Frugal February-the sequel

[lilo0003]

I am just dragging my bum today. I have zero energy. I think people would notice if I took a nap in my office. I hope I am not coming down with something. You would think the sunshine and warmer day would inspire me.

[cdngal75]

I am just dragging my bum today. I have zero energy. I think people would notice if I took a nap in my office. I hope I am not coming down with something. You would think the sunshine and warmer day would inspire me.

You could pull a George Costanza and sleep under your desk

[Frugalbigmama]

lol I feel the same way. And I am taking the afternoon off! Have Grandma arranged to pick up little one at afterschool program. Heading out of town for a bit of shopping and me time

[cdngal75]

I would somehow get your sweet boxer to be tied in the front lawn

I have seriously considered it. I have a feeling she would catch it in record time. She is ruthless. She thought we would appreciate having a dead baby racoon left outside our back door. Not so much

[LuvToUseCoupons]

Hi All,
Happy Hump day.
It's so nice and bright outside, it makes me think of spring.
Great morning so far, have 1 load of laundry done already, now off to clean up the kitchen and pull something out for dinner, then on to more laundry.
Have a great day all, try and take some time to enjoy the beautiful outdoors today if you can .

[LuvToUseCoupons]

Sick with a bad cold. Trudging through work. Wish I could take a day off, but there is little give in my teaching schedule until after the March break. We have a speech competition and claymation movies that have deadlines before February and it is unfortunately work I can't leave with a supply.

I think the students love it though, because I talk WAY less. The more I talk the more my eyes start to water and the more I have to blow my nose.

Sending you hugs....hope you feel better soon.

[Crochetlady]

Morning all. I`m off to get my feet done today. Then I`ll do groceries...gotta get some fruits and veggies. Really have to start eating healthier.

[Shwa Girl]

-one friend has no kids or husband-she s 71 and se always told me "that I can be your mom " when I worked with her few years back

such a nice thing for her to say to you
enjoy your lunch out -- sounds like a good day outing

[Shwa Girl]

Morning all. I`m off to get my feet done today. Then I`ll do groceries...gotta get some fruits and veggies. Really have to start eating healthier.

Food Basics, No Frills and even Giant Tiger has some good Thursday or Friday fruit and veggie deals coming up - Venulila's weekly thread:
http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/378656-...1-27-a-canada/ .

Just had a cheap and healthy morning snack --thawed blueberries overnight in the fridge. Got a nice size bowl. It's naturally sweet, filling, full of fibre and anti cancer antioxidants.

Got it nearly free with points and coupons at No Frills, when they have them on sale.

Product of Canada too.

Yum.

[momof5boys]

Nope and we have tried everything!! Our front yard looks like a maze with all the tunnels and molehills. We tried moth balls in the holes and even bought a mole trap kit on ebay. Nothing has worked. Our lawn is the only lawn that moles seem to enjoy

When the snow melts we will be the talk of the neighbourhood no doubt. I read that when you see lots of tunnels on your yard, it is actually the work of only one mole. Sigh. Our mole must be really huge. Too bad it wouldn't migrate to our back yard because my female Boxer is a serial killer of creatures of all kinds. She would catch it in no time.

Apparently if you can just get past the mess they make of your lawn, your lawn will be healthier in the end.

Well, so far, after pouring down a combo of dish soap and hot pepper sauce, no other hill has surfaced. It really is strange that the mole hill was pushed up through gravel of all things. We have a small dog right next door, so I'm hoping the mole is gone for good.

So cdngal, are you just leaving the mole or seeking professional help to catch the critter....

[hydroxybutane]

Today has been a great day for me so far; for hubby...well not so great. Poor guy. If you think shovelling for 20 minutes is bad...he shovelled yesterday for 4 hours for work, then from 2 am until 10:30 this morning. Got home at 11:30 (complete crabby cakes too), ate lunch (left over roast and roasted sweet potato; that was supposed to be MY lunch tomorrow..grr), had a shower and went to bed...and got a call to go back to work at 1. I heard the stomping and swearing downstairs and decided I really didn't want to know. So he's back out at work and it's supposed to snow again tonight. I suggested he could skip the hockey game tonight to sleep, but he looked at me, grumbled something and went out the door. Guess that's a no

As for me, I've been busy this morning. 5 jars of strawberry-black currant jam (the black currants are high in natural pectin, so I use them instead of Certo and you only need a few so you don't really taste them) and 3 jars of strawberry syrup. We're running out of maple syrup (which is a disaster around here), so I figured strawberry syrup will have to substitute. I also discover we're nearly out of granola bars, so I made a batch of date-walnut-appple-honey-PB bars. Now I think I'm going to go and make some bagels, carrot-bran muffins and gingersnap cookies.

So far, I've found a large bookcase for $15 and a new-to-me phone for $25 (a blackberry too), so well under then $50 budget (yipee). Making arrangements to pick them up this weekend.

I also need to do dishes and clean up the kitchen, label and count some preserves, unload dishwasher, load dishwasher, do some mending, work on my embroidery (christmas presents for next year), plan some tutoring/homework for my goddaughters and do some laundry tonight.

I also cleaned out the freezer this morning and updated my list. We have a small cube freezer and really do need a bigger one before the summer. I do a lot of freezing and canning during the summer and now at midwinter, I'm counting to see what we need of.. I have 2 large Ziploc bags of tomatoes (about 3 dozen - use 3-4 tomatoes for a huge pot of chili), 1 bag of green beans, no corn/peas, 3 large bags of spinach balls (but I just got froze those), 1/2 bag of green peppers, 1/2 bag of celery, 1/2 a box of blueberries and 1 bag of strawberries. So we're in trouble for veggies (I see lots of squash, turnip and carrots in our future) and tomatoes. Lots of frozen fruit, so we should be good. Canned, I have 8 jars of applesauce (and some frozen too), 8 jars of pears, 2 jars of peaches and 24 jars of plums (they have not been popular), 6 jars of dill pickles, 8 jars of bread and butter pickles, 1 jar of plum jam, 1 jar of pickled beets. I gave too many jars away at Christmas...sigh, but we should be okay until summer. I buy very little fruit and veg in the winter, unless it's an amazing sale (like spinach for 0.77 cents a bag..I bought 20 bags) or if hubby starts muttering (will usually buy him bananas).

Supper tonight will be pepper steak (my fav recipe that my mom used to make) with mashed potatoes (last of a 40 lb bag of potatoes we were given before Christmas; leftover from a charity supper I helped cook for) and green beans or spinach.

[jasperandchar]

My DD and dear student are off school this week so we decided to head out to Lake Louise for the day and eat lunch at the Post Hotel-not at all frugal but once or twice a year we treat ourselves to lunch there-cause I wouldn't want to buy dinner there or a nights accommodation!! The food was yummy, there is tons of snow and then we went up to the lake to watch people skating and the the sled dog tours they take people on. Fortunately it was a mild day. Just had a light dinner of leftovers from the fridge and now doing the laundry so a peaceful evening at home.

sounds like a lovely day with the girls

[jasperandchar]

Totally did nothing tonight but cleaned up after dinner. Youngest is in bed now and I just want to plop on the couch. Guess we are allowed a lazy night. The laundry will be there tomorrow (we all have tons of clean clothes ready to wear I just like to keep up on it)

It's about time you plop down on the couch like some of us.....energizer bunny you are

[jasperandchar]

@ Mrs. S great tip about the hand blender thingy

@ coupon girl, hope you had a great with your pals

[jasperandchar]

Today has been a great day for me so far; for hubby...well not so great. Poor guy. If you think shovelling for 20 minutes is bad...he shovelled yesterday for 4 hours for work, then from 2 am until 10:30 this morning. Got home at 11:30 (complete crabby cakes too), ate lunch (left over roast and roasted sweet potato; that was supposed to be MY lunch tomorrow..grr), had a shower and went to bed...and got a call to go back to work at 1. I heard the stomping and swearing downstairs and decided I really didn't want to know. So he's back out at work and it's supposed to snow again tonight. I suggested he could skip the hockey game tonight to sleep, but he looked at me, grumbled something and went out the door. Guess that's a no

As for me, I've been busy this morning. 5 jars of strawberry-black currant jam (the black currants are high in natural pectin, so I use them instead of Certo and you only need a few so you don't really taste them) and 3 jars of strawberry syrup. We're running out of maple syrup (which is a disaster around here), so I figured strawberry syrup will have to substitute. I also discover we're nearly out of granola bars, so I made a batch of date-walnut-appple-honey-PB bars. Now I think I'm going to go and make some bagels, carrot-bran muffins and gingersnap cookies.

So far, I've found a large bookcase for $15 and a new-to-me phone for $25 (a blackberry too), so well under then $50 budget (yipee). Making arrangements to pick them up this weekend.

I also need to do dishes and clean up the kitchen, label and count some preserves, unload dishwasher, load dishwasher, do some mending, work on my embroidery (christmas presents for next year), plan some tutoring/homework for my goddaughters and do some laundry tonight.

I also cleaned out the freezer this morning and updated my list. We have a small cube freezer and really do need a bigger one before the summer. I do a lot of freezing and canning during the summer and now at midwinter, I'm counting to see what we need of.. I have 2 large Ziploc bags of tomatoes (about 3 dozen - use 3-4 tomatoes for a huge pot of chili), 1 bag of green beans, no corn/peas, 3 large bags of spinach balls (but I just got froze those), 1/2 bag of green peppers, 1/2 bag of celery, 1/2 a box of blueberries and 1 bag of strawberries. So we're in trouble for veggies (I see lots of squash, turnip and carrots in our future) and tomatoes. Lots of frozen fruit, so we should be good. Canned, I have 8 jars of applesauce (and some frozen too), 8 jars of pears, 2 jars of peaches and 24 jars of plums (they have not been popular), 6 jars of dill pickles, 8 jars of bread and butter pickles, 1 jar of plum jam, 1 jar of pickled beets. I gave too many jars away at Christmas...sigh, but we should be okay until summer. I buy very little fruit and veg in the winter, unless it's an amazing sale (like spinach for 0.77 cents a bag..I bought 20 bags) or if hubby starts muttering (will usually buy him bananas).

Supper tonight will be pepper steak (my fav recipe that my mom used to make) with mashed potatoes (last of a 40 lb bag of potatoes we were given before Christmas; leftover from a charity supper I helped cook for) and green beans or spinach.

I award you the gold star of the day busy as bee a bumble bee that is .

Great finds on the shelf and phone

Let me know how the bagels turn out and if they are the recipe I posted, I'm dying to try the Montreal style but I know I will make a pig out of myself so I'm putting it off

I also enjoy making preserves, jams/jellies and canning in general, great job!