A Short Break

I'll be taking a short break from blogging. My daughter and I are exhibiting our jewelry in a local jewelry show and need time to get ready.  Thanks for understanding and hope to be back soon.

Blessings,

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Adorable Fabric Dolls

Moda Fabrics offers many original and creative tutorials.  This is one of my favorites. 

Fabric Dolls. 

 Just like the old fashioned paper dolls but made of fabric and much more durable.  Hop on over there to the Moda Bake Shop and check out this and many other great FREE tutorials.  You will surely enjoy it!

Happy sewing,

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Upcycle Old Sweaters to New Pillows

This is a clever way to get some new pillows that are cozy for almost nothing. Take your old sweater and create a new pillow!

The tutorial to make the pillows is over at Fave Crafts.  Instead of a new pillow form, I might recover an older pillow that needs a facelift or use some batting from my sewing stash.  The idea is lovely and easy. 

If you want the directions for this pillow idea, click HERE.

Happy sewing,

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Fire Starter Frugal Tip

The cold weater is not over yet and maybe you have run out of fire starters.  Possibly you got caught without dry kindling on a wet day.  Here is a very frugal way to start a fire. 

A friend had a pile of ragged jeans next to her fireplace and I asked her what she was planning to do with them.  She told me she uses them to start her fire.  Well, I had never heard of burning cotton clothing so I went home and tried it.  Voila!!  It worked and it worked very well.  This pair of pants was too small for anyone in my family so I used it to start my fire.  The cotton burns slowly so it gives the fire a chance to start. 

You may be an old hand at frugality and this may not be new to you but it was new to me.  If it is news to you also, give it a try.  Grab an old shirt or whatever you have that is 100% cotton and has no more use as clothing and try it out! 

Leave a comment and me know how you like it.  Thanks!

Keeping warm,

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Watch a Great Movie for Free!

Movies are great fun to watch for relaxing entertainment.  It's even better when they are free! 

Here's one you won't want to miss.  Emma, originally written by Jane Austen, has now been released by PBS Masterpiece Theatre.  You can watch it free online until March 9, 2010.  Click HERE for the link.

Here's my daughter, Julia's review of the movie:  "I watched it and I must say, I was more impressed than I expected I'd be. I love the Gwyneth Paltrow version of Emma, but there are many things about this new version that captivated me. :) I was pleasantly surprised by how many of the lines from the movie are actually taken straight from the book, and how little the screenwriters changed the plot, characters, and situations. The timing of everything is extremely close to how everything happens in the book. All this I love! :D I like the newer Harriet much better. At first I wasn't sure about Mr. Knightley, but I absolutely loved him by the time the movie was done.

Frank Churchill is much more like I would have imagined him to be... the ages of the actors seem to be closer to the actual book... Unfortunately, I didn't think Romola Garai acted quite well-bred and elegant enough for the part of Miss Woodhouse, and does a few things that I don't think Emma would have done... (i.e, bursting into Mr. Knightley's library, making a short electrifying statement, and immediately running back out) And Miss Bates was not quite as 'bates-y' as I would have liked. Overall though, this is a very well-done, satisfying Jane Austen Movie. "


So grab a bowl of popcorn or maybe some hot chocolate, get comfy, and enjoy a great MOVIE.

Have fun!

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Homeschool Freebie of the Day

This website is a gold mine of great books and information.  (The above picture is just one of their giveaways.)  Often the format is audio as well as PDF documents.  This free resource is wonderful for all children.  Even us older ones can enjoy and learn from the daily free items that are given away on this site.   Take a minute and check it out.  You'll be glad that you did!

Ever learning,

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Free College Education

Yes, that's right.  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offers 1900 classes online for FREE in their Open Course Ware. 

It's amazing that they are just giving away this information.  You don't have to register or pay anything.  Now granted, you will not earn credit or receive a degree.  But you are learning just the same.  I am looking into some classes for my children. 

By the way, if you have high school age children, MIT also offers courses for high schoolers. 

MIT offers some interesting videos and courses for free for high school level learning.

So, if you are interested, click HERE for college information 

Click HERE for high school information.

Maybe I'll look into a class for myself. 

Ever learning,

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All Natural Clothes Dryer

Last Wednesday was a gorgeous, sunny day.  The air was warm and fresh, the perfect day for line-dying some clothes.  I hung my sweaters on hangers or just on the line.  Also, the down comforter and quilt went on the line for some freshing up. 

My mother said that the sun had antibacterial properties.  It was healthy to hang things in the sun as it killed germs.  My search on the internet didn't produce any proof positive but they sure smell good after they are hung on the line. 

I know that it is frugal to dry clothes and linens this way.  It not only saves on electricity (or gas) but the clothes last longer.  I admit that I don't line dry all my clothes.  Maybe I work to dry more this way.  Couldn't hurt! 

Give it a try if you have never done it.  You might actually like the result and save yourself money in the process! 

Warmly,

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Pizza~South Beach Diet Style

"Necessity is the mother of invention," my dad often said. 

Just the other day, my daughter was trying to figure out what to eat while we had homemade pizza.  She was on Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet.  Since the whole wheat crust was a no-no, we had to come up with an alternative. 

So, we opened up a can of black beans and heated them up on the stove. Then we threw in some leftover cooked chicken to give it a little more body. We spread out a layer of the black beans/chicken (using about half of the pot) in a glass pie pan, and topped that with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and some favorite pizza toppings.. pepperoni, black olives, and pickles. :D Yummmm.  Then, on top, we sprinkled parmesan cheese, garlic, oregano and basil.  Yes, pepperoni isn't really approved so go ahead and throw on some veggies like green pepper and onion, instead.  :)

Broil at 500 degrees for only 4-5 minutes.  Keep a sharp lookout as it can brown up quickly.  Serve and enjoy!

If you try the pizza, let me know what you think!

Happy eating,

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Free Mitten Tutorial

Winter is still here but maybe the mittens have disappeared.  If this has happened to you, just grab an old sweater and make some more!

These sweater mittens are easy and fun to make. 

Step 1.  Get an unused sweater.  If it is wool, felt it first.  Wash in warm water and dry.  This will shrink it up.  If it cashmere, you don't have to felt it.  I found this cashmere sweater at a thrift store. 

Step 2. Make a pattern.  Trace around your hand onto a piece of paper. Make sure you include the seam allowance.  Remember the seam allowance is turned to the inside, so make room in the thumb for it and your thumb.  Use cardstock if you want a durable pattern. 

Step 3.  Turn the sweater inside out.  Lay the pattern on the sweater so the cuff of the mitten is at the bottom of the body of the sweater.  That way the cuff is already finished.  Cut out around the pattern.  That makes the 2 pieces of one mitten.  Do this again, so you have 2 sets. 

Step 4.  Sew around the mitten.  Clip close to the seam between the thumb and the main part of the mitten.  Turn to the right side and you are done!

Try making some out of fleece.  I had some scraps of fleece so I made some mittens for my sons.  Be sure to add some to the wrist if you use fleece.  It doesn't stretch like a sweater and you need room to get your hand in it. 

Let me know if you make some mittens.  I'd love to see your creations!

Happy sewing,

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Freebie of the Day: Free Math Workheets

This website is just wonderful!  Easy to use and very detailed, this website is a treasure for practice worksheets for math.  You can choose from basic math all the way up to pre-algebra.  It provide the answer key on a separate piece of paper so it's a snap to correct. 

Be sure to bookmark this site for your free math sheets.

Happy computing,

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You Never Know Until You Try!

This sewing machine was given to me when I graduated from high school (many years ago!).  It is a super machine, cast iron and quite a work horse. 

It stopped winding bobbins several years ago.  I got a new machine, made mostly of plastic, so I wound my bobbins on that.   I checked around for prices to fix my "old faithful' and it was going to cost between $30-50.  Yikes!  So finally, I decided to be brave and try to fix it myself.  Taking off the cover with a screwdriver, I saw that the little rubber wheel was so old that it has started to disintegrate.  I found one online and ordered it.  You can see the inside of the cover with the rubber off. 

I snapped on the wheel and tried it out.  It barely moved the bobbin around.  Then I noticed that the post moved very stiffly. 

I added a drop of oil and spun it around for a few minutes.  It spun smoothly.  Now it works!!

You can see the bobbin really going, now.  The part plus shipping was only $8 instead of at least $30! 

I am seriously going to "hang out my shingle" to service and repair machines.  Hopefully, I can teach my boys so they will learn more about machines and maybe do it as a home business. 

If you are interested in fixing your own machine, give it a try.  Open it up and see if there is any obvious problem.  If nothing jumps out at you, you may want to buy this book, "Sewing Machine Repair as a Home Business" by Reuben O. Doyle.  I bought it to learn more about repairing machines.  It is very detailed, including lots of illustrations.  It even discusses how to adjust tension and timing.  Click HERE to order. 

So be brave.  You never know until you try!  You might save yourself a lot of money and be back in business sewing. 

Blessings,

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Freebie of the Day: Free Books!

One of the best kept secrets is Project Gutenberg.   This site offers over 30,000 books that are in e-book form.  They carry high quality items: Their books were previously published on paper by bona fide publishers and digitized with the help of thousands of volunteers.


All their ebooks can be easily downloaded: Choose between ePub, Mobipocket, HTML and simple text formats.   Their books are free in the United States because their copyright has expired. They may not be free in other countries. Readers outside of the United States must check the copyright laws of their countries before downloading or redistributing the ebooks.

There is no fee or registration required to use the site.  You have the option to donate if you wish. 

My son loves to read the G. A. Henty books.  They can be difficult to find or expensive to purchase.  We have found most if not all of Henty's books here.  We download the book and then burned it to CD so my son can read it on his laptop.  You could also read it from the computer to which you downloaded it. 

To Save: Click on the title of the book.  On that page, right click on the "main site" on the HTML line and then click "save target as"  Choose a file to save it in and click save.  That's it!

I have also used this site to preview a book I was planning to buy.  Easy and quick.  Search by author.

Hopefully, you enjoyed this freebie tip.  Any questions?  Just drop me a line.  Let me know if you also like Project Gutenberg.

Blessings,

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What Does "So Dutch" Mean?

Often my family says, " I am so Dutch that I won't pay for that."  Or, " I am so Dutch that I'll make that myself." 

So what does "so Dutch" mean?  Being Dutch means many things to me.  I am 100% Dutch.  But, no, I don't speak Dutch.  I am very proud of the good things from my heritage.  My family has always been hardworking, instilling a strong work ethic in the next generation.  For many generations back, my ancestors have been God-fearing and Bible reading.  The family played an important part of their lives.  My mother always cooked us a hot breakfast every day.  We always ate dinner together.  We worked and played together.  My ancestors were so concerned with teaching their children about God that Christian Education was promoted.  Even now, my family homeschools to pass on our values to our children.

My dad often said, "Necessity is the mother of invention."  Creativity flourished in our home.  He was always making some gadget or jig because he needed something.  My grandmother, who taught me to crochet, made an afghan for each of her children and all of her grandchildren among many other things.  My mom taught me to sew and made our clothes when we were young. 

Frugality and resourcefulness are prominent qualities.  I was taught to appreciate the value of the dollar and take very good care of my things.  My family bought quality whenever possible so it would last and made things when possible to save money.  My dad always repaired things so as not to pay a repairman.

For generations, Dutch people have been known for their cleanliness.  The same was true for my family.  My grandmother's kitchen floor was so clean you could skate on it in your socks!  Even the family car was spotless. 

As all heritages have their special qualities, these are a few of what I believe are Dutch qualities.  So I am dedicating this blog to exploring and expressing these and other facets of my heritage.  Come join me on my journey, won't you? 

Blessings,

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