Monday, November 27, 2017

Monday Message


"As we do our very best, we can be confident that ‘the barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail.’ We shall enjoy greater wisdom, security, peace of mind, and personal well-being. We shall be prepared, and because we are prepared, we ‘shall not fear.‘"  (Bishop Keith B. McMullin)

I think we too need to be thankful. Be sure to thank Heavenly Father for every blessing.

We are on this journey of hard times and you are following along with us. We have a market in our small town that I happened into this week to find boxes for mailing gifts. I was blessed to be there when they were setting out bananas. They give them free when they start to turn, other stores in the area only slightly mark them down. There were a lot so I brought home boxes and a huge bag of bananas. We will eat them till it is time to freeze them and make banana bread. They all will get used. This is a blessing and I was thankful for it. Yes, it will be some work but I have always said if Heavenly Father sends food to me, I will work hard to put it up. I might dry some as well.

I have been hurting lots more of late with the fibromyalgia so it makes everything takes so much longer and hurt so much more.

Months and months ago I bought a video on weaving for five dollars, this has helped me in learning this skill. I have been working on getting the loom warped up.




Building skills is very important to stretch our funds and to continue learning. The video was on huge sale, it costs way more but saving money on sale plus being the very thing I needed to learn is wonderful.

The fiber I am using was free, that is why I'm using those colors. One problem was the center cream section was half the thickness and I knew that would mean trouble but from the video I learned I could use two threads for one thread and now they are working perfect.

So I am learning on the skills I am trying to improve for the very little amount of five dollars. It isn’t like I could afford a class or even more videos if there ever were any more for that price but I have the cone fibers from a huge yarn haul from years ago, all different kinds. So I thought this video would help me learn how to weave with these different fibers and it does but it ended up being oh so much more…another blessing I am thankful for.

A huge blessing is to be content with what you have. We might have hard times but making do with what you have is a very good thing. Knowing how to sew and knit and crochet and cook from scratch, it all makes our money stretch a lot further. So keep working on your skills.  

I am reminded of an article I read about a woman who learned to tat. She worked hard at perfecting this skill. You are probably thinking what good could that be? Well in the end she had to support her family and it was tatting that was what saved them.  Also, the pioneers would tat, calling it poor man’s lace. They could carry it in their pockets. They used this skill to make their homes prettier, even dugouts. So don’t rule out anything. Learn the skills that will bless your family.

Being frugal is a skill. Learn this skill and see how your family will be blessed.

I was noting in the store flyer the price of four lbs of sugar was $1.69.  I was going to the  restroom at a gas station that sells food too. I walked by and noted the same amount of the same brand of sugar for $3.99. This is a huge difference in price. Oh, and the flyer was from the store right across the street. So you cross two lanes of traffic and you saved $2.30.  

So it is about knowing prices. Shop your sales and use common sense. The gas station is wanting you to notice they have sugar and you won’t need to go to the store, just get it there and save time. Okay, that saves five minutes that it would take to cross the road.  By the way, there was one bag on the shelf.  Now if you had sugar in storage you could do one better, wait till the store has it on sale for $1.19, that comes around often.

Study being frugal and apply it to your life.

I know it is the holiday season but what a good time to learn to live within your means.

https://zenhabits.net/the-cheapskate-guide-50-tips-for-frugal-living/ - lots of great ideas here, well worth looking through.  

We cut cable years ago and haven’t looked back. We use Roku, you can order and pay for channels but we only have Netflix. It covers the two TVs. The rest we watch for free because we did not want the bills from the different channels as it would defeat what we were trying to do. No cable bill is fantastic plus we get BYU channel for free and can get conference. Years ago when we did have cable it did not offer this… Another huge blessing.

We cut each other’s hair, such a savings! At a church women’s meeting long before we had kids they had a mini class on hair cutting and I learned to cut my husband’s hair. That was when he wore it longer now he just likes it very short. He has always cut my hair, in fact he just cut it this week for me.

In this pic, I was showing a recipe from this cookbook for a contest. The food in here is all frugal and is why I use it.



When is enough enough? Think about that for a while. I have just done weeks of deep cleaning so stuff isn’t the answer. I donated to our local pantry and friends.

If you have trouble getting rid of things, give to a friend telling them that if they don’t want it, pass it on or toss it. And once you do this you do not take it back.

Organize the supplies you keep.

The first section you see my knitting books gathered after many years.



Next you see free books - I like cozy mysteries.



Next is a shelf of basket making supplies, most given to me from basket makers getting out of making them.



There is a rug loom I am working on and sheets I have ready to weave.



The spinning wheel is near the roving.



I make my cards, so you see the desk where I sit and make cards.



So what you decide to keep you should organize it.

Keep working on gathering storage and the skills and organize the supplies

Keep Christmas within your means, this is the challenge!

Monday, November 20, 2017

Monday Message


"We can begin ever so modestly. We can begin with a one week’s food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months. I am speaking now of food to cover basic needs. . .I fear that so many feel that a long-term food supply is so far beyond their reach that they make no effort at all. . .Begin in a small way, … and gradually build toward a reasonable objective." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

"Start now to create a plan if you don’t already have one, or update your present plan. Watch for best buys that will fit into your year’s supply. We are not in a situation that requires panic buying, but we do need to be careful in purchasing and rotating the storage that we’re putting away. The instability in the world today makes it imperative that we take heed of the counsel and prepare for the future." (L. Tom Perry)

I know it is hard to work on storage when you have the holidays here to do. Remember, every time you go into the store pick up at least one thing for storage. It is a good time of year to stock up, there are many sales at the grocery stores so watch your sale flyers.

When the first measurable snowfall hits I read this book…


You need to read this with your family, do it even if you have read it before. When you read it your thoughts on food storage will change.

Their garden did not produce well as it was their first year gardening in this area plus an early frost shortened the season.  They put the food up. Then being warned that the winter would be a hard one, they moved to town. They thought they would be okay as the trains brought supplies. They did not have much money but thought they would be okay. Almost immediately the trains were snowed in. You will have to read the book to find out what happens to them. But you will want to think what you have in your storage and think what you would have wished you had in storage then make it happen.

Today if there was an emergency the grocery stores have only 24 hours of food. You do not want to be going out trying to get food or storage items during an emergency.

Do you really want to go out in this?



https://simplypreparing.com/things-to-do-before-a-winter-storm/ - good reminders, good to be prepared.

http://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/winter-storm#About

http://6abc.com/weather/checklist-heres-what-you-need-for-a-major-snowstorm/1167139/

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=simple+homemade+christmas&qpvt=simple+homemade+christmas&FORM=VDRE - these are videos of doing simple homemade Christmas.

Here are some of our favorite cookies that we like to have this time of year and warm baked cookies are best served during a snow storm and during board games.





So keep working on your storage, stay with in your means for gift giving, enjoy the season, and remember those in need. Do the best you can!

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Chicken Pincushion Tutorial


First find an empty wooden spool but it doesn’t have to be empty it could have thread for mending but mine is empty.



Next is the pattern I made. I put measuring for you to follow but really this is primitive.




Then I used felt for the first one but I am using wool in this next one. I then cut out two.

Here are the things I need to finish …… buttons for the eyes, my spool, some black floss, stuffing, strips of felt to use for a tail, beak, and comb. I sewed the body using green so you could see.



I machine stitch around all but the bottom between 1/8 to ¼ inch from the edge, with the fabric face to face. Once sewn, I clip the curves.

Next turn body right side out and stuff.




Next we will do a running stitch around the bottom. I use big stitches about ¼ inch up from the bottom.

I divide the floss in half so that I have three strands and thread needle.




Do not clip the thread. Now we put the top end of the spool in and we will pull to gather the thread. Then we wrap the thread around the outside and tie it off.




Next we make kind of a willy nilly loop for the tail feathers and combs. Add a folded tiny diamond shape for the beak and attach it on top part of the red loop under the beak.




Then sew the eyes on.



One more primitive thing I do is sew a horizontal stitching like so all around the seam.



The size of the spool will determine the height.


Monday, November 13, 2017

Monday Message


"The counsel to have a year’s supply of basic food, clothing, and commodities was given fifty years ago and has been repeated many times since. Every father and mother are the family’s storekeepers. They should store whatever their own family would like to have in the case of an emergency … [and] God will sustain us through our trials." (James E. Faust)

This week finds me doing my deep cleaning. I usually get the urge to do a clean through this time of year.

I look forward to the slower winter days.

I have my winter kit in the car and we have our winter preparations tended. How are you coming on yours?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vreKNWude0&feature=em-uploademail - this is something we overlook.

I keep recipes on a ring. One set is breakfast recipes and the other is one-pot recipes. These are ones we like so it is easy to grab and make. I keep them in a basket near the stove.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FijOO3DchSQ&feature=em-uploademail - I love their idea. We use all areas in food storage like she was saying about the cheese. Don’t have your eggs in one basket. If you lose electrical you still have nonperishable.

How are you coming on your food storage notebooks? This really is an important tool to have.




I have mentioned this before but a reminder goes with using all we have available to us for storage. I get yeast in big bags. Those bags I freeze. I put one bag in my “using jar.” This jar I keep in the refrigerator. This will extend the life of the yeast.



That way you will continue to make great bread items.





Storage items can also serve to decorate like in this picture it shows wash boards and clothespins. So think about it as storage that is pretty. I store emergency candles in a basket, it is pretty and very handy.




This time of year means making gifts. Consider sewing as skill building and making gifts.





I made chicken pincushions one year as gifts. Sometimes it is making useful gifts that is rewarding.

Keep working on your storage and even consider giving storage as gifts like I said last week.



Remember to put your feet up with a hot cocoa. Always keep a mix made up.



Gus and Missy say to remember to rest often during the stressful times of Holidays!


Do the best you can.
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