Monthly Archives: April 2011

Thrifty Thursday

29 Friday Apr 2011

Posted by in Uncategorized

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After all the craziness of the last few days, I think I need a light hearted, humorous thrifty story.  Good thing today brought that very thing.  L decided that he wants to play soccer.  He has never been a sporty kid at all and would most often rather sit on the sidelines and watch.  I can’t say much because I am about as clumsy and uncoordinated as all get out when it comes to sports.  I am the person who covers my face when a ball comes at me instead of trying to catch it.

When L played tee ball, he was more interested in putting sand in his glove than actually playing the game.  That is just how he has always been and I am okay with that.  This past fall, though, his classmates started playing soccer at recess and for some reason, he decided to join in.  He played with them all fall and now that the snow is melted, they are back playing soccer again.  When we got the form for playing on a team, he decided he wanted to give it a go.

Tuesday night was a parent meeting and he got to meet his teammates.  One of his buddies from school is on his team, which is great!  His first game is on Saturday and he needed shin guards and soccer cleats.  Now, me being the thrifty one has been thinking through our options for a deal.  Gotta have a deal.  It is like a sickness, but in my mind, a good sickness.

Then it came to me, I bought L a pair of shin guards at a garage sale last summer because he had been talking about wanting to play soccer at that time.  Sweet.  I checked his closet and there they were!  Perfect.  Now, I think I paid $.50 or $1.00 for them at the time, but I feel like they were free because they were in his closet and I paid for them a year ago!

Tonight I decided we should probably go to the mall and check out the soccer cleats at the sporting goods store.  It took a lot for me to even think about doing this because I really didn’t want to go and pay full price for cleats that he may wear for one short season.  Who knows if he will even like the sport besides the fact that his feet grow like weeds.  After supper, we make our way to the mall and I say to R, I wonder if the consignment store would have any cleats.  He of course, looks at me like I am crazy, but gives in to my insistence.  They decide to wait in the car while at 5:56, I got into the consignment store.  I only paid attention to the time because it closes at 6:00.  The lady in the store annoyingly tells me that they close in 4 minutes.  I ask her about cleats and she sends me upstairs.

I run up the stairs as fast as my feet will take me and turn the corner.  There in my plain view are soccer cleats in L’s size, in good condition and for only $3.50!!!!!!!!!   Sold.  I run back downstairs and pay for the cleats and head out the door.  Victory!  I look in the car window and R is shaking his head at me both in shock and amazement.  I open the door and he just laughs.  He seriously thinks I am crazy at this point, but when I show him the cleats and the price tag, he is thrilled!

So there you have it.  A savings of at least $40, but probably more.  Not bad for 4 minutes of my time!!!!

Inspiration Wednesday

28 Thursday Apr 2011

Posted by in Inspiration Wednesday, remodel, repurposed furniture

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Since my basement is looking more like a construction zone and less like a finished basement, I thought I would find some inspiration today for how to remodel it.  We had no intention of remodeling our basement any time soon, but water seepage made the decision for us!

The basement as it is right now is very blah (it was blah before too!).  I really haven’t done anything down there since we moved in except accumulate too much junk.  Since it is pretty much empty, I can now see it as a clean slate.  So here is what I am thinking…

1.  No more carpet ever again.  Instead we are thinking something waterproof and durable.  I saw Candace Olson use this type of vinyl plank flooring in a basement on Divine Designs and it looked amazing!

2. I am thinking for color for the family room space that I would like to go with something light and airy.  I don’t love basements as I think a lot of times they feel dark and “basementy”.  I think if I go with a really clean, crisp color and design that I will feel like spending more time in the basement. 

This is the paint color I am thinking

3. For furniture, I will probably use mostly furniture that we already have and paint it black.  I would also like to paint the wood around the fireplace in black.

4. Curtains

5. For the rest of the room, I would like to have some white upholstered furniture.  Again, I will plan to use furniture we have or hot some garage sales to find items.  Then I will have to learn to do some reupholstering! No problem, right?

Who knows how many times I will change my mind before we actually get around to redoing the basement, but these are my thoughts for the moment!

What a Week!!!

24 Sunday Apr 2011

Posted by in Earthwerks, water

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What a week this has been!  Actually it has been a crazy couple of weeks and I have hoping for some quiet for a while now.  When we returned from our trip to SC, I were greeted with rising river waters.  Each day the river kept getting higher and higher, but the city told us that they were not planning to raise the dike in our area.  After many phone calls and e-mails, I got in contact with our alderman.  He was at our house within an hour and by that evening, the dump trucks were hauling in dirt.  The river levels started to subside and we thought we were in the clear.  We even started moving furniture back into the basement.  Not a good idea….

I was in Bismarck for a few days and when I returned home on Friday, R informed me that water was starting to come into the basement.  The backyard literally looks like a swimming pool and we even have a couple of new backyard inhabitants (2 mallard ducks).  I guess they think that the new lake in our backyard is a lovely place to live!  Yesterday R’s parents brought over a pump to start getting some of the lake out of our yard.  I barely even made a dent in the water.  But the water levels in the basement just continue to rise.  Oh, and so does the river level.  If they had not filled the dike, our entire neighborhood would be a lake.  Thank goodness for our alderman and the strings he pulled.   

As of right now, we have 2 rooms with standing water and it is also starting to come into the family room.  R’s parents came over today and helped move some furniture back upstairs and they went to buy another pump.  Hopefully the water levels will start to subside and we can start to dry out the basement.

Through all of this, I have realized again that it is just stuff.  If something gets ruined, it can be replaced.  Life will go on and in a few months this will be a memory and a learning lesson.

And maybe, just maybe, a chance for me to use some of my thrifty skills to do some work in the basement!  I would really like to look at some flooring from a company called Earthwerks.  They have some great earth friendly products that I think would stand the test of time even if we do end up with water in the basement again.

Saturday Saver

17 Sunday Apr 2011

Posted by in Saturday Saver, thrifty

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Did you know that there is one really great way to go green and to save money?  Okay, there are many ways, but there is one way that is very easy to do and will save you green by going green.  It is really not rocket science or anything really profound, it is using a reusable water bottle.  It seems like a really simple thing, but using a reusable water bottle instead of buying a bottle of water every day not only saves you money, but it is also better for your health and for the environment. 

What are the health benefits of using a reusable water bottle?
  • Less exposure to toxins in plastic water bottles
  • PET water bottles are known to leach phthalates, a class of compounds that are suspected of causing certain types of cancer and reproductive disorders, into their contents.
  • If you have a water bottle with you all the time, you are more likely to drink more water.  Being hydrated is extremely important to your overall health.

How about environmental benefits?
  • Bottled water is packaged in polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic, which emits harmful toxins such as nickel, ethyl benzene, ethylene oxide, and benzene into our air and water during production.
  • Eighty-six percent of plastic water bottles used in the US aren’t recycled.
  • Water bottles disposed of in landfills or tossed by the side of the road can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in the ground.[1]
  • With the exception of a tiny amount of incinerated plastic, all 1 billion tons of plastic manufactured to date is still in the environment.[2]
  1. New American Dream – Bottled water: overflowing on the environment
  2. Orion magazine – “Polymers are Forever” by Alan Weisman

Bottled water uses huge amounts of petroleum-based plastics in its bottles. The Pacific Institute found that manufacturing the plastic for bottled water consumed by Americans in 2006 took the equivalent of about 17 million barrels of oil—enough petroleum to fuel over 1 million cars and light trucks for a year. Most bottled water sold in the US is packaged in petroleum-based PET. PET is less toxic than other plastics, according to the Berkeley Ecology Center, but, manufacturing PET emits over 100 times the toxins—nickel, ethyl benzene, ethylene oxide, and benzene—than manufacturing an equivalent amount of glass.[3]

E/The Environmental Magazine – Message in a Bottle: Despite the Hype, Bottled Water is Neither CLEANER nor GREENER Than Tap Water

How much money can you save not buying bottled water?

If you were to buy a bottle of water from a convenience store everyday for one year, it would cost you more than $365.  A nice quality stainless steel or aluminum water bottle that you could use everyday would cost you a one time payment of around $15.  This is a savings of $350!!!  And that is for one year.  You could use that same water bottle for many years and continue to save money.  I can think of a lot of ways to spend an extra $350…

In the end, the savings add up in more ways then one!

Here are some cute non plastic water bottle options:

Foody Friday

15 Friday Apr 2011

Posted by in Foody Friday, gluten free

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With Easter coming up in a little over a week, I thought I would share a fun Easter recipe with all of you.  One of my blog followers, Kyleigh, reminded me of this recipe.  Luke and I have made these a few years now and it is an interesting way for kids to learn the Easter story.  Oh and by the way, these are gluten free!
  
Resurrection Cookies
What a wonderful way to explore and share
the true meaning of Easter.

It is great fun for all the family and the cookies really are delicious.

Read the whole recipe before beginning…
try to do together Saturday night before Easter Sunday.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Ingredients: You need:
1 cup whole pecans Mixing bowl
3 egg whites Wooden spoon
1 cup sugar Bible
1 tsp. vinegar Zipper baggy
1 pinch of salt Wax paper
Cookie sheet
Tape



Place pecans in the baggy and let the children beat them
with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces.
Explain that after Jesus was arrested,
He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read – John 19:1-3 to them


 Let child smell the vinegar.
Put 1 tsp. into mixing bowl.
 Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross,
He was given vinegar to drink.
Read – John 19:28-30


 Add egg whites to the vinegar.
Eggs represent life.
Explain that Jesus gave His life for our life.
Read – John 10:10-11


 Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand
let them taste it then brush the rest into the bowl.
Explain that represents the salty tears shed by Jesus followers,
and the bitterness of our own sin…
Read – Luke 23:27


 So far the ingredients are not very appetizing.
Add 1 cup sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of this story is
that Jesus died because He loves us.
He wants us to know and belong to Him.
Read – Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16


 Beat with mixer on high speed for 11-15 minutes
until stiff peaks are formed.
Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes
of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read – Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3


 Fold in broken nuts.
Drop by tsp.onto waxed paper-covered cookie sheet.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus body was laid. 
Read – Matt. 27:65-66


 Put cookies sheet in the oven.
Close door and turn oven OFF.
Give each child a piece of tape and seal the door.
Explain that Jesus tomb was sealed.
Read – Matt. 27:65-66


 Go to bed !


Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight.
Jesus followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read – John 16:20 and 22


 On Resurrection Morning open the oven and give everyone a cookie !
Notice the cracked surface and take a bite.
The cookies are hollow !
On the first Resurrection Day Jesus followers were amazed
to find the tomb open and empty.
Read – Matt. 28:1-9


  He Has Risen ! Hallelujah ! ! ! ! !

Thrifty Thursday

15 Friday Apr 2011

Posted by in deal of the day, exercise, Pilates, thrifty

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As you can see by the date of this post, it is actually Friday.  I just didn’t get a chance to post last night so I will post twice today.

When I was a senior in high school, I some how ended up with a leg injury.  It was very painful and I ended going to physical therapy and have ultrasound therapy on the injury.  I learned of an exercise called Pilates and started taking classes that summer.  It made a huge difference in healing the injury.  Again after Luke was born, I took a Pilates class at NDSU and really loved it.  Unfortunately, life got in the way and I didn’t continue taking classes, but have continued using the methods I learned in classes at home while exercising.

Fast forward to this past Tuesday…I was looking at the classifieds section on the Minot Public Schools website and came across a Pilates reformer for sale.  I have pined for one of these for years, but could never bring myself to spend the $400-500 to buy one.  Why, because I am too thrifty!  When I saw the one for sale for $100, I just knew it was meant to be.  I messaged the lady and went to pick it up on Wednesday night.  Can I just tell you, I am in love with this thing!

Pilates Reformer

The Pilates Method was created by Joseph Pilates.  The method seeks to develop controlled movement from a strong core and it does this using a range of apparatuses to guide and train the body.  Joseph Pilates developed this method in the early 1900′s, but was truly perfected in the 1920s.  One of the things that make Pilates so great is that the movements and exercises you do seek to give you strength and flexibility, but not to build any serious amount of bulk to your frame.  Pilates is not about building muscle, it is about working with your body and not against it. You need to be able to take what you have been given and make that work for you before attempting anything else and that is the philosophy that Pilates was founded on.

Now as long as I don’t allow my new piece of equipment to collect dust, I should be in good shape!  Another thrifty find…I always figure if I wait long enough, I can always find a deal on what I am looking for.  Sure enough, that was again the case!

Inspiration Wednesday

14 Thursday Apr 2011

Posted by in Charleston, Inspiration Wednesday

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I am back!  We were gone for a week in South Carolina visiting my dad and had a great time!  Charleston was amazing.  For those of you who have not been there before, put it on your list of must see places in the US.  History, architecture, a great Aquarium, The Yorktown Aircraft Carrier, and the Old Town Market in downtown Charleston are just a few of the cool places that we saw.  We took a carriage ride around the downtown area and learned some fascinating things about the South and American History.  Just this week (April 12) marked the beginning of the Civil War, which began on Fort Sumter when shots were fired in 1861.  History runs deep in South Carolina and many events that changed the history of the United States happened there. 

Flag flying in front of the Yorktown
The Yorktown
The Clamagore

Bridge connecting Charleston with Mount Pleasant

My dad lives near a town called Abbeville, another town strongly connected to the Civil War.  On May 2, 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis held the last council of war of the Confederacy in the Burt-Stark Mansion.  This ended the Civil War and Davis admitted, “All indeed is lost.”  Learning about events in our history on the grounds where the event took place makes history come alive!!

Burt-Stark Mansion in Abbeville, SC

The Old Town Market in downtown Charleston gave me a sense of what literal Old Town Charleston would have been like.  It is an open air market with people selling everything from food to jewelry, swords to belly dancing skirts.  The Market was bustling and it was so interesting to see all the people going from booth to booth buying all sorts of interesting things. 

Old City Market Entrance (still looks the same in present day)

Present day Market

Love this old picture of the Market
Horse Drawn Carriage Ride around Charleston

As you can see, we had a great time.  This trip truly inspired me!  It made me realize just how amazing it is to step back and enjoy your surrounding.  To learn about American History in the location where it all happened is just amazing!  I loved Charleston and the atmosphere it provided.  The history was so exciting and it awakened in me my love for old things that have a story to tell.

Saturday Saver

03 Sunday Apr 2011

Posted by in No Spend Challenge, Saturday Saver

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Saving money takes many forms.  Some people coupon, some people thrift shop, others still do something called No Spend Months.  When the plan a no spend month, they look at their shopping needs for the month including food, household necessities, etc. and they literally only buy those items.  They don’t buy anything at all that is unnecessary that month.  I, myself, have never done a No Spend Month, but I am very intrigued by it and think that it is something I would like to challenge myself (and the rest of my family) to in a few months.  This is not any easy undertaking as it is pretty strict.  Some people do a No Spend Challenge by setting a dollar amount that they would like to stay under for everything from groceries to gas, entertainment to eating out.  Depending on the size of the family, this amount could vary.

This particular blogger set her amount at $250, which would be pretty unrealistic for us, but it seems to have worked for her.  Can you imagine only spending $250 on a month’s worth of necessary items?  You would have to be very dedicated to being wise about every purchase. 

Here is another 30 Day No Spend Challenge site.  This one has a step by step plan of how to accomplish spending much less in a month than normal and gives you a really good guide on how to do so.  It also gives some fun ideas on how to have fun without spending money. 

So you get a better idea of what this is all about, I copied this goal sheet from a blog called Heart and Mind. 

Situation (from Heart and Mind Blog):
We are family for 4 people, with 2 kids and 2 adults with occasional guests, friends and outing. We live in northern California where gas and groceries can add up the cost of living.
I stay home with kids and I do volunteer work (teaching and other) with no pay. Zenguy works as a consultant and right now he is without a job/project so our spending will have to come from savings or anything we sell from household clutter. More reasons to curb our spending.
We have budget of $300 total spending budget for the whole month. I have a little modified plan from Rachel’s 2009 July No spend month to fit our situation and where we live.
What is included?
  • Groceries
  • Eating out
  • Entertaining Guests and Friends
  • Clothing
  • Gas for cars
  • Any entertainment such as books, movies, dvds, museum etc
  • Household cleaning and toiletry items
  • Household repairs
What is not included in $300 budget?
  • Rent/Mortgage
  • Savings and investment (if any)
  • Health and doctor’s visit and medicines
  • Gifts, Charities (we do not want to skimp on it too much)
  • Job related expenses
  • Any unforeseen life emergency situation
  • Utility bills
  • Kids education related expenses
  • Any gifts card and cash gifts from family or friends
  • If we sell any household items on craigslist, it can be used for expense if needed.
What we are starting with?
  • I have little gas in cars but we have not filled it up
  • We may have little groceries but we have not stocked up
  • We actually buy things in weekend so we have not pre-bought anything that we may need
  • We live in a house, but we do not have huge pantry to stock up cans or any food either
What is our Game Plan?
  • Go to ATM or Bank today and take out $300 cash for whole month.
  • Leave credit/debit card home
  • Spend little as possible in the beginning while I am motivated to succeed
  • Keep some for end when I might be feeling deprived (although I am hoping not to)
  • Cook meals at home or take food from home when out with family
  • Sell some house items to make money and declutter the house at the same time
  • Tell everyone in house and family so no one forces you for eating dinner out or go for movies
How can you help or join?
  • Start with your family situation as it might be different for everyone. Do what works for you.
  • Even if you do not join officially, you can still watch your spending
  • Be supportive and read my weekly updates, I can use the support as I have not done this publicly before.
  • If you decide to join, let me know so I can share your story with link for others to see.
  • Have realistic and open mind going in.

Not sure I could cut my spending to $300, but I think this summer, I am going to spend one month working on a No Spend Challenge and just see where I could really cut my expenses and stop wasting money.  Keep posted for my update of when I start this process.

Thrifty Store Thursday and Foody Friday

02 Saturday Apr 2011

Posted by in donuts, gluten free, gluten free donuts, gluten intolerance, mini donuts

≈ 5 Comments

I decided to combine 2 days of posts together because what I bought at the Thrift Store this week was used to make the recipe that I am going to share today.  How cool is that?  Remember the donuts from my previous post?  On Wednesday this week, I went to the Restore Thrift Store during L’s violin lesson.  Do you sense a pattern?  Does it not seem like I go to Restore a lot when L has violin?  It’s true.  I think I have gone there 3-4 Wednesdays in a row!

I was just about getting ready to leave the thrift store with no purchases when I made one last stop in the kitchen section.  Usually I bypass that area because I am not so keen on buying used kitchen items.  Call me crazy, but I just like new kitchen items.  Wednesday just happened to be the day that I browsed the kitchen items and there is was in all its beauty (one wait, it was a white box)…an electric donut maker.  Brand new in box for $7.50!!  Score!!   It is especially exciting because 6 frozen gluten free donuts at the grocery store cost around $7.00.

The new donut maker looks similar to this one, but makes 12 at a time!

I went home that night, took out the instruction manual, and read about it.  They even had a recipe for cake like mini donuts.  I used the recipe, but substituted gluten free flour for regular flour.  The first batch of 12 tasted okay, but they were sort of flat.  The second batch was a little thicker, but the 3rd batch was pure perfection.  It took some figuring out to get the right amount of batter, but in the end, I figured it out and they were amazing!

L was thrilled and R even said they were addictive.  Not bad for my first try at the mini donut maker!  For those of you interested in gluten free mini donuts, here is the recipe.

Gluten Free Mini Donuts
*2 cups Gluten Free Flour (see below)
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup skim milk

*For gluten free flour, I make a combination of:
2 cups white rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
2 tsp. xanthan gum
Mix it together and store in a glass jar.  I usually double or triple this recipe since I use it so much. 

Preheat donut maker for 5 minutes.  While it is preheating, mix all dry ingredients together.  Mix until smooth.  Fill each donut hole with a heaping tablespoon of batter.  Close unit and lock into place.  Bake for 3-3 1/2 minutes or until donuts are browned.  
I made a chocolate glaze for mine.
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp. shortening
Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave.  Dip the donuts in the melted chocolate and let set.
Then be prepared to eat way too many of them!!
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