May Busy Beavers - May 2015 Frugal Chatter Thread

[avoncallingu]

It's lovely and peaceful! DH taking a snooze - ditto for dogs - they are snuggled up with us on our chairs - happy that we're home. No TV, No Radio. Just a nice peaceful time to chill.

I met with a couple that I will be marrying in June this afternoon and then took a pile of pants to the lady who does alterations for me.

I got most of these "spring pants" at the senior's day at the "VV Boutique". But one she said didn't need shortening and the pair of capris that I had on had a broken zipper. So I arrived home in a different pair of pants than I left in!! LOL! DH noticed right away!

I have to make a tomato sandwich and keep trying to figure out outfits that I can wear in SUDBURY!!! It's supposed to be cool there this next week.

The dogs don't know it, but this is the last snuggle they'll get in with us for a week - they go to the sitters tonight. We will hopefully get a snuggle from Lynn49's doggy - Jenny!

30 degrees and humid here today! Whew!

I'll chat with you later - I have to disturb poor MAX. (Woke up to him throwing up this morning - poor buddy - doesn't seem to be anything but an upset tummy. - I was never a mom but I sure BOLT awake when one of these guys is in distress!)

[momof5boys]

Finally managed to plant our garden here at home and also a larger garden at my parent's place. Can't wait for all the veggies to start growing. At the moment we are eating lettuce and spinach from the garden but not much else. Also have a couple of pots on the patio with tomatoes growing.

Son came home after a fantastic week at the Science Nationals. Lots of memories made. He said Fredericton is such a great place to visit so we'll have to put that one on our 'retirement travel' list

[coupon girl]

yeah fever gone -i just have a cough (now to get things done)
-finish my library book
-try to get hubby to buy some runners
-gonna hang out my towels
-lovely brisk day

[Andit]

Good morning, everyone.

Last night's fireworks were very pretty. I have a teeny (approx 4in wide) window facing east, so I can get a glimpse of the larger fireworks at Ashbridges Bay. Lily dog & I enjoyed the show, while Quincy cat glared at us for disturbing his beauty sleep.





I'm off to see Titanic tonight - Ben Hepner is performing in the musical so it should be a treat. And yes, I've been teased about my choice of theatre before I go on a cruise.

I'm running late, Lily dog & I spent a bit more time than I intended spying on the neighbours. Oh well, she is a happy pup, which is all that matters.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day.

[Frugalbigmama]

Happy Tuesday! Back to work but feeling good after 3 days off. I'm a little sore from all the walking I did but feel great really! Planning to walk again with a friend tonight while kids are at baseball practice. We also re-painted the 2 muskoka chairs and painted over the muskoka chair set with table attached. It was my moms and sitting in the back of my yard for years and ugly! So we painted it a nice blue and the look new now! Made a nice salad with leftover chicken for my lunch today. Since I'm walking tonight I will hit RCSS at my lunch and see what deals I find.

[MrsSunshine]

heh all.. a short week.. yay!
busy weekend. Backyard is nearly set for summer..
i popped in to the store Sunday to grab a few things for yesterday.. we had home burgers. hubby laughs he calls them 'sliders'. i thought they were much bigger when i was making them. . not so much upon shrinkage..
they were still tasty.

looking to get a few things this week, a couple of wicker chairs for the backyard.
some free plants and a few for a couple of bucks.

need to intergrate some exercise into my routine. get the old muscles moving. hoping for a bike ride this week.
oh and possibly have a commissioned sale on a crocheted baby set. awaiting on confirmation.

[Frugalbigmama]

@MrsSunshine - My best friend use to call my homemade burgers "bullet burgers" because they would shrink up so round and small lol. I have finally found the way to make them perfect and they hardly shrink (mix pork and beef seems to be the trick!!!)

[Frugalbigmama]

New flyers are being posted. I see a few deals (chicken drumsticks $1.88 LB at RCSS) Not my fave but great on the bbq and a change. Will have to sort the freezer in the next few days. Have lots of romaine so will use up this week for lunches and side with dinner. And buy 2 more packs on Thursday ($2 each at ValuMart (3pk) and 600 PC Pts) Really back on my healthy eating plan. So having lettuce and veggies is what I need to balance my meals (and its great for my work lunch with chicken or fish (on side-I don't like fish on my salad) for protein) Going to really look at the flyers tonight and plan the next week and bit (and try and use up freezer stuff too)

[Frugalbigmama]

I have bread dried out on the counter. Will make bread crumbs tonight to use when I make homemade burgers next. It worked well last time so this is my new thing! Have buns from GT sale on weekend (sale ends today 1.49 for Wonder 8pk) and they are good past the upcoming weekend so burgers on the bbq with salad will be on the meal plan soon. Will have to figure it all out tonight

[toronto166]

ugggg why are men like little boys sometimes -hubby tells me he is working on deck just screwing boards -he goes out I nice blue shorts from last year I bought them at sears for our cruise
well i come home from shoppers and there is permanent marker across pocketnd a bit on top o shorts -oh and tiny bit of wood preserver too -I was livid
-I tried milk ,hairspray -now they are soaking in a bit of milk

OMG, sorry it's not funny but I had an image of my husband that made me LOL. DH does oil changes to his truck and my car with his work shirt. I have tried absolutely everything to get it out....the stains are there for good. So I now call them his "dirty" shirts (even though they are washed and hanging) and he can do whatever he wants with them. This past weekend, I put his "dirty" shirts in the laundry and what did he do?? Put on a "clean" shirt to go get horse manure! Ugh

[toronto166]

Hey everyone....sorry wasn't on at all this past weekend. Long weekend was wonderful. We had perfect weather and our family bbq was a great success. Ended up making a pasta/tuna salad, potato salad, grilled veggies and pork tenderloin on the bbq that DH kept basting. Once it was done, he cut it up in thin slices and put it on buns. OMG they were so good. We have plenty of leftovers too so I know I won't be cooking until probably Thursday or Friday. Did approximately 7 hours of gardening/weeding and I can honestly say, I'm pretty sure I'm all done now. All our vegetables and flowers are planted. Now I just want to see them bloom.
I'm completely exhausted though. Didn't sleep a wink last night. I am peri-menopausal so I was sweating all night long. This was my first time ever and boy was it uncomfortable. Plans are to get to bed at 8 p.m. tonight.
Hope you all had a great long weekend!

[jasperandchar]

hey all, back at my parents as my mom asked to go to the hospital last night, ends up she has pneumonia which i have been saying since Feb. but no one would listen. My dad called me this am in a panick like life or death and said he would pick me up so off I went to discover that it's pneumonia (don't get me wrong) I'm just upset that my dad overeacted again like the last time in February where I was nausious all the way to the hospital getting hd to pull over so I could be sick, etc. , I will stay for a day or 2 then head home, I don't do well away from home because of my anxiety and other mental illnesses. So sigh....
@lizzie bargain thinking of you wondering if your trip has been cancelled since many are sick.

[avoncallingu]

Hi folks! Our trip has BEGUN! Spending the night with friends in Waterloo and we're treated to a Yummy supper and another friend's company. I managed to strain my back again lifting suitcases into the car so sitting for the car ride wasn't great.
Andi, I know what you mean about missing your buddies when you go away! Ours started crying and trying to get out the door with us! It broke my heart but they actually love it at the sitters once we disappear.
Nat, I hope your back is getting better!
Thriftygranny - I am keeping you in my prayers.
Both you pregnant ladies seem to be so busy!
All the gardening stories are making me wish my back would behave!
Crochet lady, we have no time to drop into Anna Mae's this end of the trip, but maybe when we get back.
Mrs.S. My sleep study is Sunday night in London. They found a reason to take a second look and I think I will be wearing a mask this time. What a beauty I am with all those electrodes hooked up!
Speaking of sleep, I should say goodnight and catch up with you all later from Sudbury!

[sweet sparrow]

For those who have tile and grout showers, what do you use to clean the grout? I know that the grout was sealed when we moved in 1-1/2 years ago but there are some areas that are definitely looking stained. I've tried various concoctions with limited success. And do you seal your grout every couple of years?

@momof5boys : I answered your post awhile ago and it's haunting me because I was rushing and didn't write the way I would have cleaned a shower (in that long, distant time when I didn't have LO ).

It sounds like you have a large family, so I would clean after the person who takes the steamiest shower. All the grout takes a bit of a "pre-soak" in the steam and it's the easiest time to clean. I use an abrasive sponge (like the plastic dish ones) with dish soap for the tile and tub/floor. If you clean regularly, it does the job. If the grime is still there, you might need a more abrasive cleaner. This would be what I would use on the actual grout.

If you like going the natural route, you can make a paste with baking soda and vinegar. Scrub, scrub, scrub, scrub, scrub. If there's mold in the pores of the grout, no amount of scrubbing will get it out. It can get in behind the caulking as well, if you have any, and that would have to be removed and reapplied to get it off.

If you don't like natural cleaners, you can use cleaners with bleach. It's dangerous to start mixing anything else but water with bleach, so you can either use a bleach solution, or use cleaners that already contain bleach. Vim has a product that contains bleach and it's also contains an abrasive. The only thing I don't like about Vim is that it takes forever to rinse off the grittiness completely.

Once your shower is sparkling, use a squeegee to pull all the water off your tiles. After that, you can use a microfiber cloth to dry the grout lines between the tiles. The trick to keeping the grout clean is keeping it dry. The most important part after all your work is to scrape all the water off after every shower. Then, use the cloth to dry all the grout. It takes a few minutes but it keeps the grout clean. Wash the cloth with your regular laundry routine and that's it!

Now I'll be tempted to go clean!

[toronto166]

@jasperandchar - wow hope your mom gets better. Pneumonia is nothing to fool around with. Is she still in hospital or is she back at home now? You need to take care of yourself as well. Thinking of you.