Cleaning Glass with Cloth

I suffered with a dilemma for quite a few years in trying to clean my glass around the house without using paper towels. So many cloth items left little fuzzies behind on the glass and it just looked....yucky. I finally discovered the answer once my daughter was out of cloth diapers and into big girl pants. I was taking the pre-fold cloth diapers to the laundry room to put in the rag bag when I noticed that there really is very little lint or nap to the diaper. So, I grabbed by spray bottle of vinegar and tested the glass door on the china cabinet. As I wiped the door with the diaper, guess what.....no lint left behind! So, I use my old cloth diapers to clean the windows and all the glass around the house and they look as good as they did when I used paper towels. Just another way to keep the pennies in the bank and use what you have. Have a great day!

Cloth in the Kitchen

I haven't talked about cloth for awhile now, so I thought I would do just that. I made the switch to cloth everywhere in my home a long time ago. My reasoning was to be cheap....uh, frugal. So, the kitchen can be terribly expensive if paper towels are used, then paper coffee filters, etc. So, I made my own coffee filters out of cheese cloth. They work wonderfully and are washable. I simply cut two triangles from cheese cloth that was say 3 layers, then sewed up the sides and sewed along the edge to prevent fraying. Within 30 minutes time I had numerous coffee filters that could be re-used over and over. It is much healthier than running my coffee through paper that has been chemically processed. Next, I bought some muslin and flannel when they were on sale. I am always picking up fabric when it is on sale as I don't like to pay full price for anything. I cut about 15 good sized squares (12"x12") of the muslin and the flannel. I then sewed a zig zag stitch around the edge in a bold color (I chose green). The color tells whoever folds the laundry that those are kitchen towels and not to be used elsewhere. Now I have two types of towels to use in the kitchen for cleaning up spills, cleaning counters, or appliances. They work wonderfully and are so inexpensive to make. They eliminate that expense at the grocery store of buying paper also. Such a cheap cleaning solution, I love it. God bless.

Creative Sewing and Frugality

I accomplished quite a bit of sewing this past week and surprised myself at how cheaply I accomplished this task. Let me explain a little about that. Normally, I would have to use fabric to accomplish my sewing goals that had been purchased at the fabric store or elsewhere. This time I created almost an entire spring and summer wardrobe for my toddler and didn't use my store bought fabric unless you include the scraps that I used out of the scrap bag. As you know I have been going through my oldest childs clothes for the consignment sale next month. She had several really nice shirts that were almost like brand new. One or two had a small stain and so couldn't go through the consignment sale and a few others had some imperfections that would not be accepted. So, I got to thinking how easy it would be to turn those shirts into cute little dresses for a toddler. That is exactly what I did. I will post some photos soon, if I can get my camera to work. I will try to explain some of what I did. On one shirt that had cap sleeves, it made ties for the "dress" out of some scrap material. I then attached the ties to the bottom of the armhole and tied them in the back. This made the armhole smaller to fit a toddler and added a cute element to the "dress". It also had a small stain which I easily covered with rosettes made from the same scrap material and some decorative buttons. Then I did some embroidery around the collar, just a simple blanket stitch and rosebud in the corner. One dress, nothing spent.....totally cool. Another shirt turned dress was a tank top. So, I shortened the straps which made the armhole and neckhole smaller to fit. Where the front and back panels were now joined at the neck I tied a ribbon in a bow that lays across the shoulder on both sides. Since that shirt was multicolored, I chose to leave the adornment simple and just stuck with the ribbons at the shoulder. It is a cute little summer dress and I actually had two of them in different colors that I did that way. I had a polo type shirt that I gathered the sleeves with elastic, which closed up the armhole. The neckhole was just fine since it had buttons. The I looked through my scrap bag and made several ruffles for the bottom of the dress out of scrap fabric in a couple different prints to give it some pizazz and interest. I then lined the joining stitch between the ruffles and shirt with a ribbon trim and a flat buckle type bow. Another dress done and nothing really spent. I also made some more pantaloons out of some linen curtains that had once hung in my art gallery. When I closed the gallery, I simply washed the curtains and put them aside for later use. I have been using them to make pantaloons and bloomers for quite some time. The linen is wonderful and they wear well. I make them a little big so that they last longer and I can simply put in longer elastic to get a little more time out of them. So, I think all in all my toddlers new wardrobe cost a couple dollars in ribbon and notions that I already had on hand. She now has a cute boutique style wardrobe for the upcoming warm seasons and I certainly did not spend 40 to 60 dollars on each dress. With a little creativity and imagination so much money can be saved in clothing your children. Like I said I will try to get pictures of the dresses up this week. My camera is old, worn out and temperamental so we will see if it decides to work. Happy sewing.

Observations on Books and Authors

I have always loved to read and really would read pretty much anything to keep from being bored. In fact when I was just a young squirt spending time at my grandfather's farm the only thing to read the the Market Bulletin from the Department of Agriculture and Progressive Farmer. I read both, cover to cover...issue after issue. So with all of this reading that I have done during my lifetime, I certainly do have some favorite authors. Two of these authors have an uncanny knack for telling a whole lot of truth in a work of fiction. First I will tell you who the authors are, Robin Cook and Michael Crighton. Robin Cook is a physician and writes a lot of "fiction" books set in the medical field. Many times the story line of the book is about some new research or drug or procedure. I remember one book of his, I read years ago just when antidepressants were starting to hit popularity. In the book, these researchers developed an antidepressant but couldn't get funding to test it. So they tested it on themselves. At first they felt wonderful, then they started to notice they were changing both physically and behaviorally. However, the drug was addictive and they couldn't stop taking it because it made them feel so good. I won't go through the whole book and each and every thing that happened but in the end the drug changed those that wouldn't stop taking it into reptiles, devoid of emotion and human feeling. Years after reading that book, I had talked to some women who had stopped taking their antidepressants on their own because they stopped feeling emotion. They stopped laughing, crying, getting angry, etc. So was Robin Cook trying to get some truth out using a work of fiction....I think so. Sometimes the only way to get people to see and here the truth is to put it into a work of fiction. Then they might start thinking. I recently read one of Michael Crighton's last books...State of Fear. Awesome book and so well researched. One of the best research jobs I have ever seen in a work of fiction. However, getting back to the book. The book is an expose' on the global warming turned climate change scam. It is mainly centered around an an evironmental group and a multibillionaire, but the parallels to what our government is feeding us currently is not an accident. Maybe Crighton wanted a few more people to wake up to the fleecing we are getting through this charade and the potential fleecing down the road before it is too late. I highly recommend this book. While it is a work of fiction there are tons of footnotes, citing sources that the characters refer to in the book. Crighton clearly did his homework. Sometimes I guess the only way to tell the truth so that people will listen is to present it as a work of fiction. Sad isn't it? What does that say about humanity and our incessant need to be entertained instead of informed? I like authors that get me to think and challenge myself. If I hadn't already seen the scam behind "global warming" I certainly would be taking a hard look at that theory after reading the book. So just a few observations about books, authors, and truth hidden in fiction. God bless.

I'm Back to the 21st Century!!!

Well, I am back from our technology free week. It was great. It amazed me at how much more we were able to get done around here and how much more time we had to play together. The girls spend the afternoons laughing, giggling and playing with each other instead of like zombies in front of the television. My oldest, who says she hates to read and it is always like pulling teeth to get her to read finally found a book in our personal library and from then on each evening had her nose stuck in a book. I got a lot of sewing done and almost have a complete spring and summer wardrobe for the little one. Just a couple more play dresses for around the farm and finish church dresses and I will be done with her clothes and can start on clothes for the oldest. Who knows this year I might be able to get something made for myself. I would love a couple more skirts and tops or a dress or two. Some of my work stuff is getting pretty frazzled and worn. We have a good start on the stuff for next months consignment sale and will probably finish that up soon. I did not get to my crafting supplies, but will soon. I finished a book that I had been reading little by little for about 6 months. This week was my littlest's birthday, she turned 3. She received several books and a set of cards (of her very own) and was thrilled. I made her a cake, but my mom decided she needed a "store bought" cake with all the decorations. So we have two cakes here and nobody wants the store bought cake. I am sorry, but it tastes like...well like..plastic. Once you start baking your own and have eaten home baked from scratch for so long those store bought birthday cakes just don't taste so good. Of course, we won't tell mom all of that. It would hurt her feelings. So I don't know what to do with that cake. Anyway, next weekend will be busy as we have rabbits to butcher and a goat to butcher. I am getting ready for no buy February in that I have made a small list of things that I am low on that will need to be replaced before the end of the month. We are also getting close to spring kidding season so I think I will get some milk in the freezer for the couple months when the goats are dry. I sure will miss my rich sweet goat milk, but organic cow milk isn't too bad. Regular grocery store milk simply is not an option as it tastes foul and looks foul too. I certainly do not need vegetable oil in my milk. I got my seeds ordered and will be starting seeds soon for our spring vegetables. We will get the garden tilled in the next couple of weeks and put out the compost that has been cooking since last summer. It is wonderfully cooked and looks lovely. As far as no technology week, we will keep doing that each month until we can get rid of the tv altogether. Hopefully, by the end of summer! At least that is my goal. Well, it is time to go tend to the critters and get the morning milking done, so I will have to write more later. I have several blog ideas so maybe I can get some of those done this week. God bless.

No Technology Week

Today starts the day of our no technology week, so I will be MIA for the week. Please feel free to read some of the past blog posts and enjoy some of the blogs of my friends. You will find the links to their blogs in the right hand column under "Blogs I follow". Enjoy and have a great week. I will see you all next Monday with loads of blog posts, I hope. God bless and take care!

February=No Buy Month

Since spring comes fairly early here in the south and I will be starting spring seedlings soon (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.)we typically have one month during the last of winter in which we do not purchase anything except for gas for the cars. This year it will be February. We will eat completely out of what we put up last summer and fall so that we have room for new produce that will be coming soon. This is a really good way that I have found to keep stocks rotated out and to make sure that nothing is "lost" in the vast depths of the freezer. I remember at times that my grandmother would find the peas that had gotten lost and forgotten and I have done the same myself. It is no fun to find food that you worked hard to grow and put up that has gone to waste. Of course, the chickens are very happy to clean up that waaayyy out of date food for you. However, wouldn't you have liked to enjoy some of it yourself. So in February the only thing that will be purchased will be gas for the cars. Anything eaten will be out of the freezer and pantry to make room for the new season. I challenge you all to at least get to the point where you could have a no buy month as well. No, it doesn't really save you money and that is not the point. The point is to have a good time to make sure that stock is rotated out and to see how well prepared you truly are. We always tend to think that our preps are in good shape for whatever the world might throw at us. It is in testing ourselves that we find that we have a few holes. So in February I will be able to find where those holes are at and hopefully get them plugged up. God bless you all, Kat