A Love Letter to a Tiny Tomato

by Katy on June 22, 2011 · 17 comments

Dear Tiny Tomato,

I have to be frank. Your appearance this morning took me a bit by surprise. You see, my next door neighbor always has and always will enjoy your love earlier and more often than I, and I’ve accepted my place playing second fiddle to her. Sure, you come knocking at my door at two in the morning, but it’s only after the bars have closed and your real love has rejected you. You prefer her to me, which I have accepted.

Every year, I try with all my heart to plant you earlier, water you perfectly, (deeply yet infrequently) and provide you with the nurturing love that you seem to crave. In return, you always give back enough tomatoes for salads and munching, but you never provide enough to make me feel overwhelmed with your love. Like you do for that hussy of a next door neighbor. Bless her heart.

So when I saw your appearance this morning, I have to admit that I felt a small flame of superiority that you chose to come to me first this year. Yes, me! I can picture it now, the two of us taking long walks on the beach, the two of us riding together in a gondola, the two of us laughing over a summer salad. Ahh . . .

We will always be together, Tiny Tomato. There is no fighting a love this strong.

Lovingly yours,

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

Click HERE to read the rest of my Non-Consumner Advocate love letters. That is, if you can handle the heat.

 

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Images From a Simple Morning Walk

by Katy on June 21, 2011 · 10 comments

I had an hour or so to kill this morning in the Sellwood neighborhood. And instead of driving home or holing up an a coffee shop, I chose to walk along the Springwater Corridor. (For non-Portlanders, this paved path runs alongside the Willamette river and is used for cyclists, runners and a few pedestrians.)

I listened to my library audio book of Uplander, and enjoyed the beauty of the early morning, making sure to keep an ear out for cyclists who like to whizz past as if they’re in the Tour de France.

And best of all, I did not need to join a gym, buy any fancy equipment or travel out of my way to make it all happen.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

First on my to-do list? Get hydrated from one of Portland's famed "Benson Bubblers."

Looking across the Oaks Bottom nature preserve to the highly muraled mausoleum. Note the thick hazy sky that helped to create a weirdly thick and muggy morning.

A very pastoral image within the Portland city limits.

The Oaks Amusement Park sentries stand guard over an empty parking lot.

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Leftovers in Jell-O? No Thank-O!

by Katy on June 20, 2011 · 28 comments

It is no secret that I have a PhD in leftovers wizardry. Bread ends become bread crumbs, dried up cooked rice goes into soup and the last bits of stale cereal find their way into muffins.

But an entire week devoted to throwing leftovers into a Jell-O salad? Yes, I grew up with a midwestern mother who had no qualms about throwing cottage cheese and mandarin oranges into a Jell-O-mold. And yes, I admit that I ate it. But in the 16 years of working in a hospital, I have never munched down on the available Jell-O. (I have however served it thousands upon thousands of times.)

But I am here to say that cheese cubes, peas, onions, and holy hell, is that meat? are very, very bad ideas when mixed into a fruity gelatinous medium.

So please, keep your leftover tidbits confined to soups, frittatas, stir-fries and casseroles. But in the name of all that is innocent and pure, keep them out of the Jell-O!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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Today I Am . . .

by Katy on June 19, 2011 · 19 comments

Today I am . . .

  • Wishing my husband a Happy Father’s Day. Or I will after he wakes up.
  • Thinking about calling my father, who is certain to be completely unaware that today is Father’s Day.
  • Watching my cat play with a used Q-tip, and thinking about how my once-a-month-garbage pickup means a full bathroom wastebasket.
  • Contemplating the gamble of pegging up the laundry on a grey Oregon day.
  • Hanging onto the memory of my son’s martial arts testing yesterday. He did an incredible job and earned his “gold sash.”
  • Wondering when plastic grocery bags become the norm. I watched an episode of “My So Called Life” on Netflix last night and noticed that the groceries being unloaded were all in paper bags.
  • Wearing pajamas at 11:00 A.M.
  • Receiving an e-mail about how the Kill-A-Watt that I checked out from the library is overdue, and feeling guilty about how I never even took it out of its box.
  • Feeling good about how I am already on disc 14 of the 28 disc audio book of “Outlander.” I’m pretty sure I can finish it before it’s due back at the library.
  • Feeling proud of my older son who jumped through many hoops to get hired as a lifeguard with the city Parks and Recreation department.
  • Feeling a little melancholy, but know that activity will help me not dwell on this emotion. Pretty sure that is a residual feeling from finishing The Knitting Circle yesterday which was a huge tear jerker.
  • Not going to place leftovers into a Jello mold.
  • Feeling guilty yet clever that I sent my husband home to make tea and coffee in the middle of our son’s four hour martial arts test instead of buying from the coffee shop next door.
  • Continuing to read Julia Park Tracey’s Plastics Purge month over at Modern Muse and thinking about what a good writer she is.

Asking you the same. What are you doing today?

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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Summer’s Expenses

by Katy on June 17, 2011 · 13 comments

My lifeguard, before he growed up into a young man.

As much as I celebrate the summer months, they can be surprisingly expensive. Kid camps, vacations, driving around town and general out-and-about-ness can take a chunk out of a girl’s womyn’s budget. My family watches our pennies, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t sign the kids up for swim classes, soccer camps, (which we always get a discount for by hosting the British coaches) and too many meals eaten away from home.

However, this year, my older son will be working as a lifeguard, (making money for hanging out at the pool instead of paying for the privilege) we’re not going to do any soccer camps, (the kids kind of aged out of them) and we already have a decent vacation fund accruing interest in a savings account.  On the other hand, my younger son will continue with his martial arts classes, as well as his private Japanese tutoring (a requirement for his school program) and we’ll still gas the car up more than I care to admit.

But recognizing the priciness of summer doesn’t mean that there aren’t fantastic free options available as well. For example:

The Summer Reading Program —  Most libraries sponsor free programs that offer rewards such as small toys, books and gift certificates. Think this is just for the wee kiddos? Our library offers a teen program with vouchers for Ben & Jerry’s, Starbucks, Bowling and more.

Swim Passes — A summer swim pass can get a bit pricey, but we’ve found that Portland Parks and Recreation offers a discounted pass if you wait until July 1st. And since June tends to still be cold and rainy, (hence the term “Junuary”) this is no sacrifice. We also have memorized the cheap sessions, which are $1 entries on Tuesdays and free on Wednesdays from 2:40 – 4:10. Check with your pool to see if they offer something similar.

Kids Bowl Free — This is a national program that offers two free games of bowling per day all summer long for kids. The shoe rentals are extra, and parents have to pay, but it’s still a great option to have hidden up your sleeve.

Hiking/Biking/Exploring — No one can charge you for getting out into the sunshine and fresh air.

Second Run Movies — I know Portland is spoiled with the variety of second run theaters that pepper our neighborhoods. But skip that brand new blockbuster and slip into the air-conditioned splendor that a $1 movie affords you. Just make sure to steer clear of the snack bar.

Libraries, Libraries, Libraries — This may seem like a repeat, but libraries are a treasure trove of free activity. Internet access, classes, live music and even, gasp . . . books! I have very fond memories of afternoons spent in the air-conditioned oasis of the Lincoln, Nebraska libraries during the summer I spent (sweltering) there in 1980. I was not a huge reader, but if meant it I could chill out for a few hours, then a reader I would be.

Creative Play — A free refrigerator box from the appliance store can become a beloved fort, a box of dress ups and art supplies can fill an entire day. Relax about the mess your house will become and enjoy the moment.

My summer plans? I plan on letting the kids (and myself) sleep in as much as possible and maybe sneak in a couple short vacations. Perhaps even try to get my house listed on HomeExchange.com and enjoy staying at a nice beach house with an actual view. Mainly though, I’ll probably be holed up in my refrigerator box fort reading a library book and eating up the leftovers.

What do you do to keep the expenses of summer from ruining your budget? Please share your ideas in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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Frugal Inspiration

by Katy on June 17, 2011 · 23 comments

As satisfying as it can be to stretch a dollar until it hurts, there’s not one among us who hasn’t lost inspiration or felt resentful when budgetary constraints get in the way of having fun. And even I am not immune to needing regular doses of frugal inspiration.

This video below features the Carter family who are choosing to live within their means and having fun doing it. I’ve watched this video before and really enjoy this family’s attitude and their balanced methodology. Nothing too extreme, and without the cry of deprivation or sanctimony.

I really like how excited he gets over a box of 89¢ crackers. It well . . . cracks me up! (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)

The father, W. Hodding Carter, is a writer for (now defunct) Gourmet Magazine and wrote a regular column on Extreme Frugality that I am only now starting to explore.

Enjoy!

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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1970’s Memorabilia? No Thank You!

by Katy on June 15, 2011 · 33 comments

Me and my father. Circa 1974.

I stopped by the main Goodwill this afternoon and although my son found a couple of items to bring home, (a pair of jeans to turn into cutoffs and a Domo cup) I went home empty handed. Why? Because the store was full of Target castoffs and groovy 1970’s knick-knacks. For those younger than myself, the 1970’s bring about a misty nostalgia filled with Three’s Company-style mayhem.

Unfortunately, many of us are old enough to remember the decade, and we vividly recall uncomfortably squashy orange furniture and sunken living rooms filled with brown shag carpeting so thick it was un-vacuumable and therefor always filthy. The car trips lacked air conditioning or radio reception and our grandmothers wore unflattering polyester suits.

It was a bad decade.

So please, do not romanticize the 1970’s. I beg of you.

Leave the owls, frogs and mushrooms in the thrift shops.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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The June Food Stamp Challenge Lives On

by Katy on June 15, 2011 · 70 comments

For my family, June of 2010 will be remembered as the month when we spent less than $350 on food. This is the amount that a family of four would typically receive were they receiving food stamps. As we normally spend around $450, it was not a terrible stretch for us, but I would be lying if I said it was easy.

There was only one meal out, (takeout Vietnamese food when I was sick) and I insisted that I take over 100% of the shopping and cooking for the month. I knew that my husband who is not a frugal shopper would ruin everything were he to make one of his typical Trader Joe’s trips that tend to run $40+ for a single bag of groceries. Therefore, he was banned from shopping for the month.

In the end, we spent $100 less than normal, which I was able to send to The Oregon Food Bank as a donation.

I considered running this challenge again this year, but my family was so sure that they had been deprived in the name of a blog stunt, that it wasn’t worth the lack of family harmony. It’s ironic, actually, as I was so obsessed with concocting frugal yet delicious meals, that the family ate better than ever! There were no “Hey, who wants eggs?” kind of meals and I think drawing the card of get-out-of-making-dinner-for-a-month should be worshipped instead of complained about. But hey, that’s just me.

Angela over at My Year Without Spending participated in the challenge without telling her husband, which I considered to be both clever and worthy of a movie treatment. (Oh, the mayhem! Oh, the possibilities for hijinks!)

However, I was really wanting to shine a light on the issues related to food insecurity, both throughout the blogosphere within my own family unit.

Julia Park Tracey of Modern Muse just learned yesterday that her coverage of the June Food Stamp Challenge won first place for multimedia journalism from the East Bay Press Club. And let me tell ya, she deserved it! I reprinted her posts a couple of times last year, as she really went whole hog with her participation and chronicling of the challenge.

So, congratulations Julia!

Last year’s stats of 1-in-5 Oregonians receiving food stamp benefits prompted this challenge, and I recently had an opportunity to talk with a state employee about how this year compares. And the answer I received was that things are even worse this year than last.

Which brings me to this question:

Are you interested in participating (and reading about) another food stamp challenge? I am willing to dedicate the month of July to food insecurity issues if this is something you’re interested in.

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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Non-Consumer Photo Essay — Jam For Salmon

by Katy on June 14, 2011 · 13 comments

It’s time for another Non-Consumer photo essay, where you get a sneak-peek at the tidbits that make up my world.

My back porch has a tendency to become a catch-all for just about everything.

It may not qualify for an Apartment Therapy post, but this is my back porch after I tidied it up. Spent batteries went to be recycled, a paper bag of nasty sneakers are ready to go to the Nike store to be transformed into playground surfacing and the dried old leaves went into the compost.

I just moved my hummingbird feeder to a more visible spot on my front porch. No point in having one if I can't watch the birdies. I also mixed up a new 4:1 water/sugar solution with a wee droplet of red food coloring.

My experiment with making The Frugal Girl's strawberry freezer jam was delightfully drama-free. Plus, I was able to hand one over when my friend came over bearing . . .

Freshly caught salmon!

Which I immediately cut into steaks to put into our freezer. She, of course was happy to receive a still-warm jar of strawberry jam.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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Too Perfect to Touch

by Katy on June 13, 2011 · 23 comments

I just finished re-reading one of my favorite books, which is Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping by Paco Underhill. Although this book is targeted to retailers, marketers and advertisers, (not non-consumers such as myself) I find the information in this well written book to be utterly fascinating. Because, what is shopping besides yet another extension of human behavior? Underhill has spent his career quietly observing shoppers as they invariably veer to the right, touch store items, read (or don’t read) carefully constructed signage and stop shopping the moment they experience a “butt brush.”

My copy of Why We Buy is from Goodwill, and is actually a 1999 edition, which means that it’s missing the updated information about the internet age. But that’s okay, because the content that interests me is not the specifics about retailing, (put carry baskets at a midpoint in the store when customers’ hands get full, not next to the front door where customers have no need for them.) but how shopping behaviors correlate to life’s behaviors.

One point that I noticed for the first time with this reading was how Underhill had worked with a chain, (Subway?) that had a display of bagged chips for customers to choose from while waiting in line to pay. When the display was perfectly arranged, people did not pull anything off, and it was only when the workers were instructed to muss it up a bit that customers began feeling comfortable about grabbing a bag. People did not want to mess with a perfect display. The perfect display was off putting and to be left alone.

This too perfect to touch phenomenon made me start thinking about how this translates into my non-consumer world. I have noticed that when my somewhat formally decorated home is too clean and tidy, (worry not, it’s a rare occurrence!) that guests seem unable to relax. They sit bolt upright on the couch and do not appear to enjoy their time in my home, and it’s only when the house shows signs of life that guests are able to loosen up. When I think about how I feel in other people’s homes, I am certainly more comfortable when they show imperfections of life, rather than looking like a magazine shoot. I worry that my clumsy self might mess something up when houses are too perfect.

Of course, I won’t start deliberately mussing up my home to make it more inviting, as this entropy can happen without any deliberate action on my part. Yes, my house is tidier than it’s ever been, but it will still never look like it sprung from the pages of Dwell magazine. But Paco Underhill has made me realize that nobody wants to touch a display of perfection, and that many (most?) of us feel more comfortable when our environments show signs of life.

Does a perfect environment make you feel like a bull in a china shop? Or perhaps you can’t relax until everything is perfect? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

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

 

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