Finances on Friday and more Mother's Day sweetness

I've missed joining in with Rebecca at Renaissance for several weeks and I don't really have a complete list but here are some highlights from the last 3 weeks or so

I found these giant cans of fruit cocktail for $2 - we mostly eat fresh fruit but canned fruit is well liked by my husband and grandchildren, these will come in handy, I am sure.

They aren't old, the can dates are use by 8/16. Not sure why they were so cheap.....

Got a free 8 by 10 print at Walgreens in one of their promotions before Mothers Day. 

My husband spotted free Tide samples at Crest Foods in Oklahoma City and got us each one. 

The weather has been frugal with mostly mild temperatures- we have run the heat a few times to warm up the house after a cool night and one weekend when it was in the 90s, the ac was needed, but for most part, no power has been used to heat or cool. 

For 2 graduations, I made cards with some graduation themed rubber stamps bought years ago, wrote nice notes and mailed them off with checks inside. It was much easier than trying to pick out gifts and get them delivered,  I think graduates like cash best anyway. 

I bought some heavy cream for Easter but did not use it then. So, a few weeks later I used it make a triple batch of freezer biscuits.  I also made 8 pie crusts for the freezer. 

In my hurrying to clean up, somehow the metal biscuit cutter with a porcelain knob screwed to the top for a handle fell into the garbage disposal. When I turned on the disposal, what a racket!  The knob broke into many pieces and one of the screws was lodged in the disposal. When my husband got home, he took off the disposal, took it apart, and pried out that screw. He had to spend about $10 on new  plumbing fittings when he reattached the disposal to the sink drain.  Thankfully, now that disposal is working good as new! 

I used $14 in CVS ECBs that were close to expiring on a second pocket hose for the backyard.  I usually roll ECBs into another deal that offers more ECBs but the recent ads have just not has things we are needing. 

Would you believe I have not been to a thrift store since my last finances on Friday post?

My daughter personalized this small insulated bag for us. When we do errands or take road trips, we always take bottles of water. This bag will hold 4 bottles.  She uses a Cameo and a Heatpress to put personalized designs on most anything and has had several sales through word of mouth and her Etsy shop.

This little book is so sweet! It has more pages but the picture shows 4 of them. 

it is one of those little gifts that will be kept and treasured always. 

My son bought a bunch of succulents and brought them over with potting soil and pots.

We had fun sitting at the picnic table and selecting which plants to put together and in which pots. He took some of the potted succulents  home and I kept some. We both think ours have already grown quite a bit. 

Retro - and quite delicious-strawberry pie

My mom found this recipe in a Betty Crocker cookbook - I don't know what year but I am guessing a 1960s edition or so.  She made it often, especially for Sunday lunch.

I copied down her recipe years ago and cooked it yesterday for our lunch today.

Below is a photo of my recipe card- I had to make one change. Sliced and sweetened frozen strawberries, they used to come in a rectangle can- are not sold anywhere around here. So I used a pound box of fresh strawberries, chopped them in about 1/2 inch size pieces and added just 2 T of sugar. Then I stirred them into sugar free strawberry jello, as the recipe said to.

I used a 9 inch baked crust, instead of the called for 8 inch baked crust. 

Today, it was topped with cool whip but it would of been even more delicious with real whipped cream. 

Hope you all had a happy pleasant Mothers Day.  Some of our children were here today for lunch. I made this pie and quiche. My husband grilled chicken and my daughter cooked homemade Mac and cheese and 7 layer dip with chips. 

Strawberries are plentiful and low cost right now.

 If you need a quick dessert, I recommend this retro Strawberry Minute Pie.

Planting seeds and a new pocket hose

We needed new water hoses and I did some research on the new compact hoses.

After scanning the 2000 or so ratings for pocket hoses on Amazon, it sounded like it would work for us. 

Pocket hoses are not durable with high water pressure and with big yards. (We don't have either)

I was still a little wary so I bought one at Walmart so it would be easy to return if it was a huge failure. 

I used it today for the first time and I think it will be perfect for our small yard and for watering the outdoor plants. It is small enough to just wind it up on the faucet- no big hose reel or holder needed.

We've got an unplanted flower bed in the front and I think zinnias will be the easiest and least expensive choice. My husband picked out 4 packs of bright color zinnias. I mixed them all together and planted them in 2 rows this morning. 

So hopefully in 6 weeks or so, there will be a hedge of colorful zinnias. 

My mom always grew zinnias and I think they are so pretty and make really nice bouquets too.

But I don't see zinnias in other yards much - they used to be in most every yard. 

Flowers for cookies

My son needed cookies for a work event. 

Baking cookies is one of my favorite things to do so I baked 4 kinds 

He offered to pay me but I declined, I prefer to just cook because I like to cook. 

One of his events used this huge bouquet and afterwards, he brought them to me. 

I think they are beautiful - white hydrangea and daisies, red roses, blue flowers that I have no clue as to their name and a big gladiola coming out of the top. 

3 of the 4 batches of cookies - all decorated with red, white and blue sprinkles.  

Small gifts from the heart

Life seems to get more elaborate everyday, our houses are bigger, stores are huge,  parties and weddings are bigger and many gifts are big.

But some of the most meaningful gifts I've ever received are small, made with love gifts. 

This cross stitch book mark - I've kept it in my Bible since 1987.  Aunt Evelyn stitched patchwork hearts on one side and our names on the other. Isn't it so sweet? 

Son Bobby made this hanging heart from a wire clothes hanger- probably around 1992. 

Son Jimmy made this cross bookmark with variegated yarn and plastic canvas, free hand, probably around the same time his brother made the wire heart.

My Aunt Ann painted this light switch plate for me about 50 years ago - the plate is metal and I am pretty sure she used oil paints as they have been durable.

My mom made this little book for son Bobby when he was 1-2 years old. This was before fancy scrap book supplies.  It is just 3 large index cards folded in half and stapled together. She decorated it with stickers and cut out photos from my dad's farm magazines.  

It was one of Bobby's favorite possessions and was looked at and read so many times, I am not sure how it is still intact.

Gift giving season is starting- Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations, weddings, spring birthdays and spring babies-  I think heart-felt little gifts can be wonderful. 

Do you have any  tiny love-filled gifts like mine?