WIP Wednesday -- Retreat

I want to start by saying that I won't be posting next Wednesday.  I will be gone on a bus trip with my quilt guild to Lincoln, NE to the National Quilt Museum.  We are doing a mini shop hop on the trip as well, stopping at 3 shops along the way.  My plan is to take my hexagons to work on for the trip.

The retreat was great as always.  I only took the one project to work on, other than making the President's block for guild.
I had thrown in a bag of fabrics left over from another project as well. 
I did make the President's block first, then I took that bag of fabric and did some cutting.

You can see the block in the picture as well as cutting for fabric for making the double towel scarves, strips for a toothbrush rug, 10 inch squares for microwave cozies, and 5 inch squares for future projects.

I really did spend the rest of the retreat time working on my string block quilt.  This is how far I got.  I found that I still need to make 2 purple string blocks before adding anymore to the quilt.  Hopefully I can get that done in the next 2 weeks before I post again!

As far as the rest of the week,  aside from working some in organizing my craft room (very little done), I only worked on making the plastic canvas jingle bell blocks.   I decided that I wanted to make the sets I sell in my Etsy shop a set of 3 instead of 2. 

Looks like that's it for this week.  Happy Sewing and Crafting!

I do link up with the following blogs:



Jo's Country Junction:  http://www.joscountryjunction.com/

KatieMae Quilts for BOM weekly linky.  https://www.katiemaequilts.com/blog/

WIP Wednesday -- Upcoming Retreat Etc

I'm anticipating the upcoming quilt retreat this Friday and Saturday.  I was just in my sewing/craft room and added a little more fabric to my project bag.  The big bag is totally packed so all I have to do Friday morning is grab the bag, my sewing machine, and my bag of food and go!

I've gotten back to my cleaning and organizing in my sewing room as well.  I cleared one large shelf and have a start of putting the items I have for sale in my Etsy shop on the shelves for easy access when something is ordered.   It's going to be a long process to get my room into the order it should be.

This week I did work on a few things.

I worked more on the plarn bedroll.  I would like to say that when I crochet that big ball of plarn in that it will be done, but I know better.  It will take at least another ball that large, and maybe even another one after that!

According to my pictures, it looks like the only other thing I did this week was get a start on 2 flannel rag quilts.  I cut the rest of the flannel I had, and got a start on sewing rows.  I need more flannel to finish both the larger and smaller quilt.  Rag quilts will always be an ongoing project for me.  As I find flannel at yard sales etc, I will just cut and make.

I did have a finish this week.  I finally finished sewing down the binding on the braid baby quilt and got it put up for sale.

Hopefully next week I will have some nice progress on my rainbow string quilt to show you after working on it at the retreat this weekend.  Past making a President's block for guild, it's the only project I intend to work on this weekend.

I link up with the following blogs.  I hope you will give each of them a visit.



Jo's Country Junction:  http://www.joscountryjunction.com/

KatieMae Quilts for BOM weekly linky.  https://www.katiemaequilts.com/blog/

Frugal Friday With Marsha -- Senior Discounts and More

Senior discounts are one of the great perks that come with getting older.  You can start collecting from some stores as soon as you turn 50.  Dealnews has put together a comprehensive list of senior discounts from A to Z.  You will want to click the image below and check them all out!





This week I spent right at $20 for my food for the week.  I bought a lot of the same stuff--a banana, an orange, a yogurt, 2 Lunchables, 2 Michalini frozen entrees, a string cheese, a snack cheese, and 3 2 ltrs of Dr Pepper.  I also splurged on a package of cookies.   I found that the Oscar Mayer ham and cheddar lunchables that also include 2 cookies were on sale for just $1 each.   My oldest daughter bought me 2 more to save to take to my quilt retreat since the use by dates on them go into June (my retreat is the end of this month).

I'm re-thinking this food stuff.  In my mind I thought I could live on lunchables and frozen meals, throwing in some cheese, yogurt and fresh fruit, but I found this week that I am already tired of this.  I will be figuring some different things for next week such as buying a dozen eggs since you can do so many different things with eggs, bagged salad, and such.    I wanted the ease of the others, but it doesn't hurt me to actually spend some time fixing myself a meal.


My online and app earnings were pretty good this week with a couple of surprises:

**$11.35 PayPal from magicaljourneydownlinebuilder.  I was lucky and won the $10 top prize in one of their promos.
**$6 PayPal from gsn games.  I had 77 cents in my account so just used it to play in a solitaire tournament and got lucky and won $6.
**$25 amazon from Swagbucks
**$2.04 PayPal from Promoslice
**$2 amazon from Shopkick
**$1 added to my Perk Plastik card from PerkTV  (use code 860efbf6 for bonus points for signing up)


Today's Friday Freebie is Kroger Kettle Chips.  This will help me with snacks for the week.

Free Kroger Brand Kettle Cooked Chips for Kroger & Affiliates


I had hoped to have enough points at Recyclebank to order more of the dishcloths, but I'm still short.  I need to remember to log in daily for my 5 pts on the daily challenge....and to check out all of the links below too!

5 Free Recyclebank Points

5 Free Recyclebank Points

10 Free Recyclebank Points


School will be out soon.  You might want to check these out!

Free 2018 National Parks Entrance Days

Free Bowling & More at AMF Kids Fest







Don't forget to link up as well as check out what others are linking up this week.

WIP Wednesday -- Playing Catch Up

When my laptop went down, so did my sewing and quilting for the most part.  I missed the past 2 Wednesday's doing a WIP post.  There was about 10 days in there that I did no sewing at all, which made me sad.

I have lots of things to show that have been worked on since my last post, so here goes:

I worked more on the pin cushions, just have to sew them shut and add the buttons to finish these.

I'm still working on the plarn bedroll.  This is such a long process, but eventually it will be to the 6 foot long measurement.

You can't see what's inside my cat bag (with one of our cats behind it), but it's my string quilt UFO, packed and ready to be worked on during the upcoming retreat at the end of this month.  I intend for this to be my sole project at the retreat, and hopefully I can stick to that to actually make good progress on it.

The Arkansas Crossroads is designated my Sit n' Sew project each month.  I have row 6 together and I'm inching my way towards getting all of the blocks done.  Maybe row 7 complete next month?

I bought a scrap bag of flannel at the Mennonite Relief Sale, so I got out some other flannel I had come across and cut more squares for rag quilts.  I so wanted to get my sewing machine out and get to work on these right away after cutting, but didn't get to.  Maybe this week I can?  The flannel strips in the picture will be added to my stash when I get to start a flannel toothbrush rug.

And, speaking of toothbrush rugs, I finally got out the one I had started some time back.  I've been adding strips to the project box as I've cut for other projects and thought it was about time to get it out, organize the strips and get back to work on it.

Last, but not least on my list to share this week is my Sodoku quilt project.  I messed up and am short one black and white fat quarter of having the 9.  I had thought I would use the plain black as the 9th since I had a plain yellow, but then thought better of it once I got home.  I don't think that would be a good choice to use the same as what the sashing and borders will be.  However, once I get that last fat quarter, I can start assembling the blocks.

I'm linking up with the following blogs.  I can't wait to go and see what others are doing, hope you will too.



Jo's Country Junction:  http://www.joscountryjunction.com/

KatieMae Quilts for BOM weekly linky.  https://www.katiemaequilts.com/blog/

Frugal Friday With Marsha -- Getting Back on Track

I got my new power cord late last Friday.  Thank goodness it was just what my laptop needed to work again!  Not only that, my daughter's boyfriend helped me find one on amazon for just $9.99.
A week later, I am still trying to get back on track with my online routines.

It's been a wild week for sure.  I first would like to report my online and app earnings, which are for 2 weeks since I didn't post last Friday.

$4 to my Perk Plastik card from PerkTV (use code 860efbf6 for bonus points for signing up)
$24.61 PayPal from Debbie Nicholson--this was back payment from a TE that she used to own, and was a total surprise to receive!
$25 PayPal from Swagbucks
$4.74 PayPal from TrendTraxPro
$3 PayPal from Pinecone Research for my amazon data input
$3 amazon from MyPoints

Not only trying to play catch up, but I also joined some new sites as well.  I'm including banners for 2 of the sites as both are outstanding sites!!  The mailer is way too awesome and owned by Clare and Brenton--2 that I am well acquainted with online.   Such a different mailer where you earn rewards for activities, then it's your choice what advertising you choose to exchange your reward points for.

 
The other is Penguin Surfing.  You surf for your upgrades on this one.  They offer so many games and ways to earn as well.  Lots of fun too!




In other news, my husband has a new job position which takes him out of town for the week.  This leaves me shopping for my own meals for the week.  It's been "fun" to see just what I can get for the little that I have to spend.  The first week I only spent just over $10 for my food for the week.  This included 3 2 ltrs of my Dr Pepper (addiction).  The foods I bought were an orange, a banana, a yogurt, Michelina Manicotti, Armor lunchable, and a Banquet breakfast pot pie.  These along with foods already on hand, and I feel I ate well.
This week hubby is on vacation and we shopped at Aldi.  I must shop there more often.  I am going to shop there for myself this next week and see what I, and for how much.


Ok....this week's Friday Freebie will help me out.  It's Tic Tac gum.   I am working towards quitting smoking and just said last night that I needed some gum.   Link also says Burpee seeds but so far I'm not seeing that coupon on my app or online for my area.  Good luck!

Free Tic Tac Gum & Burpee Seeds for Kroger & Affiliates


Don't forget Recyclebank.  I've not been getting there daily for the daily pledge points, but getting back on track there too.  Almost enough points earned to choose something else free from One Twine.

5 Free Recyclebank Points

5 Free Recyclebank Points

5 Free Recyclebank Points

5 Free Recyclebank Points

100 Free Recyclebank Points

5 Free Recyclebank Points


Since I am still trying to catch up and get back on track, I'm going to close for now and leave you with the link up.  I do hope some will link up this week and motivate us to live a more frugal life.

Get 300 bonus SB when you sign up for Swagbucks in April

All throughout April you can earn large bonuses when sign up as my referral on Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a rewards site where you earn points (called SB) for things you're probably doing online already, like searching, watching videos, discovering deals, and taking surveys. Then you take those points and exchange them for gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, or PayPal cash. 

When you sign up through me this month, you can earn a 300 SB bonus! Here's how: 

1. Sign up using this link :  http://www.swagbucks.com/?cmd=sb-trk&t0=blgTrk&t1=168755&t2=818

2. Earn 300 SB total before May 1st, 2018. You'll get a 300 SB bonus for it! 

3. That's it. It's super easy, and Swagbucks is for real. I use it myself, and I've earned $3,408 since joining!!  I cash in for PayPal and amazon most of the time, but have also cashed in for eBay, Wal-Mart, and Burger King.

Frugal Friday With Marsha -- My Laptop is Down

My laptop is down.  I can only assume I need a new battery as it won't hold a charge and now it's at the point of if it does come on, it goes right back off and says it's plugged in but not charging.
This makes me very sad, as you probably know.  I depend on my online work for my earning.

I am grateful for my 2 tablets, my plan phone, and 3 other phones that I run apps on.  I've been surfing on my plan phone, along with the 2 tablets.  But, now I have to also do my email from my phone as well.  No idea how I can even come close to doing it all.

In the meantime, here are the earnings I rec'd this past week from websites and apps:

$2 from PerkTV to my PerkPlastik card
$13.05 PayPal from MagicalJourneyTE
$10.48 to my checking account from Etsy after fees and shipping, including these from the previous order as well.
$13.29 paypal from Gardenmails
$3 PayPal from Pinecone Research
$1 amazon from the checkpoints app

It seems I can't put in links or banners without the tablet freezing up, so if you would like more information on any of the sites in my list, please contact me with Facebook messenger.

I also apologize for no recyclebank links, or Friday Freebie link, or the weekly link up.  It's not letting me even open a new tab to see if I could cut and paste!

Make sure to check out the Friday Freebie with your Kroger affilate store--it's a Kinder Joy!

WIP Wednesday --Lots Worked On

Does working a little on lots of projects add up to getting a lot done.  It actually adds up to getting nothing "done" 😀😉

We had our member sale this past Monday at guild.  That was loads of fun.  I got some great deals!

One thing I got was 2 yellow fat quarters for $1 each, some black and white (given to me out of a scrap bag that someone else bought), and a whopping 60 x 62 piece of black Kona for just $3 (lots of this still left!).
I got my start on my Sodoku quilt top finally. I bought the pattern 4 or 5 years ago!  It will be added to my "new" list once I get this post done.

I got a good start on making pin cushions.  6 finished ones were donated to the guild to be used as free gifts when someone buys tickets for our opportunity quilt. 

Some more rows added to my plarn bedroll that will be given to a charity that will give it to a homeless person.  This is going to be a long project as I'm nowhere close to the 6 foot long.  You can find a write up and instructions on making plarn bedrolls HERE.

Here's a UFO that's been hanging in it's project bag for a couple of years or so.  I got frustrated while quilting it as the back kept folding over.  I put it in the member sale figuring if someone bought it fine, if not, I would frog stitch and use my 505 spray and try again to finish it.  I got the frog stitching done.  Hopefully will work towards finishing this, this next week.

Lastly, this past week they had "Git R' Done" day at the quilt shop.  I pulled out this Charming Stars quilt that I hadn't worked on for almost a year.  I'm really close now to getting the hand quilting done around the edge.  Of course who knows when I will pull it out again.  Knowing me, it will be at Git R' Done in April.

I hope to get as much done this next week as well.
In the meantime, I link up with these blogs:



Jo's Country Junction:  http://www.joscountryjunction.com/

KatieMae Quilts for BOM weekly linky.  https://www.katiemaequilts.com/blog/