"IT MAKES CENTS TO ME FRIDAY" FOR FEBRUARY 17th"

Hi everyone, 

Well, I don't think I did as bad this week with spending, in terms of the dollar amount. However, as I tally up the receipts we'll find out. Oh, I totally FORGOT to get photos of my purchases, so I'll entertain you with other photos, totally unrelated to saving money, but still very cute :) :)

February 12th, 2012 - Sunday: Purchase $49.54 at Petco:
- One 30 lb. bag of natural dog food for my dog
- $3.55 for California state tax
- The original retail price for this dog food was $48.99.  I could have purchased it for $5 cheaper at another store, but it would have been a much longer drive.  So  I printed out my $3 coupon on-line and went to Petco. It is a reasonable driving distance.  The tax is based on the original cost of the item.  The coupon was applied after taxes.

TIP: Homemade cleaning products can often times save you money. If you are living on an "in between" job budget like me, then something like homemade laundry powder just might do the trick. Click here to visit Maryjane of The Beehive Cottage blog. I used her recipe. It's a winner, for sure.  I just found my laundry powder in the garage. It got packed away in the move.  It's in an air-tight container and is still perfect. So when my current liquid laundry soap runs out, I'll be going back to my homemade laundry powder:

February 12th, 2012 - Sunday: $31.12 at Whole Foods:
- 20 oz drip coffee with cream/sugar "a want, not a need"
- 32 fl.oz. bottle of Bragg's organic, raw-unfiltered apple cider vinegar As I recall, it was the exact same price as the Whole Foods brand.  Plus, the Bragg's bottle has more of a vintage look to it.
- Dark chocolate bar with orange peel This is for my sweet friend who gave me the ride to Whole Foods. She still won't take cash for gas money. However, I can pay her in chocolate. That's a sweet deal.
- Tillamook sharp cheddar cheese It's made in Oregon and it's G.O.O.D.
-Whole Foods brand cheddar cheese.  I bought this one, too. Both of the cheddar cheeses are for my father. He likes cheese. I like cheese, too, but my body can't handle this form of dairy, yet.
- ca. 1 pound of lean ground beef
- 0.97 pounds of trail mix from Whole Food's trail mix bar
California likes to add a sales tax to the trail mix. Sales tax for this item was $0.07 cents.
- local Sunday newspaper $1.50 I purchased this because I'm interested in using coupons again. It's more of a trial run to see exactly how much money I spend on the Sunday papers, versus money saved on items that I actually use on a daily basis.
- total tax on this trip was $0.11 cents.

This next photo is the famous Lone Cypress tree in Pebble Beach, California. This is actually what's known as a Monterey Cypress tree, and this one is special because it's growing all by it's lonesome out on this little rocky outcropping. If you ever visit here, it's worth it to take the 17 Mile Drive to see this and other beautiful spots along the drive:

February 14th, 2012 - Tuesday: $25.62 at Whole Foods:
- Croisssants "a want, and not a need"
- 20 oz. drip coffee with cream/sugar "a want, and not a need"
- Dry rub applewood smoked bacon
- 2 Dagoba organic, dark chocolate bars "a want, and not a need" One chocolate bar was for the friend who gave me the ride to the store. The other one was for my dad and myself to share.

This next photo is some of the beautiful coastline in my hometown:

February 15th, 2012 - Wednesday: $35.64 at Trader Joe's:
- mini-pearl tomatoes
- canned salmon
- canned albacore tuna
- 1 dozen organic, jumbo eggs
- Trader Joe's premium sharp cheddar Dad snuck this into the cart. He really likes cheese.
- Cashew, almond and cranberry trail mix "a want, not a need"...but wow, this stuff tasted great. it had a natural sweet/tart flavor from the cranberries.
- 2 pounds of organic, ground beef
- applewood bacon, uncured


This photo is some of the beautiful flora that can be found along the coast.  I really like the stark contrast between the orange and purple:

February 16th, 2012 - Thursday: $45.31 at Whole Foods
- one bottle of ultra purified drinking water This comes with a $0.10 cent bottle deposit. Oh, interesting,that in the state of California, you don't get the full 10 cents back on your return. Recycling companies pay by the pound. So I'll maybe see about six or seven cents back on this bottle. Unfair,but that's how it works right now.
- local daily newspaper
- sandwiches from the breakfast bar " a total want, and not a need"
- 0.85 pounds of organic, cara cara oranges I've never had these before. The price was outstandingly good. My dad LOVES oranges.
- One Dagoba organic, dark chocolate bar "a want, and not a need" My father and I shared this, too, along with those sandwiches from the breakfast bar.
- 2 small squares of dark chocolate For my friend who gave me a ride to the store this day.
- $20 dollars cash back I gave this to the same friend who I gave those squares of chocolate, too. She has driven me around so MUCH. It's been a real ministry, blessing and relief. So it was only fair to help for the gas.  I'm still studying the driver handbook, and working out who will give me the actual driving lessons. Dad will be okay to drive again in a few months.
- $1.02 was for taxes

Oh, I also spent $5 to purchase  year-long membership to Sheri Graham's "Intentional Planner" site. It's got everything you need to put together your own home management binder. You can pick and choose what you want, download it, print it out for personal use only. It's fabulous. It's the BEST $5 I've spent in a LONG, LONG time.  There's a lifetime membership package which you can check out on her site. I'm saving for that, because that will get me access to the videos and eBooks. Click here to visit.

I spent a total of $187.23 this week.  The dog needs to eat, and her food was $49.54. However, that will last a L.O.N.G. time. So I'm not counting that in my figures.

That brings my total down to $137.69 spent on us humans (my father and myself).  Of that, I would say that $66.67 was spent on food that we needed. So that works out to about $33.34 per person. That's not too bad...Now the "wants" are still a struggle in terms of not buying them so often..but for what it's worth, they're quickly losing the appeal.

Now I should let you know that I follow a gluten-free diet for health reasons.  So last Tuesday, I completely fell OFF the gluten-free bandwagon. I ate croissants, coffee, chocolate AND trail mix.  The croissants and the trail mix were not gluten free. In any case, I ate them and it was fine. However, the next day I was really, really sick, especially in the morning. Later on the day it dissipated to nausea/slight dizziness. This told me a couple of things that were both negative and positive. The negative is that no matter how good those croissants and other stuff look, it will make me sick. Which is did. The POSITIVE in this situation is that the toxicity level in my body is going DOWN and that's why my body had such a strong reaction to those foods.

What about the breakfast sandwiches on Thursday? I know, I know...but I'm telling you, it's HARD to break the gluten habit sometimes.  Well, I am paying for it today (Friday)..although this time it's just a lot of shoulder pain/inflammation.  So there you go. I think this is my  "lowest" week in terms of eating good.  So I really am seeing where the changes need to be made.

I'm also going to be looking at various coupon sites, to see where I can save money on the basics that my family uses every day.  That's why I have started buying the Sunday paper again. 

Oh, I did find a FANTASTIC deal on a home management binder/planner over at Sheri Graham ministries site. Click here to visit.  I can't wait to talk about that some more in a future post. Oh, and I'll be working on those socks that I pictured in my previous post. It'll be sock knitting and watching episodes of the fabulous, Canadian tv show "Road to Avonlea".

That's the news from the ocean shores of California today. Love and hugs, Heather :)

Hi everyone,
How is your Saturday going so far? I think June is a strange weather month here in Oregon. It rains a LOT here....from about October through June :) :)  Yesterday it was a high of  about 71 degrees Fahrenheit. It was also overcast and very muggy/humid. So the heat felt much "hotter" than it really was. This morning it started raining. It was beautiful. It has stopped raining for the moment. It's getting muggy/humid again.  That's okay. I have the fan going and it feels really nice in here :)

YESTERDAY WAS LAUNDRY DAY.

 My weekend is shaping up to be rather quieter than usual. I did laundry yesterday.  There's a laundry room at the apartment complex, which is wonderful. We do have to pay to use it. However, I love the convenience of not having to leave home to wash my clothes.    I keep my homemade laundry powder in a big plastic container. This glass latch/hook jar is what I use when I go to the laundry room.  I refill it when needed. Click here if you like to read my post on how to make your own homemade laundry powder. If you have any questions on that, let me know. I'll answer them as best I can :) :)  This laundry powder is saving me a boatload of money :) :)

 FLOWERS RIGHT OUTSIDE MY FRONT DOOR.

One of the joys of spring and summer is when things start to bloom. There is color everywhere. There's this little bush right outside my front door that has these lovely pink blooms. The blooms are about the size of my thumbnail...very tiny. However, this is a close-up so you can see the detail :) :)

MY NEIGHBOR ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE HAS A BEAUTIFUL ROSE BUSH.

 The neighbor across the fence from me has a gorgeous rosebush. The roses are just starting to bloom. In a few weeks this bush will be so laden with roses, it'll start to bend towards the ground :) :)  This is what I photographed yesterday. Aren't they pretty?  I think so. These roses are so lush and just packed full of beautiful, pink petals :) :)

THS IS SHERBERT, THE HOMELESS CAT THAT ROAMS THE APARTMENT COMPLEX. HE'S ONE OF A FEW HOMELESS CATS THAT HAS ADOPTED THIS   APARTMENT COMPLEX AS HIS HOME.

Sherbert decided to check me out as I was leaving the house yesterday. I love these light purple flowers, too. aren't they just gorgeous in full bloom? Sherbert used to belong to one of the other neighbor's here in the apartment complex. The neighbor's moved out and just left him behind. That is actually a good thing, because they didn't treat him right. 

He tried to "adopt" my add and I. However, in an apartment complex, we have to pay a pet deposit in order to have a  cat (or a dog). It's more than either of us can afford. It makes me sad, but in an apartment complex there are rules that have to be followed :(.  We also don 't have money to feed him . So Sherbert ignores me now, because I don't feed him.    Although he still likes to nap by the tree right near my front door ;) :) My next door neighbor feeds him...so he's not totally without. Sherbert gets better love/care/food from my next-door neighbor, than his previous owners.   However, this day, he looked so cute near the purple flowers. This is actually a good photo of him.

As soon as I find my dad's store receipt from Costco, I'll tell you all about that. We went shopping there on Thursday. It was an experience. We didn't buy a lot because we have a small refridgerator/freezer. We did score some great deals on meat and vegetables.   That's for another post.

I also found a really interesting little curio cabinet. It's probably from the 60s/70s...and it's a "not pretty brown". That will be sanded/painted white or cream...to reflect my love of all things vintage, country, romantic, Shabby Chic...etc. You get the idea ;) :)  I'll post about that later, too :) :)

Oh, thanks so much for visiting me today. I've noticed the new followers, too :) :) You always make me smile...and thanks for liking my blog enough to come visit :) :) You are always welcome. God is good and I'm thankful for each and every one of you :) :)

I do need to organize my "subjects", so people can more easily find older posts. What would you suggest? I could use some advice, because I don't know what would work best. How do you feel about one of those "search" gadgets, that let people type in a word and it brings up all-related posts with that word in it? Let me know. This might be my "computer" project for the week :) :)

That's the news from Oregon today. Extra special love and hugs, Heather :) :) :)

MY FIRST "BUILDING OUR HOMES TOGETHER" POST FOR JUNE 2ND

I AM PARTICIPATING IN THE "BUIDING OUR HOMES TOGETHER" SERIES OVER AT PRAIRIE FLOWER FARM. THIS WILL BE A SERIES THAT I WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN EVERY WEDNESDAY .

Hi everyone :) :) :) How has your week been going so far? Mine has been really good. It has also been really quiet. Okay, so this is really cool.  My friend Linda over at Prairie Flower Farm is starting a new Wednesday series called "Building Our Homes Together".  Click on the link to visit the page and find out more details.

My dream is for my home to be such a haven of hospitality, that anyone who comes through the door will be feel encouraged, joy, happiness. I would love for people to feel encouragement, love and joy when they leave my home. Also, I would love for that joy to be carried to wherever they may call home :) :) My foundation is reading my Bible every day. I also am working on the practical part of taking the time/effort to brighten up the place in which I live. 

Here is my entry for today. One of my goals  in keeping a "home" is making all my meals at home. Now, I live in an apartment. However, any residence can feel like a castle, if you take the time to make it so.  Today I made another batch of  "avocado ice cream". Yes, I said AVOCADO :) :) :) You can find the recipe on page 14 of the June/July issue of "Mary Jane's Farm" magazine.

"AVOCADO ICE CREAM"

Add the following ingredients:

ADD ONE LARGE AVOCADO, PEELED AND DICED.

NOTE:  I used two small Hass avocadoes.  The avocadoes available in the grocery store are not very big. They are small, in my opinion. So I just used two "small" avocadoes. It worked out nicely. Make sure the avocadoes are soft before you dice them. It makes all the difference, especially when you begin to puree the avocado.

NEXT ADD ONE CUP OF HALF AND HALF.

I used a mason jar, since it had the half-cup increments marked on the side of the jar. My glass measuring cup was used later for the lemon juice.

ALSO ADD TWO-THIRDS CUP (2/3 CUP) OF POWDERED SUGAR.

The recipe calls for powdered sugar.  That is what I used. The measuring cup in the photo is a 1/3 cup. You'll need two of those to equal 2/3 cup of powdered sugar. You can probably use agave syrup or honey instead. However, you'll need to adjust the ratio accordingly. I'm not sure how to adjust that.  You'll need to look that up on-line. If I find something, I'll update my post :)

ALSO ADD 1/3 CUP OF FRESH-SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE AND 1/2 TEASPOON OF LEMON ZEST.

 I don't have measuring spoons, so I use a coffee spoon for a teaspoon. That is the one you see pictured in the photo. A soup spoon works well as a tablespoon. In this case, for the lemon zest, I used the peel from an ORGANIC lemon for the zest and the juice. It's really up to you, what you feel like using :) :)

AFTER YOU HAVE ADDED THE AVOCADO,  HALF AND HALF, POWDERED SUGAR, LEMON ZEST AND LEMON JUICE, PUREE EVERYTHING IN A FOOD PROCESSOR UNTIL SMOOTH.

I purchased a mini food processor at a yardsale for $2. I was so excited to use it for the first time. It turned out to be a dud. Maybe I couldn't figure it out? Nope. I plugged it into the outlet and nada. My sweet dad came to the rescue. He suggested I use the hand-held mixer. Let me tell you something. It worked FABULOUS :) :) We actually "fought" over who would get to "mix/puree" the avocado mixture.  It was so much fun, worked great, and only cost us a little bit of time :) :) The avocado pureed wonderfully with all the other ingredients.

ONCE ALL THE INGREDIENTS HAVE BEEN PUREED/MIXED TOGETHER, POUR INTO A CONTAINER. PLACE A TIGHT-FITTING LID ON TOP. PLACE IN THE FREEZER FOR FOUR HOURS OR UNTIL SET.  WHEN YOU ARE READY TO EAT IT, LET IT SIT AT ROOM TEMPERATURE FOR 15 MINUTES BEFORE SERVING.

Okay, this is great. Since the avocado was much softer this time, it pureed so easily. Also notice that it is actually a bit greener than the last batch that I made.  Now the last time I made this, I had to let the ice cream sit in the freezer overnight for it to fully set. The actual time needed to set will vary , depending on the type of freezer that you have in your home. I will let mine sit in the freezer overnight.

THIS IS THE FINISHED PRODUCT - SUPER DELICIOUS AVOCADO ICE CREAM. I EVEN PICKED A REALLY NICE DESSERT DISH AND PLATE WITH PINK FLOWERS AND GREEN LEAVES. DO YOU NOTICE THAT THE GREEN LEAVES ON THE CHINA MATCHES THE COLOR OF THE ICE CREAM? THAT IS BEAUTIFUL.

I let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before I served it. Next time, I'll let it sit a bit longer. My soup spoon served as an ice cream scooper today.  Oh, the ice cream tasted DIVINE.  It tasted so heavenly.   The hand-held mixer really made a difference in the texture and the color. The avocado ice cream came out greener than my first batch. 

If you try making this ice cream, let me know and maybe leave a link to your blog, so that I can see it :) :) I had some ice cream after lunch :) :) Yum. Yum. It will be necessary to have a little more after dinner, too.

This is what's on my mind today :) :) I'm also participating in Rhonda's "On my mind.." series over at Down to Earth. Check it out. There are so many lovely blogs to visit and inspiration to be found ;) :)

That's the news from Oregon today. Love and hugs, Heather :)