Guest post by: Midge

We have a mountain of dirty clothes and my washing machine decided to wash the floor instead of the load in its belly. You can always tell when it’s going to be “just one of those days”! It was not a great day for it to break  because my little one is in the midst of potty training.  So, having a washing machine is a DIRE need. Sigh . . .

With the passing of the Mother’s Day holiday, I found myself pondering the plight of potty training mothers everywhere. Some of my friends have remarked that their children potty trained themselves ~ practically overnight! Other friends have suggested that their children struggled until they were five, and some continued past that point with overnight issues. It seems as if everywhere I look someone has an opinion (and sometimes these opinions contradict each other!)

What has really been on my heart is not just the trials of training your child but the COST of all of those fancy products. It appears as if I have to buy half of the diaper aisle in order to confidently lead my child on the road to being a “big kid”. Potty training, from the perspective of the consumer, can be VERY expensive. Today, my guest post is not long but more of a thoughtful inquisition of your opinions.

What has helped you out as a mom on the road to potty training your little ones? What products do you feel are necessary? And which products are more fluff and fun than useful?

There are so many different ways to live a frugal  lifestyle. . . this is a great place to learn new things and encourage one another! Below you can share the link to a post on your own blog, share a little about your frugal life and encourage others. Be sure to come back each Friday and link-up to this great community of frugal followers!

If you get my Friday newsletter, you most likely read Midge’s question about her gift giving idea for Mother’s Day (if you don’t get my FREE newsletter be sure and subscribe via the sticky note in the upper right corner). Read below to see my response.  Molly

Dear Midge,

What a great idea to write little love notes to your daughter! Notes of your hopes and dreams for her throughout the years is such a sweet keepsake. . . my mind automatically went to a little book/journal where you can write a small note each year. Maybe something along the lines of “This year you blessed me as a mother by….”

What a great gift to give your child when she is grown and how special to look back on those memories. I think choosing a small book/ journal may hold up better than individual notes but if you do choose to go with individual slips of paper, you could maybe place those in a scrapbook later on. That would be a neat look too!

If you do ever come across a heart shaped rock, you could add it to your handwritten “Mama notes.” This is such a neat idea, I may need to go in search of supplies and do this myself!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Love ya, Molly

To share a link to your post about frugal living, use the Linky below. But first. . .

1. We’d love for you to share your links that include anything  related to DIY projects, saving money, frugal living, made from scratch cooking, cleaning products, sustainable living, gardening, organic, and anything else related to homemaking! You can also  include your struggles while trying to live a frugal lifestyle (like  Midge!)! Show us about how you are thriving while surviving on a smaller budget!

2. Please, no link-ups to giveaways or blog topics in which you are just selling a product.

3. Link directly to your frugal post, not to your home page.

4. Grab our linky graphic (from the sidebar) and put it on your blog or on your linky post.

5. If a linked up post does not meet the above guidelines, it will  be removed.

6. If you link-up, please click on other’s links as well. Our frugal followers have a lot to share!

Living frugally means living, learning, and growing from each other. We can’t wait to see what you are going to share (to see other blogs who have linked up, click the link below)!   Ready, set, link!

CLICK HERE TO LINK-UP!

Guest blog by: Midge

I used to think that the closest I would ever come to gardening would be to buy a Chia pet. Yet, even the grass seeds in elementary school never grew out of my white Styrofoam cup. Thinking I was doomed to never have a green thumb, I gave up on the idea of gardening until recently.

After a few false starts and stalls, I discovered tending to a large garden was just not going to be my cup of tea. So, this year, I am determined to do it right. Container gardens have become my answer. I am hoping that this time, I can actually grow something rather than a really great patch of weeds.

DIY ~ Re-purposed Window Pallet

My in-laws had a window delivered and it came in the sturdiest pallet box I have ever seen. One look at the empty space inside of it and I knew it was going to become mine! So, I asked politely if they could part with it and “ta-da”, I became the brand new owner of large window pallet.

A couple of weeks ago, I convinced my husband to work on converting the pallet. He took off all of the riff-raff boards & nails and soon I was left with the perfect frame for my container garden. We set it down in the spot I had selected and my husband used his level to ensure that it was balanced.

Re-Purposed Pallet ~ Container Garden

After it was set up, we filled in the bottom of the pallet (which only had a few 2×4′s to hold the pallet together) with local dirt. We purchased a large bag of garden dirt and mixed it with it. Soon, we realized that we had underestimated the size of our container with how many bags we would need to fill it. All in all, we used three bags of purchased dirt and about a wheelbarrow full of local dirt from another part of our yard.

Container Garden ~ Time to Plant!

A year ago, I purchased a small container garden in order to spruce up the front of my home and create a seasonal focal point for visitors. I took out the petrified tree pieces and cute rocks which I had decorated it with at the end of winter. Then, I put in a little more fresh garden dirt then planted basil, oregano, and some strawberries.

I also invested in a cool self watering pot for my front deck. I decided to grow a container tomato plant in this pot. This was the first time buying a pot like this so I am hoping I wasn’t just taken in by a gimmick and it actually works! This is not my first time trying tomatoes. But this time I hope to be eating some fresh tomatoes from my plant!

Planting Time! ~ Frost Time

Seriously, of all the not so green thumb moments, my recently transplanted tomato plant withered in a recent freak cold spell not unusual in our part of the country.  As soon as I am sure the weather will hold, I will be purchasing another starter tomato plant. I also bought a sweet pepper plant for my large pallet garden. Even though the pepper plant looked pretty frail for a few days, I believe it is now on the upswing!

Soon, I will transplant some flowers into the pallet garden and purchase a few more veggies and other odds & ends. I still really have no idea what I am doing except getting dirty and hoping for fresh fruit and veggies! By the way, shhhhhh, I also planted a secret zucchini plant by a bush in my backyard. Zucchini plants seem to grow quite nicely around here, so I am hoping this one will be abundant!!

Have you started planting your garden yet? Any tips for a girl who is trying real hard to earn her green thumb?

Some of the resources I have read regarding gardening recently: Gardening for Beginners PART ONE and Gardening for Beginners PART TWO

And I also found this past Molly Magazine which I can’t wait to delve into! Molly Magazine which shares GREAT ideas for gardening!

Maybe this will be the year I earn my Green Thumb badge! lol

There are so many different ways to live a frugal lifestyle. . . this is a great place to learn new things and encourage one another! Below you can share the link to a post on your own blog, share a little about your frugal life and encourage others. Be sure to come back each Friday and link-up to this great community of frugal followers!

If you get my Friday newsletter, you most likely read Midge’s question about my most treasured keepsake(s) (if you don’t get my FREE newsletter be sure and subscribe via the sticky note in the upper right corner). Read below to see my response and discover what special craft I did when each of my children were little.  Molly

Dear Midge,

My treasured keepsakes also involve my children’s hand prints! However, they are plaster imprints or molds. I imprinted my firstborn’s hand/foot print into a round, plaster disc. I included the date and shaded in the imprints to help them stand out a bit more.

With consecutive children I was able to find a kit that allowed me to make a mold of their entire hand. I then poured the plaster mixture into the mold and the result was an exact replica of that tiny hand. I had to be sure to complete this project when each child was less than a month old (and sleeping!) because they had to be completely still in order for the project to be successful.

I really enjoy looking back at those tiny hands, I’ve placed each one next to that particular child’s newborn picture. What sweet memories!

Love ya, Molly

To share a link to your post about frugal living, use the Linky below. But first. . .

1. We’d love for you to share your links that include anything  related to DIY projects, saving money, frugal living, made from scratch cooking, cleaning products, sustainable living, gardening, organic, and anything else related to homemaking! You can also  include your struggles while trying to live a frugal lifestyle (like  Midge!)! Show us about how you are thriving while surviving on a smaller budget!

2. Please, no link-ups to giveaways or blog topics in which you are just selling a product.

3. Link directly to your frugal post, not to your home page.

4. Grab our linky graphic (from the sidebar) and put it on your blog or on your linky post.

5. If a linked up post does not meet the above guidelines, it will  be removed.

6. If you link-up, please click on other’s links as well. Our frugal followers have a lot to share!

Living frugally means living, learning, and growing from each other. We can’t wait to see what you are going to share (to see other blogs who have linked up, click the link below)!   Ready, set, link!

CLICK HERE TO LINK-UP!

Guest post by: Midge

I like checking out the freezer section at my local grocery store to scout for the newest meats they may have on hand. It is like an adventure into rarely seen foods at my dinner table. When selecting my Year of the Carnivore blog meats for this guest blog series, I have only issued myself a few rules. My favorite rule is that if I think to myself, “Oh my goodness, I could never make that!” then the next thing I have to do is put it in my cart!

I also try to make frugal choices so I am not BREAKING THE BANK while learning how to “chef it”. Mahi Mahi was a VERY frugal choice. The frozen package came with two partial fish that were the length of my arm. Mahi Mahi is often called the poor man’s lobster. While you do get a lot MORE MEAT FOR YOUR MONEY than lobster, the taste is not very similar.

After I defrosted the Mahi Mahi, I discovered I had to cut the skin off the fish in order to cook it. The Tilapia I made earlier this year came nicely cut and ready for baking. But, eeeesh, this was not true with the Mahi Mahi, which may have been why I got the fish at such a terrific price.

Skinning the fish was a lot harder than I thought. I should have popped on the internet to search for a “how to” video. But, I kept thinking, “I can do this.  It can’t be that hard”. I ended up cutting and pulling then slicing the meat off the skin. In the end, the pan I was using for the debris looked like a mess but I was able to get most of the meat off the skin and now was ready for the rest of the meal preparation.

For this recipe, I selected a Dry Jerk seasoning to add to my Mahi Mahi. When I was growing up, my father would sprinkle the spiciest seasonings on his rice or curry dish and then even add seconds of the spice. He would smile widely as he ate and refused to guzzle water to help mute the heat. That is definitely not my kind of spicy!

I have had jerk seasoning before with varied results. I thought it would be more on the “medium” side of spicy. Boy, was I ever wrong! This jerk seasoning was hot! And it probably did not help when the cayenne pepper top caused too much seasoning to escape into my dry mix. I tried to salvage the mix and obviously did not do such a great job!

Before I go on, I need to clarify that my husband is a very willing guinea pig. He will eat almost everything I cook for him and most of the time is grateful I am getting adventurous in my cooking. However, this time almost became the exception!!

I made the jerk seasoning using this recipe: DRY JERK SEASONING. I loosely followed this recipe: MAHI MAHI TACOS for the actual cooking of the fish. Actually, I really used it as a guide to help me know when the Mahi Mahi would be done cooking.

Here is how I made it:  I dipped the sliced Mahi Mahi pieces into butter then liberally coated them with the seasoning. I grilled them in a pan until the fish became flaky under the seasoning. Then, after the Mahi Mahi was done, I folded the grilled pieces into a tortilla with ranch dressing, shredded cheese and a chunky made from scratch salsa my mother-in-law had made.

Liberally coating them was definitely my problem!! As I look back at the recipe, I realize it gave a precise suggested measurement for each fillet. My husband took three bites and then almost dropped the whole thing in a dead run for the fridge to get a glass of milk! In his defense, he finished the rest of the fish taco and the whole carton of milk as well. Poor guy!

My dad loved it though and so did one of our neighbors who LOVES spicy food. And, did I mention I really liked it too? Even with the spice, the Mahi Mahi Jerk Seasoning Tacos were the bomb! I definitely recommend it!

Next time, I will make sure to not spill the cayenne pepper . . .

Have you ever prepared Mahi Mahi? What kinds of dry seasonings do you keep on hand? Do you have a story of a “too spicy for you” kind of meal? I would love to hear from you!

Welcome to our Frugal Friday Link-Up!

There are so many different ways to live a frugal lifestyle. . . this is a great place to learn new things and encourage one another! Below you can share the link to a post on your own blog, share a little about your frugal life and encourage others. Be sure to come back each Friday and link-up to this great community of frugal followers!

If you get my Friday newsletter, you most likely read Midge’s question about my favorite desserts to make (if you don’t get my FREE newsletter be sure and subscribe via the sticky note in the upper right corner). Read below to see my response and discover what recipe I like to make each Mother’s Day.  Molly

Dear Midge,

My mother always told me I was born with a sweet tooth, I think she may be right. I love to create (and eat!) just about anything sweet. My favorite desserts to make are fruit pies or cobblers. I love these because there is such a variety of fruits that can be used or combined in these desserts. I also love these types of sweets because I enjoy adding a cinnamon based streusel on top and a huge amount of whipped cream! What’s not to love?

Every Mother’s Day I break out the trifle dish and create a beautiful dessert. Last year I used chunks of angel food cake layered with freshly made custard, peaches, strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream. The kids know Mother’s Day is right around the corner when they see that trifle dish come out of storage (I should use it more often, don’t you think?).

I’m dreaming of this year’s trifle dessert now. . . I wonder what combination of fruits I’ll use. Blackberries, strawberries and raspberries?

Love ya,

Molly. . . who is dreaming of trifle for breakfast!

To share a link to your post about frugal living, use the Linky below. But first. . .

1. We’d love for you to share your links that include anything  related to DIY projects, saving money, frugal living, made from scratch cooking, cleaning products, sustainable living, gardening, organic, and anything else related to homemaking! You can also  include your struggles while trying to live a frugal lifestyle (like  Midge!)! Show us about how you are thriving while surviving on a smaller budget!

2. Please, no link-ups to giveaways or blog topics in which you are just selling a product.

3. Link directly to your frugal post, not to your home page.

4. Grab our linky graphic (from the sidebar) and put it on your blog or on your linky post.

5. If a linked up post does not meet the above guidelines, it will  be removed.

6. If you link-up, please click on other’s links as well. Our frugal followers have a lot to share!

Living frugally means living, learning, and growing from each other. We can’t wait to see what you are going to share (to see other blogs who have linked up, click the link below)!   Ready, set, link!

CLICK HERE TO LINK-UP!

Guest Blog by: Midge

Over a year ago, I found a wonderful looking recipe called “Pavlova” in a magazine. I was intrigued with this fluffy tutu looking dessert and it’s connection to the story of the Russian ballerina, ANNA PAVLOVA, for which it was named. The ingredient list was short and included items which can readily be found in our pantry and fridge. So on a whim this past Monday night, I decided it was time to create this dessert.

Train wreck comes to mind when I think about the comedy of errors which occurred while I collected the main ingredients. Our sugar had mysteriously vanished so I called my Dad to borrow a couple of cups. Why did he have to run over to my house? Did I forget to mention my car battery was dead?  OIY!

As I went to crack my eggs to begin the extracting the egg whites, I realized that I had mistakenly grabbed the hard boiled eggs. By the way, I forgot I had planned ahead. I had made hard boiled eggs and they just happened to be the only eggs in the house! My husband, who had just passed by Dad pulling out of the driveway, walked in from work, and then turned right around to make a quick trip to borrow some eggs.

As I waited for him to return, I made whipped cream from scratch. Yes, this was my first time. No, it is not supposed to look like soup.  Sorry you will see no pictures of this mess . . .  ugh.

Earlier, I had viewed a video with step by step instructions to create the Pavlova dessert. By the time my husband returned, I had hidden the failed whipped cream concoction in the refrigerator and was ready to whip up some eggs.

This was the best part of the recipe. It worked just like the video said it would and I felt confident we would have our dessert by the end of the night!

Somehow, everything went horribly wrong after I added the rest of the ingredients to the whipped egg whites. My Pavlova, which by now I have discovered is just like a meringue with no pie, did not “peak”. In fact, it didn’t even “peek”. It was liquid-y and looked nothing like the video. I mixed it by hand then put it in my KitchenAid stand mixer to mix it. I even convinced my husband to help me mix it. No change to the consistency at all,  it was just one big liquid glob.

The end result was more like a crispy, toasted marshmallow cookie instead of my idealistic fluffy Pavlova.

Midge’s Cookie-like Pavlova

Molly’s Fluffy Tutu Pavlova

So, I sent Molly a HELP text! She gave me a few useful hints. Like: were the eggs at room temperature and did you know you can purchase a ready made meringue powder which may help? The next night, she created the Pavlova, complete with some awesome pictures, to help me show you what it was supposed to look like!

Guess what- it may have been a Midge “fail” but Molly’s example makes me definitely want to try again! Doesn’t it look delicious? Although my husband said, “good is good” and my opinion is “sugar is sugar”, I still desire to someday have my fluffy Pavlova tutu and eat it too. For now, I will take Molly’s word for it and dream about it from afar!

Have you tried to make Pavlova or a meringue? Any hints? Do you have stories of failures or successes in your kitchen? I would love to hear about them!   

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE MOLLY USED!

Every once in awhile I run into a project that sparks my imagination and inspires me to want to duplicate it!  I am not so sure I will be able to replicate this but it is definitely worth a peek at the website.

Let me know what you think!!  Have you ever made anything out of silverware?

VINTAGE SILVERWARE WHIRLIGIG

Love ya,

Midge

I learned something new today… did you know that today is DNA Day?

For more on this “holiday”, click here:

A LITTLE MORE ON DNA DAY…

Love ya,

Midge

These sugar cubes are super cute!!!  Make your own heart cube for coffee or iced tea!

Click on the link for information on how to make it!:

CUTE DIY SUGAR CUBES!

Love ya,

Midge