Real Food Book Giveaway

Lots of posts swirling in my head, but I've not made time to sit down and bang them out. Story of my life. I did want to pop in and tell you about a wonderful giveaway - Katie at Kitchen Stewardship is giving away Nina Planck's books Real Food: What to Eat and Why, and Real Food for Mother and Baby.

I smiled to myself when Katie noted that Real Food is easier to read than Nourishing Traditions because I'm still on the intro of that book. And it's been like a year since I started. I've learned quite a bit from what I've read, it's just really heavy stuff.

So, if you'd like to learn more about simple, healthy eating, click through and sign up to win!

PS - Confidential to Amy, if I don't win, and I ever end up needing to read it, can I borrow your copy? :>) Praying for you to need it first, though!

Today's Treasures

I visited our thrift store today, for the first time since before we left on vacation. I'd been hitting it pretty hard right up until we left, looking for things to keep Goose occupied in the car. (Note: I updated with more pics and how things worked for us!) Today I was able to relax and browse a bit since I had a bit of time between working and heading home to pick Goose up for lunch. For $2, this is what I found:

Four games for ten cents each. We already have Scrabble, but I wanted to get an extra one to make necklaces! (You can read about my silhouette pendant making, and Make and Takes has the initial Scrabble tile pendant tutorial that got me thinking about it. Chasing Cheerios also put a new spin on Scrabble tile pendants.)

Sorry is an old favorite, Hurry Up is a new one I'd never seen before (it's kind of a marble maze, I think), and you fellow 80s kiddos may recognize ol' Simon. :>)


Here's the rest of the fun stuff! I picked up a copy of the OLD Cheaper by the Dozen, which my mom read to us a chapter at a time spread over several bedtimes - I can't bring myself to watch the Steve Martin movie. I'm sure it's nice, but it just isn't the same. Ahem. I also picked up a copy of Sewing With Scraps (which may end up as a give-away . . . ) and a coloring book for Goose.

I also found a small toy iron, which I think is similar to one I had as a wee lass (is that right, Mom? Did I have an ironing board, too? I need to dig around your basement . . . just as soon as I have an actual toy room to put it all in!) and a small sieve that she can use if we ever get her a sandbox. I also picked up some floral foam, a small packaged kit to make five cloth-covered buttons, some chenille stems (that I will forever refer to as pipe cleaners), three wooden clothes pegs for organizing ribbon scraps, a package of small wooden beads, a magnifying glass, and a package of wooden rings.

I need to dig around a bit more as I thought I had posted about a game I made for my nieces that used a wooden ring, but I sure can't find it. Maybe that'll be next week's Frugal Friday post - it was cheap and easy! (and hopefully fun!) Anyway. My total was actually only $1.75 but they don't make change so I rounded up. Not too shabby, eh? I've already told Hubs that IT IS ON - we'll be playing some Simon tonight!

Home Sweet Home

I love visiting my parents and spending time with family, but I am such a homebody. Goose and I had a delightful time up until 3:45 this morning, when something wasn't right in her world. The third spare bedroom at my parents' was occupied by my uncle who has been battling cancer for over a year and my aunt, so I was trying to minimize the bother to them.

We ended up leaving early in hopes that I could get her home for a good nap in her bed. She actually did quite well on the way back - we had to stop about halfway home to get out and run around because *I* was getting sleepy, though! I was glad I did because Goose had a seriously wet diaper. We swung by the "city" to pick up a few things and made it back right about her normal naptime. She hollered about five minutes before conking out. (whew)

Anybody know if there is a Borax conspiracy going on? I noted earlier that my two regular Wal-Marts - 60 miles apart - were both out of Borax. I checked Target, and although they appear to be in the middle of re-arranging the laundry aisles, there was no Borax. I am seriously hoping that our little grocery store in the next town over will come through for me tomorrow. I'm almost out!

We also zipped through Hobby Lobby, where I picked up a couple of flannel remnants and some ribbon that was on sale for 50% off. I also spent part of my birthday money from my parents on a scrapbooking paper cutter. I'm pretty tight when it comes to spending money like that - if only I could get it to translate to the rest of my life! Anyway, I am thoroughly unable to cut in a straight line and am hoping this will help. I've been waiting to pick it up until I had a 40% off coupon, so it was a good deal, I think.

The best deal, though, is what I borrowed from my dad - all these canning books! The Ball Blue Book of Preserving is smaller than I thought it would be, so I'm definitely glad to be borrowing that instead of spending money on it. I had borrowed the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving from the library but didn't really get it read by the time it had to go back. Dad said he uses Putting Food By the most, and there are notes carefully tucked into the pages to prove it! I also grabbed A Guide to Canning, Freezing, Curing & Smoking Meat, Fish & Game because canning meat fascinates me.

My parents will actually be here tonight for a few days, and then they'll go on to my brother's for a week or so. I'm glad, because we have a funeral to attend tomorrow and they can keep an eye on the Goose. Funerals are a bit of a stretch for her good behavior, especially when they edge dangerously close to naptime.

I can't believe June is right around the corner. I'll (hopefully!) be putting these canning books to use before long at all!

Treasure Hunting for The Week

First, I must share a pic of Goose playing outside while I worked in the garden last night. My lawn mower isn't working, so Hubs took it to town yesterday and then brought over his dad's riding mower. He did a great job mowing the lawn (even brought the weed-eater over later) - plus he bagged the clippings and deposited them by the garden so I can use it as mulch. I don't mind mowing too much, but I don't care for stopping to empty the bag. If I put the mulching attachment on, I can just zip through it and the clippings blow out the side. So that was a blessing and it looks great! Here's hoping my mower has an easy fix, though. Oh, that yellow sweater Goose is wearing? It was Hubs's when he was a wee laddie. I smile every time she wears it.

Yesterday while I was in town, I made a quick stop at the dollar store to buy bubbles - Goose hadn't tried them yet and I thought she might enjoy them. I discovered they had some school/art supplies on sale, so I picked them up at $1-$1.50 each. And a few other things. :>) The two little tubs of colored "blocks" are plastic gel or something filled things that you freeze and then put in your drink to keep them cool. I've seen a number bloggers who use them for sorting by color, shape, etc. I think there are two paintboxes, and three to five sets of each of the markers. I should be set for a looong time! (It ended up too windy for bubbles by the time we got to them.)

And then today, I hit our little thrift store. I only had about half an hour of proofreading to do at the newspaper, so I had some time to kill. My MIL doesn't like it if I come back too soon and cut into her time with Goose! :>) I scored a number of great finds for $2.50. Not shown is a woven placemat I got to put on the backseat of the car as a rug of sorts for Goose. I've been letting Goose walk down the deck stairs and into the garage holding my hand. But then she gets the seat dirty climbing in - so this should help. I was thrilled to pick up the box of stationary as my collection is dwindling. I especially love the colors - brown and mustard yellow. I love picking up odds and ends of ribbon - these spools are pink and white.

Of the books, I picked up some random textbooks. They include two Spanish books, one on science, one American history, one speech, and two writing/grammar. The big coup for me was Teaching Montessori in the Home although mine is the 1968 version. :>) I was also excited about the guide to growing vegetables.

I can see Goose and her papa writing each other secret messages after reading Codes & Secret Writing in a few years. I loved Encyclopedia Brown as a kid, and I'm betting Goose will too. (1982 version) We also picked up 100 Pounds of Popcorn (great for entrepreneurship!), and three Scholastic books for when she gets into chapter sort of books.

I also picked up a book for Hubs. It's one I read in middle school that I did NOT like, called A Day No Pigs Would Die. I can't be exactly sure, but I suspect this is at least a large part of the reason that I gradually quit eating meat - it was about that time, wasn't it Mom? Sixth or seventh grade? Parts of it have really stuck with me through the years, and not at all in a good way. I told Hubs once he finishes it, I'm taking it back to the thrift store to re-donate.

Pretty good haul, I think! I'm not sure if they get new (to them) books in very often, or if I just all of a sudden see them after looking over them several times. It's so fun to see what I can find, though.