Hello!  I have some great news!  Many, many, many of my long time readers from this old blog have been asking me to do a recipe book or a book on tips and tricks of thrifty living and that is what I’ve been working on, but with a twist.  I went through eleven years of recipes and articles compiling the best of the best into this project.  I even added some recipes that were not on the blog.  Not only is it a recipe book (with wipe off pages!), but it is also has a section called “Pearls Of Wisdom” with tips and tricks to save money at the grocery store, meal p ..read more

  This has been a hard post to write, but the time has now come to close the chapter on my blog.  It is hard to end something you've worked so hard on and put it to rest, especially after eleven wonderful years of sharing my life and meeting so many magnificent readers.  I am truly blessed and thankful to you for the stories we've shared, the encouragement we've given each other and the community that we've built here.   It all went by so fast! As with anything in life things change.  My children are all grown and I no longer have anyone to parent or claim ..read more

  This is my last installment for this series.  If you've missed any of my prior post for part 1, part 2, part 3 and part 4 just click on these to get caught up.  How are you doing with your nonfood prepping?  Did you stock up on any of the items we've been discussing?  Let's talk some more about items you may or may not have considered to add to your prepper pantry.   Feminine Hygiene/Bladder Control Products  These are not cheap, by any stretch, however there are a multitude of store brand products out there that might just meet your needs.  I noti ..read more

  Our mornings have been cool enough I was able to get back outside and do some more work.  I wanted to tackle the eyesore that I could view just outside my living room window.  Primarily the lower deck which is where I had "temporarily" placed some wood for a project I was planning.  It didn’t happen.  This summer I've worked really hard to renovate my entire yard, from the curb at the front to the backyard fence line.  It has been a huge endeavor and a lot of work, but what a transformation.  Yard work it much more manageable and everything looks so nice ..read more

  I've been doing some experimenting lately with my meals and prepping them for a moderately busy week ahead.  I honestly think I'm busier now than when I was working, but that's completely okay.  Planning meals and doing some prep work helps me a lot, especially when working on a project and I feel too hot and tired to fix something to eat.   Each Sunday I've been choosing two meats from the freezer to work with.  This past week I chose a pair of angus beef patties ($1.75) and a package of pork chunks ($2.12) that I had found in the markdown bin of the supermarket ..read more

  How are you doing with your nonfood prepping?  Did you stock up on any of the items mentioned in part 1, part 2 and part 3?  Let's talk about some more items you may or may not have considered to add to your prepper pantry.   Grocery Bags  Keep some plastic and paper shopping bags on hand for disposing of messes.  This is a very affordable option and may not cost you a thing.  Reusable shopping bags are a good option to have too for storing, organizing and carrying things.  At 99¢ a bag it is very affordable to add a few of these to your prepper pa ..read more

  It felt really weird, but for the first time in thirty years I didn't get a kid ready to go back to school.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  A few months ago I gathered up all the extra office supplies and grabbed the school supply bin and had my girls go through and take what they wanted for college.  After they loaded up I put what was leftover in a bag and donated it.  I no longer have a school supply bin to add to in preparation of this annual event.   We didn't go shopping this spring and summer for shoes and clothes on clearance to set aside for Fall.&nb ..read more

  I began collecting and making items to redo this bedroom years ago.  It's my neighbor's fault really.  She gave me this beautiful white vintage bedspread and I knew I couldn't use it until my girls were grown and gone.  A mother just knows these things.  A white bedspread and children, not happening.  Not at my house anyway.  So I tucked it aside and dreamed of all the things I would do with this bedspread and the room I'd create around it.   I think this bedspread is just beautiful Several years ago I picked up some vintage lamps, very sim ..read more

  How are you doing with your nonfood prepping?  Did you stock up on any of the items mentioned in part 1 and part 2?  Let's talk about some more items you may or may not have considered to add to your prepper pantry.   Cast Iron Skillet  Do you have a good heavy cast iron skillet that would work should you need to cook on your grill, rocket stove or even over an open fire?  Cast iron skillet can be expensive if you purchase them brand new, but yards sales and thrift stores are a great place to find one for a much more affordable price.  Don't be afraid o ..read more

  Regardless of what is going on in the world around us our quality of life should always be a priority.  For me that is a daily endeavor.  I am always thinking of and planning ways to improve myself, my home and my life.  To be steadily working on making things better is in a way its own reward.  I am blessed with the desire and ability to make a good life for myself.  I think we all are.   Embracing simplicity, practicing gratitude on a daily basis, counting my blessings and thanking God every day has been life changing.  It is very difficult to be ..read more