Planting a Sunflower Garden

I have started many types of sunflower seeds. The packets said that they can take up to three weeks to germinate, which is about how long ago I started them. More and more seedlings are popping up every day.

My nephew and I will be building a bed, laying down moist newspaper, and the putting down compost and dirt.  Then he will plat the seedlings. Putting down the newspaper is a great way to reuse them instead of sending them to the recycling center. My mother has been giving them to me, so they are free.

Sunflowers are so beautiful, and they always seem put joy in my heart when I see them. I know that I will have to compete with the birds to harvest the seeds, but I’m pretty sure that we can enjoy some of the seeds. I will put them into a canning jar as I pick them, and add them to salads and trail mixes.

The garden will go next to my porch on the side where the road is, hopefully to offer up some privacy.

The seed packets were given to me while I was helping the neighbors pack, so they were free. Cheapskate as I am, I though ‘Yay! Free seeds for munching.” This will help slightly with the food bill, as I shouldn’t have to purchase too many seeds at the grocery store.

An added benefit is that they should bring more birds around, which I will love.

Happy Planting!

Shannon

Did Some Planting Today

Good afternoon, everyone!

I did some container planting today. I spread some carrot seeds (Thumbelina, Danver’s and Short ‘N Sweet) in with some of the vegetables that I planted yesterday.

I also planted some Rutger Tomatoes and Zucchini, as well as some herbs: Sweet Basil, Parsley, Lavender and Common Thyme. I planted a lot of Parsley so that I will (hopefully) have enough to dry and give as gifts at the holidays.

* NOTE: I always have many Chives and Lily’s growing in the yard. They come back year-after-year. They both spread, so I am sending some of the Lily’s home with my mother.

I noticed that there are more of the sunflowers that I started from seed popping up today than there were yesterday.

There are now prettily potted mixed flower seeds potted and placed on to the deck. They will be a pretty contrast to the vegetables and herbs.

Jack-Be-Little Pumpkins can (supposedly) be grown in planters, so I planted a couple of seeds. They are vining plants, so the will need support. I can provide that easily enough.

I also trimmed the front garden. It holds the Lily’s and Chives.

Happy Planting!

Shannon

Working in the Yard, Gardening

I will am starting a new category about gardening for food and pleasure, but I wanted to let you all know what I have been doing in the yard today. I have been working there all day, except for a short stint to the greenhouse, cemetery and grocery store.

First, I built myself a garden bed from some of the wood from a big, heavy pallet that I got for free. I figure I can make two more beds from it.

I lined the bottom with wet newspaper to stunt weed and grass growth, then I filled that with compost and some good dirt.

I then planted some snap pea and rhubarb seeds, as well as some seedlings: cherry tomato, early cabbage and lettuce.

I planted a mix of flowers near the fence, all from seed that I received free. If they take, I will have morning glory, daisies, marigolds, cosmos, bachelor buttons, sweet williams and a few others that I cannot remember off the top of my head.

I also worked on the area in front of my porch. I pulled weeds, trimmed, laid down more wet newspaper, and poured cheap dirt over the newspaper. I put a white gait door behind that area, right up against the porch, to use as a trellis, and I filled four planters with compost. I arranged everything and added more seedlings: More cherry tomatoes, six vining cucumbers, broccoli, two red cabbage, two early cabbage, and one late cabbage so far. The rest I will transplant when the seedlings roots take.

I filled ten other containers with soil and called it good for the day.

The seedlings did not cost a lot. I hope to build a mock greenhouse so that I can start plants early myself within the next couple of years. This will be helpful. My cats would eat anything that I tried to start inside.

I do have some sunflowers seedlings that I started myself. I will likely start some more.

This is what I do every Memorial Weekend.

Happy Planting!

Shannon

Goodwill, Bangor Maine: Great Deals!!!

Wow! I can’t believe the deals that we found while shopping at the Goodwill! My favorite treasures were a cast iron pot, and a cast iron pastry pan that will make cute little holiday breads this year. (By the way, for those who read the Thrift Shop post, I remembered what the other kitchen item was: A 4 pan mini bread pan – also for holiday baking!)

Here are the treasures from the Goodwill.

The first receipt was for Skye’s clothes and the pans, totaling $37.72:

$2.99 the cast iron pot

$2.99 the cast iron bake pan

$5.99 jeans

$4.99 a shirt

$4.99 another shirt

$4.99 another shirt

$3.99 shorts

$3.99 shorts

Zowie’s clothes totaling $28.27:

$2.99 bra

$2.99 bra

$2.99 bra

$2.99 dressy top

$1.99 a shirt

$3.99 jammie pants

$3.99 jammie pants

$4.99 jammie pants

We saved a lot of money by shopping here.

Shannon

 

Farmer’s Market Fresh Salad

I have added this recipe to Frugal Recipes:

Farmer’s Market Fresh Salad

Shannon

The Thrift Shop: Good Buys

Well, my trip to the thrift shop today netted me some treasures. 

I spent $9.45 on:

.25 on a good rubber spatula

.25 on another

.25 on another

.25 on a wooden spoon

.25 on another

.50 on a small strainer

.75 on a pastry blender

$1.00 a good broiler pan

.75 on another kitchen helper (can’t think of what it was at the moment)

$2.00 on a heavy glass 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup (I deam this worthy)

$3.75 on a heavy glass 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup (I deam this one worthy as well)

 

Not too bad. I have always wanted a pastry cutter, and we needed a broiling pan badly. We just broke the 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup we had been using for years. I saved a lot of money by going to the thrift store before going to Wal*Mart.

Shannon

Goals Updates for 5/24/2008

* Today was our big shopping trip. We shopped at the Goodwill, a thrift shop, Wal*Mart and Hannaford.  I used the many canvas tote bags that I have been collecting.

* I’m not sure if I mentioned it or not, but I purchased the cotton fleece for the cloth wipes. Now I have to set aside time to cut them out.

* I purchased the necessary items to make homemade dishwasher detergent.

Shannon

Goals: Canvas Tote Bags

I have been collecting canvas tote bags for a while now. I get them at yard sales, thrift shops and at Hannaford. The neighbor that I was helping also gave me a few. I have a nice collection.

I just have to remember to use them. Today was a good day on that note. I used one at the thrift shop, and a couple more at Crossroads Ministries. I even used one while yard saling, though I should have brought more. All-in-all, I only came home with three plastic bags. They will be used for cleaning out the litter boxes.

By the way, Hannaford takes 5 cents off your bill for each tote bag that you use. I have heard rumors that, at least in stores here in Maine (not just Hannaford), stores want to stop giving out bags all together. Each person would be responsible for bringing their own bags.

 

Crossroads Ministries

My income has gone down quite a bit over the last few months. I guess I wasn’t prepared for this, though I should have been. With these cuts in pay, and the whole whopping $121.00 in foodstamps that my family receives, I have been feeling the need to cut costs wherever I can, simply to prepare for next winter. We won’t make it if I don’t do something, so I decided to check out Crossroads Ministries.

The flyer that I had seen said that this place was a thrift store, so I figured that I could get some of my groceries there at a bit of a discount. Going with the saying that “every penny counts,” I figured I’d give the place a try. My daughter, nephew and I walked over to the next town to visit the place. The people were very helpful, very nice. I had to fill out a short application and show my ID, but that was all.

I took out a couple of tote bags and started looking around, while a woman put three dozen large eggs in one of my bags. I took a salad mix, a romaine mix, some baby spinach and some grapes and put them into the bag.

She took another bag from me and asked what else we would like. I was wondering how much all of this stuff was going to cost me, because I didn’t see any price tags. She put a couple of cans of vegetables in my bag, and I added a can of baked beans. Then two boxes of whole wheat pasta, and some dried beans. I also ended up with a loaf of whole wheat bread.

I said that I thought that was all that we needed for now, and asked how much it was all going to cost. She told me that it was free. I was shocked, but pleased.

She told me that I could come in once a week for food. Now, I have been spending the food stamp money on food, as well as spending quite a bit of my own money on food. Now I can save some of that money each week by going to Crossroads. I am also considering the monthly handouts at the church, if things get too bad.

I am all for free things, being so frugal, but I am also used to paying for most things that we have. I was having a hard time wrapping my mind around receiving free food each week, but then I started to think about all of the things that I do for other people:

* I make $100.00 per week babysitting my nephew, so that he can be with a family member. Sometimes I make extra money doing other things and, when I am lucky, I have more children that I babysit. I help his mother homeschool him as well, working 30-40 hours a week doing this.

* Anything that we no longer need is put outside for anyone to take. Many people in my community are hurting money wise, so this is helpful to them.

* We give one of the neighborhood kids the clothes that my daughters grow out of/no longer need.

* I just gave another neighbor with four children a bunch of educational CD-Roms that I took off the computer because my daughters are too old for them now.

* I give food that is given to us (that we won’t eat) to someone who will use it.

* I give almost all of our homeschool stuff away when we are done with it.

* I help anyone who asks around their homes, not expecting to get paid.

* I try to help as many low-income and homeschooling families as I can by giving them information and advice on what to do and where to get help.

I think that I do enough to warrant myself some help when times are tough, so I decided not to have those guilty feelings any more.

Have a nice day, everyone!

Shannon

P.S. I mentioned to the woman who helped us that we were erring on the vegetarian side, and she was very helpful. I also noticed oragnic items.

Yard Sale and Thrift Shop Finds

Today was a good day for me. I was being my frugal self, and needed to procure some things for my home and the upcoming holiday season. After taking the children up on the bike path to collect samples from the pond to look at under the microscope (which was, by the way, a free field trip), we went to the thrift shop and a couple of yard sales.

I spent $14.55, and this is what I came home with:

Church Thrift Shop

For just $1.00 I purchased

3 pairs of socks for me

1 canvas tote for shopping, so I can use less plastic

1 pair of capris for me

Yard sale # 1

For $3.55 I purchased

I Mexican throw blanket for the livingroom this winter (so I can keep the heat turned down some)

1 book for my daughter

1 book for me

1 pair of socks for me

1 pair of winter gloves for me

2 candy molds

1 Christmas decoration

Yard sale # 2

For $10.50 I purchased

2 (brand new still in package) sets of 4 Christmas plates (to give as holiday gifts)

1 snowman plaque for me

2 sets of light for me

1 other set of lights that are the big snowflakes, also for me

2 sets of holiday nesting boxes, 1 for me and 1 to give as a holiday gift

1 snowman garland for me

 

Not too bad, if I do say so myself. The capris were my best buy. We are clothing shopping for the family this weekend, and I was hoping to be able to afford a couple of pairs of capris for myself after the girls had all of their things. I know now that I will have at least one pair available for me to use this summer.

The holiday gifts were great finds as well. I knocked three families off my list for $6.00. Now all I need to do is bake for them.

I can be a bit of a cheapskate, but I find that this helps me to better be able to afford things that I am unable find at yard sale, clearance, or sale prices. I like to save money wherever I can.

Happy bargain hunting!

Shannon