The True Queen of Frugal

This post astounds me. Seriously, this is my ideal.

Handprints on the Wall: The True Queen of Frugal

Laundry once a week, all line dried. Herbs from the garden. Grocery shopping twice a year! Oh, good, gosh, I think I stumbled into heaven.

Seriously, I wish we could live like that. Unfortunately, life at the moment demands otherwise. But it's something to shoot for.

Cloth napkins

A while back, much like this post on Tomato Soup Cake, I found cloth napkins on sale. My hesitancy matches up pretty well with what The Mama talks about on her blog (more laundry, stains, paper towels work just fine, etc.). And, like her, I went ahead and took the plunge.

However, one other reason I didn't buy them for the longest time is because I had it in my head that I needed to buy napkin rings to go with them. I've since found many alternatives. Here's just a few of them:

• ribbon (my personal favorite)
  
• raffia (good for Thanksgiving)
  
• silk flowers (best if you get these for free)
  
• rings made from cardboard tubes, covered in the material of your choice
• pipe cleaners
• braided yarn

One more comment about cloth napkins and then I have to go. If you make them yourself (not difficult to do), they need to be large. The best I have are easily larger than a dinner plate. And if you have children, try to find ones that are fairly absorbent and durable, as well as beautiful. They will get used. :)

Depression-era cooking

I'm going to only post the first episode to get y'all started. Have fun! :)

About coupons

I don't coupon, sorry to say. The foods I eat (whole grains in #10 cans and 20 lb. bags) usually aren't covered by coupons.

However, some of those who read my blog do or at least have kicked around the idea. For those who are interested, here's a post on basic couponing.

Solar Cooking

I found this really interesting article on making a solar cooker. It's by Steve Jones, a physicist from BYU. Enjoy.

http://solarcooking.org/plans/funnel.htm

Home Comforts by Cheryl Mendelson

This isn't really a review. In fact, this book is written in such a way that I don't think I could review it. It would be like reviewing the dictionary or the encyclopedia.

Because this month is going to be very busy for me (all sorts of parties going on this month) I won't have time to talk about this book in detail. But to give you a taste of it, I'll tell you that this is the anti-Martha Stewart book. No, it doesn't attack her. But it does make it clear where they stand in regard to the house. They're fun, but not the heart of the home. To paraphrase, imitating the chores and crafts of the past doesn't make your house a home.

So, what does it take? As much as feminists resent it, it takes identifying yourself with your home. It means that no matter where you are right now, you care enough about yourself and those with you to make the home clean, ordered, and easy to live in.

Just try it for a few weeks. Take a look at your home and ask yourself, "What does my home say about me?" If you don't like the answer, figure out what needs to change.

More later.

Website about beans

Beans are a fantastic addition to the frugal diet. They don't spike your blood sugar, they have no gluten (for those who are sensitive), they regulate the system and are the "other half" to grains like wheat and rice.

Here's a site for those who love beans. I'll post more on this topic next month (March).

http://www.dvo.com/newsletter/monthly/2003/april/0403tabletalk.html#6