tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-270415372024-03-23T12:20:59.744-06:00The Frugal Farmmaking conscious decisions that enrich our lives--and having fun in the processUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger165125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-4091671747256756282008-01-28T19:01:00.000-07:002008-01-28T19:03:00.354-07:00Update your linksI am finally getting into the groove of blogging at <a href="http://www.thefrugalfarm.com">my new site</a>. My internet access is back and the kids are back in school. I know some of you have me linked on your sites, so don't forget to change the links!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-60945184772537788862008-01-11T16:54:00.000-07:002008-01-11T17:10:09.028-07:00I'm moving!To another domain! I managed to snag <a href="http://www.thefrugalfarm.com">thefrugalfarm.com</a> and I'll be posting over there from now on. I'm currently planning to leave the archives over here. <br /><br />p.s. I stocked at <a href="http://www.majesticcongo.com">Majestic </a>yesterday!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-50205709580126504562007-12-20T15:41:00.000-07:002007-12-23T15:49:48.091-07:00A Random Christmas MemeI've been tagged by <a href="http://inspiredmamamusings.blogspot.com/">Erika</a> (who, by the way, makes some fantastic stuff. I love her diaper balm and her fiber lover's hand balm and for a barter she dyed me some yarn, too, that I can't wait to knit it!) Plus she is a really great friend, too!<br /><br />13 Random things about me and Christmas<br /><br />1. My all-time favorite Christmas music is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roger-Whittaker-Christmas-Album/dp/B000003FSQ/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1198190784&sr=8-1">The Roger Whittaker Christmas Album</a>. When I was a kid, my parents would always put it on first when we came into the Christmas tree to open presents. When I was a grown-up, I bought it on CD and my kids like it now, too.<br /><br />2. The year I was 12, it got really cold where I lived (in Houston!) and our pipes froze and burst. We didn't have water for 3 days. My mom was really sick with a virus of some sort, and I remember wrapping a lot of the presents for her and then a plumber came on Christmas Day and fixed the water. Those are the kind of Christmases you don't forget.<br /><br />3. Fake trees don't offend me. We have a pre-lit slim tree since our house is small.<br /><br />4. My youngest child is 2 and I still haven't sewn her stocking yet. It's cut out, but not sewn. She uses my old one in the meantime.<br /><br />5. I don't like raisins in cinnamon rolls. My mother made them both ways to eat on Christmas morning.<br /><br />6. The last couple years I haven't started wrapping until Christmas Eve when the kids go to bed.<br /><br />7. I got married 2 days before Christmas. (Happy Anniversary honey!)<br /><br />8. I like to eat ham for Christmas dinner.<br /><br />9. It's harder than you think to come up with 13 random Christmas things.<br /><br />10. In fact, so hard that I started writing this two days ago and couldn't get past 2.<br /><br />11. Tomorrow I have to go shopping and get the last gift. It's hard to hide a bike for a 7-year-old.<br /><br />12. We have one of those <a href="http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=900000&e=storeproduct&pid=34128">Fisher Price Little People Nativity sets</a>. Three Christmases ago when we got out the decorations, baby Jesus was missing from the set. He's never turned up, so I finally bought a new one the year before last. I imagine that someday, I will find baby Jesus behind some shelves in the garage and I will have a really good story about "How I found Jesus."<br /><br />13. We have colored lights on our tree. And usually on the outside of the house. But <a href="http://www.frugalrenovation.blogspot.com">other projects</a> have pre-empted the outdoor light installation this year.<br /><br />I can't in good conscience tag anyone this close to Christmas, so do it if you want and leave a comment so I can come read!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-82420939096335415972007-12-07T11:27:00.000-07:002007-12-07T11:54:49.712-07:00When being frugal bites you in the backsideYesterday I spent half the day making a triple batch of egg rolls and then I also made beef and broccoli stir fry. I deep fry the egg rolls and make sweet and sour sauce and they are SO good! And I put 3 meals worth in the freezer. Plus the stir-fry is also to die for. The downside is it makes a lot of dirty dishes. And it makes a mess of the stove.<br /><br />Last night as I was cleaning the stove and the drip pans and washing all the dishes, I realized that being frugal once bit me in the backside.<br /><br />My long time fans will <a href="http://the-frugal-farm.blogspot.com/2006/06/birthday.html">remember</a> that this house came up for sale the same day that we got an offer on our old house. When we bought this house, we closed on it 3 weeks before we closed the sale of our old house to give us time to move stuff over gradually. Once I came here to do some deep cleaning and I took the drip pans of the stove home with me to the old house to clean there. I have this great trick to clean them; I put them in a pot with some dishwasher detergent and boil them on the stove for a while. When you take them out, the grime just wipes right off. As I walked into the house from the garage, I dropped all the drip pans and three of them got dents on the edges and the paint chipped off. I priced replacements at the home center and they were 5 or 6 dollars a piece. I didn't buy them, and figured I could find them cheaper elsewhere. <br /><br />Well, I was wrong. I never found them cheaper elsewhere, and now, four years later, I can't even find the same color drip pans. So every time I clean my stove and see those chipped edges, I am reminded that I should have just forked over the $20 to get new ones.<br /><br />Has something like that ever happened to you?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-72811435625693420942007-12-06T10:11:00.000-07:002007-12-06T10:13:25.290-07:00It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...Over at <a href="http://www.majesticcongo.com">Majestic Congo</a>! All of today's items just went live, so go snatch up some soft-soled leather baby shoes or some beautiful stitch markers or some hand dyed yarn!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-85748032080231600882007-11-21T22:51:00.000-07:002007-11-21T23:01:03.083-07:00Good, better, bestI have so many interests and hobbies (and children and animals and chores) and I am trying to find a balance, where I can get the things that <span style="font-style:italic;">need </span>to be done finished, in addition to doing something that I <span style="font-style:italic;">want </span>to do. <br /><br />In October <a href="http://www.mormon.org">general conference</a>, Dallin H. Oaks gave a talk entitled <a href="http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,49-1-775-38,00.html">Good, Better, Best</a> where he talks about how we need to choose the best things to grow closer to God. There are a lot of good things in the world, but they aren't always the best things to occupy our time.<br /><br />I have know for quite a while that the internet is a huge time-suck for me. I try to show good self-discipline but I often waste time online. The last few days I've kept my computer off and spent my time doing other things. I'm not giving it up completely, but you'll see a lot less of me from now on. Don't forget to check the <a href="http://www.frugalrenovation.blogspot.com">renovation blog</a> for updates and every two weeks I'll be stocking my leather shoes and other handcrafted goodies at <a href="http://www.majesticcongo.com">Majestic Congo</a>. My past items will be available at my <a href="http://www.frugalmom.etsy.com">Etsy </a>shop until I get my <a href="http://www.idahomemade.com">website </a>up and running.<br /><br />On a related note, we stock at <a href="http://www.majesticcongo.com">Majestic </a>on Friday at noon eastern. Come check out the hand-dyed yarn, beautiful stitch markers, leather shoes, diapers, and other great items made by these talented women whom I am glad to call my friends.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-88038101487045687912007-11-10T21:18:00.000-07:002007-11-10T21:20:37.636-07:00More cloth shopping bags.Sorry for the lack of creative, humorous blogging. I did take a picture of my new shopping bags, though.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frugalmom/1957256415/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2220/1957256415_c151cf515b.jpg" width="402" height="300" alt="Shopping bags" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-56218819677435825712007-11-07T12:13:00.000-07:002007-11-07T12:15:52.202-07:00Shoes, shoes, shoesI have joined the <a href="http://www.majesticcongo.com">Majestic Congo</a> at Hyena Cart. We stock Thursday November 8th at noon eastern. Come see what all these talented mamas have to offer! I know all these women personally and they have become a wonderful support group. Keep watching my <a href="http://www.idahomemade.com">website </a>for when I get it up and running.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-84540184567819596082007-11-04T10:33:00.000-07:002007-11-04T10:44:34.900-07:00Reusable Shopping BagsThough I take my plastic shopping bags back to the grocery store for recycling, I still hate bringing them home! Last week I sewed up a dozen cloth shopping bags.<br /><br />Tomorrow I'll put them to good use when my favorite grocery chain opens a new store just 10 minutes from my house. So long to 30-minute-drives to the store. I will actually be able to buy frozen foods in the summer without taking a cooler packed with ice.<br /><br />For a tutorial on how to sew cloth shopping bags, visit my <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frugalmom/sets/72157602910178723/">Flickr tutorial</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-80094835539480999102007-10-24T21:14:00.001-06:002007-10-24T21:21:22.250-06:00Who doesn't want to be a winner?I know I posted about <a href="http://the-frugal-farm.blogspot.com/2007/01/clean-machine.html">my new vacuum</a> and totally trashed the Dyson, but hey, if I win one, I'll have one to keep in the basement of the new house so I won't have to carry my Hoover downstairs. Go <a href="http://thedomesticdiva.org/blog/2007/10/21/contest-dyson-pink-vaccuum/">here</a> to enter. Thanks to <a href="http://knittingtart.blogspot.com/">Stacy</a> for the link!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-10623664002243710242007-10-24T16:50:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:21:39.977-06:00A Cheesy TitleYesterday I made a quick trip to the grocery store and while there, I waltzed by the deli aisle to check for markdowns. Sometimes I find cheese marked down to $2 a pound because it's close to its pull date. I found 5 2-lb packages of Cache Valley Medium cheddar for $1.99 each. That's a dollar a pound, people! I don't know if I've ever bought cheese that inexpensively. It's pull date was today, but the packages were still nice and tight, so the medium cheddar will probably be sharp cheddar by the time the last of it is eaten, but sharp cheddar costs more, so my savings will just increase!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-55862606697654778672007-10-19T09:31:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:26:28.468-06:00Dog vomit and dead chickensI really enjoy reading Meredith's blog <a href="http://likemerchantships.blogspot.com/index.html">Like Merchant Ships</a>. She exudes positive energy as she practices cheerful frugality. It's blogs like hers that help remind me that no matter what happens, your attitude can still be positive and you can be happy.<br /><br />So, despite the fact that I was awakened multiple times during the night by a crabby 2 year-old, it's raining (and mud is being tracked into the house constantly) and by 9am I had already cleaned up dog vomit and disposed of a dead chicken, I know it's going to be a good day.<br /><br />We've got roof trusses and roof decking going up as I type, and I promise to update the <a href="http://www.frugalrenovation.blogspot.com/">renovation blog</a> by the end of the day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-56407287561838521632007-10-16T14:49:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:23:43.046-06:00AliasThis meme was on my friend <a href="http://inspiredmamamusings.blogspot.com/">Erika's</a> blog (go buy some of her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=351539">diaper balm</a>...it is the best stuff on earth!) , and I thought it looked like fun. Do it if you want and leave a comment so I can come read yours!<br /><br />1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) <strong></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Tawny Sienna</span><br /><br /><br />2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie) <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chocolate Ginger Snap</span><strong></strong><br /><strong><br /><br /></strong>3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name) <strong>MBut</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><br />4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) <strong>Pink chicken</strong><br /><br /><br />5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, hospital where you were born) <strong>Nada Midland Memorial (I don't have a middle name!)</strong><br /><strong><br /><br /></strong>6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first) <strong>Butmo</strong><br /><br /><br />7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink) <strong>The Purple Sprite with Lime</strong><br /><br />8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers) <strong>Kelly James</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><br />9.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) <strong>Nada Floyd (again, Mom with no middle name!)</strong><br /><br /><br />10. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) <strong>Watkins Wilmington</strong><br /><br />11. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) <strong>Autumn Tulip</strong><br /><br /><br />12. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) <strong>Strawberry flip floppy</strong><br /><br /><br />13. HIPPIE NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) <strong>Muffin Maple</strong><br /><br /><br />14. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) <strong>The "all things fiber" snowstorm tour...As in Tawny Sienna and the All Things Fiber Snowstorm Tour!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;">Ok, some of them were kind of hokey, but it was fun!</span><em></em></strong>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-18846148410114063982007-10-12T15:31:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:23:55.142-06:00Squash harvest 2007<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frugalmom/1554726925/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2154/1554726925_2efbf293ec.jpg" width="402" height="300" alt="Squash harvest 2007" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-7647558002034744602007-10-10T14:22:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:24:19.560-06:00Works for me!<a href="http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2007/10/works-for-me-th.html">Works For Me Wednesday!</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frugalmom/1480823471/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1027/1480823471_b8610a5648.jpg" width="374" height="500" alt="Folding towels" /></a><br /><br />I realized that if I sit in front of the towel cupboard (my kitchen lacks drawers) and fold the towels and put them directly into the cupboard, I save myself the task of putting them in a basket and carrying them to be put away. This also works with my cloth diapers. It makes it a little easier to accomplish the job.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-43909469728278834602007-10-08T15:24:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:24:58.928-06:00OctoberIs breast-cancer awareness month. Take a minute to do your self-exam, and then go enter to win a <a href="http://www.5minutesformom.com/2440/casio/">free digital camera</a> at 5 Minutes for Mom.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-30551735576610758682007-10-04T20:57:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:25:12.387-06:00Mommy, will you play with me? Or, how to trick your kids into workingLast week the two older kids had a day off from school because it was parent/teacher conference days. Frugalgirl2 is used to being at home by herself (well, Frugalbaby is here too, but she's not the same caliber of playmate as the older kids). Frugalgirl wanted to play Barbies but her older sister was doing something else and wasn't interested. Since I had to go the school for a conference with a teacher, I was trying to get as much housework done as possible before I left. She came into the kitchen and said "Mommy, will <span style="font-style:italic;">you </span>play with me?" <br /><br />I said, "Sure, what are we playing?" The answer was Barbies. So I took the dolls little arms and pinched them together around a spoon from the drainer and said that she was helping me put away dishes. To my surprise, Frugalgirl2 thought this was pretty funny and started using her own doll's arms as tongs to put away utensils. After we emptied the dish drainer and moved on to the dishwasher, I said Barbie was tired from all the work and laid her down in the utensil rack.<br /><br />Then I decided that there was no way I <span style="font-style:italic;">couldn</span><span style="font-style:italic;">'t</span> take a picture.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frugalmom/1480733875/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1137/1480733875_09f89b2d1b.jpg" width="402" height="300" alt="Barbie is taking a nap" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-48654726592169092122007-09-25T12:36:00.000-06:002007-09-25T13:07:38.639-06:00Is it really free?One of the only classes I ever got a B in while going to college was Economics. The whole concept of opportunity cost always perplexed me. But as I've gotten older and had more life experience, the idea of opportunity cost is becoming clearer to me.<br /><br />A couple weeks ago the phone rang. It was one of those surveys. The gal wanted to know if anyone in the household smoked, or had allergies, and what kind of vacuum we have. And that I was entered in the weekly drawing.<br /><br />Then last week, the phone rang again and it was someone telling me that I had won the drawing! My prize was a set of kitchen knives and a free vacation for 2 adults and 2 kids. The catch? I had to let a guy come over for an hour and give me a sales pitch for an air cleaner.<br /><br />While the <a href="http://www.frugalrenovation.com">renovation </a>is making this house dirtier than ever and I'm doing my best to keep up with the dirt, the thought of sitting for an hour listening to someone try to convince me to part with my money for something I don't have room for that will surely cost <span style="font-style:italic;">something </span>to maintain.<br /><br />I told the lady on the phone that I wasn't interested.<br /><br />I wonder how many people turn down their prizes? Some people will take anything that's free, even if they have no need for it nor a place to store it. Other people don't value their time. While I don't profess to be someone who doesn't procrastinate, I certainly know that I don't want to listen to an hour of sales pitch only to decline the offer.<br /><br />Then this morning on <a href="http://frugalhacks.com/">Frugal Hacks</a>, <a href="http://inashoe.blogspot.com/">Kim </a>posted a <a href="http://frugalhacks.com/?p=130">free offer for pearls</a> from Overstock.com. It turns out that you actually have to sign up for the email notification club from Overstock. I happen to own a strand of pearls already that my parents gave me when I graduated from college. So, since I don't need another strand of pearls, and I'd just delete every email that Overstock ever sent me, I didn't sign up. Just because it was free, it doesn't mean it comes without a cost. If I needed a gift for someone or I really liked ordering from Overstock.com, then maybe this would have been a great deal. But for me, trying to cram 6 people and a dog into 1400 square feet in the midst of a remodel, the last thing I need is more stuff to do and more stuff to take care of.<br /><br />I've noticed that when I don't see the sales flyers from places like Target, I don't see things that I "need" as often. When I'm living my day-to-day life and I notice we're short on tissues, I write it on the shopping list on the fridge. Then, if I happen to be shopping and find a sale on tissue, I stock up. If we run out before I find a sale, I buy one box at a time until I find a better deal. It's dollar-cost-averaging.<br /><br />Frugal living doesn't just mean finding the cheapest price on anything and everything. It's about deciding what you really need and what you can live without. I can live without a new strand of pearls, and I can live without a set of kitchen knives. I like the knives I have, thank you very much.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-76637422683028788122007-09-24T09:30:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:25:50.610-06:00And my heart skipped a beatLate last night I went outside with a bucket of food scraps to dump in the <a href="http://the-frugal-farm.blogspot.com/2007/03/not-only-do-i-have-four-kids-i-have.html">chicken coop</a>. I noticed that the water was empty but since it was night, I resolved to go out early in the morning and fill the water up.<br /><br />This morning about 7:00, I heard a chicken making a racket outside. Often after they lay an egg, they cluck and cluck until I go out and give them some encouragement (Good chicken! Thanks for laying an egg!), but they will often make a racket if they are out of water. Some neighbors of ours once ignored an early-morning chicken racket and went outside to discover that the coop door had been left open and all the chickens had been eaten by raccoons. Since I knew they were out of water, I dragged my bum out of bed. In the back of my mind, I was worried that a raccoon was out there terrorizing them. Just yesterday two chickens had squeezed out of the tiny hole in the chicken wire where the water dish is. I turned on the hose and went around to the coop. I filled the water bucket, fed them, and then counted. And counted again. Checked the roost and the egg boxes and counted again. We were short a chicken. It was Midnight, a Black Star who lays brown eggs. I started looking around for her remains. I was sure that if she was out, that raccoons would have gotten her for sure. Frugalboy came out and I told him she was missing. We looked over near the <a href="http://www.frugalrenovation.blogspot.com">addition</a>, and there she was! Strutting around, oblivious to the fact that she had nearly met her demise. The <a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1306/552319968_e1185becde_b.jpg">dog </a>was out with us. <a href="http://the-frugal-farm.blogspot.com/2006/10/introducing-tawny.html">Tawny </a>is an excellent chicken herder. Unlike Border Collies or Cattle dogs (heelers), she doesn't nip at what she's trying to herd. She can usually round up the chickens and send them back to their coop without even touching them. For a while the chickens were trained to head back to the coop if they even <span style="font-style:italic;">saw </span>the dog outside. I haven't let the chickens out at all this summer though, to preserve the harvest in the garden, so Midnight was out of the habit of heading home when she saw the dog. Instead of going back to the coop, she hid in a juniper bush. I was able to pick her up and carry her back to the coop.<br /><br />I made an attempt to secure the water dish in the opening of the chicken wire and I hope that no more chickens try to escape. These hens are kind of like pets. They all have names, and to think of losing one made me panic just a little!<br /><br />Which brings me to my dilemma. We got <a href="http://the-frugal-farm.blogspot.com/2007/04/special-delivery.html">5 chicks last spring</a> to replace a few of the older hens. Ideally, I'd have 6 or 7 chickens, maybe 8, but not 10. It is too many eggs for us to eat without getting tired of eggs. I haven't decided which older chickens will be the first to go, because they all seem to be laying. In the meantime, I'm feeding 10 chickens. we've been going through about 100 pounds of feed in a little over a month. I am sure that it is more expensive than buying eggs. I don't keep track of egg production, nor do I raise chickens to save money on eggs. I raise them more for the self-sufficiency aspect. But to spend $20 a month of chicken feed seems to be a little expensive! Right now I feed them <a href="http://www.purinamills.com/OurProducts.aspx?product=poultry">Purina Layena</a> because it has the calcium in it to help the shells be hard. A lot of commercial feeds don't provide the calcium so you have to supplement with oyster shells or something else. When I raised chickens for meat, the man who did our <a href="http://www.homegrownpoultry.net/">processing</a> recommended that I drive to a farm town about an hour away to their local grain mill and buy what was called 4H pig feed. The mill blends it especially for the local 4H kids and it was just a mix of wheat and corn with a protein content of 17%. We mixed the pig feed with the meat grower ration and it lowered our feed cost for raising the birds. It slowed their growth down enough that we could put off processing for a week or so. I also think it made the chickens taste better than the year before. It is much cheaper (almost half the price) and comes in 100 lb sacks. I guess I need to do some research and find out if I can feed that pig ration to the laying hens as long as I throw in some calcium. Anyone have some experience and could you offer advice?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-61528638499943177792007-09-16T16:31:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:26:06.213-06:00AfterHere's a picture of <a href="http://the-frugal-farm.blogspot.com/2007/02/messy-sewing-table.html">before</a>, and here is after.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frugalmom/1393906212/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1031/1393906212_602d9781cd.jpg" width="402" height="300" alt="Sewing table, mostly clean" /></a><br /><br />It's not perfect, but every time I walk by, I want to sit down and sew.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-8904177636225217852007-09-10T22:46:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:22:56.129-06:00I've been tagged...by <a href="http://themorganfollies.blogspot.com/">Lena</a>.<br /><br />MY HUSBAND<br /><br />What is his name?<br /><br />Frugaldad<br /><br />How long have you been together?<br />almost 12 years, married almost 11<br /><br /><br />How long did you date?<br />just under a year<br /><br />How old is he?<br />33<br /><br />Who eats more?<br />Him<br /><br />Who said I love you first?<br />Honestly, I can't remember!<br /><br />Who is taller?<br />He is.<br /><br />Who sings better?<br />Me<br /><br />Who is smarter?<br />I am pretty dang smart but he is smarter<br /><br />Whose temper is worse?<br />his<br /><br />Who does the laundry?<br />Me<br /><br /><br />Who does the dishes?<br />Me<br /><br />Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?<br />him<br /><br />Who pays the bills?<br />Both of us do<br /><br />Who mows the lawn?<br />usually him<br /><br />Who cooks dinner?<br />Me<br /><br />Who drives when you are together?<br />Usually him<br /><br />Who is more stubborn?<br /><s>Me</s> <s>Him</s> <span style="font-size:78%;">me</span><br /><br />Who is the first to admit when they are wrong?<br />Him<br /><br />Whose parents do you see the most?<br />His<br /><br />Who kissed who first?<br />He kissed me<br /><br />Who asked who out?<br />It's kind of a complicated story, so I don't know.<br /><br />Who proposed?<br />Him<br /><br />Who is more sensitive?<br />Me<br /><br />Who has more friends?<br />Probably me, but he has more "old friends" from the past. I have lost touch with most people<br /><br />Who has more siblings?<br />me, I have 4 and he has 3<br /><br />Who wears the pants in the family?<br />We share things pretty equally but he's the big bad boss<br /><br />I don't know if anyone reads my blog who hasn't already been tagged, so considered yourself tagged if you read this, then comment so I can come read yours.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-48584357552874589812007-08-31T08:18:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:21:39.977-06:00Another Yogurt UpdateYesterday I successfully cultured vanilla yogurt! I am so stoked. Before I stirred the milk into the starter, I added sugar and vanilla extract. It's quite sweet so I'll cut back on the sugar next time, but I added 1 cup of sugar and 1 tbsp vanilla extract to 1 quart of milk. Next attempt? Lemon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-717335004436556482007-08-30T14:28:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:22:08.695-06:00Yogurt tutorialI added pictures to my <a href="http://the-frugal-farm.blogspot.com/2007/04/make-your-own-yogurt.html">instructions on how to make yogurt</a>.<br /><br />Lately I've been making whole milk yogurt because it makes such delicious smoothies. They are almost like milkshake made with ice cream!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-53896497303730952602007-08-20T18:53:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:22:56.130-06:00Finally growing upIt's about time. Maybe it's because I turned 30 this year. But I'm finally able to can and have all my jars seal, sew things that don't look homemade, and be satisfied with my handwriting.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27041537.post-39263642138547940572007-08-18T16:36:00.000-06:002007-10-24T21:22:40.017-06:00I can't think of a good title for this oneBut I know I've been a slacker blogger lately and it's because I have been too busy to upload photos and spend time writing clever blog entries for you to laugh over.<br /><br />But, in a nutshell, I have been canning green beans, supervising construction, picking a bushel of peaches, playing referee to 4 kids, keeping up with the laundry, not keeping up with the dishes, trying to pawn off extra zucchini, and moving hoses around my parched yard.<br /><br />Two and a half weeks until the three older ones are in school, and we still want to make it to all the touristy things we haven't done yet this summer.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1