Gardening, Sewing, and Exercise!

I can feel Fall coming on...well I started feeling it about a month ago. With the help of my granddaughter we brought my herbs in to the greenhouse and planted them into one of the green stalks I have.

I started growing lettuce in another green stalk too...I miss lettuce and I'm not ready to trust it from the store quite yet.

Some of the thyme, rosemary, and sage was propagated before I put them in the green stalk.   I'm trying to make a go of propagating lavender.  So far no luck with that one.  Gardening is one big experiment. Not everything works but I'm not done trying! 

Okay, like I have made a schedule for myself...one day exercise and the next day some sort of sewing.  I made covers for my couch pillows this past week with some material I found at a estate sale awhile back ..today is the exercise day  sigh..

Does going shopping at the Amish store count as walking...seems like it would.  We are going there today.  I'm thinking about counting it. Would that be cheating?  Maybe I should walk down the block or do a you tube video.  

I'll show you what I bought next week.  

Have a great weekend.

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Keep Moving Forward: Progress is Slow Sometimes

 

On Monday I started putting up my Christmas decorations and making fabric Christmas bags for next year.  This momentum didn't last as long as I would have liked ...Christmas is stored away but I didn't finish the bags yet.  They are waiting for me by the sewing machine.

We went to the Michigan State Spartans game last night (Thursday) ...this was a birthday present to my husband.  First of all I climbed up all these steps...then I decided I wouldn't throw up...then I went down those steps after the game was almost over (we determined they would win)....then I walked back 1/2 mile to the parking garage.   I could have never done this a couple of years ago.  Progress for me is slow but I keep moving forward as best as I can.

By the way:  I love these kind of presents the best..destination presents are fun!  

Today after I determine that I can move again ..I'm cleaning out the chicken coop ..what a better way to spend a 55 degree day LOL.  Hopefully I can report more to you next week. 

How's it going at your home?

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How I'm Going to Make My Life Easier (It will take work)!

 

                        

I'm going to do it different this year ...yep 2026  will be different.  I'm going to be more ahead of the game so I can smile more, love God more, and just be more joyful than ever before.  None of this is means I'm going to sit around and do nothing.  It actually takes work to be restful but for years to come I know I'm going to thank myself.

Things I'm going to do to make that happen:

Sewing:

January is for sewing and I making cloth reusable Christmas bags. The material is all cut up and I'm ready to get sewing.

You know, I'm getting too old to wrap up all these presents.  Don't worry I have lots of wrapping paper I bought at estate sales for those big presents, but for all the smaller ones, in a reusable cloth bag it goes. Easy peasy, no wrapping paper needed.

                                                    a elephant baby bib I made this last week

I want to also make more baby shower gifts ahead of time in the off months of gardening.  I've done this some in years past but I need to step up my game and have those presents ready.  A gift closet for babies.

At the same time I want to make hats and gloves for giving to the needy.  All this making will make winter go by fast and I'll feel accomplished...I hope.

The Garage:

Organize the garage more...it's too cold to start now but I have ideas.  This will be more for me so I can find my chicken stuff, my picnic stuff, and my canning jars.  No basement here but that side of the garage is mine.  

I got a taste of just how great garage organizing can be after this past Thanksgiving.  You see last summer I put my Christmas stuff by the door so it would be within easy reach in the cold and believe me it was cold this past November.  It was so easy to just grab and go.  I was happy, he was happy.... everybody was happy.

Garden:

Come Spring, we need to fill the raised beds with soil to get them ready for the planting season.  The lower half of the garden is in raised beds now and we are excited to cut down on bending down to weed and as a added benefit we will not worry as much about the flooding back there.    Over the years I know we will thank ourselves for the extra work we are going to put in this Spring to make this happen.

I would also like to plant concord grapes behind the chicken coop run. This of course will happen in the Spring too but I will need to get ahead start and research how to trellis them this winter (youtube).  When I told husband what I wanted to do he rolled his eyes and said there was no room until I mentioned that very spot in the yard.  He became quiet and he knew there was nothing he could say.  The lawnmower doesn't even fit there.  Ha ha.

You know, I felt something years ago when I started requesting fruit trees for every Mother's Day .. something told me to start planting what we now call our little orchard.   The grocery store is so handy but I realize now we must learn to depend on ourselves as much as we can. 

What are your goals this year?

**Thanks so much for helping to support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden! As a Amazon affiliate I earn a small percentage when you purchase items from one of my links (the item doesn't have to be what I have linked here).  

Be sure to follow me on Facebook,and Bloglovin where I share my frugal list, gardening, recipes, and more!  You can also sign up for my email list on the top right hand side of the blog.

Sewing, Exercise, and Spring Cleaning 2/7/25!

 

I have been making a tote bag for my granddaughter for her horses.  I've been following this tutorial on youtube that has been perfect.

She has went from Barbies to Schleich horses.  I dread the day when she no longer plays but I know it's coming.   So, I'll entertain this as long as I can.  

I'm sitting here at the computer in my house coat and I'm using this pedal thing I ordered.  We walk in the mall and also at the church gym but not everyday do we want to get out in the cold.  

I'm not very good at it.  In fact I'm rather awkward but it works for some exercise.  Sometimes I forget to make it move ha ha.

Spring Cleaning:

I've been trying to do Spring Cleaning as much as possible.  I want to be outside in the Spring so I want to be mostly done.  This week I've tackled the spice cabinet and underneath the bathroom sink.

We are expecting snow on Saturday.  Who knows how much..no one really does.  This snow is not going to fall right for a snow day for the grandkids.  Most likely, it will be cleaned up before Monday.

What's going on where you are?  

 Thanks so much for helping to support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden**As a Amazon affiliate I earn a small percentage when you purchase items from one of my links (the item doesn't have to be what I have linked here).  My thred up link is also a refer a friend link.

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A Great Sewing Deal and the Before and After of our Porch 10/25/24

 

We went to an estate sale ..not much there but I did buy this sewing box for $3.00.  I didn't want the box (I have too many) but it was filled with sewing goodies.

This is what I kept.  I gave the sewing box and rest of the contents to the local veterans thrift shop.  

I'll need the pattern paper this morning for the outfit that our granddaughter wants to sew for her Barbie(she is 10) .  She drew it out last night.

We had our porch (mud room) redone this past week.  This is the before picture (you can see the donations ready to go on the side).

This is the after picture:  

A much needed redo.   No we didn't do it ourselves ..we are not that talented ha ha.  but we saved for it.  After close to 30 years it was time.  The cat loves it.

Then I hauled off a trash bag full of shoes to the local free clothing site at a church.  

Thanks so much for helping to support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden**As a Amazon affiliate I earn a small percentage when you purchase items from one of my links (the item doesn't have to be what I have linked here). 

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The Harvest and My Summer Crochet, Don't Think About it Afaghan, is Done!

Because of the rain, the mosquitos have been relentless this year.  They will swarm you and you will run for cover.  Oh, you can cover up with all the clothes you want but they will attack your face.  So, instead of waiting till it's cool in the evenings to go to the garden I try to go out between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m, if I can stand the heat.  

We have started harvesting, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and we dug some new potatoes (they were fine-no rot).

I love having easy summer side dishes -I just slice a tomato and cucumber and cook the new potatoes with a can of green beans from last years harvest.  Our green beans will probably be ready the end of August.

FYI-we just buy some corn from the local farmer and the chicken was Sam's.  

Tomato sandwiches in the evening  have been something I could never get tired of!  

Last night I finished my summer, don't think about it afaghan.   I wanted something to do without worrying about a pattern.  It was just double crochet and then I put a border around it.  Easy!  

How's it going at your house?  How have you saved this week?

Thanks so much for helping to support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden**As a Amazon affiliate I earn a small percentage when you purchase items from one of my links (the item doesn't have to be what I have linked here). 

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Good deals, Finished project, and Exhausting Work!

This week there was a great deal for garden seeds at Menards.  A package was 10 cents!  9 cents if you sent in for the rebate.  Did I really need any?  No..but you know how that goes.

I bought a bag of clothes for 5 dollars at a church sale for me and grandkids.  

We took the grandkids one day to the A&W to get hotdogs, cheese curds, and root beer of course that comes in the famous big mug.  As we left and got quite aways down the road, granddaughter pointed at a mug left behind and said we had stolen the mug.  So, a couple of days later we took it back (we don't want to be thieves) and they said no one has done that before.  They gave me a free meal ticket.  

I finished a harry potter scarf for my youngest daughter.

This is what we have been up to for 3 days when we had beautiful weather -putting together a small green house. Husband got it for me for Christmas and my birthday present.   It was not fun but we did it.  Funny thing is I picked this one because they said it was easy.  It was exhausting work!

I moved in as soon as we finally got done!  We already had the potting bench (from a sale a couple of years ago), the chair was given to us by my neice, and the greenstalk from my daughter for Christmas.  Now. I'm looking for shelves.

Just a little FYI..we knew that the potting bench would not fit in the door when we finished, so we built around it.  I guess we will have to take it apart to get it out.  Hopefully not anytime soon!

How's everything at your house? 

Thanks so much for helping to support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden**As a Amazon affiliate I earn a small percentage when you purchase items from one of my links (the item doesn't have to be what I have linked here). 

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Sewing, Gardening, and Grocery Shopping Lessons 2/23/24!

This week I made a couple of bowl covers.  Why two?   Well the first one didn't fit ha ha.   There is a sewing tutorial for bowls covers by Jane on the Bluebirds are Nesting blog and a thankyou to Rhonda at If you do stuff, stuff gets done , who gave me the idea to use a pizza pan for the pattern.  

I started some seeds the previous week or so.  I'm so over winter and excited for Spring. Even if it's too early, this made me happy.  Cabbages and pepper plants were started.  Yesterday, I started a few tomato plants.  I hope to plant some flower seeds soon but I need a bigger space.

Yesterday, I went to Meijer real quick in the morning.  

My green pepper was free (MPERKS)  (reg.99)

3 Prego Spaghetti Sauces $1.33 each for 3 and one at $1.55 after sales and coupons

Bananas $1.32

4 chicken noodle soups $1.00 each after coupons

2 Tomatoes-$2.82

**I succumbed to a cold pop in the freezer and made a promise to never do that again.  At the awful price of $2.45 plus .10 for bottle refund I could have survived without one.  I need more willpower! 

two Little Debbie cake boxes for $2.79 (request from grand kids)

2 gallons of milk $2.78 each

2 half and half $2.99 each qt

$32.70

This was just for the sale items and other things we needed.  Money goes fast!  

Thanks so much for helping to support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden**As a Amazon affiliate I earn a small percentage when you purchase items from one of my links (the item doesn't have to be what I have linked here). 

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It's Never too Late to Learn!

It all started with this and another bolt of brown fabric I bought at a garage sale.  I'm not sure how much I paid but I know it had to be a great deal 😀.

So, this week I decided to make curtains with it.  Sorry for the stuff in front of them but I would have to grab a step ladder and a grabber to get the fruit hanger out of the way.  By the way I made a mistake buying that fruit hanger-I should have gotten the two basket one but honestly I was afraid I wouldn't be able to reach my fruit.  

Anyhow, I'm making the second pair of window curtains right now.  I have never made curtains before so I just followed the pattern from the previous bought curtains. It's never too late too learn and mistakes will be made.  I have had to resew a few things so the seam ripper has become a valuable toool.  The bad pair will be on the window that's hardly seen. ha ha

So, I still have a lot of bird fabric left and I'm thinking of making a bowl cover and a clothes pin hanging bag.  Do you got any suggestions?

Really, that's all I know. What's going with you?

Thanks so much for helping to support Vickie's Kitchen and Garden**As a Amazon affiliate I earn a small percentage when you purchase items from one of my links (the item doesn't have to be what I have linked here). 

Be sure to follow me on Facebook,and Bloglovin where I share my frugal list, gardening, recipes, Free Kindle books, and more!  You can also sign up for my email list on the top right hand side of the blog