Bathroom Mirror Re-do

We stopped into the Salvation Army recently and my husband came across an ugly as sin mirror, that thing was right out of the 70's with big clunky octagon shaped spindles. I didn't have the vision for it that he did but I'm glad he picked it up because the end result is really pretty. 

The light fixture is from his studio. The light gave off the wrong light for working on paintings so he never used it. He moved it into the bathroom and integrated it into this project.

So I guess my overall advice is to go into the thrift stores and be open to the potential of ugly things! :p

End result is now a beautiful mirror! Well done, Dick!

Monday Message

Diner-style pancakes from scratch. Recipe HERE.

"More than ever before, we need to learn and apply the principles of economic self-reliance. We do not know when the crisis involving sickness or unemployment may affect our own circumstances. We do know that the Lord has decreed global calamities for the future and has warned and forewarned us to be prepared." (President Ezra Taft Benson)

I think there are so many calamities going on all over that maybe we should heed this statement by President Benson. Living within our means is so important especially now. There is more need. Are you in a position to help those in need?

I continue to suggest picking up something for your storage every time you go into a store.  If you cannot afford to do this try to do more budget meals and using what you save to build your storage.

Please do not go into further debt, instead work hard getting out of debt.

Try to learn to be content with what you have. Also, learn to stretch what you have. One always thinks when they retire life will be easy, not so! You will be living on a fixed income in an unfixed world.

Here are a few things that help me - I buy in bulk when I can which means 25 lb bags of flour. If you are not doing this you might consider it. Here is how I do it… I get buckets from the bakery in my local grocery store. I get them free. I wash them well and then dry them very well. Then I let the bucket air dry overnight to be sure they are totally dry. Then I pour the 25 lb bag of flour in and on top I place two bay leaves. Then I label and date the lid. The bay leaves keep from getting bugs in the flour. The label tells me what it is and the date which makes it easy to rotate using the oldest one first.

I make bread and rolls and cookies and cakes, muffins, coffee cakes, pancakes and waffles... I think you see if you make from scratch you use flour a lot. I also store whole wheat berries the same way as the flour. I only grind the wheat when I need, it is the only difference.

I glean apples every year I can.

I also can everything I get my hands on - this saves lots of money.

I dehydrate fruits and veggies. When I have one or two pieces of celery or a handful of carrots I dehydrate them. This drying things has saved us a lot.

This brings me to vacuum sealing. This is huge at saving us money. I vacuum seal things I dehydrate. I vacuum seal chocolate chips to last years. I use it so much I keep it on the counter ready to go all the time. I vacuum seal nuts to make them last. Dry things not wet things.

The key thing is when you do things yourself it saves money. So it may take elbow grease and skill building but they're good skills to have.

We had a used dresser given to us that was not in great shape. We cut it down which meant taking a lot of it apart. Then we made it into this bathroom sink. We used front of drawers to open into a cupboard door but closed it looks like drawers.

Being frugal means spending less it serves us well.  Sometimes we have to be really frugal we use what we put up if we are blessed with a little more we stock things needed ahead like two bags of flour etc this helps to smooth the harder times.

So what skills you learn now will help you all your life. 

https://www.fastweb.com/student-life/articles/basic-life-skills-you-should-know this might give you some ideas for teaching your kids.

https://acultivatednest.com/homemaking-skills-to-learn-to-make-your-life-easier/ here are a few things you might want to pick from to work on

https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-create-a-frugal-budget-1388523 this has ideas to help you with a budget

http://theparsimoniousprincess.blogspot.com/2013/01/100-more-painless-ways-to-live-frugally_31.html has maybe some thing you never thought of

https://www.frugalwoods.com/2016/01/04/make-a-new-years-resolution-for-just-one-month/ - more ideas here.

Sometimes we think we cannot manage without ___?  But I have found out you can really live without whatever thing you thought you couldn't before. We really can…

Cooking from scratch really is a huge thing. I know I keep saying it but I wouldn’t if it wasn’t.

https://www.thebalance.com/learn-how-to-cook-everything-from-scratch-1388352 - has some good things here.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/ - this gal has a terrific site with frugal ideas in the kitchen.

What frugal things are you doing?

Monday Message

Jar mixes for one pot spaghetti hamburger helper, recipe HERE.

"Today, I emphasize a most basic principle: home production and storage. Have you ever paused to realize what would happen to your community or nation if transportation were paralyzed or if we had a war or depression? How would you and your neighbors obtain food? How long would the corner grocery store—or supermarket—sustain the needs of the community?" (President Ezra Taft Benson)

Now the holidays are over and cold reality sets in brrrrrr. We have had very cold weather and dangerous wind chills.  I hope you had storage to fall back on and stayed in and kept warm.

We had a local gas station chain ran out of gas as it was so cold their trucks would not start as they run on diesel which won’t work in these really cold temps. One thing is definitely certain and that is things are constantly changing. Being prepared is essential.

I hope you were able to take advantage of the sales over the holidays and build up your storage.

I received a food storage gift of the hugest bag of chocolate chips. What a wonderful gift! I will pour into jars and vacuum seal them.

That is a great idea for your gift giving. Who wouldn’t love that gift?

As winter wears on cabin fever sets in…. 

Guess who is winning? :p

If you aren’t up to a riveting game of chess here are some fun ideas to battle cabin fever…

https://geekmom.com/2014/01/40-cabin-fever-cures-kids/

With spring still not here and the dull days of winter still with us, get a fresh flower to bring a reminder that spring is coming.

Taking a good long bath can help your mood…..

But seriously this is the time to work on learning new skills….

You can read a good book or two. My favorite kind are cozy mysteries. Or you could read a book on the skill you're building or maybe some cookbooks…

Don’t forget your mending and teach it to your kids as well, the more the merrier.

I am a great believer in random acts of kindness. Look for people who could use a kind act. That leaves it wide open as who wouldn’t feel happy to be at both ends of that?

Keep working on your storage, every little thing adds up.

Do the best you can!

Monday Message

"Our Heavenly Father created this beautiful earth, with all its abundance, for our benefit and use. His purpose is to provide for our needs as we walk in faith and obedience. He has lovingly commanded us to ‘prepare every needful thing’ (see D&C 109:8) so that, should adversity come, we may care for ourselves and our neighbors, and support bishops as they care for others." (All is Safely Gathered In pamphlet)

We have been given all this for our needs. We need to manage it wisely. We need to live frugally and not waste it.

There is a saying… the woman shovels out the back door more than her husband brings in the front door. Don’t be like that woman. Be frugal.

Remember to add to your list making up your mixes ahead to have them on hand.

We talked in the last blog post about meal planning and how that helps us be frugal. When we are thinking and not guessing, our money goes further. Once you build the habit you can go on to the next thing on your list.

Once you have your plan, you should be able to also have a grocery list.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/frugal-grocery-shopping.htm - frugal ideas

https://www.wikihow.com/Grocery-Shop-and-Cook-Frugally - there are some great ideas on here as well.

https://www.thebalance.com/grocery-savings-4073550 - great ideas

On the news they say we are in for a rough flu season, are you ready? They said the best thing is chicken soup so next time you make it, double it and freeze it in smaller containers just in case…

http://www.frugal-living-tips.com/frugal-grocery.html - ideas

I will say stick to your list but check your sales and be flexible. If there is an in-store sale be ready to adapt your list.

http://www.servingjoyfully.com/2012/05/31/budget-series-frugal-living-groceries/ - great ideas here too.

We have covered a few ideas here to get you going. Find frugal recipes, not just easy ones, but frugal as well. And start a binder. Mine is divided like for your recipe files to help you find the recipe easier. This binder also serves as inspiration for meal planning and grocery shopping.

https://newleafwellness.biz/2014/11/03/six-crockpot-freezer-meals-aldi-40-minutes/ - it is nice to have some freezer meals at the ready to save you from going out to eat or if you get sick or to take to someone else who is sick.

https://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/10-free-aldi-freezer-meal-plans-that-will-literally-change-your-life/ - these could inspire you.

http://www.gracefullittlehoneybee.com/12-easy-freezer-meals-2-hours/ - I love this gal, she is so helpful.

http://www.thelittlefrugalhouse.com/the-ultimate-aldi-freezer-cooking-plan-80-meals-in-2-hours/ - these really are to inspire you.

It is good to find easy and frugal recipes.

https://newleafwellness.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Six-Freezer-Meals-from-Aldi.pdf - you can use whatever store you like or have in your area.

https://newleafwellness.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Six-Freezer-Meals-from-Aldi.pdfyoutube.com/watch?v=hRhbBbGoIdQ - watch this video if you don’t get to anything else...

This will get you to thinking frugal and doing stuff ahead which helps us very much as we all have to eat.

Keep working on your storage, it really saves in the long run!

Monday Message

"Today, I emphasize a most basic principle: home production and storage. Have you ever paused to realize what would happen to your community or nation if transportation were paralyzed or if we had a war or depression? How would you and your neighbors obtain food? How long would the corner grocery store—or supermarket—sustain the needs of the community?" (President Ezra Taft Benson)

I feel strongly that we should be working on storage, skills, living frugally and within our means.

If you stayed within your budget for gift giving you will not be worried about how you will manage and pay off Christmas at the same time.

This would help us to get ready for next year. Start a place to gather gifts or make gifts. Build this up a little at a time rather than having to do it all at once.

http://christmas.organizedhome.com/simplify-your-holidays/gifts-and-giving

I like the gift closet idea for gifts.

As we look toward this new year let's think how to make it more frugal.

https://www.frugalfamily.co.uk/a-frugal-new-year-lets-start-with-meal-planning/ - here is a topic, though it might sounding like nothing special.... ooooh but wait, if we did this one little task, we save much that could be used for storage and paying down debt.

http://organizedhome.com/kitchen-tips/menu-planning-save-time-kitchen

http://organizedhome.com/kitchen-tips/menu-planning-save-time-kitchen?page=2

http://organizedhome.com/kitchen-tips/menu-planning-save-time-kitchen?page=3
I think you will be inspired from these three links above.

We don’t have to do extravagant goals or goals we feel bad about not accomplishing instead just the basics.

I have over the years at yard sales and at the library section of free books gathered church-type cookbooks that has everyone’s favorite recipes.

I keep binders as well on food storage recipes and my using cookbook binder. I use binders for a lot of organizing.

Just grab an old binder and paper and dividers that you already have to build a household binder with meal planning as one category and save all your plans to review for ideas later to cut down the time it takes.

http://momsbyheart.net/how-to-create-your-own-meal-planning-binder-0908767/

http://momsbyheart.net/make-your-own-meal-planning-binder-day-2/

http://momsbyheart.net/create-your-own-meal-planning-binder-day-3/
One person’s way, her three links above.

I love this gal’s version of a household budget binder…. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=budget+binder+she%27s+in+her+apron&view=detail&mid=60EF9AF80B8A560FCD0160EF9AF80B8A560FCD01&FORM=VIRE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNtSMYxBnck - these people walk you through how they do meal planning.

Keep working on being frugal and on your storage and skills!