the count is on

Let's be honest, I know no one is quite ready to accept the fact, but it won't be long before Christmas decorations start creeping into shops and catalogs fill our mailboxes. As I'm making most of our gifts this year, I've already been busy sorting through patterns and my yarn baskets and stocking up on supplies.

Lots of people on our list will be getting one of these wool hats this year. The pattern is easy, is FREE here, is available in both children and adult sizes, and the colors can easily be changed so that everyone can wear their favorite team or school colors = win, win, win, win! :-)

Oh, and in case you're wondering, 103 days until Christmas and counting!

in love

I stumbled across a new blog yesterday, and I am in love. Design Sponge, you make me swoon. So many pretty---and practical---ideas to make my head spin!

I love these faux books, which are easily made from scrap cardboard and hide art supplies and assorted knickknacks.

I also love this simple but fantastic stenciling tutorial (perhaps I'm partial on this one because I also love to eat ;-).

And before you gag over this Tom Cruise jumping on the sofa link love, here's just one more: I love both of these "afters". Two pretty generic pieces of furniture given personalities of their own---wonderful!


Photo is from Design Sponge.

back to school

Confession: I was---probably still am---a school geek. As a child, I loved school. When I came home from school, I played, you guessed it, school. Although I enjoyed summer vacation, I couldn't wait to go back to school. Even today, I still love shopping for school supplies---found myself a really cute pencil tin this year! :-)

As effects from the Great Recession drag on, however, school shopping is something that many families are having a difficult time facing this year. If you don't know of any programs locally established where you can help fund local students or needy schools, check out some of the links provided here by the Charity Guide.

If you'd also like to help out those a bit further away, consider a donation to Shining Hope, who sponsor health programs and schools in some of the most impoverished areas of Kenya.

Lastly, if your older kids need a bit of help with math and science, look into the free tutorials provided on YouTube by the Khan Academy here. You may want to use them to brush up yourself---even Bill Gates is a fan!


Photo is from the Charity Guide.

what to do...

When the Mother Nature decides to ignore the forecast and turn a gloriously late summer weekend day into an overcast, rain-sprinkling one? Pull out a book from the project shelf and get to work, of course. :-)

I realized recently I needed a new pin cushion, so I decided to make this pin cushion/sewing caddy from Anna Maria Horner's Seams to Me. I followed the instructions pretty much to the letter, except I used old (but clean!) shredded tee shirts for the stuffing rather than polyfill. Great way to use up some fabric scraps too!

plage de temps

Plage de temps, or literally "beach of time," also is an expression for "a space of time for oneself to which one repairs on a daily or periodic basis" according to Mireille Guiliano---a concept that I thought about a great deal during the two weeks I combed the shoreline for green, brown, and bluey bits of sea glass to add to my collection (they represent to me the equivalent of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's shells in Gift from the Sea).

I am proud of myself for not only suggesting this vacation, this much-needed plage de temps, but also actually taking the time off as well. We didn't travel far---just the 10 miles from our home to the sea and back every day---and kept expenses low by packing picnics, with the occasional treat of a simple restaurant meal of grilled fish (done beachside here) and salad. OK, there also were regular stops at the ice cream kiosk as well, but it WAS a holiday. :-)

It would have been easy, though, to forgo the vacation entirely in the name of austerity, especially as my husband's job search and this era of economic uncertainty continue to drag on. But we both had worked so hard in the past year---everyone well deserved this break. As does everyone out there who has been affected by the stresses of the Great Recession.

Staycations and nearcations are great ways to promote plage de temps. You may not be fortunate as we are to live so close to a popular vacation spot, but there must be a park or recreational area within a similar distance to your house as well, perhaps even your own backyard, where you could enjoy a brief escape. After work today, I plan to start the weekend off right by soaking my feet in a washbasin while relaxing under the beach umbrella on our terrace. For as the waves lapped at my ankles last week, I learned that with a little effort and imagination, I can always have the sea with me.

Have a great weekend, everyone!!!

beauty hints

I have much beloved collection of half-century or older women's magazines, cookbooks, and encyclopedias of household hints that I've picked up for very little money here and there at used book stores, flea markets and eBay (of course). I love them for the historic value, the recipes, as well as for reminders that no matter how much the world changes, so much really stays the same.

When doing some cleaning yesterday, I stumbled across one of my favorites, "The Home Encyclopedia" published in London fifty years ago. I love this book because it's full of interesting little bits arranged alphabetically so it's easy to dip into, grab a little morsel of useful goodness, and then be on your way. For example, on one page there are instructions on planting runner beans, the recipe for bechamel sauce, and how to ascertain whether a bed is damp (use a mirror). There is also a list of helpful beauty hints, which I thought would be fun to share. And the funny thing, I actually already do some of these. :-)

1. After shampooing your hair, you can free it of all soap and leave it lustrous by putting a tablespoon of vinegar in the bowl of rinsing water.
2. Always use a blunt comb to avoid tearing and breaking your hair.
3. A lump of orris root in a muslin bag boiled with your hankerchiefs will produce a faint smell of violets on the hankerchiefs when they are ironed.
4. Pineapple, tinned or fresh, contains all the properties which enable you to resist colds.
5. We do not store fat unless we eat more food than we can assimilate.

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!!!

freebie link love

I have praised the merits of CreativeLive (previous CreativeTechs) before here, and as another of Molly Murrah's painting classes is being offered, I need to again tell people what a great opportunity these FREE courses are. If you watch the classes online live, there is absolutely no charge. During the period the class is on offer, the entire course may be purchased for half-price; afterward, the full charge applies, but even that is low considering the value of Molly's instruction. So check out CreativeLive's complete class schedule and help spread the word of this great learning opportunity. :-)

Also, a couple months ago, I posted about another freebie from Oprah's Book Club. Every month a new chapter of David Bach's Start Over, Finish Rich is available as a download. The first THREE chapters are now available here.

Enjoy!

seeding and planting

One of my favorite summer treats is to pick a tomato fresh from the vine, slice it thin, drizzle with a little olive oil, and scoop onto a crunchy baguette. Oh, and throw a handful of basil leaves in top! Mmmm. :-)

If you haven't started a garden, it's not too late. And don't say you don't have any room for a garden because I bet you do---we grow all of our goodies on a relatively small roof terrace, which means all our plants are grown in pots---even an apple tree!

Not sure where to start? Well, my first suggestion is to grow veg and herbs that you really love to eat. No sense in growing beets if you despise them. Also, Whole Living recommends six easy-to-grow summer season vegetables to kick off your garden.

Need another reason to become a green thumb? "Unemployment is capitalism's way of getting you to plant a garden." ---Orson Scott Card

Now go get yourself some gardening gloves and throw some seeds in the soil! :-)

friday freebie alert

Free Spanish course from Berlitz, but you must sign up TODAY!

friday freebies

It's been a long time since I've posted some Friday Freebies, and today I finally have three for you. First, though, please let's admire the supercuteness of my new niece, aged 11 days. Isn't that just the sweetest little face?! And o the red hair!

Ok, enough auntie gushing. First freebie, the latest in MIT free open courses here. Subjects covered are varied and include, for example, project management, game design, engineering, and robotics, as well as courses in the humanities like English novels, political theory, and women and gender studies.

Second freebie, Oprah's Book Club is offering a new free chapter download each month from David Bach's Starting Over, Finish Rich: 10 Steps to Get You Back no Track in 2010. The first chapter is currently available here.

Third freebie, for the knitters out there, Knitting Daily has made the "Not a Feather Cap" pattern available as a free download here. Check it out---it's a really sweet multiseasonal hat.

Speaking of sweet, look at my niece's cheeks. Aren't they just so squeezable?! Have a GREAT weekend, everyone!!!

two coats in one for less than $5?!

I LOVE this idea---a reversible coat, two distinct collars, made from thrifted fleece throws, AND for less than $5! Wow.

Pattern details and more photos can be found at instructables.

sweater blanket

Wow, do I love this idea! ReadyMade (another one of my favorite sources for inspiration) has published instructions to make this gorgeous patchwork blanket using old sweaters and a bit of satin ribbon. Have I mentioned how much I love this idea? :-) Anytime an article is repurposed, recycled, reused gets the "thumbs up" from The Happy Recessionist, and when the end product is a beautiful warm winter blanket---and you know how much these cost retail---I make an appointment to scour our drawers and the local charity shop for sweaters looking for a second lease on life. I like the idea of mixing up basic knits with textured and cabled pieces, too. Obviously, the size can be played with as well, so the kids can have smaller versions of their own. ReadyMade DEFINITELY gets The Happy Recessionist seal of approval for this creative concept. :-)

Photo by Kate Lacey.

kitchen aid

I have been a convert to eating seasonally for many years now, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate this helpful (and cool-looking) kitchen aid from the UK restaurant Leon. And although it is UK-centric, most of the categorizations can be applied in the US as well. Check out the original posting at re-nest for a link to download a full-sized pdf suitable for printing and hanging in your kitchen. :-)

break the cable habit

Six months ago, I first wrote about our family's decision to give up the cable tv habit, as well as being asked what exactly we do in the evenings if not watching the tv machine.

To be fair, the transition was not particularly difficult for us because we weren't huge television watchers to begin with. If you are thinking about at least giving cable-free life a trial run, here is a great article on "how to cut the cord." The author provides multiple suggestions on how to still catch many of your favorite programs, without the high prices of monthly subscription fees.

According to the article, the average American spends about $75 per month for digital cable. Which means in eight years, our family has had an extra $7200 (!!!) dollars to play with simply by turning off the tv. Now that is a sum that should make everyone look twice. Plus, think of all the hours you can free up to tackle projects and spend time with friends and family and maybe even just sit and listen to music or read a book or do absolutely nothing but daydream about that trip to Paris or Hawaii or Istanbul that you'll now have the money for. :-)

greening up the new year

A few years ago, we rented a cottage here for two weeks---two weeks without Internet but with this view to greet us each morning. :-) The vacation was one of the most relaxing I've ever had, the days being spent cooking, reading, hiking, and napping. We chose this holiday spot for several reasons beyond the obviously gorgeous setting. For one, pets are enthusiastically welcomed, so the fur bundles were able to make the trip with us. Additionally, we really liked the owners' mission and approach---from the restoration of the original buildings, the solar power, the on-site recycling and composting, the use of green cleaning products, and well as their support of the preservation of nature and the many local organic farmers and merchants. Our stay not only allowed us to chill out and relax, but also I returned home recharged and even more committed to a healthier lifestyle for me and the family.

re-nest recently published a round-up of the best green cleaning products out there. Many of the better-known brands are on the list, like 7th Generation and Mrs. Meyers, and readers have left good contributions as well. We use a lot of Ecover at our house, as well as inexpensive vinegar (fabric softener, floor cleaner), lemons (decalc, floor cleaner), and baking soda (sprinkled on carpets before vacuuming). Getting rid of the harsh chemicals contained in the cleaning products stored under the kitchen sink is just one easy way to start the year by doing something kind for yourself and your family.

And yes, after a couple jittery early days, we did manage to survive the two weeks of Internet deprivation. ;-)

homemade holidays #1

Anyone else remember these? Collecting the stacks of Reader's Digests from your grandparents and lugging to Girl Scouts, Sunday School, arts & crafts class?

When I saw this photo on re-nest, I was instantly transported back to 1975 and could suddenly feel those matte printed pages between my Elmer's glue-tipped fingers.

If you've never made these fun magazine Christmas trees, the easy instructions can be found here. Any magazine will do, but needless to say, I'll be off hunting for Reader's Digests this weekend, when our decorating extravaganza begins. :-)

what i'm thankful for #3

My hot water bottle, which helps take the chill out of the coldest nights of winter.

the right to hang

I know I try to keep a happy vibe on this site, but this article today made me angry, not to mention seriously wonder about people's priorities.

We have not had a clothes dryer for eight years. In sunny weather, we hang our laundry outside among the posies (as you can see). In the winter and rainy weather, we use the three retractable lines we installed in our washroom. I don't miss having a dryer at all.

There also is the cost savings. The woman in the article says her family of five saves $83 a month by hanging their laundry outside. Not to mention the reduction of carbon emissions.

Our neighbors all hang their laundry as well. Nobody cares about the others' "unmentionables" on the line. We chat in the mornings while we put up the clothes. Laundry lines shouldn't be dividing communities; they should be bringing them together. When I grew up (not that long ago), there was a clothesline in every backyard. So how did this practical and eco-friendly bit of homecaring suddenly become "trailer trash"? As my wise grandmother would have said, "It boggles the mind."

P.S. Another laundry tip: use white vinegar in place of fabric softener, about 1/3 cup for an average load. Don't worry, your clothes will NOT smell of vinegar afterward. :-)

for the birds

Although I am not a fan of the plastic bottle, I do like whenever a creative idea emerges to give trash a new purpose in life. Like this handy gadget that allows you to turn a soda bottle into a bird feeder. Highlighted recently on one of my favorite web sites, unclutterer.com, the soda bottle bird feeder is currently on sale at amazon.com for $9.95. Check it out, before the first snow fall.

foto spot #16

Pretty glow from our solar-powered lantern, makes a perfect nightlight.