Frugal February 7, 8 and 9 kitchen clean out, Google Lens, Dollar Tree things for my daughter

Hello everyone 

I’ve spent almost all day working on my kitchen. 

I took everything out of the lower cabinets and some things from the upper cabinets.

Then I  cleaned the shelves and put in new shelf paper.

It was a big job and I am tired. I still want to put some labels on the doors.

Most everything is put back now, and I have a big discard pile.

 And I will show you after pictures tomorrow.

Do you all know about Google lens?

You need the Google app. It was already on my Apple phone and it was also on my husband’s android phone.

It’s very useful if you’re trying to identify something. 

There were some mystery items in that batch of sewing stuff I got Saturday so I tried out Google lens for the first time.

To use Google lens, open the app, and then touch the camera icon.

Then take a picture of your mystery item.

The app will probably tell you exactly what your mystery item’s name is. 

It will tell you what it may be selling for in different places or where to buy one. 

I learned about this app, watching a YouTuber identify items in a thrift store.

I think it’s very useful. My husband thinks it could be useful to identify the name of a part on something when you’re trying to fix it.

So remember your Google app next time you have a mystery. It might be able to help you solve it.

A budget, but very delicious recipe that I made this week is nut bread. The recipe is originally from a Susan Branch  cookbook.

I’ve been baking this for years.

It has no added fat of any kind in the recipe, except for the egg and the butter that is used to grease the pan.

  

We like it a lot. Especially toasted with a little butter on top.

I don’t guess I gave out enough clues about which of the dollar tree items my daughter requested. So I’ll just go ahead and show you.

.

She wanted the gnome, and those little carrots that I did not take a photo of, probably for her tiered tray in her kitchen.

She wanted the coloring tablecloth for her long dining table, they have three school-age children who will enjoy coloring the Valentine tablecloth.

On the right side of the picture, you can see their double entry doors and that is why she wanted the two bunny wreaths. 

And last, the felt bunny garland  will go on their mantle for Easter. 

She currently has felt hearts there for Valentine’s Day.




Nobody guessed  the correct items and I really wasn’t clear enough.

I will host a giveaway of some sort very soon

❤️ Rhonda 

Blogidays December 5- wreaths, estate sale, a little food and a question

Hello everyone 

Long time readers of this blog may remember by brother makes fresh Christmas wreaths every year.  Here are a few of the ones from the past years 

past wreaths

He delivered 3 to my house yesterday

This is the one on our front door 

These 2 belong to other relatives and have already been sent to their homes

 

Ducky approves of the wreaths.  They smell so good!  

I cook most every night but last night we thought about takeout and then decided to just cook 2 very easy convenience foods 

This morning,  I did a little food prep.  

I made a salad and a small box of sandwich toppings.  I also cooked a big batch of rice as my son requested some so he could make fried rice.  

I cook converted rice in a Zojirushi rice cooker that we’ve had since 1989.  It only cooks rice but we like how it cooks rice where it is not sticky.  

We will have fried rice later this week too.  

This afternoon,  I found out about an estate sale for my aunt’s cousin.  My son and I waited until it was almost over to go.  We wanted to avoid crowds ( and we did) and we neither need much but we knew there was nice stuff there. Everything was half price of the marked price 

For $12.50 I got all these disposable party goods.....

 

This really nice kids puzzle set with 4 puzzles.  The pieces are quite thick and sturdy. .....

  

I worked them all when I got home to see what the puzzles looked like and if all the pieces were included.  

We also got a hard cover book, set of metal coasters that my son will use  under small plant pots and 10 stemmed glasses that will work for desserts or drinks.  (No photos of those 3 items)

And do any of you happen to know the name or brand of this vintage baby doll? 

Have a good weekend everyone 

❤️ Rhonda 

New wreath and this week's to do list

Now that my craft room is organized,  I knew what I had and decided to make a wreath for our front door.  People have been making these fluffy wreaths for years.  You just need a wreath form  and fabric squares.

Actually, you will need lots and lots fabric squares.
More than in this photo, I had to cut more.  Mine are 4 inch squares.  They do not have to be perfect and if some are really crooked or too small, they will still work.

I used an old foam wreath. 

You also need a "poker" I used a plastic paint brush end but knitting needles or a screwdriver would work too. 

Put the fabric square around the poker and dip into a little glue,  then poke the fabric in the form, about a 1/4 inch deep.
The glue is optional.  But I live in windy Oklahoma, so I wanted to add a little support.

Then just fill in the wreath, front and sides with  fabric squares.  

 Close up and I did put fabric on the back of mine as our front door has a window.  I didn't want to look at the bare back of the styrofoam wreath.

And here is my new to do list for this week and my press on nail manicure.  Impress is my favorite brand. 

Have a good week everyone ❤️

A fresh wreath, Irish dancing, a madhouse and CVS

Good morning everyone,
I am normally an early riser and am up and going even earlier today as I have a dental cleaning appointment at 8 a.m. I make my appointments months in advance and I guess this sounded like a good time then but now I am wishing it was later.  Never mind,  I'll go and get it over with.

My brother makes fresh wreaths every year and he brought ours Friday.

This is our 2nd Christmas decoration of 2016.  

I think it is so pretty.  Besides normal tree cuttings, it has pine cones and these dainty blue gray berries.  Whatever they are,  they look great on the wreath.





Our oldest granddaughter has been taking Irish Step Dancing classses for close to a year.  She danced in a Christmas recital this weekend and it was so sweet.
The youngest girls all wear these velvet skirts and tops with the thick white socks and lace up soft sole shoes called Ghillies.

Bath and Body works had a big candle sale this weekend.  I planned to go and buy 4 and be done.  But when we got there, our store was packed! The check out line wrapped all the way through the store and the shoppers trying to select their candles were elbow to elbow.

We just stood outside in amazement for a bit, then took a picture and walked on by.
I like bargains but I was not going to stand in line for hours to save $10 or so on unnecessary candles.

I did shop at a very quiet CVS on our way to church.
The diapers, Dove products and makeup were all deals.  The cough medicine is something my husband needs
I started with $15 in Extracarebucks, some store, app and manufacturer coupons.  Before deals, my total was $90 but I paid $26 and got back $15 Extracarebucks.  I'm happy with that as the mediocre was a $14 need.

This month

Hello everyone.  

I thought you all might like to see our Seven.  We were all together for lunch yesterday to celebrate my mother in law's 80th birthday.  

Life is good here, to say the least.  

One family group photo from the birthday party - it was at the clubhouse of our aunt's retirement home and was a very nice setting for a gathering. 

In the photo are my in laws, my husband and me, our 7 adult children&spouses and the 7 grands.  

My to do list and manicure from last week.....I haven't made my list for this week yet. 

The nails are Impress press on nails, with a sticker type adhesive and I really like them. 

My brother's tradition is to make fresh wreaths for us- here is this year's.  He decorates them different each year and they are always so nice. 

One of the pleasures of retirement- Grandpa and the grandchildren sharing lots of time together.  

CVS

I didn't go last week but I went yesterday. 

I used 4 $2 Tide coupons that were in a Sunday paper a few weeks ago and a $5 ECB. 

4 Tide detergent pod packs were $2.76 and I got back $5 ECB.  

Days are busy here and we have yet to find a routine with husband being retired but I think that will be happen after all the busyness of December.  

Would you all believe I have not bought or wrapped a single gift nor have I rounded up any stocking stuffers? And it takes a lot of stuffers for the 20 or so stockings that will here.  

So, this will be last blog post for 2015.  I hope to keep reading blogs and I plan to be back blogging in January.  

Merry Christmas everyone !

Another weeks to do list

Monday's to do list - it's doesn't look too daunting. I have today to myself so I am expecting to get all of today's things done and may get a few of the others done too.  I am guessing most everyone reading this also has a lot to do this week and next week too! 

I've already taken out the trash, walked and have the laundry started.

You know I have a CVS deal to show.  I've been using Ponds cold cream and moisturizer for a long time, maybe 15 years. Ponds is made in th USA, simple, reasonably priced and just keeps my face soft.

Last week, these large jars of Ponds were buy 1 get 1 50% off.  I had $1 coupons on each, a $5 off $15 scanner coupon for face cleansers, a $4 ECB that came by email and I used a $10 ECB and about $3 on a CVS gift card.  I spent no cash at all. 

I didn't earn any ECBs on this purchase but the before deal cost of the Ponds will be added to my beauty rewards ($5 ECB earned for every $50 in beauty purchases and CVS tracks them on your CVS card)   The CVS deals in the next few weeks don't interest me much so I was happy to spend my ECBs and get enough Ponds to last me a long time. 

My husband uses the Ponds moisturizer on his face in the winter too.

My latest CVS deal 

My brother has been making beautiful fresh wreaths for us for years.  You all know that I am lousy photographer and the colors don't show up right but this years is bright colors, red and blue and green and even has a set of battery operated twinkle lights. 

I really like it and the lights are a fun surprise. 

I better stop this post here, and get busy if I plan to check off those tasks today. 

I hope all of you get lots done today. 

I'll be back later to show another spectacular wreath that is very different from the green one and was made by brother's girlfriend.

My brother does stuff too

I have 2 bachelor brothers, they are both great guys but very different.
The professor brother took up wreath making several years ago and here are this years Christmas wreaths. 

this one is on our front door,  and when I took the picture, I did not have it hung up right.  The snow is supposed to be right on the top to look like snow fell on it 
If you look in the window reflection, you can see our real snow in the yard.
Ours has a little red bird on it.


He lives about an hour away and when he came to our house this week, he brought our wreath as well as 3 others.

this one,  with a pretty white cross, is for our daughters home.
oh, dear, this photograph is not turned right either, but if you read my blog much, you know photography is not my strong suit. 

Grandson Gavin admiring the wreath that is for his home
Yes, he has goggles on his head and No,  we have not been swimming.  He is fun little guy that likes to pretend.  I just noticed that behind Gavin's head,  you can see his brother Braeden's head.  Braeden is back there where the pecans are,  he likesd moving them from one bucket to another.

This one will go to my parents house- can you see the little gold and silver birds on it?

Gavin and Granddaughter Elizabeth looking at the wreaths and checking out the ones that go to their homes. 

The grands like the wreaths and they were especially happy to see their great uncle. 

down the memory lane of wreaths

2011 Christmas wreath this one had apple green trim

2010 Christmas wreath

2008 Christmas wreath

2008 Fall Wreath

2009 Easter Wreath

for me, a wreath is not just a pretty decoration.  To Christians, they are a powerful symbol of our faith.

The circle of the wreath reminds us of God Himself, His eternity and endless mercy, which has no beginning or end.  The evergreen symbolizes the hope that we have in God, the hope of newness, of renewal, of eternal life.