monkeys and oranges

easy valentines garland

2010-02-02T19:46:00.001-05:00

what a pretty picture. this looks like it should be rather easy to do. either cut out hearts yourself, or use a punch (making sure you have your Michaels coupon of course). Sew them all together with red thread on the machine and voila! thank you domesticali.

message in a bottle

2010-02-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

Great last minute, but sweet, Valentine's Day idea. Any bottle should do, and can be fancied up with leftover ribbons - its the note that counts.

message in a bottle via modish

I'm pretty sure I need one of these

2010-01-09T07:25:00.002-05:00

from little brown pen

you don't really know...

2010-01-08T17:15:00.003-05:00

just how much you love someone until you wait for them to come out of surgery.

(We're all good and very thankful.)

who doesn't love a flowchart!

2010-01-08T17:12:00.002-05:00

from the kitchn

origami wreath

2009-12-02T19:54:00.001-05:00

yet again, domesticali brings us a gorgeous craft perfect for the tree. click here to see the tutorial for origami wreaths.

get moving!

2009-11-09T06:47:00.003-05:00

The last few months have been a doozy. T and I were just getting adjusted to living together and then some work beeswax hit the fan for both of us. Fast forward through several panic attacks (work-related), a lot of packing and moving of stuff (work-related), some serious tests of my patience (also work related), and we're at the beginning of November both working from home in a tiny apartment.

So, living and working together in a small space means we really have to be organized and little stressors can turn into big stressors real quick. We turned a closet into our "office" by installing shelves and keeping all of our work-related supplies in there. This closet is off the dining room, where we work, and allows us to close the door on things work-related when it is quitting time.

So now that we have that settled, we can just relax, right? Well, no. If the calendar is correct there are only a little over 6 weeks until we host Christmas for 8 here, in our tiny apartment.

I'm not stressed. I've done this before and can do it again, but only as long as I have my planning tools available. I've been using these two sites for several years and because of them I'm not feeling stressed about the next 2 months at all.

I am, however, a little anxious about my first session with a personal trainer later this morning. I'll let you know how that goes, assuming I can still lift my arms.

my new favorite tute!

2009-09-05T08:01:00.002-04:00

(I said tute, tee hee)

I found a link on DIY life to this blog, where I found instructions on how to make a laptop sleeve (which I need) for a macbook (which I have). I think I'll try this, though I may need help with step number 2. Even if you don't plan to make a laptop sleeve, you should probably read it anyway.

i love you blogs and coffee

2009-08-12T07:34:00.005-04:00

I think I might need to have this in my kitchen. You see, T and I have a slight mismatch in our sleeping rhythms, which is such a happy accident. He stays up about an hour later than I can and gets to watch all of his favorite shows (cops, golden girls, king of queens) as they rerun, and I get to wake up to have a quiet house all to myself and read blogs with a cup of coffee for about an hour before he gets up. It really is fantastic. You should try it.

that's better

2009-08-11T07:34:00.002-04:00

why is this summer so weird?

2009-08-10T07:30:00.003-04:00

(alternate title: why can't I remember whether the I or the E comes first in weird? thank goodness for spellcheck)

blog peeps, I apologize for not being around. its the same apology I've had to give friends and family lately, too. work stinks and this summer its been way more than a full time job. there's no sense complaining, as I know I'm lucky to be employed, but I have had to put a few fun things on the back burner while I make sure the rent gets paid. it is what it is and this too shall pass.

i'm finally catching up on my blog reading while we are on a low-budget low-stress vacation and i'm feeling a little quiver of inspiration again. no promises, no pressure, but I hope to be back in the blogging seat sooner rather than later.

in the meantime, here's a souvenir from vacation - apparently Murray's Army and Navy has had some interesting visitors...

awesome garland

2009-07-01T19:51:00.000-04:00

domesticali does it again! what a super garland! so green! so chic! so upcycley! I (heart) you domesticali

string pendant lamps

2009-07-01T07:51:00.000-04:00

Hey! We did this in girl scouts when I was little. I'm sure I can pull this off now, I hope. Unless I peaked at 8.

From Readymade, via Apartment Therapy

a little update

2009-04-09T18:21:00.002-04:00

hi there!

so, I've been missing for a little while. my internet has been on the fritz and some things blew up at work. i'm way behind on lots of things, so I'm taking a break until school lets out.

see you in the summer.........

new favorite snack!

2009-03-07T18:45:00.000-05:00

We've been having this for a snack the last few days and it is way too good for the measly calories it packs. Here's the recipe for one, multiply for the number of hungry peeps in your kitchen.

2 Wasa crispbread crackers (I used light rye, but I'm sure any will do)

2 tblsp horseradish hummus

2 tblsp finely chopped red bell pepper

2 tsp finely chopped red onion

1 tsp finely chopped parsley

Spread one tablespoon hummus on each of the crackers. Sprinkle one tablespoon bell pepper, one teaspoon onion and 1/2 teaspoon parsley on each cracker. Eat.

spring cleaning: coffeepot

2009-03-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

No conflicting thoughts on the coffeepot, thats for sure. I love that thing. It is, quite possibly, my favorite small appliance - beating out the tv, the hairdryer and even the iron! Nothing fancy for me, as I tend to wear them out, just a regular Mr. Coffee with a gold filter. I used to use the Mr. Coffee cleaner, but I never really knew what was in that stuff and why it was blue. And why I had to be so careful not to touch it. So, for this round of coffeepot cleaning, I used vinegar and water. Its exactly the same amount of work as using the Mr. Coffee toxic blue rinse, way cheaper and I can only imagine less carcinogenic. I followed the instructions at Wikihow again, and learned some neat stuff, too - apparently its better to fill the reservoir with water from a pitcher than from the carafe. Who knew?

Basically, you brew a pot of 2/3 water and 1/3 vinegar with nothing but a filter in the basket. Then run a few water only pots through until the kitchen no longer smells of salad dressing.

Worked great, though I should really do this more often as we have terribly hard water here in South Orange.

spring cleaning: microwave

2009-03-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

I have conflicting thoughts about my microwave. Its true. I own one (looks just like this), but I rarely use it. I didn't buy it, either. I didn't even really want it. But now I have it and it does come in handy every now and then, I mean, sometimes I forget to soften the butter and once or twice a year I'll eat microwave popcorn. I think T uses it, but I'm not sure what for.

So, do I keep it "in case"? Or do I sell it for the sake of simplicity. Here's where I don't know if I take decluttering too far. I do have a tiny kitchen, and more space would be nice, but its not a terribly large item and things are pretty well organized in there now. I don't really know the answer, but I do have a plan. After I spring clean it, I'm going to leave a dated note in there. It will be interesting to see how long it is until I use it again. Of course, that still doesn't help make the decision of how frequently is frequently enough to keep it...

Anyway, here are the spring cleaning steps for cleaning a microwave.

From Wikihow:

Put water and some vinegar in a microwave safe bowl. Turn the microwave on for 5 minutes and then use a cloth to wipe out the loosened up gunk. Wash the turntable like you would any other dish. Easy peasy and chemical free.

Of course, if you use your microwave all the time and get it all filthy, here are some other ways to clean it:

pizza bites

2009-02-27T18:27:00.001-05:00

I just found out that this awesome local pizza joint (its so much more than that), Village Trattoria, here in South Orange, sells unbaked dough for anywhere between $0.50 and $2.00! A great deal around here, I'd say. Then a few minutes later I stumbled across this recipe at Chaos in the Kitchen via Big Red Kitchen. I can't wait to try this, and it seems the price is right.

maplewood restaurant week March 2-8

2009-02-26T17:53:00.002-05:00

Click here to see the specials and scroll down for other coupons.

free food!

2009-02-24T21:00:00.002-05:00

IHOP is giving away free pancakes today, and you can click here for a coupon for a free sandwich from Quiznos.

happiness is...

2009-02-23T19:39:00.000-05:00

a warm belly. (apparently)

what if i need it?

2009-02-22T10:33:00.004-05:00

I just "decluttered" about 6 bags of stuff, and while doing so, I kept thinking, "Is this the right move?" Yes, I'm more comfortable when I have less "stuff" around. It seems to remind me of weight I need to lose, hobbies I need to finish, and money I've spent less than wisely. Moving my stuff along helps me move my life along toward what I think are truer goals. And there's less to dust!

But, these are unstable times, right? What if things really do get that bad? Won't I regret having donated something that I could possibly need later? I have to admit these thoughts creep into my decluttering sessions more often than they ever did before.

I still honestly believe that paring down to a few truly loved and needed items is the right thing for me, and I'm consciously reducing the number of new things I bring into my home, but these recession-fueled sneaky thoughts are still around.

On the same wavelength is a great post over at On Simplicity. You should go read it.

Stay tuned for an upcoming series of book reviews on Voluntary Simplicity.

what's your style?

2009-02-19T20:36:00.002-05:00

How about orange suggests this quiz at sproost. I'm modern elegance, cottage chic and hollywood couture. I'd say that's pretty accurate. Give it a try here.

creating a new habit

2009-02-08T07:07:00.003-05:00

Its about 6 weeks into the new year and the bloom is off the rose for a number of New Year Resolutions. I can't even remember what mine were. I'm pretty sure they weren't "stop blogging", "drink more beer" or "eat more doughnuts." In my defense, 2009 started off pretty rocky for me and it certainly hasn't been my best year yet. Getting out of bed and showing up for all of my appointments was a big enough accomplishment for a while.

Excuses aside, I still need to let go of some bad habits and I'd like to see some new ones finally take root. This article by Dr. Stephanie Burns (which I found through this link), outlines three beginning steps:

1. Choose the habit you want to create (be specific)

2. Set triggers (this makes sense to me, removes the "remembering"

3. Motivate yourself (the hard part)

Sounds easy and impossible at the same time.

There are also some good tips here.

And here we even have stick figures and graphs!

So I'm back onto my quest for consistent flossing, keeping my hand out of the cookie jar and setting the coffee maker before bed.

dressing up milk crates

2009-01-08T06:58:00.001-05:00

Remember dressing up the dorm room with milk crates? Maybe they designed organic chem books to fit exactly in there, I dunno. Anyway, no self respecting craft room would be caught dead with a stack of crates these days, so here you go... here's a brilliant solution AND a great use of The Stash.

I'm envisioning a set in unbleached muslin lined with vintage sheets, but that's just me. I don't even have any crates.

asparagus soup

2009-01-06T07:21:00.000-05:00

Santa brought me this book and I'm finding it pretty interesting trying to see how many of the 150 supposed healthiest foods I can fit into a day. Here's an easy and tasty way to get some more asparagus into the day (and it freezes pretty well, so make a giant batch when its in season).

Asparagus Soup Recipe

1 lb asparagus cut into 2 inch pieces

1 can low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup cooked brown rice (nice use of leftovers!)

Salt, pepper

Place the asparagus and chicken broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until asparagus is tender (about 7-10 minutes). Place asparagus, chicken broth, rice in a blender and puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm. (I am particularly fond of a shredding a little parmesan on top).

embellished scarves DIY

2009-01-05T07:06:00.001-05:00

What outfit isn't improved by a fabulous drapey scarf. Personally, I've been on the receiving end of about a gajillion compliments on the purple one I picked up for $5 in NYC. These (by way of style saves the world) take that one step further with some screen printing. I don't know how to screen print (yet) but I can embroider, with the help of this book or this book, perhaps. So onto my future projects list go these scarves. Just gotta see that guy on the corner for some more $5 purchases.

butterfly art

2009-01-03T09:00:00.001-05:00

These came out so well and only took about an hour and a half. I used 1" deep frames that I got at a garage sale last summer for 50 cents a piece (lucky for me they came with mats and spacers). Of course, being me, I dropped one on the way in the house and broke the glass. Freecycle to the rescue! I posted a "wanted" for an 8x10 piece of glass and wouldn't you know someone up the street had one.

After reading this post, I headed to Michaels (with my coupon, of course. you can get a 40% off coupon if you sign up for the knack newsletter at their website) and picked out a butterfly punch. I hadn't intended to recreate the exact thing, but the butterfly was the best of the punch options at the time. I loved this project so much, I will keep an eye out for other shapes (T wants to see a pear design, and I agree).

I had originally thought to use scrapbook paper, but decided to be all extra-recycle-y and punched out magazine pages from the recycling bin. There are some really great patterns in most of the advertising. I even punched out a blue butterfly from the packaging for the punch itself!

I was too impatient to order foam dots, but was able to find tiny foam squares (300 for about $3) that are sticky on both sides. This really was a piece of cake to put together. I just eyeballed the placement, but since I have grand plans for another one on a larger scale I may have to break out the ruler. Just as in baking, measuring sometimes upsets my mojo.

This project gets an A+ from me for frugality, ease of implementation and even some recycling.

site(s) of the day

2009-01-01T15:24:00.004-05:00

Frugality isn't just about paying as little as possible for things (thats being cheap), its about keeping money in your pocket for longer overall. When its time to replace appliances, its worth it to check out reviews and recommendations to make sure you're getting quality, not just a cheap deal. Here are a few sites that I go to when researching a new purchase.

Consumersearch.com collects reviews and recommendations on most appliances (I found it when searching for a new blender).

Consumer Reports is fantastic, but you have to either subscribe, or head to the library to find out the ratings. (I used Consumer Reports when buying my car)

Epinions collects user ratings. I'm not sure how well this is moderated as one blender review discussed drug addiction (perhaps a bad cut and paste?), but overall, not bad, and free.

Spend well!

2009

2009-01-01T11:03:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year, once again!

I love a fresh start! I'm actually a fan of New Years resolutions or at least setting a few goals. Here's what I'm working on this year:

1. Run a 10K. I wanted to do this last year, but a bout of bronchitis derailed my training and I sort of lost my mojo.

2. Sew more clothes.

3. Pay off the car loan and cut the student loan by at least half.

4. Take my time. 2008 was a pretty darn good year, but I felt rushed through most of it. I'm hoping to keep things simple in 2009

happy new year!

2009-01-01T10:44:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year! I hope its sunny and cozy fresh start in your home, too!

Here's a pic of the last minute party hats we made last night. It was crazy easy, just picked out some scrapbook paper from the stash, cut an arc from one corner to the next, rolled them up and sealed with double-stick tape. I added some of the random bits and bobs that rattle around in the craft drawer and some leftover ribbon.

the blue bird of happiness and the little red bird of crankiness

2008-12-09T07:54:00.000-05:00

this is just too wonderful...

holiday gift guides: under $25

2008-12-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hopefully this'll be a little help for those of you who drew names and got a person you barely know. Or if you're like me and you have to find an under $25 unisex, suitable for ages 7 to infinity holiday gift for a yet undisclosed member of your boyfriend's family.

Here goes:

MOMA store for under $25 (I'm digging NYC in a bag)

Green Grass Design

Branch technically under $30 (I've got a thing for wooden spoons)

Design Sponge

Domino

new threads for lucille

2008-12-05T09:03:00.000-05:00

I hit the thrift shops and lucked out in the clothes department! Lucille wanted to model them before they made their way to the dry cleaner... (sorry, Lucille, but I look WAY better in them than you do). The skirts were only $1 each!

50 ways to help save the planet

2008-12-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

Check out this link for 50 ways to help the planet.

site of the day and a free pattern!

2008-12-03T08:57:00.002-05:00

Vogue patterns is giving away one free pattern (you still have to pay shipping), so I was checking out the very easy patterns (I'm just a beginner) and took a peek at some of the awesome dresses and coats. Then I stumbled across Erica B's blog, and wouldn't you know she has already whipped up just about every design I was drooling over at Vogue! She has a great eye for fabric and makes some tremendous knock offs! That blue coat is AMAZING! It would probably take me a year to make. I can't wait to see what she makes next!

make a gift box out of a cereal box

2008-12-02T06:58:00.005-05:00

This is fantastic! Recycle AND save money on gift boxes. Very clever.

make a wine stopper

2008-12-01T09:00:00.000-05:00

I love wine, and have a few wine stoppers that I love. I did some searching and found a few ways to make wine stoppers to use yourself or to give to others. Here's what seems to be a reasonably straightforward tutorial. I'm hoping to find some time to give it a whirl.

holiday playlists

2008-11-30T07:06:00.006-05:00

Its official. Thanksgiving has come and gone, and now the Christmas music may play. Here are some playlists I've stumbled across:

Apartment Therapy's Holiday Party Playlist

Oprah's playlist (that was a free download for two days, but I missed it)

A holiday playlist for a 60 minute run

thanksgiving leftovers

2008-11-28T18:58:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! If you're like us, there are plenty of tasty things in the fridge, but the thought of recreating a warmed up version of yesterday's feast isn't exactly setting your tastebuds on fire.

We had a bit of luck this evening when I discovered some puff pastry and some bacon in the freezer. (You might remember I learned a great way to freeze bacon here.) It turned out to be a fantastically easy and tasty meal of leftovers, so I just have to share:

LeftOvers

Frozen Puff Pastry

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 cup Turkey (cubed, chopped or shredded)

4 slices Bacon

1/2 onion

(or whatever sounds good to you)

Thaw the pastry according to the package directions and cut into 3 or 4 inch squares. (The pastry I used was already cut into squares). Preheat the oven according to package directions. Chop the uncooked bacon and cook.

Drain chopped, cooked bacon, but reserve the drippings in the pan. Saute onion in bacon drippings until softened. Drain onions with bacon. Add onions and bacon to turkey and mix.

Place a rounded spoonful of turkey, bacon and onion mixture in the center of each pastry square. Using a pastry brush, brush melted butter on the edges of each square. Taking one corner of the pastry square, fold over to create a triangle and press to seal. Place triangles on baking sheet. Poke each triangle with a fork to create a place for steam to escape. Brush each triangle with melted butter and bake according to package directions.

We served this with leftover homemade cranberry relish and thought the combination of salty and sweet was key.

I think that stuffing/dressing would be a welcome addition, or any combination of leftover ingredients would go well (as long as they went together well in the original meal).

the story of stuff

2008-11-09T21:14:00.000-05:00

Take 20 minutes and watch this.

toxic recycling

2008-11-09T20:20:00.003-05:00

I'm back after a long break, just too much to do lately, I'll catch you up over the next few weeks.

We watched this tonight on 60 minutes and its pretty disturbing. I'm thankful that 60 minutes brought this to our attention, but I'm not sure how we're going to be able to tell that our recycling efforts are properly handled, and I'm afraid that this will discourage people from recycling. Tomorrow, I'll post a video that I hope will re-invigorate the ideas of make do, do without or at the very least, recycle.

recession? heck yeah! frugal fun

2008-09-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Whoever says there's no recession and that the economy is just fine hasn't been hanging around here lately. We're down about a job and a half. One definitely a sign of the times and the other illustrating a less than optimal return on investment for a master's degree.

While we've been smart enough to have some rainy-day funds and live within our means, its safe to say that frugality is the word of the day. So we'll need some frugal entertainment for the next little while.

Local things to do

If you're in the NY/NJ area, visit nj.com or newyorkology for some ideas. Not every idea is frugal, but many can be free.

Play tourist in your own town: What makes you most proud of your town, what would you be sure to show guests? We have a great park system, you can play basketball, tennis, sit by the duck pond, see great views of NJ and NYC, follow trails and hike for hours. We have a new gourmet grocery where they have the coolest rice cake making machine- it spits them out in a big puff (very cool) and they offer free samples. Our farmer's market happens every Wednesday for the next two months, and its great to see what's offered (plus free samples) and often there is live music.

School concerts and sporting events: High school students can be (or become) great actors and entertainers. Why not support local talent, see a great play or concert while paying a fraction of what it would cost to see the pros do it. Don't forget, the pros were high school students at one point. (Case in point, Zach Braff, Andrew and Elisabeth Shue, Lauryn Hill)

Local Universities: If you live near a university, there are often lectures, school spirit nights and other inexpensive ways to keep yourself busy. We're lucky to have Seton Hall nearby and hopefully will be able to take advantage this school year.

Be a tourist in a neighboring town: Just like you'd do in your own town, research some fun stuff going on in a nearby town. Bonus points if you can walk or take public transport there. I'm thinking that Morristown should have some entertainment for us. We usually think of going east (NYC) for fun, but maybe west is the frugal direction.

Make fun with what you already have

Give friends and loved ones lessons in your area of expertise: If you are a great cook, invite some friends over for a cooking lesson and enjoy the spoils together. If someone in your group is an investing whiz, what about a potluck evening with investing tips? Can you teach a friend to knit? Can she teach you to build a web page?

Start a mini book club: Invite a friend to read your favorite book and read theirs in return. Grab a bottle of three buck chuck and compare notes.

Game night: Break out Trival Pursuit, Rutgersopoly, Bananagrams or Scrabble and have fun! If you don't have games, or are tired of the ones you have, you can pick up new ones for a buck at most garage sales.

Rainy day fun:

Libraries are a great source for books, magazines and DVDs if a rainy day is predicted and fall is a cornucopia of good sports on TV. NFL just started, College Football is in full swing and the NHL is poised and ready.

If you're crafty, fall offers perfect curl up and knit (crochet, embroider and cross stitch) weather. Plan out a few projects that double as holiday gifts and there go two birds in one.

Take advantage of the crossword puzzles in your local paper. Don't give up until you solve it!

And of course there is always the DSRL.

what to do with a fat quarter: part 2

2008-09-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

I like it. Frugal, creative, pretty. I sure do like it. And here's how to do it!

loved this book!

2008-09-11T09:00:00.001-04:00

I fell in love with Agnes and the Hitman. I picked it up from the library before we spent a few days at the beach. It was the perfect beach read, and I highly recommend it for a relaxing read. I'm definitely going to check out the other book (Don't look down) by these authors.

how to freeze basil

2008-09-11T07:49:00.003-04:00

I love basil, absolutely love it! But the problem is that I never seem to use it all up when I buy it. So I'm always in search of a way to keep it around longer. So far, the best use has been to make garlic basil butter from the leftovers. I use about 2/3 cup chopped basil, a garlic clove or two to about 1/2 pound butter. Let the butter soften for a little while, add the garlic and the basil, stir and then freeze in crocks or in logs. I have no idea how long it lasts b/c I tend to use it up pretty quickly.

I've also heard that making and freezing pesto works, but my nut allergy makes that a no-go around here.

Kalyn's Kitchen has a different spin on freezing the basil by freezing it in oil and I think I might give it a shot this year. Thanks Kalyn!

freezing tomatoes

2008-09-10T09:03:00.000-04:00

Here is a handy instructable on saving those summer tomatoes for later:

smart and bacon-y: how to freeze bacon

2008-09-09T09:03:00.000-04:00

Now, why didn't I think of this

chalkboard canisters

2008-09-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

Isn't poppytalk clever! I love this idea! Here's how to do it yourself.

very cool magnets

2008-09-04T09:03:00.000-04:00

Bubbo sells these cool typewriter key magnets on etsy and I think they are fantastic. I also like these scrabble tile magnets and glass magnets.

And here's a tutorial for making scrabble tile magnets: have fun!

rachel ray recipe review

2008-09-03T09:03:00.000-04:00

I saw an episode of the Rachel Ray show, which I sometimes like, sometimes not so much. On this episode she made Roasted Caprese Spaghetti, which looked great and I had most of the ingredients on hand. I made it using whole wheat spaghetti and I omitted the pine nuts from the pesto (not being in the mood for a trip to the emergency room). It came out pretty good, but I didn't think it was one of the best things I've ever made. I will try it again, but I will omit the reserved pasta water (it was way too runny) and I will use a pasta shape (maybe bow-tie or penne) instead of spaghetti. The overall flavor was good, but the presentation was weird. I think the cheese and tomato rolled off the spaghetti and just hung around the edges. Hopefully the different shape of pasta will help. I'll keep you posted!

easy and awesome apps: part I

2008-09-02T09:22:00.001-04:00

Appetizers Rock. They have always been my favorite to make. A few billion years ago when I shared a house with a good friend, we used to throw appetizer and cocktail parties all the time. I wish we had thought of these tomato bites!

p.s. what a cool site, and great photography, too!

vintage handkerchief sachets

2008-09-01T09:03:00.001-04:00

Modish: the blog pointed me in the direction of bananasaurus rex who makes and sells great things made from vintage linens. I happen to love vintage linens, but since I don't use them much, I try not to buy too many. Well, now I have an excuse!! Happy day!! Here is where you can buy them from bananasaurus rex, and below are some tutorials for making them yourself. I imagine sewing up a square ought to do it, but there are a few other options.

Sachets made from men's shirts

Some ugly sachets, but a list of what to put in them

Embroidered Sachets

And then, just in case you accidentally eat your sachet, mistaking the potpurri as a snack mix (we know this must be common since its been in every sitcom at least once), here's some info on sachet poisoning.

safety pin bead bracelets

2008-08-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've seen these bracelets at various sites selling for up to $50 (which, personally, I think is nuts) and its so clear that you can whip these up yourself. So here are the instructions, surely the stuff is in the stash somewhere.

happy hour

2008-08-28T09:03:00.000-04:00

While Grandma and I were fabric shopping and quilt browsing last week, I noticed a woman carrying this quilt instruction booklet and I asked her about it. I think its a great pattern and contemporary enough for me. When I came home and looked it up I also stumbled across this use of white, amy butler and joel dewberry in the same pattern and I love it even more. If the Disappearing 9 patch ever gets finished, this one is next. Maybe white and red?

what to do with a fat quarter: part I

2008-08-27T09:00:00.001-04:00

Another wonderful tutorial from purl bee! Make a coin purse out of your scraps! I totally want to do this, but want to find the clasp without buying new. I will keep this project on my mind and maybe some ugly thrift coin purse will need a refashion.

make a retro clock

2008-08-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

Well, we know how much I like to make clocks, so when I found the directions to make this retro starburst clock out of bottlecpas and other handy stuff, I immediately started to wonder where I could put it. Alas, its just not going to fit in my apartment just now, but thats no reason not to share!

really easy yarn vase project

2008-08-25T09:31:00.000-04:00

Well, I don't know if its really easy, because I haven't tried it yet, but it looks like the perfect thing to do with yard sale vases and leftover yarn. You could unify several odd shaped vases by wrapping them in the same colors of yarn. I like it. See design sponge for instructions.

picoult and libaire

2008-08-22T08:45:00.002-04:00

I finished two books in the last week, thanks to a few trips to the beach. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult and Here, Kitty Kitty by Jardine Libaire. Both were fine beach reads. Neither knocked my flip flops off, but how deep do you need to be when you're lathered up in SPF 30 and listening to the ocean.

(By the way, if you try to read a magazine at the beach and rest it on your sunscreened legs, the ink will come off on your legs and you'll have to ruin your monmouth park beach towel wiping it off)

Now that's simple: Lancaster, PA

2008-08-21T08:22:00.003-04:00

I'd like to say I went to the Lancaster area to observe and learn from the Amish and their simple and meaningful lives, but really I went to visit my grandparents. The beautiful countryside (and the fabric stores) are just the icing on the cake. If you've met me in real life, you know that I think my grandparents are two of the most fabulous people ever. I aspire to be like them. They are frugal and responsible with money, yet extremely generous. They value education and handmade things, big family meals and belly laughs, rocking chairs and porches, sunday drives and libraries, exercise and travel. As long as I can remember, there has been at least one "workshop" in the house, at least two rocking chairs and at least one container of homemade cookies (just in case).

In and around Lancaster there are tons of quilt shops where you can buy handmade quilts in every pattern and all the fabric to make them. There are country stores selling everything under the sun, antique shops, flea markets, farm stands and, well, lots of horse poop. The best bell peppers and strawberries I've ever tasted came from a wagon on the side of the road and were practically free.

Then if you want to shop 'till you drop, there are two outlet centers and every chain store and restaurant. Here's a link to just some of the places you can spend your hard earned cash.

simple things

2008-08-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

I stumbled across this post the other day and I have to say the author is at least 90% right. I think that he has some great ideas about the simple things in life, though I don't really get a kick out of my friends falling down (#8) and being in a relationship with a 100% super guy has pretty much wiped out #3 and #11, but I understand the point.

I'd replace those with:

The moment that you slide between the sheets for the night.

Walking out of the office door on the last day before a vacation.

When you are expecting a friend or family member and the doorbell rings.

I'm sure there are many more. What do you think?

some good news

2008-08-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

I haven't been posting a ton about my dept payoff, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been working on it. After my next payment, my car loan (that I just took out in April) will be 60% paid off! I've been working hard. I had decided to focus on the smaller, yet lower-interest rate car loan because the difference in interest rates was small, but the psychological effects in getting one paid off quickly would be great. Then, in a surprising twist of fate, my student loan interest rate dropped by nearly half. I can smell freedom, I really can.

site of the day

2008-08-18T09:00:00.001-04:00

I don't know whether I love this post because I agree whole-heartedly, or because of the well-placed mention of Marie Osmond dolls (those things crack me up, people will buy anything), but git yerself on over to On Simplicity for this great post: Five Myths About Simplicity Busted

future projects

2008-08-13T09:00:00.002-04:00

I love the colors and the way they change diagonally in this pillow. I'm hoping I can create something along these lines, but what colors should I use?

This is a fabulous idea from how about orange. Now I just have to learn how to paint.

a little vacation

2008-08-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

Ahhh, the happy tired feeling after a weekend at the beach. In case you didn't know, New Jersey has some darn fine beaches. We spent the weekend in Monmouth Co, at Sea Girt beach on Sat and then at Belmar beach on Sun. I've been working on this book, and so far its great. We caught some dinner at Kleins on Sat, a must do, if you are ever in Belmar. Then today, just after the rain clouds rolled in, we had some lunch at the Boathouse, which, IMHO, makes one of the best turkey clubs around. Not a lot to report, but thats how a beach vacation should be.

under $1?? No way!

2008-08-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

Another awesome link from design sponge: Domino Magazine's list of great finds under $1. Lucky for me, some of the brick and mortar stores are in NYC. I smell a shopping trip! I think #4 and #5 are kind of lame, but I get the spirit of the whole thing.

etsy love

2008-08-10T20:23:00.003-04:00

I completely heart these cards found on etsy through design sponge. I'm contemplating framing the good luck I love you card and hanging it on the back of the door so I can see it every time I leave the apartment.

do over

2008-07-31T18:00:00.002-04:00

Before the great sickness of July '08, I had some nice healthy habits brewing. Unfortunately, most were derailed by a sinus infection and bronchitis. I intend to restart those habits for August, so I will be back to day 1 of the 100 push-ups challenge, day 1 of the couch to 5K program and back to getting at least 30 min of exercise each day. FIngers crossed I can go more than 2 months without getting sick again.

happy popcorn!

2008-07-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

I didn't know you could do this! Melissa at better living came up with a neat way to make chemical-free microwave popcorn. What a smart cookie, that Melissa.

site of the day

2008-07-24T19:25:00.002-04:00

On simplicity brings us the question: "What three things have you given up and not regretted?" There are some fantastic comments, so be sure to read them.

Here's my list:
1. Cigarettes (years and years ago)
2. Paper napkins
3. Wearing foundation (must...embrace...freckles!)

Next on my list is blow-drying my hair. I've been trying to accept my curly-headed self for the past week. So far, so good. A whole bunch of compliments at work doesn't hurt, either.

darn you, salmonella, darn you!

2008-07-22T21:16:00.002-04:00

I'm hosting the family for a big summer birthday lunch on Sunday. I had planned a menu ages ago that featured a super delicious orzo salad with grilled vegetables and fresh jalapeno. Now, with the new warning about fresh jalapeno, it looks like I'm back to the drawing board.

snowflakes in june

2008-07-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

I'm proud to announce that I was able to send an extra $790 towards loans in June. July is at an extra $700 already and we're only a little over half way through! At this rate the car will be paid off 3 years early and the student loans, 8 years early. Thats like adding 11 years of interest earning retirement savings. And it feels good, too!

site of the day

2008-07-21T08:00:00.001-04:00

My very favorite budgeting and personal finance tool is mvelopes.com. What a fantastic site.

Early on in my first steps of creating a budget, I tried a spreadsheet. I found it to be a pain to keep track of every receipt, every bill, and every little expense and then take the time to enter it all. And if I decided to make a change to categories or change what I was budgeting for, I would usually have to start over from scratch. Needless to say, human beings aren't designed to keep at things that are inefficient, so I never really kept it going for long enough to be effective.

I stumbled across Mvelopes.com and found that it solved the problems I was encountering. Basically, you get mvelopes to hook up to your bank account, credit cards or any other accounts that experience activity and balance changes. Then, you set up a budget, using completely customizable categories. If you have a monthly expense, such as rent, you can enter it as is and you know how much to put aside for that regularly occurring expense. However, if you have a yearly expense, such as professional dues, holiday shopping, or insurance, you can enter it as a yearly expense and Mvelopes will automatically calculate how much you'll need each month. Its completely easy to adjust and readjust the amounts in each category. I love it.

Then, here's the super part, every time there is a transaction in one of your accounts it pops up in mvelopes and you can assign it to its proper category, which will then show the remaining balance in that category. For example, if you buy dinner using your mastercard, it shows up in your new transactions "inbox." Then you can drag it into your "eating out" category and mvelopes will tell you how much is left in your eating out category. The best part is, if you have used a credit card, mvelopes takes the amount out of your eating out category and moves it to a "money for mastercard" category, so you know you have the money to pay off your balance when the bill comes due. Terrific!

I have been able to save and budget so much better since using mvelopes, which is fantastic, but the best byproduct yet, was that when I had my credit card number stolen, I was able to notice fishy transactions within a day, since they popped up in mvelopes and I recognized them as charges I wouldn't have made.

finally feeling better

2008-07-19T13:48:00.002-04:00

Hi there! Sorry I disappeared for a while. I hope you didn't think I slipped into a deep birthday-induced depression! I figured it had been about 3 months since the last time I had bronchitis, so I decided to get sick again. I'm starting to feel more like a person and less like a dishrag so expect to hear more from me soon.

happy!

2008-07-10T13:48:00.001-04:00

site of the day

2008-07-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

For those of us fortunate enough to live a stone's throw from the bright lights of NYC, there's a great feed that you can add to your google reader, or a site you can visit, called NewYorkology. It keeps you up to date on all the happenings in the city and reminds you not miss great events. Visit the site before a planned trip to the Big Apple, or subscribe and let the list of events come to you.

The top two things on my try-not-to-miss list:

- Circle Line harbor lights cruise. Have some cocktails while circling the island and checking out the new waterfalls.

- Restaurant week 2008: Try out some great meals you couldn't otherwise afford

The site is chock full of neat tidbits, you should check it out.

line drying: apartment style

2008-07-07T21:15:00.003-04:00

I'd like to make a few more "green" changes, but living in an apartment means that many of the energy decisions are already made for me. However, I do have a nice rack, similar to this but fits over the door, that I can use for drying clothes in the apartment. I'm not sure why I didn't make this change sooner, especially since it costs $1.25 per load to use the dryer in the laundry room. I'm going to give it a shot and see how it goes.

site of the day

2008-07-07T17:13:00.002-04:00

Today's site of the day is MyPoints.com. I've been a member for years and have earned several $50 gift cards in the process. Its pretty painless. Here's how it works:

- Register at mypoints.com. (If you want to send me a little love, send me an email and I'll send you the link- I'll get extra points for referrals)

- Check your email inbox for Bonus Mail from MyPoints, usually a few per day. Many of the emails will include special offers where you can earn points by clicking through the link and making a purchase. Most of those emails will also give you 5 points just for reading the email and clicking the link. You don't have to purchase anything to earn points.

- Sometimes you'll earn points by taking surveys, but I don't often qualify for them.

- When you have online shopping to do (I do this around the holidays), take your list to the ol' interweb and log onto the mypoints site. Many of the places I shop are members and when I click through to say, Macy's or Target, to make a purchase that I would normally make, I wind up getting points for the purchase.

- Keep at it. It takes a while if you don't shop like crazy, but after a while, you'll see your points build up and you can trade them in for gift cards. From what I can tell, they are all straight up gift cards, no special times they can be used, no minimum purchase, etc. I've been very happy with it so far.

- Just be careful that you aren't encouraged to do more shopping than you might otherwise do, just because you're earning points.

now there's an idea...

2008-07-06T20:49:00.005-04:00

Poppytalk just pointed out these very cool bulletin boards. I saw purl's display using embroidery hoops and soon after lucked into a big pile of them for nearly free at an estate sale. This looks like an even better idea.

etsy

2008-07-06T20:20:00.003-04:00

I'm spending a little time browsing etsy this evening, before getting a good night's sleep to prepare for a preschool day tomorrow. I found this shop and think these necklaces are super-cute.

monmouth park

2008-07-05T19:32:00.000-04:00

After a great trip to New Hope, followed by the world's best pizza and salad at Bunny's, we decided to spend Saturday "down the shore." Still not beach weather, but some shopping for T and a trip to Monmouth Park did the trick. T has long been a horseracing fan (even blogs at monmouthparkblog.com) and knows way more about it than I do, but I enjoy going, watching the races, taking in the architecture of the old building and people watching. I did get a little lucky and have an exacta bet come in. It was the first time I tried to do this, and to increase the difficulty I used the automatic teller. I knew what I meant, but there was a pretty good chance I'd mess it up and wind up with a ticket for something else. Turns out I did it right and the horses I picked for first and second, did, in fact, come in first and second. I think I won all of $8. T may have been impressed that I picked a winner, but I was mostly proud of my mastery of betting with the automated teller.

It was great fun, and we hit Toro Loco when we returned. That's lots of eating out for us, but the weekend truly felt like a vacation and it was all well worth it.

new hope

2008-07-04T20:09:00.003-04:00

T and I took a trip to New Hope, PA for the fourth as it wasn't exactly beach weather. It takes a little over an hour to get there, but is an easy relaxing trip. We parked near the old train station that runs scenic trips around the area. Last time we were there a little boy was having his birthday party on the train. They must have had the best time on that train with their little engineer hats. There's a Grapevine Express for grown-ups that serves wine and cheese while you wind through the countryside. It seems we're never there on the right day to do it, but I'm keeping it on my list.

We had lunch at the Mansion Inn, where we sat on the porch and had delicious crab cakes and fish and chips. We strolled, shopped, visited a few art galleries, watched the Delaware river, some ducks and a few fish (could they be shad?) before returning home.

Some of our favorite stops, other than the Mansion Inn were:

Strawberry Jam: Nice jewelry, candles, paper goods (I didn't know Vera bradley had paper goods, too). I'm still kicking myself a little for not having picked up a pair of candle holders I was eyeing. Oh well.

The Bookstore: We're not sure of the name, but it could be Farley's Bookshop. Its a cool windy shop with lots of books jammed in everywhere, as well as one giant chilled-out cat.

Sidetracks Art Gallery: A great little gallery with a sense of humor and fantastic taste. I fell hard for Andre Gomes' work with carved rocks, even staples.

Suzie Hot Sauce: Everything you could ever want in a hot sauce, marinade and salsa shop. We picked up some sauce/marinade and will report back later.

Night Bird Vintage Clothing: Lots of fun to poke around in here. I was hoping for a really great vintage dress, but instead found about a million costume ideas. They even had some never worn uniforms from the 60s.

All in all we returned home with full bellies, some hot sauce and a Curious George air freshener. It was fun, we'll be back.

Happy 4th of July!

site of the day

2008-07-03T07:59:00.003-04:00

The inaugural post of my newest feature: Site of the Day. (Note, its not site of every day, so don't get too excited. I'll do my best, but I have that pesky full time job thing.)

I signed up for this punishment, er, challenge, One Hundred Push Ups. (And got a very nice email response from the guy who runs the place. Hi Steve!). My initial test was surprisingly good, I did 34 push ups in a row. Today was week 1 day 2 and I can still lift my arms!

On day 1 of week 1, T was here and I thought it might be a good idea to see how many squats we can do. T has a bum shoulder and can't join me in the push ups just yet. Anyway, the squats were easier to do than I thought they would be and I just kept going while T counted. He made me stop at 125. Which was good, because walking for the rest of the day was extremely difficult.

I never said I was smart.

tasty supper and two honorable mentions

2008-07-02T19:42:00.005-04:00

After sampling pickles at the farmers' market I wasn't too hungry for dinner and wanted something simple. I found (via Closet Cooking) Soy and Pepper's recipe for Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Sundried Tomatoes. I still had sundried tomatoes left over from this weekend's meal, so this sounded perfect, and boy was it! I'd made a similar dish before, but never thought about adding sundried tomatoes. Perfect. I will definitely make this again - probably every night until I run out of tomatoes. I think I'm going to have to add Soy and Pepper and Closet Cooking to my little list over there. Oh, and I used whole wheat spaghetti and had a little of the herb bread on the side. Great for getting every last bit of the sauce. Dee-licious!

library books!

2008-07-02T16:50:00.004-04:00

I just love getting new books from the library. Using the internet inter-library loan feature, I was able to "order" two sewing books. They both look fantastic and I can't wait to try them! I'm a little intimidated by the suggestion that I draft my own skirt patterns, but its worth a shot. I think I would even consider purchasing (gasp!) both of these books. Actually, I have an ebay saved search for both of them, just in case.

baking a better loaf

2008-07-01T18:45:00.006-04:00

So, I've used my new-to-me breadmaker a couple of times so far. Then all the bread in my freezer ran out so its time to start making bread on a regular basis. When I make it, there's no high-fructose whatever and other things that I'm unable to pronounce even after so many college chemistry courses. The bread has been OK, but slightly bland and the texture was off. Not terrible, but not great. I found this recipe and tried it today and It Makes Good Bread. The herbs were great (and I had them all on hand), but best of all was that the texture and "chewiness" was finally right. I'll try it without the herbs sometime, but this is some tasty stuff.

Herb bread for the Breadmaker:
Makes one 1-lb loaf, 8 slices
16 servings (1/2 slice is 1 serving)

Ingredients

1 teaspoon Fast-rising yeast OR 2 teaspoons Active dry yeast
2 cups Bread flour
1 tablespoon Dry milk
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Dried chives
1 teaspoon Marjoram
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Basil
1 tablespoon Margarine or butter
7/8 cup Water (77°-95°F)

Directions

Place all ingredients in the bread machine in the order suggested in your operator’s manual. (If using fresh herbs, double the amount called for.)

Select the white bread mode; press start. This recipe can be made with regular, rapid or delayed-time bake cycles.
Makes one 1-pound loaf, for 16 servings.

a good clean day, smaller loans, and a vacuum!

2008-07-01T08:23:00.003-04:00

I've got a few days to catch up on, so here's what's been happening in my personal land of self-improvement:

T and I did particularly well with the clean eating challenge on Sunday. Breakfast was bran for me and oatmeal and watermelon for him. Then for lunch we had egg salad on homemade bread with home-brewed iced tea. For dinner we had this (which took a while to make, but was delicious), with some brown rice and corn that T brought home from a farm stand. Its been nice to watch the cupboard go from brightly colored boxes to containers of ingredients. Its also really impressive to note that I only spent $97 on groceries for the entire month! That includes a trip to costco at the beginning of the month. I did a fair amount of planning, but not a ton, it just turns out to be much less expensive to make things from scratch, I guess. We'll see how July goes.

I also was able to snowflake almost $900 to loan repayment this month. Though I have decided to finish off the remainder of the car loan before attacking the student loan. Hey, you never know what can happen, and you can't repossess my master's degree!

And, finally, in the soothing-my-soul category, my vacuum finally arrived. I searched for a good deal online and found a vacuum with good reviews for $43 at Wal-Mart. I clicked through MyPoints, ordered it online (so I could get the points) and chose the site-to-store shipping option so I wouldn't have to pay for shipping. It sure does make me happy to vacuum lines into the carpet again. Oh, and I sold the tiny old one for $15 on Craigslist, making the new vac only $27, but with points on mypoints and cashback from discover.

i should rename this blog "honda love"

2008-06-28T12:28:00.004-04:00

Seriously, my arm is starting to hurt from patting myself on the back for buying a civic. This article ranks Honda cars as having the best mpg around. I've been messing around with hypermiling tips and measuring my actual mpg. It currently costs about $45-$48 to fill up the tank, and I'm getting about 400 miles per tank (mixed highway and city, with AC usually on). The article states that it can cost upwards of $120 to fill up a Hummer and then it only goes about 300 miles on that massive tank. That's just nuts! I'd have to get a part time job if I owned one of those, but then again, its probably large enough to live in so I could save on rent.

restaurant.com

2008-06-27T17:44:00.005-04:00

H and I used a restaurant.com coupon to try out Crave on 42nd last night. Chef Dave Martin was on Top Chef (the one season I didn't watch) and has opened a place in Manhattan. I had the scallop appetizer and crab salad. The scallops were quite possibly the best I've ever had and the crab salad was very good. I practically licked the scallop plate clean, but left some salad since it was nearly drowning in dressing. H had a meat martini (yes, thats what she had!) and pizza, both of which she loved. The wine was good, but not $11 a glass good. Pretty groovy little place, though at least a few blocks from the rest of civilization. I'd go back for sure- even if it was just for the scallops. The $21 savings we got by going through restaurant.com made it more within our budget.

mmm...orzo salad

2008-06-27T17:39:00.004-04:00

We made this a few days ago and loved it. Instead of using roasted peppers I just grilled the peppers along with the corn and onions.

george carlin, you'll be missed

2008-06-23T10:11:00.004-04:00

I've been a fan of George Carlin's for quite some time. I love his smart, linguistically based routines and I was saddened to hear of his passing. About 7 or 8 years ago the Museum of Television and Radio in NYC was showing a collection of his stand-up routines in a big theater. I had never seen him in person, but this felt pretty close. This was where I first heard his bit on "stuff." Its always been my favorite and I think about it often - particularly when decluttering. Its probably not a coincidence that I started to be more focused on simplicity right about then. Did Carlin spark that change or was it already on the way and just made his words appeal to me more? I don't think I'll ever know. Either way, he'll be missed but not forgotten. If you have the chance today to listen to "stuff" (be warned, there is some colorful language, it is George Carlin after all) do so, and then think about your own stuff. The man is funny, but he has a point. May he rest in peace.

lights out! did my food spoil?

2008-06-09T21:39:00.004-04:00

Its Hot! Temperatures neared one billion degrees here yesterday. Schools closed early and a local power station caught fire resulting in a power outage. I lost power for about 5 hours. But! I realized that I had already done a few smart things (which is unusual)
- I closed the blinds the day before the heat wave was predicted to start. We had the AC on this weekend, but only on low and not all the time. Closing up before it got hot in here apparently worked.
- I had fresh batteries in the flashlight, extra ones nearby and I knew right where the flashlight was since it has a magnet and stays on the side of the fridge
- My cell phone was fully charged and the car charger was already in the car

I left the house to run some errands in the nearby towns that still had power (I could check for this info with my fully charged phone). When I left I thought it was possible that I would return after dark and not have electricity then either, so:
- I took the flashlight with me and
- made sure to pick up any shoes or items that I could possibly trip over when returning home in the dark.

Lucky for me the power was only out for about 4 hours. I didn't open the fridge or the freezer during that time, but I had been wondering what would happen to the costco-sized bags of frozen fish and chicken I keep in the freezer, and here's what I found out:
- if you keep the door closed on the freezer you have quite a while before your food spoils. Here is some additional info on that.

As far as the fridge goes, I am concerned about the milk, some cheese and some mayo. According to this, I'm less lucky there as apparently the limit there is 2 hours without refrigeration. I think the milk is done (was almost empty anyway), the cheese should be OK, and I still don't know about the newly opened mayo, but better safe than sorry.

Here is some more info on how quickly food spoils and what to eat first during a power outage:
- Food Safety in a Power Outage from the Red Cross
- Food: What To Do When the Power Goes Out from the University if Illinois
- and if things go Really Bad in your fridge, here is some info from the Houstonian on How to Clean Your Fridge after a Power Outage.

Stay Cool!

i feel a project coming on...

2008-06-06T21:41:00.005-04:00

I just stumbled across Joel Dewberry's new Ginseng line and its screaming "new pillows!" to me.

snowflakes

2008-06-04T16:37:00.002-04:00

I snowflaked another $140 into the student loan fund after I cashed in on some ebay sales. That sure feels good!

as if I needed another reason to love my civic

2008-06-03T14:58:00.005-04:00

Apparently, even the non-hybrid Honda Civics in the last handful of years are "green" enough to qualify for special Port Authority EZ pass toll discounts. Follow this link to see for yourself. I don't drive into the city as much as I used to, but if it only costs the price of a stamp to sign up, count me in!

how not to cry while cutting onions

2008-06-02T17:54:00.001-04:00

I ran across a helpful article on cutting onions without ruining your makeup. Number 5 was a big head slapping why-didn't-I-think-of-that? tip. Enjoy

i made bread!

2008-06-01T16:03:00.004-04:00

I got a free breadmaker not too long ago, and after hunting down the ingredients I finally made my first loaf. It was really easy, turned out pretty well- nice and crusty, though I'm looking forward to fiddling with the recipes. Since the breadmaker was free and the ingredients for what I assume to be many, many loaves were less than $10, this could be a rather frugal experiment.

the evolution of frugal reading

2008-06-01T15:41:00.007-04:00

Not so great: Ordering books online one at a time.
- PRO: you get exactly the book you want in a few days to a week
- CON: expensive- you pay full price plus shipping

Good: Ordering books online from the clearance pages and ordering enough at once to qualify for free shipping.
- PRO: save a little money on each book and no cost for shipping
- CON: selection is hit or miss and you have to spend a certain amount to qualify for free shipping

Better: Picking up books for 50 cents at a garage sale or library book sale
- PRO: save even more money (possibly $25-$30 on each book)
- CON: selection is hit or miss and you use a bit of gas driving around to find the garage sales

Better Stilll: Driving to the library to pick out books
- PRO: Free!
- CON: there's a chance the book you want won't be available, and of course, you use a little gas

Even better: Use the library's online request feature to "order" the book you want.
- PRO: Free! and if the library doesn't have the book you want or it is out, they will get it from another library and call you when it is in.
- CON: there is a chance you may have to wait a week or so for the book to come in, and if you drive, there is a little gas to consider. And if you're forgetful, like me, you might still have to pay a late fee.

Best: Use the library's online request feature to order the book you want, Walk to the library and then mark your calendar with the due date.
- PRO: Free! and you get a little exercise.
- CON: There is still a chance that you might have to wait a few days to get the book you want, but that reason was actually a PRO in the first example.

Now that I'm finished with graduate school, I really can't think of a reason to buy a single book. I can even get craft books like this one from my library, and using the copier at work, copy any patterns I might need. Its also great to have fewer books cluttering up the place - they're pretty to look at but a pain to dust.

hooray! i'm boring!

2008-06-01T14:04:00.003-04:00

Save and Conquer wrote a great post on 12 ways to determine whether you are financially boring. I am apparently a snoozefest. Good for me!

student loan update

2008-06-01T07:24:00.003-04:00

Thanks to that $933, a nice ebay month and some budget pinching, I was able to send in even more to the nasty loan. Now my payoff date has moved up 4 months! hooray!