Thrify Thursday: Reuse

Years ago when I started my blog we were on a tight budget as a single income family. Having always lived a modest life on a strict budget, I've always had friends and acquaintances ask for advice on financial matters. Instead of keeping the secrets to myself I developed a weekly blog post which highlighted some of the "thrifty tips" our family utilized to stretch our dollar even more...Thrifty Thursday.

With my return to the blogging world, I've had several readers ask for Thrifty Thursday to return as "a regular". Though I'd love to think things are even been with a dual income family life still remains to be thrifty, frugal or shall I say..ahem...creative. Between daycare, extra expenses such as two cars (we were a 1 car family for nearly 5 years), and the kid's growing bellies and enrichment activities, we are nearly in the same situation.

As much as I hate to say it, Americans are wasteful. We don't think twice about throwing away food, paper, broken toasters, plastic containers, etc. Often we throw away the very thing we go out and buy later. Some buy plastic containers, yet they threw away a salsa container, humus container, etc in that day's garbage. We rush out to buy the dog a new dog dish when we threw out the butter tub not even taking a minute to rinse it out to recycle.

Personally our cupboards are packed with mismatched cottage cheese, salsa, humus, and creme cheese containers and we USE them. I pack them with left-overs and pack lunches for school, sitters, and work. Plastic kids cups from restaurants are reused daily as cups, paint containers, chicken food scoops, and even glorious food dishes for our injured chicken Hailey. Drew cuts old soda bottles into funnels for paint and solvents and I've even seen the kids use plastic food lids as Frisbees when they couldn't find the "real one". Plastic yogurt containers become new life as seedlings spring to life.

Yes, reusing isn't glamorous, but it does save money and valuable resources on our Earth. So if you are our dinner guests and Drew comes to the table with fresh whipped creme for the apple crisp in an old cottage cheese container. Just smile...that is what our last dinner guests did. (Seriously, I wish I was making this up...but the Britten life is well...interesting.) We are passionate about saving money and the environment...a realistic reminder that REUSE comes before recycle.

From the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Wordless Wednesday

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Hanging Upside Down

Hanging upside down. I'm often asked what it is like tackling your own major home project. Well, it is sorta' like hanging upside down.

Hanging upside down is freeing. Doing your own work on a "epic" project like building your own garage is a great and rewarding feeling. Though your friends and family think you've "lost it" at times you can't help but grin at the fact you're actually accomplishing what you've set out to do. You are a trend-setter...you are the only kid on the "playground" hanging upside down. You are your own person...the creativity, direction, and time on the project belong to you.

Hanging upside down gets attention. Yes, not always the "norm" to bull through and stand among the aisles of Lowe's and/or borrow books from the library on framing, but building your own garage gets attention. The neighbors notice. Conversations are exchanged daily with each neighbor as each milestone of the project is completed. Friends and family ask, "Is your garage done?" or "How is the garage going?" The focus for everyone around you is the garage even when you've rather not even remember at times.

Hanging upside down can be painful after awhile. Yep, one year into the project and sometimes I feel like my head is rushing full of blood from "hanging upside down". Seriously? One year later and we are still plugging away at this "project". It was fun, but know I'm ready to stop hanging upside down and ready to hang up my hat. How many evenings, weekends and free moments can be spent on the garage. Are we there yet?

Hanging upside down can be rewarding. Though the rushing blood to my head can be annoying, I'm ready to go back at it again...hang upside down knowing the end is near. I've carried full sheet of plywood above my head, listened to the kids on the pretend "stage", worked beside my family in rain, sleet, and snow, spent countless hours handing my husband every tool and piece of wood you could ever imagine...but in the end, I know it will be worth it. To say, we built the garage ourselves will be one of those conversation starters someday of true pride.

So after another day of handing over siding and being the "prep and measure" girl; I'll be out there again tomorrow with Drew ready to "hang upside down".


From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Wordless Wednesday

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Life's Pecking Order

We raise chickens. Not a statement that comes lightly from a Midwestern girl gone city, but we do raise "urban ladies". Nestled into the hustle of bustle of life we tackle the joys and trails of "livestock". For the most times it is a peaceful existence...talking gentle to the ladies in the morning as they rush out their coop to enjoy the green grass or reaping the benefits of amazing brown and speckled eggs.
However, there are times when you realize the harsh reality of the cycle of life.

We all make decisions everyday. Should I start a load of laundry? Go down Main Street or take Highway 2? And most of the the time, we rarely think about the consequence behind that decision.

Today I made a decision. A decision to let the 2 smaller pullets mingle with the older flock while we were at work. We have always been careful about merging flocks, especially with younger pullets. We've always acclimated the new birds to the other coop for weeks before merging with the two. So after a month, it didn't seem like an "off" decision this morning to not close the little girl's gate within the larger coop.

I didn't really think about this decision until I got home and saw the look on my husband's face. Unfortunately, a "pecking order" ensued and one of the chickens was badly injured. Though I won't go into detail, I can just tell you honestly it not good. Decisions.

And then there is another decision. What do you do? Meanwhile, two small children are looking on asking you what happened and a husband wondering why you left the gate open. These are the realities of life. After some quick computer research on how to help the little pullet, the family decided to separate her out in the garage. We bathed her head in iodine and settled her down for the night all along with the kids wishing "Hailey 2" well.

Honestly, we are hoping for the best, but are unsure of what we may or may not find tomorrow morning. And then there may be more decisions. Decisions I have to live with, knowing life's pecking order may have had grave consequences today.

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

Wordless Wednesday

From inside the little blue bungalow,
Katie Jean

A Season for Everything

There is no denying the fact my kids are growing. I can visibly see their little jeans become "high waters" or their little tummies peeking from the bottom of their favorite shirt. I know they won't be "little" forever.

What I forget is that everything is a season. Yes, my son won't always want to cuddle and my daughter won't always pick every flowering weed and present them to me.

I am in my "current season" with my kids.

That season is filled with learning, raised voices, "firsts", laughter, disappointments, sibling fighting and good and bad it will never look like the next "season". Sometimes when I get frustrated that I can't get a free minute to myself I remind myself that a few seasons out I maybe wishing they'd want to spend more time with me instead of asking me to park a block away from the school when I pick them up. Seasons come and go.

I found myself at the library on rare occasion by myself last night and oddly found myself in the kid's section. Out of habit, after picking my book up on hold I shuffled over to the section that I've spent some much time with my kids with the last few years. After a few minutes, I realized I didn't need to be in this section. The season of story times, puzzles, meeting other moms and kids for play dates...this season has been brushed over to the new one. Instead it is "look at me Mom on my bike", Fiona reading to me at nights, training wheels taken off bikes with streamers flying, and "Mom, I can do it myself".

Though I remember the past season, I must look forward to the next. Enjoy the season you are in; it won't be here forever.

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1