Berry Picking

Picking our own berries is one of the simpler things in life that I really enjoy, it just seems so rewarding to me. My sister-in-law and I took our kids to pick berries at this farm, called Pleasant Fields. And although the kids enjoyed it for a little while, they were over it after the first hour in the 98 degree heat. So, my sis-in-law and I kept on for another half an hour while our children watched from the air conditioned van (while jumping out every few minutes to grab a berry snack).

Another reason to pick your own berries...you get to eat as many as your stomach will allow while you're picking!

And although, by the time I had finished sweating out 95% of my body's water, I just about had to have my clothing surgically removed, but... I had these!

Seriously though, it's just so rewarding to pick your own food and thrifty too (total for berries $16...$2 a pint)!

Passing down the ART of REPURPOSING

OK, so I LOVE to think outside the box these days...always trying to figure out another useful purpose for a .25 item. Well, it seems that my darling daughters have also learned the art of repurposing. Just look how they're using my new table that I wrote about last week.

While I never pictured it as anything more than a table,my sweet little ones decided it would make a great ocean for their Barbie doll cruise. Boy am I proud!

But seriously, here is a great blog entry about repurposing:

http://etsycottagestyle.blogspot.com/2008/05/art-of-repurposing.html

and within the next month, I'd like to have some pics of things repurposed around my house to show. Also, for a challenge...try thinking outside the box and post a comment telling me what YOU are repurposing!

Thrifting in the Genes? Not so much!

To put it in my youngest little rugrat's princess' words, "What the....?". In case you haven't noticed...I LOVE getting a bargain! I am so PROUD of my little girls when someone compliments them and they say with enthusiasm, "Mama got this from Goodwill" or "Mama got this for $1 at a yard sale!". And I think that most of our family and friends have gotten over the shock of hearing my two sweet little angels admitting to this and now come to expect to hear about the latest thriftiness. Anyway, so when my first grader came home from school with these lil' pieces of hideousness this lil' treasure saying that she owed another little girl in her class $5 for it...I was appalled! I mean couldn't she have talked her down to 25 cents or somethin'? I mean it's in like 10 pieces and they're not even all there AND it's missing an eye (I was told that the lil' salesgirl plucked an eye out b/c she thought it was her birthstone and wanted to keep it). So, of course (after taking a picture), I told her that she would have to give it back to the little girl and tell her that she's not allowed to purchase things from other classmates (unless it's a bargain ;0) . Well, then she tells me that she got it out of the trash after the the lil' salesgirl threw it away! Now doesn't that beat all?!