A rental garden

Every year I am faced with the same problem, gardening season comes a long and I get this "farmer's child itch." With that every year my loving DP reminds me that we are renting and we cannot go digging up the yard for a huge garden that has the potential to feed us year round. This year has been extra tough. We live a wonderful rental with a huge lot, and LOTS of shade. The trees are a welcoming oasis in the summer time, but not so much if I plan on growing anything.


The opening in the Trees right above the deck.

My resolve is growing everything in containers. A month ago I went out into the shed to take stock of everything we had only to find we'd left most of our large containers in the mountains. I was sad, we'd just started making back our initial investment from those containers. At that point I was just going to give up, and spend the rest of the summer hunting down cheap tomatoes, and zucchini.

My DP had other intentions, I came home from a wonderful mother's day picnic to find that he'd bought me all of the plants I needed for a my garden. He knows how much I love growing my own food. (who wouldn't, it tastes a 1000 times better than anything at the grocery store) Then he asked me where the containers were. I had to tell him the news about our old containers. He was disappointed and recommended we ask our land lords if we could plant in the ground. The problem however there's not one spot in our yard the receives a full 6 hours of sun. The only place that meets that condition is our back deck. I told him my plans to do containers again, even though in years past we'd had so so results.

We made a plan and I went shopping, only to have my head explode at the sheer cost of new containers. We bought our first containers using a gift card and some we'd gotten for free from various sources. There was no way I was paying $10 for a 5 gallon plastic "Flower pot" made in China. I told DP while we were looking that I was off to search the store of an "alternative."

My thinking was any large plastic container would do as long as I put enough holes in the bottom, along with a few inches of gravel. I found some 10 gallon rope handle tubs and one large Rubbermaid tub. I took them home and drilled about 15 holes in the Rope tubs and 40 or more holes in the Rubbermaid tub.

Here are a few pictures of the final results.

Zucchini and Peppers in Rubbermaid tub. Tomato in 10 gallon Rope tub

Just a Little Jam

To put it frankly I am back to blogging and I am not stopping this time. Between my Step son moving in, and me going back to school I have been SUPER busy. I am back.

Today I made homemade strawberry Jam. My venture into Jam making started last spring. My DP being very aware of my desire to DYI, bought me twelve diamond pleated Ball Jelly jars and Sure Jell Pectin.

I wanted to make some strawberry jam, but as it was in the Mountains, I couldn't find any U-pick strawberries.
So this year I got the jump on finding strawberries and there happened to be a patch just 5 miles from my home. A HUGE score at $1.25/ pound. After I got my strawberries home I told the kids they could have one basket

they could have one basket the rest were for Jam.

I made my jam using the instructions for Cooked Jam, inside the Sure Jell Box. It took me about two hours total, because my canning pot took a while to boil, but the results so far are 8 gorgeous jars of Strawberry Jam. Made with 100% All natural ingredients.

Happy New Year, and a No Spend Challenge

I took some time off this past Christmas season to be with my family. I hope everyone that reads my blog has done the very same. I want to go back to a topic I started earlier in December about saving money. It is very true our economy is in a recession and how we got where we are, can be blamed on a number of factors. One factor that effects everyone is our own personal spending. For too long many of us have lived beyond our means, we relied on credit to pay bills, make home repairs, buy a new car. You name it someone has probably paid for it with Credit card.
While I consider myself frugal in many ways, and my DP ranks pretty high on the frugality list, we too are known to spend money we truly shouldn't be spending. I am making it my personal challenge this month to spend as little as possible, and have even challenged many people to a "NO SPEND" month. Its a bit of diet for the bank account, but rather than losing we want our bank accounts to gain.
In this particular month we have a birthday, two cars that need repairs, plus state inspections, and not to mention the last hanging holiday get together that must have food bought. Why would I put myself to a No Spending Challenge if I there's no possible way to go without spending money? First of all to see how well I can actually spend money on necessities, and number two to quit spending money on things I usually waste money to buy. I am notorious for spending "Just $2 on Coffee", and Just $10 at the dollar store, and buying things for the house that shouldn't be bought. One expense that I am keeping in check this month is our Homeschooling bill. Seeing how much I love doing Montessori in the home, I can spend about $50 a month buying supplies. Its not that I Need the supplies, its just in that moment of inspiration when I see them on the store shelf that I buy them. As a result I have nearly two cabinets FULL of supplies. I have made a personal commitment to not buying any more supplies this month.
My other pit fall is expensive food, and this includes buying take-out. I don't know how many times I have been too lazy too cook, and too tired to hear the complaining from the kids about what's for dinner. Not this month though, I am doing everything in my power not to eat out under any circumstances, no even for my DP's birthday (We'll be having a steak dinner, if I can find steak on red label special)
Day one of my little no spending adventure cost me a grand total of $37 plus gas. We went to visit one of my DP's co-workers, and rather than showing up empty handed I came bearing tons of food. This is a trade mark of mine, I HATE showing up anywhere empty handed, and being a bit old fashioned I certainly had to impress my DP's co-worker if "All" I do is stay at home.
Today is day two, and so far I haven't spent any money, in fact after coming home from the grocery store yesterday I gave DP our debit card for safe keeping. We do have plans to go out of town for several days, and we have set a strict budget for this particular trip. The way I see it if I can figure out a way to spend as little money as possible on a three day trip I probably have something to brag about it once the month is over.

I am sure readers are wondering; If you aren't spending money this month, you'll probably just move on to next month and spend the money you save.". That's not the plan at all, personally I am hoping to figure out where it is that I spend too much extra money to begin with, and i hope to figure out a way to motivate myself away from expensive convinces like fast food and coffee house coffee.
I have challenge for all of my readers to try and not spend money this month. This doesn't include not spending money on essentials. We have to have food, water, lights, gas in the car ect. However, there's plenty we don't need and that' s where the no spend comes in this month. If any thing keep a diary of your daily spending. You might see some shocking truths about your spending behavior.

Good luck