Monday Message

"Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. We could refer to all the components of personal and family preparedness, not in relation to holocaust or disaster, but in cultivating a life-style that is on a day-to-day basis its own reward." (President Spencer W. Kimball)

I want to encourage you to actively be working on your home storage and especially your basic skill building.

Are you prepared if a hard time befalls you and your family? Take a real hard look...what do you have?  What do you know how to do?

The best we can do is to think ahead and plan to prepare for what your family would need.

So start with the basics and build on those.

I feel like the pandemic has shown a light on weak spots...

Some could not get bread nor could they get the supplies to make bread, but people learned things like sourdough.

So learning is right up there with supplies. Having both at hand is best when hard times arise.

https://www.livingwellspendingless.com/48-life-skills-everyone-learn/ - here are some basics

https://www.thriftyfun.com/tf/Better_Living/Frugal_Living/index.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiApL2QBhC8ARIsAGMm-KFiq3jloP8NNnBTX3R2hmwXWD_K-UrKycXVKW76AsqKEzxe8ORKILoaApsbEALw_wcB - this is wonderful for helpful ideas.

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/ways-to-save-money-on-a-tight-budget?trk=PEsavemore2 - how to save in tight times.

https://www.rd.com/list/being-frugal/ - frugal ideas.

Having a garden will help but knowing how to use it helps as well.

https://aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com/simple-ways-to-stretch-your-meals/ - help here on stretching meals.

https://www.frugalandthriving.com.au/10-skills-for-a-frugal-life/ - more frugal/helpful ideas.

https://www.thriftyfrugalmom.com/frugal-meal-ideas/ - with food prices going up, every idea is a good one.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-27vli8h689Cr91yDqEgxdpus1tWzPTG - this lady offers a lot on sewing items.

https://www.littlehouseliving.com/how-sewing-can-save-your-budget.html - more frugal sewing.

Use frugal things like https://freecycle.org/ to get needed items or other trade-in neighborhood things.

I got some fabric from freecycle and there was some small scraps and from the scraps I made this...

I covered the button to match and crocheted the flower.

https://noodle-head.com/2017/03/canvas-pencil-pouch-tutorial.html - here is the free pattern I used.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi9ybokrfqM - this is where I got the crochet flower pattern and how to cover a button

Gus says for you all to stay safe, this is not yet over. He says it is very easy to think it is but it isn't, so be safe.

Missy says to find frugal recipes to help stretch your budget...gibbles are good.

Monday Message

"We have been taught that we should build our reserves over a period of time, that we should not go into debt to do so, that we should buy those things we use and use them on a rotation basis, that we should use common sense in preparing ourselves to be independent and self-reliant. There has never been extremism or fanaticism associated with these teachings." (Victor L. Brown)

The weeks seem to pass so quickly.

I have been continuing to organize here, a spring cleaning in the middle of winter perhaps to trick my brain into thinking it's spring even though it's terribly cold out.

Here are some pictures of the end of working in the sewing room. It was a bit of a job but now I have more elbow room.

I put the ironing station to the left of the sewing table. I hope it works for me. I have always had it to the right but I was working around the heat vent and trying to make more room. The other way made it so I could not use some of the drawers, so now no more of that.

I also organized the storeroom/closet. It houses canning equipment, dehydrators, some Christmas decorations and tubs of coned yarn and some fiber and fabric folded in nice neat twelve inch squares on the shelving...it really is a store room.  

Our house was built in 1879 with no closets. It was built in a town one mile away. That town was a thriving town and they thought the railroad would go there but it did not. It went a mile away and so people began moving their houses there and that is the town we live in. Our house was moved in 1910. They would cut trees and make them into logs. The houses were then raised up and placed on the logs. They would pull with teams of horses and as one log came out the back, they would run it around to the front. It is called the town that moved. It is still a town but not as big as it was back then.

They did a great job building it back then as it withstood the derecho and that was pretty bad.

So a long story to say no closets, so we use a small room.

It also did not have heating vents. We added those later, it had grates instead that let the heat rise through but I am here to say brrrrr, not much heat went up there till we added the vents.

I am still weaving on the green scarf.

I also fashioned a basket to fit onto the inkle loom. I wanted to be able to remove it when other warping configurations would need to be done so I used what I had on hand to make it so I could.

I also moved my living room around. It has been a full week.

There was a grocery pick-up in there too, a more messed up one there never was. Some has come in boxes but not all of it yet. The website was doing very weird things, kind of like playing whack-a-mole.

What things have you been up to this week where you live?

Gus is really interested in what goes on in your neck of the woods.

Missy says keep being very safe not time to let down your guard.

Monday Message

"Can or bottle fruit and vegetables from your gardens and orchards. Learn how to preserve food through drying and possibly freezing. Make your storage a part of your budget. Store seeds and have sufficient tools on hand to do the job." (President Ezra Taft Benson)

"Follow the prophet. He has counseled us to plant a garden and fruit trees. This year don’t just think about it—do it. Grow all the food you possibly can. Also remember to buy a year’s supply of garden seeds so that, in case of a shortage, you will have them for the following spring." (Vaughn J. Featherstone)

"Wherever possible, produce your nonfood necessities of life. Improve your sewing skills; sew and mend clothing for your family...Develop handicraft skills. .and make or build needed items." (President Spencer W. Kimball)

Time to be thinking about what you might want to plant in your garden...even though it is so very cold and feels like spring will never come, even that rodent said he we're going to have six more weeks of winter - grrrrr, no blanket for him.

I put some things in here to help improve your skills...

https://www.allfreesewing.com/Basics-and-Tutorials/Learning-How-to-Sew-Tips-from-Our-Readers-NSM-2017 - great tips from people who sew.

https://www.cheapthriftyliving.com/financial/How-to-Control-Spending-Habits - helpful ideas.

https://www.allfreecrochet.com/Tips-for-Crochet/Crochet-for-Beginners-How-to-Start-Crocheting - learn how to crochet and do the rug in the next site.

https://www.craftystaci.com/blog/braided-t-shirt-rug - a great recycle project.

This is how I am coming on the next project. I do have to say I am learning a lot and am pressing on.

I still have been in an organizing mood. With b-day funds I got plastic envelopes, I redid my unmounted stamps and my little die cuts as well. The envelopes have a velcro spot to close.

How are you coming with your skill building?

How are your mending skills? Since we're tightening our belts these days we will want to learn how to mend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVVawL1LD6Y - this is helpful for mending a knit.

https://idreamofjeannemarie.com/2015/02/10/tutorial-how-to-sew-buttons-on-so-they-look-like-a-flower/ - is sewing on buttons boring? Nope. Aren't these cute? It is learning and enhancing a skill.

Missy says that finding fun ways of doing things is a skill, like catching that laser light.

Gus says stay in and stay warm. You all don't have fur coats like he does.

Monday Message

"Concerning clothing, we should anticipate future needs, such as extra work clothes and clothes that would supply warmth during winter months when there may be shortages or lack of heating fuel. Leather and bolts of cloth could be stored, particularly for families with younger children who will outgrow and perhaps outwear their present clothes." (President Ezra Taft Benson)

I think anticipating future needs is a skill all by itself. It can go into every aspect of our lives. Since I live where it gets cold - very cold at times - I try to do this. When our kids were little, I would keep clothes in boxes that one would outgrow for the younger or get the next size up for the oldest. It meant always looking for coats, snow pants, boots, and winter gear at yard sales. I always would get the next year's school clothing.

I think having Nordic roots also probably means I do things that would keep one warm.

By my chair I have projects always going on. In this case a color-work hat. Look very close under the chair. That is a wooden turtle I use to hold the door open in the warmer months but if you look even closer, there is a cat toy mouse. I am guessing the cats thought the turtle needed a buddy.

I am taking the time to build my skills while staying inside away from the pandemic and now the cold as well brrrr.

Soups and breads are a fantastic to warm us up.

https://www.healthycanning.com/wp-content/uploads/Soup-and-Sauce-Mix.pdf - this is the one I use, cream of broccoli soup. It's fantastic.

https://www.healthycanning.com/soup-sauce-sos-mix - I saw this while getting the one above, I thought it interesting.

http://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2015/07/monday-message.html - here is some helpful bread stuff.

This booklet has the best recipes ever, here's the link to them - https://frugalmeasures.blogspot.com/2019/08/monday-message.html

I worked a little on my dish towel project. My plan is just to do this slowly and enjoy it.

I did a sock tube on the sock machine this week.

While you can do a whole sock on the sock machine, I still want to knit heels, toes and cuffs by hand, so here I am working one of the cuffs.

Here is the scarf I have been working on the table top loom. It looks darker because it is wet yet.

In the picture below you can see the fringe twister showing how I twist the fringe. In the scarf picture above you see the head supervisor looking on from under the weaving bench.

The other supervisor is looking on as well. She was inspecting my spinning project as I worked on it this week too.

That sums up what I have been working on this week. What fun things have you been working on? Let us know in the comments below.

Gus says he and Missy both agree that you all need to do something fun at this dark time of winter even if you are just twisting yarn. They also agree they hope you all will be very safe.