12 in 2015

See ya, 2014!

Another year has come and gone. Christmas brought much needed re-connection with family. In a few shorts months it will be spring again. Life will be brought back from the seemingly dormant earth. It's a time to leave behind was not meant for us and move into the beautiful possibilities that are available to us.

I don't do New Year's resolutions - it is too reminiscent of punishment or some sense of unworthiness to me. I liken the feeling to that I had in confession as a child - the focus on how "bad" we are does not inspire change, but rather sets us up for failure. 

This year I will be doing something different. I will be choosing 12 experiences I'd like to have. It's so easy for me to get caught up in the "shoulds" of life. As a single parent I tend to focus more on responsibility rather than fun. We get to create so much of our lives - and most of us have an abundant supply of choices even within certain restrictions (whether they be financial, physical or emotional). So this year, I will be making a list of things I'd like to add to my human experience.  Some are small and easily accomplished. Others will require slightly more effort.  All are intended to create memories, celebrate, connect or simply to enjoy.

My list of 12 "Things," in no particularly order, for 2015:

• Ride a horse.

• Visit the Olympus Day Spa, also known as naked town (no, no it's not).

• Follow an actual sewing pattern.

• Take my daughter to the Oregon Coast.

• Host a random White Elephant party.

• Host a charity curry night to raise funds for a yet named charity.

• Establish a neighborhood Food Program where spring and summer garden abundance is delivered to the food bank weekly.

• Read the Marilyn Monroe Biography I've had on my list for years. It's not higher learning, but her life is fascinating.  Most of the books I read tend to be learning oriented, so something just for pleasure needs to happen!

• Host a sushi night.

• Sign up for a pottery class.

• Sign up for a belly dance or tap class, or some other movement class sure to make me look a fool.

• Wild card! That's right, I'm open to suggestions!

Some of these may not seem like the most frugal activities, but frugality as I see it, is not about deprivation, but rather putting your money where it gives you the the most value.  Money is meant to provide necessities, yes, but quality and value with vary from person to person.  Focusing on experiences, rather than stuff is my goal.  It is so easy to put your mental energy towards "getting the best deal" and while that certainly CAN be a part of the frugal and simple life, it can also play into consumerism in a big way. 

Who's with me for the 12 in 2015? Please share in the comments some of your 12!

The Frugal Haps with Photos!

The garden is still chugging along in early September.  The zucchini and cucumber are still producing, albeit they are scraggly and so pitiful looking they seem as though they are begging for mercy (pull me you wicked woman!).

Yesterday's snack all from the garden.

Tomatoes are in fine form, and if you can believe it, strawberries are still coming.  Large and red berries and healthy green plants.  I hope to expand to an entire bed for them next year next to the raspberry bed I hope to have. Oh garden dreaming...

My sweet neighbor Marianne gave me lots of spicy lettuce to transplant, and I hope they survive my ineptitude (I replanted them yesterday in full sun). 

The pumpkin patch was overtaken by the blight, but we were able to get a great haul of sweet round pumpkins.  We gave away several to the neighbors, and will save two for my niece and nephew. The few remaining will be part of our fall decorating.

We will keep a few.  One for me, the girl, and our kitty Charlie.

If the weather is nice and I have good energy I tend to go hog wild on my day off.  I take off every other Thursday without pay so I can take my daughter to school and take care of home necessities.  Yesterday was a blissful day of good health and lots of yard work.  Those are my favorite days. It also happened to coincide with the local nursery's fall clearance sale.  Can anyone say FRUIT TREES?!  I was able to pick up a Dwarf Fuji for $10, a peach tree for $10 (we will see how that does in this climate), and a beautiful ornamental somethingerother.

Which reminds me something I haven't shared! Because of my neighborhood's issue with sewer runoff into the Puget Sound, I qualified for a free rain garden from the city! Well, almost free.  I did have to pay $384 for the 200 gallon cistern, but I had wanted one of those for years.  I was able to water the yard with it yesterday. 

The garden is gorgeous and between labor (lots of digging underground pipes) and plants, it was nearly $2,800 FOR FREE!

I really love my time in the garden.  It feeds me (both literally and spiritually).  I love sharing my bounty with neighbors, and they in turn are so gracious in sharing with me.  In fact, yesterday my neighbor Suzie invited me to pick tons of plums from her yard as they are dropping like crazy.  And my sweet next door neighbor Mary shared several different kinds of tomatos!

Thank you Mary!

Along with the photo of the yummy plums, I'll leave you with the classic William Carlos Williams poem on that very subject...

Thank you Suzie!

This Is Just To Say

William Carlos Williams, 1883 - 1963

I have eaten
the plums
that were in
the icebox

and which
you were probably
saving
for breakfast

Forgive me
they were delicious
so sweet
and so cold

Making Old New Again: Metal Tray Makeover

At my garage sale last Saturday, I came across a tray that was looking pretty shabby, and I decided I would sell it for $0.25 and get it out of the garage.

I used to use it as a tray for a houseplant, but it had gone unused for several years.

What the tray looked like before painting.  Good bones, but not usable condition.

I kept looking at it and decided it had such great "bones" I would try my hand at giving it a little makeover.

I cleaned it up with a dry rag and found some old Krylon indoor/outdoor robin's egg blue spray paint I had in my garage. If you have something like this and it's really corroded, you may need to sand it with a very fine sand paper.

After one coat of paint, I could see a beautiful gift emerging!

A few coats of spray paint brought it back to life!

 I sprayed the top and let it dry, and then flipped it over and did the same. All in all I gave it three coats.

I love how it turned out! This would be the perfect addition to the gift for my sister-in-law's birthday!

I ended up using a different, more colorful bouquet for her gift.

At a garage sale a few months ago I purchased this pretty tea cup for $3.00. The jasmine tea was also also on sale for about $3.00. The vase I ended up using was free from a neighbor looking to get rid of it, and the flowers were from my yard.

The "new" tray, a vintage tea cup, Jasmine tea and flowers from the garden.

The tray really brought everything together. The gift was so pretty, there was no need for wrapping! My sister-in-law loved her gift and wanted to start looking for trays she could spray paint. It was simple, easy, and quite frugal at only $6. Best of all, she used the tray that very evening!

What have you made-over lately?