From Our Family to Yours...

Merry Christmas!

Apron Sale~

Hey y'all!

I have a thing for aprons.  I'm not really sure why or where it came from, but I do. I always have a few hanging at the ready in my kitchen to help protect my clothing while I clean, cook, garden or bathe splashing pets. Because of this adoration of mine, I began sewing up a few almost a decade ago and then set up a little etsy shop to sell them in order to supplement our income.

I am listing some of the aprons I've made, and am offering for sale, on my social media accounts. The holidays are coming, and aprons make great heirloom gifts that can be passed down from generation to generation. They are also wonderful to present to the recipient as part of a beautiful gift basket. And each is a little different from the others. Dare I say...one of a kind?

And...let's be honest, also because the holidays are coming, making the extra money couldn't hurt us one bit right now.

I would love it if you would take a gander at them!

Children's Sized Aprons

GrandBaby's Favorite Apron

"Chubby Owl"~Red

$15

GrandBaby's Favorite Apron 

"Chubby Owl"~Yellow

$15

GrandBaby's Favorite Apron~Reversible (Plain)* **
"Holly Jolly"
TWO aprons in one!
$18
*see matching adult apron below to see reverse white material
**child's apron has regular length waist ties

And the reverse side of this apron...

 GrandBaby's Favorite Apron~Reversible (Plaid, no pockets)
"Classic Plaid"
TWO aprons in one!
$18


Adult Sized Aprons 

Mamaw's Favorite Apron 

"Baking Day"

$28

And the reverse side of this apron...

Mamaw's Favorite Apron~Reversible (Plain)

"Holly Jolly"

$30

TWO aprons in one!

{with extra long waist ties to wrap around to the front and tie a pretty bow!}

And the reverse side of this apron...

 

Mamaw's Favorite Apron~Reversible (Print)

"Holly & Candy Canes"

TWO aprons in one!

$32

Vintage Reproduction Half Apron

"Candy Canes in the Snow"

$18

Vintage Reproduction Half Apron 

"Fluttering Leaves"

$18

Vintage Reproduction Half Apron 

"Cherry Pickin' Time"

$18

Vintage Reproduction Half Apron 

"Butterflies in Flight"

(Pale blue & chocolate brown background)

$18

All photos are not filtered in any way and taken in various lighting conditions, in an attempt to capture the true colors. (A few days of clouds and rain haven't helped😉) 

I accept Paypal and Cash App and shipping is included in the price listed. I can also list them in my Etsy shop if you prefer but shipping will NOT be included through that venue.  I do accept returns within 14 days of receipt, as long as the item is in its original condition as when I sent it out and buyer pays shipping to return item.
*free shipping is only to US addresses. Outside of US, buyer must pay shipping.

• Smoke free home.

If you are interested in one and/or would like more details and/or detailed pictures, please ask in the comments below! I've sewn these babies with love in each and every stitch & don't mind sharing their info.

I will be adding more in the upcoming days, so please check back often! Also, if you kindly wouldn’t mind sharing this with your family & friends, I would be ever so grateful!

*first come, first served!

As always, thanks for your continued support AND for stopping by! ~TJ

Mama's Country Kitchen French Toast~A Non Recipe

No it ain't purty. But it's delicious and good cheap eats. It's real life around here. And it's what I do with the leftover ends, bits and pieces of our "day old" bread.

French Toast (My Way)

• An egg or so (depends on how much bread I have to use up)

• A sploosh of milk (no, I don't really know what a "sploosh" is)

• A dash of salt 

• A few sprinkles of cinnamon 

• A splash of vanilla extract 

Whisk that all together with something non fancy, like a fork. Or a whisk.

After the egg mixture is well combined, I put a few pieces of that stale (let's be honest here) bread into the milky egg bath to soak a bit (not too long or else it'll fall apart) while I heat up my skillet (or griddle) on a medium, to medium high, heat. When it's good & hot, I plop a few pats of butter in to melt, and then cook up some yummy french toast served with maple syrup for brunch! Mmm Mmm good! 

I would love to hear any french toast tips & tricks that you use!

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

Earn Cash Back While Shopping and Eating Out This Holiday Season!

Sign up for the DOSH app to start earning cash back!

Have you heard of the Dosh app? I'm so thankful my DD told me about it, and just in time for the holidays so I can earn cash back while I'm doing what I would be doing anyway...shopping for gifts! (Eating out too!) Plus you get $5 just for signing up and linking a card! You can even make extra money when your referrals sign up & link a card.

Go here to find out more or sign up!

Spread the word! We can all use the extra money!
I hope this helps you save some dollars!

Good Enough Homemaking ~ Cake Mix Snickerdoodles

As a younger single mama of three (shudder), I used to HAVE to cook just about every meal, snack, treat and sweet. I've gone so far as to make crackers. CRACKERS!!! (Why?!😨) Because I had to. It was frugal and economical. 

Well, today's a new day. And I find the older I get, the less time I want to spend in the kitchen. BUT, and here's the clincher, I STILL must find ways to be thrifty. 

So what's a girl to do? Here's one thing I have been incorporating lately that saves me time, still saves a little money AND feeds our sweet teeth (we each have more than one 😶):

[!WARNING! Baking purists look away!!!]

Boxed cake mix cookies! 

I stock up on boxed cake mixes when they are on sale, usually .79 - .99 cents each,to have in the pantry for a quick dessert  (or cookie!) when I just can't fathom spending one more minute in the kitchen. 

Last night I made these Betty Crocker "Cake Mix Snickerdoodles"  using a (shhh! don't tell Betty!) Duncan Hines cake mix, since it's what I had on hand.

Hubby called them "addictive".

And that's good enough for me. 

Do you use kitchen shortcuts? Please share! As a recovering everything-from-scratchaholic , I can use all the help I can get right now. 

As always, thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

*We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. There is no cost to you, dear reader, by clicking on my affiliate links. 

Some posts on my blog may contain links that will take you to my Avon e-boutique (website) where, should you choose to make a purchase, will earn me a commission as an Independent Avon Representative. 

We thank you for your show of support for the blog when you use the links provided to make purchases! 

Mama's Country Kitchen Chicken Broth~

A recipe that's not really a recipe...

• Cook the chicken  (in whatever way the occasion calls for. Bake,pan fry, etc.)

• Remove the chicken meat from the bones & add it to salads, recipes, or just stand at the counter nibbling on it, occasionally sharing a piece with your dog that is staring up at you and threatening to leave a puddle of drool on the floor for you to slip and fall in later if you don't. 

But I digress...

• Make broth from the bones. {Chicken bones, water & I add a titch of vinegar because I've read it's supposed to draw out the nutritional goodness from them. Most of the time (because it's fast and easy, and I'm a lazy housewife) I just add herbs and spices and salt & pepper to the broth since they're within arms reach of the stove. } No carrots, celery etc. Just a simple broth. I RARELY add onion so that I can add some of the broth to my pet's food occasionally (onion is supposed to be bad for dogs). If I want onion flavor in a recipe that the broth will be involved in, I can add that later. Then after simmering for 1/2 to one hour or so, cooling and skimming off the fat...

• I freeze the broth in various amounts. 1 cup, 2 cup, and LOTS of cubes made in the ice cube tray(s).

Now...if I'm feelin' wild & wooly, footloose and fancy free, I might take the time to make a "proper" broth. Ya know, #alltheveggies added to the aforementioned stuff, and then slowly, and lovingly😂😂😂, simmer that stuff in my slow cooker all day. Well, 6-8 hours at least. 

But...usually not. 

Do you have any chicken broth makin' tips you'd like to share? Please feel free!

Thanks for stopping by 

Veterans Day 2018~

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. ~John 15:13

To all our beloved veterans, "thank you" is such a very small sentiment to offer you for your service. You are very much appreciated on this day, and every day.

By the Dawns Early Light~

In the wee hours of the predawn, under the cover of darkness at 4-ish a.m, I was awakened by a crashing and clawing. I proceeded to get up and search out the source of the ruckus. All appeared calm. Two innocent looking cat bread loaf silhouettes in the darkness seemed to be coyly asking me, "Did you hear that too? Whatever could it have been?" 

Now too awake to possibly fall back asleep, I made my way to the coffee station  (what else could it be called when you have three coffee makers?) which seems to give the felines the go ahead message: "Lady and gentleman, start your engines!".

And so I sat, bleary eyed, me and my coffee, my coffee and me, while the sound of 1000 wild horses stampeded through the house. 

The sun is up now. 

And they doze. 

Good mornin' y'all!

Inward Reflections~

Sometimes I have to take a sabbatical from social media, blogging and the like.  Ya know...do a bit of soul searching, inner housekeeping and reflection. Sometimes I just wanna live my life, focusing on the here and now, without giving the world wide web a second thought.  

And that's exactly what I've done this past several weeks. Sometimes I've just gotta give myself permission to slow down & step away from the computer to regroup and refresh.  It's essential to my inmost being!

But then, I get to missing all the friendships and connections I've made through those very same channels.  I hope they, and you, understand my occasional silence.

Do you take time away from social media? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

Farewell Summer Break!

errands with the best daughter in the whole wide world!

This past couple of weeks has been all about joining my son and grandson on all their last minute back to school shopping and errands.  And spending the last few precious, sunshine filled moments of summer break with them before the hustle and bustle of the school year begins.

There were many great back to school deals to be had, in addition to it being tax-free weekend here when he did the majority of his shopping! We began the shopping at Walmart, for both some clothing items and school supplies, and stopped in at McDonald's for a quick, not so healthy, bite to eat.  Then we headed to the Dollar Tree for school supplies that he couldn't find at Walmart.  After that, it was off to Target for a few more shirts and things.  While at Target, we also ran into some of our old work mates from when my son and I did product demonstrations there.  It was good to see them and catch up!

On other days, I went with them while he went for his immunizations, health check up and shoe shopping.  It has been such a pleasure to tag along with them and enjoy the process without the stress!  Ahhh, the benefits of being the mamaw!

Even better, was the end of summer sleepover at mamaw and papaw's house!  💕😍 What is better than making memories with our loved ones?

Along with the end of summer vacation, I have begun to feel a shift in the weather. It's almost imperceptibly cooler and less humid on some days, making the warm breezes I feel, as I tinker around the garden at sunset, as welcome as grandma's cozy afghan.  It has inspired me to already begin cooking and baking not so summery fare. Or to curl up with a good book or a charming movie by the fire with a steaming hot cup of tea when the day is done.  

I hope you are enjoying these last days of summer!  

Have your babies or grand babies already headed back to school?

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

*We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. There is no cost to you, dear reader, by clicking on my affiliate links. 

Some posts on my blog may contain links that will take you to my Avon e-boutique  (website) where, should you make a purchase, will earn me a commission as an Independent Avon Representative. 

We thank you for your show of support for the blog when you use the links to make purchases! 

Use it Up ~ Empties August 2018

It's been a while since I've done an "empties" post!  Of course, I've got more empties than the few I am going to show in this post, but I didn't want the info to be overwhelming.  So, I decided to do a bite sized post, lol!

Without further ado and in no particular order, here we go...

•  L'Oréal Paris EverPure Blonde Conditioner Sulfate Free ~ I purchased this when I still had some blond in my hair while growing it out to reveal it's natural, ahem, "highlights".  I loved everything about it, especially that it was Sulfate free.  It seemed to work well on keeping my hair, both the blond and the grays while in transition, from turning brassy.    I may buy this again in the future, but in the meantime, I will be exploring other conditioners that are formulated for blond or gray hair, just to compare.

•  SUZANNE Organics Foaming Exfoliating Cleanser ~ this product was a gift that was included in another purchase I made well before I went on my money diet and renewed decluttering mission.  One of the benefits of this product are that it cleans away dirt and dead skin cells with a cleanser that won't strip your skin of it's natural moisture and protection.  Another thing I appreciated about this cleanser was the fact that I do prefer to use products that are non-toxic, organic and as close to natural as possible, and this fits the bill.  But products like that usually come with a higher price tag than I am going to pay right now.  Perhaps sometime in the future, when there is a bit more wiggle room in our budget, I would absolutely love to purchase this product again, for all of it's natural and skin loving goodness.

•  Avon On Duty Unscented Bonus-Size Roll-On Antiperspirant Deodorant ~  I have purchased this deodorant time and time again over the years.  For me, it has proven to live up to it's name keeping me fresh and odor free for the full day!  I prefer the unscented version so that it doesn't clash with any other fragrance I may choose to wear.  I feel it lives up to the benefits listed on Avon's website which follow:
▪ Unscented deodorant for people with sensitive skin
▪ Be odor free for 48 hours
▪ 24-hour antiperspirant
▪ Non-stinging
▪ Non-sticky
▪ Non-whitening
Because it is so affordable, and often on sale, I will continue to keep using this!

•  Avon Anew Skinvincible Day Lotion ~ another Avon product that I won't do without!  The main three reasons I continue to purchase bottle after bottle is the broad spectrum SPF 50, the fact that it's fragrance free and because it also feels great on my skin and doesn't leave a greasy, sticky, icky feeling (that is very important to me as I live in a hot and humid area and would go without sunscreen before I would wear one that makes me feel hotter and sweatier than the weather already does!). Here's a few more benefits listed on the Avon website & not a one of them bad, in my opinion!:
• Broad spectrum SPF 50 and high antioxidant formula protects skin from sun                 damage
• Smart Repair Technology heals skin from environmental damage
• Won't irritate sensitive skin, moisturizes for 24 hours
• Targets dehydrated skin and wrinkles
• Fragrance-free and oil-free
• Contains retinol
• Hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic
• Allergy-tested and dermatologist-tested
I will continue to buy this product over and over again and I always keep my eyes peeled for the sales.

•  Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Crème ~ another love, love, LOVE product that I have bought more than once!  I honestly can't think of one thing I don't like about this product.  From the light, pleasant fragrance, to the beautiful shine and silky feel it imparts when I run it through my hair, this hair product does just what it claims to do.  Another bonus: a very little bit goes a long way.  It's good for all hair types, it's paraben, sulfate and aluminum free and is humidity resistant!
*I will be trying out a similar product that my daughter told me about that is much less expensive, to see how it compares.  If I can find a comparable styling creme at a fraction of the cost, I will switch, for our budget's sake.

Well, there you have it, just a few of the products I have used up.  I love them all and, in a perfect, money flowing like a river world, would buy each and every one of them over and over again.  The reality is, I have decided that the only two products on the above list that I won't compromise on so far, are the Avon products.  Still, if I heard of similar products that worked as well and cost less, I would be willing to give them a try!

I would love to know some of the products you have loved enough to squeeze the last drop out of.  Please share!

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ


*We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.  There is no cost to you, dear reader, by clicking on my affiliate links. 
Some posts on my blog may contain links that will take you to my Avon e-boutique (website) where, should you make a purchase, will earn me a commission as an Independent Avon Representative.
We thank you for your show of support for the blog when you use the links to make purchases! 

Five Frugal Things ~ 8/10/18

I'm sitting at my kitchen table having a cup of herbal tea, listening to the cicada song. As I write this, I occasionally lift my eyes to take in the view of our cat as he intently watches the birds enthusiastically calling out to their friends from our feeder, "lunch is served!" (don't worry, he's contained in his pop up kennel and can't get to them!). The weekend is on the horizon and quickly approaching.  I'm especially looking forward to this one as I will be spending part of it with my son and grandson as they do their back to school shopping!  This weekend is a tax free weekend and my oldest always likes to take advantage of that to optimize his hard earned dollars.

Before I get down to busying myself with my Friday homekeeping and wrapping up some odds and ends for this week's business however, I wanted to post my frugal five for this past week...

•  added a bit of leftover pickle juice to the last bits of store bought salad dressing to        thin it out and be able to get the last delicious drops out of the container.  (I mostly      make my own salad dressings, but I have had a hankerin' for thousand island                lately, which is not a dressing I have ever cared much for in the past.  Now that I          know I will enjoy eating it on my salads more often, I will try to find an easy,                yummy recipe that I can throw together myself.  If anyone has a delicious 1000            island dressing recipe they would be willing to share, I'm all ears!).

•  I had two store bought organic salad dressings that I bought a while back but didn't     care for them on salads.  I ended up using them as marinades for chicken                       breasts, which worked out well.

•  several times this past week, I was tempted to buy things but, took the time to               pause, take a deep breath and ask myself:  1) do I really need it? 2) do I have                   something alike or similar that I could use instead?  3)  could I make it with                   materials  I already have on hand?
    One such item that tempted me was a pot holder (yes, a lowly potholder!  BUT this       one was silicone.  Yeah.) since the ones we have been using year 'round are worn         AND get this, Christmas themed.🎄🎅  I had made them a few years ago, and     LOVED how efficient they were at protecting my hands from the heat of fresh-             from-the-oven pans!  Alas, I got distracted by the shiny things that each day brings,     and although each time I pulled those red and green potholders out to use, I                   swore that this was the week I would sew up some new, more day-to-day                   appropriate pot holders.  Oh, how I procrastinate!  (And ramble.)
    But this, this is the week I make new potholders!  The End.

Galahad in his pop up kennel

•  I continued to persevere in the garden, still experimenting, and trying to grow               things that I either have not grown, or had success in growing, in the past.  I have         enough seeds to keep me busy for a good while!  Still, I am keeping my main focus       on growing what I know grows well for me, mostly herbs.
    Knowing that the health of our soil is not the best right now, and is also a mixture       of clay and sand, I amend and mulch as much as the budget allows.

•  DD and I took advantage of our local dollar theatre's Terrific Tuesday to see a                 movie.  The movies aren't the latest releases but that isn't something that concerns       us.  The tickets were only .50 each!

What are your plans for this weekend?

If you have back to school shopping to do, have you started yet?

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ

*We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. 
There is no cost to you, dear reader, by clicking on my affiliate links. We thank you for your show of support for the blog when you use the links to make purchases!