Dog Bed from recycled materials

Maybe my two dogs are special or maybe not. There is an inside bed and an outside bed. The big dog, Annie is an outside/inside dog. And the little one, Petie is mostly inside now while she is still young. Also, since she is still a puppy, she chews on EVERYTHING!

So, the outside bed has been shredded and stuffing all over the place. I didn't want to spend $35 on another and began to think about what I could do instead. So, last week while at a garage sale, I found a twin sized comforter for $2.00 and thought, ah ha....there's what I need for another bed. So I brought it home and folded into half twice and that worked for a little while, until Petie discovered there was stuffing in that too! Well, yesterday at another yard sale, I found a piece of fabric for .10 that someone had folded in half and stitched on three sides already. Wahoo.....I thought here is what I need for the dog bed. I'll just put the comforter in this and stitch it up. Well, then I began to think about using some velcro or a zipper in it, but then I thought that I probably wouldn't be washing it. Before putting in the comforter, I folded it in half length wise and then half again and stitched it where I could to keep it from shifting. Then stuffed it into the other piece of fabric, turned under about 1/2 inch along the edge and stitched it shut. The dogs love it and can't tell the difference in it and one that I would have paid $35 or more for!

Since being in school now is taking up a lot of time, some things just don't get addressed as they have in the past. I like decorating for the different seasons a little. I don't get obsessed with it as some do, just a little touch here and there. In the fall, I like to use a mum, which can be planted in the flower bed later and a few little pumpkins, which can be eaten later. The gourd can be saved and the seeds planted next spring for more gourds.

At the farm store, I have had my eye on this cute little container and bought it the other day. It's not only cute, but could be functional too. It could be taken to the garden and used to tote things or hold harvested items.

Now, we're decorated for fall and it took all of 5 minutes. That's a good thing! This will last til after Thanksgiving and I'll be able to enjoy the mum for many more years each fall in the flower bed!

Tuesday Bouquet

Finally fall is with us and cooler temperatures are here. We're still not getting as much rain as I would like to have, but it is helping our flowers look better. It's time to enjoy this time before we get a frost! The tomoatoes are looking beautiful with lots of green ones hanging on the plants. I'm watching the weather hoping they ripen before a frost too. If not, I'll pick them and bring them in the house to ripen. Here's to you...hope you enjoy!

Waste not Want not

Good Morning all!

While fixing my breadkfast this morning, I thought about sharing my way of using up jam or jelly that has gone beggin'. In other words, a way to use up some of that jam or jelly that is lurking in the back of the refrigerator or cupboard shelf that's just not getting eaten. When you make your hot cereal for the morning, instead of dumping in a bunch of sugar, spoon a dallop of the jelly into it instead. Stir and enjoy knowing you've done a good thing!

Cream Soup Substitute

While perusing the Internet this morning I ran across a healthy substitute for those cream soups that recipes sometimes call for. Sometimes you want a healthier alternative or you might not have one on hand. Either way, over at www.Cheaplikemeblog.com/food/recipe-cream-soup-substitute/ check out the recipe. I'll be filing this one away for future use!

Happy Dance

Yes...I am doing the Happy Dance today. I just found out that the insurance companies have paid for our little mis-hap; rental car vs. Montana deer. It was not a pretty picture. This past summer we flew to Spokane, WA, and picked up a rental car. We spend the next week touring Idaho, Montana and Washington. On the next to the last day of vacation, a deer jumped out of the brushy road right of way and crashed into our car. Me being the frugal one that I am had declined the car rental companies insurance policy. We have our own car insurance and you are covered in a rental car with that same policy. The only down side to that is you still have to pay your deductible, which in our case is $1000. We always carry a high deductible to keep our premiums low. So I was feeling a little low after that vacation. But then in a statement from Avis, it mentioned that if you pay for your car rental with a credit card, sometimes there are provisions for situation like this. I promptly contacted Discover and .......Happy Dance......they covered the deductible! Yeah!!!! So the lesson of the day......Check with your Credit Card company when something like this happens to you!

TMM

TMM is the buzzword now in our block class at school. Teacher Made Materials. We have to make 8 of these and it's a little daunting besides the Lit. Cluster of 40 children's books, twice weekly observations at our assigned pre-schools with the manditory written reflections to be turned in for grades.....eeeekkkkk! Does anybody have any good web sites for TMM's? We're already in week #5....just counting down and trying to keep the old head above water! Housework is on the back burner and the garden gets visited about once weekly. I don't get to go to the farm since the Mr.'s days off are Mon. and Tues. and I'm in class those days. I'd love to go to the farm and help him with the fencing! Or just be able to spend the night and watch the morning begin....we have beautiful sunrises up there. Oh well......life goes on.