"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Sunday, June 25, 2023

On a roll until we had no AC!

 Success!  If you were reading my blog, do you remember my new list of 7 areas (these are all in plain sight) to clean up/purge/ put things back in their homes?  All of our set backs were making me depressed, so I dove full speed ahead into my list.

I have now checked off 4 of those 7 areas, and it has been heaven to wake up and start my day.   I would otherwise get side tracked, or be outside.  Anyway, my kitchen is back to neat and clean, and tidy.  I filled the truck with more donations (can't believe I found more stuff).


I even washed the tablecloth!



I have gifted these a few times, and they were well received.  They are sturdy, and hold notepads, you can buy at Wal-mart or the Dollar Tree.  I glue a magnet to a pen, so the pen stays on the fridge too.  I will not glue magnets to the pens until I gift these (so the pen does not dry out).  You can get the full instructions:  HERE (on my S.C.R.A.P. Blogspot).




In the process to clean off the kitchen table, and my computer desk area, I had craft projects that needed to be finished, and put in craft show totes (or boxed up for gifting).

I finished that pair of crochet wired beaded earrings.  I finished a pair of crocheted candy corn earrings, I finished the wedding penny (and created packaging for it), and I finally got the magnets glued to the backs of the small clip boards (for fridge shopping notepads for gifting).

My Word on my computer stopped working, so I used an Avery template with 2 x 2 stickers I had on hand, and put them on cut pieces of card stock for the packaging.  I also had the resealable bags and safety pins.   It felt great to get all of this done and put away.  I was temped to make a few more of the wedding penny crocheted flowers, but put those supplies away until the list of "7" areas are done.  

By the way, the penny flower can be given with other poems about a "lucky" penny.  It doesn't have to be a "wedding" penny.  That is just what I needed it for.  Pattern is free on YouTube.

My husband intentionally took the weekend off but, he needed to mow.   Today, all I wanted him to do, was install the upstairs AC.  Instead, he insisted we remove the main window unit downstairs, hose it down (literally, and have no idea why), and put it back in.  However, the unit will not work, as he got something wet he shouldn't have.  He's tried to dry it out, and what not, but to no avail, we are roasting in this house.  

I won't be working so hard today, and maybe not tomorrow.  I may be opening windows and buying some fans.  We don't really have the cash to buy a new unit after the $4400.00 we spent to repair the truck.  Lord have Mercy on us, more so my husband, because I'm not a happy wifey right now.

Toodles, and Happy Sunday!

Saturday, June 24, 2023

This and That

 





We have been getting rain, so I'm not doing any garden work currently.  I weeded out the larger weeds in the rose bed, but the rest will have to wait until the the rain stops.

I have been successful with my new to-do list (the 7 areas to tidy up).  I have now crossed 2 off of my list of 7.  My husband hasn't noticed.

Speaking of my husband, there is no sign of the long work hours ending.  He promised me a "date" night, which was taking the motorcycle out and dinner out.  Didn't happen.  They held him over at work.  We are all tired of it.  He has been forced over every night.  One night he was to be home by 8pm, and ended up home at 9pm.

I'm considering going back to work.  We never see each other, and there is no sign we will be getting our projects finished.

I still have a list for us when these hours stop, but I not able to vision any of it being accomplished.  I'm still upset half of the garden was not planted.  Nothing we can do about it.  I probably sound like a broken record.  It can be very depressing at times.  

July is almost here, and the coop materials have not even been bought yet.  We still need more supplies for the raised beds.  The solar fence is still in the box.  I never got my potatoes planted....

I'm getting burned out crocheting.  I have been using up some yarn, and making hats for winter.  I went on Etsy, and was shocked that some people are selling hats for $50-70!!!  What??  And here I was worried that $18 or so was too high.  As for that, my husband said he does NOT want me to do any craft show this winter.

I also saw knitted dishcloths being sold for $7.00!!  What??  I've also noticed that everyone is selling something, and no one is buying.  I read that the area garage sales were a flop as well.  They said "no one was into it" this year.  Well, no one has the money.

I'll be back when I have something more positive to post.  I have just been drained of all positive mojo so far this summer, and feeling like we haven't accomplished anything is mentally draining.

This isn't "throwing in the towel" on homesteading, but the thought is there.