old dresser drawers = new bookshelf

A while back we got rid of an old vanity that was falling apart. The drawers however were solid wood and it just seemed like the would be useful for something. The handles were already falling off so I just helped them the rest of the way.

I used them for storage for a while on some big shelves and then we need some more book space. So I stacked them up and PRESTO, a book shelf!
It isn't the most elegant bookshelf ever but it works just fine in the little corner by Mara's bed. She loves it because now she has books right beside her bed which are available to easily grab. I like it to because it allows more books to be in a neat and orderly spot and also I enjoy every time we can use what we have rather than buying something new.

For more frugal tips visit Life as MOM.

Do you have any inovative ideas for using old things to make new furniture? I would love to hear!

Killing Poison Ivy naturally

One thing that grows very well on our land is Poison Ivy. It grows lush and beautiful on many edges of our lawn, by the garden and it was growing very well by the bottom step of our deck. Thankfully we don't seem to be overly sensitive to it (Mara used to get it a bunch but the last couple of years she has not gotten it much and she is almost always barefoot).

I kept thinking that I needed to figure out how to get rid of it, especially the stuff at the bottom of the stairs, but I hate spraying chemicals around the house and wasn't sure what else to do. I was reading at Keeper of the Home however and came across this post with a very simple and natural recipe. So before our neighborhood BBQ I decided to try it out.

I wish I would have taken a before picture because then you would have seen the super lush and large plants. It had gotten so they were taking over the steps at least 1/2 way across. I poured the recipe (Vinegar, salt and dish soap) over it and sure enough the next day it looked like the above picture. I was pretty happy! At that point I decided to put on gloves and pull out what was left. (I don't think I had coated everything completely as there was still a little green in a couple of places.)


I have decided that natural weed killer certainly works for me!

A pretty little purse

This is another my projects that I completed in time to take to the fair. I had been wanting to try making a purse and I finally got around to doing it. :-) I have really been enjoying having a summery and fun purse to carry around.

To make it I ended up basically making a smaller version of the tote bags I like to make. I also put the handles on differently, lined it, added a button closure and made the outer floral layer actually into pockets.

In the lining I put a zippered pocket (I like to have at least some place that is completely private in my purse) on one side and just a simple open pocket on the other side. It was a fairly quick project overall and I have been pleased with it.

Have you been working on any projects lately? Please share!

Finally, Electric bill report

In the month of June and July (from the 19th to the 19th because that is how we are billed) I decided to challenge myself to see how much less electricity we could use. We worked pretty hard at it, using the dryer for only 1/2 load each week (for Ken's dress shirts so I wouldn't have to iron them), taking short showers, turning off lights, cooking over a campfire some and working to use as little electricity as possible in the kitchen. It was a fun challenge.

There were some things we weren't successful at too: I wasn't very successful with our box solar cooker (though it did heat up our lunch one day!) so I kind of gave up on it, maybe later I will want to work on it again. I also tried to turn off the computer more but still didn't do it real regularly. Some of my crockpot cooking didn't work out so well either (they had to be thrown into the microwave or in a pot on the stove at the last minute).

But here is our final results:

We used 1,002 KWH for the price of $105.99

The year before in that time period we used: 1,172 KWH
So we used a whopping 170 KWH less.

I guess I wasn't over impressed with our results. It seemed like we worked pretty hard and had very little to show for it. It wasn't that I minded that much, I actually like hanging clothes on the line, cooking over a campfire is great fun and baking all in one day is actually practical in several ways but still...

Oh well, we did save something and it was fun to try. I admit though with such minimal results I have gone back to leaving lights on around the house and I sometimes enjoy a 10 minute shower instead of a 5 minute one.

I am very curious though on how we might compare in electricity use with others. Is your usage similar for a family or a lot more or a lot less? Have you tried using a lot less and actually been successful? I would love to hear your thoughts on using electricity!

If any of you lacks wisdom....

I have started reading through the book of James in my morning quiet time (you can read more about my methods here) and I really love that book! There is so much in it that is practical for my every day! When I am doing my reading in the morning I go through one book at a time (but not the Bible in order, I usually go back and forth from Old Testament to New Testament) and I read slowly and write down things in my journal that I feel apply to me and I need to learn from.

A few of the verses from this morning are verses that I have read over and over and even memorized but they speak to me every time! They say:

"But if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." James 1:5-8

This past week there were quite a few times that I felt I was seriously lacking wisdom, and it is so nice to know that I have a Friend and Father that is the Author of Wisdom. There is nothing He doesn't know and no problem to hard for Him. He has also offered to give us wisdom which we so desperately need. Thank you God for that promise!!

I appreciate the reminder to ask in faith without doubting. With God we don't need to say "IF you can..." He can! We just need to remember to say "if it is Your will." (1 John 5:14)

I think the best parenting advice and the best marriage advice is James 1:5. So many times we need wisdom, and we have a place we can go for that!

Eating from the Garden!

This hasn't been our best year of gardening, it was, I believe, the second coldest summer on record, germination was poor, chipmunks did lots of snacking and I neglected it and the weeds got pretty bad! BUT we are finding stuff to eat from it anyway!
This week we have had several meals that had a lot of elements from the garden. For Wednesday lunch we had tortilla roll ups with homegrown lettuce and tomatoes inside (and other stuff) and carrot sticks. Carrots are one thing that is doing very well! We also had a stir fry on Sunday with broccoli and carrots from our garden. For Wednesday supper we enjoyed fresh corn on the cob (and are looking forward to more next week!) and sliced tomatoes.

Last night I cooked out over the fire and the side dish I made was Carrot Zucchini patties made from my garden veggies. I thought they were pretty yummy!

I have been enjoying reading about the garden results at other blogs too. Here are some links to harvest posts:

• All in a Day
• Green Baby Guide
• Holy Experience
• Hello to Us
• Betsy's blog

What are you harvesting at your house?