On the Re Path to Frugality

You know, I used to be very frugal and very good at it, well sort of. I have decided that our life needs to be on this route again. On the horizon: handmade christmas quilts for our family, handmade curtains for all the windows, cloth diapers that it looks like I will be making the majority of the stash, homemade baby food and embarking on the journey that is homemade laundry soap and hanging laundry to dry (again). We are also starting our long road into homeschooling. We will be starting with the youngest, 3yo, and next year will be doing the oldest as well, 11yo. We are waiting until next year to start on the oldest because we want plenty of time to research and plan and because with our impending surgery and birth, we want time to adjust.
Blogging is something I am trying to get. I wanted to be ambitious and do it every day, but it looks like that is just NEVER going to happen. Besides, I don't think I have enough positive things to say every day, lol. Instead, I would like to try this once a week. I'm going to be learning to do lots of new things and would like to share them, or at least document them for my own prosperity.
On to productivity!! OK, I wanted to have a good day with the kids but seeing how they only allowed me 4hrs of sleep and my very pregnant self needs more than that to feel human, it's off to a very rocky start. Other than regular chores, which don't even need to be mentioned, lol, we are going outside! Yes, I realize that it is 27 degrees out there, but I am hoping that it warms up just a bit. Then I figure if we do two spurts of 30-45minutes today that we can accomplish quite a bit. We are going to weed at least one of the garden boxes and clean and seal the coup. I've been talking about winterizing the coup for weeks now, but it's getting VERY cold now and it cannot be put off any longer. I do love my girls, after all. We will use the whatnot from the cleaning of the coup as fertilizer for the garden boxes (which is why we will be weeding). I also need to learn how to store chicken poo for fertilizer as we are wanting to put in at least four more small garden boxes this year; one for each kiddo. Other than that, it's homework for me and Matt, some knitting and more cutting of the fabric for quilts. I also want to make a maternity skirt out of a pair of Kevin's old jeans, but that's because I am getting SO big that none of the maternity clothes I just bought fit anymore. Ugh.
I think that's more than ambitious for today. Heck that's ambitious for the weekend. I'll check back later in the week.

How do they do it?

I just don't see how people make time to blog every day! Seriously. LOL I am thinking, as I am sure I have said earlier, that this would help me to stay motivated and positive. I'm gonna give it a whirl, again.
Not much new, still unpacking but school has started back up and I am already behind!! Ugh, I am determined to catch up and then get ahead. I also want to finally get that sewing table moved today so that I can start cutting fabric for country style quilted curtains for the house. I am re purposing old clothes that I can't bare to part with (since they still have a use). I also need to get started on those darned Christmas quilts I've been babbling about for four months now, lol. That's all for now. Maybe I'll pics tomorrow........ the world may never know. lol

Inspiration

I have been seriously suffering a mixture of a nesting need and serious short timers syndrome. lol I keep starting new projects then lacking the drive to keep them going. Ugh.... I have a few things cast on and on the hook, let's not even mention the millions of sewing projects I want to start but am eagerly awaiting my NOT putting my sewing table together. I think this is all due to a lack of energy from my little bean. On the fun side, the baby is moving a lot more now and it is only a matter of time before daddy can feel it.

All of this leads to the blog I just finished reading! As you may or may not be aware of, I am desperately wanting to get into quilting and sewing. I plan to start small with two quilts: one for our baby and one for my sister, Jaci's, baby. I was on the Reclaiming the Home blog where there was an amazingly inspiring interview with Weeks Ringle. She is a wonderfully inspiring woman, business owner, wife, mother and creative genious, lol. The 'experience' left me yearning for my sewing machine and to get this whole quilt thing going!! I urge you to read the interview and visit both blogs as they may inspire you to create something wonderful!!

http://reclaimingthehome.blogspot.com/2009/09/craft-nectars-weeks-ringle-and-big.html?showComment=1253289611224#c1887875730912935583

We've been moving

Yep, just across town though. Not a huge deal, but you know how moving goes. Just no fun no matter how you slice it! It's been slow going and a little bit horrible. However, we like the place better and it has more rooms and LOTS more land. We have a ton, I mean I have, of purging to do now that we are here. It has more rooms, but smaller rooms with not as much space in them. We still like it.

The chickens are happier and so is the dog. I'd say the kids are but they are having issues with too many other things that are more important. School and getting used to being home again has caused the kinds of attitudes you hear of in horror stories. Oh well, we just keep trying and grinding our teeth.

We are finally taking the plunge!! Tomorrow we start our church life. It will be good for the kids and hopefully I can meet some good people to get to know. I really wish someone had told us when we were younger how hard it would be to make friends as adults. I might have made some better choices in friends, you know the keeping kind, lol. I'm excited to go and think it has plenty of possibilities and room for growth in our family.

My SIL offered to throw me a baby shower. I am great full and a little taken aback. I don't even know who to invite. People from work, family....... ok, that's it for the people I know and I'm not even sure if the people from work will come. Oh, and Becca. I'm hoping to develop more of a girlfriend thing with her. I think that I really need a girlfriend. Girls do you know....

I am finally knitting real objects!! I finished, almost, a hat for Jay (just waiting on my dpn's) for winter. I also completely finished a baby gnome for Ashlynn. I embellished it with an 'A' and am thinking that I'm gonna do the alphabet for learning activities (after each one of the kids get theirs, lol). Kevin told me to get some knitting needles. It was awesome!!! I got the size 11 circulars that I need for a baby blanket for the babies. I also got an entire SET of dpn's!!! I am sooooo stoked. I am eagerly awaiting the needles, knit books that I won in a contest and my diploma to come in the mail. Let me tell you, mail time is big in my house lately!! lol

Time to go..... lots of purging and unpacking to tend to. I'll leave with a pic of Ashlynn's gnome. I'm pretty proud of it even though there was way too much sewing for my liking (we'll speak of sewing next time......).

Chickens!!!

Just wanted to add that the girls are doing well and the chicken coop is in place. Just in time for us to move!! lol That's ok, they really seem to like it there and once we move they will have more of a chance to free range (with supervision of course).

ok, so it's been a few days..

Today I was surprised by a bounty from the garden I had all but given up on. I was so excited! I have a basket full of potatoes, two zucchini, a hand full of beans and three pickling cukes that evaded my attention and grew out of control (I am hoping the chickens will want them). It just made me feel so alive and refreshed. Silly, isn't it? lol

I know I said I'd write more, but believe it or not, I've been busy. We are unexpectedly moving into a wonderful little house with more room for our family. The yard is huge and opens us up to many more opportunities for livestock and gardening!! The kids are excited and so are we.

Today I am boring myself silly with a garage sale. Trying to purge the house before the move and make a little money. Not much to report: we've made $14.75 in about seven hours. ugh. Oh well, plenty is afoot. lol

Change of Plans

Well, no new diet anymore. We are 12wks pregnant right now. That changes things a little though not a lot. I plan to start blogging more. Maybe that will help me actually get things done. I am very tired and sick lately, morning sickness, and having a hard time getting things done. I plan to post more pics and all that jazz.
I found a website today that is so cool. www.whitneysews.com and she does a lot of repurposing of old tshirts. I like the idea because tshirts are stretchy for a growing belly and cheap to buy, especially used. Plus the patterns would work for me and Ashlynn both.
We are having a garage sale this weekend and that will help me get my sewing table set up. I'm pretty excited about that. I'm hoping that having to get things ready for the garage sale will help force me to get into gear about getting some things done.
Tomorrow we start retraining the kids. Oh my gosh do they need it!! We are going to start with some basic routines to help them get into the swing of things. Then some basic chores.
I'm also needing to get some new knitting needles so that I can start this absolutely adorable blanket for my sister's baby. It's so cute that I'm thinking that I might make one for our baby too.
More to come tomorrow!!