[Decluttering and renewing but feeling SO wasteful]

Also, Goodwill takes old clothes/towels etc. and sells them as rag bundles. Win there as well. I am frugal as well.

 

Can't help you with advice, since this is an issue for me as well, but I did want to let you know that animal shelters are grateful for old toweling and blankets. They use them for bedding and, well, as towels and blankets. :)

 

I try to assuage my guilt by spending my money carefully, and trying to buy from small businesses/local businesses/American companies. And then by giving as much to charity as we can afford. It is not ideal, but it makes me feel a little better about consuming.

 

Do you have a local Freecycle group?

 

I love freecycle! I box up things we don't use and then offer them online. Normally within a day (depending on area) someone has emailed me back and wants to come pick up what I offered. I would def. freecyle things like old sheets, towels, etc. because then you *aren't* just throwing the stuff away and you KNOW someone can use it. :)

 

Plus, with Freecycle, you can also get lucky and find other useful items that people no longer need but you do. We got most of our pots and pans from Freecycle, two dressers, and a toddler bed. Best part? It's free!

 

:iagree: These are all great ideas.

 

I get you totally though, I am just the same and I could have written your post!!

[Favorite family dog breeds]

German Shepherd, Great Pyrenees, Saint Bernard, Bernese Mountain Dog, Boxer, Bullmastiff, Great Dane, Akita.

 

All large/very large dogs, and therefore need proper training.. but I'm sure you would plan on that anyway. :)

[Ugg Boots. Which color is best for versatility and not showing dirt?]

The Snork Maiden and I have black suede imitation Uggs ;) and I've sprayed them with nubuck and suede protection stuff... as I do with all such shoes... and any muck that gets on them seems to brush off. So yeah.. I agree with the PPs.. spray is the key!

[Sugar-free cake? Stevia? Xylitol?]

Has anyone had success making sugar-free cakes? I don't mean with grape juice or dates to sweeten, I mean with sugar substitutes like stevia or xylitol. This is really for my 7yo ds, who for various reasons eats a sugar-free diet.

 

I made a chocolate dump cake today, and substituted the sugar with stevia. But it came out rather tough on the outside, although moist within, and there's a slight odd after-taste (which we may have to accept).

 

Any tips? Good recipes or websites? Other suggestions for sugar substitutes which keep their sweetness when cooked at ~350 F?

 

TIA!

[Week 3 Decluttering: The Living Room]

Halcyon, I missed the details for week two. I see the thread got lost in the changeover. Are you going to do the master bedroom again on another week?

ETA

Or please could you post it again/PM me with it?

[Trudging through uncertainty....prayers welcome]

Praying for God to guide you and others associated with this little girl to make the best choices for all. :grouphug:

[Just for fun... where would you live]

If money were no object, I would not live in any one place. I would travel and live in a variety of places - including a houseboat. I simply could not choose a single place to stay forever :) It's my hope that each of my boys moves to a part of the world that I will want to visit. Then I'll sell everything and just travel between their places :D

 

This - but then, I actually quite like where we are now - I'd just like a much bigger house!

[Backpacking across Europe]

We haven't backpacked, but as a teen my family drove across France, Switzerland and back through Germany. We stayed in Youth Hostels, and took a gas camping stove for our suppers. Most YHs were great, one was very basic but fun, and one was very unfriendly! But we had a good time, anyway, and it's given us many good memories.

[I Don't know what I'm going to do today]

Glad you were able to go, and enjoyed it!

 

That situation would totally throw me though - I need at least 24hrs warning, and even then I feel a bit wobbly!!

[Job Interview- prayers & good thoughts, please]

Of course. :001_smile:

[Gluten-free bread and pie crust recommendations?]

Tried the pie crust recipe that I posted on this thread. I think if I had baked it for 10 minutes first it would have been better. I made 2 crusts and one is in the freezer so I will try it again a little later. At this point the other recipe that I have is better even though it has a ton more ingredients. If you want it let me know.

 

On a side note, it took my dd and I 3 days to bake the pumpkin enough to cut it up and then peel it, boil it, mush it and turn it into pumpkin pie. It took several trips to the store because I forget that I don't have everything that I normally have when I am home. We had fun and dd was a great help for a 2 year old.

 

If you don't mind sharing your other recipe, I'd love to have that. Lots more ingredients is not necessarily a problem, as long as I can get hold of them! A lot of gluten-free recipes online seem to call for things that are only available in the US, like certain branded mixes and so forth. Individual ingredients would be less of a problem, I think!

[November Declutter Challenge Week One!!]

Thanks for organising this, Halcyon! I do much better at stuff like this, when I have some moral support! :001_smile:

 

I'm going to struggle to get the Group Focus Done most days, so I'm not going to set myself Optional Focuses. Here's my achievement so far:

 

 

Monday November 5, Day 1:

Twenty Minute Group Focus: Junk Drawer. Remove everything from your junk drawer. Throw away anything broken, useless, or unused over past 6 months that you know you will not use again. DONE

 

 

Tuesday November 6, Day 2:

Twenty Minute Group Focus: Cutlery Drawer. Go through cutlery and "other" drawers, any extra spoons, etc give to goodwill, wipe down interior completely. DONE

 

 

Wednesday November 7, Day 3:

Twenty Minute Group Focus: Pantry Day 1. Work on one shelf or area of the pantry at a time, removing all food items, sorting and throwing away any past date items. Duplicate canned goods can be donated.

I'm doing the upper cupboards in my kitchen, as I don't have a Pantry as such.

 

 

Thursday November 8, Day 4:

Twenty Minute Group Focus: Pantry Day 2. Continue work from day 3.

Lower cupboards in the kitchen.

 

 

Friday November 9, Day 5:

Twenty Minute Group Focus: Fridge. Choose one section of fridge to work on. Remove all items. Wipe down shelves or remove and wash in sink. This job might take longer than 20 minutes...sorry! Remove all outdated, moldy or unusable food. Organize and wipe down door shelves.

 

 

Saturday November 19, Day 6:

Twenty Minute Group Focus: Freezer. Remove all items from freezer. Working quickly, throw away all unusable or unidentifiable foods, remove ice buildup from freezer and organize.

I won't need to do this one, as I did it recently. But it's a good thing really since I'll be away for the weekend anyway!

[Received some shocking news this morning.]

:( :grouphug:

[Time for a book drive for Jeannie in NJ!!]

I'm in. :001_smile:

[we are fine. I was never so scared in my life]

:svengo:

 

I am just glad you are all safe.

 

How can you really tell, anyway, whether you should go or stay until anything actually happens? My grandparents always said that, about when they were living in London through the Blitz.

 

:grouphug::grouphug:

[Who wants to join me in a November Clean Up and Declutter Month?]

I cleaned out my bathroom junk drawer and under my bathroom cabinet, wiped both out, and reorganized them. Now I just need to get DH to go through the medicine cabinet (mostly his stuff). Cleaned out the chest freezer of all questionable food just in time for the garbage collection this morning. School room is next.

 

:willy_nilly:

 

Anyone have a solution for a thousand ponytail holders? :bigear:

 

We have a mini chest of drawers from IKEA, which holds the girls' hair bands and clips - it's from the Moppe range, and there are two options, one with 6 drawers and one with 4.

[What should I do?]

Wouldn't it make more sense to have the consequence related to the offense?

 

Maybe that laundry could be donated to the homeless since they obviously don't need it or want it. Also, you could stop the free laundry service for boys that age.

 

(My answer about the phone is that if he has a home phone, he's fine. He doesn't need a home phone AND a cell phone to stay home alone.)

 

That made me smile, Tib - I could use that idea around here, too!! :D

[Small Pet Suggestions]

We have a pet rat - she is super friendly and cute. She's been handled a lot from the day we got her. She has a small travelling cage and comes with us if we are ever away overnight.

 

Contrary to the opinions of some people we've come across (!), rats don't smell (not so you'd really notice, IMO), they don't bite (unless you have food on your hands), and they are very intelligent. They are a great pet for a child. The only downside, for us, is that they rarely live more than 2yrs.

 

One thing that strikes me though - if you're going to be out for around 12hrs at times, I would get two so they have each other for company. Rats can get lonely. Also, make sure you avoid putting the cage in a draught - the most common cause of death in rats is pneumonia.

[Well, that's creepy!]

That is weird! We don't get many unexpected people. Our 5 dogs let us know when anyone is here and most stranger won't even walk towards the front since the dogs are near the walkway, even though they are behind a five foot fence, :D...and yes they are vicous dogs, lol...course most of them will lick you vicously :tongue_smilie:, but I actually have two that would get someone and it wouldn't be pretty.

 

:lol:

Just out of interest, what dogs do you have?

[Math Mammoth or Saxon]

Anything BUT Saxon! Every math teacher I know hates Saxon. They do have great word problems that make kids really think, and I liked the mental math sections, but the organization of lessons is confusing. It could be a great program, but it isn't.

 

Sorry, I disagree with the bolded - Moominmamma and I find it very easy to follow and it is perfect for the way she thinks. Now The Snork Maiden, not so - I've swapped her to MEP. But I do know several people, IRL and online, who swear by Saxon - trained teachers and homeschool parents alike.

 

:leaving:

!!

[Who wants to join me in a November Clean Up and Declutter Month?]

Monday sounds great. Have a safe trip home!

 

:iagree:

[What's good about 30 hours without power]

Now that Sandy has moved along, what can I report? My intense gratitude for electrical power, for one thing. But here's what was really great: after the first 3 or 4 hours of two certain boys relentlessly asking what they could possibly *do* without Mindcrap or iPod (charge was out) or DSis (ditto), they first rediscovered Othello and Upwords, then brought in armloads of wood for the fire. CW became the Great Fire Tender and even took it upon himself to sweep up the bark and bits all over the floor - twice!

 

And honestly? It was good for all of us to be unplugged for a day-plus, including - or perhaps especially - me.

 

P.S. It was cold, though, and my bed situation was seriously for the birds. :D

 

:D

[Well, that's creepy!]

Oooh, not nice. :(

:grouphug:

[C'mon.. fess up! Who else has eaten some of the Halloween candy?!]

:lol: Whether you intended to or not, you've made me laugh!

 

And I have to say, I applaud those who've been so restrained. I never manage it! A couple days ago I had to go out and buy another bucket of Cadbury's treat size chocolate bars to make sure we had enough!

[Terrified, Please Pray]

Praying for you :grouphug: