Momma McCarty

Here lately, we have really been looking at our budgeting, lifestyle, spending vs saving, waste, etc. Not necessarily in a "Go Green" save the planet kind of way, although, we do love Earth and would like it to continue to be nice for Son then his sons then their sons, etc but, in an old fashioned homemaking sort of way...what would you call that? thriftiness? being frugal? self sustainable? who the heck really knows what to call it but what I mean is this.....less waste, less spending, more saving, less junk (do not confuse the word "junk" for "treasures" because they are NOT the same thing!!), etc. I think it stems from several different things and here are a few small examples of them:

*this momma got sick of throwing out a week's worth of leftovers every trash day...it was like lighting twenty dollar bills on fire every week, and child, that's just silly

*trying to keep a 3 year old (SHOCK-yes, sweet baby is almost three *snifffffff*) out of what you are doing so you can scrub and clean the house with "stinky chemicals" was making me crazy...there had to be a better, more affordable way to clean without putting him at risk of asphyxiation...and honestly, that baby boy loves to help me clean...loves it and I think it is good for him to learn at a young age to clean up after himself a bit, etc

*the need to save more....there have been a few recent life events that have dwindles our emergency fund down to well, none, and if you know me, you know that sends me into a PANIC...P A N I C. because just like that, life happens and you gotta be a little bit prepared for it! oh, and, son needs to go to college someday too...

*I have always been someone who got a great sense of pride in something homemade ...mostly that has been in the kitchen but as I have gotten older and after I became a momma, I started thinking a little bit more about just everything in general...what am I really feeding him? what is really on that surface he is touching now? what kind of person do I want him to grow up to be and how can I lead him there by living that way myself?

So, we are going to be living a little bit more of an old-fashioned lifestyle. A few quotes I have come across lately that have stuck with me are these:

"Make do and mend"

example: Last weekend while son and I were home with the ol' pink eye, I tackled a stack of repairs (missing buttons, etc and also, made my first article of clothing....normally, if a shirt got a hole or something, husband would just get rid of it and go buy something else. Now, while I will never ask him not to buy something for himself (new clothes, etc), I will try my best to keep him lookin' sharp with what is already in his closet ;) and also, I have been learning to revamp clothes I already have to get some different/more wear out of them.

"Eat it up, Use it up, wear it out, or go without"

example: no more buying an ingredient for one meal use and then throwing it out two weeks later when it is a science experiment in my fridge. Multi purpose items from now on....let's get creative! :)

an old favorite of mine "Happiness is homemade"

etc...

So, please join me as I continue my cooking adventures (and some mess ups! but, by golly, I WILL master bread baking....I cannot for the life of me get down how to make homemade bread, etc with yeast...but I will!! it's a challenge to myself), sewing adventures, cleaning tricks and tips, etc.