Garbage Bag Witch

Yesterday I had Lasik surgery, so I am laying low yet today.  Meanwhile, here's a re-post from last year.  I had fun making this smart gal.  Maybe you'll be tempted after your own leaf-raking this weekend......


Last week my husband raked leaves and mowed the lawn for the final time this year. He bagged the clippings and prepared them for the next garbage pick-up. I walked by the bags as I took my daughter to the bus stop, and when I met her upon arrival home from school. I walked by the bags on my way to and from the mailbox. Something tugged at me each time. As if a spell had come over me, I felt compelled to create! I'm sure the possibilities are endless, but here's what transpired.

Boring bag of clippings/leaves

Roll of white paper and double-wide construction paper

Introducing Ms. Witch!

I didn't use any patterns...just drew on the construction paper freehand. And everything you see is from construction paper except the witch's hat that I got on clearance two years ago for $.19.

What Did You Do? Wednesdays - No Purchase Necessary

I like stuff.  I like stuff a LOT.  No, I actually think I love stuff.  They say "things" can't make you happy.  But I believe I would beg to differ.  Shopping for the stuff has actually made me VERY, VERY happy.  It's one of the few things I'm quite good at.  Ahhhhh, shopping.  And it's not just going to a store and laying out bookoo bucks for something.  For me, it's the bargain searching, the clearance finds, the garage sale treasures, the discovering the last one left, the thrill of the hunt....you get my drift?  I'd never feel good about an expensive purchase on, say, a pair of boots.  What I would feel pleased as punch about is the excellent sale plus coupon plus rewards I used to get a zillion dollars off that pair of boots.  Do you do the same thing at all?  I think many of you bloggers do.  We're a thrifty bunch with some seriously shrewd spending habits.

But here's where it got me in trouble.  That stuff I love has, over time, brought me down to the point of being really kind of miserable.  I'm not a serial shopper.  I'm not out there every day shopping and only shopping.  It's actually not even that often that I go, but like I said, when I go......I'm goooood.  And it's hard for me to turn down a good garage sale, or go to Super T A R G E T and come away with things I really only needed.  I mean, come on ~ the other day they were changing out aisles of merchandise.  We're talkin' shiny, new STUFF here folks!  THAT'S exciting!

However, after looking closely at my basement.....and closer and closer still, I sheepishly admit that I am embarrassed.  I can laugh about it, and I can get rid of it, but I truly do know that I have an addiction.  I'm also not one to waste, so many items I think I can fix or do up pretty like so many on the blog-o-sphere can.  Truth is, some of it I could put a snazzy touch on, and other things I couldn't.  I guess because I don't have the space, the time or the talent.

My goal, in the next year, is to comb through my belongings with a fine tooth comb, so to speak, and be wary of all things I purchase and where the money actually goes.  My mom had a great idea for me:  keep a list of all the things I didn't buy, and keep that money separate in a special fund.  What a motivator to know how much I would have spent on stuff crap I just. didn't. NEED!

I think it might be a little hard considering we're approaching the biggest sale season of the year, but staying out of stores in general, sticking to my list of necessary items when I do go, and keeping track of the money I saved when I didn't buy all seem like a good plan.  See?  Money in my pocket for vacations or all new flooring or a kitchen remodel....no purchase necessary.

What do you think?  Anybody with me on this one?

**This post brought to you by a bin of 20 childrens', clearance Valentine's boxes.  (For the record, I have 2 children, not 20.)

What Did You Do? Wednesdays - Back In The Saddle

Well folks, I think I'm getting back on track with some things after a full and fun summer, and after the start of the school year (one started preschool, the other started in a new school district). I've had my nose in my Google reading list regularly, and had a ton of posts swirling around in my head. But by the time I actually had time to focus for more than 3 minutes to write for my own blog, I was way too tired. (Again, thank you CFS...always at my side, aren't you?)

Anyway, I've missed you and I see from the ol' blog site posts that yesterday was my one year anniversary. Go figure. Just 6 short months of that, I'd have told you that I had zero interest in writing a blog. However, THAT was before I knew about "all ya' all".  So, in one word....WOW to you, and you, and you, and you, and......    such creativeness.  I just swoon over it.

Also, I'm personally hoping to keep things rolling here on a more regular schedule.  My biggest problem is overcoming the perfection I want to achieve in each and every post.  Do you experience that too?  I want it to be the funniest, the most thought provoking, the most helpful, the most interesting, the wittiest, the most photogenically awesome.....and the list goes on.  Instead, the reality is that sometimes it won't be any of those, and my pictures will most likely stink.  (I am seriously trying to improve those....might mean a new camera, which probably means that it'll be awhile on the awe-inspiring photos.)  But I'm thinking you can always rely on honesty, humor and desire to improve.  I wholeheartedly thank each one of you who have chosen to read along!  I'm honored to have you share my journey with me.

Not yet Practically Spent?  Do so in a reader or via e-mail.

Egg Cups

I probably shouldn't label posts like these as recipes.  Recipes are exact, measurement-by-measurement, precise instructions.  However, the label "recipes" is a lot shorter than "I made this up and threw in a bunch of ingredients about 10 minutes before I knew people in this house were REALLY going to want to start gnawing on some type of food unit and going to get super grumpy".  So, off we go with easy egg cups.

It's kind of WYSWYG...what you see is what you get, but I made them kind of Tex-Mex, so I'll fill you in a bit.  First I put a piece of roast beef (Healthy Ones brand at Super Target doesn't have any nitrates ~ hooray.) in some of the muffin cups. And let me tell you, after having cooked some without such a base, DO NOT DO THAT in metal. Without the meat "crust", it ate my muffin tin in a way that I could not have imagined egg would be capable of doing. So, Mr. Egg obviously needs some sort of security blanket, or he gets very angry and does naughty things.

So back to the roast beef base, or ham or whatever you want....even a rolled out English muffin works...   In a bowl I combined some black beans (canned), along with fresh diced tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, black pepper (or cayenne pepper), garlic powder, and a dash of sea salt.  I added that next to the muffin cups.  Finally, I just cracked an egg on the top of each one and sprinkled shredded cheese to finish it off.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, serve with a veggie and some yummy, crusty bread if you like and you have, once again, fed the troops.

See? Egg eyes and avocado nose and mouth. Yeah, I know. I'm easily amused.