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The weather outside is //
As I look outside my window // The summer garden is almost finished for the year, although we still have quite a few tomatoes on the vine. My fall garden has been a bust – maybe I can sow a few lettuce seeds before it gets too late.
As I look around the house // I’m gearing up for one of my least favorite motherhood tasks: the switching of kids’ clothing to the next season! Thankfully, as the boys get older and their growth spurts happen less dramatically, I have less plastic bins to dig through than in years past. We still have warm days ahead (see the forecast above!) but I definitely can put some of the summer things away and take out the jeans and long sleeves.
Supporting // my fellow resellers by choosing ebay/Poshmark first. (I’m sure many of us are stressed about inflation and are trying to make a little side money to compensate!) Anyway, I have a list of items each family member needs for the upcoming fall/winter and every day, I set aside 30 minutes to browse the secondhand sites. I am so pumped about the deals I’ve found! A few highlights:
- a brand new pair of booties for my daughter (retail $20) = $12
- a 100% wool throw blanket for the living room (preowned options range from $50-100) = $17
- a brand new with tags Banana Republic button-down shirt for my son (retail $65) = $13
- a brand new with tags blazer for my husband (retail $275!!) = $13
My biggest tip for extra savings is to favorite/save the items you’re interested in and then wait. Very often, the sellers will send you an even better deal!
Reflecting // on this quote from Padre Pio: “Don’t draw back, and worse still, don’t stop going up the Calvary of life. Jesus will extend His hand to steady you. The thought of the sustaining grace of God and the prize that Jesus has reserved for you will be a sweet comfort.”
On this week’s to-do list //
– celebrate an 8th birthday!
– mail baptism gift
– muck out the chicken coop and get it ready for fall/winter
– cover crop the used paddocks with winter rye
– organize the medicine cabinet
Currently reading //
- Fiction: World Made by Hand by James Howard Kunstler & a book for Netgalley
- Nonfiction: Folks, This Ain’t Normal: A Farmer’s Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World by Joel Salatin
- Religious: Lay Saints: Models of Family Life by Joan Carroll Cruz
On the menu this week //
Monday: taco salads
Tuesday: one pot chili mac and cheese
Wednesday: arroz con pollo
Thursday: Refrigerator Cleanout Night
Friday: oven baked salmon (maybe I’ll try a new marinade?)
I had salmon with a maple whiskey marinade which i am contemplating trying at home, probably without the whiskey. Our family favorite for baked salmon is still a 1/4 cup mayo per fillet, diced onion and dill mixxed in to the mayo, and bread crumbs on top.
My husband would LOVE that maple whiskey combination! I’ll have to do a little research, thanks!
Ashley,
I admire how organized you are!
I really enjoy your blog, and can always count on finding good book recommendations (we seem to have similar tastes). I’m going to have to read World Made by Hand. It sounds fascinating, and timely. Our book club just finished Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden, and will read Marilla of Green Gables next. On the advice of my spiritual director, I just started a re-read of Abandonment to Divine Providence.
Good deals you found on second-hand things! I enjoy scouring the local thrift stores for treasures (and, with 8 children, it’s by necessity). I recently found a like-new 100% wool plaid blanket for $3.99 (after a search, it appears the brand retails anywhere from $70 – $150!)
God bless you and yours!
Melisa
Oh my gosh, $3.99 is AMAZING for a wool blanket! Aren’t good finds such a rush? 🙂
Great job with the deal-finding!