Show and Tell

As I mentioned in a previous blog, I am committed to making some changes in my life...centered around abandoning the American, "Want...Take/Buy...Have" philosophy of acquiring stuff. I have always been drawn to a simpler way of living, but lately I have felt more of an urgency to put it into practice. Simply put...I don't need brand new stuff. With the exception of two purchases that we are saving up for and plan to buy new:

*Another set of sheets for our bed
*A new set of pots and pans

we are really trying to break the bad habits that resulted in nothing but mounds of credit card debt that we are now trying to pay off. For example...we are in need of a new comforter/quilt/bedspread for our bed. We spent way too much money on a brand new one last March and discovered that the material [a wierd "satin-like" material] irritates my husband's skin. Our first instinct is "let's go to Target and buy a new one." But we are going to make do with an old one that we have lying around and scour thrift stores, craigslist.com, and freecycle.com until we find one that we want.

Another idea we had in the vein of homemade gifts is homemade soap...now I know you're thinking I sound like a Bill Gothard-following homeschooler right about now...lol!! But seriously? We both love all-natural, homemade soaps and usually pick up a bar or two if we stumble upon it at a farmer's market or craft sale. There are only a few store-bought soaps that do not make my skin break out in a rash, or cause my exzema on my toes [can you think of a MORE irritating place to have exzema? I mean, it's not like I can gracefuly whip off my shoe and start scratching my toes in public...]. I have never had that problem with the homemade, all-natural kind. Unfortunately, if I buy it from a store or a booth at a craft sale, it's usually $5 a pop - people need to make a living, but I also need to get clean...so that's a lot of money out of our budget for that purpose! So we are toying around with experimenting in that area.

We are recommitting ourselves to making most of our meals at home, and have been inspired by Julie and Julia to try more new recipes. I made some really tasty lemon bars this past week that we are still snacking on...I'll post the receipe later!!!

And...as I have already mentioned...homemade gifts. Which brings me to the "show and tell" portion of this blog post: most of these are crocheted things - I have discovered, as my mom and late grandma also discovered in their lives - that crocheting is a great way to wind down at the end of the day and feel productive as I'm watching something on t.v. It's also a great stress reliever - many prayers have been offered up to God on my family's behalf by my grandma and my mom as they sat in their chairs crocheting, waiting for loved ones to return home - and now I am finding that this is a fantastic way for me to pray and stay focused...plus I get to make some groovy things for myself and for others. So here goes - prepare to be amazed:


A scarf I made for my husband for this winter - it actually started out as a baby blanket for my friend Erika's second baby [who was born last Monday], but I got the count wrong on some of the squares and found that when I tried to sew them all together, it was lopsided. Not wanting to waste the hours I spent crocheting or all the yarn, I asked my husband if he liked the colors and if he'd wear it if I made it into a scarf instead. He did, and said he'd wear it, so...


Me wearing the finished product - and demonstrating another "life simplifying" discovery: making small braids throughout my hair really helps tame it and keep it from getting too "poofy." It's probably the closest I'll get to dreds, because I just cannot convince my husband that a white, nerdy female would look good in them. He really likes this look on me, though!


These are some "doilies" I made to put underneath candles. I was more or less practicing and getting the hang of crocheting - and again, not wanting to waste time or yarn, decided to find a use for them. I love the "cozy" touch they add to our house.


Two cell phone holders and a set of pot holders. The cell phone holders are mine, but I plan to make more of these and more pot holders as Christmas gifts this year...finding as much of the yarn as possible at thrift stores!


And last but not least - the material for the tied fleece blanket that I will be making for Erika's new son, Caleb Riley, since the original blanket turned into a scarf :o). I bought too much material [I didn't remember if I needed one yard or two - it turns out I only needed one!], so I will probably just make a second one and donate it to CareNet - our local crisis pregnancy center - for their baby boutique that expectant moms are able to shop in for super cheap!!

So there you have it: some immediate steps I've taken to simplify my life, lighten my stress load, and keep my pocketbook happy. I will be posting more ideas and tips as they come to me...so enjoy!!!!