Summer Afternoon

"All in all, it was a never-to-be-forgotten summer — one of those summers which come seldom into any life, but leave a rich heritage of beautiful memories in their going — one of those summers which, in a fortunate combination of delightful weather, delightful friends and delightful doing, come as near to perfection as anything can come in this world." 
— Lucy Maud Montgomery (Anne's House of Dreams)

Summer Thrift: Estate Sales

I am always on the look out for unique and useful items at bargain prices. This summer I have discovered estate sales, and what a discovery it has been!  Overall, the quality of goods is higher than at garage sales and thrift stores. The items for sale are not random things that people don't want any longer, but rather, EVERYTHING you find in a household. There is often an abundance of vintage items, as well as a nice selection of newer things in great condition. Estate sales are wonderful for building up your yard and garden tool selection.  Wheelbarrows, rakes, hand tools, and flower pots can be found at the right sales. High quality table and bed linens (often vintage) are also usually available at very reasonable prices. Clothes, suitcases, holiday decorations,appliances, kitchen ware, and dishes...you name it! If I am looking for something specific, like a wheelbarrow, I try to go the first day while the selection is good.  However, the real bargains are found on the last day when items are reduced 50%.  The items in the photo above were purchased at half price for a  total of $5.60! Not only did I get a great deal, but I now have some unique and useful items that are in keeping with the era of my home. I love that! The red clock came right off the laundry room wall of a home in my neighborhood, and right onto my own kitchen counter.  I enjoy thinking about the lady who looked at that clock while doing her chores, and about her filling those salt and pepper shakers so long ago when they were new.It is good to know that other generations have been engaged in the tasks I do today! Estate sales also give you a great perspective on the "stuff" we use in this life.  We aren't taking any of it with us when we depart from this earth and this truth is clearly seen as you prowl through someone's house, seeing all the things they have collected over the years.  One day, the treasures we thought were so important here on earth will be sitting around on tables for bargain-hunting strangers to search through. Do we believe a thing to be useful?  Is it beautiful?  We may enjoy it here for a limited time, but let us not give up the more eternal things for the temporary during our time on earth!

For more ways to save money this summer click here, here, and here !

The Pleasant Home: No place for worry!

In Ohio there is a tombstone of a woman who died in 1888 at age 74 years and 8 months. Below her name and dates is reads, " She made home pleasant." I keep a photo of  this tombstone in my Bible as a bookmark. There are so many things that only God can do for our children, but with God's help I can give them a pleasant home.  I think of the Proverbs 31 woman, strong and dignified ( vs. 25), laughing at the days to come ( vs. 25) and  working with delight ( vs. 13). Worry was not part of her daily agenda! She was simply going about the things that were her job, doing them well, and not trying to do the things that belong to the Lord. Don't you know that the atmosphere benefited mightily from this?!

This week we sent our two ( very excited!) oldest children off on a mission trip.We didn't send them to remotest part of the world, but we still sent them away from us and out of our care. The pastor/friend who is going on the trip came up to me and jokingly said, "So, you are trusting us with the children you have invested the most in..." I didn't have time to answer him before someone else needed his attention, but in my heart I said, "They belong to the Lord, not me...always have, always will." This is harder to say at sometimes than at others, but it is always true. And as the mother of a couple of older children who are standing at the edge of the nest flapping their wings, I say these words to myself more often than ever.  The very hairs on their heads are numbered  (Luke 12:7) by the One who formed them in the first place, their days were written down by the Lord before one of them came to be ( Psalm 139:16), His hand will lead them and take hold of them where ever they are  (Psalm 139:7-10).  To the Lord I  say, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way."

Over the past few years the Lord has been doing a gradual work in my life, increasing daily joy and decreasing stress and worry. This has been independent of circumstances, which (excluding times of extreme crisis) are overall no better or worse that they were years ago. It has been a work of the heart: choosing joy, relinquishing control, resting in God's sovereignty.  Am I there yet? By no means, but there has been progress!  Our lives are singing something to our family and to a watching world...is it a song of stressful discord or a song of joy? Rest in the Lord, let His word do a good work in your heart each day,  and work with delight to make your home pleasant.


This post is linked to Our Simple Country Life, Far Above Rubies and Raising Homemakers.

Summer Thrift:Buying in Bulk from Amazon

I am at the point in my summer where I begin thinking about how I can help the school year get off to a good start. I mentioned in my post on summer routines that I try to begin putting some extra meals in the freezer to kind of "ease" us into a busier season of life.  Another thing I like to do is stock up on some of the gluten-free/ allergy free baking mixes and snack foods that come in so handy during the busy school year. Amazon is great for this! Most people do not even  know that Amazon has a Grocery and Gourmet Food section. Gluten Free Bisquick, Pamela's Mixes, 1-2-3 Gluten Free mixes, and others can all be purchased in bulk at a substantial savings...especially if you have used your Swag Bucks* points for Amazon gift cards! As the mother of a 4 year old who needs to have allergy free treats on hand for birthday parties,church activities, trips to the barber, and so on, I especially appreciate the 5 pound bag of Yummy Earth Lollipops. I can keep a stash of them in the car, in the back pack, in my purse, in the choir room,and at the grandparents, and feel pretty prepared for the times when someone is giving out a treat he can't eat. Stretch Island Fruit Leathers are another item that can be purchased at a discount and put aside for parties, picnics, field trips, and so on. Stocking up relieves a great deal of pressure in my daily life and eliminates the need to run across town to the health food store when a special event is on the horizon. Of course, you have to be disciplined about not going through items too quickly just because you have them on hand. I find that hiding items and not letting everyone know just how many we have on hand is a very effective technique :).   Even if you are not dealing with food allergies in your family, you will be surprised at the variety of bulk grocery items you can purchase from Amazon. It is a great way to bring some of the organic and healthful snack foods into your diet at a more affordable price. Spend some time browsing through the options and stocking up for your school year ahead!
And while I am on the topic of Amazon, I do want to thank all of you who have ordered through the Amazon ordering link on this website. Every order is appreciated and is a help to us!  Thank you!!

* Swag Bucks:  A few people have asked me about my Swag Bucks button in the side bar. What are Swag Bucks? Swag Bucks is a way of searching the web and earning points during certain randomly selected searches. Points can be redeemed for many things, including gift cards to places like Amazon and Target ( my two favorites!).I soon hope to redeem $25.00 dollars worth of gift cards that were earned with Swag Bucks points! It is truly like getting paid for something you are already doing...searching the Internet! You just sign into your account  and do your Internet search from their site, just like you would do on Google or some other search engine.You can also refer people to Swag Bucks and earn points that way. If you sign up through my Swag Bucks banner you are automatically  "referred"  by me and I will be credited. It has been a great thing for our family!

Summer Thrift: Homemade Garden Soil

At our home, gardening is one of the joys of summertime. There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of nurturing plants and watching them flourish, creating both beauty and delicious food for our family. However, the expenses of gardening can add up if we are not careful.  This is especially true in the area of garden soil. Because I am hoping to expand my garden a little each year, I have recently been investigating ways to create my own high quality soil. Here are some of the ingredients I have been learning about:

* worm castings: I have been using these this year and the results have been fantastic. We purchased them from a family  business specializing in organic farming supplies. The cost was minimal, especially because we were able to travel to their warhouse in person and take our own containers to fill. There is no odor at all and they can be placed on beds that are already growing.

*rabbit manure: Years ago, my friend S. introduced me to the wonders of rabbit manure when I asked about her stunning rows of Swiss Chard. According to Spring Warner, in her wonderful book The Quarter Acre Farm, rabbit scat is "wonder manure", the highest in nitrogen, and abounding in phosphorus and potassium. Like worm castings, it can be applied directly in beds. In fact, Spring Warner says that earthworms can even be raised directly under a rabbit cage. This produces, in her words, "manure squared." I haven't called around yet, but I am sure there are numerous sources for free or nearly free rabbit manure.

*recycled coffee grounds: Spring Warner also mentions collecting used coffee grounds from local coffee shops. I had been collecting my own used grounds, but sure enough, a quick contact with my local coffee shop gave me access to large amounts of used coffee grounds...free for the asking! I just have to go on a designated day and pick them up!

* old leaves and kitchen compost: Several years ago my husband made me a rotating compost been out of a recycled barrel.  Since then we have faithfully saved kitchen scraps and old leaves.  The results have been amazing. You can read about composting all over the Internet, but  let me say that the work of saving scraps and turning the compost is well worth it! It is a great area for even the smallest children in the family to participate. We add earthworms  to our bin and my little guy thinks the business of finding and transporting earthworms is the best job ever!   If you want to make your own bin there are "How-To" videos on You Tube for many different styles of bins. We keep a small plastic box on our counter for scraps and empty it a few times a day. It works well for our family.

Although we have used some of these things to enrich our soil in past years, I am preparing to combined them all to actually make our own garden soil for next year's garden.  I would encourage you to read The Quarter Acre Farm about Spring Warner's adventure in urban gardening. Of all the things I have read on the topic of homemade soil , her description in the chapter "Dollar for Dirt" is the clearest. Pleasant ( and thrifty!) gardening!

This post is linked to Homemaking Link-up.

Summer Thrift: Homemade Popsicles

 Summer is an ideal time for forming new habits and trying new things. It is a great time to reflect on what is working and what isn't in the area of thrift. I often find myself sitting on my swing in the afternoon, watching my children play, and asking the Lord for new ways to better use our resources. My husband works harder than any man I know, and I do not want to use this hard earned money carelessly. Even more than that, I want to honor the Lord with our resources and be able to give more to His work around the world.

One of the best ways I have found to save some money during the summer months is homemade popsicles.  I simply cannot imagine summer without popsicles!   For that matter, I cannot imagine the flu, pregnancy, or dental work without popsicles! They are at the top of my list when it comes to refreshing comfort food. When food allergies came into our life I realized that I was going to either have to allot a huge portion of our grocery budget to fancy frozen tasties ( ...not possible, of course!), or I was going to have to find a homemade variety that surpassed the rock-hard homemade frozen pops of my childhood.

My friend L. came to my rescue! I have tweaked her recipie a bit to suit our needs and here is our delicious, easy, and thrifty result:

2 c. boiling water
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 c.  100% fruit juice or smoothie

After dissolving the gelatin in the hot water, add juice, stir, and pour into molds. You may need to modify the juice to water ratio depending on how sweet you like your pops. For a special, and admittedly less healthy treat, we substitute the juice with 1 packet Invisible Kool-aid ( dye free, watermelon flavored) 2/3 cups sugar, and 2 cups water.  This is a nice option if you cannot tolerate artificial color. They are pictured above, along with one, lone apple juice pop. This recipie makes 16 pops for just pennies! I try to keep several batches, and at least a couple of varieties, in our freezer. They are soft, flavorful, and so very refreshing on a hot summer afternoon!  Enjoy!

This post is linked to Our Simple Country Life and Far Above Rubies. Come visit and see what other bloggers are writing about in the area of homemaking!

Summer Routines

Summer is my favorite season.  Overall, I just feel better in the summer… more time outside in the sun, more time to linger in prayer and Bible study in the morning, more exercise, more sleep, more fresh veggies and fruits, more time to read, and more time to catch up with loved ones. And then there are the “fewers”….fewer demands on my time, fewer pressures, fewer aches and pains related to cold weather, fewer socks to washJ.  But there is one thing I sometimes miss in the summer and that is basic structure.  The school year provides us with a basic structure for each day.  There are places to be every Tuesday, times we have to be done with one thing so we can get the next thing done, specific times when chores are to be completed. Home schooling also provides guaranteed, built-in, personal interaction with each individual child. While I relish the break from “schedule”, I miss the “routine” of it all. 

This summer I have worked to divide our break from school into segments…recovery segment, catch-up segment, and preparation segment. The first few weeks were focused on wrapping up the past school year and resting.  I completed portfolios, did the necessary paper work, sorted books, and so on.  I also built in lots of free time for everyone…mom included! We all need some long days of reading, traveling, and playing, with minimal household tasks and chores.

 We are currently in the “catch-up segment” of our summer. This is the time of the summer when everyone seems to be craving a bit more structure. Each morning (after sleeping later than usual…ahhhh), I give everyone an assignment to help us “catch-up” on the tasks we often let slide during the school year.  This includes things like cleaning out closets and toys, washing drapes, cleaning behind the fridge (eek!), painting, and reorganizing.  We work on these tasks until lunch and then have our afternoons free for other things. 

Before we know it we will enter the “preparation segment” of summer. This is the exciting time when we get ready for the year ahead. Most of these tasks (but not all!) will fall my shoulders. The mornings will be spent doing tasks like ordering books, organizing materials, making games and activities for the younger students, composing reading lists, thinking about daily school routines, and getting extra meals in the freezer to help us as we ease back into a busier season of life.  Older children will be taking turns between assisting me and helping with the younger children. My goal is still to keep our afternoons free for the summer-time things we love to do…gardening, playing in the sprinkler, visiting the library, reading, playing with friends. While we savor those last wonderful days of summer, we know we have much to look forward to in the months ahead.  Yes, more socks to wash and a few more achy joints to deal with, but oh, that precious time gathered around the school table! I am looking forward to it even as I praise Him for this blessed season of sunshine and refreshment!

This post is linked to A Wise Woman Builds Her Home  Wise Woman Link-up and Homemaking Wednesdays. 

This Just In......

                               
           Unassuming housewife grows potatoes in urban garden!

Dogs confused,
kids amused,
and dinner dish approved by all in attendance!

                                                                 

 Baked Garden Potpourri  

Several small potatoes 

One red pepper

One sliced zucchini  

Several stray green beans (and any other random garden produce) 

One Sprig of rosemary

Drizzle liberally with olive oil; Sprinkle with salt, pepper and copious amounts of McCormick Cajun Seasoning. Stir to coat veggies evenly with oil and spices. Top with rosemary. Bake at 450 until potatoes are tender (around 45 minutes).   Enjoy!

This post is linked to Our Simple Country Life.