Back to the point of this blog.

Note to relatives looking for flood updates: I will post them when I have them.
Today Sher, Fred, Pam and Rob are going to Elkader for the 4th so no flood news.

If the relatives clamor for it...I can start a flood specific blog.
But for now I'd like to get back to what this blog was supposed to be about...me me me.
Is that selfish?

This started as a way for me to think through living a simpler and frugaler lifestyle so I'd like to do that today.

I've made 2 frugal moves in the last 24 hours.
One cracks me up.

For Christmas Pam/Sher gave me this super cool grocery basket/bag thing. It's the size and approximate shape of the hand baskets they let you use at the grocery store, BUT it's made of fabric (probably petroleum based fabric but whatever), can be stored flat and then you insert little plastic ribs (like the ones in the sides of my bra that are supposed to keep my pit-fat from making the sides bulge out) in each side and it is a nice rigid basket. There is a metal frame around the top and a handle than can fold flat or stick up. The fabric basket is attached to this with velcro wraps every few inches. So in theory you can take it apart and wash the basket bit. But this hasn't been necessary because it's quite wipe-off-able.

The final cool feature is the pocket on one side (inside) to hold the ribs. Actually, I use this to hold my reusable organic cotton mesh veggie bags. And coupons and my list.

(I found a photo and stuck it in here...apparently I got a good deal since it costs 35$ at sur la table.)

So, since the grocery store in Spokane is across the street from the apartment, I just grab my basket (preloaded with veggie bags, list, coupons and etc) and head over. I shop into the basket, unload it onto the conveyor belt at the check out and make them reload the stuff back into it. At first they tried to put the crap in a plastic bag THEN into the basket but I've got most of the checkers trained now.

One check out lady, Sharon I think is her name, asks me where I got it every time I'm in there and how much it was and don't I love it and isn't it neat.
I keep telling her I bought some for gifts and have one left over.
Then she goes on and on about how it will fit right on her bike.
Yesterday she started again and I said, "I have another. It's never been used. I paid 10$. Do you want it?" She did. It took me like 5 minutes to get back to the store and she was so excited.

I got 10$ AND I got rid of clutter. Cool. I may start an e-bay page/site/whatever to offload some of my other stuff that I just don't need. I have some cool things but if I haven't used it in a year or have upgraded, why keep it?

That was one cool frugal/simple move.

The other was I noticed the shower is disgusting. It needs to be cleaned. Perhaps after spending time at Sher's bleaching and scrubbing everything, I'm on a bit of a tear about cleaning (I'm making the kid clean his room today too...I never do that but now that the laundry key is probably lost somewhere in those depths of laundry and teen stank, it needs to be shoveled out and organized a bit). I don't keep cleaning chemicals other than citrasolve around the house and that wasn't cutting it. I did however have a giant box of baking soda. So after getting a pie in the oven (going to a potluck later), I poured baking soda all over the tub and shower. It always gets the sink clean so I figured it would work on the tub. It did! That thing hasn't been this shiny in months. As long as I was in there I did the whole bathroom. It's like 6feet square so not much of a chore but I still avoid it for too long. Next time I might try salt and lemon juice. It's a pretty strong acid and cleans the kitchen drains out pretty well. Why not the toilet?

Pretty soon I'll be making my own lye out of wood ash.

Oh...one final frugal/squalid move today...
it was so freaking hot yesterday and while I love my big windows, 4 of them are on the west side of this house and we're on the 2nd floor so not much shade. The heat was pretty amazing through the old single pane glass. I've covered the top half of these windows with foil. We'll see if that helps limit heat gain. It should. It might also blind the neighbors but what do I care. They never invite me to the parties around the barbecue at night. What college kid does not want some 40+ granola woman with a stray kid hanging out at their party?? (OK, all of them.) (Unless I was willing to bring the beer but I'm not a beer whore) (wait...wouldn't I be a beer pimp?)