Ann Leach

....getting through my day without it or me falling apart. Mornings are tight and go well for me.  I have set things that have to be done before we leave to take Husband to work, which takes us into town.  And being in town lends itself to running errands on the days there are errands to run. Usually, I can keep things pretty well on track up through lunch and then some down time when Daughter may take a nap and I escape into a crochet or sewing project and a show to watch. But recovery from the down time is difficult, and there is still dishes to wash, supper to prepare, more dishes to wash, tidying up to do, and Daughter's bedtime routine to oversee. As an in-home parent, there is minimal accountability, which isn't to say I don't feel bad when I fall apart, because I do. I just don't know how to use that to do better next time. And not all my days are as challenging as others, but I haven't been able to identify what makes one better than another. I know I do bet...

"How do you reheat foods?"  "I'd die without my microwave." I hear this regularly when I share that we don't have a microwave in our home.  And it's not by accident.  We intentionally sold it about 5 years ago.  Why?  Two reasons: First, I figured we were really only using it 1 or 2 times each day; and second, it took up too much counter space. But selling it happened in steps.  Once I had decided it was time for the microwave to go, I had to get K on board.  He would use it to reheat his coffee from the pot he had brewed first thing in the morning.  That had to be addressed.  We bought a keurig with the reusable capsule. Well, he still wasn't convinced so I said ok.  How about if we just try it for a month? Let's just move the microwave out of the kitchen for a month and see how it goes. Well, that was all it took.  It was moved out and never came back in. But how do I reheat foods?  It used to be with either ...

This morning was a great morning for hitting the thrift shops.  It's getting colder and we have a need for winter coats, and Isabelle has earned some money to spend.  What better place for her to get a great value for her nickels than the thrift store, right?!  :) But first we went out to the Allen County Farm to join a nature hike put on by the parks department.  We grabbed hats and layered sweaters over t-shirts, but it was brrrrrr  chilly until we got warmed up.  Definitely need to look for winter coats. But you know how it is at the thrift stores, you have to go in with an open mind because you just don't know what you're going to find..... A red winter coat for me!  This is a water resistant coat that will be great in the cold and snow.  And it's red!  $3.99 And honestly, how could I pass up this beauty.  A hip-length black leather coat with black on black trim around the collar, across the shoulders, and on the cuffs and po...

You know...  all those UnFinished Objects.  The ones we are so inspired to make so we start them, and then run out of steam before they're completed. But we can't throw them away, certain at another time we'll be inspired to pick up the pieces and finish. And I promised myself that when we got back to the US, I would have no more UFOs.  None.  Nada.  Either finish it, tear it apart to make into something else, or hand it off to somebody else to finish.  And it's a good plan, but what I didn't expect to find when I unpacked the boxes left here in storage was the UFOs that I packed away.  :( An infinity scarf -- now in my defense, I actually didn't start this one until after we came back.  It was the yarn itself which I found packed in a box...  full of yarn.  Happily, I am making good time and progress on this particular project and expect to have it done in the next few days. Oh boy...  this is the beginnings ...

Has anyone else noticed this?  I see it regularly in the facebook budgeting group in; as well as in society in general.  Men and women standing off against each other on seemingly small issues.  These are men and women who are on the same team -- spouses, partners in life. "I want to cut cable, but my husband won't give it up.  He HAS to have his sports." "I wrote out a perfect budget, but my wife won't stick to it.  She keeps buying coffees." I guess this is really standing out to me because I've been submerged in a different culture while reading "Farmer Boy", the story of one year of Almanzo Wilder's boyhood. There was less individualism and more a sense of we're a team.  We're all in this together.  It took the whole family working together to convert the autumn bounty into provisions for winter. I think part of the reason Pa and Ma had such a strong bond and were together in their decision-making has part to do with t...

Money, the taboo topic.   We're taught, by our parents and the culture we live in, to not talk about money.  Don't talk about how much you make.  Don't talk about how much you spend.  Don't talk about the ins and outs of credit cards.  Don't talk about how much financing really costs. And if you're in a financial mess, don't talk about that either. So we're each alone in dealing with our finances.  Oh sure, you an ask your folks.  And get the lecture.  Or you can pay for a consultation with a financial advisor, and their sales pitch (usually).  But where can you just sit and talk about the basics? What if you just want to know you're not the only one who is bearing the consequences of a bad choice?  What if you just want to share ideas and hear other people's thoughts on what is working and not working? I propose that it starts here.  My sustainable living passion isn't just about the planet, environment, and being fruga...

My sewing machine is warmed up and I am loving making these pillow cases! This stripe with blue and green shows the same technique I used on the first one, but I included the third strip of fabric for contrast.  Isn't that lovely? And here with the owls, I made that third contrasting piece a little wider (2" rather than just 1").  I really do love this one.  The owls are so much fun and the bright colors are just cheeky! Pricing -- To cover the cost of fabric and pay myself for my time, a single pillowcase will be $15 and a set of two will be $25.  That is for standard sized pillows.  Queen and king would be a bit more for more fabric. A travel size pillow will be less. These custom made pillowcases are totally worth that price.  They are made from a good quality, 100% cotton fabric, are well-made by me personally, and I will work with you on fabric/color selection. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Nursery, Juvenile, and Calico fabrics...

Part of being a stay at home mom and making sustainable living choices is keeping expenses down, but the other part is to increase the income, too.  And working from home allows me to develop multiple small income avenues rather than just going after the one big avenue of income. With that in mind, I've been brainstorming, trying to come up with a project for the cold winter months.  I've kicked around various crochet ideas, but was truly inspired when I came across the idea of making custom pillowcases. Here are some photos of the one I whipped up this morning specifically so I could take photos to promote this new business venture. Isn't that a lovely pillowcase?  I can't wait to share with you all the pillowcases I have planned! Come spring, I'll add chickens, well eggs, as another avenue.  And of course the garden will go in which will reduce our food spending in a big way. What small avenues of income are you working on? ...

Yesterday's frugal win -- Husband showed me where the sole on his brand new dress shoes for work was already coming off. I suggested he take the shoes to the local shoe store that does repairs. Frugal win, right?  Not so much because we'd still be out the cost of the repair on a less than 3 weeks old pair of expensive shoes. So later when I realized I had no yeast to make bread and we were at the point where bread had to be either made or bought, and the store where I wanted to buy the bulk yeast is on the north side of town, I suggested we take the shoes back to the store of purchase which is also on the north side of town.  Frugal win!!  They happily replaced the shoes on the spot.  Didn't even have to wait for them to be ordered in. Here's the bread... What's your frugal win today?