The Christmas Challenge. My July so far.

Time for a catch up and show what I have been making this month. And I am including Mum as she has made things I really want to include.
Not everything makes it into the Christmas cupboard. Some things do though!

Currently I am working on a crochet rug that is going to be cot size. I think cot size can also be a knee rug depending on who you give it to. This is in gelato/pastel stripes. I am loving working on it. All the time I think "I'll just get up to the next colour" and this keeps me going!

So far this month I added grub roses to some little tops for Harper. I added little roses at the neckline and wrist.

I am enjoying that pretty much all the time she is wearing something I have made or embroidered or Mum has!

I added a frilly edge to another pair of little socks.

These basic little tops are really inexpensive. Just a touch of embroidery makes them nice.

I finished (and put in the gift cupboard) a knitted soft pink rug. This is super soft.

I hemmed some of the flannelette to make super soft and extra large hankies. The rest are just torn up and folded ready as disposable hankies... since my supply was very diminished.

Mum made Harper two more knitted skirts. She wears them a lot. The first one is in denim blues...

The next one is in pinks. As modelled very well don't you think?

It has lots of textures and is really warm.

Also Mum made a heap of hats and headbands for a charity she likes to give to.

Plus a baby rug for a family with a newborn... but I don't have a picture of that one.

That is about where I am up to this month. I wish I had another set of arms as that would be helpful sometimes.

What are you working on and how is your gift cupboard progressing? If you are growing produce and canning just now then this counts as produce can be gifts. I count my jam making in summer as jars of jam go into many of my food gifts and hampers. But here the cold and rain weather has us mostly indoors and this is a good time for me to sew and crochet. We need to go along with what the season presents. And sometimes when the weather is terrible or extreme a good plan B is to get on with something indoors and work on your gifts and crafts. It all adds up in the end! xxx

The Vicky Challenge. Plan B.

Welcome to a new week! I am pretty keen to get this week off to a good start and we have some sunshine which has helped me get lots done over the weekend.

My Vicky Challenge for last week:

I made the usual work lunches and coffees saving $100.

Hilde gave me heaps of beautiful lemons.

They are way bigger than the ones in the stores and very juicy. In the store they are currently 98c each. So my lemons are worth around $85!

My mission now is to make them into wonderful things and this will increase their value several more times!

I made 18 individual containers of chicken soup. Single serves of "homemade soup" are around $5 each in the supermarket.  Less the cost of ingredients this saved $75

I made quiches for dinner and spares. I am counting $25 on those.

I made a heap up as mini ones for lunch boxes.

By shopping around I saved $160 on the down pillow I was wanting to buy. So thrilled with that and now this will be a saving in the future. In fact other family members went and got some as they had been on the "too expensive" list and suddenly they were so much more affordable.
I love discoveries like this!

I sewed a heap of flannelette hankies and tore up a heap as well to be "disposables" for sickness. I estimate even if I only count the hemmed ones I saved $96.

The cardigans from the op shop.... one was Sportscraft silk and cotton. It is really gorgeous. I know I saved well over $100 there.

Also I mended a sheet, I extended it's life a lot at least!

I wrote $680 into my savings book.

My savings thoughts for today are about having plan A, plan B and maybe plan C!  Vicky always says how this or that happened and her plan A went west so she went on to plan B. And usually it turns out she got a whole lot of plan B accomplished!
How often is it that our plans fall to pieces due to weather, illness or something!?  It can be really frustrating when we have worked out our plan of attack and it comes to a grinding halt.
Being flexible and going on with something else can be just as good and beneficial.
Doing nothing because the first plan didn't work out is just a waste and infuriating!
Mostly I try and have a plan B. If the weather was suitable I planned to do a lot of pruning, washing and drying, filling the green bins etc this weekend. Plan B was in all likelihood the weather would be terrible and I would sew and cook. Either would be good.
But the sun shone all weekend! I was up and down a ladder pruning our rose arbor, finishing the  pruning of the standard roses,  I pruned my giant Mop Top tree,  filled green bins, dried all the linen in the sun and generally soaked up as much winter sun as possible.
Did I mention I slept well last night!?

This winter has been one big plan B for me. I planned to be painting. It was an unrealistic plan anyway as you are not meant to paint in cold temperatures. And outside painting would be out due to wind and rain. Otherwise my arm injury meant I had to go to Plan B. So over winter I have worked on stocking the freezer, building up the pantry and present cupboards, cleaning and organising inside. At least all these things will be in good order when I get back to painting in spring. Overall I will still get everything done that I planned for the year. Just with different timing!

Another area I love a plan B is shopping. I do not specifically menu plan ahead of time as I do not know what the best specials will be. So I keep an idea of what to make and then shop for the best buys. It might be that I want to make soup and have pumpkin soup in mind. But I will get there are see pumpkins are quite expensive and so will go with plan B which is whatever vegetable is on the best special!
You have to be flexible or you miss out on the best deals.

How do you use plan B to still get things done? It can really help to have a list of things to do on Plan B days. Wash the woollens, sort the photos or various things that can be hard to get to.

Plan B might be substituting an ingredient. Changing major plans. Holidaying at home. Sometimes plan B turns out better than you would have imagined!
The key I learned from Vicky is to be happy and get on with plan B rather than spend the day upset at the demise of plan A.  Having a plan B in mind seems to stop you feeling upset when things go wrong.
A productive day is a productive day!

Now I hope to have a good week and get lots done. Over the weekend we decided to join Costco. We weren't sure but there is something Andy needs for his business that is so much cheaper at Costco the membership will have paid for itself in this one item.  So now to make the most of it for the next year!
Any good tips on Costco would be really helpful!

How did you save and earn last week?
I hope the new week will be a great one for you. xxx

Feather your Nest Friday, 15th July, 2016.

I am sorry I didn't post the Christmas Challenge on Wednesday. We had the biggest storms here that went on for two days. Over 120,000 homes had no power, some for three days or more. Trees were down everywhere and Tuesday was one of the worst days I ever remember!
We were very lucky, we didn't lose out power. Lucy did but only for a few hours. However our internet was out for some time and this is what stopped me getting my post finished.

Mum took this photo in her garden.  It looks like snow I think but it is hail.

Today I am happy to report things are much better! We even joked this morning about what was that eerie sound outside? Oh yeh, that's what it sounds like when the wind isn't blowing and the rain isn't pelting down.  Silence! We even have sun. So I will be washing.

And now I go to write for today I am finding it hard to concentrate as the events in Nice are so horrific and horrific seems a regular thing now.  Plus the US has today, the 15th  " a day of rage" rallies and ongoing crisis since Dallas events... it seems never ending. I have had so many conversations this week with ladies that are very worried.
It can be crippling. I am the first to admit.
If I can process all the information I have had shared with me this week I will write a post about it.
In the mean time we need to do what we can and make our homes and families feel safe. Be wise, prayerful and watchful.

So to feathering our nests...

Some of the ways I saved money this week:

I did some cooking. I made caramelised onion and brie quiches. They turned out really well. We had this for dinner with a salad and I made little ones for Andy's lunches and for the weekend.

It just has the caramelised onion or onion jam on the bottom and slices of brie on top. But the flavour is really good! I made a rocket salad to go with it.

I went to see Hilde and she gave me lemons! They are huge and juicy. I have two baskets ready to use.

I made a big batch of chicken soup. Most of it I portioned into individual sizes to freeze and give away.  

Since there have been colds going around I added extra garlic and it is full of so much goodness and so many veggies. It tastes so good too.

The super soft hankies have been in demand. My original idea was that they were disposable and for times someone is really unwell. But no one will throw them out. So I decided I will make up a heap and hem them.  At this time of the year my usual method of getting worn sheets from the op shop and washing them up isn't any good as there isn't a flannelette sheet to be found.  So I looked at getting it new by the metre.  Seeing the prices I looked around and it was far cheaper to buy a sheet set on special. This has given me enough to make dozens!

I washed it up and dried it in the breeze. It is super soft. 

Gradually I am getting them hemmed!

Other savings were the Ikea pillow which has been a success and is well loved.

I altered some scarves. Often they are too long and too thick for me. I altered some and now I love them. And have been wearing them everyday.

At an op shop I found two gorgeous cardigans that I love for $5.

I mended a sheet.

I washed up the jars I was given and put them to good use.

And I found $10 in the street! 

Some of the ways I got ahead were:

Quite a few freezer meals and meals made ahead.

A major Christmas present put away in the gift cupboard, something I got at Aldi!

To my pantry I added:

I did a trip to Aldi. I stocked up on basics like olive oil, coffee, tea etc.

With so many homes without power for several days I reviewed my supplies of candles, matches, torches, batteries, lanterns and so on.  We have a lot. I noticed the store was almost sold out of these items when I went in yesterday. 

So that was my week! I hope you had a good week with lots of good things and ways to build up your nest!

How did you save, get ahead or add to your pantry this week?

Have a wonderful weekend. xxx

The Vicky Challenge. Do a little research.

My Vicky Challenge went pretty well last week. A little bit of this and a little bit of that!

Some of the things we did that were a saving and I can put a $$$ value to were:

Andy changed my windscreen wipers. They weren't working at all!

I did a shop at Aldi and saved $40 off usual prices.

The lovely big jars I was given have added storage space and I always think of what people pay for storage containers! I would rather buy the food.
Even at $4 each this is $20.  But boy are some storage containers expensive!

I took up jeans saving $15 which is the going rate I am told.

My total lounge re arrange and refresh didn't cost a thing but it is like a whole new room!

I made all work lunches and sent coffees etc. Saving $100.

Also a lot of cooking enabling me to share some. I made all meals plus some things went into the freezer. I am guessing another $100 saved between the potato bakes, custards, mornay etc.

I pruned the roses. I have a way to go but I think if I hired someone to do that it would have been $60 or so.

And I managed to dry all the linen etc on the line desire it raining almost every day! I had one window of opportunity with some sun and went like crazy to get it all done. Then the line was covered and on my phone I got a weather warning that was warning of flooding! Talk about cutting it fine but I got it all in and it was almost dry. I used my dining room table to finish a few things off! But they were put away clean and dry by bedtime. phew that was close!

My savings subject today is research. I think we all do this when we are making a bigger purchase as the internet makes it so easy to compare prices. It is certainly miles easier than going into lots of stores to see how much they are charging. Let your fingers do the walking as they say. You can check out ratings and reviews as well. In the last few years I have been amazed how much I have saved by doing this. When we did out kitchen I found out that Ikea appliances are Westinghouse brand. Really? So my oven is Ikea... which is Westinghouse. Only so much cheaper! And I just LOVE it.

Research showed me Aldi Caviar compared to La Prairie products for a tiny fraction of the price!
Many times the revelations from a little research have been nothing short of amazing!
I think we assume things that have been true in the past and lately I have found that not assuming anything has really paid off.
Here in Adelaide (years ago) to buy a feather and down pillow the department stores were the only choice. I have given everyone one good 95% down pillow over the years. These have become so loved, taken everywhere including hospital and overseas! Also the prices have gone up and up.  At last check I am now looking at $249!
This time while I am looking at one for a gift I thought I had better search online and see what I can find overseas or possibly via Aldi or elsewhere.... thinking IF they even have them.
Low and behold IKEA do. They have 95% down pillows.  I would NEVER have thought IKEA would have these. Just assumed wrongly.  Theirs are $89.
So I went in and felt, fluffed and investigated. They sure look and feel the same.  This is a saving of $160!
Whatever it is don't assume. Do some research. Fifteen minutes of price checking and looking elsewhere can pay big dividends!

Although the way the internet snoops on you can be disconcerting you can use it to your advantage. If you do a search for best prices on fridges then the next time you go onto Facebook or any blog you will see fridge ads. mmm. Well, use this! Search for a few things you are actually looking for. Then at least the ads you are bombarded with will be for things you are  actually interested in. I have found some great deals this way. It is instantaneous. If I searched now for storage containers then went to send an email... the ad on the side would be for storage containers. Creepy but can be useful. We might as well let it be a help.

With the pillow savings my total this week is $460.  I am happy with that.

How did you save last week? I hope you are increasingly amazed at what it would cost to pay someone to do many of the things you do, or buy the things you cook or make. It has been a real eye opener for me. I love looking at prices now! I am still constantly shocked! I look whenever possible in craft stores, gift stores, gourmet food shops etc. It is quite funny, I will come home and say to Andy "I saw a tray of Lasagne" for $55!" and he will say "really?" looking surprised. (true recent story!)  Other prime examples are six gluten free biscuits for $16.  Or a hand knitted scarf for almost $300!  Truly, the things you make and do add so much to your household!

Have a wonderful week! xxx

Feather your nest Friday, 8 July. 2016.

What a week! I am glad to sit down and look at what I managed to get done as a lot of the week went from Plan A to Plan B!
Lucy wasn't well with the flu. It rained so much it broke records. I was thinking I don't ever remember this much rain and I was right as they said it hadn't rained that much in twenty four hours in eighty years. And I'm not eighty so that's why I don't recall that much rain! My Dad is happy as they have had several really dry years. Now there is water everywhere.

These are some of the ways I feathered my nest this week:

I totally re arranged the lounge room. It had been bothering me that I really didn't love it. It was arranged in the only way I could think of given a lot of windows and french doors, the shape of the lounge etc. But I couldn't think of another way...
Anyway, I took everything out and started again and tried to think like they do on the TV shows where they make over rooms! I had about ten tries and finally I found success. And I really like it! It kind of looks like a TV makeover!
I didn't spend a cent either. Plus I washed the skirting boards, de cluttered etc so it is like a spring clean too. I love it!

I added flowers to a rustic box from in the yard and made a new centre piece for the table.

I built up my pantry with tins of chickpeas, baked beans and tomatoes. (All on special) And added meat and things for easy meals to the freezer.

Some of the ways I saved money were:

I pruned roses and hydrangeas and filled the wheelie bin that goes out. It was overflowing! I think I have about two more to go by the time I prune everything. So I will keep at it for the next month as that bin is collected.

We had tuna mornay. I made spare and set it aside so one night filled vol au vents as well to make it different.

I took up some jeans.

Andy replaced my windscreen wipers for me.

I finished my rug. 

Now I am knitting a soft pink one.

I made baked rice custard. Again I made two so we had it another night as well.  I have managed to get several sets of dishes that fit inside each other nicely. You will the bottom one with water and the top one with the custard... it is so nice! (an alternative is to put some water in your crockpot then sit your baking dish in there) I used a little bit of frozen cooked rice I had stashed away.  Even if I have a tablespoon of cooked rice left over I freeze that as it is enough for this custard.

In winter this is really nice. I ate left overs for breakfast!

Also I made potato bakes again. I had a request for it plus big bags of potatoes were $3. Also this freezes really well. So I made four.

I sprinkled bacon over this lot. That went down well so now I think I have backed myself into a corner and will always have to do this! :)

And I went to Aldi and did a stock up plus items to add to my emergency pantry. They truly have amazing prices. Many things are so far under half the price of Woolworths. ie mandarins and carrots were beautiful and better, locally grown and so much cheaper. I love that store.

Other things were:

I gave Lucy a pile of the super soft flannelette hankies I make. If I see old worn out flannellette sheets in the op shop I get them and wash them up. Then I tear them into large shares and fold them ready. I had a heap that were white with little pink roses. I used some for my cleaning cloths.  Her nose had reached that point where it was just so sore. I said "use these" and left a heap.
Later I got a message of how much she loved them. Truly, when someone is really ill super soft, gentle hankies are so much softer than tissues or usual hankies. And they can go in the bin. I had made about thirty for $2.  A lot have been used recently so now I am on the look out for more old soft sheets!

I was given five more of the giant coffee jars. This completes my whole row of these which is 24.

These have given me heaps more storage and look really nice. All free and labels printed from the internet.

I thought I would never finished this post as I keep dashing out and putting more on the clothesline. At this point a sunny day is an opportunity not to be missed! The line is full of sheets, towels etc.

How did you feather your nest, save, get ahead, add to your pantry and all good things this week?
I love hearing about your week. It is worth celebrating all these little things. They are beautiful really. You are building up your family and home. You are creating something wonderful. xxx

The Christmas Challenge. Show and Tell for June. Part 2.

Thank you everyone for your photos! This is part two of what everyone made in June. Last week was wonderful and this continues!

As usual I represent everyone but can't always fit all photos in so I pick a selection. I love seeing every photo however and love hearing about how things were made, who they are for and all these details! There are so many good ideas!

Firstly, we have Marian. She has been really busy.

This is a gift to one of her friends which is a tea pack, face cloth and moisturiser that Marian made plus an added purchase body cream.

How professional does this look!? Just beautiful. She also made another similar set which a heat pack and hand cream.

Beautiful knitting for her Grand Daughter...

This is lovely. Fabulous knitting Marian!

Double sided baby blanket...

And baby gifts for a baby boy coming into the family...

What a busy month and great variety!


Mel K found an old ladder and turned it into a spice rack!

Mel I love this! She also has found some all wash troughs that she is turning into planters in Spring. They will make great planters! Turning things we have or find into assets is wonderful.

Mary repainted a Lazy Susan for her kitchen...

And made a curtain for under the sink. I love these, I always have.  Previously Mary shared a paper towel holder she had painted and added flowers to. I think I want to see the whole kitchen now as it must be so pretty! 

Elaine made a pillow bed for her Grand Daughter. She even made the pillows first from stuffing and fabric she had on hand. This was a big hit with her Grand Daughter and her parents!

Mimi was on a roll in June! You can follow her blog and see how things are made at A Tray of Bliss. You will find plenty of inspiration. Here is a sample...

Mel C has also been busy! She made a healing balm from Dandelions. 

Mel is trying to find good things to make with things she can pick in her area and she has Dandelions!

This looks really good.

She also made bath salts and gift wrapped soaps. I love how they coordinate! A really lovely gift.

She has also made jam and paper window stars to hang in your window with her youngest son. A really good month Mel. Mel's blog is Thrifty, Frugal, Fun. She is always crafting, cooking and making the most of everything that comes her way!

Jen in NC has been knitting! Plus card making!

Superb work Jen. The jars are Clover Honey and Spiced Apple Butter.  Lovely gifts. Thank you so much for the lovely photography too Jen!

Thank you everyone so much! 

Now on to a productive July! 

What are you working on? I hope the week is going well! It is busy here... xxxx

The Vicky Challenge, 4 July, 2016.

Happy 4th of July to all of the US ladies! I feel like celebrating with you as I think celebrating our countries and freedom is a really important thing.

My Vicky Challenge went quite well last week.

I made all lunches plus the fishing day food which saves $150 all up.

I did a lot of cooking! The weather was so cold and I had room in the freezer since cleaning it out.  Once again I checked what the stores charge for things and worked out my costs versus retail price. I enjoy doing this as it shows how much money is saved making your own food! It is huge!

This included 36 muffins plus 12 king sized ones.

6 pizzas.

36 sausage rolls. (large)

12 jam tarts.

A huge pot of spaghetti sauce.

Loads of it went into the freezer. Very happy with that.

I had glasses repaired for free so that was a bonus.

And the usual things, cooking all meals, no takeaway, using the heater as little as possible etc.

I wrote $555 into my savings book to finish off the month of June. I love to see these amounts and my weekly tally plus monthly tally adding up! It's still surprising to me and one of the best experiments ever (thanks Vicky!)

And now for July!

My savings tip of the week is not a new one. It is to remind everyone to keep a stockpile, keep your ear to the ground and be aware.  Several weeks ago I read about an egg shortage. I checked the story out and it was true. However we seemed fine and some states were experiencing it. But I got ahead on eggs and tried to keep ahead. With all my cooking I was getting low and went to stock up.

And this is what I found...

The few left were $7.80 per dozen.

In the last few months I have found many supermarket shelves that look like this! It has been in waves, chicken at one time, then lamb, then lettuce, whole areas of things like toilet paper and paper towel. At times I found it a real shock to find several areas like this.
Last week I wanted to make soup but all the veggies were so expensive I refused to buy them. I thought I will wait another week.

We don't have warming all of the time but an early warning can be very helpful! I had a couple of weeks warning on the eggs at least.

We take the shelves being full for granted! I have never really found empty shelves until this year. It is a reminder of how fast things go if there is a shortage or something goes wrong in the supply chain.
What is on the shelves is all there is. There is no "out the back" that is a thing of the past.
I have said this before... the 12 boxes of candles on the shelf are all there is! If there is a sudden need for something only the first few customers will get it, there are no more than the few on display.  This is why getting ahead is so important.
If we are not ahead we also have to pay the ridiculous new price! We are really at the mercy of what ever price they set.

Later today I will be shopping so it will be interesting to see what the shelves are like and check out the egg situation!

How did you save last week through your work and efforts?

I hope this will be a good week for us all! xxx