Frugal Friday

My first big job today was cooking 8 pounds of ground sirloin into chili and taco filling,

After cooking, it all went into the freezer in meal size containers. Having entrees that just need heated up really is convenient on busy days - and frugal as it prevents the need for a meal out by necessity.

I have used this taco seasoning for years. I usually double or triple it and keep it in a quart jar.

This is my chili recipe- I follow the spices but the other ingredients are flexible. I don't usually add the celery or bell pepper, I used tomato sauce and tomatoes with green chilies instead of the tomato juice and I used home cooked pintos instead of canned beans.

Both of the above recipes are from AllRecipes.com 

Made 2 pitchers of unsweetened ice tea- I think besides water, tea is the lowest cost of all beverages

We change the filter in our central air unit once a month. Apparently our size is not common and Walmart only has our size filters in the expensive version,

So I looked on Amazon and found a case of 12 for about $14.  I ordered them  Wednesday evening and they were delivered this morning. 

Like most days, I try to earn points on Swagbucks. Mostly I get them by running autoplay videos on my Kindle Fire. 

I mowed our yard with our electric lawn mower.  We have had the Neuton electric mower for 4 summers and it is so convenient, easy to use and quiet. My neighbor 2 doors down stopped today to ask about it.   

Did some quick sewing alterations on 2 grands swimsuits to make the waists smaller. 

Today is also laundry day- some of the laundry is air drying on hangers in doorways.

supper will be oven roasted zucchini from our daughter in laws garden and homemade roma
sauce over pasta. 

The grands did get to swim twice yesterday- once in the morning when it was barely warm and again after naps when it was hot.  They had just the best time! The 2 older ones that talk must of said "this is so much fun" and "this pool is awesome" and "thank you buying this pool" about 100 times. 

The cake baking and cake eating were a hit too!   I think there will lots more swimming and cooking with the grands this summer.

linking up with Terri's Hearts in Service Frugal Friday 

Waiting for the sun to shine.....

We are in a drought and the rain we getting today is needed, but we are hoping the sun will come out soon.  The new pool is ready and this weather is kinking up the swimming plans.........

Lunch and snacks are ready and waiting in the fridge. Yesterday's shopping netted some very nice fruit.

I made up a small batch of homemade cake mix so the grands can stir up and bake their own tiny bundt cake - we got the little pans from my mom and the tiny whisks are from an Amish store in Branson, MO. 

         

2 of the grands are here, dressed in swim trunks and really hoping the sun is shining soon!

But whatever the weather brings, we have fun!  

Wednesday........

Melanie said she likes to read posts about everyday things so I think she will like this one.....

She has a really sweet blog 

http://comfyhouse.blogspot.com and she writes about busyness at home, thrifting, family - a lot like I do.   

Comfy House

My husband requested striped Jello. I used 4 boxes of sugar free.

Just make one batch at a time and pour into containers, chill until set up and then make another batch. Just keep adding layers until the containers are full.

I think these are peach, lemon, orange and strawberry. It looks more impressive if the flavors are different colors but I just used what was in the pantry. 

He will like these, especially on days when he spends a lot of time in the heat

I left home before 8 this morning, I tried to do my shopping and errands before it got too hot. 

I took a big ice chest and put the perishables in it as I made different stops.  It was especially nice when I got home, I knew all the groceries were fine and I was able to sit for a bit and eat lunch and not rush putting the groceries away. 

I think I will take that ice chest and the milk jug full of frozen water every time I shop this summer. 

Shopping - I bought about everything on my list except for window cleaner.  I have not been happy with the homemade cleaners I have tried in the past but the book I am reading - see the previous post- has inspired me to try again.  I'll let you know how it goes.

My last stop was the nail salon- I got a pale pink for summer. 

My son was in town, bringing a trial exhibit he built to his brother. I was happy he has time to come visit me too. 

Supper was homemade pizza and a big salad.

Grandchildren will be here tomorrow and I think they will be so excited to play in this pool from Aldi.

Grandpa blew it up this evening with an air compressor and put enough water in it to keep it from blowing away.  There is a water spray that hangs down from the rainbow and it will get more water as the children play.

How was your Wednesday?

What I'm doing this week

The pattern blocks found at a yard sale are for children but I've been enjoying them too.  It is relaxing fitting the shapes together, kind of like quilt making.

Our $5 bucket contained 2 kinds of pattern blocks, the shapes and colors are the same but the ones in the bucket are wood and the ones on the table are plastic.

Thanks to Tammy and Pam, I found some free printable sheets for the grand children.  Thank you both!

Reading - the devotions book was from a church rummage sale and I won the "all you need is less" book from a blog giveaway.

To do list and bills to pay- I've been busy all morning but with other random things and have not crossed a single thing off of today's list, yet, but I plan to! 

I am sad and disturbed about what is going on in the Middle East and the Central American children immigrating alone 

I have no answers and no blame - I don't want to talk politics either, that gets too ugly

But I am so thankful to live in the USA.  So, I decked out the dining room with some our patriotic things...

I found the window bunting at a thrift store for $1.50.  My mom made the little quilt by the door and the doilies. I made or probably thrifted the rest.

A very simple arrangement- just little flags in a jar.

Also on to do list is a trip to the post office to mail a letter and 2 small packages off. 

Supper will be stuffed Bell Peppers and a green salad.

What is going on in your home? 

3 parties 3 days in a row

Party #1

Grand daughter Elizabeth turned 4 and her parents hosted a magical Frozen party for her, complete with the "real" Elsa and Anna. All the children believed they were the real royalty anyway.

The princesses are actually actresses from a company in Oklahoma City and made the party special in many ways.

The food table - the water bottles are labeled "melted snowman" 

The blue drink is Hawaiin Punch and was a favorite of the children party goers. 

Treats were kisses, special chocolate bars and some blue glittered goo that is not messy at all. 

The princesses visited with everyone, lead the games, signed autographs on the children's colored pictures and sang songs.

They also posed for lots of photos and were smiling the whole time.  

Party #2

This was a birthday party for daughter Nina, hosted by her brothers. The meal was 3 trays of entrees from Olive Garden and a fruit tray and salad. All I did was make a loaf of bread in the ABM machine.

One of their coworkers named Jessica baked this pretty cake. It was lemon layers with blackberry filling and delicious! 

Sweet little girls in party dresses

One of her gifts was this vintage book - it had a gift card inside.

This beach wreath was bought from LLBean- it is really pretty. 

After the gifts were unwrapped, the little ones had the most fun with a sheet of bubble wrap.

Party #3

My Uncle Rex turns 93 this month and there was a big party at his retirement home for him and the other 5 June birthday residents.  About 40 of his relatives attended and my mother said it was more fun than any of the recent family reunions. One of my cousins sang, she picked some sweet songs from the 30s and 40s and some patriotic songs. Another cousin accompanied her on the piano. 

sadly, I did not take a camera so I don't have photos of this event.

My Uncle Rex is quite a man. He was a Sailor during WWII. His ship was sunk and he spent 3 days in the middle of the Pacific Ocean before the rescue ship arrived. His wife and daughter both died young and he raised his only grandson alone.

Now he is a champion pie maker and bakes a pie almost everyday and shares them with his neighbors. 

There are even more June birthdays for family yet to be  - but I don't think any of them will have parties quite like these. 

Neighborhood yard sale - mostly 25 cents each

My husband, son and I walked through for neighborhood for the annual yard sale early Saturday. It was cool with a light breeze so it was a pleasant morning.  We found a few treasures......

4 big hard back books by Mary Alice Jones. 25 cents each.  I remember reading many books by Jones when I was a child. Her messages are so sweet and

The illustrations are pretty and calming, I think.

My son bought this big old metal piece. It is not as big as a turkey roaster but close. He thought he might put several potted plants in it.

Sippy and snack cups- all 25 cents each.  These are all in great condition and sell new for about $4 each so I am happy to have them.

Funny Erma Bombeck paperbacks.....

2 sets of pajamas and a pair of kitchen towels - all 25 cents

A very nice big board book for 25 cents

And a Justin Wilson cookbook for 25 cents. Justin Wilson was a Cajun cook on PBS years ago. My dad and brother were just talking about him at last weekends yard sales and hoping they would find one of his books. Now, they will be happy to read this one!

Not pictured-  I also got some plastic drinking glasses from a free box and 3 jars- 1 is 2 quart and the other 2 are 1 quart for 25 cents each.  I store pantry items in glass jars and when I was trying to put something away  Friday, I did not have an empty jar for this new ingredient so I am really glad to get a few more jars. 

2 other nice areas in our town are having neighborhood yard sales today but we are going to skip them. 

Tell me if you found any second hand treasures :)

June 14-USA's National Flag Day

It is a beautiful day and I put our flags out early.  

Today is a special day as it is the 60th anniversary of our current Pledge of Allegiance. 

I pledge allegiance to the Flag      of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands:      one Nation under God, indivisible, With Liberty and Justice for all. June 14, 1954

A few yard sale finds

I didn't mean to take such a long blogging break,  but you all know how life just gets really busy with family and other  things just don't get done, like new blog posts. 

Thank you everyone who wrote or called and were concerned about my cyber-absence. :)

Saturday morning was the neighborhood yard sale in a big housing addition near us. I try to go every year. This year, my dad, son and 2 brothers came too. 

I

The Lucky Ducks game was $3

My Grandsons and brother  had a lot of fun with it and I think it will get played often.

Like new beginning reader book set $2

Bead set $1.50 - it had been opened and the instructions are gone but I think most or all of the beads are still in it.

Clock for the craft -computer room 25 cents! 

Gallon bucket full of wood geometric shapes $5 (the seller had 2 buckets, I only bought 1 and regret not buying both of them)

Bead set above and block set below

The wood shapes were played with by most all family - this is Grand daughter Andie with her 2 Great Uncles, my brothers.  Yes, they are wearing leas. It was a birthday party.  More on the 3 very fun parties that were 3 days in a row in the next post

I don't have photos of the other yard sale finds but one of my brothers is moving into a new home that is a lot bigger than his old home. He found 2 nice framed prints and I bought him a framed mirror that was just $2. I think my dad bought a coffee table type book about Harley Davidsons. 

I found one of my brother's prints on Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Black-Framed-Master-Bedroom-Andrew/dp/B000Y115EA

It is perfect for him and he got his a lot cheaper at the yard sale. 

I have been cleaning out my home as well as my children cleaning out their homes. We had amassed a huge pile of cast offs. While I love shopping at yard sales, I dislike hosting yard sales. So my son arranged for a coworker with a pickup truck to come get that pile and haul it to a thrift store.  It would of probably been more frugal to sell but certainly not more enjoyable. 

Finances on Friday - a day late

Join the link up with Rebecca for Finances on Friday


We were Netflix members years ago and they sent me an email today, offering us another a free month. they are hoping we will re subscribe, and we might, but I doubt it as we have Amazon Prime. I looked around the Netflix site and am happy to see they have Call the Midwife, multiple seasons. I've never seen am episode, just a few clips, and I to watch it now.   We will see how much we enjoy this free month.

I cashed in my Swagbucks points for another $25 in paypal.

I went to Walmart today to exchange some jeans for my husband and while I was there I made one other purchase- price matching red grapes for 99 cents a pound. I got 2 bags for $4 instead of the $11 they would of been.

All the rest of our grocery shopping has been done at Aldi. We've eaten only home cooked or home prepared meals.

I needed milk, mostly for my grandchildren. I bought a gallon as it is cheapest per ounce that way. But some of the grands will be here less this summer while their parents are off work for summer so I poured some of the milk into a glass pitcher and put it in the fridge. I put the rest into 2 other plastic jugs and froze them for later.

Our family membership to the wonderful children's museum, just a few miles from our home, expired so I renewed it but got a smaller one. Last years was for up to 6 family members but I went down to just 4 and spent $100 less. My grands all enjoy playing and learning at this museum and I like that it is so close, very clean and safe and climate controlled.

The toddler room at the museum

The water table - always a favorite and somehow my grandsons still get wet even wearing the vinyl aprons :)

The museum has a craft area with all kinds of fun recycled things to create with 

Happy Memorial Day everyone - I am thankful for all our Veterans and active duty service members. I just wish the government did a better job fulfilling medical care for them. That's another post though.....

Product review

Greatly Blessed is a sweet blog with lots of  predict reviews, coupons and giveaways.  This link is  for a Contest I won there for this great Argan oil.
I had never heard of Argan oil but my daughter has been using a few healing oils so I was really interested in this one.  When this oil arrived, I offered it to her and I thought she was going to take it but she didn't so I started using it, mostly on my hands and cuticles, sometimes on my feet.
My hands get very dry with all the cleaning and washing I do.
After using this Argan oil for just a few days, my hands were honestly softer than they had been in years.  It truly works better than any hand cream I've ever tried, and I have tried lots of them.

The bottle has an eye dropper and I just rub a few drops of oil onto my hands just before I go to sleep.  It absorbs quickly and has not stained our bedding or my nightclothes, I was a little worried about oil stains but I guess it sinks into my skin so fast, nothing rubs off to leave stains.

I talk about lots of frugal things but I do splurge sometimes, one is for manicures and I just got one today.  This red polish is quite patriotic looking and just makes me smile.

I also won a book on a rather new blog called Femme Frugality.  Link to Femme Frugality
I have not got it yet but it looks like a book that is right up my alley.


Lots of blogs have giveaways and contests. The smaller the number of entries, the better are the odds of winning so if I see a smaller blog with a contest for something I like, I usually enter.