And The Bronze Medal Goes To . . .

by Katy on October 5, 2012 · 31 comments

With a 1914 fixer-upper, my remodeling and and decorating to-do list never ends. Paint this, rebuild that and more than anything try to not let it take over my life. It’s expensive, time consuming and often mentally draining.

However, there are those occasional home improvement projects that take an hour or so and cost the same amount (or less) than a schwanky coffee drink.

Because a can of spray paint costs $3.50, and that my friends, is enough to paint drawer pulls, my mailbox and a set of doorknob hardware. Specifically a can of Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint.

I’ve been less than enthused with my mailbox for awhile. I’ve put a fair amount of thought into the look for my front porch, and the landlord special black and aluminum mailbox was frankly, pretty ugly. I’ve kept an eye out for a more aesthetically pleasing one for years without a drop of luck. However, I recently realized that I could simply repaint it for what I’ll term “an inoffensive look.” (Seriously, some home decor needs to look fantastic, while others simply need to aim for “inoffensive.”)

Here’s a Before Picture. Note the lovely Rejuvenation light, (fixture from the seconds department, glass shade from Goodwill) the homemade “No Soliciting” sign and the custom front door:

And here’s the After Picture.  See how painting the mailbox puts it in context with the rest of the porch?

I’m the first to admit that the mailbox has zero Wow Factor, but I do believe that I transformed it from ugly to inoffensive. Which was my goal. Period. (My husband said it looked “army issue,” but we’re going to ignore that comment.)

And since I was already rocking out with a can of spray paint, I might as well bust out another project at the same time. The doorknob hardware to our spare bedroom was a hodge-podge of three completely different aged metals. It just looked crappy.

How awesome is this look? What, not awesome at all?!

Before:

After:

And with the exception of the wrong color screws, the doorknob hardware has achieved my goal of inoffensive. No one will ever compliment it, but it won’t grab their attention either.

Check.

Maybe I should start a blog called The Inoffensive Decorator. It would be riveting.

Have discovered the magic that is Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint yet? Please share any and all paint-it-and-forget-it stories in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

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Spinning My Wheels While Achieving My Big Picture Goals

by Katy on October 3, 2012 · 27 comments

The following is a reprint from a previously published post. Enjoy!

Sometimes I feel like I’m spinning my wheels. Like Sisyphus, my to-do list fills with tasks that have to be repeated on a daily basis, and I never pull ahead. Wash laundry, hang dry the laundry, put away laundry, make dinner, clean up from dinner. You get the drift. So I try to accomplish something, heck anything on a daily basis that pulls me forward towards the grand goal of being completely on top of my life.

You know, the house completely organized, all my work commitments met, a full and satisfying social life and thousands upon thousands of extra dollars leftover at the end of each and every month.

Laugh if you will, but I feel like goals cannot be reached unless you actually reach for them. Like I try to explain to my sons, there’s no way you can get an “A” in school if you’re only trying for a “B.”

This may make me sound like an insufferable perfectionist, but I assure you that I am far from this category. My built-in buffet resembles a sculpture made from unrelated items, and it was a bad day when I discovered that my piano bench was a flat horizontal surface.

“What, I can clear the dining room table for dinner by piling everything onto the piano bench? Genius, pure genius!”

And before you start noting that the bulk of the household chores seem to be resting on my supposedly feminist shoulders, please note that my husband and I have an unwritten rule that whichever of us is working that day gets a break from household drudgery. Which means that I get two days a week off, and he gets the rest.

We are currently hosting a Japanese exchange student for a couple of weeks, which means that we are on our best behavior. We’re shutting the bathroom room when in use, abstaining from yelling at each other and cleaning up the dinner dishes directly after the meal. For other families this might not be a change from routine, but for us it is. However, I feel like I am so busy with the daily tasks of life and playing tour guide to my city, that I am not working on the big picture stuff that keeps me from feeling like I’m spinning my wheels. 

So last night I actually made a mental list of my accomplishments for the day:

  • Hosted a Japanese exchange student, which gives my younger son much needed opportunity to practice his Japanese.
  • Did earn a $120 “stipend” per week of hosting, which has already been deposited into my sons’ Japan trip savings accounts. (One son will go to Japan in the spring for two weeks, while the other will go for five weeks in the summer. *Gulp*)
  • With the help of my husband, I rolled out our old and somewhat rusty propane barbecue to the curb with a “Free” sign on it. It was gone within five minutes!
  • I gave the silverware drawer a much needed wipe down and organization while chatting with my husband in the kitchen.

This list may not seem impressive to the perpetually productive among you, but since I also took everyone to the zoo, provided transport service to my older son for work, made and then cleaned up from dinner, (yakisoba noodles with smoked pork, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower and snow peas) completed a laundry cycle, (wash, hang dry, put away) watered both own and neighbor’s plants and wrote a blog post.

Just the tiny accomplishments of organizing a drawer and getting rid of the barbecue support my goals of an uncluttered home. Which moved me one teeny-tiny step towards my goal of being completely on top of my life.

Hey, I can’t achieve it unless I reach for it. Right?

Now, about that piano bench . . .

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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A Rodent Induced Non-Consumer Confession

by Katy on October 2, 2012 · 46 comments

You all know that I not only talk the talk about frugality and green living, but I also walk the walk. I’m out there hanging my laundry on the clothesline, borrowing books from the library and shopping Goodwill for all my family’s needs. I clean with homemade eco-friendly cleaners, batch errands when driving, produce minimal garbage and compost yard debris and food scraps.

Or do I?

Actually I don’t compost at home anymore, but let me explain the circumstances. I bought my first compost bin in 1997, and added a second one a few years ago when a neighbor was throwing one out. My lovely shaded backyard translates to 70 bajillion dropped leaves in the fall, so an extra compost bin was a welcome addition to my life. And for years and years, I had no problems with the compost bins. Sure, I’d see an occasional mouse in the bin, but I didn’t let that bother me too much.

But then came the rats.

The rats that built an empire in and around the the bins, nibbled a hole in the foundation of my house behind the bins and then formed a settlement in my basement.

Rats!

Rats!

Rats!

In all, my husband and I (plus the neighbors, who were catching them in their yard next to the compost) caught twenty or so rats. (We have since cemented over the hole the rats had made.) There are three locked and loaded traps in the basement that haven’t been triggered in almost three weeks, so we’re thinking we got them all.

And those compost bins? I put them on the curb with a free sign, and they were gone in under an hour.

Good thing Portland, Oregon has curbside composting.

Shudder.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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An Autumn of Hydrangeas

by Katy on October 1, 2012 · 4 comments

The passing of the seasons is largely marked by the phases of my hydrangeas. The budding in early spring, the cornflower blue of mid-summer, the pruning chores of early winter and my favorite, the deep red blush of autumn. A time when the tips of the petals turn a rusty hue and the blooms last for ages when arranged in a vase.

It’s just starting in this photo:

It’s a game of chance though, as the longer the blooms stay on the bush, the rustier they get. However, if the temperature dips below freezing, then everything turns to mush.

I’ll try to pay attention to the weather forecast and harvest big bouquets of flowers when the threat of frost is upon us. But for now, I’ll just enjoy them in their natural habitat.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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The Frugal Girl’s Homemade Yogurt

by Katy on September 30, 2012 · 42 comments

Remember how I talked the talk about making homemade yogurt for the SNAP/Food Stamp Challenge? Well the challenge is over, but that doesn’t mean that my yogurt aspirations have expired. I’ve made homemade yogurt in the past using my vintage Salton yogurt maker, but I’ve always felt like the amount of work to actual amount of yogurt ratio was skewed in the direction of not worth the effort. 

I’ve noticed that The Frugal Girl’s homemade yogurt recipe seemed to produce a large amount of product, so I decided to take a stab at her recipe. And boy am I glad that I did, because yum, yum and . . . yum.

I won’t write out the whole recipe, as it’s far easier for you to just CLICK HERE to read The Frugal Girl’s one. But here are the steps.

First of all, take a moment to picture a lovely bowl of yogurt, perhaps even topped with homemade plum jam.

Like so:

Now heat up the milk, making sure to keep an eye on the temperature:

I suppose we should take a moment to bask in the beauty that is my vintage Dutch oven. Because, it is indeed awesome, especially when the lid is in place.

This what the milk looks like when it’s just the right temperature. (185°)

At this point, the milk is then poured into a large pot, which sits in a cooling bath of cold water. I didn’t want to put my pretty vintage hot pot into cold water, for fear of damage. But a regular stainless steel pot would be fine to set into cold water. Once the yogurt cooled to 120°, I whisked a small container of plain yogurt into the milk.

I then poured the milk/yogurt mixture into freshly cleaned jars. This is where making yogurt wins over canning, as plain ol’ mayonnaise jars and Pyrex dishes work just fine. No need for special fancy-schmancy Mason jars.

I then put lids on the jars and set them in a cooler partially filled with warm water. I kept the lid in place and ignored the yogurt for three hours, and then refrigerated everything overnight.

How good was the yogurt? My husband, who formerly would only eat the Chobani yogurt ($1 to $1.50 per tiny cup) gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up.

Now, I can sleep easy knowing that America’s newest billionaire can make his riches off of someone else.

Again, behold my yogurt:

Have you tried making your own yogurt in the past? Please share your stories and tips in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Goodwill, Badwill, Questionablewill II

by Katy on September 28, 2012 · 29 comments

As is often the case, I found myself at the main Goodwill the other day. I had a load of stuff to donate, (my husband’s old work uniforms plus a pile of shoes) so I decided to treat myself to a little look-see through the store. (It may seem like thrifting is a daily habit for me, I actually only go every couple of weeks, and I walk out empty handed more often than not.)

I headed first to the furniture department, where these two vintage podiums stopped me in my tracks. They were labeled “Loyalty” and “Service,” and begged and pleaded to come home with me. At forty bucks a pop, their allure came at a price, so it would not have been a pain-free purchase. I started to imagine myself accepting public speaking gigs, where I’m “that crazy lady who brought her own podium,” which is kind of funny. I could totally see how cool the “Loyalty” podium would look in a corner of my living room, but in the end I held off.

But only because A) my husband would kill me, and B) I would want to place a big vase on flowers on it, but the sloped surface would be a one-way ticket to broken-vase land.

 Don’t you love the vintage lettering?  

I then meandered over to the mug section, which as always, was filled to capacity. (Seriously, does anyone ever have too few mugs? Those things mate like Tribbles!)

My eye was drawn this this Leanin’ Tree mug which featured the quote, “In a few more years I’m outta this place.” I have a soft spot in my heart for Leanin’ Tree items, as my husband gave me one of their cards which said “A friend like you is harder to find than a good horse” waaay back in 1987 when we were first dating.

Needless to say, I did not buy it.

I also didn’t buy this decorated Mrs. Butterworth bottle. Remember when I wrote that every thrift store has one of these? I was not kidding.

One shelf that I always visit is the mismatched baubles area. Why? Certainly not because I’m looking for Mardi-Gras necklaces and barrettes, but because this is where marbles get sold. And I once bought a large jar of antique marbles here for $2.99, which I then sold on eBay for hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

The only vaguely antique marbles this day were pretty, but not worth a huge amount, so I left them on the shelf.

I am starting to enjoy the category of ironic piggy banks. (Okay, they’re not actually pigs, but what else should I call them?) You know like “Vacation fund” and “Fishing money.” Alas, I only found two. But they’re still kind of funny.

This piggy bank has the potential to help my family amass a fortune, but mostly just from me. 😉

So what did I buy? This lovely little bag of wool skeins. The brand is mostly Appleton Bros., which is a British company, and they normally sell for $1.75 apiece. And since there are 18 skeins of wool here, the $2 price tag was a mighty fine deal. No two colors are alike, but that’s okay, as I’ll use the wool for sock darning, and it’s kind of cute when the patches are in contrasting colors.

My purchase may not be especially brag-worthy, but it’s almost sock season here in Portland, Oregon and my to-darn pile is somehow bigger than my socks-I-can-wear pile.

Now, I wonder if that Loyalty podium has sold yet . . .

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Before, During, No After — Steamy Hot Fun With a Curbside Find

by Katy on September 27, 2012 · 13 comments

You know I like a project. So when an antique drop-leaf table presented itself by way of a neighbor’s free pile, I knew it had to come home with me. The veneer tabletop was ravaged beyond repair, but that, my dear readers did not matter.

Here, see for yourself:

And check out the gams on this sweet lady, va-va-va-voom!

Maybe I should introduce the neighbors to my friend “Coaster,” she’s a practical gal. Plus, she can handle her drinks.

So I did an internet search on how to remove veneer, and found instructions to lay a wet towel over the wood and then iron it. The whole ironing-a-wet-towel turned into some steamy hot fun, better than 50 Shades of Grey for this crafty blogger.

The veneer is now all scraped off, and the table table is ready for phase two. My plan is to paint the tabletop with a bold graphic pattern that I’ll keep secret until the big reveal.

It’s going to be one sexy little steamed up table.

Like a good before-and-after project? Then you should totally click HERE for much, much more!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Wanted — Your Unique Money Saving Ideas!

by Katy on September 26, 2012 · 145 comments

One thing that I really like about blogging is that I’m constantly learning new tricks. Whether it’s here or on The Non-Consumer Advocate Facebook group, new ideas are constantly flowing in.

So today is your turn. Have a tip or trick that saves you a few pennies or a few dollars? Please share your unique money saving ideas in the comments section below.

I’m sure we could all use a new idea or two, so please, share what works for you!

Here, I’ll start. My main money saving idea to to tweak my attitude. Instead of feeling bummed out about not having money for all the fun things I could be doing, (Hawaiian vacations, etc.) I choose to focus on how great it is to not have to work all the zillions of hours it would take to earn enough money for these kinds of expenses.

Tag, you’re it!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Live Long and Prosper

by Katy on September 25, 2012 · 22 comments

Like 2.7 million others, I like George Takei on Facebook. He’s absolutely hilarious, yet also thoughtful and kindhearted. So yes, you could say that I ♥ him. So when he posted the above photo this morning, I got a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart.

Perhaps a little background information is in order. My father is an English professor, and one of his areas of expertise is Science Fiction. (Specifically Philip K.Dick and Ursula LeGuin.) So Star Trek and I go waaaay back. My sister and I even produced an audio play in 1977 riffing off The Trouble With Tribbles, featuring the Starship Enterprise toilets malfunctioning at a time when they’re being attacked by a Romulan Warbird. And instead of transporting Tribbles to the enemy ship, instead they transport their bodily waste. 

It was hilarious!

The Vulcan greeting of “Live long and prosper” got me thinking this morning. What does it mean to prosper? Is prosperity necessarily synonymous with monetary wealth? Can a person be prosperous without piles of cash?

I say yes.

To me, prosperity equates success in lifelong endeavors, even when it that success has nothing to do with money. Even when goals are not actually achieved. Because the process of trying and failing includes life lessons that help to give a better chance of success with the next project.

I do not have a goal to become rich. However, I do have a goal to grow my blog and widen my readership. Sometimes my methods garner next to nothing, (Interviews where the websites omit a link back to the blog) and sometimes the tiniest effort pans out big time. (My Tea Towel Salad Dressing recipe that ran in the Simple Living Network newsletter!)

Should an effort be categorized as a failure just because there was no immediate benefit? I say no. Answering interviewers’ questions helps to coalesce my message, and often sparks new ideas. So yes, there is value to these efforts. They’re helping me to prosper, irregardless of my bank account balance.

So I am prospering, even though I’m far from wealthy. (And hopefully I will live long.)

Thank you, Sulu.

Click HERE to read my Everything I need to learn in life, I learned from Star Trek essay. It’s an oldie but a goodie.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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Meanwhile, Back on The Farm . . .

by Katy on September 24, 2012 · 12 comments

This last week has been the SNAP/Food Stamp Challenge all day, every day. Or so one would think from reading my blog. In actuality, lots of regular non-consumer activities filled my days.

  • I worked two full days as a labor and delivery nurse.
  • I spent an afternoon cleaning one of my mother’s guest cottages.
  • My son and I visited at the main Goodwill, where I picked up a pair of $3.50 black velour yoga pants for and a 99¢ pastry cutter. (I had no pants that were not jeans, and my pastry cutter had lost two of its blades and had become utterly useless.)
  • I brought home an adorable yet beat up curbside antique table that I plan on painting up all cute.
  • I took my older son to the mall to get his ears pierced, (A huge Compact exception!) which was a reward for getting good grades. Our only other purchase was a lollipop from See’s, where we each enjoyed a delicious free chocolate.
  • I picked up a loaf of free oatmeal wheat bread from Grand Central Bakery, through their Tweets for Treats program.
  • I happily accepted two big bottles of shampoo from my neighbor, who said they bothered her dry scalp.
  • I hung countless loads of laundry on my backyard clothesline, including all my reusable shopping bags who took a well-deserved trip through the washing machine.
  • I got my kids acclimated to using the city bus to get back and forth to school.

You know, a regular week that did not include anything expensive, wasteful or frankly, all that exciting.

Just the way I like it.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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