Renovations

I've been making good progress on my goals this year.  Some of the obvious progress has been on my hobbies (reading, crafts and more recently the garden) but I've also made progress on my spiritual goals, home and family, health & lifestyle and financial goals. It's been hard work but I've managed to pay off two debts and make a very modest increase to my savings and my giving to the mission field. I've only been able to do the latter by eliminating debt. I hope to be able to continue in this vein in the coming years by continuing to do careful shopping, watch my spending and not incur new debts. It is a challenge.  I have some huge financial goals to reach before I hit the magic age of 65.

One big goal I had for this year is to cost out some modest renovations.  This week I will have a renovator come in for a consultation and let me know how much it would cost to attend to the large and small projects I have. The renovator is also an architect and so he can do drawings in addition to the actual work. He came recommended by a woman from my women's group.  His rates are incredibly reasonable because he works alone and as a bit of a hobby after his day job.  I've seen some of his prior work in photos and will try to speak to some of his past clients too.

After the fire a few years ago, all the interior walls of the condo had to be torn down and reconstructed and the insulation replaced. New carpeting had to be laid also.

I've been living in my place now for several years and the cabinetry, tiles and fixtures in many of the living areas are looking rather old and tired. I'm spurred on by the local downturn in the real estate market.  If you want to appeal to today's buyer and make sure your property is highly saleable, then you really need to make upgrades that are more in keeping with the fresh, modern look that most of the buyers are after.

This is what renovations looked like a few years ago.  The main bathroom was the only room that got a major overhaul  (new light fixtures, new tub tiles and flooring tiles) but I don't have a current photo. I don't like the tile flooring we selected so may change this and a few smaller things.

I also want to make the changes for my own sake.  I have never liked the finishing that many condos are made with, such as stock white kitchen cabinetry that are made of some kind of pressed board, marble surround fireplaces, laminate counter tops and tile floors (which are cold and very hard on the feet).  One of my bathrooms was updated after the fire several years ago but the master bathroom was not. It will be a chance to find out what kinds of less expensive changes I can make to give it new life.

Once my reno guy comes over, he will draw up some plans and cost estimates.  I will then know what I can actually move forward with in the coming months and what might have to wait until next year.  I will try to remember to take before and after photos as I think things are going to look very different. I'm excited although it will be a bit of a challenge to "sandwich" the renovations in between travels and visitors.

In preparation for my consultation, I'm decluttering once again. I'm finally getting rid of a lot of fabric I inherited. After holding onto it for 2 1/2 years I know I won't likely be using it. Actually some of the fabric I bought myself quite a long while ago and I no longer  wish to make whatever it was I had in mind. I've also got more books to offload and yarns and crochet thread to someone who can make use of them. Slowly and bit by bit I'm getting through the clutter but still have more to get rid of especially in the crafting department. In this area, I like to sort carefully because it is expensive to replace everything and sometimes hard to find certain things.  The decluttering never really stops as one is always buying something.  But slowly, I am retraining myself not to spend what I don't need to and eventually I'm hoping to get to the point of a more streamlined household.

Skyward and Inward

Well we had quite an interesting day weather wise today.  I'm sorry I didn't have my camera at the ready to show the different moods of the day but I was bored with cloudy skies, lol

Today started off sunny and bright but by mid-afternoon was extremely cloudy. I'm glad the sky was cloudy as it allowed me to do some work to finish my project (see below). Tonight the sky turned beautiful again and we are expecting a fabulous weekend ahead.  Some of my garden has been fertilized now but the other half still needs to be done. Hopefully that is my weekend project as next week will be busy with other things.

I've been going on about making my niece a quilt for some time. I've never worked with a printed panel before and I thought it would be easy. But this panel was not the typical quilt panel with printed blocks.  It was one long continuous scene from the Wizard of Oz. My niece absolutely loves the Wizard of Oz.

Anyhoo, I wasn't quite sure what to with it. I thought I would simply do some hand stitch quilting around the different characters but nixed that idea. Then I thought I would stitch some lines around lines on the panel, like along the yellow brick road. I nixed that idea also. Then I thought, I will simply hold the quilt together with some old fashioned yarn ties. I did do that but found that the fabric I selected for backing kept puckering up and was very difficult to keep smooth. This proved to be a bit problematic throughout the finishing of the quilt. I think it would be far easier to use adhesive spray for quilting but it is somewhat of a luxury item. I don't buy it because I don't make so many quilts but perhaps in future I will treat myself.  In the end, I decided to do a little stipling along the yellow brick road (top and bottom of the panel only). It is my first attempt and it breaks all the rules, lol. But my niece won't care a bit. All she cares about is Dorothy in her red sparkly shoes, the yellow brick road and the wicked witch.

All the fabrics and batting in the quilt are new.  However I did recycle a chambray denim skirt and used it to make the binding for the quilt. It was a newer skirt I bought in the thrift store but never wore. I'm glad I could put it to good use.  The binding picks up the blue in Dorothy dress quite nicely.

Now that I've figured out how to use my walking foot (the fact that the long piece that has to rest on the top of the bolt that tightens the needle had me confused) and my free motion foot, I can practice on more quilts or sample pieces.

I found I really didn't like working with a quilt panel. I prefer pieced quilts and that is what I will make next like the one I made for mom at Christmas. Ever since then my nephew has been asking for one too so I've been thinking about the fabrics to use.

On a blog related matter, I understand that the Google reader service will soon be discontinued.  I currently follow a lot of blogs using this service and  I hope I can still find them afterward.  But if you don't see me visiting your blog in a long while, please do leave me a comment so I can find you again! I'm not sure whether I will use BlogLovin and/or migrate my blog to another blog platform altogether.  There are pros and cons of migrating. I had been considering the move to Word Press for awhile but someone I follow said she was leaving there over copyright issues concerning her photos. I'm not sure where she has moved to yet and somehow I'm not sure that things will be any different on a different platform.

I'm linking up with Skywatch Friday. Thank you so much for visiting me. Have a wonderful weekend!

My Week So Far

Since I returned late Friday from visiting my mom, I've been very busy. I'm planning a far away trip for the summer and have been busy looking at travel routes, checking points for air travel and hotels, reactivating points programs, checking costs & making bookings where I can.

Sweater & top for mom

I've also received a few more things for mom's wardrobe which I have to label, pack and ship to her as they didn't arrive in time for my travels to visit her.

Purple top for mom

Before I went for my short trip, a friend asked for help with his taxes due to the high cost of hiring a tax preparer.  The base cost at one local preparer is $70 Canadian and at another it is $100 (charges for a very simple return and the price goes up substantially if you have more than 2 receipts).  Some of you will remember that I don't really like doing taxes but I was willing to help this friend so he can learn to do it himself. Since I also needed help with my garden and he is a very good gardener, I asked him to at least pluck up the garden weeds. He said he was happy to do it and he did a great job. He is much faster at this sort of thing than most people are.  His taxes are now filed and he stands to get a good refund so he is very happy.  Today I thought the garden could do with some fertilizing but it was so windy here (and cold too) and this task will have to wait for a calmer day. Maybe tomorrow.  My Solomon's seal is almost fully grown and yet nothing new has been planted due to inclement weather. The hosta bulbs I ordered a month ago finally arrived today.  I'm happy I have something to plant in the shaded parts of the garden.

I have an unfinished simple quilt to make for my niece. It's been sitting in my dining room, cum sewing room, since November and I need to finish it soon.  I want it ready for her visit to me this summer for her birthday.  I finally cut out the binding today and hope to sew it up tomorrow.  I will attach it in a day or two and finish up the quilt.  I've also been searching the internet for some beautiful quilt fabrics and trying to decide whether to order them to add to my fabric stash. I've already got several "WIPs" and no more room for it all.  But I do plan on sewing more now that I've made several skirts for mom this week and gotten the quilting underway again.  Perhaps I can go ahead and order the fabric which I'm sure won't be available later and I would really hate to miss out on it.  On my recent out of town trip, my nephew reminded me again that he is waiting for his lap blanket.  He wants one similar to the one I made his grandmother.  I've been planning to surprise him for his birthday but haven't actually gotten started yet. Time is running out as his birthday is in about a month.

Today I felt like having home made pizza for dinner.  I tried a "new to me" pizza dough recipe from Wolfgang Puck, renowned celebrity chef and restauranteur. The dough was far less sticky to work with than other recipes I've made so I will likely use it again. If you'd like to try it,you can find the recipe here.


Other than these few things I haven't been so terribly busy this past few days.  I've had a bit of a cold and have a fuzzy head as well as a headache every day. I hope it all goes away soon.  I did do a bit of reading but not much. I can't concentrate that long.  Currently I'm reading Tess of the d'Urbervilles on my Blackberry Playbook, and Holman Quicksource Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls in a paperbook.

I have lots of tasks to accomplish this week. None of them are large in and of themselves but require my focus and attention. If I don't get to visit your blog this week, please do forgive me. I will be by to repay your visit as soon as I am able.

I'm linking up with Our World Tuesday today. Do drop by and see what other people around the world are doing this Tuesday.



Have a wonderful week!

Zucchini Brownies

I was away for a few days visiting mom. My main purpose was just to visit because I haven't been to see her since the Christmas holiday.  I also wanted to clean out her closets and drawers and cull a lot of her old clothing. Her closet and dresser space is rather limited .  She recently got an entire new wardrobe and needed the space to store them. I ordered or made everything myself, labelled them and organized them in her closet and drawers. I also had a chance to do some general tidying and straightening out for her as she cannot really do it herself.

The weather was very cooperative for my journey.  It was sunny on the drive there.  On the way back the weather was a bit overcast but not cold or rainy.  However, the clouds opened and the rain fell on my first day home.  Today if the rain keeps at bay, I hope to finally clean the debris from the garden so I can plant soon.  This year I will plant a variety of hostas.  Half of my small garden does not receive direct sunlight and so I think hostas will do well. I will also plant a lot of flowers in the containers I keep in the area where the sun reaches, and a few vegetables; mostly like tomatoes, hot peppers and herbs.

When the hot weather arrives I won't be doing much baking. Here is a good recipe for cooler days.  I picked this recipe up at a Monday night cooking gathering I join every now and then. I love the recipe because of the large quantity of zucchini in it. In Africa and Europe I think you call this a corgette (summer squash). I also like the crunchy top and moist insides.


Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I often mix half white, half whole wheat)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup chocolate chip (I used half chocolate chips and half chopped walnuts)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups finely shredded zucchini/corgette

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 F. and prepare a 9x13 inch pan.
2.  Combine oil, sugar & vanilla extract and mix well.
3.  In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
4.  Add flour mixture to sugar mixture and mix together.
5.  Fold in zucchini/corgette and chocolate chips/walnuts.
6.  Spread brownie mixture into a pan and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes.

Let cool, cut into squares and enjoy! 

Most of us know that vegetables are good for us and zucchini is no exception. It contains manganese, an essential trace mineral, and has a lot of fiber so helps with weight control and lowering cholesterol. It is a good anti-inflammatory, aids in prostate health, cancer prevention, heart attacks and strokes.  Zucchini also has potassium and magnesium which helps in lowering blood pressure. You can see that this summer squash really has so many health benefits.

 

A Bright Spot

Sunday started out pouring rainy, windy and cold. By the time I ventured to take a photo the rains and wind had stopped.

Later in the day, the sky turned blue like the photo below and the sun came out!

To top off my day, I was treated to an early moon in the sky (I think it shows up better if you click the pic).

 

 It helps to have a beautiful day in which to run errands. It is after 6 p.m. and look how bright it is outside.
It's so great to have longer days of daylight now.

In My World this week, I am busily trying to prepare to visit my mom. I'm also linking up with Smiling Sally for Blue Monday.

Happy Earth Day and happy week ahead to you all.

Left Over Soup

Yesterday, I decided to skip another trip to the fabric store.  I need one more piece of fabric for mom's skirt and some plastic bobbins but I can go early next week. It was an overcast day as you can see in the photo; the kind of day that calls for home made soup.

The church steeple is undergoing a face list. It's height has been increased by at least 10 feet and it now has a Celtic style cross which lights up at night. I like the changes.

I had to throw out some veggies earlier this week because I've been too busy to cook them. I resolved to use up some of rest in the crisper before they go bad too.

The soup simmering on the stove.  The sheen on the top comes from the overhead light, not oil.

Ingredients:

- 3/4 cup brown rice
- 2 cleaned and diced carrots
- 2 cleaned and diced stalks of celery
- 1/2 cup red quinoa (uncooked. This was left over from Thanksgiving)
- 1 medium chopped onion
- 1 large can of stewed tomatoes
- 1 medium-large can of kidney beans (rinsed)
- 1/2 cup cooked cabbage left over from earlier in the week
- splashes of hot sauce and soy sauce to taste
- water (as needed and depending how thick you want your soup)


First, boil the brown rice and water together for 15 minutes or so.  Brown rice takes longer to cook so it needs a head start.

When the rice is boiling, add diced carrots, onion and red quinoa and let all the ingredients boil together for another 20-30 minutes.  Next, add the rinsed canned beans, tomatoes, left over cabbage, hot sauce and soy sauce.

After boiling together for a few minutes, do a taste test and add more hot sauce and a very small bit of sugar to cut the heat if needed.  There was only a wee bit of hot sauce left in my bottle but it was a little too much so I added a about 2 teaspoons of sugar. Finally, simmer everything together for another 10-15 minutes or until the brown rice is fully cooked.

The soup is very tasty and healthy.  There is no oil and no added salt, other than what is in the prepared sauces in this soup.  There is also no meat but it is high in protein with brown rice, red quinoa and kidney beans.  Finally, this soup is very easy on the budget.

This week I hope to link up with Homemaker on a Dime when the new linky opens.

Frugal Finds This Week

How many of you have ever shopped and been overcharged for items? I usually watch the scanner when I'm paying for items so I can "catch" the errors. Often there are errors in the posted sale prices and the price at the till when the item is scanned.  Have you found that too?

This month I decided to track my household spending for groceries and all kinds of household items. I had kept my receipts and hope to do this for the next few months to see where my household funds are going. This is not a task I really enjoy but this year I want to see what I can really save on needless expenditures.

This is a sample of cheese from the company that made my purchase.

In creating my list, I discovered something that made my jaw drop. I paid $11.00 for a very small amount of Brie cheese. Now some small wedges of Brie at my local grocery store can cost that much and more. However I would not knowingly pay that amount and was certain I had selected something less expensive. Fortunately I still had some of the cheese and the original bar code and price label.  In checking my receipt, I discovered I had overpaid by about $4.50 (Canadian).  On another trip to the same store, the clerk mentioned I should simply bring in the receipt and the wrapping and I will receive my refund. Normally I would catch this kind of mistake right away but in this case, I was distracted by the friendly cashier when she was scanning my items at check out ;-) (Savings 4.50)

I haven't calculated all the food purchases for the week. I haven't actually purchased much other than 20 pounds of brown rice which will last me for a long time. I should have bought a smaller bag as we head into the warmer months and brown rice can go rancid. I also purchased some milk, cereals and bananas. I will add these to my monthly expenditures. I already know that my food bill for the month is higher than usual because I purchased more for the pantry than I do most months due to sales. This month I've purchased a variety of canned beans, canned tomatoes & canned soup. These will last for many months. I also bought a few cans of ground coffee. I still need to buy a large jug of cooking oil.

How many of you collect points at your favourite stores so you can use the points for purchases on items you need later?

This week I purchased over $40. (Canadian) of items at my local pharmacy. The cashier asked me if I had received any offer of points. I said 'yes' but I didn't have the points coupon with me. He suggested I return the following day with the coupon and ask the owner for a credit. Since the story is close to my home, I did exactly that.  The owner kindly gave me 9000 points instead of the 8000 points I was looking for. Now I have enough points (22,000 +) to get $30 off of a future purchase at the pharmacy.  I will wait to use the points until I need bread, milk, butter, eggs, bacon and household items like glass cleaner, toilet paper, plastic wrap so I can spend all the points at once.  This is the best way to get the full value of the points (so I've been told and so I've learned). (Savings $10.)

I also need to follow up on the store's head office because I made a large purchase in March for which I was to get 20x the points.  I don't think I received the credit.  A simple phone call will determine whether the error is the store's or mine.  A store error means another $10.value in points toward a future purchase.

I think probably most of you shop around for clothing bargains and I'm no different. In preparation for a trip to see mom, she asked me to purchase some clothing for her and she gave me a modest budget.  She primarily wanted some colourful summer tops.

I managed to buy 4 tops, 3 summery sweaters (she gets a chill easily), 3 necklaces and a pair of earrings. The grand total was $111. (Canadian, including taxes).  Shipping was free (normal cost about $10.) and I didn't have to travel to the store and browse the aisles because I ordered on line. Total savings on this shop was $200.  That's astounding!  The very next day, most of these items were back to the full price. It pays to watch the sales. As an added bonus, I will get some points toward a monetary credit to buy things later in the year. I think I will use it for heavy sweaters or nightgowns for winter wear. (Savings $210.)

I never think of savings in a fabric store unless I specifically go as a result of sale. The only fabric store that remains in my big city doesn't have fabric sales as such, but they do have clearance and remnant items.

I am not a seamstress but I do mend clothing and I make simple skirts for my mother. This week I did some fabric shopping in the remnant section for fabric to make skirts and other items like simple vests (savings of approximately $12.00). I also purchased 6 meters of snakeskin printed fabric for $1.00 a meter (a savings of $10. a meter!). (Total savings on fabric $72.00)

Do any of you shop on line for books? You can often get free shipping if you purchase $25. on Amazon (or like companies).  I mostly purchase books at the thrift store where I can get books for $1 to $3.  On a rarer occasion, I can purchase a book for 25 or 50 cents.  If I want a particular book though, I will likely have to buy it in a bookstore or on line. Recently, I wanted a particular book on the Dead Sea Scrolls. I also wanted a memoir of Elspeth Huxley who grew up in Kenya in the early 1900s.

I ordered the books on line and they were delivered to my door within a week. I saved about $12. on the cost of the books and approximately $7. on the shipping. (Total savings $19.)

When you go on a flight do you search the internet for air travel deals or ask your travel agent to investigate a cheaper fare if the first fares he/she quotes you are too high? I know many people who cross the border from Canada into the USA to get a cheaper flight.  I don't go that far.  I like to get to my airport in half an hour; not spend hours getting to the departure airport.

This week I investigated air fares on line then called my travel agent to book. I managed to save about $300 on the air fare.  However I spent some of the savings ($93) by paying for pre-booked seat because I like to ensure I get aisle seats for long trips.  It makes it easier for me to do chair exercises and to get up and walk around the plane whenever I wish. Anyone who suffers from swelling of the lower extremities needs to be careful when travelling long distances. (Total savings $203.)

Total savings this week: $518.50* Not bad. 

I'm always looking to stretch a dollar and this week I feel like I hit the "jackpot".

 

Of course, most weeks I am not buying books, clothes, fabrics and air tickets. Most of the time my savings are far more modest.  But by paying attention and shopping around when one does need to spend we can make significant savings.

Not everything was a "win" this week.  Sadly I did had to throw out about $7.00 worth of vegetables (Total savings minus $7. = $511.50). 

Normally I do not waste vegetables but this week I could not seem to keep up to vegetables and some strawberries before they went soft and moldy.  Sometimes fresh produce doesn't last very long at all before they go bad. If I wasn't busy out of house this week, I likely would have made some soups with the veggies and snacked on the strawberries.

In these economic times, most of us rely on saving on daily needs to help us through the month.  I'm looking for savings everywhere I can to help fund my upcoming travels and also to help all my sponsored kids in Zambia, Ethiopia and Kenya. 

If you are thinking about sponsoring a child but haven't yet done so and have questions, please feel free to contact me. I love to encourage people to sponsor a child or a family if they can.

 

* I adjusted this amount upwards as I had forgotten to include the $10./meter savings on the snakeskin pattern fabric I bought.