Not exactly warm today but without any precipitation and bright sunlight, it seems warmer.  Still, it's only 31 going to the mid 40's.  Maybe I can get out and take a short walk or work in the yard this afternoon!  Here's hoping...

I got the house cleaned yesterday although it took a lot longer than anticipated.  And I made a great oven meal of roasted vegetables (which is one of my favorite ways to eat veggies!) and chicken.

Today I need to work on quilt guild things and finish up sowing seeds and, of course, crafting.  I actually need a few more things to plant in.  I'm thinking that I may use an egg carton.  I want lots and lots of marigolds to plant with vegetables to keep animals away.

I finished the mobile top to hang the crocheted baskets from.  I wound up having to make some leaves as I did not have enough flowers.  To make the leaves, I free hand cut a pattern, then cut out two pieces of fabric and one piece of batting.  Using a zigzag stitch I sewed around the edge of the 'leaves' and then trimmed...

I used the leaves inbetween the flowers on the mobile top...

Next I will add the baskets and hang the mobile from the ceiling...just not sure where although I'm hoping to keep them in the studio.

A few more ways to save money...

1.  Have you ever done a 'spend no money' month, week or day?  Of course for those needed items like medicine and perhaps groceries would not be included but everything else is subject to no spending.  I'm thinking of having a no spend monthly challenge in the future.

2.  Borrowing instead of purchasing little used items.  Check out local 'buy nothing groups'.  Even renting something may be cheaper than buying especially if you only may need it only once.

3.  Hosting exchange groups.  When my children were small, it was really popular to have get togethers to share babies/children clothing and toys.  This may be a way for friends and acquaintances to save money and have an enjoyable gathering.

4.  Shopping thrift stores.  I notice that the prices of things at the local thrift stores have increased but even with the increase, items are much cheaper than purchasing new items.  If you have a sewing machine, altering thrift store clothing items can save a lot of money.  For instance, I check out the wrinkle free shirts in the men's area and purchase any that are like new, then alter them.  Women's wrinkle free shirts are outrageously expensive if you can even find any.

I began reading the latest Laura Child's Tea Shop Mystery Series and love it.  I was listening to 'Morning Joe' this morning and one of the questions that came up was about reading in the future...basically, are folks going to read books?  There wasn't any definitive answer but it seems that if parents introduce children to books when young, the chances of them becoming readers when older really increases.  

The lesson here is if you are a parent with young children, take the time to read to them and when able have them read to you.  You know, reading is really a very inexpensive form of entertainment (think libraries).  Reading also has a lot of benefits including improving cognitive functions, increased vocabulary, knowledge and critical thinking abilities and even a longer lifespan.  What's not to love...

Hope you have enjoyable time to read today...

Talk with you tomorrow...