I hate to throw out food. It has just gotten too dear to fool around with!

Before Christmas and New Year's we purchase all kinds of groceries and goodies.  We bake and cook - sometimes a little too much in anticipation of guests, and just in the spirit of abundance that Christmas represents.  Hopefully, you have been freezing all your left-overs along the way - especially the best cuts of turkey!

I recommend taking a good look inside your fridge ... and now! Because that food is going to spoil if you don't get to it very soon.  It's too easy to forget about something you bought and didn't use and that is now buried in the fridge, which is overly-stuffed with bits and pieces and left-overs.  So do a proper clean-out to make sure you are saving as much of that food as possible.

Step 1:
What's in your fridge?
Do take a good look on each and every shelf.  Push everything aside so you know what is really in there.  Remove all spoiled food and compost it, wrap up for the "green bin" (if your city provides that kind of recycling service) or toss out.  Don't forget to recycle all those plastic, glass or metal containers .... if you haven't been using your very own covered dishes that is!

Step 2:
What's left?
Now take a look at what is left and prioritize.  Do you have extra cheeses, vegetables and sauces?  Make them part of the next few nights dinner plans so they don't go to waste, with these ideas.

Various kinds of cheeses from cheese platters, sour cream left-over from home-made dips =
"Put-It-All-Together" Macaroni & Cheese
Try recipe here:  february-when-theres-snow-on-the-snowdrops.html

Cherry tomatoes from finger food veg platters =
Use in salads or spaghetti sauce.  Or preserve to use as a tomato sauce later on in the year.
Instructions here: january-make-even-more-of-the-food-you-buy-by-reincarnating-it.html

Left-over root vegetables like turnips, carrots and potatoes =
Roast and serve as a side dish with meatloaf or other meat dish.

Left-over vegetables like brussel sprouts, carrots, celery and peppers =
Make stir fries, soups, omelets or cut up for snacking with hummus.

Left-over tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream and cheeses =
Nachos!

I LOVE buying vintage items ... or just plain used!  It's a way of life for me - why pay more when you don't have to?

I belong to some local Swap groups, mostly for exchanging and selling used toys and kids' clothes.  Recently a new mom posted her dismay at the price of toys for girls.  (Someone had listed a trendy doll furniture set for $100 still sealed in the package.)  As the mom of a newborn baby girl, she expressed the need to "start saving now" for this perceived inevitable downfall soon to be experienced!  I think maybe she just needs to stay on the Swap a bit longer ... and see all the used doll furniture selling for a pittance!

Gentlemen:
Everyone is keen on saving the environment these days aren't they?  Find some old vintage handkerchiefs for the boys.  Wash and iron them.  Even if he doesn't want to use them at work or at home, they're handy in the car for coffee spills or wiping a spot off the windshield.  Indispensable in his pocket while working in the garden or the workshop for wiping the sweat off his hard-working brow!

Children:
Young children are the easiest.  With usually boxes of toys to choose from, you can put together a nice little collection of toy cars, doll clothes, board games (check to make sure all the pieces are present) or some little stuffed animals.  Take them home and give them a good clean.  Plastic toys can be wiped down and the little crevices cleaned with a wet Q-tip.  Stuffed animals can go right in your washing machine, with mild soap and cold water on the gentle cycle.  Let them sit on a towel to dry.  Barbie and doll clothes can be washed in the sink in a similar fashion.  When dry, mend any little tears.  Put them all together in zippered toiletry / cosmetic bags or small decorative boxes from the dollar store.  Parents will appreciate that your gift comes with its own storage ... and not all that ridiculous plastic packaging that takes a hacksaw to get in to!!  Seriously, this reduces frustration on Christmas morning when the little one has to wait for scissors to be found, packaging to be cut  ... not to mention cutting or untwisting all those superfluous tie-downs.  And then somehow removing the delicate plastic toy without breaking it!

The amazing thing is that by shopping this way, you actually will find you think more about the person you are buying for.  What do they really like?  Would they be able to use this item?  What could I pair it with?  You spend less, yes, but the result is actually more personalized ... and thoughtful, which is ultimately what gift-giving is all about!

May is such a magical month that the appearance of fairies in your garden should come as no surprise!  Even the staunchest disbeliever must do a double take when ... apple, pear or cherry blossoms float and swirl though the air, fresh new leaves rustle in the wind or the sun shimmers and gleams in nooks and crannies in the garden.  All these subtle happenings can be evidence of fairy activity ...

1.  Foliage
This is a biggie because fairies are like songbirds.  They love trees as this gives them little branches to cling to, or big branches for swinging and leaves to hide behind.  Not to mention that their older cousins, the Dryads, will often tell them stories at night about ancient times and places.  Plant lots of perennial flowers that will magically sprout up in the Spring, year after year, without any extra work on your part - bluebells, tulips, daffodils, forget-me-nots, Jack Frost, Lily-of-the-Valley, foxgloves - your garden will be alive with colour and sweet scents that attract the birds, bees, butterflies ... and fairies!

And for some fun, blow some bubbles from a bubble wand!  There is nothing more magical or gentle than bubbles floating on the breeze ... and the fairies will be sure to notice.

Accept the magical world around you and welcome it into your garden.  It doesn't matter how big or small it is.  Whether you are charmed with a "back 40", a fantastically witch-y cottage garden, a "postage stamp" city plot or a balcony; you can always add in a little bit of nature - usually more than you think once you get started!  Prepare to be amazed at how special life becomes when your home becomes a safe haven for fairies to congregate and play.

Sometimes life lands you literally "flat on your back" and out of commission for a few days or weeks.  In such instances, you may need to rely almost exclusively on family, friends and caregivers.  But what if your ability to move around is only partially affected?  For me, an unexpected mid/upper back injury has temporarily left it difficult for me to bend down, carry heavy items or drive - though I can walk and putter around the house - or even complete short errands.  This has caused certain things to jump into sharp focus.  Beyond facing any personal assessment and conclusion of this incident; day-to-day life still carries on!  I believe in being prepared, but hindsight is 20/20.  Here's what I have learned, and a list of a few things that might help you to prepare in advance of a (knock on wood!), similar situation occurring:

Hindsight is 20 / 20 - A list of things to ALWAYS have on hand:

Own a button-up shirt
I prefer to wear shirts and sweaters that pull over my head.  It never occurred to me what is involved in that simple action!  Fortunately, I did have a couple of button-up shirts, way in the back of my closet and I guess I'll be living in those for the next little while!

Own a cap or hat
It's also useful to own a cap.  Fortunately, I am fond of the Irish "newsboy" type of cap which is great for walking in light rain.  I'll be using it a lot over the next little while since I can't carry an umbrella.  Hoods are also out since they force you to turn your neck a lot further than is comfortable when crossing streets.

Own an old bell
Meadow Sweet Grove currently has two charming brass bells.  One is a goat perched atop the bell and the other is a little girl with a full skirt.  The goat is an obvious bell, but the girl could simply be seen as a decorative brass figurine - but for the clapper under her skirt!  How useful are these in a three-story house when you need to summon help from someone other than the fairies?

Keep the receiving room clean
I have a bad habit of letting the housework slide ... piles of laundry, vacuuming, stuff laying around that I've been meaning to swap, sell or donate ... and general clutter!  But I used to have one good policy - always keep the "parlor" clean - if nothing else.  For us, that's the first room guests enter and right off the front door.  My logic was that even if the rest of the house was a disaster area, there was always one clean and tidy room that I could usher unexpected guests into ... and maintain some sense of pride.

Unfortunately, I let that wonderful practice slide and the front room has seen a few unexpected guests lately.  My advice - ALWAYS keep the room nearest your front door, clean and tidy - you never know when you might not be able to - and that could also be when more people than usual will be showing up! 

Stock up on heavy items
Lately, I have been quite good at stocking up on non-perishable food items and emergency items such as candles, matches, duplicate keys and the like.  What I didn't think about was heavy items.  While it might be easy to walk down to the local store and buy toilet tissue ... it is quite another to lug home a bag of cat litter!

 Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2018

Thrift Stores and Charity Shops

Many people make a New Year's Resolution to "clear the clutter" and get organized.  When taking your clutter into your local thrift store / charity stop to donate - do make sure you check inside the store to see what's on offer.

Many people donate unwanted Christmas presents in January or donate the items those gifts replaced.  Ironically, they often donate better quality items, than the new replacements they received!

For example, someone might donate their "out-dated" dishes that were "Made in England or Japan"; in exchange for a shiny new set from Home Outfitters, Pier 1 and the like.  To each their own, but for the lover of antique, retro, quality or just plain eclectic dishware -- your local thrift store becomes a treasure trove!

Charity shops often have promotions too, like any other retailer, at this time of the year, to make up for low sales.

But January is also a time of year when many people are cutting back on their expenses.  For some, there are more tax deductions taken off the pay cheque starting in January.  Others overspent at Christmas or feel the need for a holiday somewhere warm.  Whatever the reason for shortness of cash in January - there are still many thrifty ways to save money.

~ Reuse food containers in your kitchen ~
Isn't it silly that we buy containers to freeze or store our food in - when we throw perfectly good containers into the recycling bin every day?  Containers that are already bought and paid for.   Recent news has led me to believe that many of the items we faithfully recycle are not being recycled at all - but shipped to other countries for disposal.  This, of course, defeats the purpose of recycling which is to keep the items out of Mother Nature's belly!

Here's a number of re-uses for those many containers that make their way into your home:

Glass Jars
The best!  Use for dry beans and lentils, pasta, popcorn and rice.  Freeze homemade applesauce and crushed tomatoes (make sure you leave a good inch or so at the top for expansion).  Use for non-food items like:  nails, screws, tacks - you get the idea.

Plastic Tubs
Yogurt, margarine, sour cream, cream cheese, and those funky plastic take-away/delivery containers - anything that is packaged in an opaque plastic tub can be re-used.  Use them to freeze meal left-overs, extra tomato sauce and chicken broth.  Keep them handy to send guests home with left-overs, children to school with cut veggies, cookies and cupcakes for school parties and numerous other non-food uses like:  crayons, craft supplies, pet food - just don't get the two mixed up!    

Bread Bags & Cereal Boxes
Those many bread bags basically replace plastic wraps!  Okay, they don't "cling" but many items you wrap don't need that feature.  Use them to wrap extra portions of raw meat like ground beef and chicken for freezing.  Cut them in half and use them to wrap sandwiches and snacks for lunches.  Collect dry seed pods in the summer or fall - shake the bag and all the seeds will collect beautifully in the bottom of the bag (I learned this trick from a wonderful old Yorkshireman).  Talk about thrifty.  He also cut up his cereal boxes to make shopping lists!

                                                                                    Meadow Sweet Grove © V. Buchanan 2018 ​ 

Save Bits & Pieces of Cheese / Odds & Ends of Bread
Cheese is so incredibly expensive ... at least in Meadow Sweet Grove.  The fairies in Britain often come to visit their little cousins in the Grove and are shocked at the price of cheese!  So, every time you slice cheese for snacking, or grate cheese for a meal, make sure you save the little leftover bits, wrapped up tight in the refrigerator.  Start a bread bag in the fridge for left-over bread - that last slice no one seems to eat, the broken crust, etc.  Also, don't throw out that last bit of sour cream, cottage cheese or unflavoured yogurt - unless it truly is off of course!  ​

The fairies in Meadow Sweet Grove are an old-fashioned lot and they approach many of today's problems with yesterday's solutions.  Disposable items are not too appealing to them and only used when absolutely necessary.  

One disposable item that is easy to reduce in your household are throw-away paper tissues.  The use of a cotton hankie is a great way to love Mother Nature and save money!  And if you buy vintage, your footprint is even less, as the item was manufactured long ago and has already paid its due.  If you buy just 1 box of Kleenex every month, your yearly outlay is probably between $12 and $36.  Use that money to buy vintage hankies instead. They are usually available around $1-3 each, depending on the quality, and you then have a dozen hankies . . .  all ready to use for many years to come.  Every little bit helps and when you replace disposable items with reusable ones, you really do save $$$.

But what about germs?  Sometimes the concern is valid, especially around vulnerable individuals, but in most cases the risk is low.  If you are worried about germs - just don't use it when you have a cold but do use it in so many other ways.  My father and grand-father always carried a cotton hankie about with them, but I rediscovered hankies when my child was born and was given lots of "baby washcloths".  I wound up using them for everything - spills in coffee shops, wiping the corners of baby's mouth, wrapping up sticky pine cones and other nature treasures found on our walks, creating a make-shift tablecloth for eating at a park picnic bench - you name it!  Long after my child grew out of this stage, I found I was still using them for everything, but switched to hankies because they are larger and thinner than terry washcloth material.  I even tucked one at the back of my heel when a blister developed on a long walk to stop the rubbing!  You will find countless uses once you start carrying one and wonder how you ever got along without it.  Put one in your pocket, your purse and your car.  And when it's dirty?  Simply throw it in the wash along with everything else!  

My husband's grandfather had a lot of very worn and well-used hankies in his possession - a man who lived to 101 years old!  Clearly the germs weren't a hindrance in his case.  Old ways sometimes really are best. 

© Meadow Sweet Grove / V. Buchanan, 2016, edited 2019​