* Gratefully received some mini Christmas puddings / cake from a friend
* Made dried bread crumbs out of saved bread crusts. I love free items and no waste.
* Made wholemeal bread rolls. Some were used for homemade hamburgers.
* Kept the heater off as much as possible. It would be easier if we had real Spring weather not hot then cold.
* Saved the bread bags from a charity bbq. Some were use to line the bathroom bins.
* Picked silverbeet and spinach for a couple of meals.
* Dried all the washing on clotheshorses and the line. I can't remember the last time i used the dryer. It's still good to have one just in case.
* Gratefully received some water crackers and chocolates.
* Diluted the last of the cheap laundry liquid I bought years ago from Sam's Warehouse for 97 cents a bottle. Each bottle gives me about 30 washes. When diluted I get 60. It smells so nice that I save it for when the washing is a little smelly.
* Bought a huge head of cauliflower for 99 cents. I haven't been able to buy cauliflower for so long as it's been expensive. I also bought a small whole Kent pumpkin for 99 cents a kilo.
* .Gratefully received about 3 - 4 kilos of strawberries from a friend. I'll be making lots of jam for eating and present giving. Thankyou to my friend. The strawberries are a real blessing xoxo
* Cut out some rose pictures from wrapping paper. These will be used to decorate gift bags "Annabel style. "
* Planted out lots of bean seedlings. I also planted more dwarf bean and lettuce seeds. Five minutes later the heavens opened up and down came the rain.
* Ate out of the freezer two nights this week.
* Gratefully received some bbq sausages. I made them into a sausage casserole that gave us 10 serves ( 6 for the freezer ).
* Made a double batch of Anzac biscuit dough for the freezer. I'll be baking some of this on Christmas Eve for presents.
* Saved the shower warm up water for the garden.
* Fed the compost and worm farm with kitchen scraps.
* Picked the first of our strawberries for the season.
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| In the garden |
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| Raspberry bushes |
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| Raspberries growing |
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| Our first strawberries |
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| From the garden ( chicken coop ) |
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| Bread rolls |
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| Biscuit ( cookie ) dough |
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| Our blessing |
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| Darren sorting out his bulbs and Princess having fun |
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| Wrapping paper roses from Annabel's birthday gift |
What fugal tasks did you complete this week ?
Beautiful roses, love your photographs.
ReplyDeleteThis week we gratefully received a table tennis table, will be great for teen gatherings.
Sold some outgrown kids clothing and a game they'd never used, earning $20.
Went to Spotlight's Christmas VIP night with DD2 and used my free $10 voucher to buy some fabric we'll use for a Christmas project. Spent just $2.
Organised car pooling with another family for an event which is 90 minutes drive away.
Used leftover sausages from a teen gathering here to make a sausage casserole another night - wonder where I got that idea?!
Cooked dried kidney beans in my crockpot to use for a vegetarian nacho dish.
Bought 500g organic honey from someone with bees at home for $5.
Dragged out everything from the gift shelf and made a list for Christmas and a few birthdays 2016.
Shower water on the vegie garden. Silverbeet and lettuce picked. Line dried clothes. Made muffins and stewed pears.
Asked family members what they'd like for Christmas and the very thing was on sale 30% off at Anaconda, great timing.
Have a great week everyone.
Marie
Wow a free table tennis table. How awesome is that ? Yes, sausage casserole is a favourite with my family too.
DeleteYour roses are lovely, both the real ones and the paper ones you cut out. Just seeing the pictures makes me smile.
ReplyDeleteI've been blessed this week to stay and spend time with my husband's family. I've enjoyed special meals and family adventures. Of course, this all means I've accomplished little-to-nothing at home. I did bring snacks and supplies with us that saved some spending on food and necessaries, allowing us to redirect the money to other activities and Christmas shopping.
Have a lovely week!
Thankyou for your kind words. Hope you had fun Christmas shopping.
DeleteLove the roses :) I can imagine all those strawberries turned into jam and rows of lovely red jars on your pantry shelf too.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the rain - I'd just replanted some beans to replace the ones that were eaten and I think they've all been washed away. Oh well, I have more seeds.
Princess looks very happy and contented in her cubby in the sun, with just the right amount of shade.
Have a lovely weekend, see you soon :)
Cath, if I had room in my pantry I'd put the jam there. No such luck.
DeleteHi Wendy
ReplyDeleteWasn't the rain great. We had a few downpours that over flowed the gutters and storm water drains but I am certainly not complaining… I too was outside fertilizing the plants when all of a sudden black clouds rolled overhead.. oops … we had thunder and lightning and the walls and window panes were shaking. It was great!!!!!!!!!
My week has been pretty slow as most of the time I was inside out of the rain. I started my week by finding cheaper postage for my Christmas and birthday gifts… After a trip to Officeworks I have decided that one lot to Adelaide will be sent through them. $20 for a 10 kilo package of Christmas and birthday gifts can’t be sneezed at.
I did my grocery shopping for the month and still have $50 left out of the $150 to buy those top up items we will need…. Fruit etc
Made cranberry and coconut muffins for lunches..
Made lemon and coconut muffins for lunches
Washed all clothes in cold water
Blanched and froze garden picked peas for later meals
Picked and froze strawberries for future use
Used spinach, rocket, celery and herbs from garden for meals
Made bread (a few times)
Made yoghurt (twice)
Made a bulk purchase of an item I knew was being taken off the shelves at Coles as they were half the price of the replacement stock.. cupboards are now full and I shan’t have to buy it for twelve months and the use by date is 2017. This is why I have only $50 left for the rest of the month but it should save me some money in the long run.
Love the seat your Hubby is using lol these little blighters are so useful aren’t they.. I am growing potatoes in three of mine at the moment
have a great week Wendy
Linda
I always look forward to seeing your frugal list Linda.
DeleteWe have three of those milk crates. I'm thinking of covering one to use as a foot stool. I'll keep you posted.
Wendy this post just makes me feel so peaceful. It's abundant, just as your blog title suggests, it's happy, it's content. It just oozes love of family and life in general. Thankyou. Mimi xxx
ReplyDeleteThankyou Mimi. That's what I hope comes across to any one who reads my blog. We really are happy with our life no matter what comes our way or what others say. xoxo
DeleteI wonder where you will get such good laundry liquid special again? I make my own liquid but put 2 capfuls of our favourite brand-name laundry liquid into each 2 litre bottle of home made laundry liquid and it smells exactly like the real deal.
ReplyDeleteYes, I really miss Sam's Warehouse. They always had such great clearance items.
DeleteI read your laundry liquid idea on your blog. Love it !!!
Love your roses Wendy and wow those strawberries looks gorgeous, lots of jam coming up. My vegetable garden is grown heaps in the last couple of weeks and so have the weeds, i know what i'll be doing tomorrow morning lol , Have a great weekend with all the girls xoxo
ReplyDeleteThankyou Karen. Jam making on Sunday. I need the freezer room. Hope you can come to a card making afternoon next year. xoxo
DeleteHi Wendy, you have had a great week. You have such lovely people in your life blessing you with all those beautiful strawberries and other goodies. My week was fairly quiet but I managed a few things
ReplyDeleteI had 3 no spend days
Received a lovely parcel in the mail of a Christmas cushion as part of a swap on a forum I belong to.
Gratefully received 2 meals from my parents
Got a free adult colouring book by using my magazine loyalty card at the Newsagents . I will use this for a Christmas gift.
Gratefully received some cuttlefish for my budgies from a friend
I think that is about it for this week, as I said a quiet week for me.
Princess looks happy in her little hiding place.
I hope you enjoy the card making day Wendy .
Thank you Wendy. Barb
Quite weeks are good for the soul Barb.
DeleteWe had a great time card making, eating, talking and shopping today.
Dear Wendy,
ReplyDeleteAll those strawberries! That is so helpful and so many possibilities!
Also the rain has been so good. It was enough to really soak things. No amount of watering does what rain does!
The rose cute outs... I think I have that paper, the background is lilac? I do cutting out like that if the tv is on in the evening... it gets it done. They will look great on gift bags. Please post pics! Sometimes a gift bag logo is really big and tricky to cover. A whole page of a calendar, a magazine picture or covering a whole side with gift wrap can help then.
It was also awesome about the sausages! That added up to a fair few meals.
We had the rain too so am happy about that. It is warming up again. I got my chickens as you know and have sorted out my Christmas gifts. I need to use the weekend for washing as that has built up waiting for some sun! Have a lovely weekend! With love, Annabel.xxx
Annabel, the wrapping paper came from the birthday present you gave me. I promise I'll post pics of the gift bags soon.
DeleteYes the sausages were a blessing..
Wendy,
ReplyDeleteYou strawberries are so lovely! Our berry season is over so I am envious. And your roses are beautiful. Here we are into fall where everything goes to sleep in preparation for winter so it's nice to see all the color. You are one lucky lady!
XOXO
Vicky
Yes, I feel very blessed with our simple life. I froze the strawberries as I couldn't make the jam straight away. I'll be making it on Sunday after church..
DeleteWow what a lovely gift of strawberries, you certainly were blessed Wendy. What a great friend :)
ReplyDeleteLove those pretty roses and Princess looks quiet happy lying there :)
I had a busy week, spent mostly in the garden. We had a little rain, but not as much as you. The heat is back and will be here for most of this week, so that means the ground will dry out very quickly.
*I picked up some really cheap specials at Coles, (25 and 50cents)
*Bought chicken breasts on special at Foodland
*Picked up a couple of large jars for my pantry from an op shop
*Purchased a pretty rose bush and cheap hydrangea plant from a table out the front of an antique
shop.
*Dried some figs pieces I had in the freezer
*Drying some mushrooms that were on special at Foodland
*Managed to dry the washing in between showers. I had to keep moving them under the verandah.
*Saved pre dish water for pot plants
*Picked mulberries and I have my first Tayberry (just one)
*No air conditioner use
*Stayed away from the shops
Wishing you a great week Wendy :)
xTania
Wow so many strawberries. How do you fresh them Wendy?
ReplyDeleteMy frugal week was as such - used my flybuy dollars to purchase some things at kmart and some groceries. Used the last of a gift card at BCF to buy some fishing gear. Also used some loyalty points to get two camping chairs for Tony (hubby) and Siobhan for Christmas (free pressies yay).
Dried clothes in the sun and by the heater when the night was a bit chilly. Enjoying our chickens eggs at some meals and had a few freezer meals.
Got in for free to our local agricultural show by doing duty on the gates and also at the scouts drinks stall. Caitlin got in for free by working in the animal nursery. Took our own food and drinks for the day in an esky as we could also park our car in the grounds. The girls got a treat of a $10 show bag each.
Hubby has been walking to work most days unless it was bucketing down.
My garden enjoyed the rain and we really need more as we didn't have the downpour that Melbourne had . Managed to get an empty spice rack from the op shop along with a hookie board. I also found a lovely princess jewel box which I will clean up for my great niece's birthday present. Wendy any ideas for presents for 15 and 16 year old girls as Caitlin has been invited to a couple of birthdays in the next few weeks. Have a great week.
Yes, I could do with a few ideas please for frugal gifts for 15 and 16 year old girls at the moment, I think we have a few parties this month which will require presents. Marie
DeleteWendy, this must have been the week for rain for we had 3 days of all day rain which accumulated to over 10 inches. It kept us from working on our outside getting ready for the winter to do list but did allow me to get some things done inside like can carrots and sweet potatoes.
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteA very productive and blessed week for you. This week was busy for me so I did what I could which included:
- Buying a beautiful baby album still in its box for $8 from an op shop to give to a friend who's about to have her third bub. I also bought a Fisher Price toy for my daughter for $2 while there.
- Diluted our body wash and made kitchen spray
- Made choc chip bikkies as a thank you for a friend who baby sat for us while my husband and I went out to dinner for our anniversary
- Mostly dried our washing on clothes horses despite days and days of rain. I had to finish off the sheets in the dryer so I could put them back on the bed!
- Cooked all meals from scratch and stretched our stockpile. Our grocery spend was far too high last month so I'm putting off going shopping again for as long as possible.
- Continued to nurture our new vegie garden and used mint and parsley from the herbs we've planted.
Jo
Hi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteLove your paper roses and Princess of course. Great price for the Cauli and pumpkin and your strawberries look beautiful. All that cookie dough ready to go, fantastic.
This week I made Choc chip cookies, cup cakes for the card making day and a Chocolate cake for a BBQ we attended today. All meals were made from scratch and we had leftovers some nights so extra meals for the freezer.
We were given Beans and picked Silverbeet, Lettuce,Broccoli, our first strawberries and saw our first pink lady apple on the tree.
Planted lots of seedlings and plenty of snail bait and watched the water tanks fill, fill, fill. Juiced some lemons and froze the juice, shopped the specials and didn't use the heater or cooler.
Attended the card making workshop on Saturday and had a ball. Made heaps of cards, shopped for card making supplies and enjoyed the company of other like minded ladies, priceless!!!
Have a great week all, xxx
Maureen
Hi wendy
ReplyDeleteFrugal tasks this week
Made strawberry jam
Went to a friends place and for pampered with makeup a hair cut and hair style (I was a model for another friend because she is selling makeup
My friend gave me some BB cream and some make up remover because she bought some other stuff and stocked up on it.
Stuart made a ladder out of wood we had on hand when we no longer need it he is going to turn it into a planter box type thing
We've transplanted quite a few plants because I bought 1 cubic metre of veggie soil @ $70 much cheaper then any other place close by. It was double the price everywhere else.
My friend gave me some fertiliser woohoo
We celebrated Ruby's 8th birthday so I took home some food that mum had cooked we ate this the next night for dinner. We also got some bread.
My step dad had picked up a lost unclaimed rabbit (he works for the council) it's quite cute so we gifted this to Ruby because she wished for one for the last 3 years.
Have spent the last week preparing for Ruby's birthday party on Sunday
Have been working on quite a few projects that I'm starting to loose track of I need to drop a few for now LoL...
My dad gave me an empty bath tub and two toilets which I will be planting in! I'm so excited!
Have popped a few seeds in the hot house can't wait to see the mango plants grow!
Few months ago my dad had a stroke and isn't fully able to do things as good as he use to anymore so I decided to help him pull out all the over grown radish plants and cut them up for his compost bin
Helped dad get the eggs from the chicken pen (he uses saw dust in the coop)
Fed the compost bin quite well this week
Dried the clothes on the clothes rack
Built the rabbits house it's a chicken coop but it seems more suitable for a rabbit, Ruby's been looking after it quite well.
Ruby got a fish for her birthday so she's been maintaining the tank herself
That's all I think but I have a bigger and better list for next week already started :D
Have a lovely week wendy xoxox