Category Archives: shopping

Market Day!

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Saturday at the market! If I’m of town or unable to go on a Saturday, I get upset. I go through withdrawal. Chuck was at the car dealer getting an oil change in his vehicle, so he came downtown later, when I had half the shopping finished. He met me at Starbucks (a central location, no comments needed from the peanut gallery) to finish the job. We came home with these goodies.

                          Market Day!

The ordinary goods are in their places – carrots, lettuce, parsley, berries du jour (cherries). We picked up a few imported peaches (Georgia) and greenhouse tomatoes since our tomato plants aren’t fully mature yet. I have enough peas (even Amigo likes them!) to freeze for the future, so I bought beans. But wait – there’s more!

More than just fresh produce!

It’s easy to get tempted to buy something different, like an artisan infused vinegar or a local honey. While I waited in line to rehydrate with a pomegranate-cherry smoothie, Chuck slipped into a small local deli and bought a mozzarella salad, cheese, and a Belgian Red from New Glarus. I picked out two flavors of pasta, both local and organic, to make dinner more interesting and tasty later in the week. Somehow, impulse buys at the farmers’ market are much more palatable than, say, an impulse buy at the shoe store.

After-the-fact shopping list.

  • Fresh vegetables, delicious and nutritious.
  • Fresh fruits unavailable in the backyard garden – at least for now.
  • New adventures in food, organic and locally made
  • Priceless. All of it.

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>The Professional Wardrobe – second hand style

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Regular readers know that I’ve traded in my classroom for a cubicle. I’ll have a sizable class, but I’ll be teaching them online. It’s an exciting move, one for which I’ve been preparing for quite a while.
My new cubicle will be in an old building that’s been remodeled many, many times. It now houses two charter schools on its first floor, IT & helpdesk & Media Central offices along with a computer lab in the basement, and offices on the second floor. The offices include Special Education, Title I, English Language Learners/ Bilingual Education and more department heads. My new workplace, a virtual charter school, is also located on the second floor.
Now the issues: the building is air conditioned. How well? I don’t know. It is heated, but old windows are drafty and leak. The end result: I need to dress in layers. Serious, professional, layers. Since I’ll be sharing hallways and bathrooms with administrative peoples, I feel the need to upgrade my wardrobe somewhat. Since my take-home pay will be lower next year (thanks to our nasty current state legislature), I was faced with the dilemma: upgrade wardrobe on a downgraded pay scale after a lengthy unpaid leave of absence. The solution was actually quite simple: second hand. Consignment.
The first pair of jackets are good neutrals. They’re both brand name pieces, and both were on sale 50% off the marked price.

Then La Petite found some more colorful neutrals for me. I think we’ll replace the rhinestone button on the peachy blazer, but I really like the yellow. Fall and spring, pastels for the office.
Then I became more adventurous. Below is a Laura Ashley jacket in great earth tones with scattered shiny trim. Each time I looked at this one I thought of another pair of pants or shirt that would coordinate with it.
La Petite said she wouldn’t wear it herself, but agreed that it was a good style and good fit (and fun) for me. Here’s the back view. It’s fairly lightweight, too.
Then I got serious about having fun. These two pieces were on the clearance rack as I went to check out. It’s hard to see the detail on the vest; it’s really gorgeous, front and back. These were 50% off the already low consignment price. The shirt is Croft & Barrow; the vest is Coldwater Creek.
All that for a total of (drumroll, please) $60. Five jackets, a dressy shirt, and a vest: I’m rather pleased with the results. Oh, one more detail: only one needs to be dry cleaned. The rest can be washed on delicate cycle. Now that, my friends, is priceless.

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>Back to the Farm – Market.

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Daisy, what took you so long to post this weekend?

Honestly, it took a long time to organize and prep and put away all the lovely produce from yesterday’s Farmers’ Market. I usually make a point of sitting outside on the deck, weather permitting, and listening to the birds and enjoying the breeze (if there is one) while pulling the hulls off the strawberries and taking the peas from their pods (the bunnies love the pods) and anything else that needs work. Maybe you’ve noticed I gave in and bought rhubarb. I remembered that last year I combined my own tomatoes with some that were given to me and some more from the Farmers’ Market so I’d have enough for salsa. I tell myself it’s okay to combine Market rhubarb with my own, now that I’ve discovered more ways to can it.

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>Traveling thrift and coffee

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>Morning looks like this in Daisy’s hotel room. Another hotel, you ask? I don’t get out much, really. The privacy, the lack of schedule pressure, the opportunity to take my time – all make the rare treat of a hotel stay extra special. Nothing fancy, really, just a room with a bed and a good wifi connection. Oh, and coffee, of course.

Back to the beginning. I had a small but delicious complimentary breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and then looked at the clock. No rush to get to Amigo’s school; he would still be in class. You guessed it, readers; I played with my favorite hotel toy, the coffeemaker.
While the coffeemaker was working, I dug out quarters for the vending machine across the hall. Overpriced, yes, but it had two of my favorites: raspberry shortbread cookies (for dipping in coffee) and original Fritos for a later snack in the car.
Perfect timing: the coffee was ready!!
While I dipped cookies in the coffee, I used my Droid to look up the nearest thrift stores. Packed, checked out, and in the car: thrift time! For less than $30, I came out with five pair of jeans and three small gifts, all packaged in my BYO bags. What a great and frugal way to start my day!
The thrift store? One of my favorites.

Altogether a relaxing and frugal morning, followed by picking up Amigo at school and coming home. Readers, how do you relax away from home? Shopping? Coffee?

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>Holiday shopping the thrift-y way

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>I admit it. I’ve been growing greener every year with my holiday buying. Wrapping, too, but that’s another story.

Two years ago I gave reusable shopping bags to everyone on my list.
Last year most extended family members received anti-static dryer balls.
This year: I’m not sure. Cloth napkins? That would work for a few of the folks, but not all. Gifts in a jar? That would be a good start; I usually give these to the people who work closely with me at school. Homemade jams? If I have enough, that could work.
Think. Think. Think. Thank Winnie-the-Pooh for this inspirational thought. Think. Think. Think. While I’m pondering the options and considering keeping my pocketbook and philosophies loaded with green, take a look around the blogosphere for others with thrifty gift ideas.
The Elegant Thrifter has authored and published The Find; The Housing works book of decorating with thrift shop treasures, flea market objects, and vintage details. Check out the blog for ideas and techniques and frugal fun.
The Thrifty Chicks update infrequently, but when they do, it’s worth reading.
Leah at Suddenly Frugal champions all things lean and green. Recently she gave advice on maximizing the value of your holiday spending and how the US Postal Service keeps the season green.
Sonya at Dime Store Thrift posts great finds and creative ideas and even has her own Etsy shop for selling her thrifty creations.
If you’re more bargain cyber-shopper than thrifter, go to WantNot.net. Her tag line “Having it all with less” accurately reflects her personal philosophy and her posts are full of bargains and humor.
Meanwhile, I continue to think, think, think. I don’t have a green theme gift yet; maybe this is the year I won’t find one that works for all. While I ponder the possibilities, I’ll slice up last year’s holiday and birthday cards for reuse as gift tags. At least I’ll feel useful that way.

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>Money Management and Teens

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My “kids” are growing up and handling their own money, when they have it. The recession and its credit bust, especially the sub-prime mortgage crisis, made me think again about the importance of growing up money-smart.

La Petite had to manage her budget as soon as she moved into a college apartment. We paid the rent, she split the utilities with her roommate, and she and her roommate handled the daily expenses such as food, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies. Oh, yes, I almost forgot – and bunny food and litter box refills.

La Petite had a summer job when she was in high school, babysitting a young girl during the parents’ workday. She worked at a big box store’s garden center when she was home from college. These jobs provided a chance to develop a work ethic and a chance to handle a bank account. Her checking account is held jointly with me – mainly so I could handle deposits and withdrawals while she was gone to college in a different city.

Amigo’s situation is a little different. Teens on the autism spectrum sometimes have a hard time understanding the value of money. He has a bank account (again, jointly held with me, the mom-type person), and uses his own money for a few things. He doesn’t have rent or food expenses because he lives in a dorm weekdays, so we parents have to give serious thought to finding ways to help him learn to handle money.

Money management practice needs to be authentic. Playing games, holding discussions, and teaching him scripted money lessons are not very useful. He needs to plan the shopping trip, load his wallet, and go. Last weekend he took his girlfriend to McDonald’s. Simple, yes, but a perfect way to find out how much a fast food meal costs and decide if it’s a worthwhile use of his dollars.

Debit cards and especially credit cards can strike fear into the hearts of parents of teens. American Express PASS program can help. A PASS card is a reloadable prepaid card that parents can obtain for their teens. It looks like a credit or debit card, so teens won’t stick out socially by having a “different” card in their wallet. Since it’s prepaid, there is no danger of overspending. The Amex PASS card is accepted anywhere that takes American Express. Parents have control over loading funds, monitoring spending, and even disabling/ enabling the use of ATMs if necessary. Gradually weaning teens from the parental control, letting them make small but correctable mistakes, can be part of the learning process.

My teen is 18 going on 19, older than the target age, but this kind of card would be a useful tool for him. He could learn to keep track of his money online, a more accessible option than a print statement (he’s blind). He couldn’t overspend, so we’d need to talk over budgets and priorities before hitting the stores. Timing is good right now, too; Amigo loves Christmas and everything involved, including gift shopping.

American Express PASS card has made me think. And when it comes to teaching money management, thinking is an important first step.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of American Express and received a gift code to thank me for taking the time to participate. I did not receive an American Express PASS card as part of the review process; they provided the information and the link to their web site. Check out the site; it’s easy to navigate and full of useful information.

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>Lemongrass Adventures

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>We were walking down Main Street on our usual trek through the Saturday Farmers’ Market when Chuck said “Let’s go back to the booth where we bought the peppers and carrots. She had lemongrass. I want to try it.”

I’ve described our family in Food Network terms: Chuck is more Iron Chef, while I’m more 30 Minute Meals. I’m all about finding a way to create a healthy meal quickly and easily, using local and/or fresh ingredients if possible. The Pantry Raid (Amigo would call it the Garbage Can Recipe) is my specialty. Look through the refrigerator and pantry, pull out a combination of good ingredients, and cook them. I make my way through the Farmers’ Market almost like a grocery store trip: list in hand or in head, picking up basic staples or seasonal specialties I can cook, bake, freeze or can.
Chuck, on the other hand, looks for adventure. He spots the freezer truck parked by the coffeehouse (I spot the coffeehouse, of course). The vendor has trucked in farm-raised alligator, shrimp, mahi-mahi, scallops, and a whole collection of meats and seafood (Amigo asks: is alligator surf or turf?). While I’m heading to the next truck for Wisconsin-grown bison meat, he’ll pick up the alligator.
Last Saturday he bought lemongrass, a traditional Asian ingredient. He’d overheard another shopper asking about it, mulled it over in his head, and decided to stop by on our way back to the car and buy a bunch of the long, green plant. The seller explained how to use it, and Chuck searched the Internet for more detail. He worked it into a soup and a stir-fry that night.
Most of the 18-24 inch stalk is edible. The end bulb gets cut off (I believe it tastes bitter, but I didn’t try it), and the blade operates like a bay leaf – add it to the liquid for flavor and pull it out before serving. There’s a fibrous section near the bulb that can be peeled and pounded with a meat tenderizer for use in stir fries or soups or vegetable mixes. It was good, but we’re not sure if it was worth the effort.
I saw the term “very pungent” in several posts on this grassy herb. We learned that the bunch we bought downtown could last several months. We only needed one or two stalks per recipe. With that in mind, Chuck washed and cut the lemongrass to a size that would fit in a Ziploc freezer bag. We’ll pull it out now and then for a deliciously exotic Pantry Raid or Garbage Can Recipe.

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>Back to School: Are your kids ready? You can help.

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>Sometimes my teenager amazes me. A few days ago he reminded me that we should start getting adjusted to school time. Both of us have been sleeping in – me past 8 a.m., and he past 10. When we have to get up at 6:30 or earlier to get ready for school, it could be a shock to our systems.

That’s one tip for getting ready for school: start adjusting the wake-up and bedtimes a few weeks before school starts.
Here’s another: take inventory together before school supply shopping. Yes, I said Together. I did this when La Petite was young, and we kept it up for her and for her brother as they outgrew crayons and markers and grew into jump drives and cell phones. Reusing the previous year’s scissors and rulers and backpacks saved us a bundle every August. Buying a good quality backpack one year meant I could avoid that cost for the next several autumns, too. Involving the kids meant fewer surprises and less begging. They knew what they already owned and knew what they’d need to buy.
Thinking ahead is a big help. Preparing for waking up early, reading the school handbooks as they arrive in the mail, filling out paperwork as soon as possible: all save time and headaches later. If your paperwork needs a signature, such as a medication form, drop it off at the appropriate doctor’s office now. Many physicians are inundated by sports physicals and medication permissions as school starts; give them time to review files and sign the forms.
Obvious though it may sound, read the school’s supply lists and follow them. Teachers agonize over these before putting them together; there’s a reason for everything. Let me trade my parental blogger hat for my teacher thinking cap for a moment.
Brand names count. I’ve had to open generic glue bottles many, many times over the years. If the teacher suggests Elmer’s, please buy Elmer’s. Your child will be relieved to start gluing his projects right away while the others are fighting with their clogged bottles.
Details count. If the teacher requests rulers that measure to the 1/4 inch or 1/8 inch or have centimeters and millimeters on one side, the math or science curriculum probably requires those measurements.
Many teachers color-code notebooks and folders to help kids organize. Seriously, moms and dads, when I ask 28 students to take out their math and I see a sea of blue, I know they’re ready for class.
Teachers usually have a few extras, but not enough for the whole class. One of my pet peeves is the child who refuses to bring in a box of crayons, saying, “I can just use yours.” No, honey, that’s not what the teacher’s crayon box is for. That box helps when a child loses his red or his blue and has to borrow one to do the puzzle correctly. If a family can’t afford to replace a box of crayons, I have connections to get those supplies donated. But a family who can afford to buy pencils and doesn’t? That’s simply not acceptable.
Stepping off my soapbox, setting my teacher thinking cap aside, I’m back to being Mom. Making my lists, checking them twice, and remembering to make time to read. After all, it is still summer. Summer means relaxing, and reading is a big part of that. Offline I go, on to the printed page.
I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get a HarperCollins book set. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

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>Farmers’ Market, Daisy Style

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It’s a typical Saturday, a bit hotter than most. I hit the ground running and got going to the Downtown Farmers’ Market early, before the heat and the crowds could move in.
First step: gather and pack bags. I especially like the one on wheels. That was a find!

Second: find a parking space. Sometimes that’s difficult; see, this area is already full.

So I’ll park on this side instead, and plug the meter.
Stock up on great fresh foods, bring them home, unpack the bags.
Reach for apron —


— and finally, get to work.

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>Thrifting efficiently – or not

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>One of my green and frugal goals is to increase thrift store and consignment shopping for the family. I took advantage of being out and about last Saturday and stopped at Goodwill. My goals: a winter jacket for Amigo, and possibility of kitchen pieces.

Amigo has trouble handling a full zipper; engaging the zipper at the bottom remains difficult for him. With that in mind, he’s worn half-zip pullover jackets for many years. That style of jacket has gotten harder and harder to find lately. It was in style for a while, especially as a team jacket, but hasn’t been a “hot item” in stores since he was 10 years old. Major catalogs such as Lands’ End and LL Bean have great parkas and jackets, but they don’t have pullovers with the half zip that will work for my teenager. My solution? Second hand! He’s worn his current jacket, a $15 investment from a consignment store, for four years now. It’s still in good shape, but the zippers are wearing out a bit; they’re a little stubborn when he wants to zip the main one all the way to his chin.

I entered the store and went straight for the men’s jackets. Two team jackets in his size caught my eye. One was a not-a-chance item: a Chicago Bears jacket! The other was an Iowa State jacket. Well, he would wear it and enjoy it, but it was marked at $34.99. Sorry, thrifty store folk; that’s too much to be a deal. I did find a bright yellow pullover at $15, but it was an XL instead of a Large. I brought it home for Amigo to try.

After my limited success in the jacket racks, I cruised the kitchen aisles. Ever since I found a steamer like new at Savers for $2.50, I’ve keep my eyes open for deals in this department. They had a good looking electric fry pan, but it had – no cord?! and someone with a sense of humor had hidden a pair of pink ballet flast inside. I smiled at the shoes, shook my head at the missing cord, and set it back on the shelf. I did buy a small bundt pan marked at $1.99 and blue tag, this day’s 50% color. $1? Worked for me! I’ll use it to bake my famous chocolate zucchini cake and my rhubarb crumble bread.


Then I entered dangerous territory: books. I caved, bought the next book by Packers receiver Donald Driver. My students love his first one, Quickie Makes the Team, so Quickie Takes a Loss will surely be a hit, too. It was $10 – a lot for a picture book, but my kiddos will get at least $10 of reading value out of it. Then another title caught my eye – Greasy Rider: Two dudes, one fry-oil car, and a cross-country search for a greener future. I couldn’t resist.

My total was a little high for a thrift store trip; $31 with tax.

The good news: the books and the pan will get good use.
The bad news: the jacket was too big for Amigo.
The good news: this store allows returns.
The bad news: returns are only for store credit.
The good news: the store credit has no expiration date.

All in all, it was worth the time. I’ll keep looking for a replacement jacket, but he’ll be fine for now. And I’ll keep thrifting, checking out the deals on things we really need.

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