Pioneer Woman at Heart
One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!
One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.
Adopted Motto
"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~
Friday, December 8, 2023
Camper Mug ~ Adult Christmas Game Idea
Monday, December 26, 2022
Christmas is over ~ Frozen Pipes ~ Anniversary
The storm delayed my surprise anniversary getaway, but we still went despite arriving home on Christmas day. We had zero company Christmas day anyway. The kids were all with other family this year.
Anyway, we stayed in a Bed & Breakfast, he had flowers, chocolates, and a cheese and meat board all arranged for us. What a guy!
Also, he bought me a new very warm coat you see in the photo, but I have to return it for a smaller size.
We returned home to no hot water. Everyone in the state was either battling no power, or no power and water, or pipes that had already burst.
We finally got all of our pipes cleared, and despite heat tape, it still froze with this treacherous weather.
With zero family to spend time with this Christmas, I made Mom's sour cream softies. The temperatures are slowly getting warmer, but so many people suffered damage to their homes with this storm. I'm glad it's over and warmer days are in the future.
Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Priming the Trim and other ramblings. . .
I wasn't even going to paint the trim in the living room, but after we talked about it, we decided it would brighten up the room. I have started to prime the trim, which is slow going. I decided to use a tool to paint edges vs. using expensive paint tape. It is slower, but works for the job. You can see the room is already brighter with the trim white vs. dark wood.
Good news! I got an email and a text. The flooring will be in this week, and the gas heater is ready to be picked up. I guess that means I better get these windows done, so we can get the walls painted next. I never expected to do that either, but since we had to replace the entire floor, and it hasn't been painted in 14 years, we decided to do it.
I have been a bit depressed, and not feeling like it's even Christmas time right now, but glad this project is keeping my mind busy. I'm just used to baking, and making homemade gifts this time of year, and I am not. Heck, I'm not even sure where my Christmas cards are, that I bought a few years ago.
I am having grave pillows made for Mom and Dad's grave. I will post a picture of them when I pick them up.
I am rotating crochet projects again. I think it's just because I get bored doing the same blanket every night (although I am very happy with my color rotation). I dug out baby yarn to re-stock baby booties. I'm working on finding a nice, but inexpensive way to package them.
I'm also looking for inexpensive clear (with zipper) blanket storage bags. I would like to have them for when I donate the lap afghans. I found some on Amazon, but the per-piece price is a bit higher than I would like. I will keep searching. Wal-mart is more expensive and their bags are a bit too big.
I haven't had time, but there is a new crochet venture I am going to start making, as this living room project comes to an end. It will keep my spirits up for selling stuff next year.
Today will be interesting. Balancing house work while painting is a true hot mess, ha ha!
Sunday, December 26, 2021
Clean Up
We made a lot of dirty dishes Christmas day, but the meal will provide for us for a few days. Today is our wedding anniversary, but because it falls the day after such a big day, it often gets no attention (in any special way).
My husband filled my foot tub soak with hot water yesterday, but later realized he forgot to add the epsom salts. My ankle is still a bit swollen.
The girls (who were here for Christmas) seemed to really like their homemade gifts. It was a rainy sort of day, and we just cooked and ate when we felt like it, while watching movies and relaxing.
My kitchen looks like a tornado went thru it, so I'm not looking forward to spending the morning cleaning up.
Thursday, December 23, 2021
It's her birthday!
Sunday, December 12, 2021
High Wind Warning
Yesterday we literally hunkered in and did nothing but watch movies, and sip hot coffee. My husband baked some no-bake cookies.
The wind gusts were anywhere up to 60mph. Although the temperature was in the low 60's, it was not conducive to outdoor anything.
My ankle is a bit better, but still sore. No one answered my question about dried comfrey, so I went online and dug into my herbal books and made several poultices (update on that later).
I located a person who makes handmade kitchen tools. I emailed him, but have not gotten a response. Hopefully I will hear from him soon. I hope my email didn't go into his "junk" mail.
The glass cutter called me. He wanted to make sure the cost was okay before he special ordered the glass for the wood stove door. The prices have gone up 4 times he said over the last year alone. What cost us under $50 will now cost us $138.78, and it will take much longer to get the glass. I get so frustrated with this.
My crafting sales are at the bottom lowest. I put 17 sets of pot holders up on a social media page. I got zero sales. It's my go-do (travel) project, and apparently I have made a lot of sets. They went back into a storage container, and I will be changing my "go-to" crochet project to another item.
As many people get new, higher paying jobs and sign on bonuses, my husband's salary remains the same, and no bonus for working thru the pandemic. It's absolutely depressing and frustrating (and why we are not buying gifts not putting up a tree in the living room this year). I'm usually really excited about Christmas, doing baking, candy making, wrapping gifts, decorating the house and what not. Not this year.
I'm still working on the handmade gifts for the two younger daughters (with what I have on hand). The other kids don't even come around or stay in touch any more.
I sort of feel like that scene in Little House on the Prairie, where they are all hiding in places to make handmade gifts for Christmas.
I don't hear the wind this morning, so I am hoping for a much better weather day, and praying for all those who suffered devastation over the last few days (tornadoes).
Monday, December 28, 2020
Happy Homemaker Monday
Thursday, December 24, 2020
Merry Christmas!
Friday, November 20, 2020
Christmas Traditions
We have had many fun and memorable Christmas traditions in our home. First, I loved (loved!) being classroom Mom for the class Christmas parties. I would literally try to sign up for them when school started. I loved it! I always made some sort of treat bag/treat container that was filled with fun. By fun I mean a handmade ornament for each student, candy, and fun activities or toys. Here are a few treat bags I made for Christmas. Also, most years I hand wrapped each handmade ornament so the kids had something to unwrap.
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
It's beginning to look a like like Christmas!
Monday was a rainy, cloudy cold day, so no coop cleaning was done. The ladies got little time outside due to an Eagle (top of fencing is not covered due to it being a temporary location).
Now don't go throwing tomatoes on this, but this year has been just awful and now that the kids are older, there are no Halloween teen parties (wouldn't do them this year anyway). Two totes of Halloween decor and costumes are going to our grand kids. They will have a blast going through all the homemade costumes my Mom made and the homemade wig I made (and tons of old jewelry, belts, wig etc).
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Sunday, December 22, 2019
First Christmas
We had our first big Christmas yesterday. I think we had 30-40 people there. However, they forgot about beverages other than coffee. Good thing we brought water bottles to refill.
I lack photos today, we were so busy yesterday. The grands opened their gifts and were very happy. Our daughter (with the grands) is married to a guy with two of his own, so we gifted 4 grands.
Today baking officially starts. However, it starts with a trip to the grocery store. We had planned on going last night, but we were zonked. Literally so tired. I'm glad we slept in.
Last year we still had Jesse with us. I miss him so much. I know there is nothing we can do about a visit, so I may just get photos printed and put on the wall. I pray every day we'll get to see him again. This was a photo taken on Christmas day last year. Hubby is in the background, sitting on a lawn chair, stoking the fire (we hosted last year and brought in all the lawn chairs).
I hope you are all enjoying the days before Christmas. I love Christmas time and it's flying by way too fast.
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Christmas 2018
Jars of Wild Violet Jelly
Jars of canned corn relish
Three girls received hand embroidered kitchen towels, paired with other gifts.
The kids all received a "Starbucks" wine cork tree ornament.
I hand embroidered this towel for a biker friend of ours. We invited him out for the big party/meal. He has very little family, and he is family to us, so I didn't want him to go home empty handed. He does his laundry on Sunday, and it's sort of a joke, because he often says "I can't ride 'cause I have to do my laundry.
As for what didn't get gifted - the jelly and corn relish. They had a family Christmas on Christmas day without us. I had called my Mother to wish her a Merry Christmas. She couldn't talk long as she was putting food in the oven for a gathering with one of my sisters and brothers. I was not invited during the call. We live 25 minutes from where they gathered.
I was invited 45 minutes prior via a text, and I had rolls rising, and no car. We had sent our Youngest to deliver some homemade ginger-ale to our 19 year-old who was very sick. In fact, she may have gone to the ER last night. I'll find out later.
Anyway, I now have almost 40 rolls that were not consumed with my own kids. In fact, it was our first Christmas to eat alone. They kept our youngest (and another daughter was there also, who was expected at our house) at the gathering for almost 5 hours. I'll be freezing some rolls to see how well it works.
The traditional snack mix and hot cranberry punch were never made either. I was expected to do it after they finished their own gathering, and I was quite perturbed by what had happened anyway.
Today is my 20th wedding anniversary. I'll be back to post a picture of my gift. Hubby has to work today, and I have a ton of dirty dishes from a meal that was to be for many and ended up for two. I hope to have an update on our sick daughter as well. I was very worried about her. She had to work yesterday(and has to work today), and called saying she was laying on the floor behind the counter, and couldn't stop throwing up, even sipping homemade ginger-ale.
I hope your Christmas was delightful, peaceful and just enjoyable. The gathering we had with Hubby's family went fantastic. We had somewhere between 40-50 people here and a lot of food.