Thriving on Thrift

Soup’s On!

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:00:00 +0000

When the mercury plummets into sub-zero regions – as it has done here these last few weeks – there are no two words more tempting than the simple culinary refrain, “Soup’s on!” With our furnace chugging constantly, barely completing one cycle before igniting the next, our only relief has been batches of tasty, hot, homemade soup.

Of all winter meals, I think soups (and stews) generate real, lasting, body heat. Of course, digesting any meal raises the body’s temperature, but only hot soup will actually cause me to remove a layer or two of sweaters and socks. Though I enjoy cooking, frigid fingers can make chopping and peeling vegetables difficult and that’s another reason soups are so great during cold snaps; with only one day’s meal prep, a couple/few meals are created (depending on quantities made.)

Along with snow, wind, and freezing rain, viruses have also been making their usual rounds. Whether a cold or the flu, my appetite wanes. Soup is the only food my stomach accepts (without complaint) when ill. It’s easy to swallow, comforting to the stomach, and helps thaw “the chills.”

Though commercial soups are as easy as opening a can, or rehydrating a powder, their nutritive values are compromised by the processes they undergo. Cream-based or homemade stock (whether vegetarian, vegan, or protein) coupled with fresh vegetables and/or whole grains (and meat, if desired) produces soups which offer much better nourishment. For the patient, weakened by nausea, a substantial meat or mushroom broth is not only easily digested, its wonderfully nurturing. In fact, recent scientific studies have proven the cold-relieving effects of chicken soup – though Mom’s everywhere have intuited this for decades.


Home-made, cream of broccoli soup

Another great thing about soup is kitchen clean-up. No, swabbing of floors is not involved. What I mean is the ability to clean out the refrigerator and pantry’s hodgepodge of leftovers and aging vegetables. Soup has long been our favourite way to use up these dribbles and drams: a yummy way to avoid waste, while also providing a few more meals. They are also a great way to utilize large quantities of sale-priced items, as we did with some fabulous broccoli found on sale this week.

Soup might not be the most glamorous way of saving money and time, but it’s definitely one of the most warming. During summer, when our soup-making ebbs due to heat, we actually miss them so, as soon as autumn rolls around, it’s quickly restored to the menu. And, when the weather turns really foul, making soup is one of our favourite ways warm up and revive.

Best Laid Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:04:00 +0000

If I had to choose my biggest and best saver – of money, time, and energy – I would, without hesitation, say meal-planning. How dull, eh? It doesn’t have the drama of saving dryer lint for felting, but it’s truth.

Each year end, I analyze our budget to see what we’ve actually been purchasing, where we can save in the months ahead, and where we can afford to spend more generously. The financial software I have even provides a handy pie-chart of the results. If the year-end numbers aren’t revealing enough, that pie-chart makes it vividly clear what our three greatest expenditures are: namely housing, vehicle, and food. Not a big surprise. Most budgets reflect similarly. What I’m most proud of is the sizeable reduction in the percentage of our yearly budget now spent on food. At one time, when I was working outside the home, the percentage of our budget spent on groceries was 36.37% at its highest. In 2011, that percentage shrunk to its smallest ever, at only 23.88% of our total household budget. Despite the dramatic savings, we’ve eaten well. Better, in fact, than we ever did when the grocery budgets were highest. There are a few reasons for this, but the number one reason is meal-planning.

Admittedly, I wasn’t always a meal-planner. Countless times in my young adult life I forgot to take meat out of the freezer in time to thaw for dinner. Other times I’d slap together pre-packaged foods just to get a meal – anything! – on the table. Or when fast food restaurants fed the family because the larder had nothing to offer. It took some years of eating minimal, unhealthy, or just plain awful meals to finally discover a better way.

And all it took was a little planning.

Sick of awful meals and even more upset with their high cost, I began an overhaul of our eating and shopping habits. To begin, I did as my mother had always done and spent a little time, each week, planning upcoming meals. With the help of weekly sales flyers, I chose featured foods and built meal plans (tentatively) around these. In-store, the product wasn’t always as good as pictured, so plans were flexible to allow for these alterations. Just by doing this one small thing, though, I gleaned enormous savings that first year. Not only had we spent less money, we’d also spent less time shopping and, best of all, the food we were eating was much tastier and healthier.

Another reason our grocery budget shrank was due, partially, to the lack of impulse-buying. When the larder is near empty, it’s quite easy (for me) to desire most everything in sight and I can, without difficulty, run amok in a well-stocked grocery store. With a list, made during the meal-planning stage, there was no longer anything haphazard or impulsive about my shopping expeditions. It also means that mid-week “emergency” trips to the corner store are rare now – though I love the convenience of a local grocer, their costs were often much higher than the supermarkets. These may seem trifling amounts in the year’s budget, but the cumulative costs of higher food prices, wasted time, vehicle, and fuel for 52 (or more) additional trips for neglected grocery needs really add up!

When we made this shift to meal-planning, other savings were found. By planning ahead, larger cut proteins appeared in our diet more often than once or twice a year. It wasn’t long before we realized how much money, time and energy was saved with these meats. Sure, the larger cuts cost less per pound, they also provide time and energy savings when you consider the ease with which they provide subsequent meals. With pre-cooked roast or poultry, a stir-fry or casserole comes together in a flash. Lunches became a no-brainer – and far tastier, too! – with real cold-cuts handy.

Still, there are days when we’re both too busy with our work to even think about dinner. These are the days when meal-planning really pays off. It’s not too hard, when looking ahead on our week, to decide which days will be busier than others, and plan on leftovers when simple and quick are best. Other days, we use the slow-cooker. What a genius machine that is! Just load it with food, turn on the heat and, hours later, dinner is ready. No muss and very little fuss. A pressure-cooker is another impressive kitchen tool that gets dinner on the table quicker while also tenderizing tougher cuts of meat (which are usually the less expensive cuts, as well.) It can elevate an economical brisket from its shoe-leather propensity to tender succulence in short order -- something nearly impossible to achieve with any other quick-cooking method.

An unexpected dividend of meal-planning are the sauces, marinades, and other treats that result. Simply by planning meals ahead, I know to make tartar sauce for the fish, or teriyaki sauce for upcoming stir-fries, and the extra day or two in the fridge only enhances their already fabulous flavours. Where I once struggled to have meat thawed in time for supper, I now have days to marinade (or brine) some ribs. Add the convenience of cooking ahead certain foods, and our dinners were coming together swiftly, more deliciously, and with much better ingredients.

If you’re inspecting your own household budget, looking for ways to cut costs, or seeking ways to make life a little easier, consider the many benefits of meal-planning. No last minute dinners that leave you wanting more. This one change put, literally, thousands of dollars back in our budget and much better eats on our table!

Renewal

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:05:00 +0000

While rummaging in the basement for holiday decorations, I came across an old cupboard – a “toy chest” my Grandfather made years ago. Its stained and the paint is peeling so it looks a sorry mess, but the cupboard itself remains sound. With a little loving care it could, once again, be cute and functional.

So, I’ve begun gathering information, making price comparisons, and perusing décor ideas (finishes, appliqués, hardware, etc.) During these preparations I came across some startling statistics on furniture disposal versus renewal (from the US and UK) as well as cautionary articles on testing for and removing lead-based paints. These paints were banned a few decades ago, but when in doubt about the age of the furniture (or its finish) its best to test the item before work begins. Test kits are available online and in hardware stores. Armed with this knowledge, I’ve made a list of essential supplies and am preparing the work area.

To refinish most furniture usually requires only basic supplies:

Paint, varnish, or stain
Paint brushes of varying sizes for broad coverage and finer detail work
Sand-paper of different grades (from coarse for stripping, to fine for finishing work)
Standard safety equipment: goggles, a particle mask, and gloves
Tarp(s) to protect the work area and help contain mess and waste
Optional equipment: power sander and/or spray painter
Sometimes required: primer, to seal old stain which resists removal and could bleed through new paint

For projects involving the removal of lead-based paints, sanding is strongly discouraged. In fact, most articles I read on the subject recommend these jobs be done by professional refinishers to avoid poisoning family, home, and the environment. If deciding to take on these projects at home, then heightened precautions should be taken, and other supplies will be needed:

Gel or liquid paint-stripper and a putty knife
Painters respirator
Disposable, full-coverage, painters coveralls and gauntlet-length rubber gloves
Heavy-gauge plastic, to seal the work area (including ventilation ducts)
Before beginning, locate a safe disposal site for all hazardous waste and contaminated supplies

Refinishing furniture can be thrifty or extravagant, depending on the products used. Designer hardware and appliqués may elevate the furniture’s appearance, but will raise the project’s overall cost. If budget is a concern, assorted painting techniques can also achieve visual interest. Paint prices vary, but a regular latex indoor paint is all that’s needed. There is also the expense of time, but I balance this and other costs against professional refinishing rates. Besides, I enjoy having something crafty to do during these dark days of winter.

I’d like to share images of my project but I’m still awaiting information on a safe disposal site before beginning work – yes, the paint I’ll be removing is lead-based. Fortunately, the cupboard is small and I’ll have the necessary protective gear to do the job with the utmost caution. In the end, the chest my Grandfather made will be restored to service, saved from the landfill, and may even find its way to future generations. For me, this renewal project of will be a very gratifying start to the New Year.

Deck the House

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 20:35:00 +0000

Despite all the shopping, the gift-wrapping, and the baking, it’s when home decoration begins that my holiday spirit really picks up. Like a magpie, it’s the vivid colours and sparkling lights, the smell of garlands and tree, that cheer me most.

Last week, a friend dropped by with arm-loads of cedar boughs and pine cones so I’ve been busy making a wreath for the front door and a centrepiece for the table. Granted, it’s not as easy as buying ready-made items, but it’s definitely budget friendly, especially if you prefer the fragrance of fresh over plastic.

Making a wreath is easy and inexpensive. If you don’t have access to fresh boughs – or kind friends who provide them – you can trim lower branches from the (undecorated) tree. If you don’t have the budget to buy craft wire, you can use (wire) hangers and (stripped) twist-ties. Ornamentation can be achieved with nature’s bling – pine cones and seasonal berries – or cloth remnants and tree curios…whatever you have on hand.


Stripped twist-ties

To make your own wreath, garland, or centrepiece, you’ll need:

· Boughs of cedar, spruce or fir (avoid poisonous hemlock or other evergreens for which you have sensitivity)

· Heavy gloves (and long sleeves) to avoid skin irritation when handling the boughs

· Heavy wire (gauge 10, or thicker) or wire clothes-hangers for the frame

· Lighter wire (gauge 20 or thinner) or “stripped” twist-ties (see image at right) for attaching boughs and ornamentation

· Pliers (needle-nose work best)

· Ribbons, cloth remnants, bows, tree ornaments, seasonal berries, tree cones, glitter, spray snow and/or bells for decoration


Image #1 Straightened hangers

For the frame, I use two wire hangers, “opened” and the bends straightened with pliers (image #1). Then, I rejoin the hangers, using their curly ends (image #2) to secure them together. With gentle thumb pressure, form the wire into a round (image #3.) If you desire a perfect circle, bend the wire around a large bowl.

Image #3
Form a round frame

Once the frame is ready, put on your gloves, gather the boughs (image #4) and begin weaving. Start at the top, propping the stem end of a large bough behind the hook, and wind the stem gently around the wire. Secure the stem to the hanger with pieces of fine wire. Do the same on the other side of the circle and weave the lower tips of both branches together at the bottom. Then weave smaller boughs into these larger base branches. Secure as needed, concealing wires with loose fronds.

Image #4
Ready to weave

After you’ve placed the boughs, add the ornamentation of your choice, securing these with fine wire also. I attach decorations at the top, when using cedar boughs – it’s easiest and doesn’t clutter the boughs sweeping appearance. Spruce and fir have sparser branches so I detach branchlets from the main bough and finish the wreath by securing the branches with ornaments around the circumference. As an added touch, wrap ribbon around the hanger’s hook and then bend its open end into a tighter loop for hanging.

Image #2
Secure hangers at curly ends

Employing similar methods, I use only one hanger (bent to a round, hook removed and the curly end bent into the round,) for a table centrepiece frame. Once the greens are attached, a pretty bowl in the hub keeps candles from igniting the boughs, or fruit and nuts from contamination. Opened hangers, bent in pleasing twists, and joined where necessary, work well for garlands and can be easily “fit” to door top, railings, or mantelpiece.

The fragrant, natural wreath or garland can be used indoors or out but will dry more easily when indoors. It’s a good idea to spritz these decorations daily with water to keep the evergreens hydrated as long as possible. For this reason, when making indoor wreaths, I avoid using glitter or spray snow as watering spoils these applications.

Whatever your traditions may be,
I wish you and yours
peace and much good cheer this holiday season.

The Personal Touch

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:09:00 +0000

What kind of holiday shopper are you? Do you shop ahead, finding bargains or “perfect gifts” throughout the year? Or, do you wait until the twelfth hour, joining the pressing crowds, revelling in last minute deals or the challenges of competitive shopping. I used to be a member of the latter camp but found, after stressing our December finances beyond tolerance, that the former method was more easily managed…both by our budget and my nerves. As years went by, I also realized that some gift-giving options wouldn’t have been available when shopping last minute. By shopping ahead, I could make points redemption from certain online merchants to ensure gifts, shipped directly to recipients, arrived in time and wrapped. In leaner years, to spare our budget, early preparation enabled us to gift in more creative ways, yet still impart our love and care.

Gifts from the kitchen proved popular. Soup mixes – varying mixtures of beans, grains and spice blends with ingredient list and instruction labels – are a great way to bring warmth to someone’s winter day. You’ll save even more money on each jar if you’ve been bulking up. Hot-buttered rum mix is another popular gift from the kitchen though, requiring refrigeration, it either needs specialized shipping or personal delivery. Hot drink mixes hold up better if your shipping gifts. A batch of home-made noodles, dried and packaged in an air-tight container, makes a fabulous gift for the pasta (and soup) lovers on your list. This might not ship well, either, as the home-made noodles tend to break easier than store-bought varieties. Some home-made truffles ship well and are delicious at any time of year. Candies and brittles are another sweet yet thrifty treat most people enjoy. In years past, I’ve also prepared traditional holiday foods – old-world recipes mostly producing copious quantities – and distributed these familiar treats to family members who also love those recipes but don’t make them because of the volume results. It was a great way of sharing traditional meals when we couldn’t actually get together.

PJ's for the Grandkids

Well-crafted, home-made items are not only a thoughtful way of gifting, you can make for high-quality items for much less cost, particularly if you buy on sale or from “remnant” bunks. When I was a child, my mother made new pajamas for my sister and I, each Christmas -- that “soft gift” under the tree always confirmed the eagerly anticipated plush flannel nighties. A few years ago, I did the same thing for my grand-children and those gifts were apparently worn thin, too. Home-made personal products (creams, body scrubs, lip balms, etc.,) make nice gifts, particularly if prettily packaged. It’s a good idea to include an ingredient label for recipients so allergic reactions can be avoided. Home decor objects like curtains, pillow covers, calendar hangers, or a set of matching napkins and placemats are quick and easy projects with a sewing machine, some rudimentary skill, and careful fabric choices. The sense of smell is most commonly linked to memory, so to be long-remembered, craft some closet or drawer freshener sachets. It can be hard to find something unique and special for unique gifts for the elderly or infirm. Sometimes being of service means the most to them; they may need something heavy moved or a difficult household chore done. Or, plan a special meal as treat for a shut-in.

Don’t forget cards and packaging. If gifting cash or retail gift cards a home-made card with heartfelt sentiment can personalize the gift and reduce shipping costs to a minimum. Attractive packaging and containers add a long-lasting element to gifts of all sorts. You can embellish common containers for reinforcement or to provide a dark environment for light-sensitive foods or creams.

Whether or not the budget is tight, or time is a crunch, there’s distinct joy in cooking, baking or crafting gifts; a greater sense of connection to the people for whom I’m tailoring the gift. It needn’t be costly to share one’s love: a box of goodies from the kitchen, a simple pomander tied with ribbon, or some time spent cleaning Great-grandmother’s ceiling fan. Personalized care is always gladly received.

Optimize Your Seasonal Spending

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 01:14:00 +0000

All it takes is a look at the news to know this holiday season will be a struggle for many. If you’re budget is feeling the pinch, save yourself time, money, and (possible) disappointment, with focused preparation before heading out to shop.

First, establish your spending limit and then break that total down, budgeting for each purchase. Next, prepare lists: a list of those for whom you are shopping; a list of stores you plan to visit; and a list of items needed for home decoration and entertainment. On your gift-recipient list allow room to record pertinent sizes, preferred colours, favourite games, authors, past-times, or other personal details you’ll need while shopping. On the list of stores, leave room to record any items of interest you find, noting prices, warranties and special offers. Then shop around. Details you record will aide comparison before making the actual purchases, ensuring you get the best deals.

Also before buying, ask each merchant about their policies on returns, refunds and exchanges. Quite often, sale items cannot be refunded or returned. Exchanges are generally allowed but, when it’s a popular sale item, odds of the preferred colour or size being available diminishes quickly with each passing day. Another option to consider, particularly when shipping packages, is a gift receipt. These generally exclude price but contain all other the pertinent information for the recipient to affect an exchange or return in their own hometown, saving both of you time and more shipping charges if amendments are required.

Pay attention to packaging, too. Some retailers will only make refunds, returns, or exchanges on items in their original package. Occasionally, merchandise is so securely enclosed they don’t allow for in-store inspection. Even if the merchant provides a display model, you can’t be certain of the sealed-product’s functioning and wholeness. To avoid holiday let-down, it’s best to open and fully inspect the item when you get home and prior to repackaging, wrapping and/or shipping.

In this tough economy, it pays to make the most of your time and money. By preparing, you’ll save both and keep frustration to a minimum, and that’s a good start to imbuing any holiday season with peace and joy.

Holiday Spirits

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 01:58:00 +0000

If I told you I’m thinking about holiday liqueurs, you might conclude fall has been gruelling. It has been, actually, but that’s beside the point. The real reason I’m considering holiday liqueurs is because I plan on making them, and most require 4-6 weeks to develop. If I start the six-week liqueurs now, they’ll be ready to bottle the week prior to Christmas. By then, we’ll probably need a tipple or two.

This is one crazy-hectic season! So, why am I making liqueurs? Really, they don’t take much time – only a half an hour (or less) to mix the ingredients and store the mixture. Some require occasional turning or shaking, but most just sit in a cool, dark place, quietly maturing. Though time isn’t our deciding factor, I definitely appreciate the ease of preparing this holiday treat.

For us, budget dictates this type of spending. We don’t drink much alcohol, and don’t stock a bar. However, come the holidays, we like to offer a range of beverages, both alcoholic and non-, and liqueurs can be one of the most expensive ingredients. They are also one of the most versatile, adding pizzazz to cocktails, but they’re also good served alone, on the rocks, mixed with sodas, creams, milk or in drinks like coffee or hot chocolate.

Each recipe I have uses some sort of spirit: whisky, vodka, gin or brandy. While there’s still a significant cost involved, the results are thriftier than buying similar name-brand liqueurs. Flavour can be compromised by using poor quality ingredients, but even when using finer spirits and whole ingredients like vanilla bean, the liqueurs ultimately cost less than an equivalent quantity of name-brands. With one 750-ml bottle of whiskey, the recipe I use produces more than 1500 ml of coffee liqueur. Over time, I’ve adjusted the recipes to suit our tastes; it’s as easy as adding a little more or less water and/or sugar.

If your budget is groaning at the mere thought of the holiday season, but you’d still like to offer your guests some holiday “cheer,” consider making your own liqueurs. Here’s a few recipes from my repetoire:

Coffee liqueur with vanilla bean (sits for 4 weeks)
Coffee liqueur with vanilla extract (sits for 6 weeks)
Cherry Bounce (“bounced” every day for 3 months – sorry, too late for this holiday season)
Orange Liqueur (shaken once a day for 1^st week, then once a week for 3 more weeks.)
Plum (Christmas) Liqueur (turned everyday; ready when clear – approx. 4-6 weeks)
Irish Cream (keep refrigerated; will not keep long; make ahead to allow bubbles to settle.)

If these recipes interest you, post a comment sharing ways you plan to save money this holiday season, and then send me an email (GALaursen@gmail.com) with “Holiday Spirits” in the subject line and noting your choice of recipe(s) in the body of the email. I’ll include your recipes in the body of my reply.

Sköl!

Take Time to Smell the Roasters

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:15:00 +0000

I love, love, love this time of year! It’s such a relief when the scorching heat of summer subsides and the crisp cool of autumn arrives. Wardrobe options now include sweaters and slacks. Sleep is more comfortable under a cozy blanket. And, cooking and baking indoors are tolerable again. No more back and forth to the barbeque. No more getting up before the crack of dawn to boil pasta for a salad. Once again, we can have the roasted and slow-braised meats we love. At long last, we can enjoy our favourite baked treats again.

Tonight's roast turkey...YUM!

Roast meats are one of my choicest time-, calorie-, and budget-savers. First of all, roasting is generally done with less fat and larger cuts of meat. That makes it kinder to both health and wallet. Best of all, roasted meats can often be stretched to provide a few meals. Cost per serving/meal becomes very economical and, though initial cooking times may be a little longer than preparing individually-portioned meats, subsequent dinners made from those pre-cooked proteins come together very quickly. Stir-fries, cream- or tomato-based pastas, salads, soups, casseroles, pizzas – all are easily prepared in the time it takes to chop a few vegetables and prep the carbs. Not just sit-down dinners, either. Leftover roast beef, ham, chicken, turkey, and pork make flavour-packed sandwiches and wraps. Add a condiment which compliments those meats – like horseradish sauce, honey-mustard glaze, stuffing, cranberry or apple sauce – and you can elevate those sandwiches to epicurean heights of deliciousness. There’s nothing new in this idea. When I grew up, Sunday dinner wasn’t just a good, hot, family meal; it furnished amazing and unique lunches through the coming week.

The benefits of home-baking are more modest. There are budgetary advantages, certainly, but the savings margin is narrower than other forms of culinary wizardry. The real saving is dietary. Baking allows you to create desserts with lower calorie profiles and few (if any) artificial ingredients, preservatives, or stabilizers. By choosing whole foods (e.g. grains, nuts, and spices) and complimenting them with healthier fats and sweeteners, these treats can become truly wholesome snacks. And, while your kitchen is issuing forth delectable fragrances of your baking, the oven’s warmth helps reduce your heating bill.

If you’re having difficulty “feeling the love” of this season, try creating some of your own culinary comfort foods. The smells seduce. The oven heats things up. And the food is oh so satisfying. Your finances will value the budget-friendly large-cut proteins. Your schedule will appreciate the time-savings. And, both heart and waistline will take pleasure in healthier goodies. So turn on the oven and share my seasonal delight.

Tricked Out for Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 21:12:00 +0000

It’s been many years since I’ve had young children at home but I can still recall their eager anticipation of Halloween. Occasionally, they wanted to dress up as popular characters, but often their tastes were more generic: a princess, a firefighter, a mouse, and even a vampire bat. So we rarely shopped for costumes off the rack – my kids imagined characters unrepresented in most stores. Instead, we made a project creating costumes during the weeks prior.

I took a page from my own childhood, when even the simplest garment or accessory could transform my little self into a witch, an aviator, a Flapper, a Martian, or a favoured movie star. In watching my own children play, I realized their imaginations were no different. Once the kids decided on a character, we would visit the local thrift shop for garments and accessories. For my son’s vampire bat, we couldn’t find any clothing suitable so I checked the remnant bunk at a fabric shop and found some fake-fur material that worked perfectly. Equipped with the kids’ coloured artwork and effusive descriptions, I stitched, pinned, and even taped things to meet “design specifications.” The kids delighted in directing Mom – cooperating whenever possible – until their ideas took shape.

Neither of my kids liked wearing masks, complaining it was hard to see and breathe while wearing them. When I was young, we had neighbours who made their own elaborate masks with papier-mâché and I wanted to try making them for my children, however, as they didn’t like masks, I used costume make-up instead. Face paint also works well but it was hard to find then. The difficulty with make-up is getting excited children to remain motionless long enough to apply it! If your children (or grandchildren) are interesting in making their own masks, here are two sites I found: the first is a mask formed to the face; and the second uses a plastic milk jug as the form. Papier-mâché can also make interesting costume pieces. At a youth party I once attended, twins showed up in moulded cubes, as “a pair of dice.”

It may sound like a lot of time and work but it’s not, really. Ideally, the kids do most of the creating, and then the choosing of appropriate garments, accessories, and any unusual items that can help them convert ideas into costume. The more my kids did themselves, the more pride they took in the results. My guidance was minimal – kids have such fantastic imaginations – so mostly I helped with tailoring and adjustments. The memories we made were well worth the minimal time and energy required.

As young parents, though, we had other concerns. At that time, we were struggling to make ends meet, so we needed a less expensive option than ready-made costumes. Thrift shops, along with the children’s creativity and a few simple items, helped them create fully-fledged characters for about half the price. Another concern for us, given we lived in northern BC where it gets very chilly by the end of October, was keeping the kids warm. Ready-made costumes don’t always fit over clothing but in second-hand (sanitized) garments, our children were always toasty.

By far, the best treat for us adults was when neighbours’ asked the kids who/what they were. The explanations, as elaborate as their creative processes, were hilarious.

8 Uses for a Tiny Container

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 23:50:00 +0000

I have a pet peeve with wearing contacts. Not the actual lenses – they’re great. My problem lies with those little cases, the ones provided with each bottle of contact lens cleaner I purchase. They’re made of durable, non-porous plastic and serve their purpose well…and L-O-N-G. I’ve never yet needed to dispose of one. While I appreciate the convenience, I don’t really need new cases as frequently as I do cleaner. The result is I now have a collection of those itty-bitty containers because I can’t bring myself to add them to the landfill.

Top left: hand cream; Top right: salt & pepper;
Bottom left: caplets & tablets; Bottom right: soy sauce & sesame seeds

Instead, over the years, I’ve found a few re-uses for those cases:

The first idea was to use them as medicine holders. Both hubby and I suffer with chronic back problems that occasionally disrupt our night’s sleep. Now, instead of trudging off to the medicine cabinet and stumbling in the dark for the right dosage, we each have a pillbox on our night table with measured doses in both compartments. The compartments hold (at least) two standard sized tablets or caplets and, having screw top lids, also carry well in a purse.
The next idea was to use them in hubby’s lunchbox. As I’m on a sodium-reduced diet, hubby often wants to add a little salt to his meals. Previously, he packed an old (camping) saltshaker, but sometimes his lunchbox just didn’t have room enough to include it. The contact lens case was the solution: the case is small enough to fit inside his lunchbox no matter how full it gets. One side he fills with salt and the other with pepper, so he now carries pepper, too.
The third idea spawned from the second. Our picnic basket can seem small at times, too small to carry full-sized condiment containers. As each of the contact cases holds two teaspoons, (one teaspoon per side,) they make handy containers for small amounts of other condiments: sugar, cream, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, seeds, herbs, spices, chillies, bacon bits, etc.
I often salvage screws and other fittings from old glasses or technological hardware and that’s when the fourth idea came to me. The cases are the perfect size for sorting small parts and pieces, making them easier to find when needed. This idea could also work with small buttons and other notions (i.e. beads, sequins.)
I began making hand cream back in February and, still very impressed by its effectiveness, have sought a way to carry it along in my purse. The contact lens cases proved a good answer. The cream has no reaction with the non-porous plastic, and the container holds enough cream for a few applications – more than I require in a day.
Seeds, collected from a flower or vegetable garden, should be stored in dry, airtight containers. These cases, with their screw-top lids, are ideal: they’re big enough for most seeds, yet small enough to gather an assortment. When stored in a dark place, they’ll keep seeds viable until the next growing season.
On occasion, I like to paint. These containers work great for mixing water-based paints and clean up is effortless. (However, I’ve never mixed acrylic or oil-based paints in them, uncertain how or if they’d react with the plastic.)
The next idea (I plan to try) is another kitchen application. ‘Cheese Bites’ are delicious and, in moderation, a calorie-wise substitute for bagged munchies. Until now, though, I’ve never had a cookie cutter small enough. As I planned this blog, it occurred to me to use one of the contact cases to produce the bite-sized morsels I prefer. The dough rolls out to 1/8-1/4” thick, so the keen edges of the open case should easily cut two perfect pieces at a time.

Some of the lens cases have different coloured lids for easy distinguishing between right and left lenses. The best feature, though, is the textured-surfaces on the lids. No matter the brand, they all have them to enable better “blind” recognition. In using these cases for other applications, those textured lids just as easily denote varying contents (like different medications) in low light situations (such as a restaurant or a darkened bedroom in the wee hours.)

The longer I wear contacts, the more of these little containers I collect. Until there is an option to buy lens cleaner without also getting another case, I’ll continue adding them to our household inventory. Fortunately, we have more uses than tiny containers…so far.

A Canvass for Your Business

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 02:17:00 +0000

Most businesses recognize the value of advertising. However, if you’re like me – an artist, entrepreneur, and/or small business owner – your budget for this important expense may be too small for media advertisements or other traditional forms of marketing. Business cards can be an effective means of promotion, applied liberally.

However, business cards can also be expensive depending on quantity (print-run), colour(s), paper quality, and whether printed on one or both sides. Printers (traditional or on-line) have varying minimums for print-runs, the lowest I found is 100 cards, the highest is 500, and the average minimum print-run is 250. New printing technologies have brought prices down considerably, yet the costs can still be onerous for small businesses.

In an age when phone numbers and email addresses change frequently, purchasing a few hundred business cards can prove wasteful. Yet, short print-runs are more costly, per card, than larger orders. The way I’ve avoided this dilemma is to make my own business cards.

Some will argue that homemade cards look amateur. Yet, with good card-stock and a little restraint (using colours, fonts, and graphics), you can create professional-looking cards for a fraction of the cost. All you need is a good word processor, a modicum of creative skill, some “clean-edge” card blanks, and a little time. Once you’ve designed your card, you can save it – and many variations of it – for future printing. Most word processors offer templates for business cards and, with a few modifications, you can personalize these to suit your company and its character.

It may seem like a lot of work yet the results pay off in many ways:

Word processors have clip-art installed, but personal photos, bitmap images, or CAD drawings can also be inserted. (The cost of adding these “external” images in commercial print-jobs can be exorbitant.)
With a little extra ink, you can easily produce double-sided cards.
Print-runs can be small – card-blanks are (usually) ten cards per sheet. Admittedly, that’s a very short run, but wasted cards due to informational changes will be few.
Because short print-runs are available, it possible to have various designs (each version saved as a separate file) for different purposes/occasions.
Most conveniently, once you’ve created the file, it takes very little effort to copy and paste the result into email or other computer applications – difficult to do with a printed card.
When running low, you can produce more cards in a matter of minutes, rather than waiting days (or longer) for new cards to arrive from the printer.

Colour is the only limitation to making business cards; white and ivory card-stock being the only colours I’ve found. However, I’ve heard it said that coloured paper, use of coloured and or elaborate fonts, borders, and imagery, can make cards difficult to read. Moderation is the key. When used sparingly, these features compliment a company’s “personality.” Too much, and these features can just as easily have a negative impact. The most effective business card solicits attention through interesting presentation of information, in clear form.

As I mentioned before, costs vary depending on content and style. The best commercial-printer price I found (locally) was $30 for 100 cards, printed on one side only, no colour, and no image. The best on-line price I found was $5.99 for 250 cards, but that does not include shipping costs. As comparison, the (ivory) card-stock I purchased (a few years ago) cost me $11.17 for 250 cards (25 sheets of 10 cards). Over time, I’ve re-designed and re-printed my business card, changing information as needed, and still have a couple sheets left. Had I purchased from a traditional printer, the changes to my contact information would have caused at least one wasted print-run. However, as I print one sheet at a time, only two cards were wasted. In addition, the card I designed has information on each side, a logo, and coloured font, while the commercial prices shown above do not reflect these features. The cost of printer ink is negligible (with limited graphics) so the total cost is still considerably less than a comparable business card commercially produced.

One of the most cost-effective means of promotion remains the inimitable business card. Today, there are many options for printing, but if the expenditure for off-site printing is a deterrent for your company, you might consider making your own. You’ll have greater creative expression, incur less expense, and the savings will enable you to canvass your business area more liberally.

Abundant Celebration on a Meagre Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 22:53:00 +0000

I’m a romantic…a hopeFUL romantic. So with the approach of our 24^th anniversary, I’m getting excited. We’re both eager to celebrate the occasion. Unfortunately, we’ve endured a few financial set-backs this year – as many folk have – so an extravagent meal out or a weekend getaway are just not in our budget. Instead, we’re planning a special in-home celebration.

Both of us enjoy cooking and consider ourselves “foodies.” In the past, we’ve sought out various fine dining experiences to help us celebrate our special day and it’s a treat we never tire of. This year, as an alternative, we’ve been pouring over cookbooks and online recipes, developing a menu, hoping to create our very own fine dining experience.

For us, it’s not all about the food – the setting and atmosphere add immensely to the whole experience. So, before we made any other decisions, we decided on a theme. This not only guided our menu choices, it also provides decorating ideas, and will influence the wine and music selections, all enhancing the mood.

Celebrating on a shoestring doesn’t have to mean fine dining. There are other activities and pursuits that, with a little creativity can be planned without breaking the budget. We’ve had a “winter picnic”on Valentine’s Day, “game tournaments” on birthdays and, for one anniversary a few years ago, we made our very own “spa weekend.” Prior to that, Hubby had no idea just how good a manicure or facial could feel. Massage is a welcome, loving touch, (especially for two people suffering chronic back pain,) so I created our own massage table, setting the mood with candles, soft music, a water feature, plenty of clean soft towels, and fragrant oils to intoxicate the senses. It was a supremely relaxing weekend, without the usual high cost associated with a spa visit.

You needn’t be strapped for cash to design your own events. In fact, at-home festivities are easily as memorable as the elaborate celebrations we’ve enjoyed or traditional gifts we’ve bought. It’s the uniqueness and (often) intimate setting which really mark these occasions in our recollections. It’s like creating your own cards – the sentiment behind the gesture feels somehow more heartfelt.

A tight budget might be the inspiration behind creative event-planning, but it needn’t diminish the joy of the occasion. With a bit of ingenuity, your thoughtfulness and love can be expressed in fun and exciting ways, and evoke enduring memories.

Seeing Is Believing

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 21:00:00 +0000

My prescription eye-wear broke this summer presenting us with a sudden, though not entirely unexpected, expense. Fortunately our budget includes a monthly savings allowance for optometry needs and, since I bought the new eye-wear from a wholesaler, we had the cost covered. Even so, there was little left for extras. Lens cleaner was easily dismissed – I haven’t bought that in years.

The last three cleansers I purchased failed. Two were opticians’ in-house brands and the other was a commercial brand. Two left multi-coloured smears, like gasoline-slicks, on the lenses and the other worked but was outrageously expensive.

That’s when I began making my own, though opticians cautioned against using “other” cleaners. Anything but their brand or specially formulated commercial products “could ruin lenses or their coatings.” This up-sell worked on me…twice. But after paying good money for smeared results I realized clean dishwater worked better.

Hubby complains my purse holds “everything but the kitchen sink” so clearly dishwater isn’t always accessible. ; ) I searched for a more portable formula and found one which used sudsy ammonia. But, that seemed too harsh a chemical and, ever cautious, I was reluctant to risk the possibility of it pitting the lenses or stripping their coating. Another recipe used castile soap but I haven’t (yet) found any. A common recipe uses a high proportion of rubbing alcohol but that makes a toxic solution for a child or pet. After a little more research, the recipe I created is a simple, mild, and effective one:

1 teaspoon of vinegar
½ cup filtered water
2-3 drops dish soap
Mix these ingredients together in a well-cleaned spray bottle.

A spritz of this solution on each lens, then a light polish with a clean, soft cloth and eye-wear glistens. No harsh chemicals, no streaks, no smears, no gasoline-slick rainbows. Both the vinegar and dish soap have antiseptic qualities, and the solution has little (if any) toxicity. It’s also proven to be gentle on lenses and coatings. Total cost (using wholesale-priced vinegar and dish soap): less than a penny for 4 ounces of cleaner, approximately a 4-month supply for me.

I admit, after spending several hundred dollars on prescription eye-wear, it’s comparatively small relief to avoid buying lens cleaner. But, I begrudge spending money on products that don’t work well or are excessively expensive. This simple recipe not only works, it’s far more economical, and that value increases over the long term by maintaining a necessary investment in optimal condition.

Herbalicious

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 00:41:00 +0000

Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food.” He wasn’t speaking solely of herbs, but they formed a major part of his pharmacological studies. Herbalism began its culinary career in ancient times as remedy for common food-borne pathogens. The hotter, more tropical the climate, the stronger the herbs and spices used to counter the higher incidence of food-borne illness. Herbaceous properties include antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, anti-depressant, and antimicrobial. Some herbs aid digestion, some ease insomnia, and herbs are used topically for their “drawing” ability, and others for burn-soothing qualities. Summer, when annual herbs mature and perennials are at their peak, has some of the year’s best cuisine simply due to herbal additions.

Recent culinary trends have brought a wide variety of fresh herbs into grocery stores. Depending on where you live in relation to the supplying source, your options may only be those little plastic packages of herbs which, price per ounce, can be very expensive. Farmers markets offer tremendous savings on herbs – they sell them in greater quantities, at lower prices, without plastic wrapping, and are a very thrifty option. We live in a desert, though, so many herbs aren’t grown locally. However, our Farmers Markets does exchange products with other markets in the region, so there are opportunities to buy fresh herbs when seasonal in neighbouring farm areas. Some of the annual herbs like parsley, cilantro, and garlic can be found in most stores, in any season, generally in reasonable quantities and at fair prices. These common herbs add plenty of flavour and food value but, if you’re looking for more variety and peak freshness, you might try growing your own. Herbs are particularly susceptible to losing phytochemical values once picked, so it’s best to eat them soon after harvesting.

Summer need not be the only season when you have access to a thrifty source of good quality herbs. Perennials like bay, lavender, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage tarragon, and thyme make attractive and fragrant houseplants, though they’ll need special care and climate control – much like any houseplant would. Annuals like arugula, basil, chervil, cilantro, dill, garlic and savoury, can also be grown indoors and make a eye-catching additions to any kitchen where they’re handy for quick pruning. Most herbs require good drainage so you’ll want to choose containers with that in mind. Some herbs need full sun for long hours and that’s just not possible in northern climes, or in homes with limited or north-facing windows. Grow-lights can help you sustain both perennial and annual herbs, even through the darkest winter months, and their cost of operation is negligible when you figure in the savings and health benefits you realize with a year-round supply of fresh herbs.

At some point you’ll either have to harvest your annual plants, or prune back the perennials. It’s good to be prepared, have all the supplies you’ll need at the ready, and a warm, dry, well-ventilated space available. If you don’t have space for air-drying, you might consider other methods like freezer-, oven- or microwave-drying. A dehydrator works best for soft-leaf herbs like basil and sage. I’ve read conflicting opinions on how much, if any, of the essential oils are retained after drying. However, there’s no argument where taste is concerned: hands-down, all accounts stated the home-dried herbs had greater flavour than the store-bought counter-part. Since it’s the essential oils providing the flavour, colour, and odour of dried herbs, those taste-tests tell me essential oils are retained, and the home-dried herbs, lacking the warehouse “aging,” had retained more because they were used sooner.

Summer is definitely an herbal season. If you’re planning to grow herbs indoors, now is the time to buy seed, while it’s still available. If you’re using natural foods as beauty products, the summer months offers a wide variety of herbs (and other plants) that work best when seasonally fresh. If you’re growing herbs in the garden, they’ll not only provide you with healthful additions to summer cuisine, they’ll also help control pests in the vegetable patch. Summer, known for food-bourne stomach upset, is a good time to take a page from history and dose meals with plenty of herbs and spices to give the stomach some delicious defence...or relief, as the case may be. To quote Hippocrates again, “Leave your drugs in the chemist's pot if you can heal the patient with food.” If any food can do that, herbs surely can! And they’re much tastier. So tasty its possible to reduce or eliminate the use of high-risk flavourings (e.g. mayonnaise or cream-based dressings) by substituting herb and heart-healthy oil mixtures, instead.

How about you: are your summers herbalicious? Do you grow herbs indoors, outdoors, neither or both? Which herbs do you use for their healthful properties? If you had to choose only one herb for the rest of your days, which ONE would you choose? If you’re a herb-lover like me and Hippocrates, that last one is just too nasty to ponder!

Long-Distance Gifting

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 21:17:00 +0000

Today is my birthday so I thought I’d take this opportunity to talk about a relevant subject: long-distance gifting. I may have mentioned this before, but my family and friends are spread out over several provinces and states, so I rarely spend special occasions with loved ones. That’s not to say we’re out of touch. By various means, me and my nearest and dearest always take time to send good wishes, loving thoughts and, sometimes, gifts. Over the years, though, our gift-giving has evolved and, I think, for the better. Instead of sending packages across the miles, we now send money or gift cards. To some, cold cash may seem a cold gift. For those of us trying to make the best of long-distance relationships, these gifts offer as much love as any other. Here are the reasons why we’ve chosen this means of giving.

First of all, when we were sending actual presents, shipping was always part of the cost. The larger the gift, the more that additional charge grew. Some Christmases, hubby and I spent over 30% of our gift-giving budget on shipping. In leaner years, that definitely impacted the sizes, weight, and shapes of gifts chosen. Even buying online or by phone incurs transport and delivery fees. Shipping seemed to waste funds that could be better spent on the gift.

Other reasons for sending cash are personal aspects. When people don’t see each other for long periods of time, it’s hard to know which colours they currently wear, or what items they might want. Sizes and needs change. Tastes vary. Choosing the perfect gift may be an engaging activity, but it’s complicated, even when shopping for those you see regularly. Despite all efforts, there are bound to be times when exchanges are required. That’s when distance can further complicate matters. If you wish the recipient to be able to exchange the item, then your shopping is restricted to national or chain stores. Even then, exchanges or refunds can prove tricky if a gift-receipt isn’t sent along with the gift. Heaven forbid you should choose that unique sweater from a local artisan’s shop. If it doesn’t fit or isn’t the right colour, the gift must be shipped back for exchange, and then reshipped. That sweater’s overall cost sky-rockets and, depending on the distances involved, it can also mean a long delay for the recipient.

The third reason is not a difficulty; it’s an opportunity. When living in the same area, it’s not unusual to treat a friend or family member to some kind of event, favoured entertainment, or out for a special meal. When you don’t live nearby, those experiences are harder to share. Sponsoring them, however, is as easy as slipping a cheque or money order inside the card. No extra shipping costs. No exchanges necessary. A perfect fit every time!

As a recipient of cash gifts, I can speak to another benefit. In managing our budget, I often don’t permit myself to partake in “frivolous” activities, or buy personal items that are more want than need. It’s hard for me to justify personal spending. Gifts of cash, however, encourage me to do or buy things I’d normally deny myself. To my way of thinking, that makes those gifts all the more delightful!

When shipping costs, limited retail options, and exchange issues, narrow gift choices, the giving process becomes the antithesis of happy experience. And shouldn’t giving be a joyous thing to do? If not, why bother? So, if you have loved ones living far away and you’re looking to stretch your gift-giving dollars, or simply treat a distant friend or family member to a special event, consider sending cash. Rather than being cold, it’s actually pretty cool!

Now, I’m off to eat cake…oh! and dream up ways to spend my birthday gifts!

If You Can't Stand the Heat...

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 23:11:00 +0000

I’ve said it before, but summer is my least favourite time of year. It doesn’t help that I have my own internal furnace chugging away furiously, 24-7-365. So, when the mercury soars, the last thing I want to do is spend time in a tortuously hot kitchen. If only appetites dwindled along with my desire to cook! Sadly, they don’t. I’ve had to devise creative ways to get food on the table, while generating the least amount of indoor heat as possible.

Barbecuing is a great way to avoid heating the house. Most everything can be cooked on the grill, whether on direct or indirect heat. All that’s needed are a few good recipes, some heat-resistant cookware, and maybe a little shade. Metal pans are the best option if cookware is required. Avoid using pans with Teflon-coatings or with handles made of plastic or wood as most won’t take the high heat or open flame. Aluminum foil is great for steam-cooking but use it over indirect heat for best results. To limit our use of aluminum (cookware or foil,) we use parchment pouches on an old cookie sheet to steam vegetables or seafood. Also glassware, as I discovered when baking our favourite meatloaf on the barbecue, can be dangerous...although, the explosion didn’t actually take place until I removed the loaf pan and placed it on a trivet to cool. Cast iron and stainless steel are excellent cooking vessels and both clean up well. Not everyone has access to a barbecue, though. And, sometimes it’s simply too windy to enable thorough cooking, in a timely manner, on a barbecue.

Our most common way to get meals on the table in summer is to cook certain components in the early morning, when the house is coolest and there are still hours remaining to dissipate the generated heat through open, shaded windows. Those meal components are foods like carbohydrates and proteins – generally the foods requiring the longest cooking times.

Potatoes, pasta, rice and beans we use most often in cold salads, but they can also be used to create quick, hot meals. No matter the weather, baked or par-boiled potatoes produce the best oven (and barbecue) fries, in my opinion. Pasta, cooked "al dente," and refrigerated, keeps for a few days and can be added to (re)heated sauces until warmed through. Rice is probably our most versatile cook-ahead ingredient. Aside from the stir-fry option (where pre-cooked rice is optimal,) it can be used as a base for frittatas, cold salad, and a (whole grain) breakfast “pudding.” One idea I haven’t yet tried is to form a pizza shell by packing cooked rice (1/4-1/2 inch thick) into a pizza pan and then pre-baking it for a few minutes before adding toppings and finishing the cooking process.

Caution is required if you cook enough proteins to last for two or three days of meals. They must be cooked thoroughly, stored in air-tight containers, and refrigerated promptly. Instead of making a couple slices of bacon for breakfast, we roast a pan full (in the oven or on the barbecue) and then we have extra to crumble onto salads, baked potatoes, or to add a little protein to a quick veggie wrap. We cook several chicken breasts or pork chops, or larger cuts like roasts and whole chicken, to use as salad or pizza toppings, or in stir-fries, sandwiches, fajitas and wraps. Boiled eggs are something we keep on hand, year-round. One hard-boiled egg, sliced, on toast, is my choice for an easy, high-protein meal before beginning morning exercise. Those eggs also supplement cold summer salads (like potato, macaroni, and rice,) in tasty ways and, with the addition of a variety of vegetables, make those salads complete meals.

Last but not least, dessert. The custard or syrups required to make ice cream, sorbet and frozen pops often require some cooking or boiling. Jellied desserts (and salads) are also cooling, without the excessive calories of most frozen desserts. With just a few minutes of morning prep, your family can enjoy these chill treats at any time of day.

Sweltering over a hot stove can really add sizzle to summer, and not in a good way. Cooking certain ingredients in advance, in quantity, at the coolest time of day, dramatically lessens the amount of heat generated in the home. Not only can you save time and heat-exhaustion, you’ll also save on air-conditioning and energy costs for the stove, oven and/or barbecue. I like the fact that cooler meals don’t raise the body’s core temperature as much (though, this may be more imperative for women like me who “roast” without cooking anything.) Best of all, you’ll have healthy food, fast – no need to resort to fast-food when heat overwhelms.

Rewards for Traveling

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:05:00 +0000

Are you making plans for a summer holiday? How’s that going for you? If you’re like many people I’ve heard discussing the matter, budgets are tight and vacations this year will reflect that. Whether it’s due to scalping fuel prices, increased air fares, higher accommodation rates, or soaring food costs, many families are feeling the pinch this summer. There are ways to stretch your travel dollars, though, and one of them is through reward program redemptions.

There are many and varied reward programs you can use – through airlines, department stores, gas stations, and hotel chains – which can help facilitate travel. My experience with a couple of these has been limited and our points never amounted to enough to apply to our vacations, so the following examples will relate only our experience with Air Miles.

We’ve been collectors since Air Miles’ inception in 1992 and have used points to cover certain travel expenses on a few occasions. We don’t make unnecessary purchases just for the rewards, though. To collect enough points for one 200-point redemption could cost between $3,000 and $4,000 in retail spending. Special promotional offers (e.g. 20 air miles for the purchase of 2 packages of xyz product) enable us to earn points faster, with less retail cost, however we still don’t buy products unneeded or which we wouldn’t normally use, so those opportunities are limited. While we don’t spend money just to collect points, we do view the points earned as bonuses on items we were going to buy anyway. Even with restricted use, we end up collecting enough Air Miles, each year, to help us cover some sundry travel costs.

Our most common use has been to redeem points for fuel certificates: 175 points for $20 worth of fuel. This year, that could get us eleven fuel certificates (if we choose to redeem most of our points.) That may not seem like much but it would add $220 to our vacation resources.

Fuel isn’t the only reward we could choose. Aside from household products and services, points can be redeemed for accommodations, car rentals, air fare, cruises, travel insurance, golfing passes, amusement parks, or any combination of rewards your points-collection affords you. We know people who fly frequently for business and, by using specific charge cards and certain air lines, they accumulate points 10-20 times faster than we do. Their redemption options are obviously much greater and more varied.

So, if you’re crunching the numbers, looking for ways to supplement travel funds, don’t forget your own membership and reward programs. They just might add enough to the coffers to make your summer vacation more affordable. Check the redemptions carefully, though – we must order our fuel certificates 6-8 weeks prior to travel if they’re to get here in time. If redeeming points for flights, you’ll find not all destinations are available, and some regions cost more points depending on your place of departure. With foresight and planning, these rules and restrictions will have little or no effect on your plans.

Yes, travel is rewarding, but you might also find “rewards” for traveling!

Adaptation & Re-Design

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 01:14:00 +0000

It's no secret I have a "thing" about retail packaging. Whenever and wherever possible, we avoid purchasing items swathed in plastic or excess packaging. Unfortunately, many containers are unavoidable, so we plan re-uses and inevitably wind up with numerous and varied boxes, jars and tins. I've mentioned before that we re-use containers but not that I (sometimes) craft durable household items out of them with a few supplies like contact paper, decals and/or paint.

Contact paper has a number of household uses and comes in a wide variety of colours and designs. Its durability has both positive and negative aspects. Most contact paper is made of plastic and will not decompose in landfills. However, this plastic can significantly increase the life of other, less durable containers. Yes, I confess to plasticizing cardboard and tin, but I bought two rolls of contact paper long before the environmental impact of plastics was known so now, a few decades later, whether I decide to apply it or toss it, that paper's ultimate destiny is still the landfill. At least by applying it to something, it serves a practical purpose in the interim. If you prefer not to buy contact paper, similar re-design can be achieved with remnant cloth and glue.

Cardboard boxes are easily redesigned, and contact paper adds rigidity, durability, moisture-proofing and style to them. Fortified boxes can be used a number of ways – I like to organize drawers with them. A decades-old chocolate box (foreground below,) is still used to organize my cosmetic drawer.

Tin cans make excellent storage containers without any reinforcement but, frankly, they're too ugly to display. If its purpose is only to store shoe polish then it really doesn't matter; it'll be stowed out of sight anyway. But, if you want a canister for the kitchen or a garbage can for the sewing room, a little contact paper or paint can go a long way towards coordinating that tin can with home decor. The toilet plunger holder (background) was a coffee can I covered the same day as the "cosmetic organizer." Lined with a small plastic bag (to aid in cleaning and to keep the bottom from rusting,) this old coffee can still functions and looks decent – as much as a toilet plunger holder is able.

Our most re-used containers are glass jars. The majority don't get redesigned, as they're used mainly for temporary food storage and are rarely in view. Some foods, however, require longer storage in opaque containers. While I tried using contact paper on jars, it doesn't adhere well to glass, and peels when washed. Dark paint (left) works better and lasts a great deal longer. To add just a touch of embellishment to the plain thrift shop cookie jar, (right) bought for my very first home, I added a "sample" (read: free) decal which also ended up lasting for decades. It's begun peeling a little but, after thirty-seven years, that's forgivable.

The thing is, at heart, I'm happily frugal, utilitarian through and through, a hesitant consumer. So, as long as containers remain an inescapable part of shopping, it gratifies me to extend their life. The occasional redesign simply makes them last longer and look better, whatever their re-purpose.

Curtains for Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Gail A. Laursen) — Fri, 20 May 2011 01:44:00 +0000

Few things go according to plan and this spring has been no exception. First, I threw out my hip while refinishing the hardwood floors – the floors look great but I lost more than a week imitating a pretzel. Then, when spring-cleaning finally neared completion, plans to do yard work took shape. That's when the rain began – no deluges; just enough to prevent mowing and soil-cultivation. Undeterred, we thought to go in search of wild asparagus. No luck. The unusually late spring discouraged early sprouting of local forage plants. Okay...now what? Timing seemed perfect for a project I'd planned "when time allows." We'd bought the materials a couple months ago, while a fantastic business-relocation sale was going on so, lately, it's been curtains for me!

It may seem like needless work to some, but there are several benefits to sewing these elements of home decor. First, we've realized tremendous savings without compromising quality. Actually, achieving better quality. We waited for a fabric sale – it was pure luck we found prices marked down even further to facilitate easier relocation. For the paltry sum of $131 (Canadian dollars, including taxes) we got beautiful drapery and sheer fabrics to dress the kitchen, living room and master bedroom windows, including a black-out liner for the latter window. Browsing catalogues, you'll be hard-pressed to find drapery and sheers to cover one small window for that cost. If found, cheap fabrics and poor stitching are usual reasons for such an extraordinary bargain.

Among the other benefits of sewing curtains are variety, fit, and home coordination. We live in a rented home, so any decorating is limited by the landlord's chosen colours and home design. Many of the patterns and colours of pre-made draperies did not coordinate our current setting with our furniture. However, when shopping for fabrics, we found colours, designs and textures that weren't represented in the home decor stores we'd shopped at. It was that variety of hues and textures which enabled us harmonize our furniture with these retro-coloured walls. Also, in buying fabric, I can fit curtains and sheers to these odd-sized windows better than the standard pre-fabrication measurements. Individuality is another advantage of sewing curtains. Even if neighbours, friends or family were to buy the exact same fabric, their curtains likely wouldn't appear in the same format – size, shape or design – as the curtains I've sewn. Our new curtains are unique.

In choosing particular fabrics, we also made conscious decisions to control your home heating and cooling. Some designers advise "summer-izing" the home by swapping heavy draperies for lighter, airier panels or blinds, to allow more light in. But sunlight is heat and, in recent years, we've attempted to limit use of the air-conditioner to exceptionally hot days only – respecting both our pocketbook and the environment. Simply by opening and closing curtains and windows, syncing them with the sun's daily progress to allow in cool air, and block out as much direct sun and its ambient heat as possible, we've saved significantly on electrical costs. Heavier curtains are effective year-round – providing sun-blocking in summer and draft-protection in winter.

New Kitchen Curtains

This spring may not have gone as planned, but sewing is, for me, a very enjoyable, almost Zen, activity. It'll still be curtains for me for a while longer, but I love the creative activity and satisfying results. That pleasure only increases knowing that with each garment and drape it produces, the sewing machine we bought several years ago gets progressively less expensive. And this current project won't just save us money – through sale prices, fabric choices, and depreciating machine-cost – the results will be fitted dressings of unique design and harmonizing quality, which will help us maintain our favoured home environment.

So…♪♪ I sew, I sew, it's off to create, I sew... ♪♪