Like Merchant Ships

Raised Beds In Retrospect

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:31:00 +0000

We plucked the last few okra pods and buried new raspberry canes in hay. Yellow maple leaves blanket the front, ready to be chopped and layered on all 3 raised beds.

Our humble start at gardening surprised us. So few weeds, so many vegetables.

Definitely worth the investment. We may even skip the CSA next summer.

Bake Sale Packaging

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:57:00 +0000

Coffee filters remain my favorite cheap packaging for baked goods, like these super-size cake squares.

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 14:28:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:38:00 +0000

Hello there!

I stepped away to get our school off to a great start, but I didn't realize how hard it would be to return. I've decided to stop posting here for a while.

Though blogging has never gobbled much of my time, it does require focus--focus that I need in order to stretch and grow in other areas.

Don't worry, I'm not giving up my thrifty ways. I just won't be documenting it for the time being. I plan to keep bookmarking my favorite frugal links under the Food For Thought tab and return for the occasional update.

Thank you for your friendship and understanding!

Taking The Legos Away

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:24:00 +0000

There came a point this summer when I whispered some fateful words:

If you don't stop it right now, I will take away ALL the Legos in this house.

He must not have believed me. Not my finest parenting move, but I had to see it through to the bitter end.

Can I tell you how painful life without Lego has been--for both of us?

So it was as if the clouds parted and a heavenly ray of light shone down upon this battered but new box at Goodwill. The $2 tag matched the money he'd earned. I kicked in the tax.

We leave thanking God for this little bit of grace.

For both of us.

Dinner Improvised

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 01:51:00 +0000

Here's to make-ahead summer suppers.

Combining sale ingredients (75-cent organic ricotta!) with garden vegetables.

A lower carb lasagna which uses the last 2 zucchini? A win!

Recipe from The Italian Dish, inspiration from Happy To Be Called Mommy.

How To Inventory Hand-Me-Downs

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:25:00 +0000

We've been blessed to overflowing with hand-me-downs and yard sale clothes. The only hard part is storing them!

We use a simplified version of The Tightwad Gazette system. We sort and store future items by age.

Where do you keep all those clothes?

I dream of a basement lined with long clothing racks, but I make do with a high closet shelf and space under the crib.

One could easily spend more on a storage system than the wardrobe itself! We've experimented with all kinds of containers:

copy paper boxes
Rubbermaid bins
Ziploc Big Bags
Clear trash bags
Old suitcases

My secret: the container you select is not NEARLY as important as the inventory you keep.

Otherwise, you may end up with 8 shirts to 2 khaki pants! The Tightwad Gazette recommends index cards taped to each box.

I think a master checklist is much easier. Carry it from closet to basement to thrift store. You’ll know at a glance whether you have next year’s Easter dress in stock.

I created a free Google Spreadsheet for our inventory. To begin, I listed every item my kids might possibly need in a year, from swim suits to holiday clothes. Now I simply note each new addition. Under 3T dresses, I pencil in “plaid” or “blue” to prevent duplicates.

Will I fill every need ahead? No way! But the empty spaces on my spreadsheet keep me focused on what we need--and not just another cute sundress!

You can see my personal Kids Clothing Inventory Sheets here:
Girl
Boy
Baby

7 Quick Takes: Frugal Table Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 05:47:00 +0000

Notes from the frugal kitchen, which is noticeably messier after 2 weeks of hard use.

Thanks to Jen at Conversion Diary's 7 Quick Takes for the invitation!

One cucumber vine provides all the free material you need for vegetable peeling lessons. We may be carving swans by September.

Mint is another cheap yet prolific plant. Kids can't outpick it.

Ever since I tasted Shauna's fruit salad, I've diced a few mint leaves into my own. Just a little grace note.

And look! More cucumbers! Soup recipe from Mollie Katzen's Salad People, chilled punch cups from Goodwill.

Dining out can be stressful with kids plus guests, who may not be used to spills at every meal. We all relaxed after vowing to eat at home.

Our best outing, hands down? The fantastic FREE production of Cinderella at the Nashville library's marionette theatre. We may go see it again!

My thrift-store score of Table Topics
led us to deeper conversation and kept the kids at table without as much fidgeting.

When we realized that Sunday brunch might not work, I picked up a pound of smoked salmon salad from Fresh Market ($7) to serve at home.

Excellent budget compromise and so easy with crackers, fresh salad, cheese and fruit.

Potted plants make quick, cheap centerpieces.

I splurged on hanging baskets from Home Depot's $3.33 sale, rotating two between front steps and table.

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:21:00 +0000

Between 2 rounds of company, a funeral, and and an out-of-town conference for my husband, it's taking me a while to reset the family routine. I apologize for not updating sooner!

It Never Lasts Long

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:41:00 +0000

No sooner had we put the house back together than Elise snuck a pink marker into her white, white bed.

Best Place To Buy Hair Elastics?

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:37:00 +0000

Above, a 25-cent box makes an everyday chore a little nicer

I need your advice on hair elastics. Where do you find the best quality for the best price?

Painted Floor Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:24:00 +0000

Here are photos of the painted floor in my son's bedroom.

We added a garage sale coffee table for building Legos and a $20 rug to catch the sprawl. (Here's how we store the toys.)

July/August is a good time to look for inexpensive rugs. Walmart, Target, etc. roll out bound carpets for college kids.

Case study: to what degree will Lego bricks abrade a painted floor?

Ask me next year.

Painting Bedroom Floors White

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:19:00 +0000

We needed a quick--and cheap--replacement for the dirty bedroom carpets.

After we removed the staples and tack strips, the plywood subfloor had too many bad spots to leave as-is.

I compared laminates and prefinished wood floors, but nothing matched our existing hardwoods.

(By the way, I found the best hard flooring prices at Southeastern Salvage.)

I simply painted the floors with porch paint. I love the shine.

I bought white high-gloss by Sherwin Williams, which coated better than the big box brands I've used in other houses. One gallon cost $40 and covered two bedrooms.

Rolling on another coat is no harder than mopping a floor.

In my heart, I know a green-and-white checkered pattern would have looked incredible.

In my head, I realized none of the beds would fit through the door frames.

I had to move furniture to one side, paint 2 coats, and then repeat for the other side.

The process, though cheap, is not without drawbacks.

We all lost sleep as the kids adjusted to sleeping bags. We had to wait a few days for the paint to cure. We've already had one gouge from a leg without felt pads.

But I'm a rescuer of old and pretty things. A little wear doesn't bother me.

For all the light we gained, an imperfect floor seems like a small price to pay.

Painting The Kitchen Gold

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:25:00 +0000

The hardest part about painting is making yourself start.

I still had gallons of recycled paint from my living room project. The equipment was out for the bedroom floors.

Thanks to the pantry organization, all those cans and bottles on the counter had a place to be put away.

I picked up a brush and started painting. By morning, my kitchen glowed!

(Here's a shot of the kitchen room with its original beige wall color.)

Fresh Picked

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:34:00 +0000

Above, Elise makes the most of the dahlias that flopped. You can always click the Food For Thought tab above for my fresh-picked links.

How to stockpile @ Momadvice & Pantry stocking strategies @ Coffee Tea Books & Me.
July kicks off No Spend Month @ Small Notebook.
If you're tired of couponing, Money Saving Mom says it's okay to take a vacation.

Y'all will be proud of me. Ever since the pantry problem, I've been crossing off projects left and right. Check back Monday for photos!

Frugal Asset: A Vehicle That Can Haul

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:32:00 +0000

bamboo piled by the side of the road, just when my plants needed staking

The Simple Play Fort

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:45:00 +0000

According to Molly Dannenmaier's A Child's Garden, "to thrive, children need complex environments."

Our bare strip of back yard lacks any place to hide, splash, dig or explore. But what if I already used up my budget with the vegetable beds?

This week we're working on a simple fort structure--not much more than a platform raised a few feet off the ground.

Andrew spotted these logs in someone's yard, asked permission to take a few, and quickly sketched a plan.

Thoughts On An Organized Pantry

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:02:00 +0000

I did some deep thinking surrounded by Rotel and Ziplocs. Here are a few conclusions as I vowed to be a better steward of my resources:

The pantry is always cleaner on the other side of the street.
When I only had a kitchen cabinet for food storage, I was sure a walk-in pantry would solve my problems.

Now I know the problem is me.

If you can't see your food, you may buy it twice or let it spoil.

I made a special trip for oatmeal when a whole new canister sat on the floor. I let onions sprout and sweet potatoes rot.

I was too tired to get the pantry organized, but my lack of organization used more energy in the long run.

Emergency preparedness starts in the pantry.

My 5-gallon jugs of water expired last year, and we had eaten through the peanut butter reserves. I am so grateful I have the chance to restock before a tornado blows through.

Pantry organization begins and ends with me.

Though I muttered a lot about snack-spilling kids and tall people who hide the garbage bags, this is my job. Doing it well depends on self-discipline.

(Click here to see the organized pantry BEFORE and pantry IN PROGRESS.)

Has organizing ever brought your own heart-issues to light?

Pantry Step Stools

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:59:00 +0000

I seriously want your library kik-stool. I don't think I can stand to know if you got it for a dollar at a yard sale. --Deb, in the comments

This stool ranks as one of my favorite yard sale finds, ever. I painted it white as part of my pantry makeover.

(Click here to see what this Kik-Step library stool cost secondhand!)

Pantry In Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:58:00 +0000

We emptied the pantry over the course of a few days.

Hadn't used something in a while? The yard sale pile kept growing.

I wanted glass jars, but I realized that my Tupperware works for now. I'm still looking for narrow spice shelves that will fit between the pipes on the right.

Tanna identified some of my blind spots, like a sentimental bread box from our first kitchen.

As she pointed out, why let an empty picnic basket take up space?

I filled it with my emergency stash of plastic forks, paper plates, napkins. Other hospitality items, from foil pans to baskets, line the upper shelf.

We moved this bookcase from Elise's closet to the area Tanna suggested.

For now it holds cookbooks, plastic bags, and that restaurant size aluminum foil I bought at Sam's Club.

After clearing out the waste, the unused, and the excess, so much space remains!

It's time to get back to the pantry principle: stocking up on the items we regularly use when they go on sale. I can't wait to implement some of the creative ideas you shared in the comments, too.

How To Organize A Walk In Pantry

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:58:00 +0000

When we moved to this house, I was over-the-moon excited to have my first real pantry.

Why, in only a few months, an antique schoolhouse light could be shining down on homemade pickles and preserves! Neat shelves of glass jars would hold bulk grains, while vintage aprons showcase beauty and utility.

You can see how that turned out.

I'd clean and organize, then fall back into disorder. Since John's birth, the pantry has been my lost cause. Forget cute--I needed functional solutions.

I'm opening the door on my pantry failure because it's ultimately a question of stewardship.

Am I making the most of the space I have been given?
How much money has this chaos cost my family?
Have I let a disheartening area define the way I work?

I asked my organizing friend Tanna Clark for a virtual consult. (Read her personal suggestions here.)

Tomorrow I will share how I'm tackling the problem.

Cold Dinner Delivery

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:39:00 +0000

aka When It's Too Hot For Casseroles

Taking a meal to someone is always more affordable when you can share what you're making for your own family.

This tray holds baked ham slices, cole slaw, garden tomatoes, zucchini, and red potato salad I jazzed up with our leftover Green Garden Dip. Since it was too hot to turn on the oven, we also sent watermelon chunks and no-bake chocolate fudge cookies.

Serving another couple blessed my own family in return: they were delighted by all the "extras" I might not have made just for us!

Of course, the Reluctant Entertainer reminds us that you don't have to make a full-course meal to make someone's day.

The Perfect Salad Bowl

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:12:00 +0000

When it comes to hearty, husband salads, I use this one deep bowl, chilled. For company, I'm up a creek.

How do you serve your salad: on a plate, or in a bowl? What makes a homemade salad feel restaurant quality?

Flash Freezing Baby Food

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:23:00 +0000

Flash freezing servings of pureed spinach, sweet potatoes, and steak for John.

Library Bag: Green Garden Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Meredith) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:00:00 +0000

We're experimenting with Salad People and More Real Recipes: A New Cookbook for Preschoolers and Up by Mollie Katzen.

We check out a new cookbook every few weeks, just for fun. It's a frugal hobby I'm learning along with the kids.

I liked that Katzen's recipes feature basic, whole (even cheap!) ingredients.

My kids liked the 2 page illustration that follows each recipe. Steps are translated in kid-friendly terms.

"Pick 15 basil leaves." "Add 6 shakes of salt."

We adjusted the Green Garden Dip with what we had on hand:

2 cups herbs (parsley, basil, dill, chives) finely chopped in blender
1 clove garlic
4 chopped scallions
a dash of lemon juice
1 cup sour cream

Though it lacks that MSG zip of ranch dressing, the kids did eat it with squash cut into spears.

Even more important: the picking, pureeing and dipping got us through another long summer afternoon.

Free tip: you can check out more garden friendly recipes at the Mollie Katzen website.