It's Almost Cyber Monday.....

Hey guys!

I sincerely hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

My turkey was woefully dry.

I kinda forgot about it.

I know - I was busy doing other things and miscalculated the time it needed.

I'm afraid I did not impress my new brother-in-law in any way, shape or form!

I'm up here in the Coop gearing up for "Cyber Monday".

Sewing my fingers to the bone.

I've got 24 pint sized jars of honey up on Etsy now - and I wanted to give you first dibs, and a coupon code!

'mondaymonday'

will get you 20% off your order!

And in case you've forgotten - here's where my bees have been eating all summer:

On this cold almost December night - I have to tell you - these photos are a balm to me soul.

Shipping stuff makes me nuts - it's so danged expensive - but how else can I get it to you?

I'm not padding the shipping cost any - just using the Priority Mail boxes from the PO.

The coupon code is active now - so you don't actually have to wait until Monday!

Aprons will be coming tomorrow - and the skin serum is going on sale too!

Here's a sneak peek of one of the aprons.

Thanks a million for your support here.

Me staying home = more blogging = happy readers = happy Jayme.



November Dreams

akamonsoon.wordpress.com

It's happening again.

It happens right around this time of the year - when my heart seams seem to nearly burst from all the goodness and light of the holidays.

The chilled turkey carcass is still nestled in it's plastic net, yet -

I can smell it.

I can hear the pots and pans rattling and envision whisking hopes and dreams into the gravy.

We are on the cusp of the most wonderful time of the year.

It's like being on a roller coaster and there's that moment of stillness before you plunge head first -

This is when 'it' happens.

newgre.org

'It' being - me thinking anything is possible.

'It' being - me making high in the sky apple pie dreams of gardens, poultry, triathlons, size six jeans, more bee hives, tapping maple trees and assorted shenanigans.

What is it about November that gets me all up in arms?

I have a feeling it has something to do with the fact that I can only plan everything and not actually have to do the work.

There are no triathlons in Indiana in November.

charliebroadway.blogspot.com

There are no plantings of gardens and baby chick purchases in November.

urbanfarming.wordpress.com

123rf.com

There is no adding beehives in November.

panaramio.com

There's just thinking about it.

And when all you can do is think about it - sister - don't you just think you are capable of going to the moon and back?

I do.

But think about it I will - and plan it I will - and come time to actually do it -

I'm sure I'll adjust that list.

Here's to another beauty full ordinary day my friends!

Dream big!

Filled Full

It's 5:22am.

I just finished eating turkey sausage and a couple of Cuties.

I have three loads of laundry waiting until it's light enough outside so I can hang them -

Crock pot apple butter is in the making.

I started to shampoo the carpet - but it's still too dark for that -

so I thought I'd check in with all y'all.

I've been making a real effort to stay away from the computer - wanting to be fully present at home this week.

I kept my entire schedule clear this week, and stayed off the phone too.

The BoyChild was here.

: - )

Between the love of the BoyChild and my staying put all week - it truly has been one of the best weeks in my recent memory.

Now, that's not saying much - since I'm notorious for a bad memory - which does, I must admit - come in handy at times.

I hold no grudges - since I can never remember what it is that someone has done.

It was the most ordinary week ever - and sisters - can I just tell you this -

Ordinary is fabulous.

We went to the gym a few times - and he had gymnastics training on Thursday - but other than that -

we stayed put.

He even got homework done.

For real.

Whilst he was at school - I worked my fingers to the bones sewing.

I'm going to confess that I listened to Christmas music whilst I sewed, sang along loudly, and I may or may not have never been happier.

See this heating pad cover?

Over 15 years in the making my friends.

I bought that fabric when Aaron was born - planning on making a heating pad cover.

FIFTEEN YEARS later.

It's done.

I did tell you that 'Finish' was my word of 2012, right?

I started a little business called 'Coop Keeper Creations' and I'll be unveiling my aprons that I've sewn this week on Etsy - planning a big 'Cyber Monday' sale!

Remember when I talked about getting a job a week or so ago?  I feel that I may have mis-communicated in some way why I wanted a job - trust me - it had nothing to do with fulfillment - or lack of things to do.

It was purely financial.

I'm completed filled full here at home - mentally and emotionally.

It dawned on me that I'm not even using the talents I have here at home to make a little extra cash - so I've been putting my hands to the spindle, so to speak.

I'm even starting to like the porch - I love looking through the kitchen window at it - it looks super cozy that way -

Glenco's making me a rustic 8' long wooden table for the porch out of a pile of old lumber we found in a dumpster this summer.

Fingers crossed it's done by Thanksgiving!

So I say - here's to a wonderful, ordinary, beauty full Monday.

Celebrate the ordinary.

Take time to notice how the light is changing at this time of year - and how it moves in your home.

Take time to be present in your home - giving your family your all.

Give yourself your all.

Make a nice dinner tonight.

Be nice.

Close the computer up - turn off the phone ringer -

breathe.

It might be the last chance you get til January.

Homemade Laundry Soap - A Video Tutorial

Apron up girls!

It's Monday - a fresh new start, on a fresh new week.

I have two loads of wet sheets, and it just thundered - loudly.

Not a good day to hang laundry I'm reckoning.

But - alas - it 'tis laundry day, and I love it so.

I love the sound of the machine, the smells, the restoring of order.

I loves me some laundry.

Here's a video showing you how you too can be frugalicious like me - make your own laundry soap - impress your friends, save the environment AND your pocketbook. 

Does anyone really call it a pocketbook anymore?

I didn't think so.

I use about a half a cup per load, a little more on heavily soiled clothes.

My friend Debby sent me this after reading the blog today:

I make this laundry soap and it is THE best! And not because it is so cheap, it gets my clothes cleaner than any other laundry soap I have used. It has gotten out blood, mustard, mud, grass stains, and even set in stains. Here is the calcu...lations I made with how much it costs to make this soap compared to other soap. Prices are based on about a month ago from Town and Country.

Price comparisons
All calculations are based on the national avg. of 400 loads of laundry per family per year, or 7.69 loads per week

Tide $12.99/64 loads .20/load=$80/yr
Gain $5.99/32 loads .19/load=$76/yr
All $4.29/32 loads .13/load=$52/yr
Trend $2.49/38 loads .7/load=$28/yr
(generic brand)

Fels Naptha soap $1.19/bar
Arm&Hammer Super Washing Soda $2.99/55oz box
20 Mule Team Borax $4.49/76 oz box
One box of the washing soda will make just under 7 batches of soap, and the borax will make exactly 19 batches.

One batch of soap calculates out to:
$1.19/Fels Naptha
.49/Washing soda
.24/Borax
$1.92 per 10 gallons

10 gal (64oz) divided by 2 oz./load=320 loads/batch=.006/load

Final cost per year=$2.40!!!!!!!!!!

 

Cuban Pork Tacos with The BoyChild

The BoyChild is mine!  All mine!

Seven glorious days of love and laughter.

I'm sitting at the gym with him now - while he's doing his gymnastics practice.

Doesn't this pic make you hurt?

It does me.

Aaron helped me stretch the other day.

It's just a good thing I'm too old to birth babies because I do believe

 he's permanently relocated my uterus.

I think it's where my lungs were.

One of my favorite things to do is to feed the BoyChild.

He's an adventurous eater - much more than I am.

He'll try anything once.  If I don't like the look of it, the smell of it, or the name of it - I won't.

I love that about him - he loves food and loves to try new things.

He was all up and over these Cuban Pork Tacos tonight.

Clean eating or not - these were so delicious they were 'ridickerous'.

The picture really doesn't do them justice.

Click HERE for the recipe.

The fresh pineapple salsa?

Forget it.
I couldn't believe the flavor!

It's my fault that I've been eating rather plain for months - it's just been easier - or maybe I've been lazy.

This recipe looked a bit involved at first - but it wasn't.

Now - here's the kicker for me - I didn't do the whole avocado thing - or the corn tortilla thing.

I'm not a fan of the avocado.

What's up with the texture of it?

I react to it almost as much as the dreaded cotton ball.

*shudders*

I steamed some cauliflower -

chopped it up rrrreeaallll fine like and faked myself into thinking I was eating rice.

I just put the meat and salsa over it.

It's pretty danged spicy - so if you aren't the spicy loving kind - I'd suggest that you cut the cayenne and red pepper down some.

I may be singing 'Ring of Fire' tomorrow.

Amen.

Chicken Chat - Your Daily Drivel

We interrupt your regularly scheduled weekend to give you your daily dose of drivel.

The pilgrim's butts are lit up and the happy couple are resting comfortably on the back porch.



My ridiculously large lunch was photo worthy. 

Mountains of broccoli, valleys of peas, and plains of a turkey meatloaf.

Remember this nightmare?

I'm still working on it.

Law.

I feel like cutting the front porch off the front of the house and burning it.

I still want this photo -

I think.

This is what the porch looks like of now.

It may change before I post this blog post.

I already know the orange flowers are history.

I have no idea why I'm struggling with this so.

Instead of painting the table, I put a burlap piece over it - that I got from my beans for coffee roasting.

I'd found this rug in the trash years ago.

The floor color still needs to change.

Law - it's a PORCH Jayme -

but it's just gotta 'feel right' to me -

And the juiciest bit of drivel for the day -

this punk is coming today and spending a week with me.

A week!

His momma done be gone up on her honeymoon.

He has no idea what he's in for - it's gonna be a bit like rehab for him - early mornings - early bedtimes - lots of vegetables - and very little TV.

Oh the horror!

way back in the day - when we were young and homeschooled - those were the days my friend, I thought they'd never end.

The Legend of Twisty Fitzgerald - Lessons from a Hen

Yesterday.....

....all my troubles seemed so....

right up in my face.

And then along came you.

I'ma thankin' you from the bottom of my bottomless heart.

For realz.

Each and every comment was like a love note straight to me heart.

It appears that some crazy hormonal woman hacked my blog yesterday and started talking about not blogging and going to work full time.

Pfft.

Like that would happen.

I'd burst a blood vessel if I couldn't talk.

I just needed a bit of encouragement, a bit of 'you are on the right path', a bit of 'you are loved'.

And don't we all?

Selah.

Yesterday was a day, m'goodness it was.

Gloomy as heck.

After I posted my blog post I got the house chores done, planned dinner (Chicken Breasts with a balsamic glaze, sweet potatoes and broccoli)

 and decided to head to the gym to do my back, triceps and cardio.

I like saying 'today is back and tris'

Makes me feel cool.

Right before I left for the gym, I wrangled myself into my compression stockings.

I started wearing these a few months ago because I was experiencing leg cramps, leg heaviness, and honestly?  I thought it might squeeze the fat out of my legs somehow.

Come to find out - from being a tub most of my life, I've veinous insufficiency in my legs, causing me to have low blood pressure - the stockings do milk my legs and help my blood pressure stay in the normal range.  Helps me not pass out when I stand up.  I appreciate that.

Milk my legs?

That makes me gag a little.

But! 

No more leg cramps and I must say that my legs feel more energetic.

Oh they are heavenly.

And they are expensive.

And I put a big ole run in a brand new pair yesterday.

photo from honeyrunfarm.blogspot.com

And then - I had ONE frame of honey left to extract, and I really thought I oughta do that before I went to the gym.

Procrastinate much?

Glenco made me this contraption.

Oh it's a Jerry-rigged contraption if you've ever seen one.

It's a honey extractor of sorts - still in it's infant stages - still tweaking to be done -

and little did I know - it should not be, or I should say 'I should not be' operating it without adult (Glenco) supervision.

Long story short - I suffered a deep puncture wound in my hand.

It's ok now! Very sore, a tad swollen.

It's right about then when I lost it.

Law - I boohooed for 10 minutes.

"I should have gone to college!"

"Why didn't I birth no babies!?"

"If I had a high powered important job I wouldn't be puncturing myself on a homemade honey extractor!"

"Why didn't my parents get me braces!?"

It was right about then I realized I was dealing with a 'brotha from anotha motha'.

The 'H' word.

Hormones.

And then I started giggling a little and I dried my tears and tended my wounded hand and went to the gym.

(this is getting kinda long - sorry - hormonal ramblings do that to a girl - you might want a refill on whatever it is you're drinking)

When I got to the gym there was a really large young man sweating all over the cable row machine I needed.  He finished up, cleaned the machine off and we started chatting a bit.  I could tell he was extremely nervous in my presence (I do have that effect on people) and he was very chatty, not in a creepy way - but a self conscious way - I told him how I'd lost over a 100lbs, and he could too - to never give up - and to come and talk to me anytime he sees me in the gym, and needs encouragement.

Whilst I was doing my cable back rows, with perfect form by the way - it hit me - is that what I was like when I was heavy(er)?  Is that why people think I'm so peaceful now?  I no longer feel self conscious - I no longer care what people are thinking about me.

Interesting....

It felt good to get a good workout in.

You know - even when you don't know 'the big picture' for your life at times, you always know the little picture.  You still need to do the things that need to be done.  Workout, chores, cook dinner, dress yourself!! 

The thrift store happened to be opening as I left the gym - and I stopped in and found an awesome pink cashmere cardigan for a dolla!

I found a sweet knit skirt and gray sweater - a great fall outfit - for two dollas!

And just when you thought life couldn't get any better -

(hormonal swing much?)

I went to the library and found a few fabulous books -

"Pretty Little Potholders" was one - (gotta start Christmas gifts!)

Last night - as I went to bed - I felt tremendously blessed.

I snapped this photo right before I jumped in bed.

I started singing "People Who Need People" loudly in my best Barbara Streisand voice.

Glenco wasn't too amused cause he'd bedded down 10 minutes earlier, and unbeknownst to me had already fallen asleep.

Ooops.

Returning to My Roots

Lord have mercy.

It's the 7th of November.

Do you realize what this means?

Neither do I.

OK.

I need to spill some beans here.

I'm flummoxed.

That means 'confused, at a loss, perplexed'.

I've been sitting in my living room spot, with a large mug of lukewarm English breakfast tea, with my hoodie hood up - answering emails since 5:30am.  It's now 7:23am.

One of the emails that I responded to was a dear reader asking me about my housecleaning routine.

I referred her to this

http://talefromthecoopkeeper.blogspot.com/search/label/Frugalicious%20Domesticity

And then I started reading some of my old posts from that series.

Law.

I liked that series.

Honestly - I feel that my blog has been on life support for some time now.

I feel like I've nothing funny, nor important to say.

I feel that I oughta pull the plug on it before it dies a slow, painful, gaspy death.

My blog is alot like Seinfeld - it's really a blog about nothing.

It's just a snippet of my life - and I don't sugar coat it - don't embellish it - it just is me.

Honestly, I can't believe y'all have stuck with me for as long as you do - and when I hear from you via comments and emails - it just brightens me up, from the inside out.

Lately, I've been second guessing so much of life.

Maybe it's losing 75 lbs recently and finding the new me.

Maybe it's turning 50 in a few months.

Maybe it's none of the above and I just need therapy and meds.



February 2011





latest pic of me - second from left - October 2011



What I've really been second guessing lately is my decision to stay home full time.

I mean - wouldn't a smart person just go out and work like a maniac and build up a nice sized bank account?

Shouldn't I do that?

I often feel guilty when I talk to my friends that do work full-time.

I've been there and done that - and I know first hand what a stress that can be at times, but I also know the joy of the feeling of having a purpose, enjoying work friendships, and well - enjoying money!

I mean - can I REALLY bring home the bacon, fry it up in the pan and never let Glenco forget he's a man?

Honestly, I'd rather not try.

ll the drivel here to say that I think I've just lost my way recently.  I think that psychologically there is something about losing a great deal of weight that you end up redefining yourself.

I've had two highly respected friends tell me recently how calm I seem.

How I exude peace.

Me?

ADHD Poster Child?

Peace?

Yep.

And I think is some way - that this new found peace feeling - as foreign as it is to me, and yet what I have purposely cultivated in my life - makes me feel downright boring.

Am I?

Law.  I hope not.

So all of this to ask this -

what were/are your favorite parts of my blog?

I feel the need to return to my roots - about being home - loving home - being frugal - gardening - cooking -

What say ye?

(oh and I bet you thought I forgot to answer all those questions that you guys asked me on the honey giveaway - well, you'd be right - gonna answer them this week.)



Pumpkin Cupcakes w/Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I was going to name this post

'Little Suzy Methmaker'

Seems like since I've been on my weight loss journey - I've barely baked a thing.

This is from the gal that had about 75lbs of flour and 10 lbs of butter in the house at any given moment.

I've pondered my lack of baking, and shrugged it off to 'it's too soon - I can't handle the temptation'.

Then I went through a spell and thought 'ohmagoodness - I never liked baking in the first place - I just liked eating it!  Baked goods are my crack, and I'm my own dealer'.

And then.

Along came the day the BoyChild was visiting.

(He's doing well, FYI - I need to get him on here again, don't I?  He's as tall as I am.)

You'd think we hadn't seen each other in years - they way we do go on when we do - I had to pull over in the car a time or two - laughing so hard I couldn't see.

We were chatting and laughing like two hummingbirds on crack.

Why yes - there ARE a lot of drug references in this post!

I wanted to make him a special treat.

I truly felt like I could make the cupcakes and they wouldn't be a problem - well - not a huge problem.

I actually really enjoyed the whole process of baking - and hearing the moans of the BoyChild, and the smile on Glenco's face.

Conclusion?

I DO like baking!

Even if I don't get to eat it.

And as silly as that sounds - it's something I've mentally wrestled with since changing my lifestyle.

I got the recipe from here -

and it's a keeper so I'm told.

(OK, I ate one! - and yes!  it's a keeper!!)

They are super quick to make since the base is a boxed cake mix.

I can hear you gasping!  YES!  I used a boxed cake mix!

The recipe follows -

I've been a bit AWOL here lately - due to working at Pier One - I'm not sure I'm going to last gals - to tell you the truth.

Well, I will if they change my schedule up somewhat.

I've been having to go in just for 2 or 3 hours every other day - and driving the Heep - it's just not worth the time and gas.

It's got me totally disjointed it has.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

1 box of Spice Cake Mix

1 15 oz can pumpkin

1 cup of sour cream

1/4 cup of oil

3 eggs

Mix it all up with a mixer - let it beat about two minutes to get it good and blended, and to whip some air in it.

This makes exactly 2 dozen cupcakes.

Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes - or until they spring back when you poke them.

Let them cool and frost them with this -

8 oz. softened cream cheese

1/4 cup softened butter (don't even THINK of using margarine!)

1 t. vanilla

1.5 t cinnamon

Enough powdered sugar to make a good frosting consistency - about 3 to 4 cups.

Just blend this with a mixer until it turns into frosting.

(yes, I know I give the worst cooking directions ever!

I take a lot for granted - assuming you guys know how to bake.

If you can manage not to just eat the frosting alone - frost the cupcakes.

Eat it and weep.