* Picked lots of lemons from our tree and blessed a friend with some.
* I cut up some bath towels that looked dirty in the middle section. From the two towels I was able to make six hand towels.
* A week or so ago I bought a length of cream damask type material from the op shop for $1.99 ( less discount ). From that material I was able to make a table runner for our dressing table, a smaller one for the dining table and two squares to go under our lounge room lamps.
* Blanched and froze lots of broccoli for future meals. I also cut up the stalks and froze to put in casseroles.
* Bought a few more sheets of the beautiful rose wrapping paper for $1 each to make more cards. When Father's Day comes around I'll be looking for suitable wrapping paper to make men's cards.
* Gratefully received some bread, mini desserts, foccacias, teabag samples,
* Blessed some family and friends with loaves of bread that was given to us.
* Ate a few meals from the freezer ( leftovers ). I'm desperately trying to make more space in the freezer to store food for Darren's 50th birthday next month.
* Saved lots of water from the shower for the washing machine.
* Picked lettuce and silverbeet from our veg garden.
* Made some gift tags with bits and pieces I had on hand.
* Dried most of the washing on clothes horses over ducted heating vents.
* Made a quadruple batch of Cranberry Hootycreek Biscuit dough. Some of the dough was made into biscuits for Mother's Day presents. The rest of the dough was frozen into logs for future baking.
* Picked flowers from the garden to brighten up our home.
 |
| Towels made into hand towels. |
 |
| Blanching and freezing the broccoli. |
 |
| A runner for our dressing table. |
 |
| Hand made gift tags |
 |
| Our lemons. |
Wendy what divine photos this week! I love them all and your card making ideas are really taking hold. That pink gingham ribbon is just the prettiest thing ever. I had a sort of bitty week here. Thank goodness for previous, more productive weeks. I baked four loaves of gluten free bread and a dozen gluten free rolls. Making gluten free bread is just like making a cake. It's nowhere near as labour intensive as wheat bread, so that's a bonus. I painted some picture frames white and embellished them with stiffened lace flowers (you'll see them on my blog soon), for my mother-in-law for Mothers Day. We ate well and healthfully using our lovely bargain produce, pre-cut and pre-portioned on the weekend, and roasted and turned into yummy dips and sauces. I supported two friends, a sibling, and a friend of my daughter, through some rough times, and I think this is worth adding as it's time consuming (in the best possible way), and is yet another reason for preparedness. If we have a well stocked refrigerator and pantry, and chores are up to date, then supporting a special person in your life need not take time away from other tasks. We all know that whatever crises are occurring, the cruel fact is that life goes on, so preparedness is a means of freeing time up, should the need arise. And finally, I made some beautiful feather headpieces for my daughters school dance troupe for upcoming performances, saving everyone a considerable sum on buying something similar. These little accessories all add up for the Dancers family, so each saving is a blessing to say the least. I hope everyone had a lovely and productive week. Mimi xxx
ReplyDeleteMimi, I had lots of fun trying to take the photos. It's been overcast in Melbourne so I had to wait for the Sun to shine through the clouds ( a few seconds at a time ).
DeleteMaking the dance accessories would save a small fortune. xoxo
"Picked lots of lemons from our tree and blessed a friend with some" and your friend (if it's me!) is so very grateful, as is her family. So far a double lot of lemon butter, some lemon barley cordial and lemon meringue pie is on the menu for dessert tomorrow night for Mother's Day. The rest have been zested and juiced and frozen. I even sat for a few minutes with my elbows in the "cups" while I had a cup of tea - something my music teacher would make me do before a concert or eisteddfod so my elbows would be soft and white :) That bag of lemons has brought so much joy to us in so many ways this week, so thank you again, I am so thankful to have you as a friend :)
ReplyDeleteYes Cath, you are the friend - giggle, giggle, giggle. I'm glad you were able to use the lemons in so many ways.
DeleteI'll be making lemon butter shortly as well as juicing and zesting each week and freezing.
That was a good price for the damask. I picked up a length of poly cotton to make some dolls clothes, but at $5 I put it back, too much for an opshop I thought.
ReplyDeleteWent to a garage sale and got a box of craft papers for my daughter, some nail varnish 50c, and some books $1.
Have not been using heater as it needs replacing. Got a lovely small gas bill.
Am not looking forward to quote for replacement heater, but have the money saved.
Earned a $50 flybuys/Coles voucher off my next shop. But doing so filled my pantry. Donated some items to community food collection.
Paid our quarterly power bill $340
Paid credit card in full.
Adopted a pet from rescue shelter.
Finally saw the bottom of laundry basket
Enjoyed our open fire and kids roasted some marshmallows. The simple pleasures of life
Love the simple pleasures.
DeletePictures for men's cards could come from old magazines about fishing, farming, motorbikes or cars. Keep a look out in the op shops or garage sales for them.
ReplyDeleteThankyou for your ideas. I'm on a constant look out for suitable magazines.
DeleteLovely wendy, you've had a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteThis week I've been very active although I'm quite tired and exhausted now but need to keep pushing on.
Completely cleaned down sorted and de cluttered the kitchen, although I still think more needs to be done.
Got new stand fridge freezer duo, so I completely emptied out my deep freezer and put everything into the new one (I think I'm also desperate to empty it out even though I just filled it. LOL!)
Tidied up the lounge with the help of my partner
Haven't used the heater since the start of last year and only just turned it on last night
Stuart senior was convinced it was just way too cold and that the kids are cold too although they were wearing warm clothes lol.
Was on my way to pick the kids up from daycare and saw a whole heap of lemons on the side fence at a corner house just up the road so stopped the car and got ruby (eldest daughter) to jump out the car and grab them, they'll be put to good use :D
Spent most my week at work and in the process collected so many bread bags that I feel like I need to give them to you wendy! So I'll definitely be saying hello at the workshop and great fully giving you bread bags :)
Made all of my meals from scratch and froze all the left overs. Some I still have in the fridge because they won't fit in the freezer.
Dried all clothes on clothes horse except for school and work uniform (needed them quickly)
Went to the hospital for my antenatal check up and was that quick I didn't have to pay for parking :D
Now I'm at a point where I'm procrastinating to make your recipe of muesli bar slice lol
I also feel like I've negletcted my garden a little bit :( so I'll go out there for a little bit sometime next week. Those darn caterpillars keep coming back and eating my plants!
Have a good week next week and I'll see you on Saturday :)
Anne, I'll gratefully receive those bread bags next week.
DeleteI've been on a rampage in my garden klling caterpillars too. Nasty creatures.
Anne, it sounds like you are nesting !! I got it in small doses when pregnant with Jessica. I had it all through the nine months with Megan and it still didn't seem like my house was clean or organised enough. I think I was preparing myself to have a baby and toddler to look after
Looking forward to next Saturday. I'm so excited to meet my blogging friends xoxo
Wendy, I'm definitely looking forward to it.
DeleteI managed to get more bags of a different kind. They are smaller then freezer bags but bigger then the zip lock sandwich bags. I'm just assuming they are sandwich bags but I have heaps, so I'm happy to share those with you also.
They sit in the store room at work and I definitely think they won't be getting used.
I definitely think I'm nesting hehe it always seems to happen towards the last 2 months of my pregnancy. I live in flats so my neighbours and their friends giggle when I get into the corridor bit and start vacuuming and moping the cement floor haha. I just giggle at my self too when I do that but we all appreciate it until the wind blows more dirt and leaves up the stairs.
Managed to get in the dirt a little today until the kids started screaming and woke the bubba up cheeky girls so had to go back inside.
I hope you have an absolute awesome and wonderful Mother's Day tomorrow and I can't wait to see what my little cherubs have made me at school and day care. Always brings joy and happiness to my heart <3
Anne
Another good week Wendy! And I loved reading that Cath is the friend and what she has been doing with those lemons!
ReplyDeleteLemons are wonderful for all the things you can do with them. Reading this made me so happy. We are all birds of a feather. You know there are people who have a lemon tree and let them all rot on the ground. WHere as we would use or share every one and get so much happiness from them.
I had a pretty good week. Lots of soup making, adding to my pantry, crochet, a few bargains and rain on the garden which is always welcome!
Have a lovely weekend! xxx
Thankyou for your comment Annabel. I don't think I could live without a lemon tree now. It has so many uses and smells divine - the flowers, the lemons and the leaves. Mmmmmm
DeleteHi Wendy
ReplyDeleteI love those gift tags and lemons are so versatile, this week we had a good week
- Bought Bananas for $1.79 p/kilo and made Banana Muffins used it for fruit snack and smoothies
- Did our Monthly shop and came in under the budget so the rest went into the slush fund
- Made a few cards for the men by cutting the pictures out from my hubbys birthday cards - we are lucky no one writes on the picture side :)
Looking forward to the Cheapskates workshop next week :)
Have a fantastic week
Laine
Looking forward to meeting you too.
DeleteOh, I am kicking myself! I made some Hooty Creek cookies today and stupidly used plain flour instead of SR flour - resulting in cookies that resembled hockey pucks! I made a fresh batch and they were great but I hated wasting those ingredients! Grrrr!
ReplyDeleteJoolz, I made a mistake with my Anzacs a few weeks ago. I put in baking powder instead of bi carb. Didn't realise until I'd made two batches of dough. They turned out ok but not the same.
DeleteWendy, after reading everyone's comments on lemons I think I'm going to try to grow a lemon tree here. Lemons are a staple in our pantry and being able to grow them would be one more thing I didn't have to buy. Also, I noticed you separated your broccoli stems from your broccoli florets in your photo's, do you use the stems just as you would the florets? Great frugal tips!
ReplyDeleteNo one in my family likes long stems on their broccoli. So I cut it up and freeze it to use in stews, casseroles and soups instead of celery.
DeleteHi Wendy
ReplyDeleteI have been busy but not as busy as you :-)
I wandered into a local Salvo's before I did my shopping the other day. I got three tops for myself and two great work shirts for Hubby for $14. I also donated a skirt that was now too big for me. Afterwards I scored, from the grocers,four kilos of bananas for $1.50, Two kilo's of capsicum for $1, celery for 50 cents, four kilo's carrots for $1.
That night I made bolognaise with the capsicum as Hubby cant have tomato. We have three further meals frozen.
Hubby and I went shopping at the local second hands stores, yesterday, after leaving a box of goodies for them from our collection...we keep a box open and we add anything we will be donating. I managed to pick up three RIT colour dyes for $2 each. They were exactly the colours I had been wanting but couldn't afford. Some one was looking after me. I have managed to revive 14 pieces of clothing that had faded or were looking dingy.
Today we are waiting for my parents to arrive for Mothers day.
Happy Mothers day Wendy and to all other mothers...
Linda
Such wonderful prices for your fruit and veg linda.
DeleteThankyou for your wishes. I hope you have a wonderful day with your parents.
Hi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteThis week i made: 2 x Banana cakes, cranberry hootie creek bickies and homemade pizza.
We took some of the Banana cake to my sons footy on sunday and a themos so we didn't need to buy anything.
Used the tank water for the washing this week and the garden and still picking strawberries and silverbeet.
Refilled my herb jars, gratefully received bread and muffins and had a couple of no spend days.
Gifts for Mothers day came from things i had purchased on sale and so all within budget.
Thanks for the tip re:Broccoli stalks to use instead of celery. I usually chop these up and use for the veggie stock, so i'll give it a try.
See you on Saturday,xxx
Maureen
Looking forward to Saturday too xoxo
ReplyDeletePlanted some silverbeet and lettuce seedlings
ReplyDeleteGratefully received a loaf of bread
Made "empty the fridge soup" with a few veges and soup mix - very yummy
Bought cauliflowers at Coles for $1.20each
Bought hummous dip near date for 50cents x 4 tubs - family loves it and goes well in school lunches
I use the broccoli stalks in soups and casseroles
Bought a fab book at the op shop which is childs recordable book - you record your voice reading the story - new - for $2.25. Will be put towards Christmas gifts.
Gratefully received Christmas wrap paper from a friend who was clearing out
Made pikelets for children to take for "take a plate" events
Kids made Mother's Day and birthday cards we needed for the week - need to have a card session soon so we have some on hand
Bought eggs near date at Coles for 80cents a dozen - never seen them this cheap - bought x 6
Same Coles bought sausages packs of 22 near date for $2.39 - bought x 4 - will last a LONG time
Shopped from the present shelf for a birthday party the kids attended
Sold a couple of items online - all in the decluttering quest
Made yoghurt - one plain and one sweet
Sue
Great prices on the supermarket bargains Sue.
DeleteI love the pretty runner on your dresser, you have given me an idea to brighten my dresser up, thank you Wendy.
ReplyDeleteOur lemons are just ripening. We have our tree in a large pot and it has 23 lemons on it, so happy about that!
We have oranges, mandarins and grapefruit ripening as well, cant wait to get my yearly dose of vitamin C. I squeeze ours for juice to have with our breakfast.
xTania
Tania, I had a maroon color runner on the dresser. I like the new one better. It lightens the room enormously.
DeleteI'm still waiting for our mandarin tree to take off. It's looked sick for a couple of years and we keep feeding it. Maybe I need to pray over it more !!!