When it rains, it pours, they say.
I can attest to that! Both literally and figuratively.
We have had some glorious, soil soaking rains this past week that have allowed me a break from having to water the garden on a daily basis.
On the "figurative hand", our gate needs replacing and our television has decided it doesn't want to entertain us anymore. Replacing the television can wait. The HOA is not as forgiving, which leaves us even less wiggle room in our budget than normal.
It is during these times that I look for ways to tighten up on spending even more than I usually do. The first two areas I look to to save money are groceries and the second is "wants".
I've been very vigilant about making my shopping lists and
sticking to them. I usually very easily get distracted and tempted by items when I
browse during my shopping trips. So, I've been extra mindful to remain
focused on my list while shopping. I put my "blinders" on, so to speak, make a beeline from item to item on my list, put them in my basket and get the heck out of the store! NO SIGHTSEEING WHILE SHOPPING!
I've also tightened up on electricity monitoring around the house, making sure that if we aren't using lights or fans etc., they get turned off. I'm beginning to love the romance of candlelight when the sun goes down!
I had also become lax about dishwasher and laundry loads, running both at times when they weren't at a maximum load. I am aiming to become more efficient at loading the dishwasher and doing loads only when both are truly full.
Another small thing I have begun doing again is requesting samples that interest me and are useful to me or one of my family members. This week I received samples of a packet of
emergency prepared food from the Wise Company, a
Vichy skincare product sample and a sample of
Dermablend face makeup. We are especially excited to try the pasta as we have been thinking of researching options for emergency food supplies.
Of course, there is always the offerings, however small, that the garden gives. I've gathered some grapes from our grapevine, some sage and a small bunch of celery that grew from a planting of the rooty stalk of store bought celery. The celery was an experiment that surprised us with a new bunch!
In the kitchen this past week, along with the usual fare, I decided to dust off my old stovetop waffle maker (there's a similar one
here) one morning and whip up a rare treat for breakfast. It's been so long since we've all had waffles the family was pleasantly surprised! I love
honey on mine, hubby loves maple syrup~opposites attract!
I also made an easy cinnamon roll cake that always hits the spot, day or night, with ingredients I had on hand in the pantry.
Of course, I spent a little time in my studio preparing a new apron pattern for future offerings in my
Etsy shop.
All in all, I had a productive, wonderful week doing what I love most, making our house a sweet home! I hope you all have had a happy week and are looking forward to special moments in the week ahead!
Thanks for stopping by!~ TJ
