Monday Message

"Let us be in a position so we are able to not only feed ourselves through the home production and storage, but others as well." (President Ezra Taft Benson)

I picked this quote specially for now, because as of today, we have had a government shutdown.

Hoping that it will be open by the time you read this. I can tell you when my husband was in the military we had a government shutdown and we got no pay. The military does not get paid enough as is but we couldn't pay our rent or buy groceries and neither could our landlord, as he was military as well.  No one knows how long it will last. So if you know any government employees, ask how they are and perhaps take them a care package. 

So we need to continue to work on our skills and learn frugal ways and keep putting in storage because they keep saying the prices will continue to rise.

I have continued to work on my two projects that I am learning on.

I am moving along now on this scarf. It is fun to see the color changes. I am learning a lot from doing this.

I am really happy how that dishcloth has turned out. I learned an awful lot by pushing on through the hard to learn parts. I took really detailed notes so I can repeat it. There are many patterns to do these and with each one the directions are more cryptic than the one before - that goes for all of them. I had to really study to find the answers. To be fair, they probably thought anyone using them knew what they were doing.

The one I went with just gave you "do this many rows and that many rows" not where should the carriage be or what steps to put that stitch into play. Here again, to be fair, there are a lot of machines and they are so different anyway so it was up to me to learn and learn. I did and I made very good detailed notes. So I will make another and then maybe another using a different fiber and different tension, then it is on to baby booties. I need to restock my gift box. I like to have a box with gifts inside to help me to put together a gift no matter how poor or how busy I am.

We successfully made it through September without getting groceries. So if we get our check and it isn't in the mess of government shutdown this month, I will be getting groceries. Did I learn things? Oh, I would say so! I am thankful for storage. I learned I need more cheese on hand and more eggs. We had enough eggs but were running low. I have plenty of American cheese but not the hard cheese.  

It is easier to clean the refrigerator when there's not as much in it. Celery I ran out of. I have it dried but some recipes call for fresh, omitting can be done on lots of things.  

A big one is I had some brown sugar in a bucket. It turned funky, it's hard to describe but it's like the molasses over powers the sugar so that it is more molasses. When I made a recipe that called for one cup of brown sugar, I did half a cup and half a cup white sugar - it turned out perfectly! So that is important and of course, you can make our own from molasses and white sugar - both of which I keep in storage.

But most of all it is important to have storage and know how to make bread.

Did we have my chocolate cake you ask... we sure did! Yum!

I share this hard times month so you can learn. Think of the things you have on hand. Could you go four weeks not getting groceries?? Cause you never know when something will come up that will test you.

With so many out of work and probably losing their jobs as the president has threatened... I can tell you that it has happened to us - last hired, first to go. For anyone it is first shock then fear - how will we manage? My husband worked hard getting work. In that case, it was freelance work in the same field. For me, it was try to keep home life as normal as possible and bake that chocolate cake.

I would take stock of my pantry... what did we have, how far could I stretch it? Remember, any money coming in would need to go to rent and utilities and car payments first. So knowing how to sew for the kids and mend was important. A trip to the library was normal and would stay that way as it was close by. So these are steps we went through, it would be different for everyone. But everyone can learn from others.

So keep pushing on your storage including everything - not just food - it is everything one uses.

This has been a sad week for the members of our church. We lost our President and Prophet of our church. President Nelson passed away, he was 101 years old, a wonderful man. Then the next day while in a church meeting, an angry man drove his truck into the door of the church in Michigan and started firing and started a fire. Our prayers go out to those involved.  

I have to tell you that this has been something I have thought about a lot up till about six months ago. I would think which is the fastest way to exit. How many children can I herd that way. And that is exactly what the members did. They protected the kids. This has been a fear I have had, so hello old fear, you're back. I use to do that when I went to Walmart as well. I hated that area where you self checkout. It has gotten better now but they used to have you corralled with one way in and one way out.

So evil is growing, we must all stay safe. 

We need to beef up our kindness to others.

https://www.rtor.org/2022/11/11/5-ways-to-flourish-in-tough-times/ - I thought this might be helpful right now. I know I woke up after all those things happened over the weekend and told myself I must find joy.

Remember, we are not alone and we can try and find joy. We are all in this together.

https://www.crochet365knittoo.com/crochet-pumpkin-coaster-pattern/?utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Crochet+++Cozy+Vibes+%3D+The+Perfect+Weekend+%F0%9F%8D%82+-+19138345 - because it is October, I included this one.

I write in a journal every day and in October, I use the O in October to make it a pumpkin - tall ones, fat ones, teeth, no teeth but each day the O gets to be a pumpkin. It makes me smile.

I feel we might be in hard times for a while so find those things that make you smile and find ways to cheer others. It is so easy to do and does good for you and who you cheer.

Missy says, though it is hard to put in storage and you get tired, please keep going. It will be a job that helps you when needed.

Tippy Longstockings says she likes to show off her stockings in this nap, but she says be kind to others  - many are hurting right now.

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)

We must be frugal more now than ever before. Prices continue to rise on everything so we need to get those skills up and going.

This has been a rough week but lessons were learned for sure. The scarf is off the loom. I still need to do the finishing stuff.

I was going to tie on another scarf but different fiber. I have tied on before with no problem on other things. I had my warp measured out beforehand.

This project is different. It has two warp threads going through each reed slot and then they separate and each go in their own heddle then continue to the back. I did tie onto the warp, it took three full hard days... What lesson I learned is - if I again do a project that has two going through and splitting like this in the future, I will just start from scratch - that would only take one day as this time it took three days.  It was soo hard as I had to bend over the reed and almost hang upside down to thread heddles.

Yes, it was this and worse.

Here are my supervisors.

At the end of three days it was warped. Those days were very very hard but I was worried, what if after all I went through the threads were mixed up?  I am happy to say they were all correct.

I am weaving now and waiting for it to be further along then I can put my loom catcher back on the front.

This project is different in that it is using a sock yarn and it shifts color so when I wind a bobbin, I need to wind it off the bobbin just wound onto another so the colors are in order.

The other thing despite all of the interruptions I have had over this month, I was finally able to finish my two dresses.

Then I made their belts.

Then I made a cardigan for the one out of a t-shirt.

Yes, I made a cardigan from a V-neck t-shirt. I thought I would make another and walk you through it.

This is the t-shirt before I started, just a plain V-neck t-shirt with 3/4 sleeves which is why I used these t-shirts. I like that sleeve length.

I start in the center of the V and cut straight down as shown.

I like to wear high waisted dresses so I wanted these to be cropped. Making sure hem is even with each other, I used the part I cut off the first as a guide, it is four inches I cut off the bottom.

Then I serged the bottom and both sides. You could zigzag or even leave it, the t-shirt knit does not fray.

Then I just straight stitched the folded edge like here.

If you don't zigzag or serge, you can fold it over, pin and sew. So you have options.

Going back to the dresses - the striped one cost $1.79 for the belt hardware and the fabric I got from freecycle.

The blue dress the fabric was from Salvation Army for $2.99  and the belt hardware for some reason was $1.99. 

Thread and elastic I had on hand.

The t-shirts I got free and the thread I had.

Having some sewing skills has been frugal for me. A little time and I have some new clothes.

Also, just today, I had a half of a half gallon of milk prematurely go sour, so I made rhubarb cake and a coffee cake. Still have some that I will make into pancakes for supper.

Waste not want not.

How are you coming with your storage? What frugal things did you do this week? Let us know in the comments below - we all learn from each other!

Missy says keep working on your skill building - every little bit you can do will help!

Tippy Longstockings says sometimes with all that's going on, you feel like hiding, but keep looking for joy, keep helping others and keep working on your storage and your skill building and learning frugal ways. We will get through this together! We are not alone!

Monday Message

"A cardinal principle of the gospel is to prepare for the day of scarcity. Work, industry, frugality are part of the royal order of life." (Bishop Keith B. McMullin)

Still warm here but fall is in the air! I made my pumpkin muffins - they are so yummy.

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

I mix and set aside the topping: 

1/3 cup flour 

3 Tbsp brown sugar 

2 Tbsp cold butter 

In bowl, mix well: 

1/4 cup soft butter 

1/2 cup sugar 

1/4 cup brown sugar 

2/3 cup pumpkin 

1/2 cup milk (I add tsp of vinegar to it) 

2 eggs 

1 Tbsp molasses 

Then, don’t stir again until all dry ingredients are measured in. 

2 cups flour 

1 tsp dried orange peel 

2 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda 

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 

1/4 tsp salt 

Then, stir well and fill 12 regular muffin cups. I use liners, but it's not necessary. 

By spoon, divide topping over all evenly. Bake in preheated oven at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Delicious!

I think they are like bakery muffins.

I went to Salvation Army as we happened to be in town for something else. It just happened it was on a Wednesday which is senior discount day. And I found this dress. The price said $3.99 but after the discount it was $3.

I thought I would show you on the blog what to do to save money by remaking clothing. I thought it would be the perfect project to show you how you can remake clothes into something useful.

The dress was way too long, like drag on floor too long, and the bodice had huge flower buttons and the button holes were stretched out. So you see hemming this would ruin the flower border at the bottom.

First thing, I washed the dress. Then I separated the bodice from the skirt. Then I took off the buttons  and because I didn't need to undo buttons as it could go over my head, I chose to sew the button band closed on both sides of the buttons. Next, I needed to stitch closed those stretched out button holes.  Then I found buttons in my button drawer that would be better than the flower ones it had. I saved those flower buttons in my button drawer.

Next, I needed to cut off the extra length at the top of the skirt to make it the right length for me. Then I sewed big stitches at the top to make the skirt gather to fit the bodice and sewed it in place. Pressed it and top stitched the skirt in place.

And the total cost of this dress was $3 plus some time and buttons I already had.

So you see, you can be thrifty and find things to remake clothing for your family.

On that same trip, I got a pizzelle maker. I already had one but thought two would make it faster to make. It was just over two dollars after discount. It even was the same design even though different brands.

After cleaning it up, I tested it and it was so much faster making four at a time rather than two at a time, so this was way worth it to me.

So don't rule out those thrift stores. Yes, prices have gone up but still cheaper than buying new. We are still watching our pennies but I wanted to share how to make that dress over. It was well worth it. Just take your time and look for the best price.

Gardening is winding down. I just unloaded the dehydrator of the last of the tomatoes. I still have about seven very green ones. We will just eat fresh if they turn red.

This season seems like it is ending early. I did pick three more bags of rhubarb and put them in the freezer. That will be it for this year for them. I also picked two bunches of mint and washed and hung to dry. While the temps are still warm, the outdoors looks like October.

Still not gotten groceries for September so see how helpful having storage is? I did see on the news that prices on groceries are to even go way higher so I hope you have been able to stick some things into storage.

Missy says stay the course, don't be lured into complacency! Every little bit you can get and every skill you learn will be a huge help to your family.

Tippy Longstockings says work hard putting frugal ways into place at your home too.

Monday Message

"Let us be in a position so we are able to not only feed ourselves through the home production and storage, but others as well." (President Ezra Taft Benson)

I think as we go through this deepening trial we all are in all around the world, this will be more important than ever.

No time to be laying on our backside, we must be anxiously engaged!

This week found me once again cutting volunteer trees and dragging them to the burn pile. Also, helping husband build a partial fence. The wood was given us by someone who took the fence down. So a frugal project.

We put posts on one day and today added the horizontal and the first vertical slats. Tomorrow, we will put second layer of vertical slats. We will do in the morning as we are going to heat up, after that we have some high nineties coming.

So with that in mind, yesterday I baked bread and made granola and made oatmeal raisin cookies. We will have those on hand when it is almost a hundred degrees - good grief!

I did manage to weave some...

I still haven't had time to finish my dresses or the dishcloth on the knitting machine.

We did go to Winter Quarters Temple near Omaha and did some work there. It is 150 miles away. I am really looking forward to the Des Moines temple, it will be pretty close to us. I did pack our lunches so that was frugal.

I find myself wishing for no outside work. The garden is almost done, I have cleared most of it. I did pick hot peppers. I pop off their little hats (aka stem part) and wash, then freeze them whole. When I need one, I pull one from the bag and chop it frozen. This helps with the hot oils you would normally get on your hands and rub in your eyes - ouchie!

Still working on the burn pile as I just added more to it.

I had gotten some heavy duty page protectors from the thrift store and I have a bunch of church magazines for children from when our church library got cleaned out. So I pulled fun activities like mazes and hidden pictures and coloring pages and the like and put them into these heavy page protectors and made five binders. They're for the kids to use who sit by us. You can use dry erase markers as well as crayons then just erase with a bit of cloth that goes with each binder. They were well received. These are like quiet books.

So that has been what I have been up to for this last week. What are you working on? Write in comments below!

Because I am concerned about our future right now, I am tossing in some more frugal sites.

https://adimesaved.com/thrifty-living

https://thesavvycouple.com/frugal-living/ - I like that they said let go of the idea that money brings happiness.

https://savvyinsomerset.com/frugal-living-tips/

https://frugallifeproject.com/frugal-living-with-kids/ - this has great ideas.

https://www.thejourneyathome.com/how-to-teach-our-kids-to-be-frugal/

And just around the corner is Christmas....

https://www.thefrugalfarmgirl.com/frugal-christmas-ideas/

https://www.thesimplifydaily.com/budget/holidays-activities-/budget-christmas/53-creative-ways-to-be-frugal-at-christmas-44507691

https://moneysavingmom.com/ways-to-celebrate-christmas-on-a-budget/

I think it's good we start talking to our families now that Christmas will be tight with so many being laid off. Pick a fun night with what ideas I shared and as a family pick the ideas that you all would think would be fun.

Everything can be fun with the right enthusiasm. Don't approach it as if you were down in the dumps.

Remember, the candle in the forest and how the little girl's parents helped her have a fun Christmas? We can do the same. I am always inspired from others so please write ideas in the comment section below.

Missy says keep working on storage - watch those sales and plan frugal things.

Tippy Longstockings says plan now NOT to go into debt for Christmas. Find fun free things to do instead.

Keep doing the best you can!

Monday Message

"I wish to urge again the importance of self-reliance on the part of every individual Church member and family. None of us knows when a catastrophe might strike. Sickness, injury, unemployment may affect any of us. We have a great welfare program with facilities for such things as grain storage in various areas. It is important that we do this. But the best place to have some food set aside is within our homes, together with a little money in savings. The best welfare program is our own welfare program. Five or six cans of wheat in the home are better than a bushel in the welfare granary." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

I can really say having storage in your house helps so much when hard times hit. It has been a real help to us this month when our unexpected bill came. Never the less, I continue to work on storage despite the no-grocery month. Today, I will be chopping and freezing green peppers. Still will be drying more tomatoes.

As much as I hate gardening, I do it because it helps us and so I continue to have one.

Prices continue to rise so for now we hunker down and do what we can.

Most of my week has been spent still outside burning the burn pile. It has been a lot of work for this old lady. Still have three tree trunks that need chain-sawing and two stumps but it looks a lot better than it was.  

I have done a bit of weaving and have sewn on the two dresses. I want to get those finished this week...we shall see.

The great news is our daughter received an advance copy of her book "Queen of the Dead" and that is her peeking around the book. Sarah is all the tech behind this blog. A huge thank you to her for all she does. Her book comes out in November.

With fall here, it is time for us to think about getting things tended for winter. Watch for any sales and try to add to your storage as you can.

https://sixdollarfamily.com/how-to-live-frugally - some frugal helps here.

https://lifeshouldcostless.com/family-meal-planning/ - worth the read.

https://lifeshouldcostless.com/how-to-meal-plan-on-a-budget/ - this is very helpful.

https://www.onefrugalgirl.com/frugal-living/ 

https://mindfulofthehome.com/diy-repurposed-clothing/ - I like the bracelet idea.

https://www.hgtv.com/decorating/diy/crafts-you-can-make-with-old-clothes-pictures

https://diycandy.com/upcycled-clothing-ideas/

https://www.fabricfits.com/how-to-make-clothing/ - sewing your clothes is a way to save if you can find frugal fabric. Many go to thrift stores and buy pieces with lots of fabric, wash it, then cut it apart saving pieces to use later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEp-wTunXNs - this would make nice gifts.

With prices still high on clothing as well, learning to make your own would be a valuable skill!

https://www.hometimeactivities.com/arts-crafts/good-kids-underwear-sewing-pattern/ 

So be thinking of ways you can be thrifty. Hopefully, you will find things that will help you in this post.  Remember, don't waste anything - if it isn't useful now on your project, it may on another.

I am watching a lady who saves her boxes and she used them in her garden. So think before you toss: how can I use this?

With tariffs and other countries halting shipping to my country, yarn that we did have, we no longer can get for the time being. So go back a few blog posts HERE where I tell you how to reclaim yarn from thrifted sweaters if you need yarn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Blh_P5Q_Gw - she helps you through making slippers.

Also, be thinking on Christmas as it is coming.

Things can change in a minute. You might have a job today and none tomorrow... being prepared is what we can do

Missy says having skills is so very important! Here she is wishing she had thumbs so she could spin yarn. She says keep building your skills.

Tippy Longstockings says it is more important than ever to build your skills and build your pantries.

Monday Message

"Let us be in a position so we are able to not only feed ourselves through the home production and storage, but others as well." (President Ezra Taft Benson)

Well, this week found me out doing yard work for two days - hard, hard work! My body doesn't like it at all and tells me so in hard ways boo :(

I also took a hard fall to sidewalk just before that so my knee took the worst of it. It is a pretty dark plum/purple color but is starting to look better.

It is still very tender though and I hit my knee twice pulling weeds - owie!

My garden only has two things left - peppers on one end and watermelon on the other end. I pulled and cleared the rest. I haven't had a garden end so early.

I have things planted outside the garden but we will see??

I am still drying tomatoes and freezing some peppers.

I managed to just sew a small bit on the dresses.

With weaving, I keep at a section a day.

Not much else got done I am afraid.

I did ride to town with hubby, he needed some part and it was senior discount day at Salvation Army so I stopped in.

I found two bags of crochet thread. I got them both for less than it would have cost for two balls brand-new. There ended up being 24 unused balls so that was a thrifty find for sure.

Our weather finally cooled down. It has been nice to have windows open.

While going to the garden, I spied this morning glory growing. We have not planted any this year so it was a fun surprise.

That sums up my week of hard work, hard fall, putting up food, and a bit of thrift.

I just saw that the postal service is going to put up prices yet again. You might want to take that into consideration for Christmas gifts, it will cost a lot more.

Groceries they are still talking of prices really going higher. We need to keep working at putting in supplies.

Up here they are talking long winter - does that mean elsewhere long summer? Who knows but we should all be getting stuff ready.

https://moneybliss.org/thrifty-tips-tricks/ - here might be some thrifty ideas.

https://morningchores.com/frugal-living/ - more ideas.

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/smart-moneysaving-creative-reuse-ideas-122566 - some clever ideas.

https://www.gracefullittlehoneybee.com/homemade-pumpkin-pie-spice/ - great site! I love this gal and I love being able to make my own mixes.

https://theeverydayfarmhouse.com/living-a-frugal-and-thrifty-life/ - interesting.

I like learning how other people manage, it helps us learn things we can use.

I have been watching this video about a gal who buys a house in Sweden. She only has a bike and does lots of hiking but she is redoing this little house. She never used a power tool till then and is some kind of designer? 

Anyway, she can do work from her home. She spent most of her savings buying this house and property. I went back and watched earlier because I watched the later ones and she does great things. She ends up making her furniture but she has a great designer mind. She doesn't just build couches, she puts beds in them for sliding out from the couches. Yes, she did two. It is very inspiring as she makes do. At some point, she orders a waffle iron - it is cute to see her joys. She puts in gardens and a greenhouse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjQy5VrqdZo - if you want to watch. This one starts as she gets the cabin.

You can start at beginning, there are 111 videos at this time. She sews her clothes, she looks at clothes then designs to fit her body. It is all inspirational.

Missy says keep pushing on - she knows you can do it and so do I!

Tippy Longstockings says finally fall weather is here. She is finding joy in it and reminds us to find joy around us wherever we are.