Ann Leach

Browsing the thrift stores regularly - this way I can keep an eye on stock, keep my finger on the pulse of prices, and occasionally pick up great deals like over 25 pounds of fabrics for just $25. Yards and yards and yards of calicoes, solids, knits, and pre-quilted fabrics to build up my stash. So far I've made nightgowns for Daughter, curtains, hot/cold rice bags, and gift bags. The stash has barely felt the loss. Meal planning  - (by the month), and then using the same plan for the next month, with only minimal changes. Knowing what is going to be on the menu in the upcoming weeks allows me to stock up when the basics are marked down. And I'm rarely caught off without the ingredients I need, but even on those days, I always have ingredients to make something. Dining out is a rare event for us, and it is an event, not just a slack-off. Putting out a garden - soon the holidays will be over and it will be time to plan next spring's garden... vegetables for the table, v...

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...

If you are looking for a way to reduce food waste, get a small fridge. "What??!!  Noooo..  I need a bigger fridge to put more food in because it's going bad!!" Think about what you just said.  Really, think about it.  You already have a fridge, probably a fairly spacious one.  And food is rotting in there.  Why?  Did it get pushed to the back (rotting zone)?  Is there more than one so one is good and the other bad?  Did you put it in there with all the best intentions of eating it tomorrow? And then forgot about it? See, I know whereof I speak.  I had one of those refrigerators.  It was big!  I mean really big!  It stuck out 6 inches in front of the kitchen counter.  And I was throwing away SO MUCH FOOD!  After a while, I started filling empty milk jugs and putting them in the back on each shelf, yep in the rotting zone.  That helped.  Finally when I opened the door, I could see everything in ther...

Yesterday, I popped a pork roast into the slow cooker with some potatoes, carrots and seasonings for a few hours.  And during clean-up, I poured off the liquids left into this jar for some pork stock.   Not sure yet what I'll do with pork stock, but I for sure wasn't going to just dump it out. What do you save back that others might be willing to toss?

French Bread -- hot right out of the oven Do you love crusty bread with a soft crumb on the inside?  I know I do and today, I ventured into the world of baking it at home. Baking bread is not as difficult and time-consuming as I want to think it is.  The biggest chunks of time go to rising which I don't need to be present for!  So join with me and we'll make french bread together. My set-up for bread-making:  mixer with large bowl, flour, yeast, salt, water, egg, whisk, rubber spatula, metal bowl for rising, and the breadbox. This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. French Bread 5 1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour 2 packages active dry yeast 2 tsp salt 2 cups warm water (115F to 120F) cornmeal 1 slightly beaten egg white (optional) 1 TBSP water (optional) Close-up of the ingredients In a large mixer bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, yeast, and salt.  Add warm water. Beat at low speed of electric mixer f...

The Sustainable living group is off to a good start with the number attending meetings increasing.  This month we had a lively discussion about household budgeting which is so much bigger than just crunching numbers. People have different goals in budgeting.  Some do it to save money and to stretch their dollars further.  Others are discovering new, better, more economical ways to live. It takes discipline to set goals and stick to the plan to meet those goals.  And getting the whole family on board with a new system can be one of the biggest challenges of all. Some folks have a vision of a budget, but nothing on paper.  Some have no plan, but are in a reactionary mode to the bills as they come in.  And still others are keeping track right down to the penny. Is there a right way and wrong way to budget?  Is one way better than another?  What is a budget?  And why don't they teach us about this in school? There is definitely a righ...

Ever notice the clutch purses that the Duchess is typically carrying on her outings?? They're always small, strapless, and hand held. I figure she's carrying her cell phone and a photo id. Because that's what every millennial woman (and mom away from her child) needs. Well, being a woman of the 21st century woman, and mom, I decided I, too, need a Kate Middleton bag for my days out attending to my royal and social duties. A bit bigger than Kate's, but I love it.  And, it matches my red hat and my red shoes. Of course, mine also came from the thrift store because there was no way I'd pay full retail price for a limited use item, no matter how much I love it. Do you have a Kate Middleton purse??  I think everyone should have one for those times you go out and don't want to be mom or royalty.  You just want to be....  you. Cheers! Ann

....  to make a tablecloth and an apron. I've had it in my mind for a while to make a housekeeping apron for myself and more recently I decided I wanted a tablecloth for our dining table.  These are wants, not needs, so not a high priority, but just something I browse for when I'm at the thrift store. A couple days ago, it happened.  Looking through the buy/sell/swap page, there was a listing for 2 king size flat sheets and a super single fitted sheet for $7.  Two solids and a geometric print.  That'll do!  Sold!! This afternoon, with a movie playing to keep me company, I've been cutting and hemming the red geometric print to be a table cloth.  We have a round dining table, but I've decided to cut it square for more versatility.  And I'll shop for some clear vinyl to put over it so it doesn't have to go into the washer after each and every meal. (You know how it is eating with a little one at the table.  :) ) I'm qu...

Tomorrow morning, if all goes to plan (DD has been home with croup this week.), will be time for me to do the weekly update on the budget.  Yes, I said it, the B word...  budget. Some people thing budgeting is a bad thing.  "It limits my spending."  "I won't be controlled by a budget."  "Nobody is going to tell me how to spend my money." Well, I guess you're right.  No one is going to tell you how to spend your money. Only you can do that.  A budget is a plan for how you're going to spend your money so when it comes time to make a purchase, the money is there.  Without a plan, money just disappears -- $5 for a coffee, $2 for a newspaper, $10 for a lunch. And by the end of the week, where did it all go? In our family, I do the book work, but K and I made the plan together.  It's not up to me to tell him how much pocket money he gets.  We decided that together, when we decided how much to allocate in each of our categories.  But he's ...

We did it!!  That's me and DD, we set the Budget, Planned the Meals (or borrowed somebody else's meal plan), got our Morning Routines done and made the big shopping trip to Aldi.  Now our stockpiles are set for a month.  whew! If I truly had a full stockpile system in place, it would be for the better part of a year, not just a month.  But this is a starting place.  And it's done!    We have bought all the necessary ingredients for 25 dinners and it came to just under $180 Aus.  This is the meal plan shared here  ( http://www.iamthatlady.com/25-meals-for-under-150-at-aldi/ ).  I bought nearly everything on the list, and made up for the few I didn't get by picking up a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread just because K loves it and a few other items. Overall, I am very pleased and surprised that food prices here in Aus are that close to what they are in the US.  In my own mind, I had figured we were paying double. In our budget, we ...

I am reading "The Self-Sufficiency Handbook" by Alan & Gill Bridgewater and am getting so much from it. The chapter on self-sufficient houses has this list for improvements: 1 -- Fit good heavy curtains to all the windows and exterior doors.  Open the windows during the day and close close them at night to keep the heat in.  Wear layered clothes when the weather is cold. 2 -- Replace all single-pane windows with double- or even triple-glazed units. 3 -- Reduce the number of exterior doors. 4 -- Insulate the roof space and all cavity walls.  If you have solid walls, add insulation to the inside or outside faces. 5 -- In the northern hemisphere, reduce the number or size of north-facing windows and increase the size and number of south-facing windows; vice versa if you live in the southern hemisphere. 6 -- Install a woodburning stove, and remove items like electric gas and electric fires.  Fit vents and ducts so that you can channel excess around the house....