Frugal Friday With Marsha 5/9/14

We are back to Spring like weather here in Kansas after a 4 day heat wave.  For myself, I really enjoyed the 97-100 degree temperatures.
It goes from that back to a high of 80 yesterday and a high of 75 today.....and me putting my sweater and jacket back on.
We did get rain last night which was nice.  I don't have to run up our water bills to water the gardens today.

The flower gardens are looking nice.   Usually I only have about 8 or 9 Irises to bloom.  This year I have over 50!
Here is a picture of what is bloomed in the garden out by the front curb:

The food gardens are coming along.  The peas are growing nicely and I put in more seeds this week.
The tomato plants are thriving and starting to flower.
I finally got the cucumber, lettuce, and spinach seeds planted this week.  They are all starting to pop up.
The strawberry plants look good and I hope soon will start having fruit.
I planted too early and then we had a frost and it killed the 4 small bell pepper plants I had bought.  However, 2 of those are greening and leafing up from the bottom, so maybe all isn't lost.  It's just that they are so small that it will be end of summer before they will produce.
The onions are huge.  I used one in goulash the other night, freezing what I didn't use.  I need to get out and pick and freeze the rest of the onions.  The tops are out to replant.
I will try to remember and get food garden pictures for next week and give another report.

How has your frugal week been?

An InLinkz Link-up

Squidoo Hopping 5/8/14

Another Thursday is upon us.  The days sure pass by quickly for me anymore!

I did get to updating 2 of my lenses yesterday that needed the amazon links taken care of.  Both are some of my This Day in History series. (Some day I really do want to complete the series with all 366 days of the year!)
One was easy, it only had 22, so choosing 2 amazon to remove wasn't hard at all.
The other one had 32 amazon links, so choosing 12 to remove was a little more tricky.

How is your spring?  We just had a heatwave for 4 days here in Kansas with temps between 97 and 100!  We thought we had gone from winter straight into summer, but it's cooler now.  The next week or so highs are to be in the 70's and 80's.
I do admit to loving the heat, but now looking forward to the break from it for a bit.   100 degrees sure beats being cold for me.

I look forward to what you will share with us this week.

An InLinkz Link-up

WIP Wednesday 5/7/14

Since last Wednesday my WIP mostly has been getting ready for the yard sale that we had on Saturday.

Saturday during the sale I did get a new rug going:

Since then I have cut up more t-shirts and fabric strips for future rugs.  I love making these.

Last night I took the time out to get the borders on my log cabin wall hanging and table runner.

Notice baby kitty laying on top of the couch?  Too sweet  hehe
We only have 2 more kittens to find homes for now.  Now I wish I knew how to find homes for the older ones as well.

No finishes this week and I didn't add any more new projects to my list either  :)

UFO's:
(finished) Log Cabin quilt
Log Cabin wall hanging
Log cabin table runner
Rectangle quilt
2 rectangle table runners (one done)
challenge wall hanging
GoodNight Irene quilt/wall hanging
Quilt for sewing club at church
 (Finished) Applique Bunnies quilt
 (Finished) Penny Patch Quilt
Yo-Yo Table runner
Hexagon table topper
(Finished) Spoolin' Around
Emerald Island Fusique table runner

NewFO's
Sunflower table runner and matching placemats
Spiderweb quilt
Easter wall hanging
Cat wall hanging
Christmas bags (total of at least 25)
Braid table runner
Sunflower pillow
Christmas wall hanging
Five and Dime quilt
Chevron quilt

I am linking up with the following blogs:

Purex Crystals Dryer Sheets Review and Giveaway

Purex has done it again!   This time they have brought us the Crystals in the form of dryer sheets.
They come in 2 scents----fresh spring waters and lavender blossom.

Purex Crystals Dryer Sheets offer up to 30 days of long lasting freshness as well as reducing static cling and repels pet hair and lint.

As stated previously, the heating element is out on my dryer and I've been hanging my clothes on the line to dry.   I then will put the clothes in the dryer for about 10 minutes to fluff them after bringing them in.
I found that I can use half a sheet of the Crystals dryer sheets and get a good scent.

Speaking of scent.....once I received my box our house smelled just wonderful!!
I immediately bagged up some sheets into ziploc bags to share with my daughters and my mom.
I put those bags in my purse to give them.  2 weeks later my purse still smells just wonderful.

I rec'd the lavender blossom scent.  I can't wait to try the fresh spring waters scent.

Since I had heard that you can clean your ceiling fan blades with dryer sheets and avoid dust longer, I couldn't wait to give that a try.

Plus an added bonus is to have that wonderful scent whirling around as well!

Static has been a real problem in our house.  Since I love the scent so much, I even wiped the furniture down with the dryer sheets as well.
Other suggestions are putting a sheet in the linen closet, or in your dresser drawers.

If you like scent in your laundry like I do, you will love the new Purex Crystals dryer sheets.

Two lucky Marsha's Spot readers will have their chance to give the dryer sheets a try.   Just enter using the rafflecopter form below!


Disclosure:  The Purex brand provided me with a sample of Purex Crystals Dryer Sheets in exchange for a product review.  However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Frugal Friday with Marsha 5/2/14

Another busy week gone by. I don't seem to be able to slow down much.
I continue to hang clothes on the line to dry. My husband keeps talking about fixing the dryer, I tell him there is no hurry.

I got some really good deals on meat Sunday morning. I ran to the store to buy cottage cheese as our contribution to the youth group dinner after church.
I found the cottage cheese on sale, so that was good, but that wasn't all.
The meat guy had just marked down 1 lb rolls of ground beef to just $1.69 and the 1 lb packages of Honeysuckle White ground turkey to just $1.79!
I bought 3 lbs of each. Of course now I am wishing I had bought more, but I am still so happy to find meat that cheap!
I used 2 lbs right away and the rest is in the freezer.

We've had 2 meals this week that had enough leftovers for other meals later.
I will tell you that both of those meats did come from the food bank. I am not too proud to visit the food bank when I feel we are really in need. That, by the way, is the only time I go too. I hadn't been there for almost 3 years.
We got a 3 lb roast and a 3 lb brisket as part of the meats. (We also got 3 lbs of chicken, 3 lbs of ground beef, a complete meal in a bag, a bag of frozen soup, and 2 cans of tuna for meat) They set us up easily for 2 weeks on meat and then I was able to get those good deals.
I feel so much better now.

We are having a yard sale tomorrow at my daughters house. She lives in a small town with a population of just over 1000. This is an annual town wide event. They say they print out 1000 maps for the sales and that they give all of them away.
I am not taking near the stuff that I could. I'm taking what will fit in the trunk and back seat of my car along with my tables.
My husband offered to leave me the 15 passenger van so I could take more, but with the suspension needing work and a bad tire, I'm too scared to take it on the highway.
Cross your fingers and such that I can make at least a few $. Honestly, I will be happy if I can make $10.
More of the fun for me will be spending the weekend with my daughter and her children.

What things have you done this week on the money saving side?

An InLinkz Link-up

Squidoo Hopping 5/1/14

Here it is May already.  This year sure is flying by.
The past few days we've had some pretty chilly weather and lots of wind.  Many places had tornadoes.

Hopefully you forgot about the squidoo goal I wrote about last week since I didn't even touch it.
No real excuse other than just not doing it.  Sure, I'm busy with half a dozen or so other things in my life and online......
I've been in and out of squidoo a lot looking at lenses of others, just didn't do anything with any of my own.

I still have my lists of all the different ways you can update.  I really do want to get back to doing some of those each day.  I'm sure it still holds true that updating  ups the rank of the lens some for a bit.

This week I won't tell you what I plan to get done.....and then I can surprise you next week.

I am wondering if any of you know?   I have those 4 lenses that have the best of mark beside them on my dashboard, but the top of my dashboard has a 0 for how many best of that I have?
I went to the HG post on it but comments are closed.

An InLinkz Link-up

WIP Wednesday 4/30/14

I think I have stayed pretty busy and pretty much on task this week when I was home.

I finished my block for the monthly sampler at the quilt shop.  This month's block is titled Prohibition.
We are using the book She Came From Kansas for this Saturday Sampler.

I got the tops done of my log cabin table runner and log cabin wall hanging.
I still need to put the borders on each.
I had planned to finish both of these up to take to Sampler on Saturday for show n' share.
Plans have changed and I will now be out of town. Doesn't mean that I should stop working on them, but now I have some other things to get done for Saturday first.  Time will tell how much further I get.

I have a finish to show which is my log cabin quilt.  It's 42 x 42 inches.   I will get it listed for sale in my etsy shop soon.

Here are my UFO and NewFO lists----  I have added yet another quilt I want to make to my NewFO list.   I do believe that as long as I don't add any more new projects to the lists that I can finish all of these by the end of the year.

UFO's:
(finished) Log Cabin quilt
Log Cabin wall hanging
Log cabin table runner
Rectangle quilt
2 rectangle table runners (one done)
challenge wall hanging
GoodNight Irene quilt/wall hanging
Quilt for sewing club at church
 (Finished) Applique Bunnies quilt
 (Finished) Penny Patch Quilt
Yo-Yo Table runner
Hexagon table topper
(Finished) Spoolin' Around
Emerald Island Fusique table runner

NewFO's
Sunflower table runner and matching placemats
Spiderweb quilt
Easter wall hanging
Cat wall hanging
Christmas bags (total of at least 25)
Braid table runner
Sunflower pillow
Christmas wall hanging
Five and Dime quilt
Chevron quilt

I am linking up with the following blogs:

Good2Grow Healthy Children's Beverages

good2grow is a new line of nutritious children's beverages featuring popular character SippaTop bottle toppers.  They are making a national debut in major grocery retailers and convenience stores.

This is a significant milestone in the healthy children's beverage category because they offer fruit and fruit & veggie juices that are not only fun and entertaining for kids, but also nutritious.  These are premium quality drinks that parents can feel confident serving their children.

In addition to the fruit & veggie blends, good2grow also offers apple juice, organic apple juice, and fruit punch.  All are made with 100% juice.
They provide age appropriate nutrition that is bases on the guidelines from the American Avademy of Pediatrics.
4 oz size for ages 1-3
6 oz size for ages 3-5 and
8 oz size for ages 5-10

All products contain no sugar, high fructrose corn syrup, artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.  They are also non-GMO and BPA-free.
They come in a fun, colorful recyclable packaging.

The Sippa-Top are perfect for car rides, lunch boxes, soccer games, or other on the go occasions.
good2grow has partnered with the hottest properties in kids' entertainment including Disney, Marvel, Warner Bros., Hello Kitty, Nickelodeon and more.
Convenient 6 pack refill packs are available so that you can re-use the tops over and over.

I received 6 of the 6 oz bottles in different flavors and with different tops.
Admittedly, my 12 yr old grandson took the one with the Mickey Mouse top.  My 17 yr old daughter took the one with Sully from Monsters Inc.

My 4 yr old grandson, Jacob, came in with his mommy and seen the juice with Spiderman on the top.  He's in Spiderman mode right now big time.
He grabbed it up.  I told him he couldn't have it without letting me take a picture of his drinking it.

The next day I had 3 of my granddaughters over for the night.  Ariel is 9 years old. Willo is 6 years old.  Araya is 8 years old.
You might notice that Ariel chose the juice with the Mike Wazowski for the cap.  She's even wearing a Monsters Inc. shirt.

 Did they like the juices?  I got an outstanding "We loved them!"


good2grow has gone a step further with their drinks.
They have introduced Story Stitcher, a Video Storybook.

As parents today we don't get to spend at much time with our children as we lik.  good2grow has come up with a way to help.  They have made a one-of-a-kind social experience where parents and kids create and share their own video storybooks.  Their stories feature their favorite good2grow characters.

Join in the fun by posting your videos to Vine using the hashtag #storystitcher.   Visit http://good2grow.com/storystitcher/  where you can choose your favorite scenes and stitch them together to create a magical story.  Make your family time a memorable fairy tale time!



Disclosure:  I rec'd bottles of good2grow juices as well as additional information for the purpose of this post.  I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions are my own.

Frugal Friday With Marsha 4/25/14

Another week, another dollar.  Oh wait, that's another day, another dollar.

What have you done this week to save money?

I'm not sure that I can say that I've saved any money.

I bought some half price Easter candy, but did I need it?  Not really. I ate it, and I enjoyed, yes, but just because I saved money didn't mean that I needed it.
There  is a huge difference between what we need and what we want.  Candy is just a small example of that.
But let's face it, none of us want to live with just truly needs.  If that was the case, I wouldn't be here as my laptop is not a need for survival.  Again, just one example.

This week I read a post that told how he had called Verizon and talked to them about their new plans.  He wrote that he got a plan that was way better than the one he had and that it was costing him $30 less per month for the new plan.
I told my husband to call Verizon and see if we could also get a better plan.  He didn't do it, but that's a whole other story.
I guess I can call in, I'm just not sure if they will talk to me since it's not my account.  Doesn't hurt to at least try to find out.
We get a 19% discount 'supposedly' already for hubby working for Sara Lee, but I think we are paying too much.

I visited my daughter for the day yesterday for my birthday.  I've been wanting to check out the little Hometown grocery store.  I had $10 on me, so this time we walked and went in.
The store is small, so prices aren't.  I found pasta on sale for .89 a box and bag.  I bought 2 packages.  That seemed like a pretty good deal and we are out of pasta aside from some spaghetti noodles.
I also bought some cans of tomato sauce on sale for .39 each.
But........other than those things we bought chewing gum.  They had brands that I didn't even know they sold anymore like Chicklets and Fruit Stripe, and Freshen Up.  They also sale my favorite flavor of Lifesavers, which is Butter Rum.  That flavor is close to impossible to find.  The only place here in town that I know of that sells it is the clinic pharmacy and they are way across town.
Not a need, but a want, but I will be stopping at that little store every time now just to buy myself a roll of my favorite Lifesavers.

Examples can go on and on, but I will stop here for this week.
Any good stories from you this week on savings, or saving, but on something you really didn't need?
Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments.
If you've written blog posts, be sure to share those too!

An InLinkz Link-up

Squidoo Hopping 4/24/14

With Easter and the perparations, I'm sad to say that I only visited squidoo a few times this past week.
I have some catching up to do!

I do have goals that I WILL make this week.
I have 4 lenses left that I need to decide which 20 amazon links are staying. I will get those done.
I also have a craft book review written up in word as well as pictures to go with it.  I will get that new lens up too.

This week in the linky I will share the other 2 lenses of mine that were put into the Best Of category.

Happy Squidooing!

An InLinkz Link-up