Five Frugal Things -- Cat Legacies & So Much Moss!
1. We have a shady brick patio in our backyard, as it enjoys life under a gargantuan maple tree. The shade is ideal for summer months, but is apparently the perfect recipe for moss growth. Yes, it's pretty, but moss is famous for deteriorating bricks, so it doesn't get to stay.
It's an ergonomically unpleasant chore, as my method is to use a straight bottom shovel to physically scrape it away, and of course the bricks are all slightly uneven. However, it's important that I protect my investment and maintain my home and property. It costs no money to DIY this job, which makes it a satisfying "before and after!"
There, that's better! Mostly.
2. My husband and I met with an attorney to set up a trust and I had to snap a photo of this pamphlet. We don't currently have a cat, so we sadly have to leave our assets to our children.
3. I picked up a $1.50 bag of gala apples from Fred Meyer's clearance bin and have been working through them in a timely manner. This one was on the edge of mealiness, so I paired it with slices of Tillamook cheddar cheese.
Extreme frugality get a bad rap, but the above photo includes these elements:
- Goodwill "bins" Hydroflask water bottle. I paid maybe 35¢
- Fleur de lis cotton napkin that I got for free from our "neighborhood cleanup" event.
- Vintage Danish modern coffee table that I thrifted for $25.
- Hand knotted wool rug that I thrifted for $35.
- Hovel cheese slicer from my father.
- The same dishes that I've owned since nursing school in the early 1990s. You used to be able to order cheap Fiestaware through a Land O' Lakes proofs of purchase program.
4. I sautéed another apple in butter and added brown sugar and cinnamon. Served over Winco bulk bin oatmeal, it made for the perfect frugal yet indulgent breakfast.
5. I woke up to a $22 eBay sale -- a Stumptown diner mug that I thrifted for $1.99 back in November. Not going to make me rich, but I enjoy pairing random Goodwill items with the people who are looking for that specific item.
I've sold probably a half dozen of their artist collaboration mugs through the years, some for a lot for than $22. Kind of a fun niche item to keep on my radar!
Click HERE to see the listing.
Now your turn, what frugal things have you been up to?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."
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Katy, I hope you are feeling better.
1. I brought home from my volunteer gig six small oranges. Someone else was going to throw them away but I said I'd eat them and if they proved to be inedible I'd compost them. I just ate two of them and they were delicious. I will make sure to eat the rest of them before eating any other citrus fruit.
2. We had beautiful spring like weather over the weekend. On Saturday DH and I walked to the library, using a wooded trail. I returned a couple of books and borrowed one. DH borrowed a DVD. Sunday we walked the local wooded Trolley Trail.
3. We watched season 11 of Brokenwood Mysteries through hoopla!. Our library provides the service for free.
4. I gave some Kitchen Sink cookies to a friend that has been told to "gain weight". He likes dessert but has a low income. I put them in a recyclable peanut butter jar.
5. Our russet potatoes have a bit of green under the skin. I peeled away the green, cut them, and roasted them in the toaster oven.
Your #2 is sweet. I love wooded trails and libraries so to combine them sounds like the perfect activity to me.
Kroger now sells fresh turkey thighs! Made 2 in the crockpot while I roasted sweet potatoes and baking potatoes in the oven. Add fresh broccoli to pan to roast when potatoes almost done. Made some gravy and lunch tasted like Thanksgiving dinner. Decided to put other 2 thighs in crockpot in same seasoned stock and they cooked in 2 hours. No cooking for me tonight or tomorrow with leftovers from today and yesterday.
Baked gluten free cornbread and double chocolate chip banana muffins. Boys happy bc they can eat the corn bread and hubby happy with sweet treat.
Lots of books from library. Also audio book from Hoopla while I workout.
Beautiful day Saturday so 2 boys and I picked up sticks, raked and picked up debris and leaves off the 6 drains I have in our backyard. Ready for the rainy week ahead plus I uncovered my blooming Lenten roses.
Daily make coffeeshop worthy iced coffee at home for me and my daughter. Flavor choices real ample syrup, honey, brown sugar, vanilla or hazelnut syrup with choice of oat milk or 2% lactose free milk. I also can foam milk if I want to.
Favorite thrift store clearing out winter stuff most everything $1. Daughter got glitter top, small sign about Spring while I got 3 books and a coat all for $6.
I'm green with envy over your Fiestaware, and even more so upon learning how frugally you obtained it! Your frugal still life reminds me of a feature in the old Apartment Life magazines in the 1970s where they replicated chic high end decor on the cheap --and it actually looked just as good.
1. We had several absences at work Sunday -- lots of leftovers in the break room -- so I was given a box of kolaches (sorta like Czech hotdogs) and donuts to take home. I have breakfast, lunch and supper covered for the next several days!
2. Thrifted a much-needed step stool, 2 laundry baskets and a frame for Miss Lucy Dog's snapshot (her photo was sitting on my dresser, unframed, since she died in Nov. '24) all for $9.
3. Found my missing 1 year old Spectrum cell phone. Now that it's been replaced, I guess I need to sell it. Let me know if interested!
4. Found more items to donate.
5. Did not start a war and a worldwide financial crisis/ oil shortage.
Great memory of the Land-O-Lakes butter proof of purchase discount deals! I acquired our Oneida flatware through that program. And still have 50% of that set almost 34 years of marriage later.
1. Combined a trip to the library and dropping off a bill so I neither had to mail it nor make a special trip.
2. Started another audiobook on Libby, I've been blowing through them while I do chores around the house with the headphones I got for Christmas.
3. I got a Scrub Mommy sponge in the mail after emailing the Scrub Daddy company about an issue with a previous purchase. This one is dye free and I'm excited to give it a try!
4. We moved our youngest up to the next size clothes. We saved everything from her big sister so there are only a few pieces we'll need to pick up. They were born at opposite times of year so sometimes the clothes don't quite match the season she fits.
5. I've pulled out all the clothes that are still in good condition and have them ready to go to the consignment shop when we head that direction next. We have a lot of credit there so we'll see about picking up some things to fill in the gaps in their wardrobes.
Today I am rocking a cute thrifted outfit. Bought for $18 an enormous pork butt roast and cut it up to freeze for future for meals. Also cooked more homemade kibble topper for our very finicky little dog.
Made the once every six months trip to Walmart for economy size jugs of store-brand dish detergent and glass cleaner, and a box of powdered laundry detergent. I have been refilling the same dish liquid bottle at the kitchen sink since 2018. The empty large jugs are easier to clean for recycling.
Simplicity, the sewing pattern company, is having a sale and I bought some patterns for less than half price.
That oatmeal and apples bowl looks delicious.
1. I had a few errands to do today, all in about a mile radius. First stop was CVS for a Covid test for DH who thankfully tested negative. The cashier said the $7 in ExtraCare points could not be used on a Covid test. So I went to the food section and found 3 packages of cookies, each on sale for. 99 plus 2 boxes of trail mix bars each on sale for 1.99. Between the sale and the points, I ended up saving $12.38. Free snacks to go with our Fika each day at 3pm.
2. I found a nickel on the floor at CVS.
3. On to the grocery store to pick up a gallon of milk. I had $1.61 in Price Chopper points and .70 in returned cans so the gallon of milk ended up being .38.
4. Next stop was the Dollar Store to pick up a birthday card for my DD. .53 for the card and it's both beautiful and sentimental.
5. I drove by a gas station where the gas is 2.99 per gallon and hit a different one on the way home where the gas is 2.85 and stopped there instead.
1. I have a significant lack of appetite post-illness but finally faced dealing with some things in the fridge today. A bit of food waste, but it can't be helped. I zested and juiced a lot of lemons. I dried the zest and the juice is in the fridge.
2. Found a whole wine barrel for free on fb marketplace. They typically sell used for $20 a half barrel, so this was a real find. Dh has already cut it in halves. Ready for planting!
3. Went out for lunch to celebrate my birthday. We asked for the to-go cups for the 2 salsas that were brought out with the chips. They just get thrown away if we don't take them, and they made a nice addition to leftover enchiladas. We split an entree.
4. Took the zipper out of a small handmade cushion cover and simply hand sewed the small opening. The zipper went into a new cushion cover that I made out of a thrifted tablecloth. It was a heavier weight fabric and a larger cushion, so I preferred the zipper in that one. The zipper was originally taken from an ugly cushion cover that I picked up from a free pile. I removed the zipper and threw away the hideous fabric.
5. I'm stepping up my economic strike. Good for my wallet. Maybe it will catch on.
I want to check back to say thanks for mentioning Bradley on a Budget's youtube channel the other day. I have enjoyed his videos as free entertainment while traveling with my mom to a family friend's celebration of life service this past weekend. He is a wild card and I'm loving it!
He's a hoot, that's for sure!
I have fiesta ware and love it!
1. I turned a free loaf of stale Italian bread (from a local free pantry) into croutons.
2. A friend gave me a bag of veggies for the Guinea pigs. In it was a bunch of celery I revived for the people in the house. The rest goes to the piggies! I rarely have to buy celery because my friend buys a new bunch each week and gives me the “old” bunch.
3. I’m wearing a free new to me sweater from a neighbor.
4. My friend from #2 gave me some pasta salad she made and I gave her a jar of apple jelly I made from free apples. And we had a lovely visit.
5. I did not start a war and I speak in full sentences.
1. Drained the juice from a can of tropical fruit chunks into a glass. Added ice and had a delicious, refreshing, free beverage.
2. Made a coconut-curry tofu and veggie stir fry to use up various veggies in the fridge and freezer, a jarred sauce, and a can of coconut milk.
3. Watched Eric Dane's final interview via our temporary Netflix subscription. Very impactful and heartbreaking.
4. Found a tiny jar filled with Vaseline on our walk. The top and bottom of the jar were about 10 feet away from each other so I'm glad they could be reunited. Cleaned it out for later use.
5. Found two 20-peso banknotes on our walk. Learned they're worth around $1 each. Gave them to someone who could use them.
1. Today I went to the dermatologist and it might turn out to be a frugal fail. I have a new insurance provider this year, and they require a referral from my PCP for specialist appointments. I didn't know. I assumed that as long as the doctor was in my network, no referral was needed, because that's how my last plan worked. Well, I was there ... following a forty-minute drive ... and getting appointments with dermatologists is VERY hard in my area. So I went ahead with the appointment, and I am trusting that a retroactive referral from my PCP will be enacted and accepted. I messaged my doctor but haven't heard back. So this might be a fail.
The appointment, by the way, was for a full-body skin exam, which is an annual event after having had basal cell carcinoma and Mohs surgery several years ago. So very necessary in my opinion.
2. After the appointment, I went to a nearby Goodwill. I bought a stocking stuffer and a juice glass, spending $2.20. The clerk informed me after checking out that I had $7 in credit, but it doesn't show up until the receipt prints -- I have to ask ahead of time. Again, who knew? I feel so uninformed.
3. I had lunch at Culver's. I ordered the kid's meal, which is plenty for me, and they are never reluctant to give a kid's meal to a senior.
4. Yesterday I stayed home all day and binge-watched Season 7 of Outlander on Netflix. I share it with my son's family, legally. I also did laundry, and that was my only spending.
5. I continue to add a new listing to eBay most days, but I haven't had a sale yet. I don't enjoy the process, so a sale would sweeten things up.
I've noticed that also at Culver's - I am all for no food waste.
Oh, Culver's! Wish we had them here in New England...
If the PCP's office doesn't automatically give you the referral, firmly but kindly remind them what it is for and that it is an insurance requirement for the new policy to provide you with continuity of care. I used to work with doctors who would sometimes say no to what they thought were "random referral" requests without looking into a patient chart and seeing that this is something they've given before and yes, it is very necessary for continued patient care. They usually accepted right away if they heard that.
I used to sprinkle my brick walkways with dolomytic lime, it sweetens the soil, making an uninhabitable environment for your prolific PNW moss.
Not frugal, just enjoyable: the swallows - both barn & tree arrived at the farm over the weekend.
We are awaiting the turkey buzzards. The fancy hummingbirds showed up too, much to the chagrined chattering local hummers.
Fixed my reading glasses with a cute kit found in the bins 20 yrs ago.
Found a water pic at a habitat restore, paid $2. It does a bang up job of blasting the hard water build up around sink fixtures. I use a vinegar solution.
Steam cleaned the rugs and runners today and they dried in today's sunshine.
Lunar eclipse tonight. Today is 03/03/2026, the eclipse is at 3:33 am on Tuesday morning. Crossing fingers that we'll get to see it.
1. I stayed at the work apartment this weekend, saving almost 400 miles of driving (roundtrip) and $12 in tolls.
2. I went to a kaiseki dinner for work on Friday (so free), took a friend out to dinner on Saturday, completely paid for as it was a mystery shop, I did another mystery shop for tonight's dinner, and a couple of quick grocery store mystery shops, so my food for the week was also paid for.
3. On Sunday, I gave a talk at one of the historic mansions in the area, so I was paid for giving the talk, plus before the talk, they do afternoon tea IN THE DINING ROOM OF THE GILDED AGE MANSION (it is so exciting, it warrants all caps). I could bring a guest for free, and it was a total treat for her, too. (And, this took care of Sunday's lunch).
4. I'll also eat lunch for free at work, tomorrow-Thursday, and I'll drink the free crappy coffee.
5. I was able to clear out enough from my cloud that I could cancel the extra storage fee, saving 0.99 per month.
Kind of frugal fail: I signed up for a month of PBS Passport because there is a show I wanted to see, but I'll treat it like a donation, which makes me feel better.
I donate $5 a month for Passport, and I feel like it's well worth it.
I am finally back at the gym – my trainer let me cancel I January when I broke my arm (natch) and February when I got so sick, and now I am using the up the credit from what I had already paid in January, so frugal now. The gym owner also credited me for the whole month I was sick as I only got in for one day, so even my gym fees won't cost me anything this month.
I am woefully out of condition and yet I know it will come back quickly if I work for it.
At my friend's thrift store, I picked up two unused tea style candle holders – one a rustic stone ($.50) , and the other a very cute (and heavy) glass jar with a wire bail handle and unused poured wax candle ($2.00). They will go into my gift drawer which has been seriously pillaged. I also splurged on a $5 mini donut making machine (like a waffle maker?). I figured that for $5 I can experiment and then pass it on to someone else if I don't fall in love with it!
My Roommate made dinner in the morning (she had a migraine the night before) to ensure that she and #2 son had lunches for a couple of days. She brought home the pasta from work so I don't think she spent much other than for the pasta sauce.
I cooked up a couple of chickens in the instant pot and then life has gotten in the way of dealing with them. They have been resting in the 'juices' and will be taken off the bone, sorted into bundles for different meals, and either frozen or cooked up. I will make more broth from the bones and am planning on chicken stew, plus either fajitas or enchiladas, and probably a creamy chicken noodle bake. Many options! Just need a few openings in my day to find the time, and it has been a very busy time.
I got to another bank as part of the Power of Attorney for my mom, and then mom and I hosted the public health nurse/home-care case worker. We are arranging for mom to start some homecare although she doesn't really yet need it, but we want to get on the radar of this group so when we need help they know who we are. When they left I drove mom to her bank and we looked trhough her safety deposit box (surprisingly interesting documents), sorted out her bank card PIN, and got some cash out for her. Then to the dollar store for birthday cards. She was plenty sick of me by the time I dropped her off and of course I hit peak rush-hour traffic so my usual 1.15 hour drive was closer to two.
Just before I left I got a call from her doctor who wanted mom to get a repeat of a blood test as her results had come in with some concerning numbers. This meant that I got to redo the visit two days later, to get her to the Blood people (usually they come to her but this was more urgent). I took another advantage of her, having her out with me in the car, and we got an electronic ID token that will give me access to some of the government websites. PROGRESS. Painful, but we are getting there.
It sounds like you are taking such good care of your mom!
Such a busy life, it seems very familiar to many of us who are dealing with aging parents.
Saturday made a mad dash to the discount grocery store and Aldis. Squeaked in under budget. Stopped in gw for a quick look for a chicken pan but, no dice (; Such is life!
The best deals at the cheapo grocery were $1.20 quarts of whole.milk yogurt, $1 ish 4 packs lunch sized cottage cheeses, and baking chocolate for ~2.50.
Not exactly a frugal fail but I bought 2 gal.of milk thinking we were nearly out, just to find 2 gal in the bottom back of the fridge. Now our fridge is jammed full!!! ): We will use it, so it's not the end of the world. I used one full gal to do hammer curls to deal with tennis elbo. (Fingers crossed it helps.)
Tried a new recipe with the baking chocolate, not as good as I had hoped. I have a few ideas to make it better!
Dh fixed the parking break on my tractor and the power steering leak on my truck. I paid extra on the farm note, just a little. The 4 wheeler's steering bracket broke loose where it connects to the frame while checking cows. I limped it to the house and dh will weld it back asap. (I can weld but am happy to pass it off to him.)
The first calf came Friday and she's lovely. A very dark brown but I expect her to darken as she ages. Both the dam and sire are jet black.
I jacked up the feed wagon and am working on getting the tire to seat on the bead. I need to get it aired back up before the next feed delivery. It seems like all my equipment has broke in the last 7 days!!!
Ordered checks online, used a promo code. Listed an item on ebay.
Building a spreadsheet to analyze the sheep market and justify my itch to get back into sheep. Cleared some fence row with my free chainsaw, in anticipation of building sheep fence. Who am I kidding????? Sheep are definitely in my future, lol!
Than k you so much for sharing your life, so much different than my city life!
I love your shares, so interesting. when I was in shop-teacher training, one of the challenges was to get a tire off and on a rim (wheel) and I almost cried during the whole process - I weighed about 120 pounds and had very little muscle (I am 5'8" so you can imagine!) and trying to get both the angle right and then push the device? GAH! and THEN to get the tire to inflate enough to stick to the wheel, catch 22- it has to inflate to stick, it has to stick to inflate. Ask Katy would say "Oy Vey"
As for the sheep, since I am down to just old Jack, I am in the same boat as you - sheep are in my future. I am waiting for things to appear, though, so it might be a couple of months/years. I don't eat lamb/mutton, they would be wool bearing grass and hay eating pets.
Along with several other commenters, I've gotten out for some thrifting. After dropping my tax paperwork off at my tax people's office Monday morning, I treated myself to spending some of the fun money I've spent zilch of this past 6 weeks, thanks to winter weather and other obligations. I hit the Second Time Around store (the Monday pop-up in the old bowling alley) and hit it hard: I found two Corning Ware dishes in a favorite size and pattern (I broke one of these dishes last year and have been watching for replacements ever since), two pairs of pants that should fit NDN1 (who's desperately in need of pants), two long-sleeved tops for myself, and two books, for a total of $29. And since all purchases at the STA benefit the adjacent Catholic church's food pantry, this sort of aligns with NCA Katy's Goodwill card challenge to benefit the Oregon Food Pantry.
I love that you're buying pants for your next door neighbor, maybe I should let my neighbors know my sizes.
I love the moss. There's a growing trend around growing moss. I currently have 3 books checked out about. I am going to do a class at the library on kokedama, which literally translates to moss ball. I made 3 over this past weekend.
1. We are getting to the end of our stored root veggies from last year's garden. I am making a point to use the butternut squash and onions before they turn. The few squash on the edge I went ahead and used as food for my chickens.
2. Sold a bundle of books my mom gave me on eBay. $12 after eBay's share.
3. Sold a pair of Hokas on Posh. I was really lucky, I got what I paid for them back out of them. They just weren't the right running shoe for me.
4. Sent in a small batch of books to Thriftbooks, it should be about $8. I have had a lot of luck reselling lately. It's not a lot of money, but it all adds up. My husband has been calling me Tiny Streams because of it.
5. I've earned a $35 credit it rewards points on my credit card. Plan to use for necessities, since I am still no buying/low buying.
I guess all Portland folks are trendy then, as moss will literally grow on our cars if they're not washed often enough.
I love "Tiny Streams!"
I just noticed lichen growing on the top rack of my Subaru. No idea why it's there or what to do about it.
I love the mug. I can't decide if it's umbrellas or cats?
1. My mom and I visited my oldest daughter and her husband in Cleveland. They put us up in an apartment they own which is empty at the moment. No hotel costs.
2. We took the scenic route to get there which saved on tolls.
3. I brought along some cheese and crackers to eat when we got hungry on the 4 hr drive. We also brought drinks.
4. We helped my daughter paint and clean to prepare the empty apartment to rent out.
5. We went to the Goodwill bins and I found one daughter a vegetable spiralizer that she's been asking for and another daughter a heavy duty pair of work pants (she works outdoors). These are normally $60 pants. They fit perfectly and the couple of small bleach spots on them don't matter at all. She's tiny and the likelihood that these pair of pants would have ended up in a landfill is high.
It's neither -- bleeding hearts flowers.
I love that you found those pants for your daughter!
How did I miss the Land O Lakes Fiesta ware program? I was just out of school and my thriftiness was just amping up! I registered for Fiesta for our wedding and 25 years later they still are going strong! Love this blog.
They're invincible!
I have 6 very similar napkins which I use daily; purchased for $1. at a yard sale
You have excellent taste!
Frugality hasn't been top of mind for me, with the situation in Iran and not being able to reach DH's family. That said, I am looking for distractions as I try to go about my daily life.
1) Combined CVS rewards & an iBotta CVS cash back to pick up a few things we needed. I was there to pick up a prescription, so no wasted trip.
2) Made protein pancakes to use up ripe bananas. I was looking for a way to use them up without my traditional banana bread, which is neither high protein or particularly healthy. This was a solid option. It had cottage cheese, oats, egg, along with vanilla, cinnamon & baking powder.
3) Filled out a health care "incentive" for $75 back for getting a mammogram
4) Similarly, filled out reimbursement for our company's wellness program ($480 for the year), to get back $250 that I have spent so far this year.
5) Called the power company again in an attempt to troubleshoot our solar panel production & overall energy usage. Note that our solar company went bankrupt, so the app we had & used to use to monitor no longer exists, creating a blind spot for us.
My husband switched helath insurance with a new job and I wonder of there are any incentive programs.
Oh, Hawaii Planner, I feel for you and your husband about the inability to contact friends and family in Iran.
My #2 Son's Girlfriend has lots of family in Iran (including her Mom's mom - her Grandma) - I am making a concerted effort to inform myself as much as possible about what is happening right now, as well as some of the history (OMG it is an ENORMOUS history that is a blind spot for me).
This self-training means that she isn't in charge of educating me, and I can be a supportive ear for her. I know she apppreciates it when I talk to her or reach out with instagram posts that are relevant (I also send her silly science jokes, so our conversations aren't all Iran all the time).
She has expressed frustration that most of her friends aren't consoling her.
Hawaii Planner, I hope you get good news and fast.
Kudos to you for creating a trust! It is a worthy endeavor that offers a “next-level adult” protection for your loved ones. Not frugal up front, but definitely frugal to avoid probate, court fees, time lost, etc. Please be sure to ensure your assets such as bank accounts, deeds, investment accounts, retirement accounts, etc are all retitled, or have the proper beneficiaries assigned. I have so much more to say about this (it’s what I do for a living), but I’m gonna get off my soapbox now.
Again…bravo!
My husband's parents dying without any written plans in place created such a nightmare for their kids, especially my husband who was the one to take the reigns. It's the last thing we want to do to our kids.
Please climb back on the soapbox!
A. Marie and I are the POA and Wills and Health Care contract soapbox folk - we keep bringing them up because they are so important.
Sounds like you have another hunk of knowledge that the commentariat would benefit from - I know trusts are less popular in Canada, but I also know that they are a big deal in the USA - and under utilized.
I browsed my “Buy Nothing” group online and found someone giving away a pair of BARBIE-PINK crocks in my size!! In my area, crocks are selling for close to 40 bucks! My one pair are getting a little worn.. so I snapped up this new pair asap!! WHAT A NICE FIND! I also got a free, almost new NINJA drip coffee pot, a smaller size, which is what I like.. My current Cuisinart is still working but I like to have a back up coffee pot for when one breaks.. so it’s in my garage till I need it.
I listed some vitamins my husband bought then decided not to take(!!!!) and also gave away a comforter we had in storage and some planters we won’t use anymore.I like to keep active int he group and share when I can!
Bought 2 bags of 1.25 apples at Kroger, and made applesauce in the crockpot and froze some.
Made all our dinners and lunches AT HOME last week. ALWAYS the biggest saving ever! Restaurant prices have gotten crazy,even for a lunch.
Entertainment costs this week:
Free walks at 2 different local parks, and a drive to the Salt River to sit and watch the water, the birds, and read books (library!) for a couple of hours with my spouse. My favorite date.
FREE lunch “out” today, 3 of my neighbors and I trade hosting a bi weekly card game (Hand and Foot) and hostess makes lunch for all.! Today will be a barbecue chicken pizza and broccoli salad and a date cake ,right next door,no driving!
I love that you and your neighbors play cards and eat yummy food. That's the dream!
1. Cut back my lemongrass stands, meanwhile harvesting leaves we will dry and use for tea for the next few months.
2. Cut the first arugula and lettuce, harvested a few radishes. These were planted from seeds at least 5 yr old but kept in the fridge.
3. Took a picnic when I went to meet my friend, rather than going to a bar or whatever.
4. Figured out how to cut back on drinking alcohol considerably.
5. Did not start a war in opposition to literally every single expert opinion, killing a lot of little girls in addition to (admittedly) some very bad dudes, meanwhile letting 3 fighter jets get destroyed by our own allies or ourselves to the tune of about $280 million -- oopsie.
Side note: my neighbor uses a power washer on a low setting to scrape moss from his brick patio every year, then refreshes the sand between the bricks. It's amazingly quick for the impact.
A power washer is amazing for removing moss! When we bought our house, the sidewalk was so covered in moss it was slippery to walk on. It's totally clear after some scraping then powerwashing!