Visit this post at NotSoFastBook.com to enter the Green Mama book giveaway—ends Saturday morning, June 19.Each weekend during soccer season, we tote collapsible chairs to and from our kids' matches. The chairs fold down and slide into bags, and nearly always one of our bags is ripping at the seams.This past season, it was one of the red chairs. The chair itself still … [Read more...]
Make-Do Mondays: Used Game System
At Make-Do Mondays, we discuss how we're simplifying, downsizing, repurposing, buying used, and using what we've got.It’s a carnival you can visit to celebrate creative problem-solving, contentment, patience and ingenuity. If you want to participate, you can share your own make-do solution in the comments or write up a Make-Do Mondays post at your blog, then return here to … [Read more...]
Make-Do Mondays: Make-Do Heritage
Make-Do Mondays is a carnival dedicated to sharing the creative, frugal or even humble ways we’re making-do.To participate in Make-Do Mondays, simply explain some way that you’re making do. Join in the discussion via the comments or Mr. Linky.The Mr. Linky for WordPress.com isn't as slick as what Typepad and Blogger can use, but I figure I should make-do with that, as … [Read more...]
Time Are Hard
[Updated: Whoops. Left a little too quickly this morning. Of course the title of this post should be "Times" are hard. Otherwise it suggests an enigmatic statement about the Theory of Relativity mixed with a "Kids 'R' Us" phrasing.]Yesterday, The Belgian Wonder and I turned into the Goodwill parking lot."Look!" I cried out. "A limo! At Goodwill! Quick, let's get a picture. … [Read more...]
Tightwad on Tuesday, Pt. 2
Already there have been some great comments and links to the Tightwad on Tuesday post.Apparently we're not the only ones who have made changes after all, contrary to what my informal local survey revealed.Nor are we the only ones who have been more on the tightwad end of the spectrum for some time. We've always been pretty cheap thrifty, but I can see right away that many … [Read more...]
Tightwad on Tuesday
Not long after the national -- now global -- financial upheaval dominated the news, I conducted an informal interview of friends and neighbors.While chatting with someone at the soccer field or church, I would sometimes inquire, "Have you made any changes as a result of this whole big economic scare?"They all answered, "No."I was surprised, because in these days of … [Read more...]
Backyard Bounty
It isn't much, but given that I'm a novice gardener harvesting a small, weedy plot...Basil, cucumbers, zucchini, and tomatoesI'm pleased. … [Read more...]
Make Room for the Universe
My friend John described a wilderness hiking trip he took with his son. "No pop-up campers out there, eh?" I asked. "Only what we could carry on our backs. We even slept under the stars." "No tent?" "Nope." I must have shuddered or made a face, because John grinned and tried to convince me of the beauty of backwoods camping. "It's liberating to realize that everything you … [Read more...]