Why Do Companies Make Repairing Items Yourself So Difficult? And Why Are Some Items That Were Once Repairable, Not At All Repairable Now?

The spring rain barrel water from both barrels has been used up, and we are now onto using a combination of recycled kitchen water and municipal hose water. I save kitchen water from rinsing produce, dishes, and hands in a dishpan set in the sink. I directly water the garden with this water, primarily using it on areas where the hose doesn't reach easily. I have been using the sprayer on the hose to water individual vegetable garden beds. However, our garden is now so extensive, watering everything by hand, even with a sprayer, takes at least an hour each day. 

We have some older soaker hoses that were used in several ornamental beds and hedges to get those shrubs and perennials off to a good start, but really hadn't used them in recent years. So I set out to retrieve those hoses and discovered many of them had plant roots grown in through the hose itself. I tugged and pulled on ends until a couple of them simply ripped away from the anchored sections. Frustrating. I was able to salvage a couple soaker hoses using duct tape, but I lost several fittings or couplings from a couple, too. I thought Home Depot might carry repair parts, as that's where I originally bought the soaker hoses. No such luck. They did sell new soaker hoses, however. So it's not like soaker hoses are an obsolete method of watering. But no repair pieces. 

What really bothered me is this lack of an easy way to simply do my own repairs and keep the soaker hoses in operation. It reminds me of modern cars (and by modern I mean just the last 25-30 years). Who, here, remembers their dads or brothers working on their own cars, or "auto shop" as an elective in high school? I remember those things. Cars used to be repairable by the owner. Now you need a specialist to even diagnose the problem with many cars. Does anyone remember the kiosks, often in grocery stores near the front, where a vending machine sold television tubes? When the tube would go out, you would buy a replacement tube and do this simple repair yourself. Many of these 1960-era televisions were either open on the backside or had a removable panel screwed onto the back, making owner repair a do-able option. Now if your television quits, it's expected you'll dump the old set and buy a new one. 

Things made long ago lasted, not simply because they were made better, but also because they were repairable with parts readily available. 

I recently set up my sewing machine on a new-to-me sewing table. My parents gave this machine to me in 1981. It was a used and refurbished model at that time. I believe it was made in the mid-1970s, making it about 50 years old now. It's a basic machine that I've been able to maintain myself over the years. It still runs great, and I don't anticipate needing a new sewing machine in a decade, or maybe not at all. I was searching online for information about longevity of current machines. Most websites I read said some models may last 25 years, if you're lucky and you take good care of your machine. While I've been able to do all of the repairs needed on my machine, a new computerized model would require a specialized technician to complete repairs.

It just feels like so much stuff is unrepairable these days. When the plastic hanger on one of my hanging plant baskets broke, there was no way to just buy a new hanger.  I wound up using wire to secure the plastic element. And while not a beautiful repair job, it's serviceable for my needs.

Our 15 year old rechargeable lawn mower quit last summer mid-season. We still have our old push mower; but it's a chore to mow the lawn with the push mower, and we're not the spring chickens we once were. My husband contacted a small engine repair shop and they advised that we just buy a new mower. Repairing this 15 year old model wasn't feasible. It seems such a shame to trash this large item because the repairs cost more than a brand new model.

Back to the soaker hoses -- I guess I'll search Amazon for the type of repair pieces I need. I had hoped to find the couplings in a local hardware store, so I could see the pieces in person and know they were what I need. If stores like Home Depot and Ace Hardware still carry soaker hoses, and they also carry repair parts for regular hoses (different diameter hose), you would think they'd carry repair couplings for soaker hoses, too. Such a disappointment that I have to work so hard to do a basic fix on a basic garden implement.

Can you relate?

P.S. With the 2 intact soaker hoses, I was able to set up watering for 2 large vegetable beds. So my efforts weren't completely in vain. Win some, lose some.

Community Writer: Sara, Waste Not, Want Not – Transplanting Volunteers

Like Lili, and many of you, our family is currently working on some outdoor chores and improvements. Ours include both moving and improving some of the traffic patterns around our home, which have been the same since 1970. We also recently removed some large trees for fire/storm safety, which have left a full-shade part of the yard suddenly full-sun, as well as quite a bit trampled and squashed. All of this means that some currently nicely-naturalized areas must be disturbed, while some previously nicely-naturalized ones must be rehabilitated. 

To further complicate matters, part of the overall project is completing some deer fencing; so, although we're anxious to get new plants started during our short growing season, it's unwise to invest much in plants for parts of the yard that might be immediately decimated by our local deer. 

I have been trying to make the best of the situation by transplanting as many of the removed plants as possible into the barer areas. Some of these plants have major imperfections and idiosyncrasies from their original growing conditions, and I'm “late” in moving some of them, according to traditional gardening calendar wisdom. However, I figure that the possible benefits are worth the time and effort of transplanting, even if some don't survive. 

After all, these plants are already used to our soil and climate conditions, and the time between digging up and replanting is short, so hopefully any shock will be limited. They are plants I'm familiar with, so I already know the conditions they need and their eventual size/growth patterns. They have a number of year's growth already. They're free, which everyone here would agree is always good. Last, the alternative would be to discard them, which goes against my “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” Yankee upbringing, as well as a general preference not to kill a healthy living thing.

In the past, I have had good results with transplanting volunteer lilacs (with up to 1” thick trunks), and moving bulbs, even after they have leafed out, which I'm not sure is “recommended”. I have also divided and moved daylilies and iris anytime from early spring to late fall. Here is a volunteer grape hyacinth which I moved last year from the front yard to the raspberry bed in the back. 

This year, I've transplanted more lilacs, bulbs, and iris, as well as trying to move one very old rose, some trillium and violets, some native maples, an ornamental maple, Oregon grape, snowberry, and mixed yarrow/English daisy/grass “sod” pieces. It's too soon to evaluate all of them, but the trillium and violets both bloomed. One individual yarrow is budding up now, and the patches of yarrow/grass “sod” are also growing well in the background.

The native maple is leafing out, next to another small lilac.

The biggest lilac is looking fabulous, although we accidentally cut off a lot of its main root while digging it up.

We didn't do anything unusual to help any of these make the transition. As I said, my main goal was to keep the absolute minimum of time out of the ground. However, because our soil is very heavy clay, I did mix a little bit of compost we had on hand into the soil from the hole, and as you can see, I also dressed the top with a little mulch. As with all transplants, I have tried to keep them well-watered these first couple of weeks, to settle the soil, stimulate and support new growth, and compensate for recent hot weather. I'm excited and pleased by the positive results, especially because I'm not an especially gifted gardener. 

Moving irises 

There were a bunch of irises around the original shed/"cabin" the original owners lived in while they built. They were under the eaves, so didn't get a lot of natural water or enough sunlight. They grow every year, but even after we tore down the shed, they don't always bloom at all. This year some of them are going to bloom (two opened today), and it's great timing, because I was hoping I'd know what colors/heights they were before I transplanted them to the backyard, so I can plan/arrange them, rather than just doing a grab-bag. 

However, since I won't be able to move them for a while, I got the idea to loosely tie surveyor flagging around them, with Sharpie notations. Then if I move them when they're all so far past I can't tell what they were, I'll still know.

Last tip – If you don't have existing plants to move, we've also had good luck buying trees and shrubs (like the forsythia below) from other homeowners on Craigslist. The prices we've paid have been maybe 20% to 35% less than a box store nursery, and we've met (and put a few dollars in the pockets of) some nice local people.

Sara has enjoyed being a part of the creative savv community for many years . She lives with her husband and a grown son in rural Idaho, where they continually plan and work to improve their 1970 home and acreage. Sara enjoys a variety of activities, including cooking, photography, sewing, crochet, weaving, interior and landscape design, hiking, fishing, doing anything at all with her husband and sons, and taking long drives around the beautiful Inland Northwest.

Cheap & Cheerful Suppers for the End of May (and the Beginning of BBQ Season)

Friday

Dinner and a movie night. We watched Juno, dvd borrowed from the local library.
gyros--homemade pita bread, frozen gyro meat, canned tomatoes (drained and sliced), olives, chopped fresh cucumber, olive oil/lemon juice/herb dressing
stuffed grape leaves (just rice and seasonings this time)
spiced fig-applesauce

Funny or not funny story. I was cleaning out the garage fridge on Friday and found lots of very, very old foods in there. For the most part, these were things my daughters bought and stashed there. Among them were 2 red apples that were very, very, very wrinkly. One daughter thought maybe she bought these early last summer. I had this idea to peel and cook the apples and add them to the fig-applesauce. After cutting away obvious bad spots, I chopped them and cooked them in a little water, very pleased with myself for rescuing the apples. They smelled like turnips the whole time they were simmering. After they were soft enough to mash, I added a little lemon juice and sugar, and they tasted just like sweetened turnips. Yuk. I threw them out and made the fig-applesauce with the jarred applesauce we had also lingering in the garage fridge. But the bottled applesauce was still good, thankfully.

Saturday

Saturday I was busy cleaning and starting a new outdoor furniture refurb project, working in the garage. I picked up a table at a garage sale for $5. I'll be working on it the next couple of weekends. I also enlisted some family help to put up some string lights over the patio. I repurposed our tiny bulb Christmas string lights. The lights are "warm" LED. We strung them from one tree just off the deck, to the wisteria-covered arch, then back to a second tree just off the deck.

My husband cooked dinner Saturday. His "specialty" is refried beans and deep-fried, homemade tortillas. I don't eat the tortillas (I rarely eat fried foods), but instead I usually have a side of rice with my beans. 

refried beans

fried homemade tortillas or rice

home-canned salsa from last summer

Cole slaw

carrot sticks

cookies

Sunday

More cleaning and prepping for company on Memorial Day. I set up the chairs with the new pillows on the patio. I had made 2 additional pillows, for a total of 6 bright and cheerful outdoor pillows. I still have enough fabric for either 2 more pillows or a tablecloth to go over the $5 garage sale table or seat covers on the 2 chairs (also need refurbishment) I bought at a thrift store to go with the $5 table. Dinner would be a simple one. After dinner I rolled out the pie crust for tomorrow's pie, stashing it in the fridge until the morning.

pasta with TVP marinara sauce (I had my marinara sauce plain, no TVP for the time being)
stir fried cabbage, carrots, green onions (the frozen packages I bought for 49 cents a package)

cookies

Monday

Memorial Day BBQ

One of the first things I did when I woke up was go outside to cut fresh rhubarb. I baked a rhubarb custard pie with crumb topping for our Memorial Day dessert. For the main, I grilled a marinated pork loin and used the new grill station to set my tongs, a plate, and a meat thermometer while the pork loin cooked. The lemonade was made with bottled lemon juice, sugar and water. The rest of the meal was easy for the sole reason of retaining my sanity while preparing for guests. The extra foods were store-bought or home-canned previously (salsa).

grilled pork loin

rolls

raw veggies and dip

tortilla chips and salsa

rhubarb pie

lemonade

Tuesday

One of my daughters cooked tonight. She'd never made a pot roast before, so I gave her some instructions then let her cook. It tasted delicious. The spiced apples were the last of the frozen chopped apples from last year's harvest sautéed in a little butter, sugar and spice added, and syrup thickened with cornstarch and water.

pot roast with mushroom gravy

carrots

brown rice

gravy

frozen peas

spiced apples

Wednesday

My other daughter cooked tonight. She needed a super quick and easy dinner to make as she and I were busy most of the late afternoon cutting her hair. It took 2 hours, but I think it looks okay enough. 

I had thawed a chunk of Easter ham and I knew we needed to use up the blackberry syrup, so brinner sounded like a good idea.

fried ham

pancakes with blackberry syrup

green salad

Thursday

Our daughters are out doing their own thing, so I just had my husband and myself to cook for. I think my husband was pretty happy to get a whole frozen pizza to himself!

frozen pizza and cookies for one

miso soup and half a banana for the other

plus tossed salad and rhubarb sauce for both

As I finish typing this up, I'm sipping a hot cup of peppermint tea (good for the tummy). I took my first harvest of peppermint for the season today and dehydrated it. It's not a lot, so I hope I'll get another harvest in mid-summer, followed by one last harvest in late summer. I had a goofy thought this afternoon. I thought, "maybe I should buy another peppermint plant." Anyone who has ever had peppermint or any mint growing in their yard knows that peppermint reproduces itself pretty well without any help from the gardener. So, after I clean up my last remaining large pot (the rest of the large pots have carrots in them), I'll take a division off of this one pot of peppermint and grow a second pot. In a year or two, the new pot will be as full as this first pot, doubling my peppermint harvest.

Summer is off to an easy start, meal-wise, at my house. What was on your menu this past week? Did you do anything special for Memorial Day?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Community Writer: Catherine Emerson, The Forgotten Vegetable Garden Season: Extending Your Harvests Into Fall

As we know, Lili’s blog focuses on using creativity to fashion a comfortable and lovely home for our families, all on a frugal budget. One element of doing this is feeding our families healthy and varied meals. A garden is one way of helping this happen. Our family eats particularly well in the summer months, using primarily produce we’ve grown ourselves, and it’s always so satisfying to look at a plate and realize the bulk of the food on it came from our own yard and labor. But what about the other months? That’s what I’d like to discuss today, specifically fall gardening and how to extend the months of harvest. We’ll start by talking through the various considerations, then put them together in an example.

For the purposes of this article, we’re assuming you have at least a bit of gardening experience. It’s certainly okay if you don’t, but spring/summer gardening may be an easier starting point if you’re brand new to gardening. In fact, most seed packets seem to be designed with the assumption that you’ll be planting in spring and summer.

To begin, consider your typical first frost dates of the fall. I’m in zone 7b here in Oklahoma, which means our average first frost date is October 15. If you don’t already  know your zone and first frost date, you can typically find this pretty easily in an internet search. This is just a general guideline, though, because your particular microclimate for where you’re growing may vary a bit. And that’s where previous gardening experience can come in handy. Did you notice that maybe one group of your tomato plants survived a few weeks longer than the rest last season? Perhaps there is a warmer area in your yard? This could be next to a brick wall, or on the southern side of your house. Don’t worry if you’re not yet aware of these areas, but it’s something to start trying to learn about the area where you garden.

If you are acquainted with other gardeners in your area, it can be helpful to discuss planting times with them. Several years ago now, I would visit our local farmer’s market, and an older gentleman there who I purchased from often loved to talk gardening. He was a retired teacher, and I feel he enjoyed helping others learn to garden at least as much, if not more, than he enjoyed selling his own produce. After purchasing fall green beans from him to can, he informed me that he feels the best time to plant green beans in our area is in late July to early August, for an October harvest. Since switching to that planting time frame, I have had much better crops of green beans! So much for the spring planting dates on the package!

Next, begin to think of any ways you already have to protect a harvest from frost. My first forays into fall gardening utilized old sheets and a bed skirt. Remember that odd interfacing-looking fabric used to connect the actual fabric sides that show on a bed skirt? Looks a lot like row cover! This doesn’t have to be expensive, and may not involve purchasing anything whatsoever. If you don’t already have old sheets or bed skirts lying around, these may be something you could pick up this summer at yard sales or thrift shops inexpensively. They don’t need to match, and small holes are okay. For smaller or individual plants, you might be able to use cut off plastic jugs or even glass jars. If you have the budget and inclination, you could also purchase commercial coverings, referred to as row covers or frost blankets. I was able to score a couple of clearanced rolls labeled “row cover” at my local Tractor Supply store several years ago, which was my first upgrade from the old sheets and bed skirt.

Something Lili specifically asked me about was my experience with daylight hours and how that affects plant growth. I have to admit that isn’t something that I have paid a whole lot of attention to thus far, though I do usually have my plants in the ground early enough (July, August) that there is still plenty of daylight for them to grow for the next couple of months. While looking into this, I found out through online sunrise/sunset time charts that there is only about 22 minutes more daylight in my area on October 15 than there is up in Portland, Oregon. So it’s not a huge difference, though perhaps worth looking up for your own area, especially if you are particularly far north or way down south.

Now we’re to the reason that you’re reading this post in summer, during the height of summer gardening! Were you wondering about that? Think back to those seed packets; did they have suggested germination temperatures and length of time to harvest on them? We can use that first frost date to count back and figure out when we need to do our sowing. Do you know either from experience or from your seed packet how long it will take to harvest the particular vegetable that you want to grow? It’s time to put all these factors together to create a fall garden plan. For best success, you’ll probably want to pick things to grow for fall that prefer a cooler growing season: various greens, brassicas, carrots, nasturtiums, etc… .

You’ll need to keep mind the space you have available for fall crops. If this is your first time intentionally growing into fall, you may have limited space to work with, and that’s okay. Think about what plants will be coming out in late summer, and where you might tuck in some fall plantings. Will that zucchini be winding down (or maybe you’ll be ready to pull the plant!)? Maybe you will have harvested your potatoes, onions, and garlic and have that space free for planting? Here are some veggies I have personally had success with growing into fall:

Beets Green beans
Various greens Lettuces
Carrots         Brassicas

Let’s go with a concrete example, using seed packet information and my own growing time frame.

Counting back 90 days from October 15 would put me at July 16. In some climates, this could probably be direct sowed since it can germinate at 75 degrees. However, in July here, soil temperatures are often somewhat warmer, so I will plan to plant these indoors in June and transplant them out around late July or early August. Sometimes I might also be willing to take a bit of a risk and plant a bit later, knowing that cabbage can tolerate light frosts. There is also the option of covering them. In my personal experience, I would choose covering if I knew there was a good likelihood of warmer weather again following an early hard frost, allowing the plant to continue to grow OR if the plant is at maturity and I just want to prolong it’s time in the garden so as to be able to use it fresh in the kitchen at a future date. Maybe I will have a dozen cabbages ready to harvest but really want to use them for coleslaw week by week, rather than preserving in some way. And refrigerator space is always at a premium in my household with all these teenagers! 

As you can see, there are so many individual factors at play here: climate, favored veggies, and future storage! But I hope this has allowed you to think through the process and see how you might adapt it to your tastes and climate, if you so choose. Please let me know any specific questions you might have in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

Catherine Emerson is a hiking and backpacking enthusiast. Catherine, trail name “Corgi” (for her short legs), lives in southwestern Oklahoma with her husband, 3 of their 5 kids still home, 2 silly but sweet dogs, several rescue cats, and a small flock of ducks. When not on the trail, Catherine enjoys spending her time reading, knitting or crocheting, and gardening, with permaculture inspiration and aspiration.

Grocery Shopping May 2023

May 8. Fred Meyer primarily for bags of chicken manure for the garden, plus some other non-food items (OTCs, hair conditioner, thread). While there, I checked the clearance sections for deals. I found boxes of Rice-a-roni pasta shells and cheese side dish (basically mac and cheese) for 38 cents/ea, I bought 8 boxes. I also found half-gallons of 2% milk for 52 cents (exp date not until the 15th), I bought 8. Spent $7.24

May 12. Running errands and stopped at Walmart for bananas (58 cents/lb). I know, small purchase, but I was literally in the same strip so walked over to Walmart. Spent $1.84

May 13. Day before Mother's Day. One daughter and I went to Fred Meyer to buy the rest of what we wanted for Mother's Day brunch. While there, we also bought flowers for the new beds, a purple sage plant, and more potting soil. For Mother's Day food, we chose mango lemonade ($2.50), raspberry lemonade ($2.50), coconut-pineapple juice ($4.49), a bagged salad ($4.49), 1 lb of deli salad ($7.51), and cut-up cantaloupe ($5). We also cruised by the clearance section and found 2 cans of peas (38 cents each), 2 cans green beans (38 cents each), 1 can of mixed peas and carrots (42 cents) and a bunch of marked down bananas for 49 cents/lb. Spent $29.20

May 16, It's Tuesday, Senior discount day at Value Village. Nothing I wanted today, but I popped into Walmart next door and bought a 5-lb bag of carrots ($3.88) and a couple of bunches of bananas (58 cents/lb). Spent $4.95

I also went across the street to Grocery Outlet where I bought 7 packages of Birds Eye frozen shredded veggies (cabbage, carrots, green onions) for 49 cents each, 1 16-oz bag of frozen peppers and onions for 99 cents (it was mostly onions), 2 16-oz bags frozen peas (good product) for $1.29/ea, 3 boxes of graham crackers (99 cents each, for s'mores this summer), 1 package of fig bars (99 cents), 1 package of Oreo-type cookies (99 cents). Spent $11.95

May 22. A bunch of errands today. I first stopped at Grocery Outlet where I bought 2 more packs Oreo-type cookies (99cents/ea) and 2 more fig bars (99 cents/ea), 10-oz frozen blueberries (for muffins) at $2.69, a box of Kashi cereal for $3.99 (I thought I could eat this cereal, turns out I can't), a 2.5-lb bag of apples for $2.99, 16-oz mushrooms for $2.99, frozen stir fry vegetables for 99 cents, the last 4 packages of the Birds Eye veggies for 49 cents/ea, and 4 frozen pizzas for 50 cents each. I spent $21.87

I'm struggling with digestive issues still. Miso soup is a food that always helps. I went by World Market and bought an 8-pack of instant miso soup for $3.99

May 23. It's a Tuesday, so I'm checking out Senior day at Value Village. One of my daughters came with me to use my discount if she found anything and to go to Grocery Outlet to buy a few pizzas for herself. She didn't, but I found a set of 8 pink glass dessert plates for $6.97. Right next door to Value Village is Walmart. I popped in for bananas (58 cents/lb) and a head of green cabbage (82 cents/lb). Spent $3.86

Directly across the street is Grocery Outlet. I bought the last 3 frozen pizzas for 50 cents/ea and a 16-oz bag of whole almonds for making almond milk ($5.99). Spent $7.49

May 25. At Fred Meyer for gardening supplies. I went into the main store and also bought marked-down bananas at 49 cents/lb and a 3-lb bag of onions for $1.79. We'd just recently run out of onions from the 50-lb bag I bought at the end of last summer. We've been using chives in place of onions, but some dishes just work better with bulb onions (pot roast on the menu this week). Spent $2.28

May 28. On the way home from church, I stopped at Walmart to buy a box of donuts for my family ($3.48), along with some rolls ($2.42) and 2 veggie trays ($4.04 ea, on markdown) for Memorial Day. I spent $13.98

What I bought this month

8 boxes pasta and cheese

2 cans peas

1 can peas & carrots

2 cans green beans

3 boxes graham crackers

3 packages fig bars

3 packages Oreo-type cookies

1 box cereal

instant miso soup

1 lb whole almonds

1 box of donuts

8 half-gallons milk

several bunches of bananas

5 lbs carrots

1 head cabbage

2.5 lbs apples

1 lb mushrooms

3 lbs onions

11 bags of frozen cabbage/carrots/green onions

1 bag frozen peppers and onions

2 bags frozen peas

1 bag frozen blueberries

1 bag frozen stir fry vegetables

7 frozen pizzas

Mother's Day foods

3 bottles of juice

1 container cantaloupe chunks

2 salads

Memorial Day foods

whole wheat rolls

2 raw veggie trays

Spent for the month of May -- $108.65

That probably doesn't look like a whole lot of money to spend on food for a month. My digestive issues make me unhungry and not interested in buying food. We've been living off of what we have in the freezers and pantry. It's been somewhat surprising all of the meat I have pulled from the freezer. Today I found 2 more pounds of ground beef purchased in 2021. 

There were 2 special days in this month, Mother's Day and Memorial Day. We used foods we already had and supplemented with a few purchased foods for each special meal. Our menu for Mother's Day comprised of an egg, sausage, pepper casserole (daughter bought the pepper), turkey bacon, croissants and muffins (son and daughter-in-law brought), 2 salads, strawberries (son and daughter-in-law brought), cantaloupe, and juices. Our menu for Memorial Day included grilled marinated pork loin, whole wheat rolls, raw veggies and dip, tortilla chips and home-canned salsa, rhubarb pie, homemade lemonade, and some probiotic soda my son and daughter-in-law brought.

The end of last season's garden overlapped with the beginning of this season's garden, which means we've had a continuous supply of fresh veggies. A week ago, I pulled up the last of 2022's Brussel sprout plants, picking off the leaves to be used as greens for several night. These were the last 2022 veggie plants to be pulled out. The next day I planted a second batch of Swiss chard in its place. I've been using frozen 2022 garden veggies and fruit regularly -- still have frozen blackberries, carrot greens, apple chunks, sorrel, and whole grape leaves left. And now, we have 2023 salad greens, nasturtium leaves, chives, parsley, garlic greens, and rhubarb several days per week. The turnips are about a week away from the first to be used. And the kale is looking pretty great with perhaps harvesting beginning in mid-June. The zucchini just began blooming. So, we're doing well.

I did buy a lot of what I think of as junky or snack foods this month for my family. The frozen pizzas are all for them, as is the pasta and cheese dinner boxes. I try not to eat the Oreos or fig newton-type cookies as they really aren't good for me. And of course, the donuts weren't the healthiest food I bought this month. I see these foods as treats to make our lives a little more interesting at a small cost.

I can't seem to stick to a strict elimination diet for more than a couple of days. I don't have the will power right now. So, I'm stuck in a persistent flare until I can just stop eating the foods that are problematic for me.

Well, that's it for grocery spending in May of 2023. I've got some extra $$ now that I can put towards stocking up for next winter.

My Mother's Day Gift from My Daughters and Husband

I wanted to show you what my daughters and husband gave to me for Mother's Day. I've always felt the brick patio needed a border to mark its boundary against the adjacent planted area. In this photo, you can see the heavy moss in that corner of the patio. But also, perhaps you can see that the brick just ends and dirt and more moss begins.

One afternoon at the end of April, my husband and I made a trip to Home Depot, where we bought some cottage stones. I asked my family if they would place the cottage stones for me and backfill the area with our compost and dirt so I could plant some flowers.

Not quite a month later and the spot is complete. I chose snapdragons for this area as the slugs don't seem to bother them, and they should give us color all summer if I stay on top of deadheading spent blooms.

These past few years have been financially lean for both of my daughters. They wanted to give me a gift for Mother's Day. So I came up with one that required time and not their money. I'm so proud of my daughters for putting in the hard work to get this project completed. 

Wishing you a meaningful Memorial Day (for those in the US). I'll be back on Tuesday, in the late afternoon.

Shopping My Home Supplies and Improvising a Bit

I think most of us, here, try to find supplies for repairs and other projects from the materials we have on hand at home. Let me tell you about my most recent use of supplies I had on hand.

 I had been thinking I needed to go to the store to buy something for a project, then realized I could improvise with what I had on hand.

For my birthday in April, my daughters gave me seeds to some beautiful ruffly, pale pink primroses. A neighbor nearby had some in bloom this spring, and I mentioned to both daughters how pretty I thought they were. Well, my daughters knocked on this couple's door and asked where they bought their primroses. The couple told my daughters that they got a division from another neighbor nearby and didn't know the variety name or where that neighbor bought the original primrose. So my daughters went over to the second neighbor's house and asked there. The lady was very nice and told them what kind they were and what nursery they originally bought the plant from. My daughters got on the phone with several small nurseries in the area and tried ordering a plant for me. When no nursery could obtain one, the last nursery suggested they buy seeds from a particular online seed company. 

That's what my daughters did, and they gave me a packet of these seeds. 

Primrose seeds are tiny and have a long-ish germination time. I had read that they can be fussy to start from seeds unless all conditions are just right. So, I knew I wanted to use seed starting soil and not ordinary potting soil. The seeds have been sitting on my desk for a couple of weeks, now. I kept meaning to pick up some seed starting soil, but it just slipped my mind every time I was out and about.

When the sun came back out this morning, I knew I wanted to spend the day doing outdoor work. That's when I thought again about running to the store and buying special soil. And then my mind-lightbulb flickered on. Since what I was after with the seed starting soil was finer particles (so the seeds would have uniform moisture without soaking the soil during the germination period), why not just sift out the large particles in some of the bagged potting soil I already have. 

I set out to find the right level of sifting. At first I tried a piece of hardware cloth (it's wire and not cloth, and has a large grid). The hardware cloth allowed almost all of the potting soil through. 

After looking around for a bit, I remembered the domed screen to our patio fire ring. I checked the holes in its mesh and it looked like it might work. In fact, it worked really well. I rubbed some potting soil over the mesh until the fine particles fell through, leaving large pieces still on the top of the screen. (I later dumped those large particles onto a nearby bed.) 

before sifting

after sifting

After a few minutes of sifting the potting soil I had just enough fine soil for starting my primrose seeds.

Seed starting soil at my local Fred Meyer comes in small bags and is more than twice the price per unit as potting soil. In addition, the extra trip to the store would use gas for just one item. I saved time and money improvising with something I already had at home.

I love when I can find a good substitute in my pantry, garage, sewing basket, or gardening supplies. And I bet you do, too. Most of the time I save time and money using substitutes. 

What was a recent substitution you made for a project or recipe, using what you already had on hand?

Outdoor Pillows for About $1 Each

At the beginning of May I bought this lime green and white, all polyester shower curtain at Value Village (thrift store) for about $4.50. It was 72 X 72 inches.

We have several of these old, mildew-stained, torn, and faded outdoor pillows/cushions. I gave them a good washing in the kitchen sink, then let them thoroughly dry for a few days before recovering with the shower curtain fabric.

Meanwhile, I sewed covers for 4 of the washed pillows a week ago. I just didn't put the old pillows into the covers yet.

This afternoon I finally had time and motivation to stuff the pillows and sew them closed. I didn't bother taking the stuffing out of the old filling, but covered the old, but washed pillows with the new fabric.

Here's how the first four turned out.

I measured the remaining fabric and I have enough to make 4 additional pillow covers for a total of 8.

Cost analysis

My cost for this project was $4.50 for the shower curtain and $2.80 for a new spool of 100% white polyester thread, for a total of $7.30. (I had read that you should use all polyester thread when sewing outdoor items, as cotton breaks down over time when exposed to the elements.)  I also used some Fray Check on all of the raw edges to add integrity to the seams. This was Fray Check from my sewing basket and I didn't use all that much. If I use all of my fabric to make a total of 8 pillows/cushions, they will cost less than $1 each. If I were to buy 8 all new outdoor pillows, my best guess is I would spend about $75 or $80.

I like how they turned out. By using thrifted fabric (shower curtain), and spending about 30-40 minutes on each pillow, I spared money in our outdoor living redo budget, money which is now available for some of the big ticket items. 

Critters Eating Seedlings, Stain and Sealer Really Does Repel Water, and an Interesting Patio Furniture DIY Project

Something got into both sides of my sunflower planting area, chewing two plants off at the base. Very frustrating. 

I quickly put some new seeds into a damp paper towel inside a zip loc bag to pre-sprout. It took about 3 days for the seeds to sprout this way, then I transplanted them into soil. These new seeds have given me a couple of tiny sunflower plants now started in pots under lights. The replacement sunflowers' growth will be behind the rest of the plants by about a month, but we'll still be able to enjoy the large flowers and gather seeds.

The can of deck stain and sealer I used on the deck lounge chairs claimed that water would bead up on the surface. This was old stain that the previous owners used. We replaced the wood deck with Trex years ago, so had no need for the stain. We saved the can of stain anyway, because why not? Anyway, after a couple of weeks of dry weather, the drizzle returned on Sunday afternoon. I went to check on the lounge chairs and found that the rain water was just sitting on the surface.

We have a small table that goes with the chairs that I haven't sanded and stained/sealed yet. I compared the water on the deck chairs to the surface of the table. The table's wood completely absorbed the rainwater. Not good for the wood. Anyway, I'll be sanding and staining/sealing this table in the coming week, too. The sealer could extend the life of this set for many, many more years (at no cost to me), if I keep it up each year.

An update from Monday morning. The water on the lounge chairs was still beaded and not absorbed.

I am still looking around for some nice seating on the patio near the fire ring to replace or add to the plastic Adirondack chairs. I've come across some very interesting DIY's for outdoor sofas, chairs, and sectionals. Here's one that looks do-able: 2 X 4 Outdoor Sofa. 

Imagine my surprise when I was in World Market this morning getting some miso soup mix and right there at the front of their outdoor furniture section was this sofa that has a similar look to the DIY ones I've been seeing online. I'm on the fence about DIY-ing this myself. But the vloggers on YouTube do make it look do-able.

That's my start of the week update. What's been happening in your life these past few days?

My Project for Thursday

I'm continuing on with sprucing up our outdoor living spaces . . .

after one coat of stain/sealer

I didn't wake up thinking, "gee, today would be a good day to sand and stain/seal the deck lounge chairs." I actually thought I would be finishing the pillow covers for 4 patio pillows today. I was in just the right mood to do some refinishing, though. And the weather was perfect for this work.

We've had these chairs for over 20 years. I've cleaned them in past years, but I haven't stained or sealed them since the first year we acquired them. The wood is teak, so when I have cleaned or sanded them in the past, the color is honey-golden. But I wanted the color to be darker this year.

after sanding, before staining

After giving them a really good sanding, I went in search of some stain. At the very back of a stack of 1-gallon paint cans in the garage, I found a 35-year old can of deck stain and sealer. The previous owners bought this stain/sealer for the old wooden deck and left it when they moved. The lid on the can was a bit rusted, so I wasn't sure if the stain was any good. As luck would have it, the stain just needed stirring and I was good to go. I just needed a paintbrush and rag and I could begin. 

I put one coat on today and will put a second coat on tomorrow. They're looking good so far. 

I'll get to finishing those 4 pillows another day.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

The tools I use to clean a dirty, mossy, and algae-ridden brick patio and Trex deck

Last week, Farhana (in the comments) asked me which pressure washer I use for our patio and deck. I replied that I would go into more details in a post this week. So here it is.

I live amongst lots of trees and lots of rain and wind. This combo means our patio and deck wind up mossy and ridden with green algae, with a massive touch of dirt in every crook and cranny. The moss can be an inch deep in the shady corners. It's a chore to clean it all. Up until this year, I'd used only a pressure washer to clean the deck, patio, aggregate walkways, and patio furniture. Then I watched a bunch of videos where women showed their best tricks for getting the outdoor living spaces clean in less time. 

What seemed like it would work for me was this combo and in this order:

• a sidewalk ice scraper to remove thick moss and weeds 
• a pressure washer spinning spray attachment (RYOBI) to clean broad paths of surface in a few swipes 
• the focused wand spray nozzle on the pressure washer (AR Blue Clean) to clean the edges where the spinning spray attachment couldn't reach, as well as the tough dirt/algae
• an outdoor push broom to move pools of water and dirt/grit off the patio
• and finally, the broad spray nozzle on the pressure washer to wash away remaining dirt

I already owned my dad's sidewalk ice scraper. It's a tool that looks something like this:

Since we don't have much sidewalk ice in my area, I primarily use it to scrape moss and edge the lawn.

I also already owned an outdoor push broom. I've seen workers use push brooms to clear large puddles of water effectively before. So I thought this might speed up some of my work by manually moving excess water out of the way.

A couple of years ago, we bought this electric pressure washer:

Here's a link to the model on Amazon:

AR Blue Clean AR2N1 Electric Pressure Washer-2050 PSI, 1.4 GPM, 13 Amps Quick Connect Accessories, 2 in 1 Detachable Cart, On Board Storage, Portable Pressure Washer

I prefer electric tools over gas powered, due to my sensitivity to gasoline fumes. However, electric pressure washers typically don't have the amount of power as the gas models, and electric motors will need some time outs after running for extended time. I found that my model didn't need a time out for a couple of hours, about the time I'd take a break for lunch anyways. I'd leave it to cool down for about an hour, then start it back up again. Pre-cleaning the patio by scraping the moss off first with the manual tool meant I didn't need to run the pressure washer for as long (saved water in addition to electricity and the motor). 

What I like about this model:

• price, it was reasonably priced for a tool I'd use twice per year, for a couple of days at each time. I paid more than Amazon's price, though. I bought ours at our local Ace Hardware. I wanted to give my business to a locally-owned place. And I knew if I had any issues with it, my local hardware store would honor my purchase and do whatever was needed to help me out. 
• it comes with 5 different nozzle attachments which are easy to pop on and off.
• it does a good job cleaning.

This year I bought an attachment that works on many different electric pressure washer models, the RYOBI surface cleaner.

It snaps onto the extension wand of the pressure washer in the same way and point as the nozzles. The RYOBI uses 4 spinning, focused spray heads on its underside. It cleans an 11 to 12-inch span of patio or deck surface in a few swipes, speeding the overall cleaning time. The manufacturer claims this cuts the cleaning time to 1/4 that of using a spray nozzle alone. My experience is it likely cut my cleaning time to around 1/3 of that of nozzle alone. The end result for me was a mostly clean patio and very clean deck, compared to my previous experience of using a focused nozzle alone. Last year, I cleaned with a nozzle alone. I spent more time then, but did get the brick pristine clean. This year, after using the RYOBI, I went back over stubborn stains on the patio. 

The RYOBI not only cleans faster, but it's less laborious to use. With a nozzle alone, I have to keep tight control of the wand to get each section clean and without streaks. Using the RYOBI was more along the lines of using a vacuum cleaner.

Here's a link through Amazon to the model I bought:

RYOBI 12 in. 2,300 PSI Electric Pressure Washers Surface Cleaner

I bought mine, not through Amazon, but at my local Home Depot. I was going there anyways and wanted to get the RYOBI sooner rather than wait for shipping. I paid more at Home Depot than Amazon advertises.

I was able to clean the deck and almost all of the large brick patio on one Saturday by myself. I cleaned the secondary patio where we put the grill station, and an aggregate walkway between the garage and the patio on a subsequent day. I will finish cleaning our deck and patio furniture with the pressure washer nozzle in the coming week. The wand spray nozzle works very well on the outdoor furniture. And if I feel up to it, I may tackle our driveway with the washer when summer is underway. It's due to another sealing and crack repair this year.

So, these are the tools I use and my experience getting our outdoor spaces sparkling for summer lounging and enjoyment.

Alternatives to buying expensive equipment:

For many years, I used a scrubbing brush and soapy water. To deal with tough mold and algae, I used a bleach and water solution sprayed onto the brick. It was laborious and took an entire week to clean what I can do in a day with the pressure washer.

Equipment can also be rented. I actually think renting equipment like pressure washers may be a better option. You can rent more powerful equipment, plus when it eventually stops working, that's not your problem. Most folks only use a pressure washer for a day or two per year. If you know that you will be able to do all of your cleaning in a brief period, like 4 hours, the cost to rent is very affordable. Home Depot rents pressure washers, in case you want to compare the cost of rentals.

How many frugal things can you spot in this photo?

Just a little game . . .

I sometimes like going through my day watching for ways I'm living out frugality. I had just such a moment this afternoon in the blueberry patch.

Gardening seems to bring out the frugal nature in many of us, especially so if what a person is tending is edible. 

Anyways, I came up with 6 frugal things in this photo, plus one frugal thing that I forgot to do.

Like any other puzzle, the answers are upside down at bottom of post.

Guess what this is?

My son and daughter-in-law gave this to me on Mother's Day. What do you think it is? If you were thinking a tiny oar for a tiny row boat, think again.

It's a "last drop" spatula.

At one end there's an itty bitty flat scoop, good for getting under the rim of jars or scraping out the last little bit from a narrow-necked bottle of tinted moisturizer.

The other end is larger, but long and narrow and more scoop-shaped for retrieving more product, such as the last of the ketchup stuck to the sides of the bottle.

Both scoops are made of silicone, and therefore are flexible. From tip to tip, the spatula is about 9 inches.

Anyway, my son and daughter-in-law know me well and found a tool that will help me reduce waste and save money.