Spring Cleaning, Decorating and Fresh Air

When I think of frugal and simple foods the egg salad sandwich is on the list - close to number one.  What I didn't realize after using one egg I boiled  - it should be number one.  I used that egg to make a sandwich today.  Imagine how surprising it was when that egg produced two sandwiches.  (not skimpy)
One egg
5 chopped up green olives
One small celery stalk
Two (2) tablespoons of mayonnaise

And, I have two meals for 30.75 cents.  Adding in 5 cents for the additional ingredients still makes it a simple, yet frugal, meal at just under .18 cents a meal.  Add the bread which I can't calculate because I don't know how many slices are in the loaf.  But, fair is fair so the bread needs to get a mention.

Grocery stores don't offer smaller portions for single people in the fresh veggie department.
If I want lettuce, I buy an entire head.  Or carrots and celery come in nothing smaller than 'stalk' or a pound.  A friend has been singing the praises of green bags for years to me.  I finally bought some because I had all the dehydrated foods I need and watching food waste was irritating the heck of out me.  She was correct!  I now have a portion of a head of lettuce that is still good that was purchased at the beginning of January.  That makes it twenty four days with more to come.

Now, out of the kitchen and into the office.  I'm loving the small space.  The couch came in with a small black side table.  It's beginning to get cozy in there.  Next will be drapes.  Measuring from the ceiling to the floor let me know I need 95 inch drapes.  If the roads are clear on Monday, I'll hop over to Penney's to check out their selection.  If they're not on sale in the store, I'll grab the information and go online where there is a 50% off sale plus 20% with any type of payment.  Going through ebates will net me another 9% off which will bring the cost down to just over 26.00 a panel for a panel that was originally priced at $70.00.  The ones I'm looking at are lined in white.  White is the only color that can appear in the windows from the street. (Home Owner Rules)  I don't mind it because the look is consistent.  Our neighborhood is small and multiple colors would definitely look unbalanced and not so clean.

Things got moved around already.  To fill the empty space
in the jut out part I placed the organizers that were previously
next to the bookcase and desk.

The couch is a bit bigger than a love seat, but smaller
than a regular couch.  It also opens up to a sleeper.
(Double) Marley photo bombed the picture. 

On the list is also another lamp for the small side table.  I'm hoping Marshall's still has a matching lamp to the one that's on the bookcase.  The last thing will be a medium size television so Marley and I can watch our videos.  I'm looking into a 'smart' TV which has Netflix and METV access built in.  I have heard rumors that those devices can spy on a person in the room.  I don't know how true that is.  Well, no matter.  There's time to make a decision.

MONDAY

After prayer time I began watching a couple of the ladies I follow on yoo toob.  Before coffee!  Bad idea because one of the videos was extremely motivational.  By 9 AM I had a dining area that was scrubbed down from the floor on up.  I washed the chairs and table base, then went on to the table top.  The floor and baseboards are now clean, as well.  I just realized the ceiling light didn't get cleaned so when I'm done writing I will wipe that down as well.  The chair seats have also been cleaned with upholstery cleaner and are in the middle of drying out.

The chair seats need to dry before they are returned to
the appropriate position.  When they're dry I'll clean off the residue
with a cleaning brush to remove the dried up dirt.

Since everything is smelling nicely I opened the living room window to air out the living area.  The sun is shining and the air is crisp.  Just the right combination to kill germs.

Later this morning the plan is to go to Penney's to check out the drapes for the office.  I did a bit of research on smart TVs and I think I'll pass on a TV in the office room.  Samsung has a privacy policy that literally tells you they collect data from your device AND the TV is capable of listening to conversations in your home.  I don't talk much anyway, but I also like to think my home is my private area,  So, I'm taking a pass on that one.  It's an invasion of privacy to be on the computer and that's enough for me.

Here's a link to Samsung's privacy policy.  Note the verbiage is soft, mentioning third parties.  No thank you.    http://www.samsung.com/us/common/privacy.html

Stay safe. 

The Hoarders Show. A Love Hate Relationship

I began watching the hoarder shows again because I am getting lazy in this heat.  Those shows continue to motivate me to leave the lazy zone and join in the active zone.  I thought I was being lazy, but blood work revealed anemia.  Even though meat is not my favorite food, I have been trying hard to consume a little each day.  I sure hope bologna counts as a source for meat.

The only surface in my home I wouldn't advise a person to eat off is in the bathroom.  I have cleaned floors, walls, sinks, toilets, counters, tubs and showers, windows, patio, and most everything else with the exception of the couch, which will be next.  All I needed was a motivational video!


During the process I moved items around to bring a fresh feel to some rooms.  I changed out the back of the powder room toilet to reflect the warmer weather and changed the top of the refrigerator to reflect the same. I have decided to go with the 'if it brings joy' philosophy.  As an example:  I feel a smile when I see the tin I turned into a toilet paper holder, but not the flower arrangement I put together to sit next to it.  The arrangement served a purpose at the time, a purpose I no longer need.  The arrangement will be donated to a young lady that is trying to get a comfortable home put together for her children.  If there is someone who can enjoy the item, them the six dollars I spent on making it is not a waste of resources.

I really wish I was better at photos.  This arrangement is so much
more charming than the photo reveals.  For the summer months
I'm repurposing the paper roll holder to display soaps and
paper hand towels.  The cap is tucked behind the tin.

The large tin rooster appears to be proud that he is taller
than anyone else.  In winter months he has a spot on the
counter in front of the glass jars.

The next thing I'd like to talk about is nature.  Nature thinks about every detail of recycling.  A tree grows from a seed that came from a tree.  Then in the fall it drops leaves to protect the soil and the leaves decompose to create new and enriched soil.  This cycle is true for all vegetation.  The foods we eat can be fully recycled, as well.  A chicken lays eggs that provide protein.  The shells can be washed and pulverized to provide calcium for the soil used to grow food.  The chicken is roasted to provide the first meal.  Then an additional meal can be formed with the left overs, say - chicken salad or chicken and gravy.  The bones go into a pot with bits of meat on them, throw in a few veggies and soup is another meal.  The bones can then be retrieved to provide stock that's used to create gravies and other soups.  The only thing that's discarded is the bones, but only if you don't want to treat a cat.

I'm enamored with the cycle of natural things.  Who of us could have provided such a complete removal system? 

Stay safe.

The Evolution of Holiday Decorating

Since it's raining and quite gloomy this morning I have settled in to watch videos on yoo toob.  There are a few ladies I have been watching because I learn more about decorating - specifically, holiday decorating, from them.  This is something I have just gotten into thinking about.  Christmas has always been a big decorating time for me, but all other holidays pretty much went to the wayside with the exception of window clings or a table center piece.

Today I watched a series of videos about table scapes.  I had no idea there was such a thing before.  A centerpiece on the dining table is all I have ever seen anyone do.  Maybe a candle on each side of the centerpiece.  These ladies go the mile with place settings, center pieces, as well as other small items such as name cards and menus.  I know I won't go the whole mile, but I will travel down the road of tablescaping for maybe half of the mile.

One lady explained the benefits of raising items up on a stand.  I have a springy looking cake stand, so I used it to prop up the wooden bunny I have in the center of the table.  With a place mat under the cake plate there was enough room to put the candy jar and jar of pink polka dotted straws to the side.  I like it.  I don't know if the evolution process will continue, but for now I'm comfortable with what I have done.  I keep reminding myself this is a work in progress.

I took things from around the house to add to this centerpiece. 
The cupcake candles are from the dollar store, as are the candy
and the straws.  The placemat under the display was
on sale (clearance) at Dillard's.  The four placemats surrounding the
center were also from Dillard's clearance section.

Remember the sticker paper I got at the dollar store earlier this week?  I was under the impression it was sticky paper, but soon realized it was paper that can be used to place favorite stickers on to create your own sticker book.  Even with the new information, I went ahead and cut squares out to match the size of the plain card stock ones I made for the Easter tree.  They got glued on top of the plain squares and have added a bit of festive color to the tree project.  The grandchildren can use the backs to write their names or draw a picture.  Again, this may evolve even further, but for now I'm satisfied.

In this photo you can see the evolution of the hanging tags on the Easter tree.
I left some of the tags plain card stock to, hopefully, add interest.  Each
tag has a small doily sticker in the center.  The ribbon is cream and
mint green that I bought at the dollar store.  That store has the
neatest things in it.

 



The tulips were moved onto the counter to finish off this display.

I am evolving.  From using only the scientific portion of my brain into awakening the creative side.  I don't think creativity will be full blown in me, but I'm happy it is being somewhat explored and developed.  Thank you for going on this journey with me.

Valentine 'Date' With the Grands

Last night the two oldest grandchildren spent two hours with grandma while dad took mom out for a Valentine dinner.  We had lots to do and almost ran out of time.  First on the agenda was dinner.  I made grilled cheese sandwiches, mandarin orange slices, celery sticks, pretzels, and milk.  The eight year old was full, but the twelve year old was still famished.  He's been growing like a weed so I told him just go into the pantry and refrigerator and eat anything he wanted.  He chose two cookies from the pantry and a huge apple from the refrigerator.  I forgot to mention he had 2 sandwiches for dinner.

After clean up - they helped - we made cards for their mother.  I got out the doilies and glue stick for them to create cards.  After a few minutes their creativity was shining through.  The eight year old put a streamer of ribbon on the heart doily then attached a marshmallow heart to it.  I love it and I know their mom will, too.  (I was so concerned about not taking pictures of them that it didn't occur to me to take pictures of their creations.)  I'm thinking he got the idea from his older brother because he put a pack of raisinettes on the bottom of his streamer.

After we cleaned up the mess and wiped down the glass kitchen table, I made frosting for the cupcakes  that came out of the oven before they arrived.  The boys each had four cupcakes,  a bowl of cherry frosting to use, and shared the 'decorates'.  The younger boy put a series of conversation hearts on the two cupcakes that went to his mom.  Then added sprinkles.  LOL  It was a typical decorating job for an eight year old.  I'm sure mom will be removing some of the sugar before she consumes her hand made treat.

This is the result of the 'adult' made cupcakes.  Cherry juice colored and flavored the frosting. 
As an added treat cherries got chopped up and mixed in the frosting.

Since my daughter knew I purchased tulips for myself this year, she brought me a bouquet of mixed flowers.   They were, of course, beautiful and colorful.  They have gone from this:

To this.

There are times the flowers get cut low and used as a center piece on the kitchen table.
I got this from the Barefoot Contessa's show on foodtv.

The wrapper had pictures of hearts on it so one of the hearts will get cut out to be used as a template for next year.

I think I've awaken the creative side of my brain.  Even though my
'creativity' is in it's infant stage, I'm quite pleased that I
saw an opportunity to use these hearts as a template.

What a Lovely Weekend!

Weekends are normally low key this part of the South.  Most everyone else is out on the roads, so my part is to stay close to home.  There's no sense in me combating traffic if I have the opportunity to accomplish what I need to during the week.

This weekend was a bit different.  I went bridal gown shopping with my daughter and her friend.  Both of these ladies did some online research and were set on a particular gown.  Three gowns later, and the bride to be looked lovely in a different gown.  One that she didn't think would work for her.

Since this took less than an hour to accomplish we needed to decide if we would go to breakfast or wait for lunch time. Either way, our plan was to eat out.  We decided to go to TJ Maxx until lunch time.

I splurged on a new sheet set and blanket for a total of $65.00 for the queen bed.  The blanket was a king size at a reduced $25.00 in a soft grey.  I scooped it up and am glad I did.  At home the sheets and blanket went into the washer and on to the bed.  It felt so good to sleep on fresh sheets and snuggle into the warm blanket.  I forgot to mention I have been using one sheet set for close to three years.  It got washed and dried and put back on the bed.  I didn't realize how uncomfortable and ratty it had gotten.  These past two nights I have slept like the proverbial baby on the new sheets.

After a successful shopping trip the time had come for lunch.  We ate at a local pub that was near TJ Maxx.  The excitement mounted when I saw they were offering a hot dog with chili, cheese, onions, and all of the fixings of a New York dog.  My daughter only had to fork out five dollars for my lunch.  (I informed her she was treating today!  LOL)

Sunday the temperature hit 66 degrees (F) and the whole city was moved into action.  Windows flew open, cars were washed and cleaned, and laundry was hung outside.  There was activity in my quiet neighborhood as moms walked babies, neighbors sat out in lawn chairs, and pups went for brisk walks - mine included.

The garage was swept and all of the recyclables went to the big bin near the mail boxes.  All of the windows were opened wide and the floors got swiffered.  What a glorious day it was.  We are expecting the same weather today so it will be taken advantage of and the olive tree will get re potted in the larger container that's been waiting for just such a day.

This morning I saw some Valentine ideas on Pinterist and adapted one for the kitchen table.  I already had the supplies on hand so I arranged them in a pleasing setting on the table.  Not rocket science, but cute.

Friday I went to the dollar store to find they are starting to put out gardening supplies.  Seeds are four for a dollar and they had clay pots - not huge, not small, just the size I wanted for my seedlings.  Parsley, lettuce, basil, and cucumber seeds found their way into the basket.  The final item was a new pair of bright pink gardening gloves.

The next couple of days I have to finish up the foods I've started to eat.  This morning I had crackers with pistachio butter and bananas with a glass of milk.  A good balance of carbs and proteins with a fresh fruit thrown in for good measure.  The plan is to cut up some carrots and celery for snacks as well as cheese.  I have to work on the apples I got a couple of weeks ago for .50 cents a pound, too.  Keeps me out of trouble and productive.

What have you been up to?  I love reading the comments and hearing about your 'adventures' in the simple life.

Stay safe.

I'm May Be Getting the Hang of This Fall Decorating Thing

Saturday there was a short, but violent rain storm.  This is common in the area I live in.  These storms are rather comforting to me.  I love to see the earth renewed and the dirt washed away.  There was something a bit different about this storm.  It brought in fall air.  How refreshing to be able to open the windows wide so the fresh smell can permeate the inside of my home.  What a gift from God.  I know it happens every year, but that does not mean it's not a gift.  It just happens to be one that we are use to, forgetting it's a gift. 

Friday I went to do errands with my daughter.  As she did an errand at the sports shop, I ran into Pier One.  I wanted to look for a fall wreath for my front door.  The wreaths started at 40.00, so I quickly changed my strategy.  They weren't all that substantial anyway.  I did, however, find a wood hanging plaque with a stack of happy looking pumpkins welcoming in the season.  It was less than half the cost of the cheapest wreath.  The hanging became mine.

How cute is that?!!! I need to grab some putty to attach the hanging to the door because it blows around in the wind.  The dog thinks someone is at the door when she hears it knocking around against the door.  I'm not sure she can take all the excitement.

Yesterday I unpacked the few items I had bought at the end of last year, on sale.  I got a wrought iron looking pumpkin candle holder from Kohl's for $4.99 and put it away.  I forgot I had it until I started looking in my holiday closet.  I also had an off white pumpkin I got last year, as well as a plaque wall hanging.  I put the plaque in the powder room hanging from the shelf I put up a couple of weeks ago.  As a gift my daughter bought me a Sensy burner in the shape of an owl.

The owl graces the small round table next to a chair.  I'll have to think of a name for him.  Better yet, I'll have one of my grands do the thinking for me. tee hee

So far, this plaque and the door plaque are my favorite things.  The candle jar I cleaned out last week went next to the candle on this shelf with a bathroom item in it.

The white pumpkin went on the fireplace with the new one purchased last week and a candle.  I knew the mantel needed something else, but I wasn't sure what.  I was talking to a friend on the phone, and we went online to find pictures of mantels.  Thank God I have someone who is creative to guide me.  It never occurred to me to look at pictures online to get inspiration.  Most of the mantels had the one thing I'm missing - garland. Another thing I wasn't aware of is that the normal things used to decorate through the year had to be removed and replaced with the fall items.  I know that is a fundamental idea, but I never caught on to it until this year.

I think the mantel looks bare without the garland.  I think I'm on the right track though.  I moved the wreath to the bedroom and hung a picture my daughter sent me (Daughter # 2) in it's place.

I can't say how excited I am to decorate this year.  I feel like a kid in a candy shop.  The old sparky me is coming back to the surface.  I could almost see my dear sweet husband smiling as I was moving things around - just like he did when he was here with me.  Even though I miss him every day, I now smile when I think of him.  I wish every woman could experience a good man like him.  I really do.

Today I plan on going back to Pier One to grab a garland.  They have substantial ones there.  I've never used garland before, but I think it's time I catch up with the rest of the world.  If I'm not comfortable with it, then I'll take it back.

The windows are open, the closet doors are open and my spirit is soaring.  It's a wonderful life.

Do you decorate for fall?  What's your favorite things to display?  Do you have a fireplace?

My Fall Starts on September 1st

The official first day of fall is September 21st.  My emotional first day of fall is September 1st.  A full twenty days before the calendar proclaims fall has arrived.  As my son in law tells me, I'm old, so I can do what I want.  I feel like a spoiled brat, but it is what it is.  You can join me to make this proclamation, too, if you'd like.

This is what my fall means to me. (Even though it's still hot outside.)  I start burning cinnamon candles.  I light them before I go upstairs and get the winter sofa pillows out of storage.  A quick change of the light colored pillows I use in the summer and the living room begins to look and feel cozy again.  The next thing I will do tomorrow is bring my warmer looking items out of storage.  Like the picture frames that are black -instead of light colored.  And the warm colored blanket I fold into a small square and place on top of the TV cabinet.  The blanket will be there for a few shot weeks because I ordered an electric fireplace to put in that spot for the winter.  The white cabinet will go in my bedroom to become the bill center.  That will open up the closet and complete my bedroom furnishings.

When all is put in place and I'm satisfied, I will begin baking.  Apple crisp is the first on the agenda.  Then strawberry bread and pumpkin bread.  When the baking is done, I will feel like it's fall.  Time to cozy up and start crocheting. 

I have new crochet patterns this year for headbands and flowers and a hat.  I learned to make a hat without a pattern, but this one is a different style.

Next will come wrapping gifts for Christmas and cooking for Thanksgiving.  One of my kids (daughters or son in laws) cooks the turkey, another one will make the sides, and I do desserts.  We feast on home made goodness.  I think the chef son in law is doing the turkey this year.  He loves it in the fryer.  He's the only one who knows how to fry a turkey. 

We'll gather at the house with the youngest grandchildren, relax, cook and laugh in between good conversation.  Maybe the females will carry on the tradition of going to K Mart after we clean up from dinner.  I'll have to bring that up to see what the others say.

When is your first day of fall?  Do you do things that make you feel like it's fall?  What do you do that makes you feel cozy?  Whatever it is, I hope you enjoy the simple times at home with your family.

As you can tell, the room is not large.  I captured the whole long wall in two shots.

I don't think it shows up, but the summer pillows have a delicate design on them that matches the color of the chairs.  These will be changed out with warmer colored pillows.

This is the TV cabinet that will go in the bedroom when the fireplace arrives.  The room is smallish so moving this and replacing the spot with the fireplace will open up the room to make it feel larger.