Starting My Crochet Journey: Stress Relief and Sales

With all that’s going on in the world and in my life, I needed to get back to one of my favorite stress relievers…crocheting. I’ve decided to start selling some of my creations. I’ve opened up a Tedoo shop and listed some things but haven’t made a sale yet. It’s ok, I only just started listing items this week. Here are a few of the things I have made and listed.

Frugal Fun Friday – How to have a good time without breaking the bank

Embracing Frugal Fun: Creative Ways to Enjoy Life on a Budget

In a world where entertainment often comes with a hefty price tag, finding joy in simple pleasures can be both liberating and rewarding. Embracing frugal fun isn’t just about saving money – it’s about discovering creative ways to enjoy life without breaking the bank. Join me as we explore the art of frugal fun and uncover how you can make the most of every moment without spending a fortune.

Why Embrace Frugal Fun?

Before diving into the practical tips, let’s reflect on why embracing frugal fun is worth it. Living within your means not only reduces financial stress but also fosters a mindset of gratitude and resourcefulness. It encourages us to prioritize experiences over material possessions, connect more deeply with loved ones, and appreciate the simple pleasures that life has to offer.

Creative Ways to Enjoy Frugal Fun:

  1. Picnic in the Park: Pack a homemade lunch, grab a blanket, and head to your local park for a relaxing picnic. Enjoy the fresh air, soak in the natural surroundings, and unwind without spending a dime.
  2. Explore Nature Trails: Lace up your sneakers and explore nearby hiking or biking trails. Nature offers a wealth of beauty and serenity, providing the perfect backdrop for outdoor adventures.
  3. Host a Movie Night at Home: Skip the expensive movie tickets and popcorn. Instead, host a cozy movie night at home with friends or family. Pop some popcorn, dim the lights, and enjoy a film marathon from the comfort of your own couch.
  4. Attend Community Events: Keep an eye out for free or low-cost community events such as festivals, concerts in the park, or art exhibitions. These events often showcase local talent and provide opportunities to connect with your community.
  5. DIY Arts and Crafts: Tap into your creative side with DIY arts and crafts projects. Use materials you already have at home to create handmade gifts, home décor, or personalized keepsakes.
  6. Visit Local Museums or Libraries: Many museums offer free admission days or discounts. Take advantage of these opportunities to explore art, history, and culture without breaking your budget. Libraries also often host free events, workshops, and book clubs.
  7. Cook Together: Plan a themed cooking night with friends or family. Choose a cuisine, gather ingredients, and cook a delicious meal together. It’s a fun way to bond, learn new recipes, and enjoy a homemade feast.
  8. Volunteer in Your Community: Giving back doesn’t have to cost a thing. Volunteer your time and skills to local organizations or community projects. Whether it’s cleaning up a park, assisting at a food pantry, or mentoring youth, volunteering enriches both your life and the lives of others.
  9. Plan a Game Night: Dust off your board games or card decks and host a game night with friends or family. Games encourage laughter, friendly competition, and bonding – all without spending a fortune.
  10. Enjoy Free Educational Resources: Explore free online courses, webinars, or workshops on topics that interest you. Platforms like Coursera, Khan Academy, and TED Talks offer a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips.

Benefits of Frugal Fun:

  • Financial Freedom: By embracing frugal fun, you can allocate your resources towards savings, investments, or other financial goals.
  • Creativity and Resourcefulness: Finding joy in simple pleasures cultivates creativity and encourages you to think outside the box.
  • Quality Time: Frugal fun emphasizes experiences and relationships, fostering meaningful connections with loved ones.

Final Thoughts:

As we navigate life’s journey, let’s remember that happiness and fulfillment don’t have to come with a price tag. Embracing frugal fun allows us to appreciate the richness of life’s moments, cherish the company of loved ones, and explore the beauty of the world around us – all while staying true to our financial values. So, whether you’re enjoying a picnic in the park, hosting a movie night at home, or volunteering in your community, savor each experience and treasure the memories created along the way. Here’s to living life to the fullest, one frugal adventure at a time!

On Fridays we will discuss being frugal – covering anything from saving money on fun, books about frugality, budget recipes, podcasts about budgeting and frugality, personal budget and frugality stories, and much more. I hope you will join me.

Wacky Wednesday – How to keep life from being boring

Embrace the Fun: Celebrating Wacky Wednesday!

Welcome to Wacky Wednesday – a day dedicated to breaking free from the ordinary and injecting a bit of whimsy into our lives! Whether you’re familiar with this quirky tradition or it’s your first encounter, Wacky Wednesday is all about embracing creativity, letting loose, and enjoying the lighter side of life. So, buckle up and join me on this delightful journey as we explore what makes Wacky Wednesday so special.

What is Wacky Wednesday?

Wacky Wednesday is a lighthearted observance where people intentionally do something out of the ordinary. It’s a day to unleash your inner child, embrace spontaneity, and revel in the joy of silliness. From wearing mismatched clothes to holding impromptu dance parties, the possibilities are endless when it comes to celebrating Wacky Wednesday.

Why Celebrate Wacky Wednesday?

In our fast-paced world, filled with deadlines, responsibilities, and stress, Wacky Wednesday offers a refreshing break. It encourages us to step away from the seriousness of everyday life and indulge in a bit of fun. By celebrating Wacky Wednesday, we cultivate a sense of playfulness, reduce stress levels, and foster stronger connections with those around us.

How to Celebrate Wacky Wednesday:

  1. Dress Up: Forget about fashion norms! Mix and match your clothes in the most unconventional way possible. Stripes with polka dots? Why not!
  2. Office Shenanigans: Spice up the workplace with harmless pranks or playful antics (with permission, of course). Decorate your coworker’s desk with balloons or organize a spontaneous karaoke session during lunch break.
  3. Food Adventures: Experiment with bizarre food combinations or create your own wacky recipe. Ever tried a peanut butter and pickle sandwich? Now’s the time!
  4. Get Crafty: Channel your inner artist and create wacky art or crafts. Use unconventional materials or explore abstract styles – let your imagination run wild!
  5. Random Acts of Kindness: Spread joy by performing unexpected acts of kindness. Leave cheerful notes for strangers, surprise a friend with a quirky gift, or simply offer a warm smile to brighten someone’s day.

Benefits of Embracing Wackiness:

  • Boosts Creativity: Engaging in playful activities stimulates creativity and encourages innovative thinking.
  • Enhances Mood: Laughter and lightheartedness release endorphins, improving mood and reducing stress levels.
  • Strengthens Relationships: Shared experiences of fun and laughter create bonds and deepen connections with others.

Final Thoughts:

As we celebrate Wacky Wednesday, let’s embrace the joy of spontaneity and revel in the beauty of silliness. Whether you’re celebrating with friends, coworkers, or on your own, remember that a little dose of wackiness can go a long way in brightening your day and bringing a smile to those around you. So, let your creativity soar, unleash your inner goofball, and make every Wacky Wednesday a memorable adventure!

Here’s to celebrating the unconventional, embracing the unexpected, and cherishing the moments of pure joy that Wacky Wednesday brings into our lives. Let the wackiness begin!

Wednesday posts will cover everything wacky – movies, books, music, podcasts, memes, and personal Wacky Wednesday stories. I hope you will join me.

April 10, 2023 – Back to nature

This past Saturday, Mike and I visited The Celery Fields in Sarasota, FL. It is a very interesting nature park that used to be used to grow celery and other vegetables back in the early 1900s. It is currently used for flood water mitigation. Of course, all that water and swampy land make a great wildlife habitat.

The Nature Center itself is at the bottom of a big hill. The day we were visiting, there were a bunch of people running the hill, both straight up and up the curved path. Mike went up while I spent time in the nature gazebo.

The hill
The view of the area around the hill
View of the gazebo by the bird feeders from the top of the hill

Sitting in the gazebo watching the birds on the feeders was so fun. We, unfortunately, had missed the Painted Buntings and Indigo Buntings by 5 minutes! However we did get to see Nanday Parakeets up close.

Nanday Parakeets

There were grackles, common ground doves, catbirds, and red-winged blackbirds. Bluebirds were seen but I did not get a good picture of one.

Across the street from the nature center as well as down their road from the nature center, are boardwalks. You can walk out and see the different species of water fowl, egrets, sandpipers and such.

We had a lovely visit to the Celery Fields and we can’t wait to go back. If you are ever in the area, you should check them out.

Do you have a favorite local place where you like to go and be a tourist for the day? Where is it? Share in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

January 7, 2023 – Small victories!

How to not go on a binge? Find ways to treat yourself that won’t break the calorie bank. Today we went to Krispy Kreme donuts. They all looked delicious. However, they were 280 calories for one donut. YIKES! Then I spotted the mini donuts. At 90 calories each, I was able to have two minis for less than the calorie “price” of one regular size. Small victories!

Happy New (YOU – ATTITUDE) Year!!!!!!!

So 2019 is now a thing of the past. The fireworks are over. The resolutions have been made (or not)! On New Years Day I like to think of a list of words that represent the previous year and my chosen replacement word for 2020. Are you ready for that list?

Move over 2019

Resilience – Normally my first word each year is CHANGE but that one has been over used. I chose resilience for 2019 because was a year of change that I had no control over. I’ve handled all those changes (mostly good changes but some were tough) with resilience. The challenging changes made me a stronger person. The positive changes have made me a kinder, more patient person. For 2020 I will take this resilience and help others to find their own STRENGTH.

RESILIENCE

Divided – I am NOT a big politics fan. I will NOT talk about politics. What I will say is that ALL of our politicians are doing us, and the world a disservice by fighting and not working together. I don’t care which side of the aisle they are on, all of them need to grow up and do their jobs. That’s all! For 2020, I will work hard to be an example to my fellow humans and treat everyone with KINDNESS.

I wish they would GROW UP!

Hate – I was going to use the word anger but there was so much hate this year that I had to use hate, mostly due to the word above. I’ve heard so many people (liberals, conservatives, activists, regular folks, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, socialists, radicals – you get my point —EVERYONE!) say the word HATE this year that it made me sick. It’s hard to not fall into the same trap – and I have. For 2020 I plan to be more LOVING to all.

Haters gonna hate!

Humor – I needed to use my sense of humor a lot in 2019. It was part of my resilience! As long as it isn’t cruel humor, I find that humor gets me through a rough day, week, month, and yes — year. For 2020, I will continue to use HUMOR to make myself and others smile.

The best medicine!

And so…I am ready for 2020!

I wish you a KINDER, LOVING, HUMOROUS 2020 and the STRENGTH to overcome any obstacles that come your way.

Please feel free to share your goals for 2020.

Notes from Christmas Eve day and beyond…

Merry Christmas to all! I hope Christmas morning finds you healthy, happy, and surrounded by those you love.

I went to Christmas Eve Mass at St. Maximillian Kolbe last night and it was wonderful. The place was packed to the rafters! There was even an overflow Mass occurring in the next door parish center!

Since Mike was at work (see note below), I was alone. I found a seat and shortly after a couple came and asked if the seats next to me were saved. Before I had a chance to think about it, I said “Yes, for you. Today you are my family!” The couple sat next to me and thanked me. Next thing I knew they were quietly chatting and fiddling with their watches. The wife looked over and asked “Is that and Apple Watch? Do you know how to silence it?” So we went into a short lesson on how to use the Apple Watch. (This was about 20 minutes before Mass started). We then talked about our families, how all of mine, except my husband, were far away up North. Their children were driving down from Michigan that night and would be there in time for Christmas morning. Without even know each other’s names, we had both helped each other. They made me feel like part of their family and I helped them with their Apple Watches, which they had just bought for each other for Christmas.

Mass started and some of the children staged a live Nativity. They were adorable. From the golden shining star to the lowly donkey, the kids in costume put on a beautiful Nativity scene. Afterwards, Father Teo had all of the children take a bow. His sermon was about being kind and finding ways to make a difference in the lives of others. How you never know when you will be able to help another person. The couple with the Apple Watches both raised their wrists and nodded at me. WOW! At the end of Mass, I thanked them for allowing me to be a part of their family, even if it was just for an hour. They thanked me for being there and helping them learn about their Apple Watches. (To my fellow library employees, I did tell them to check with their local library to see if they have any technology help.)

After Mass, Mike and I had a nice dinner and went to bed early so Santa would have plenty of time to do his thing and move on. Of course we were both…

So we woke up at 7am and took care of the pets. While the coffee was brewing and the Marion berry sweet rolls (Thanks Mom and Dad, they were delicious. Check them out here https://www.wolfermans.com/w/pastries-baked-goods/sweet-rolls/51635) were heating, the pets received their Christmas goodies. Mike and I exchanged our gifts (thank you Mike….I love you always).

Now we are watching Christmas movies and snuggling with each other and the pets. All-in-all it has been a wonderful Christmas, so far.

I hope all of you are having the most wonderful day ever. I hope your blessings are abundant. Merry Christmas to all….

Note: Please be patient and kind to people who have to work on Christmas (or any other holiday). They are already stressed and you can help make their already crazy day a little less stressful by being kind. Thank you.