I Did It...kind of !

Yes my friends, it has been a long time since I've last posted.  I have to wonder sometimes if this blog is mainly to keep me motivated, but I hope it helps others also.  In keeping with my last post- the answer to the question is Yes!  

Yes, I have completed some of my personal goals I posted about, including toiletries, cleaners, and food:

• Hard-lotion (little lotion bars; rub them in your hands and they soften and spread like lotion.)

• Citrus/vinegar all-purpose cleaner (love, love this, but I only make it when I have free citrus!)

• Dry laundry soap (love this and give to my kids and mom to use!)

• Different quinoa recipes

I've been canning chicken and ground beef, but I haven't been very creative in the decorating department (you know how you put things off you really don't know how to do?), and I did try to clean my house! 
 

I haven't actually sewn anything from start to finish, but does altering and sewing on buttons count?  

And I have taken on a large undertaking; in April a freak storm demolished our carport and back portion of our home; we have spent many hours cleaning up and now that the exterior is completed the inside work remains to be done...this will be my mega-undertaking project!

 

So the past many months have not been wasted; I feel like I've been progressing in my preparedness efforts, but I still have a lot more to do.  There are times when I feel like I have been continuously running, then I look back and it seems I haven't gone very far...that is when I keep putting one foot in front of the other and just keep on moving!  

 

Look for more soon, it is canning time and 120 lbs. of pears are calling my name~

Contact me for support, encouragement, or any other help I can give!  

Keep on with your efforts, we are all in this together. 

 

Pin it to Make it!

"Make it Yourself!"

Do you use Pinterest?  The last thing I needed was one more thing to take up my extra time, boy is it addicting, but very useful!

How many of you have a "Things I Want to Make", "Things to Make", or "I Could Make This!" board?

Or maybe you're like me and also cut out pictures and projects from magazines, or save them on your computer. 

There's something very rewarding about being able to 'do it yourself,' and whether we actually do them, or just gather up ideas and dream about doing them, the lure of self-sufficiency is potent.  

I like to make- or think about making - things that I don't like to spend a lot of money on, yet I still need to use.  Things like laundry detergent, shampoo, soap, deodorant, and lotion. 

I try to feed my family with foods I have grown or raised, and stored by canning, dehydrating, freezing, or selectively stocked up on.

I want to build something out of wood- outdoors.  I'm not sure what yet, but it's on my list of 'Things I want to Make'!.  

I read how-to's for floor painting or installing, wall treatments and painting techniques, window coverings, furniture recovering, sewing, canning, and even making sliding closet doors.

I have saved soooo many recipes and instructions to make my own STUFF- I just don't know what to start with.  

So here is what I'm going to try to do...

Each month I will try AT LEAST :

• To make one personal toiletry item
• To make one cleaning product
• Four new recipes

Every 3 months I will try:

• To preserve at least a week's worth of food by canning/dehydrating/or other means
• To try a new decorating or other creative idea
• To clean my house (just kidding!)

Every 6 months I will try:

• To sew at least one item of clothing
• A larger undertaking- maybe my outdoor projects or new sliding closet doors! 

Is there anything you have wanted to try?  Let me know and we can work on it together!

To Market, To Market We Go!

How many of you had ‘Saving more money’ as a resolution? I’ll admit I didn’t, but it's not too late to get down to business! There are other ways of saving money besides sticking it in our underwear drawer or under the mattress, or even directly into the bank. One of the most flexible areas to save is - food!  Anyone that has shopped for groceries the past few months has probably noticed that the register total is higher. I hate to repeat bad news- but it's going to get worse. All signs point to higher prices on corn based products, sugar, wheat, milk, and meats.  So what can we do now, knowing that time is running out for us to really rethink our food purchases? What is an obvious way to save on food?                                                          

 Eat at home!

 

But it doesn’t save money if you’re buying prepacked, prepared foods. To save the most you need to… it’s hard to say it, you need to… cook from scratch! There! It’s not so hard! Everyone can cook from scratch, but you have to be set up and have supplies ready-
Here are some ideas to get you started!

• Cook from scratch - It’s a lot cheaper to store basic ingredients than to keep prepacked, processed foods on the shelf. Boxes of mac and cheese? Rice-a-Roni? Or, please say you don't...Hamburger Helper? Ok- a few won't hurt, remember though, these seem cheap when you’re buying them, but in the long run, taste- wise, nutrition-wise, and penny-wise, they aren’t that great of a value.  

• Stock your pantry - Make sure your pantry includes the ingredients you need to make quick, simple meals or baked treats- you’ll be less tempted to run out for fast food or go shopping for something chocolately and gooey! Keep an assortment of foods, but always keep the basics you will turn to often. Decide what you use regularly, what you seem to run out of fastest, and make a list of what you already have. Then make your pantry shopping list accordingly. A good rule of thumb is to always have another of whatever you have open. Strive to have at least a three day supply of food for each family member, and maybe one extra!  Here are a few websites with more information and checklists on stocking your pantry: myrecipes list, mealtime.org list, and an informative article at the Organized Home.
• Do I really need this? - Many people like to cook and eat gourmet, but that isn’t always cheap. Try to figure out ways to be creative and ‘gourmet’ with the staples you have in your pantry and some seasonings. You may decide to keep a few non-typical staples that you use less frequently; in my pantry I found pomegranate vinegar, capers, and Thai fish sauce! Don’t give up trying new foods altogether, there are always store specials and coupons, but it’s a good time to get over being a food "snob".
 
Plan meals – This is huge! Besides allowing you to buy foods when they are on sale or in season, it also lets you make the most of left-overs and saves time and money.

• Plan your shopping – Yes, it’s true- never shop on an empty stomach! Also, shop on the outside edges of the market- that’s usually where the fresh items are and you avoid the prepackaged stuff. And most important- make and use a shopping list; try this Ultimate Grocery List - and stick to it!                             

We can't control the prices of food in the stores, but we can 

control how much we need of it and how best to use it.

Take charge of your kitchen - and save money!