DIY: How to Repair A Window Screen

The links in this post may contain affiliate links.   When you order from something from one of my links I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you.  You can read my  full disclosure policy here. Thanks so much for helping support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden! 

My daughter's window screen started out with a small hole that quickly became quite large with the help of her cat.  He almost had his escape route finished! She showed it to me and said where do I take this to be repaired?  It's amazing how much a hardware store can charge for a window screen repair.  I told her I had all the tools already and I would do it for her. Some 20 and some odd years ago I watched a diy show on how to fix screens. I decided right then that this was a diy I could do without a problem. With multiple screens to repair when we first moved in, this quickly became a money saver for us!  

You will need: 

A roll of Screening  (I was able to purchase two whole rolls of screening at a garage sale for $1.00)!

A screen rolling tool.

Plus:  

Scissors, box cutter, and new spline if needed.   They actually recommend that you use new spline (spline is the rubber seal that goes around the screen).  I decided though the spline looked good enough to me.

The first job is to take off the spline seal around old screen. 

Then take the old screen and use it to measure the new screen.   Make sure to cut a little extra.  Don't worry you can cut this off later.

  

Remember that screen rolling tool?   This is what you use to press the spline back in the groove.  Roll tightly all the way around.   

Trim around edges with a box cutter.   This always prompts my husband to give me the "be careful" instructions.  Hold tool away from you..etc.    Maybe you can use scissors if need be.  

Then you done and you can reinstall the screen.   

Be sure to sign up for my daily email list and never miss a post!  Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook,and Bloglovin where I share my frugal list, gardening, recipes, and more

My Frugal Ways this Past Week 6/25/17!

The links in this post may contain affiliate links.   When you order from something from one of my links I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you.  You can read my  full disclosure policy here. Thanks so much for helping support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden! 

Here are the ways I've saved this past week:

I've been using grass clippings for mulch in the vegetable garden. Today I will be getting more when he mows the yard. This is working well so far but next year I will start saving it earlier in the Spring.   I need a lot more! 

Sometimes you have to try again:

I replanted my beans last week in the second row of poles and some of them are starting to come up.  In the end this will be great and we will have a different harvest time.  

I bought a couple of pumpkin plants half off at our local green house.  I planted them in the empty spot where the corn never came up.  

I took the granddaughter to free story hour at the library.  We also signed up for the summer reading challenge (including me).  They received a tote bag for their books and free parking passes to the county fair when we signed up.

Later in the week we went to the local nature preserve for a dinosaur program aimed at both their ages.

Bought strawberries at Aldi's for a $1.00 a quart and made strawberry jam.   I used the sugar I bought on sale for .99 a bag awhile ago.

We sold two items that I had given up on.  Just out of the blue two people called and bought them. Never give up I guess.  So nice!
`

What was on the dinner table last week

Monday        Cheeseburgers and hotdogs

Tuesday        Spaghetti

Wednesday   Baked beans and summer sausage

Thursday       Hot dogs and chili

Friday           Grilled cheese and soup (this was a busy day and we needed something quick,  It was not very filling but it was okay)

Saturday        Out to eat

Sunday          Grilled pork chops, Green beans, Mustard Greens, and cornbread.  


My Goals for This Week:

Harvest and dry oregano.

Work in the garden (keep killing weeds).


What ways have you saved this past week?

Be sure to sign up for my daily email list and never miss a post!  Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook,and Bloglovin where I share my frugal list, gardening, recipes, and more



This post has been linked to The Prudent Homemaker, The Art of Homemaking Mondays Modest Mondays, , Making a Home-Homemaking Linky, 

This Week in Our Home: It's Raining so I May Mop the Floor

\

It's been raining all night and morning so there will be no wagon or stroller rides today with the grandchildren.  I may just mop the floor!  I'll have to think about it, that sounds like too much work.

Yesterday, I spent a wonderful day with friends canning!   Yes, just like the Amish we got together and canned peach jam.  Just like the Amish we didn't take one picture! Maybe next get together I ask if it's okay.  


While we were there we also experimented and fixed some grape jelly that didn't jell.  One of us got the information on the fix from the internet and we tried it out.  Worked great and it jelled perfectly.
  
I need them to come to my house all the time when I can. It was fun to talk and work a little.  The thing I can't figure out is how her kitchen just stayed so spotless through it all!  

These two ladies are a blessing to me.  Such good friends to get in touch with every month.  We make an effort to make a date and tell everyone that sorry we are busy that day.  Every month one of us decides what do and we just have fun.  We talk about our health, family, and God.   Yep, just makes me want to cry how these two women put God right in the middle of our conversation.  It comes effortlessly, it doesn't feel forced or preachy.   Just talk about how God is in our everyday life   Oh what a blessing!  Okay, sniff sniff time to go on with the rest of my night.

I went to Aldi's and found strawberry's on sale for a $1.00 a quart. I came home from our canning party to make strawberry jam last night.  About the time it started boiling in the water bath it started to thunder and lightening.   Listen, after reading The Divide this last week I was beginning to worry about the lights.  I decided in my head if the lights went out my husband would just have to build a fire for me to finish cooking! Thankfully though I was able to finish without a problem!    

\

I've cleaned the shelves for the jars this morning and rotated the jars (sorry about the dark picture).   So, now my last years jars are up front and will be used first.  I'm good on jam now for quite awhile.  Today,  I see a strawberry pie and strawberry muffins in our future.  😀

You guys have a blessed and wonderful day!   

Sign up for my daily email list and never miss a post!  Join me on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook,and Bloglovin where I share my frugal list, gardening, recipes, and more!

Book Review: The Divide by Jolina Petersheim

The links in this post may contain affiliate links.   When you order from something from one of my links I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you.  You can read my  full disclosure policy here. Thanks so much for helping support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden! 

The Divide (The Alliance) by Jolina Petersheim

From Amazon:

In this gripping conclusion to The Alliance, nearly six months have passed since Leora Ebersole's Old Order Mennonite community fled to the mountains for refuge after an attack destroyed the power grid and altered life as they knew it. Since then, Leora has watched and waited for news of Moses Hughes, the young Englischer pilot who held off invading looters long enough for everyone to escape. Unsure Moses even survived, Leora has begun to warm to the affections of Jabil Snyder, who has courted her patiently. But she struggles to see herself as the bishop's wife, especially when she learns that Moses is alive and has now joined a local militia.

An unexpected encounter in the woods deepens Leora's crisis, as does a terrifying new threat that brings Moses' militia into the community's shaky alliance with the few Englischers left among them. When long-held beliefs are once again put to the test, Leora wrestles with the divide between having faith and taking action. Just how much will her shifting landscape change her?

My thoughts:

I was drawn into The Divide by the description of a world gone hay wire.   Post-apocalyptic novels seems to draw me in lately.  This one had a little twist for me as it involves an old order Mennonites.   Somehow I always thought they would have no problem if the lights went out.  My thoughts were that they are self reliant and wouldn't need any outside help. What I didn't count on though was the total mayhem that this scenario might cause for everyone. 

This book had great action and romance but in parts was a little drawn out.  I also had trouble in the beginning realizing who everyone was.   Maybe if I had read the first book I would have felt on top of things.  

A great read!  

Be sure to sign up for my daily email list and never miss a post!  Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook,and Bloglovin where I share my frugal list, gardening, recipes, and more

My Frugal Ways this Past Week 6/18/17!

The links in this post may contain affiliate links.   When you order from something from one of my links I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you.  You can read my  full disclosure policy here. Thanks so much for helping support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden! 

Here are the ways I've saved this past week:  

Made the teacher appreciation gift for my grandson's teacher.  Total cost was .50 cents.

Used my first harvest of rosemary and thyme from my herb garden on the baked chicken.   Also used it in eggs.  

Won a Free Hillshire Farm smoked sausage product at Kroger playing their Summer is Delicious game.  I also took the Kroger survey for more fuel points.  


I made an ice cream cake for Father's day.  So much cheaper and we love it.  It only cost around $8.00

I bought discounted deli meats at Walmart early one morning.

Redeemed my swagbucks for a $5.00 Amazon gift card. 

We picked up a slide along side the road last year and the grandson had a lot of fun with it yesterday.  Granddaughter on the other hand was not having any of it.  

I was given radishes at the volunteer garden.




What was on the dinner table last week:

Monday         Chicken Pot Pie

Tuesday         Homemade Pizza

Wednesday     Baked Chicken (made with fresh rosemary and thyme), and salad.

Thursday        Hot dogs/potato chips

Friday             Frugal date day: We went fishing up north and stopped at KFC for their $5 meal deal.  We also stopped by an Amish Bake stand along the way for some snacks  (he knew he had to turn around).   We didn't catch any fish but it was fun.  

Saturday         Hamburgers on the Grill

Sunday           Husband requested take out Stromboli for Father's day.



My goals for this week


Wash the other half of the living room walls.


Keep working in the garden.  It's been very hot so I have been going out in the  garden when its cool either morning or evening.  


Blog:

Read and review a book.


What ways have you saved this past week?


Be sure to sign up for my daily email list and never miss a post!  Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook,and Bloglovin where I share my frugal list, gardening, recipes, and more

This post has been linked to The Art of Homemaking Mondays, The Prudent Homemaker, Modest Mondays, Making a Home-Homemaking Linky, Thrifty Thursday, Financially Savvy Saturday, 

Frugal Teacher Appreciation Gift: A Plant from Your Garden

The links in this post may contain affiliate links.   When you order from something from one of my links I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you.  You can read my  full disclosure policy here. Thanks so much for helping support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden! 

This year we wanted to make sure our Grandson's teacher knew how much we cared for her.  She has been a wonderful teacher and great role model for this growing boy.  His love of reading has just exploded under her wonderful teaching.   So I didn't want the last week to go by without acknowledging her in some way.   

About 2 weeks ago I transplanted some of my hens and chicks to one of my pots.  There are so many of them in my strawberry pot I could supply the neighborhood!  

It was just a plain red pot until I  remembered the pot sox I bought last year.   It made the pot look so much better.  A little secret:  I didn't buy them from Amazon I just wanted to show you what I was talking about.  I bought mine for  .50 at the end of the gardening season last year at our local gardening center.  I even washed mine that I used the previous year and they came out great for my garden.  

I had the potting soil, tag, and twine already in my stash so that was free.  Total spent .50!  Grandson was so proud to carry this plant into his teacher.  He kept asking the name so he could tell her. Priceless.

It's great to look around the home and garden to find a gift!     

Be sure to sign up for my daily email list and never miss a post!  Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook,and Bloglovin where I share my frugal list, gardening, recipes, and more

This post has been linked to The Art of Homemaking Mondays, Over the Moon Party,  Making a Home-homemaking Linky,   Waste Less Wednesday, Thrifty Thursday, Awesome Life Friday, Inspire Me Tuesday, 

Book Review of The Promise Bride plus an Ebook giveaway of Come Fly with Me!

The links in this post may contain affiliate links.   When you order from something from one of my links I receive a small commission with no extra cost to you.  You can read my  full disclosure policy here. Thanks so much for helping support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden! 

The Promise Bride (A Montana Brides Romance)- release date is August 29, 2017- you can preorder now!  

From Amazon:

In a booming frontier town, a heavenly match may be in store for mail-order brides seeking a fresh start . . . women of strength and spirit who embrace the challenges of life and love in the wild Montana Territory.

Determined to save her father and siblings from a crumbling Chicago tenement, Emilia Stanek becomes the long-distance bride of a Montana rancher. But when she arrives in Helena, a rugged lawman shatters her plans with the news that her husband is dead—and deeply in debt.

County sheriff Mac McCall can’t afford to be distracted by the pretty young widow, not with scandalous secrets emerging as he investigates his friend’s suspicious death. Mac’s gruff order that she leave town at once only spurs Emilia’s resolve to take ownership of her late husband’s ranch and face his debtors. But as her defenses soften, Emilia begins to accept Mac’s help, feel compassion for his own wounded heart—and learns that trust means taking a leap of faith . 


My thoughts:

The Promise Bride is full of wonderful history.  With great descriptions I'm taken back in time to how it must of felt for the poor to live and work in Chicago during the 1800's.  How you dream at night of finding a way out for you and your surviving family.

Emila spoke to my heart with her hardworking and never give up attitude.  She was smart enough to gain as much knowledge as she could while she was waiting for just the right chance to leave the squalor of Chicago.

I loved the twists and turns that are filled with surprises in this book.  Then add in the romance and mystery and you have a wonderful read!


Giveaway!     over!  



Come Fly with Me 


Gina Wilborn would love to giveaway an ebook of her first book in this series Come Fly With Me!  I know I'm hooked and will be reading this one soon!  

Lucky for us she will be back in September to giveaway a copy of The Promise Bride when it releases. 

You can enter the giveaway 4 ways by (do one or you can do all):

1. Leaving a comment 

2. Visit my Facebook page

3. Follow me on Twitter

4 Follow me on Google plus
.  
You can do just one or all.  Please leave a comment for each thing you do!   

I will pick a random winner next Thursday June 22, 2018. Make sure there is a way to reach you on your profile or leave it in the comment using (at) and spaces to help protect it.   

This book was given to me by the authors. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Be sure to sign up for my daily email list and never miss a post!  Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook,and Bloglovin where I share my frugal list, gardening, recipes, and more