Thrift finds, freebie economics, trying something new and the simple things.

On a recent adventure to do errands my daughter and a dear friend and I stopped at a thrift store. One we hadn't visited for quite a while. We have cut back on our trips to hunt because we've set a new goal for moving in a year and have been thinking and learning about what we would like to have as far as living quarters. This stop however was quite a great one and we got to pick and choose a few good things.

The best find was a large green Pyrex Cinderella bowl. This is a keeper and the price was $2.99. We found a bright floral table cloth and a double yellow daisy sheet and some vintage blue Christmas ornaments.

We found some other odds and ends that are always on our list. Canning jars at 49 cents, another small Pyrex Cinderella bowl, a terra cotta plant saucer, a basket for a gift basket and a pattern for a men's tie. The most exciting find for my daughter was a new with tags Holly Hobby doll. We left behind a lot of Pyrex that was not in good condition and some with bad chips but it was wonderful to find and be able to choose what was good. 

On our adventure to try something new the girls made honey oatmeal soap. I stayed out of the way for this one, but it seemed to be a simple procedure and look at the results. It's curing and will be ready for use soon.

Now getting to the freebie economics for the week. It wouldn't be a good week without candy and this week was a free York peppermint. I accumulated $34 in Staples rewards and cards over the past month and had my daughter take me to pick out a few items. We had no idea what we'd get. Our printer died and we didn't need ink so until we can get a new one I couldn't let this money go to waste. I purchased a 20 roll package of Scott bathroom tissue, two large containers of coffee and a three roll package of tape. In the end the total was $3.23. I had to split the order in two because I couldn't use them altogether on one order and that was fine. I think I did well. Then on the way into the thrift store I found a wrinkled up dollar bill on the ground and felt even better. Since I have little to no income at this time my daughter covers the overages for me and the dollar went straight to her piggy bank.

The most exciting thing for me this week was the blossom on this Christmas cactus. Three years ago my sister-in-law gave me a cutting. She was sure it was from her white cactus plant. I loved and watered and tended to this plant with such care and was rewarded with the proof that it sure is white. When I was working at The Home Depot a few years back I had seen one and didn't get off work in time to make it mine and had wanted one. The universe gives gifts in such special ways. This plant is named Junior. You see I have a larger pink Christmas cactus plant she also gave me as a cutting many years ago and on one of it's bad years I salvaged a cutting from it and got it to come back to all it's glory. In my small room on a very small table I have three plants. There is Senior, the larger pink cactus that made a miraculous come back, Junior the white cactus and "the third" which is the salvaged cutting from Senior. My happiness is in the simple things.

Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful week everyone.

Thursday Threads

It seems that as the end of the year approaches and the holidays get closer and closer we take more time to do the things that "need" to be done and not the things we "want" to get done. As I'm maturing I am wanting to spend more time enjoying my sewing, cooking, gardening and learning. It's a different time and I have discovered what makes me feel alive. I don't need to compete with anyone. I need to let go and enjoy the world around me and be grateful for all things. I know that I'm not going to do everything perfectly and that too is alright. Nothing is a mistake. It's all a lesson. I am now taking the time to do those things that I want to do. 

I have many things that I want to sew. My daughter has mounds of fabric that are available to work with. I have some too, but her collection is larger and more vintage. I made this collection for our little space. I'm not quite ready for Christmas although I have been working on home made items all year for gifts. This is for Thanksgiving. More seasonal than themed. It's a table topper, four mug rugs and four napkins. Just a little something to dress up the counter for Thanksgiving and get a couple of yellow ware bowls out for goodies.

This project is a round table topper and two dinner size napkins along with two small mug rugs and two tea size napkins. All from about 1 1/4 yards of fabric, a package of bias tape, and some leftover pieces of cotton batting. 

I got my little sewing bag out and have started making folded stars for my daughters craft show that is held annually at her college. It's fun to have the little things to offer for sale to students on a budget and it uses up all the pieces and scraps from the sewing studio.

On the gardening side all that is growing now is a celery stump and green onions. They regrow well in water but after a while they wash out so I put the onions in soil and as soon as the celery gets stronger roots it will go in soil. We have so little light in the townhouse so having an herb garden inside has proven to be tough. I'll keep trying until I get it. The top of the refrigerator has become the best spot so far. We think about and are planning our next living space and one of the features is going to be large windows and just enough space to grow more of our own food.

To make ends meet I try to take advantage of free offers and coupons. This weeks freebies included a sample of Gevalia coffee that makes four cups, two samples of tums, two packages of Ovaltine, some granola and an oil hair treatment. The supermarket had a promotion and we got a free cake mix, 2 litre bottle of ginger ale, a loaf of Italian bread, 3#"s of potatoes, 3#"s of onions and 1# of carrots. I also cashed in a coupon for a free can of tuna fish. I'd rather be growing my own, but until the time is right this is what I'll take advantage of. I'm already thinking about next years canning and I hope I can take better advantage of the farm markets. I want to thank you for stopping by and visiting and I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Townhouse Homestead Tuesday

Just a lot of little stuff going on here. LOL Did some cooking.

Donuts for Halloween. Eight people shared two and a half dozen donut holes and six donuts. They were good.

Made some Pita bread for cucumber sandwiches, white garlic pizza and chicken wings and it may look like a lot of wings but if these guys were two inches long we got lucky.

Roasted up some winter veggies to go with chicken for dinner. Here I have butternut squash, potatoes and beets with olive oil and rosemary.

Harvested another bowl of spearmint and yielded two cups of dried leaves for tea BEFORE the complex without notification came through and chemically treated the gardens and all of my plants are now contaminated. 

I bundled up in four layers this past Saturday to join my daughter at my grandson's football game. They lost, but played hard.

Did a bit more sewing for the store. I just love mug rugs.

And the freebies just keep on coming. This is the past weeks goodies.

Candy, gum, cat food, oatmeal facial mask, Halloween stencils, toothpaste, earplugs and some personal care items. There were others but I ate them. :)  So for not much going on there sure was and will be. We grow and learn every day and let go of what we can't change. Thank you for stopping by and have a wonderful week.