Yesterday I was scrambling eggs and decided bacon bits really sounded good. I grabbed my bag of bacon I cooked earlier from the freezer and crumbled two strips. They crumbled easily as they were frozen and thawed as the eggs cooked. I didn’t have any guilt eating it since I cooked it in the microwave and most of the fat dripped off. (See 1-18-13 post.)
The younger generation made it difficult for me at Christmas when they requested no toys or clothes for their children for Christmas. This week as I was pondering what to give my mother for Mother’s Day, I wondered what my children would do if I said, “No flowers or candy this year.”
When my kids asked me what I wanted for Mother’s Day I told them, “Breakfast in bed.” They didn’t believe me…or they don’t want to get up early!
I do not want a big breakfast of pancakes or waffles or French toast. They could make something simple and leave it on the counter with a note. Here are some ideas…
As you can tell, I don’t “drink my fruit.” I don’t drink juice, but would rather have the actual fruit: orange, apple, grapes, bananas, strawberries.
FlyLady.net recommends gifts that you don’t have to dust. Edible gifts fit the bill. Last year my children lavished me with beautiful flowers and candy. I enjoyed them and was grateful but still would rather have breakfast in bed.
Mother’s Day Flowers and Candy
I have sewn many things with my set of upholstery needles: shoes, purses, cell phone cases, furniture, rugs, carpet, etc. But this one takes the cake.
I cannot open my windows unless I put allergy screens in them. I have to send them to the car wash and have them cleaned with the power washer there. Last week they were cleaned on a windy day and they blew over. One screen came apart.
It is two layers of wire mesh with special material inside. This particular screen is a replacement insert that I tape to the screens that go in my big front windows. It is held together with two wire brackets.
The mesh became twisted and would not go back in the wire bracket. I ended up putting the three pieces together and sliding it in the bracket a few inches at a time. I would sew, those few inches, around the bracket and through all three layers to hold it in place.
It worked. I certainly did not want to wait for a replacement before I opened those windows. Some repairs are permanent and some are temporary. This temporary repair meant I did not have to run the air conditioner and that saved me money.
My big window with the allergy screens in them.
I saw these in Wal-Mart and I like them for two reasons:
I have sewn elastic strips to my sheets and mattress pad to keep them tucked in. But when I wash them the sheets get tangled in the elastic and the load comes out as one big ball.
I have to sanitize my sheets every week due to allergies and these sheet straps will make my life much easier. I put them in a mesh bag to sanitize them.
These are sheet straps.
My husband’s company does not offer the option of a medical savings account. I opened a savings account just for medical bills. I put a set amount in it every month. I no longer worry when I need to go to the dentist because I know there is money in that savings account.
Since the only money in there is for medical expenses it does not get spent accidentally. I was glad of that when I received my bill for a recent trip to the ER. They offered a 15% discount if it was paid in full within 20 days. Thanks to my medical savings account. I was able to pay it right away.
A note on the bill for the ER visit.
When I vacuumed under my couch I found coins and M&M’s.
I have a note on my calendar to set out ant poison today. I realized I saved myself a lot of trouble when I vacuumed under the couch last week. The M&M’s would have made the ants very happy.
Keeping your home clean is one way to deter bugs. You don’t want to feed them and you don’t want to pay an exterminator!
My son was thrilled that I was in a vacuuming mood. I vacuumed an area rug and found the missing SD card to his cell phone. It had slid underneath it.
We received a “Snuggly” as a gag gift one Christmas. I threw it in the closet in my office thinking I might use it on a particularly cold day.
I have posted several pictures of my office and you can see my writing desk is in the center of the room backed by a dresser that I use for storage. Since heat rises, it gets cold under that writing desk. I hate to turn up the heat and I found a new solution this winter.
My feet and legs get cold, but my upper body is comfortable. I spread the “Snuggly” over my office chair and I wrap it around my legs and feet. I don’t have to turn up the furnace or wear my house coat all day to be warm. It works the same as a lap quilt.
On brutally cold days, I wear the “Snuggly” just like I would wear my house coat.
I drape the “Snuggly” over my office chair.
I have long legs and it was difficult to find long underwear that went to my ankle, not halfway down my shin. I finally decided to buy men’s long underwear and alter them.
I cut the panel out.
Men’s long underwear with panel removed.
Measured and sewed a new seam.
I sewed the seam shut.
On the table, they looked great. But not when I tried them on. The thigh area was much too tight without that panel.
This year, I purchased three more pair of men’s long underwear and accidentally found an easy fix. (I must have been exhausted because I put them on backwards.)
Who knew? I could use the extra material on the backside!
Now is the time to buy them as they are on clearance.
When I get a new appliance or anything with a warranty, I write the expiration date of the warranty on the box in permanent marker and my husband stores the empty box, with the packing materials inside in the garage. He checks the boxes every so often and recycles the boxes that the warranty has expired.
This way, if something goes wrong during the warranty period, we have the original box and packing materials to return the item. Since the majority of warranties are only 90 days, the boxes do not stay long in the garage.
Save box until warranty expires.
My home is small and there are not a lot of kitchen cupboards. My husband is over 6 foot and with 8 foot ceilings, a ceiling rack was not an option. I ended up hanging my baskets and pans on the walls. There is a double purpose here, as it is a north wall and the baskets add a layer of insulation.
Hang your baskets and pans on the wall.
