Light Fight in the Neighborhood.

 We drove around the neighborhood at dusk to see what neighbors were putting up. The inflatables were mostly flat. One person had maybe a dozen items on their front yard. Best display ever and makes me want to have one. 

I am going to use the credit I earned on Amazon by to purchase reindeer family of a buck, doe, and baby. However, it is the cart, and I cannot push the order button.

My deer I had before cost me $1 at a yard sale in July or middle of summer in Decatur. Then, I found a $1 Christmas tree with lights for $1 later. I had that in my yard outside the picture window on the side of the house where I could see it and people driving by could see it. 

Then, I decided I want the huge candy canes across the front of the porch. I have one year to accomplish all this. Things may be added to the plan if I can buy them for $1, no matter what I find. I have a three-food blow molds and a six-foot Santa with a Coke in his hand. But, it would ruin even under the porch roof. There are one-foot blow molds in my other decorations in storage.

All this excites me. Silly me? Maybe. I could change my mind, okay? 

Tommy is so funny. I had him put out three candles on his short bookcase. Thee were on the table where I was going to put the tree. Immediately, he started cleaning junk off the bookcase, but only on one end. The other end had a mustard bottle that he keeps there and four empty Diet Pepsi cans, plus assorted junk and a coffee cup. sigh....

Do you have or have you ever had a big display in your yard? Even a modest display?

BOGO Groceries and Amazon Order and Treadle Sewing Machine

                                                                        not mine

On Tuesday night, I went over the ads online for the three stores in which I shop. One store had two things I needed, one store had one thing, and another had a dozen bargains. 

I slept little, got up and went back to bed. Since I needed to get up by 1 pm and Tommy woke me at 1:20, I was rushed and hurting. I rushed and had a tuna sandwich for lunch. My friend was coming by to help with the grill. It seemed there was nothing wrong. I just did not know it was on. 

While it was on, I decided at to grill the two hamburgers I had left to grill. Then, it smelled so good, I wanted to eat right then. We both had a burger on bread. Since I pulled off all my crust to eat less bread, I knew I was not going to need a lot of dinner. We both had a huge salad for dinner. 

After the burger we went to three grocery stores. Food Giant had chicken tenders for $1.99/lb. I think the two packages had six pounds. Tomorrow, we go back for rolls of sausage 2/$5--Jimmy Dean. We can have sausage balls for a festive treat. 

The Pig had salad greens cheap, so Tommy bought two bags. We will probably eat these two bags and get two more before the sale goes off Tuesday night. 

Publix: Del Monte Fruit Cocktail bogo, Eagle Brand Milk  2/$4. Pint ziplocs were bogo. Planters jars of peanuts bogo. The Cheerios Tommy likes were bogo. I will get two square snaplock storage containers to use as a sandwich box or food containers to take with me in the car. The glass ones are too heavy and too dangerous. Plus, they often have food in them when I need them. Plugra butter is on sale. 

Plugra butter is on sale. I have never heard of that brand. Have you? Stuffing is 2/$5--not impressed. There were lots of items on sale, stuff I have bought much more cheaply earlier. 

When I received an Amazon order today, I was puzzled. I had ordered Halloween candles, but not two packages. Plus, I had ordered another set of three candles that run with batteries and have a remote. Why did I get two. They can send me more than I order, but just don't charge me! lol The price for the whole order is almost twice what was showing when I placed the order. Now, I have to straighten this out. 

Besides the candles, I bought a leather thimble. It is too stiff, so I will take it to a cobbler friend's shop to fix it. Also, I found a book about working on treadle machines. This will be my bible for a bit as I work on my treadle machine my mother gave me. She no longer had her grandmother's treadle, the one on which I learned to sew. However, she bought each of us three girls a treadle at yard sales on year and gave them to us at Christmas. It was a wonderful gift for each of us. 

Now, I won't have to depend on someone I don't trust entirely to work on my Singer Treadle if the work is beyond my skills. Some unscrupulous repairers take parts from customers' machines to repair their own machines or to repair machines of people who will pay exorbitant prices in order to have their machines repaired.  Mostly, the repaired machines to sell. Now, I know exactly where to oil and what kind of oil. Plus, there are special tools I need. 

I have a treadle machine sitting in the carport with a modern electric machine in it. The plan is to sell the machine head, sell all the wooden drawers, and make a table out of the iron base. This is apart from the Singer treadle machine Mama gave me. I would never take it apart. 

Mama made very nice dresses for us when I was little on a treadle machine! A treadle machine holds a special place in my heart, heritage, and thoughts.

Have you ever sewn on a treadle sewing machine? Did you learn to sew on one? Do you own a treadle sewing machine?

Did you find good deals on groceries this week?

Yard Sale finds

Last Summer and Fall Frugal Finds to Suit Parsimonious Me

One dozen

10-hour candles

$0.25 0r $0.02 each

Only one candle had been lit and snuffed out before wax melted. These were originally $1.09. I paid a QUARTER. Although I do not like burning candles for ambiance or for light in an emergency, I have 120 hours of free light. I do burn candles for light and ambiance outdoors. So, these were a good buy.

Did you notice I have a candle chunk? They are melted together, but a knife will take care of that.

                        

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Free--25 cards

 This whole box of cards has been addressed and stamped, ready to give to others in the church. the "Value Box" of 25 cards was originally $2. There is an assortment of cards, some, like this one would be perfect for use as a name tag on a gift. And, I got these just a few weeks ago, not in the fall. I immediately removed the cards and tossed the envelopes. The back of each card has an additional small picture that can be used, also.

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Everything in the picture was marked a quarter. Then, everything was half price. So, for $0.50 I got all that is in the picture. The child's play pie pans are very old, heavy enough to really bake in. Children's toys long ago were actually miniatures of the real thing. These may go to my little g-daughter; I may sell it. The gaudy tassel was sort of sweet. I need a new fan pull. Maybe it will work. I like small candy dishes but refuse to buy things full price for Christmas. This will work for me. I may even give it to one of my daughters.

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Did I show you this?

I have always wanted a steamer!

It folds up... so cute. See how shiny it is...Looks new....Good quality stainless steel....Made in USA.

Aren't those cute little feet?

Okay, maybe the tassel is junk. The rest is useful. Plus, I have gotten rid of so many things from my home. I sold enough of the items I bought at this one sale to pay for what I bought and have a small profit. I may have paid $0.50 or $1, not sure.

That would make $1.75 for today's show and tell, maybe just $1.25. I got this all in the fall.

Your turn

So, that is part of what I brought home. Is there anyone else who is taken, smitten, by child-sized dishes and baking ware? Who is looking forward to yard sale season to be in full swing? Have you found anything cool to share?

The Goblins Will Get You . . .

This picture is my favorite of all I have ever taken. Can you see the ornate, short silver-plated candelabra? It sits on four curved, ornate feet. It was only $1. You know me...parsimonious (frugal), always. The candles came with about 9 or 10 candles in a box that said "dripless candles."--$1, cheap for the box. Hmmm, so why are they dripping?

Read this poem aloud to someone tonight.

Little Orphant Annie
by James Whitcomb Riley
Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay, An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away, An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep, An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep; An' all us other childern, when the supper things is done, We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about, An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you Ef you Don't Watch Out! Onc't they was a little boy wouldn't say his prayers,-- So when he went to bed at night, away up stairs, His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl, An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wasn't there at all! An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press, An' seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'wheres, I guess; But all they ever found was thist his pants an' roundabout-- An' the Gobble-uns'll git you Ef you Don't Watch Out! An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin, An' make fun of ever'one, an' all her blood an' kin; An' onc't, when they was "company," an' ole folks was there, She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care! An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide, They was two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side, An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'fore she knowed what she's about! An' the Gobble-uns'll git you      Ef you                Don't                        Watch                                  Out! An' little Orphant Annie says when the blaze is blue, An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo! An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray, An' the lightnin'-bugs in dew is all squenched away,-- You better mind yer parents, an' yer teachers fond an' dear, An' churish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear, An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about, Er the Gobble-uns'll git you     Ef you               Don't                        Watch                                  Out! Your turn Tell me about a scary Halloween, a funny experience on Halloween, or something funny or scary that happened tonight. Just entertain us with a Halloween story, even if you read this two months later. If you don't celebrate Halloween because of religion or ideology, this is not the post to comment on that. I respect your opinions, just don't want to hear them today. But, I will visit your post if you email me and read what you say about it...kay?

"Happy Frugal Birthday to You"

Last week, I discussed with my daughter the idea of reducing spending on my granddaughter's party this year. We were talking about all the ways she has cut spending, plus ways she can further reduce spending. She is facing financial problems. Well, still having financial problems is more like it. But, she is learning what is essential and what is not. Since her daughter may have broken the growth plate in her knee/leg, she was not really into discussing a May party. Plus, she is still worried about her own severe nosebleed and the things she cannot do now because the same thing might occur.

Last year, she invited 20 or so children. Parents and siblings came, also, and stayed. My daughter felt compelled to feed the whole crew pizza and spend an outrageous (for her) amount of money. Usually it is in her small apt, but last year she hoped for no rain and had it in the park with all the attendees not traipsing into her apartment.

She did not mind their being there except she would have felt compelled to clean beforehand...lol.

My Ideas--all eco-friendly and cheap!

Last year? She bought matching paper tablecloth, napkins, cups, loot bags, and a centerpiece. She bought cake, ice cream, candles, gifts for her daughter, pizzas for 30 people, and spent much of her valuable time. This year, the party should be simpler and less costly. With little to buy and less going to a landfill, the party can still be pretty and happy for the birthday girl.

Guests? My daughter quit giving large parties for her older son at about this age. She thinks this is the year that her daughter will not have a huge party. Good!

Tablecloth and napkins? I am willing to buy fabric if I cannot find anything in my stash or elsewhere and make a cloth tablecloth to reuse for her party each year. I might be induced to make reusable napkins!

Decorations? In my dumpster diving past, some days I just looked in a dumpster and found a treasure trove. Balloons for helium were in a neat, clean box behind the store, just waiting to be picked up by me. She can make a balloon flower like the one at the top of this page. This is on a Martha Stewart site, but the balloon flower I originally saw on the Internet had the balloon in the middle just a bit smaller. And, the center balloon will only be on one side of the flower since it will probably be hung on the wall. I think I have paper streamers, too.

Paper plates and cups? What to eat from other than paper? How about free paper that will not be reordered? While working online surveys about six years ago, I was given heavy, decorated paper plates to try that have pink and lavender flowers. Naturally, I did not use them all. After all, there is only one of me. So, I have offered to send them to her. Okay, it will be paper again! Yes, I will have to mail them, but I will mail gifts. The box can be planned so that the plates will fit! I even found the cups to match at a clearance place that is full of broken boxes of merchandise. I can stick them in a flat rate box with presents.

Candles? I have some clearance birthday candles!

Food? How about cake or cupcake and ice cream? She can go retro! (No serving a meal of pizzas.) Since there is always abundant food at children's parties in NYC, she can make it clear to the guests (maybe one or two) that she is only having cake and ice cream. I do get coupons for free food items, so I can always supply coupons to cut down on costs on cake mix or frosting. She works, so she does not have time to mix cakes from scratch anymore. She can use one of my Coke coupons from http://www.mycokerewards.com/ to supply something to drink. Now, I just need plenty of Coke codes. I find cake mixes and frosting for free with sales and coupons. Ooooh, I have some cherry Kool Aid, not my first choice for a drink, but it will be free. Oh, my, I just remembered I have a stash of cupcake papers. My mother gave them to me prior to 1980.

Loot bags? Whhhhhyyyy? If I have to bribe you to come to my party and stay, why bother?...lol. I probably have enough things for favors for her and her little neighbor IF it is really necessary.

Invitations--no need.

I think we can make a $200 party cost less than $10.

Gifts? Since I stock up on sale or thrift clothing in the fall for $1-$3 for spring, in March she gets most of what I have bought for her. Each year, I hold  back one outfit to send to be wrapped for her birthday. I can hold back one for daughter to wrap from her. I am sure my daughter will want to buy other gifts, but she can claim one of my outfits.

Now, daughter has said "no big party," so let's see how my alternate, green, money-saving plans work for her. "No big party" was not my idea! Okay, I just don't want you to think I was pressuring her. Okay, so I was nudging a little after she said, "No big party." What else is a mother to do but nudge when the daughter leans a bit?

I know it is a little too early to plan for a May birthday, but the sooner we start, the more frugal we can be. Besides, she is in NYC and I am in Alabama. Coordination is the key.

My daughter is too busy to engage in any crafts for decorating and is too tired to make crafts at the party, even for two children. I was thinking her 16-year-old son could make the flower or at least blow up the balloons.

Not green and frugal?
Considering I have most of the items, yes it is frugal. I rescued those balloons from a trip to the landfill. I will be buying new fabric only if I cannot find thrift fabric. Not using the paper products given to me--cupcake papers and paper plates--is my way of saving them for an occasion that really warrants paper products. This occasion warrants using my pretty paper plates.

Your turn
Have you cut back on children's parties in any way? Fewer guests? Less lavish food? No loot bags? How green and frugal have you been? Oh, I might even use some of the ideas you send my way.