy meals.
Get a clue, Emily. Seriously.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Tips for a New Baby
I left a comment on one of my favorite blogs, Frugal Upstate, with some advice for a mom-to-be on how to save money and space with a little one. I thought I'd reprint it here.
We live in a tiny two-bedroom apartment (my husband is still in college) and one of our biggest space and money-savers was borrowing from friends. My son's bouncer, baby bathtub, sling, and swing were all borrowed. When we were done, we gave them back so we didn't have to store them for future kids. We also didn't have to pay for them.
I change my son on the floor on a kitchen towel to protect the carpet, because we have no room or money for a dresser or changing table. So, all of his clothes are stored in a closet hanging shoe organizer (less than $20). This makes it easy to find what I need quickly, too!
We haven't spent much money on toys, either. My son loves to play with an empty formula can, plastic measuring cups, an extra tv remote with no batteries, and some rubber ducks and dinosaurs my mother purchased for us. We have spent money on board books, so that he has something he can "read" himself.
I make sure that all his toys fit in a basket we keep in the living room, an extra that we had laying around. This makes clean-up easy and helps prevent us from amassing too many things at this stage.
Also--my favorite frugal find was a Maclaren umbrella stroller at Costco for about $75. It works like a dream and is very sturdy but lightweight. This is one of those things you just have to watch out for if you're a Costco shopper.
Have I jabbered on enough, yet?
We live in a tiny two-bedroom apartment (my husband is still in college) and one of our biggest space and money-savers was borrowing from friends. My son's bouncer, baby bathtub, sling, and swing were all borrowed. When we were done, we gave them back so we didn't have to store them for future kids. We also didn't have to pay for them.
I change my son on the floor on a kitchen towel to protect the carpet, because we have no room or money for a dresser or changing table. So, all of his clothes are stored in a closet hanging shoe organizer (less than $20). This makes it easy to find what I need quickly, too!
We haven't spent much money on toys, either. My son loves to play with an empty formula can, plastic measuring cups, an extra tv remote with no batteries, and some rubber ducks and dinosaurs my mother purchased for us. We have spent money on board books, so that he has something he can "read" himself.
I make sure that all his toys fit in a basket we keep in the living room, an extra that we had laying around. This makes clean-up easy and helps prevent us from amassing too many things at this stage.
Also--my favorite frugal find was a Maclaren umbrella stroller at Costco for about $75. It works like a dream and is very sturdy but lightweight. This is one of those things you just have to watch out for if you're a Costco shopper.
Have I jabbered on enough, yet?
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Morsbags to the Rescue!
I needed a project. Okay, so that's an outright lie. As I was surfing the internet the other day, I came across a few websites that left me dreaming of better things for myself, my family, and the environment.
www.reusablebags.com was one of these, and I got to thinking how nice it would be if I could cut down on the enormous number of plastic bags coming into my household.
Well, there's a $50 set that would be nice. However, I don't think I'm willing to spend $50. Let alone $100 for a bag that proclaims "I'm Not a Plastic Bag". Ridiculous.
I happened to have several yards of a neutral-colored fabric, very sturdy, purchased for the purposes of making a civil war re-enacting corset. Obviously, that never happened, as I'm sadly no longer involved in re-enacting. And yesterday, I found the best website!
www.morsbags.com
The idea is that people get together, sew these bags from scrap fabric, and then leave them at grocery stores for people to use to prevent the wasting of precious resources manufacturing and then throwing away plastic bags.
There's a wonderful visual tutorial clarifies the instructions. You need an iron, some fabric, and the ability to sew straight lines (thus a machine is incredibly helpful).
I managed to finish one yesterday (thanks to the husband, who watched the baby while I finished it up) and it's very sturdy. I have enough fabric to make three more, which will undoubtedly take much longer than necessary, but anything to save the planet :-)
www.reusablebags.com was one of these, and I got to thinking how nice it would be if I could cut down on the enormous number of plastic bags coming into my household.
Well, there's a $50 set that would be nice. However, I don't think I'm willing to spend $50. Let alone $100 for a bag that proclaims "I'm Not a Plastic Bag". Ridiculous.
I happened to have several yards of a neutral-colored fabric, very sturdy, purchased for the purposes of making a civil war re-enacting corset. Obviously, that never happened, as I'm sadly no longer involved in re-enacting. And yesterday, I found the best website!
www.morsbags.com
The idea is that people get together, sew these bags from scrap fabric, and then leave them at grocery stores for people to use to prevent the wasting of precious resources manufacturing and then throwing away plastic bags.
There's a wonderful visual tutorial clarifies the instructions. You need an iron, some fabric, and the ability to sew straight lines (thus a machine is incredibly helpful).
I managed to finish one yesterday (thanks to the husband, who watched the baby while I finished it up) and it's very sturdy. I have enough fabric to make three more, which will undoubtedly take much longer than necessary, but anything to save the planet :-)
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Frugal Cleaning Tip
There's nothing I hate more than toxic chemicals. Yes, I know that they work really well for cleaning, but it's not worth poor health to have in my home.
Yesterday morning, I noticed the shower was clogged. It wasn't pretty! The best way I know of to remove a clog is to physically remove whatever is blocking the drain. It's a quick fix. In my case, it was a lot of hair--we shaved the husband's head yesterday, and I've got long hair that ends up everywhere. With this removed, I wanted to make certain the drain was clear.
The solution here? Baking soda, followed by vinegar. Then, (and don't skip this step!) after 10 minutes have passed, pour a kettleful of boiling water down the drain. This will remove any last strongholds that the baking soda/vinegar combination weakened.
Yesterday morning, I noticed the shower was clogged. It wasn't pretty! The best way I know of to remove a clog is to physically remove whatever is blocking the drain. It's a quick fix. In my case, it was a lot of hair--we shaved the husband's head yesterday, and I've got long hair that ends up everywhere. With this removed, I wanted to make certain the drain was clear.
The solution here? Baking soda, followed by vinegar. Then, (and don't skip this step!) after 10 minutes have passed, pour a kettleful of boiling water down the drain. This will remove any last strongholds that the baking soda/vinegar combination weakened.
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