Potential Accomplishments and Creating My Day

Click image to enlarge: Feel free to print out and use this in a notebook or clipboard.

Since Mike returned to work a few weeks ago I have been trying to de~clutter my closets and office. This morning I came across several of my old newsletters from the 199o's and early 2000's. (Frugal Times: Making~Do With Dignity which evolved into our Frugal Luxuries newsletters and book series). I confess to spending far too much time reading through them. Happily it wasn't a total waste of time as I rediscovered this little insert in one of the newsletters from 1999 titled "Today's Potential Accomplishments" and decided to put it to use getting my life in order in 2012!


Originally, I had included this sheet as a master copy for readers to photocopy at the time (computers weren't so commonplace as they are now). I used to print these up and put them on a pretty clipboard and use as my daily to~do list. I even Modpodged(c) ordinary clip boards from Home Depot using re~purposed wrapping paper then clipped on a stack of "Today's Potential Accomplishments" sheets or a "Menu Planner~Grocery List" (I'll scan that for you soon, it's also found in my first book, Frugal Luxuries, if you have a copy~scan and print). These were included in gift baskets for our children's teachers one Christmas. It's a bit surreal reading about things I did from so long ago, not so much has changed, yet sooo much has changed...but I digress.


Inspired, I decided to re~adopt this idea and hope it will help me to achieve more of my potential accomplishments daily! As well, I scanned a copy to share with you. (Above) Simply click on the image to enlarge. I always print out several sheets or use iphoto to size two~to~a~page, then I print out a dozen sheets or so...cut and clip to the clip board...find my favorite Faber's drawing pencil and start creating my day! What do you think? Have you any favorite ways to create your day and get things done?

Here's a quick photo of my own version of "Today's Potential Accomplishments".

I trimmed mine to fit onto my prettiest clipboard...Rosie bought that one for me several years ago and it's been hanging from a little cup hook in my kitchen ever since.

Sending love and good thoughts to all, as always.

Warmly,

Tracey and Family x0x

Culling Frugal Luxuries...

  

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Hello my dear friends...have you missed me as much as I've missed you???  My husband (Mike) has been off work since January of this year with a leg injury and my world has been turned (temporarily) upside down.  With so much going on (and sharing the computer ;) I found it necessary to edit my tasks of living a bit.  Thus the blog has been woefully silent as it was in the "subtract" list of my over~complicated life.  Happily...thanks to the miracle of healing as well as the wondrous little ipad Mike gave me for my birthday last month...things are slowly getting back to normal and I hope to be busy sharing and visiting much more frequently.  :) 

One thing that I found easy to sneak in during my hiatus was bite~size pinning and playing every now and then on Pinterest.  In fact, a week or so ago I started a joint board titled "Culling Frugal Luxuries" where kindred spirits can freely pin their vision of what collecting and enjoying frugal luxuries looks like to them.  I do hope you are a part of it and if you're not, please visit and, if you'd like to join in please email me and I will happily add your name to the list!


Well my kind friends, I am off to bed.  Sending good thoughts and love to all, as always.  More soon.


Warmly,

Tracey and Family x0x 



Image: Source

Homespun Alchemy ™: Creative Re~Use and Garden Magic...Sort of...

" We're sprouting new ideas all the time...."

-Richard Cook

I was wandering through the Blogosphere...looking for inspirations and happened upon a great site called Sprout People ...they generously offer an abundance of knowledge regarding the basics of "growing everything"...a veritable font of ideas, information and inspiration on the art of growing...thus...I made the decision to take action and cultivated some magic of my own!

Here's how:

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I gathered my sprouting seeds...an old canning jar with lid...a fry~screen bought at the 99~cent store to make the screened lid (so that I could wash and strain the sprouts each day)...along with a pair of scissors and a marker.




Using the canning~jar~lid~insert as a pattern...I traced circles atop the new fry~screen and then cut them out using the scissors. Hint: I cut out as many as I could from the screen at one time and saved them in an envelope for future use...reserving one for this project of course. :)




I tucked the circle of screen inside the lid.

Here's what it looks like.




I measured a tablespoon of mixed sprouting seeds into the jar...


...added about three inches of water and let it soak overnight...the next day I poured off the water and left the jar upside down to drain.


To prop it up for drainage, I snipped about 3 inches from a recycled plastic drinking straw and tucked it underneath the upside down jar (screen side down). After that I rinsed the beans daily, always leaving them upside down once I finished...I think next time I'll lie the jar on its side to get a better yield.




After five days of rinsing and draining!

Sending love and good thoughts to all...as always!
Warmly,
Tracey and Family x0x

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Here's some good advice from the lovely Sprout People:

The Basics of Sprouting

• Seed Storage: Keeping your dormant seeds happy.
• Soaking: Turning a dormant seed into a nutritional powerhouse.
• Rinsing: Water is the key ingredient in sprouts. Use it liberally.
• Draining: It is essential that sprouts be drained thoroughly after rinsing. Sitting in a puddle is the most common cause of crop failure.
• Air Circulation: If your sprouts can’t breathe while growing - they can die. Don’t put them in a closed cabinet.
• Greening: Photosynthesis is cool, and so is Chlorophyll, but not all sprouts are into it, nor is it necessary. Sprouts of all colors are packed with flavor and nutrition!
• Cleanliness: Your seed should be clean and your sprouting device should be sterile. Wash your sprouter well between crops. Sterilize when necessary.
• Storage: Properly stored, fresh sprouts will keep for up to 6 weeks in your refrigerator but fresher is better. Never refrigerate wet sprouts.
• Eat More Sprouts! Grow More Often!

P.S. For the record, I am NOT affiliated with the Sprout People in any way!

Abundant Wishes for a Happy and Blessed New Year to All! xxx000xxx

Sending love and good thoughts to all for a happy, harmonious, healthy 2012 full of peace, liberty and wisdom.


Love,


Tracey and Family x0x

Image Source

Frugal Luxuries for the Freezer

Hello my sweet friends! I pray you all enjoyed a lovely holiday!

I've been busy this week catching up on things I put off before the holidays.

Today I thought it was past time to process those cute little pumpkins we gathered (free!) from our local pumpkin patch...in November. I'm embarrassed to tell you they have been looking so autumnal in their woven basket...in my garage...for well over a month! Luckily, the weather has been cool and they stored beautifully.

Thus, today found me in the kitchen making my long~overdue pumpkin pack (to stock the freezer).

Here's how.

I baked the pumpkins in a 350 degree oven for about an hour (until very soft...you can see my fingerprint on the bottom right pumpkin where I touched it to see if it was done...not recommended by the way ;). They were allowed to cool. Next I scooped them out of their peels into a large bowl (the peels just fall right off).

Set~up the cellophane bags...



inside a set of drinking glasses for easy filling and...

Scooped the pumpkin pack into the bags (about 1~1/3 cups per bag)



Once they were all full I...

Cut twine to close the bags for the freezer then...

Tied them closed and set them inside the freezer for future use in pumpkin breads, puddings and pies...finally...

I washed and air dried the pumpkin seeds for the squirrels to enjoy!

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I'm off now, to feed my kitties and get ready to call it an evening.

Sending good thoughts and love to all, as always!

Love,

Tracey and Family x0x

P.S. Please call Patricia and me if you get the chance! xxx

Kindling a Simple Christmas

"That is best which is capable of producing the greatest degree of happiness."
~George Mason





I'm feeling very simple this Christmas...in a very "use what we have" mood.


A stack of green shopping bags become wrapping paper...garnished with vintage ornaments and simple white ribbon.


Looking around the house, I find a rumpled wad of tulle (leftover from one of Katie's long~ago projects) and cut it into strips. I then tie them...one at a time...onto a simple strand of white lights...while watching Cary Grant and Loretta Young in "The Bishop's Wife".


I finished before the movie so...I folded the remaining tulle piece fan~style and tied it in the center. After cutting the folded outer edges, it sprang to life in it's new incarnation...an ethereal...pom~pom style tree~topper.


I draped the tulle/light garland around a mirror...and tied the tree~topper onto the highest bough...

After setting up an imperfect little tree (its only ornaments, tiny white lights and muted silver dragon~flies suspended from raffia) I relax...knowing that these simple tasks are enough to evoke the spirit of the season...we are happy.



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Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and holiday season that's been kindled by kindly, loving hands...and good thoughts.


Happiness, harmony and grace to all during this hallowed and gracious time of year...and always.


With love from,


Tracey and Family x0x