On My Needles... What I'm Reading... August 30, 2019

On my knitting needles... on my Scribd app! Knitting and reading in my free time and little bits of snatched time is one of my favorite ways to enrich my life.

 This is my Dotty beanie. It's the same one I shared a couple of weeks ago that looked orange. This red is closer to the correct color. It's actually a little deeper. I have finished my socks. I only need to sew in the loose ends. I'll share those with you next week.  I've also started a toddler beanie in the brown yarn that was left over from Penny's sweater.

 I made a decision to stop reading All the Light We Cannot See. I have a couple things going on that are stressful right now. I'm the type of person who really gets into stories emotionally. I found that my stress level and my anxiety level was rising too much by adding the horror of the characters' experiences in World War II. It is extremely well-written. I took a WW II class in college from a German who was the right age to have been there. It was a terrible time in our history. 

 I am now listening to Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado with Scribd.  I'll be starting The Printed Letter Bookshop by Katherine Reay in a few days.

Have a homemade, handmade, heartmade thrifty week! 

Laura

P.S  If you use my link, you'll get a 2 month free trial of Scribd, and I will get a free month as well. I'm not an affiliate, it's just a neat perk that they have for their subscribers who tell their friends.

Laura Lane

on Goodreads

2019 

54 Finished Books

Goal 50 60

HarvestLaneLaura 

on Ravelry

Joining with Yarn Along and Crafting On

Thrifty Things Lately at Harvest Lane Cottage #142

Welcome to another thrifty week at Harvest Lane Cottage. I am glad you've found me! Each week I share my thrifty and frugal projects, ways of saving money, frugal cooking, and my blessings from God. 

~~~~~

♥♥♥

~~~~~

Thrifty Things Lately at Harvest Lane Cottage!

~~~~~

♥♥♥

~~~~~

Hey y'all!

Let's catch up a bit shall we? Here are some of the thrifty things we've done lately.

🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

~ My friend gave us a microwave! That's made things so much easier since my family's going all different directions with college and jobs. Hello leftovers! Thank you Laura!

~ Eggs fifty-eight cents a dozen at Aldi! I've been making lots of eggs scrambled with all kinds of veggies.  No veggie is safe! Broccoli yum!

Egg Scramble with Spinach

~ One night I was eating alone. I sauteed leftover shredded cabbage and leftover chopped cucumbers. I know. Whoever heard of cooking cucumbers? But the budget is really tight this month. I scrambled two eggs in the same skillet, added a bit of leftover salsa, and sprinkled a little shredded cheddar cheese on top. Strange but satisfying. The cucumbers had the consistency of zucchini. The salsa disguised the taste. ~smile~

Egg Scramble with Cabbage, Cucumber, Salsa, and Cheese

~ I incorporated leftovers into the next days' meals as much as possible.

~ I made a batch of cinnamon oatmeal and had enough leftovers to eat for the next two mornings.  Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without!

Big Bowl Cinnamon Oatmeal Leftovers

~ I've been a real homebody since I returned from St. Louis. Staying home most of the time saves money.

~ I received a book that I received free for the review. It's a keeper, so it will someday be read to grandlittles. First I need some sons and daughters-in-law!

Amy helps me review books.

~ I returned a package of zucchini to Aldi, because it had spoiled on the bottom overnight. They gave me my money back and another package.

~I used broccoli instead of spaghetti since my zucchini was bad. I just poured my meat sauce over the sauteed broccoli. It was amazing! No guilt! It was so good, I used the leftover sauce over broccoli two more times during the week.

Spaghetti Meat Sauce Over Broccoli

~ I pulled a pretty dress out of the back of my closet. It fits again. ~smile~

~ A friend bought me a fancy coffee drink when we met for a visit. Thanks Deborah. You're too sweet.

We ate cucumbers in lots of ways this week.

~ We've been harvesting lots and lots of cucumbers from the garden. We've had some tomatoes, too. Thanks Amy!

~ Did you know that lettuce and greens last longer if you put paper towels or napkins in the package? It's a money saver. 

This package is six days old.

~ Emily bought an $80 college textbook for $15 on Amazon!

~ Lowell used a free drink credit at the coffee house when he went to a meeting.

Grand Greek Salad for Amy's birthday celebration.

~ Amy used a coupon to get a $1 coffee drink at Hardees. 

~ Amy used a $1.99 coupon for a smoothie at the new Tropical Smoothie Cafe. Pretty fancy for our little town!

Amy's been busy with her harvest.

~ Amy fermented cucumbers, jalapenos, and banana peppers with mad hatter peppers.

~ I received free movie ticket codes for sharing about Overcomer. I can't wait to see it. Our family has loved the Kendrick Brothers' movies for years.

~ We bought a special package at the butcher: 3 pounds ground beef, 1 pound ground chicken breast, 4 pork chops, 4 bratwurst, 2 pounds chicken breasts, 4 cube steaks, and 1 pound of sausage. $25! We actually took money out of savings in order to buy it. For our family, this will provide at least eight meals! Meat didn't fit into this month's budget very well, so I was thrilled. So, does anyone know what to do with a pound of ground chicken breast?

~ The biggest money saver has been lots of cooking from scratch as I add more veggies and cut sugar and breads. It's helping me feel better, too.

🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

As you can see, we've had many blessings again this week.
God is so good.

Praise God!

What have you been up to this week?

Laura

Blessed to be a blessing

Do you like my blog?
Please share!

This post has an affiliate link for Amazon. 

#thriftythingslately

#athriftyweek

#harvestlanecottage

On My Needles... What I'm Reading August 22, 2019

Hey y'all!

Poor neglected Dotty.

 I've not made any real progress on the Dotty Beanie. I've been tangled up in my sock knitting. ~smile~ Knitting two at a time can get a little messy at time. I'm just starting the ribbing at the top of the socks. I'm not sure what I'm going to wear them with. I'm pretty much a dresses only kind of gal. I do wear skirts, too. Maybe I'll wear these with my long denim skirt, my plum colored top, and my black Mary Janes.  I'll be making a fashion statement! It will definitely state that I'm a knitter!

I'm ready to get these finished!

 I'm still reading It's Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst and Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer. Most of my listening time has been spent in Leviticus and Numbers as well as listening to All the Light We Cannot See for free on Scribd. I'm not making quick progress with that book. It's for my book club. I'm supposed to finish it by next Tuesday evening. For the first time since I joined in January, I don't think I'm going to finish the book on time. I'm trying to listen while I work in the kitchen.

 Well, it's time to get some soup on for supper. Hubby was going to work late, but now he's coming home earlier than expected. 

Have a homemade, handmade, heartmade thrifty week! 

Blessings,

Laura

Laura Lane

on Goodreads

2019 

53 Finished Books

Goal 50 60

HarvestLaneLaura 

on Ravelry

Did you know that you can listen to unlimited audiobooks, read unlimited ebooks, and even find sheet music on Scribd? 

If you use my link, you'll get a 2 month free trial, and I will get a free month as well. I'm not an affiliate, it's just a neat perk that they have for their subscribers who tell their friends.

Scribd

Joining with Yarn Along and Crafting On

On My Needles... What I'm Reading August 14, 2019

Dotty Beanie

Hello dear reader,

My Amy and I are away from home this week visiting friends.

Last week, I showed you the pair of socks that I have been knitting for myself. I thought I would show you my progress. I've successfully completed the Fish Lips Kiss heels. Now I must knit round and round until they come up far enough on my legs. 

Vanilla socks with Fish Lips Kiss heels
Froggy marker made by my Emily

The hat at the top of the page is a Dotty Beanie. It's actually a deep dark red by Malabrigo Rios. The lighting in the room I am staying in is for studying not photograpy. ~smile~

I finished Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs. I'm reading It's Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst and Beside Still Waters by Tricia Goyer.

I've also started listening to  All the Light We Cannot See for free on Scribd.

Did you know that you can listen to unlimited audiobooks, read unlimited ebooks, and even find sheet music on Scribd? 

If you use my link, you'll get a 2 month free trial, and I will get a free month as well. I'm not an affiliate, it's just a neat perk that they have for their subscribers who tell their friends.

Well, that's all for this week.  Soon I will need to begin making charity hats again. That's another post for another day. 

Have a homemade, handmade, heartmade thrifty week! 

Laura

Laura Lane

on Goodreads

2019 

52 Finished Books

Goal 50 60

HarvestLaneLaura 

on Ravelry

Joining with Yarn Along and Crafting On

Thrifty Things Lately at Harvest Lane Cottage #141

Hey y'all!

I hope you're seizing the day as school time and fall approach. I'm going visiting this next week with dear friends who've moved several hours away. I'll be back here in about a week.

Let's catch up a bit shall we? Here are some of the thrifty things we've done lately.

🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

~ A friend bought me queso at my knit night. Thanks Missy!

~ I'm knitting socks using the Fish Lips Kiss Heel pattern that I bought for just a $1.00.

~ I'm using sock yarn given to me by my friend Shelly last summer. Thanks Shelly.

~ I've been eating at home nearly all the time.

~ I've been cooking from scratch.

~ We've been harvesting lots and lots of cucumbers from the garden. We froze some in chunks to add to smoothies this fall. Thanks Amy!

~ Our date night consisted of a shared Sobe Life Water, a bag of bbq pork rinds, a couple bags of peanuts, and a nice drive through the countryside. Yep, I was a cheap date.

~ I've been borrowing books I want to read from the library through their inter-library loan program.

~ I used groceries on hand with just a few items to supplement.

~ Free line dancing lessons at church taught by my friend
Regina. Thanks Regina!

~ My daughter, Emily, and I went on a heart-to-heart coffee shop date. I ordered a small iced tea. It was just $1.50 versus $5.00.

~I bought a half price cheeseburger at Sonic on knit night. No bun, extra lettuce, pickles, onions, ketchup and mayonnaise. I ate it with a fork and didn't miss the bun $2.

~I've bought and cooked lots of eggs at fifty-eight cents a dozen.

The biggest money saver has been lots of cooking from scratch as I add more veggies and cut sugar and breads. It's helping me feel better, too.

🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼🌼

As you can see, we've had many blessings lately.
God is so good.

Praise God!

What have you done this week?

Laura

Blessed to be a blessing

On My Needles... What I'm Reading August 7, 2019

Hello, we are having the most beautiful day here at the edge of the Ozarks listening to the rumbly grumbly sounds of a thunder shower. It is not a storm that makes you fearful, just gentle rain. The air has turned cool. It was lovely to take a break and enjoy reading on the porch.

My daughter made cucumber cookies of all things. We've had lots and lots of cucumbers come out of our garden this year. Amy is quite the gardener. We are really enjoying the fruits of her labor.

My two daughters have had friends in and out today to visit. My brother-in-law is also here visiting us. I love having people here.

A few weeks ago, I showed you the toes of a pair of socks that I have been knitting for myself. Well last night, at knitting group, I was able to complete the foot part, and now I am doing the heel of the first sock. I'm using a method that is new to me. It's called Fish Lips Kiss. Crazy name I know. It's become quite popular over the last few years though. It seems to be pretty easy. I'm halfway done. I'll let you know when I get it finished. I'm actually knitting two at a time. That's why my knitting looks kind of funny on my needles.

I've been listening to Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs. I'm also reading Mother Culture by Karen Andreola and It's Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa Terkeurst. I didn't realize it, but she was fighting breast cancer at the same time I was. 

Well, I just wanted to drop in and let you know what's on my needles and what I've been reading. I hope you have a beautiful day whether it's raining or sunny hot or cold.

By the way, I'm listening to Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible  by Liz Curtis Higgs for free on Scribd. That makes for thrifty reading.

Have a handmade, thrifty week! 

Laura

Laura Lane

on Goodreads

2019 

51 Finished Books

HarvestLaneLaura 

on Ravelry

Joining with Yarn Along and Crafting On

Summer is Flying By So Quickly!

  Summer is flying by so quickly this year. I don't have as much control over summer's end as I have in years past. Why? Because my youngest, soon to be 18 year old daughter, Amy, is going to take a class at the local community college this year. Wow! Where has the time gone? It seems like I was just making my first tentative steps toward homeschooling. I must write about that sometime soon.

Now, though, it's nearly twenty-five years later, and I'm going to begin my last year with my last child. No, she's not a child anymore. She's a young adult like my other three. 

A few years ago, the girls painted my finger nails and toenails for the Fourth of July.

  School begins August 19th, so for all practical purposes, summer time will be at an end. The weather may not know it, and the calendar won't know it, but the school buses will be rolling, the backpacks will be filled, and the kids will head back to school. It's an odd thing to be 18 your first day of school I'm sure. ~smile~

I cannot remember which of the kids made this out of bean pods a few years ago.
It was most likely Amy. She's my crafty little artist.

  We still have a few more weeks. I need to employ them well. I still have boxes to unpack, and I need to make a final decision about whether to have a yard sale or just give it all away. Sales are so much work, and I don't have the help I used to have. Amy has a couple of trips she's still going to take to visit friends and relatives. I'm going to see my friend Laura in St. Louis. We've been friends since our young adults were very young children. Her youngest is 18, too.

I love it that my children are patriotic. We love our flag, our country, and our God.
But, not in that order! We understand the principles our country was founded on.
Our three youngest have been active in the political process and have had
some great experiences. God bless our President and God bless America.

  

  It's hard to make the transition from mommy of littles to mom of middles to mother of young adults. I didn't think I was an adult until I had my first child at 25! Mine decided they were adults considerably younger. ~smile~ I'm proud of them all. I just feel like I'm trying to finish well with Amy and also redefine who I am as their mom, as my husband's wife, as a breast cancer survivor, and as me. Laura, child of the Most High God. Interestingly, I'm listening to the song "I Am Who You Say I Am" by Hillsong. God will lead me as I listen and follow. He's a good good Father.

  Well, this post took a different direction than I expected, I still have several things on my Summer Bucket List that I want to do. Will I get them all done? I don't know, but I will just go by the calendar and give myself until September 22nd. Then, it's on to the most wonderful season of all—Autumn!

  Blessings to you all. 

Laura

I am who He says I am.