PLEASE Shop Etsy!!

Christmas will be tight or nonexistant this year if I don't make some sells,

so please remember me

 when your doing your holiday shopping.

 

I have lots of fun stuff and will take orders.

 

So please don't forget to shop with me.

Free shipping from Thanksgiving thru the following Tuesday at my Etsy shops

 

Sherry's Sewing and Crochet Shop

 

and

 

A Pinch of This - A Dash of That

 

Thanks!!!!



Saturday Savings on OOoops.....Monday

One way we've been really saving money lately is to buy our groceries at The Deli Warehouse. 

 

Earl and I buy meat in bulk there and then freeze it. 

 

We usually get Italian saugase, ham, meatballs, hamburger, pork tenderlion and bologne. 

 

We also buy cheeses, some produce and canned tomotoes and olives there.

 

I also started buying my olive oil in a large container....I LOVE to cook with olive oil!

 

Last Saturday when we were shopping they had 50 lb. bags of potatoes that had been ripped open, so they were missing a few potatoes, but we got them for $2.99 a bag.

 

For $2.99 we could afford to be short a few potatoes!

Earl bought 3 bags of potatoes and we put 2 bags of them in the attic where it's cool and dark so they'll keep for quiet awhile. 

Guess what we're going to be eating lots of.....

baked potato soup, fried potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, potato salad and so on ........

 

 

 

So my Saturday Savings tip is if you like to buy in bulk The Deli Warehouse is a great place to go!

Saturday Savings on Sunday

I'm a day late and a dollar short!

 

Yep, that's me!

 

 

I've never been a fan of beans except green beans, refried beans and baked beans,

 

BUT.....

 

I am learning to really like them!

 

My mom is an excellent cook and always put so much effort to make sure we had well balanced meals.  I really liked everything she made

 

EXCEPT

 

I can think of 4 things that I absolutely hated.

 

Navy Beans slow cooked

Liver and Onions

Potato Soup

and

Mexican Pie

 

When I came home from school and almost threw up from the smell of navy beans cooking or saw the disgusting looking red meat laid out on the counter I tried to either eat at a friends house or fall asleep before dinner.  I absolutely WOULD NOT eat those 3 meals.

The Mexican Pie just looked gross to me.

Hamburger, corn, black olives (which I hated back then too!) and other yucky stuff.

I remember stuffing bites of that under the table cloth and squishing it down.

By doing that I now realize that I was being as gross as the  Mexican Pie was.

Sorry Mom!

The potato soup was just nasty looking to me.

Mom makes hers with chopped potatoes, celery, onions, butter and lots of milk.

I hate white milk to drink and the potato soup looked like milk with things floating in it.

 

 

In life everything changes and so did my taste buds........

slowly,

but the did change quite a bit.

 

 

 

It all started when someone at the Dr.'s office I used to work at brought in chili for lunch one day.  They had chili beans in it and a thick sauce to the chili. 

I'd never liked chili before, but fell in love with this one.

So chili with chili beans became not only acceptable, but one of my favorite meals!

 

Then Earl ordered me a burrito and it came with rice and black beans on it.

I was really hungry so I ate it and it was so good!!

Now I put black beans in all my Mexican food.

 

When I went home to Kansas a couple of years ago my sister-in-law made ham and beans for dinner. I wanted to be polite so I tasted it.....

and much to my surprise it was delicious!!

So now during the winter I make ham and beans with beer bread every few weeks.

 

Well, we are so broke and last week I Googled "Recipes for low income people" and found lots of,

 

of course,

 

bean recipes.

 

I decided to go on and give it a go with a positive attitude so I tried

Black Bean Soup first and then Lentil Soup.

 

I googled a recipe and then adjusted it to the ingredients I had and it turned out SO GOOD!

 

I used 4 cans of black beans

sauted chopped carrots, celery, onion, and green pepper in olive oil

a can of diced tomatoes

a can of cream of mushroom soup

beef broth

and cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc....

 

After everything cooked for about 6 hours

I used the whizzer and made the soup lumpy, but smooth and creamy.

 

This soup was so good!!!

 

This isn't my photo, but this is how my soup looked.



 

 

 

Again, not my photo, but the general idea of how my Lentil soup looked.

 

 

So my Saturday Savings tip is to give beans a shot!

 

They are cheap and oh so yummy!!

 

 

I'm still not up to trying Navy Beans.....I think I was traumatized with those, but I'm sure enjoying other types of beans.

 

Saturday Savings

I decided to start a new "thing" on my blog called Saturday Savings. 

 We have had a really rough last couple of years financially

and have learned ways to save some money.

 

 

 

I'll start with the kids Halloween costumes.

I've been doing this for years now, and we did it again this year.

We try to make the kids costumes out of clothing that they can reuse throughout the year

instead of just buying an expensive costume that they will only wear once.

 

Here's some examples:

 

Ezie's suit is the same suit that we bought from the thrift store for $3.00 last year for Mallory's hobo costume.  The shirt we got from the local Resource center for free, the hat from a wedding, and I had a new pair of pantyhose in my drawer for the mask.  We did buy him a gun for $6.00.

 

Total for Ezie:  $6.00

 

 

Mallory's Dorothy outfit was a little more expensive, but it can all be worn separately throughout the year.  We decided to make an apron instead of a dress so that she could use the apron for cooking.  The fabric cost me $6.00 for the apron, she had a white shirt, we bought a pair of capri white leggings at Wal-mart for $5.00 and the shoes at Payless for $10.00.  I had the ribbon in my stash.   

 

Total for Mallory:  $21.00

 

 

Jace's Tin Man costume included buying him a long sleeved t-shirt for $4.00, a pair of sweat pants for $5.00, a funnel for the hat cost $1.00, the oil can (watering can) cost $6.00, a can of spray paing for $1.00 and we had the hat. 

We made the heart out of an old pocket watch, the plastic lid to a coffee can, duck tape, and old chain and spray paint.

 

Total for Jace:  $17.00

 

 

 

So for all three kids we spent $44.00 on costumes and these things can be reused throughout the year:

 

apron, capri's, shoes, t-shirt, sweat pants, watering can, funnel, hat, panty hose

 

The suit can be donated back to the thrift store or saved for another year.

The gun was the only thing that was kind of a waste of money,

but the boys have had fun playing with it....so that is worth the $6.00.

 

 

I don't know the exact cost of the kids costumes from last year, but I'll try and remember.

 

 

Ezie's costume was a reuse from Mallory's costume the year before.  I had made a cape out of a cheap black sheet and the mask I'm not sure where that came from.

 

Mallory's suit came from the thrift store for $3.00, the suspenders, shirt and tie were another couple of dollars.

 

Jace's Powe Ranger outfit I got off of Ebay for a couple of dollars.

 

I think Halloween that year was under $10.00 for all 3 of the costumes.

 

 

We have had kids be babies that we used jammies for, bomb victims that we just used old clothes for and burned a few holes in, Catholic school girls that we used clothes we had on hand, G.I. Joe with clothes that we had on hand and I was a chef one year with clothes that I had on hand too.

 

 

 

a Zombie baby

Reusable: Jammie's and hat

Bib was an old stained one that we bloodied up

purchased a pacifier.

 

Devil and Witch

clothes that they could wear again, made capes and bought cheap accessories.

 



 

So my Saturday Savings Tip is:

 

Try to make costumes out of things you have on hand or things that can be reused and then accessorize those items.  You'll come up with some really cute and creative costumes and feel good about what you've created!

 

Trick or Treat

Our Halloween started off at Jace's school for a

Halloween Parade around the town.

 

 

Jace as the tin man with his oil can for candy.

 



Ezie as a faceless gangster.

 



 

Mallory as Dorothy.

 

 

 

All three of my kiddo's.

 

 

We went trick or treating for 2 1/2 hours with two of my grandsons,

Owen as a Dragon and Anthony as a Star Wars character.

 

 

 

 

We had fun and then on the way home Jace wanted to know

how many more days until Halloween would be her again.

 

Actually, I would rather repeat Halloween then have Christmas!

Zombies in Story Book Land Swap

Val from YarniGras

 

 had a another fun swap for Halloween this year.....

 

Zombies in Story Book Land!

 

I haven't done a swap since last Christmas.....can you believe it????

 

My partner Jennifer wanted a Beauty and the Beast Zombie

 

so here's what I came up with.

 

 

I made a Belle Zombie doll and she's holding a Zombie Chip cup

that has some sparkling red stuff in it (blood maybe???).

 

 

 

I decided to do a Belle hosts a Zombie Ball Theme for my package

so I made a dish of felt treats for the guests.

 

Apple Slice Cookies with Poison Sprinkles

recipe provided by the Evil Stepmother

 

Broken Heart Cherry Tarts

recipe provided by the Queen of Hearts

 

and

 

Magical Mushrooms with Hallucinogenic Icing

recipe provided by Alice in Wonderland.

 

The treats can be used by Jennifer's kids to play tic tac toe on the fabric board I made.

 

 

 

 

 

I made a ribbon chandelier with glitter balls and glittery spiders hanging down from it.

 

 

 

 

Here's everything,

 

Belle, chandelier, treats, tic tac toe board, some crocheted eyeballs

and a little goodie bag.

 

I hope Jennifer likes everything!!

 

 

 

I really had fun making it all

 

and

 

 Special Thanks to Val for hosting another really fun swap!!!

I Have My Eyes on Ezie!

 

My crocheted eyeballs are on Ezie!

 

Hee! Hee!

 

 

I'm having fun making these and the boys are having

 

lots of fun throwing them around.

 

These eyes are perfect for decorating or playing with.....

 

But,

 

does anyone have any Visine?

Isabella

We had a chance to see our newest grandaughter,  Isabella, at the boys party last week.

 

Isn't she cute!!

 

Nana and Isabella

 

 

Papa finally held Isabella for the first time!

 

 



Jace says he thinks Isabella really likes her Uncle!

Three in One Birthday Party

On Saturday we celebrated Jordan, T.J.'s and Mason's Birthdays.

 

The twins will be 5 tomorrow and

 

Mason will be one on Friday.

 

They are all getting so big!!!

 

 

 Mason eating his piece of birthday cake!

 

Mason just being a cutie pie and hugging his brother.

 

 

 



T.J. and Jordan

 

 

 



Jordan with the Monster hat I made him and the eyeball ball.

 

 



I haven't decorated a cake in 11 years or so,

 

but I don't think it turned out to bad.

 

 

Happy Birthday Boys!!!

A Haircut and My Birthday!!!

My birthday was Sunday and it was such a nice relaxing day at home with Earl and the kids.

On Saturday we all went shopping and did our errands together.

 

It was so nice to have a car that is legal to drive and not have to worry about getting a ticket and we actually got to go places besides those places that we can get to on back roads.

 

 

 

Mallory and Jace made me a scrapbook for my birthday and they did a really good job!!

 

Mallory made me a cake and even piped words on it. 

 Great Job Mal!!

 

Before

I have been dying to get my haircut, but we couldn't drive the car into Troy so I could go to my favorite hairdresser and friend, Nancy. 

Since we got the car though Earl took me to get my haircut for my birthday.

 

 

 

After

What do you think?

Much better?

 

I think so!!!!

 



Thank you Earl, Ezie, Mallory and Jace for a wonderful birthday!!!

Yesterday was an Awesome First Day of School!!

The kids started school yesterday and everyone came home happy!!

 

What more could a Mom ask for?

 

 

Ezie is now in 8th grade and Mallory is in 7th

 

 

 

Jace is in 1st grade

 

 

 

Glad you guys had a great first day!!!

Some of The Things I've Made Lately

I'm really trying to get lots of things made for my shop

 

 so I can earn some money for the holidays.

 

Hopefully I'm going to be able to do a couple of craft shows

 

so I can get some local exposure.

 

Anyway,

 

here's a few of the things I've made lately.

 

 

 

 

 a quilted tote bag that I used selvages on

 

 

Lots of scarves

decorative gift bags

 

 



and hats

 

 

I'm hoping to sell lots so we can have a really nice

 and Christmas season with a little less stress!!

 

Is that possible??

 

Here's hoping!!

Swimming with Aqua Man

Jace loves swimming in our pool and he is getting really good.

He won't take off the life jacket yet even with me holding him,

but

he is jumping in the water and putting his whole head in, kicking and keeping his legs straight, floating on his back and then kicking, and starting to swim freestyle.

So he is my Aqua Man!

I haven't swam in so many years that I forgot how much I love the water.

I try to get in every day with Jace and even the pool is small I swim laps......they are small laps, but hey at least I'm getting in some exercise!

So now I'm off to do a little more gardening and then take my Aqua Man swimming!

Grandbabies

Yesterday was my oldest Grandson, Anthony's, 5th birthday.

I can't believe he's getting so big!

Here's some of the party pictures.

 I finally got to see Isabella!

Isn't she beautiful!?!?

 The Birthday boy blowing out his candles.

and the 2 older granddaughter's, Vivianna, Sabrina and Olivia, with Mallory.

I DO!

My niece Jessica got married Saturday to her long time boyfriend Seth.

Don't they make a beautiful couple?

Here's what I made for their wedding gift.

Tawashi's, hot pads, coasters, napkins and a champagne bottle holder.

Enjoy Jessica and Seth!

Summer Fun!

Last Sunday one of Earl's friends from work showed up at our house

with this pool for the kids!

Our neighbors had a pool ladder stored in their garage

and they donated that to us so the kids could get in and out easier. 

I can't believe how generous and thoughtful people are!

 It really melts my heart...

and keeps the kids cool!  LOL!

Ezie, Mallory, Jace, Anthony & Owen were having a great time

swimming together.

I think we're going to have a wonderful summer!