Life, oh life! Sometimes we get so caught up in everything around us and don't take time to nurture ourselves. It's a trap that many women (and men) find themselves falling into. I have been climbing my way out of that trap and trying to nurture myself in small and frugal ways. It has paid big dividends in my attitude towards life in general, and that is something that I definitely needed to do. So instead of a Frugal Friday Wrap up for the week, I thought I would share some of the things that I am doing to nurture myself. Here we go...
~I have rediscovered my love of Soft Jazz music. YouTube has some great channels that share this, along with cozy cafe scenes (something else that calms me). Cozy Smooth Jazz channel is one of my favorites. Jeff even enjoys it. 😉~I've continued to recreate some of my favorite food dishes that I used to order in restaurants or that I grew up eating. The other day I made a big pot of rice and used some of it to make rice balls with ume boshi (Japanese small, pickled plums) in the middle of the rice ball. This is something that brings me back to my childhood and reminds me of field trips in elementary school. My friends, who were Japanese, knew that I loved these, so their mothers would make an extra rice ball for me and I would bring extra homemade cookies to share with them. The rest of the rice was used as a base to serve stroganoff over and some for making jambalaya.
~Soft lighting, especially at this time of year, is something that I look forward to. I have a nightlight in the kitchen, a small table lamp in the living room, and candles flickering as the darkness envelopes us in a cozy little cold weather bubble. The fire is also going in the pellet stove and we have soft throws to cuddle under and a new plush rug in the floor in the living room.
~I like to switch out the fragrances that I wear. Above are two of my favorites for the colder months. I'm finding that where I only used to wear them when I went somewhere, I am now wearing them on a daily basis here at home. I'm also pulling out the nicer earrings (with gemstone too), and wearing them at home. I have so many beautiful earrings. My grandson Steven is the one who got me started on this when he told me I was not dressed and ready for the day until I had my earrings on. That boy was onto something because I do feel more ready for the day and, dare I say, "prettier" when I have a nice fragrance and some pretty earrings on.
~Cozy socks, and fun socks. These are frugal treats that I do love to not only get for myself, but also surprise others with. There is nothing like putting on a pair of soft and fuzzy socks after a long day of shopping or playing with the grandkids. I also try to find seasonal fun socks. My mother also loves fun socks, so I get them for her as gifts. I am finding that my girls love these too!
~Homemade bread is another one of those things that just say comfort and home to me. My hubby is also a huge fan of homemade bread and tells me I spoil him with it. You will frequently find some bread dough rising on the top of my pellet stove under a pretty tea towel. When the dough has risen, then it's into the oven and before you know it, the house is filled with the enticing aroma of bread baking.
~ Who says you can't have those clothing items that you want. I bought the coat above last year at Marshall's when it was on sale and I had a gift card. It is a thin "puffer" style that is incredibly warm and not bulky at all. It's great for every day use and for traveling since you can pack it easily into either a suitcase or carry-on bag when you do not need it and it does not take up much room. Throw a pretty silk scarf (I bought this one at the thrift store) or a cashmere scarf (also found at a thrift store or yard sale) on for a pop of color, some warmth and that little extra touch that speaks to your personality and makes you look very put together. Most of my wardrobe is either thrifted or bought on sale. I have absolutely no problem buying things at thrift stores. I find great bargains there in clothing, housewares, furniture, books, dishes and glassware, purses, etc.. I use those things with pride! 😊
~We just got done with the gardening season, but we are still enjoying some of the things that we were able to grow this year. The pears are ripening up inside the house and I keep pulling blackberries out of the freezer to enjoy. There are cherry tomatoes in the freezer that can be popped into a pan, along with some olive oil, garlic and seasonings to make a wonderfully easy and delicious sauce for pasta. I have Walla Walla Sweet onions all cut up and bagged into one cup portions in the freezer for easy access and use. There is a rather large acorn squash just waiting for me to bake it in the oven. These are all things that we love and that we ate a lot of fresh during the growing season and can still enjoy now.
~I've been binge watching certain TV shows on Paramount Plus, Disney Plus and Peacock channels. We are able to access these channels for free thanks to our kids. Some of these channels even have live TV so we can watch Survivor the night that it airs.
~How could I ever forget our precious fur babies. We are down to the two indoor cats, Midgy and Patchy, and we have a neighborhood cat that adopted us, as our outdoor cat. We call her Ginny. There is a possibility that we may temporarily be taking care of Nala, the golden retriever that belongs to Josh and Lauren, since they can only have 2 pets in base housing. Nala is the most "adaptable" of their 3 pets. They plan on buying a house once they know the housing market there and then Nala would return home. This is an offer we made to the kids so they would not have to rehome one of their pets for good. Fur babies bring so much love and laughter into our lives and know how to comfort us when we are going through a rough patch. They are a priceless gift!~I've returned to the comfort of our soft bed in the master bedroom. During the warmer months I had been sleeping in our guest room since I needed to spread out (so I did not get too hot to sleep) and I also was having trouble sleeping and was afraid to wake Jeff up with my tossing and turning. This time of year, I love the coziness of pulling the soft quilts and blankets up around my shoulders and feeling the warmth radiating from my hubby and at least one of our cats as they sleep. A good bed, cozy blankets and soft pillows, along with a warm hubby and a snoring cat (yes, Midgy snores), make for a good night's sleep for me.
~Warm drinks, whether good coffee, hot cocoa, tea or even mulled wine, are things that I look forward to. There is nothing like sharing some mulled wine on a cold night with a friend as we get caught up with each other, or a cup of hot cocoa with my grandkids (or hubby) after coming in from playing or working in the snow. A full pot of good coffee is something to be shared and enjoyed on my hubby's days off. We try to save the "good stuff" for the weekend and use the regular coffee for the weekdays. Oh, and creamers...I have to have good creamers. It is something that I do splurge on. I have tried some of the store brands and I do not like them at all!
~Books, books and more books, with a few magazines thrown in. "Hi, I'm Debbie and I'm a bookaholic". 😆 There is nothing like cuddling up with a good book! I adore books and have so many here in my personal library that is busting at the seams. It is a running joke in our family about me and my books. I have a personal library here complete with a children's section for my grandchildren. Heather is now borrowing books from me for my oldest two grandkids to read. This is exactly why I built up my children's book collection. Now my personal favorites are cookbooks, decorating and craft books, or Christmas related books. My favorite sources of books that I buy are from yard sales and thrift stores. I also buy books there for gifts if I know that someone that would enjoy them.
~A full pantry and freezer with lots of things to pull together nourishing meals is another luxury. I have scoured sales, dehydrated herbs from the garden and made homemade seasonings, along with putting up produce from our gardens in order to have the pantry and freezers full of food that I have on hand. I know what it is to go without and to have to depend on others for food so you can feed your children. I have been there in the past and I can tell you it was terrifying to me. I also experienced it as a young child, and it made me feel like I needed a full pantry in order to feel secure.
~Tools and building supplies. Jeff is able to make or fix so many things because he has the tools on hand and has been blessed with lots of free wood. Rachel called the other day to tell him that they had all kids of good hardwood pallets at her workplace from all the new machinery for the new plant that she was helping to get ready so they could start manufacturing things in. Jeff took our truck in, along with some tools, and he was able to fill the back of our truck up with good solid wood. Chris will also be able to go and get some next week hopefully because it will be good to burn in their woodstove since they have not been able to go out and cut wood this year. I am hoping Chris gets several truckloads of it or borrows the family trailer from Jaysn and Rachel and fills that up too to haul home.
Well, those are the things that I can think of off the top of my head. We used to have a running hot tub, but that is not working at the moment. We will try to see if we can get it fixed in the late Spring or this coming Summer. I do still have a deep soaking bathtub that I can use if I need a good long bath. I'm looking forward to cozy nights with our antique game table set up in front of the pellet stove while Jeff and I play Scrabble or Rummy. Watching old movies while munching on popcorn is another favorite activity that we partake in and really enjoy. Honestly, there really are so many frugal luxuries that we can all enjoy IF we have a resourceful and grateful mindset. Be blessed my friends and please share in the comment section what your frugal luxuries are that you enjoy this time of year. I know that I am always inspired by all of you!
