Kindle Love

Okay so it's a little closer to February than it is the start of January 2012 lol These things can't be helped. During all of my busy-ness, somewhere between Christmas and New Year I got a Kindle. I have to say, it's one of the best presents ever!

I have always loved reading and I have a whole room full of books.... I would take a photo, but you really don't want to see this room in my house lol. I have purchased a couple of books, but I have to say that I am amazed by the number of free books!

I have been downloading so many free Kindle books it just isn't funny. Some of them have been fantastic, and others.....Well, I would be really disappointed if I had paid for them.
I'm going to list a couple of the free books here with links, just in case you're interested in reading them.

I Love Being Jewish (By Choice) - Deborah Morrison

Okay, this was free. It is now $0.99, this happens to some of the free books, when they're free you need to snap them up, because sometimes the author changes the price.
However, this book is worth the price tag. I really enjoyed this book, it's only about 40 pages long. Due to it only being 40 pages long, all I will say is this woman had an interesting journey from being Christian to Jewish.

Afterlife Stories from the ER - Mark Randle

This book has also had a change of price, it was free when I downloaded it, but it is now $2.99. It is basically a bunch of true ghost stories told by nurses who work in hospitals and nursing homes. I read some of the short ones to some of the people I work with..... They caught a case of the heebee geebees lol.

Help! I'm Haunted! Dealing with Ghosts - James Sangster

This book I did buy for $0.99. It's pretty much a 'what to do' kind of book with lots of great tips. It was quite an interesting read and worth the price tag.

If you are looking for free Kindle books, check out this link, it is updated hourly:- eReader. There are some others, but this is my favourite at the moment.

I have also joined a reading challenge over at Good Reads, I have pledged that I will read 100 books this year. I think I'll make it lol, I take my Kindle everywhere with me.

I know this post looks like one long advertisement, but I am not being paid for any of the links, I just wanted to share some interesting books with you.

As I read/find more great reads I'll post them up here. Or you could check out the Good Reads icon in the far right column, I rate all the books I read, both good and not so good.

Christmas 2011

I'm not sure how many more posts I'll get in before the end of the year..... I hope that next year is a little quieter, a little less busy and a whole lot less stressful!

Today while I was wrapping Christmas presents for my wife, I listened to some Christmas carols. The disc that was playing was one of the first Christmas cd's we got when we first moved in to a horrible little rental property about 11 years ago.

I remembered that we moved in just before Christmas. God it was horrible little house! We sweated during summer and almost froze during winter! It was drafty and the windows would leak when it rained, the carpet and the curtains were also threadbare.

We didn't have much money back then and our furniture was either 2nd hand or hand me downs or from bargain style shops. We had a small inexpensive tree which we put our presents under and we listened to Christmas carols right through December. At Christmas would would drive from The Blue Mountains to Sydney on Christmas Eve and stay with my parents. Christmas Eve night we would visit my aunt and uncle with the rest of the family and have something of a Christmas party. We gave gifts away as we went, they were never extravagant, they were usually just small items that let people know that we had not forgotten them at Christmas and that we considered them friends and family. 

After the party we would go back to my parents to go to bed. Christmas day we would visit another aunt and then visit my wife's family. Then we would trek back to my parents house for Christmas lunch. Late on Christmas Day, we would pack the car and drive back to our little rental property.

We used to get so excited around Christmas.... We would spend hours either Christmas shopping, wrapping presents, putting up decorations, listening to carols etc But as the years go by, especially the last three years..... Christmas doesn't really do it for us anymore.

This year we did our shopping mostly online and we only listened to Christmas carols yesterday 17/12. I guess since my sister and her religious beliefs caused a massive family fall out, Christmas has not been the same.

Sorry! I should have straightened the star!

We have still decorated the house, mind you, we did it the 2nd week of December... Not the first, which is when we used to do it. This year, Christmas will consist of my wife working a 12 hr shift, I will see her Boxing Day, we will then go and visit some really good friends of ours and have Christmas Lunch on Boxing Day. There will be no trips to my aunt and uncles for a Christmas Eve party as my aunt has since passed away. There will be hanging out at my parents house, as the relationship that my Mother and I once had, has been permanently destroyed by a very selfish sister.

Life seemed more simple when we didn't have much. Is it a coincidence that Christmas used to be great when we didn't have much or that we enjoy it less now that we have more? Are the two related or is my brain just linking them for some weird reason? I'm sorry if you're confused lol I'm probably not making much sense.

It just seems odd, that now that my wife and I have well paying jobs and that we have a nice house (purchased), life is comfortable....... Yet we don't enjoy Christmas all that much anymore.

Do our living conditions reflect the relationships we have with other people? If I have less, will people see me as a better person or less threatening? If I appear to have more, does this encourage hostility from others?

I can't help but see some connection between the two..... Maybe I am over thinking the situation....Perhaps it's simply a case of the older we get the more we earn, so naturally we will have more of either possessions or money. Plus with age, we become a little more wise about who we are willing to share our time with.....? I don't know!!!

Anyway, I have written enough for one day and tied my brain in enough knots!

Have a Great Weekend!!

Tomato Relish & Three Different Pie Maker Pies

I've had a busy day in the kitchen today :o) I started by making tomato relish, Yum! The amount that I made, made just under 3 large jars. This will last quite a while, as you don't need very much of it. I usually put a spoonful on top of tofu which has been marinated overnight, then grilled and served with salad. It's great on burgers as well. :o) The jars are now sitting in the pantry where they will stay for 3-5 weeks.

Relish simmering away

I also made three batches of pies which, I will freeze and take to work for lunch - between leftovers. I may take one pie a week to work, as we usually have leftovers packed for lunches most days.

I made spicy mexican bean pies, yellow curry chicken & veg pies and chicken & veg which I made a gravy for. The ingredients were measured so that there wasn't any waste. I also purchased Coles brand pastry, it was $2 cheaper than the regular brand I buy. I have Frugal Queen to thank for this. lol I know it might seem like commonsense to buy the cheaper option, but I guess when you buy particular things/brands you are so used to buying them, that you don't look for a cheaper option. This is going to be about changing habits, changing the way we shop and looking more closely at prices.

Not my usual brand....But after today....

Anyway, so I purchased both puff and shortcrust in a five pack. I could have saved more had I bought a larger packet, but I wanted to try it first. The only difference that I noticed was that it was ever so slightly smaller in size, but honestly I made do and, to be able to save $2 a packet, I'm sold lol. So I saved $4 today, it doesn't sound like much, but if you calculate how many times a year this item is purchased, it all adds up.

Spicy mexican bean pies being assembled

Spicy mexican bean pies finished

I guess the best pastry sales pitch will be when I actually eat one of these pies, they are on a cooling rack now, waiting to be packaged and put into the freezer. I really love making pies, firstly because I love pies lol but secondly because I know what's in the filling is healthy and not some kind of 'filler'.

So here is my days work:- almost 3 jars of relish and 12 healthy pies.

The Frugal Queen and Dearly Beloved

Howdy,

Well today I am in the kitchen making Tomato relish. I love home made relish especially in summer, as it goes so well with salads. Anyway, more about that in another post lol. The reason for this blog today is to tell you about Frugal Queen.

The other week I was searching for something online..... I cannot remember now what it was. I don't think I found what I was looking for, but what I did find was Frugal Queen's blog.

The page that I was taken to was somewhere in the middle of her blog, after I read the post, I decided to start at the most recent and read my way backwards. Wow! What an amazing woman! Her header states "One woman's journey to pay off her mortgage, drastically reduce consumption and live a simpler life." This is exactly what this blog is all about.

I think that the due to the state of the world that we live in, we all need to try and do our bit to conserve, be that money, energy, water....whatever. Frugal Queen (FQ) has conserving down pat. FQ and her partner DB do not buy new clothes or new furnishings for their home. They make do with what they have and when they do need to replace something, ie clothes, appliances, furnishings they use ebay, car boot sales, freecycle or charity shops.

FQ and DB cook all of their own meals, they do not buy take away, nor do they eat out - unless they have vouchers. I am so completely amazed at with the meals that FQ puts together, she has a real knack for creating something that is nutritious, looks appealing and is inexpensive to make. 

Being the non-handyman type that I am (I do try lol), I take my hat off to DB for maintaining their home the way he does. If something breaks, he fixes it. It's that simple. DB does not throw something away because it is broken or in need of repair. He fixed a lounge suite with timber he had, he fixed a vacuum cleaner by buying a second hand model and using pieces from that to create one cleaner that did the job. He collects discarded magazines and newspapers from his train ride to and from work, as they do not spend money on these items.

FQ discusses the impact the her life has on others, for example:- Weddings and parties which cannot be attended due to budget restrictions, and the fallout from those who don't understand why she makes the decisions that she does.

FQ and DB are on a debt busting mission, FQ blogs about her and DB's journey through this life and how she makes end meet and how she has managed to pay off their debts. This is one blog that I will be tuning into on a regular basis, as so much can be learnt from this truly amazing couple!

I encourage you to stop by Frugal Queen, you might just learn something..... I know I have.

Compospin and Bokashi

Hey There,

Well I've been busy(ish) today. I worked on my composting lol Yes, you do have to work to make compost lol

I love my Compospin compost bin, I have regular square one, but the compospin prevents any of those lazy "I'll just put this green stuff in the bin" moments. For example, if you're mowing the front lawn and your regular compost bin is in the far corner of the backyard..... You get my point. However with the compospin you just roll it along with you! Front yard, backyard, anywhere. Easy!

Beside the Compospin is my Bokashi Bucket. For those of you who have not seen one, they are basically inside composters, except they 'pickle' the contents. At the end of everyday after it has been used, we sprinkle Bokashi Powder over the top and seal the lid. The Bokashi power prevents odours and assists in the pickling process.

Ours lives in the kitchen and we put all of our green waste into it, tea bags, vegie offcuts, tissues, egg shells etc. Sorry, you can't really see it in the photo above, but there is a tap down at the bottom of the bucket.... Every couple of days you drain the bucket, as all of the moisture from the green waste runs to the bottom. The Bokashi tea can then by poured onto plants, which they love!

Once the bucket is full, the pickled contents can either be buried directly into garden beds or tipped into an outdoor composter to be broken down further. I like to empty mine into the outdoor bin, to really break it down.

Okay, well that's enough compost talk for one day! I'm off to read more of Frugal Queen, I'm up to Thursday, 13 May 2010 and I've still got away to go before I'm finished.

Zero Interest and Freecycle

Hey Bloggers,

Well this week we made another baby step in the direction of saving money.  We applied to have our credit card balance, transferred to a zero interest credit so that we are paying the balance, not the interest. Not that we have a massive debt, but I figure zero interest....why not?!?! Lol at the end of the day, money is money and it is better in our pockets than in the banks overstuffed pockets.

Back in December 2010 I blogged about the excess stuff we had and that a clean out was needed. Well, not all that long ago, the daughter of a woman at work lost everything due to a house fire. I saw this as an opportunity to give our extras to someone who now had nothing and could you use this stuff more than we did....  as did everyone else at work.  I can’t imagine what it would be like to lose everything in a fire...... I hope that all of our donations helped this lady and her kids.

Since then I have also made use of Freecycle! What a great concept! Sure, I could have sold the stuff I gave away on Freecycle, but I would rather that it went to a home where someone needed this stuff more than me. I have seen some great items on there, but I'm trying rid myself of unused goods....Not accumulate them lol

Every week I think of something or find something that I know could use a new home and I will continue to donate or give it away. Yeah, I probably paid more than what it was worth at the time of  purchase, but I feel better about giving it away than I do selling it. Yeah... I know, I haven’t really got the hang of this frugal thing have I? lol

Till next time :o)

Seeya :o)

New Blog Old Blog?

Hi Folks,

I know it has been a while. But I have many pots on the boil at the moment. But since I have a few spare minutes, I thought I would take this time to put a post together.

Despite the fact that I haven't posted, I do think about blogging quite a bit. I have my final exam this month, so after that's over... I may have some more time.

Anyway, back to blogging lol. I have arrived at a crossroad.... I'm not sure if I should start a new blog, or incorporate, my new way of thinking into this blog.... Yeah I know, it really doesn't seem like much of an issue! lol

My way of thinking at the moment, is to incorporate my new stuff into this blog, and if it's too much, then start a new one..... I guess if I did blend the new with the old, personal growth in my thinking/life can be seen.

Back in May ( I know!! Shame on me) I mentioned a blog called Towards Sustainability, it made quite an impact on me..... I did read every single post written. Anyway, since then I have tried to take 'baby steps' which is what this blog taught and I have become greener.

However, even though I haven't been blogging, I have been reading. All of this reading has required me to ask these questions:- Can a frugal person be green? Can a green living person be frugal? I have read many blogs/websites that are often one or the other..... Sometimes the line between to the two slightly blurrs, but often the writer is either a 'greenie' or someone who lives a frugal lifestyle.

My question is can you successfully be both? Now don't get me wrong, prior to all of this reading, I was never really a spend thrift. However, if there was something I needed or wanted, I would buy it..... But the more I read, green living and frugality do have a lot in common and greatly impact on each other.

Does someone choose a green way of life and then become more frugal or is it the other way around? I'm not sure....

So I guess I will begin to write of my green way of life and the changes that are/have been made. I believe change is good. Resistance to change reminds me of this saying:- "The bamboo which bends is stronger than the oak which resists." ~Japanese proverb~

A Quick Catch Up

Yep, this post is a bit of a mish mash due to a lack of 'social time' lol. The reason for the lack of social time is because I have been flat out working at my new job. It's great, and I love it! However, it does chomp into my before work and after work time. Speaking of work, we had a Friday 13th dress up day..... I won! lol I dressed up and took my boney friend to work. He was a huge hit! We won a box of chocolates :o) He has his hand on them:o) Sorry it's not a great photo, I took it with my phone.

Honestly, I have not been up to much lately. Any free time I have, is usually spent just browsing online. Usually because I'm too tired to do much, including blogging.

I did buy a greenhouse online the other day, it should arrive this week :o) I have wanted a greenhouse for a while now..... But I wasn't sure what type to get. Plus, I have a rather small yard, so the greenhouse needed to fit nicely somewhere, without looking like the main feature lol.

After a number of weeks of reading and searching online, I finally found the one that I wanted and put an order in. I will take a photo after it arrives and I have a whole day to assemble it.

During my search for my 'perfect' greenhouse I stumbled upon a blog titled Towards Sustainability. I was hooked! I spent my mornings before work reading it and when I got home I spent a chunk of time reading it. It has taken me a couple of weeks to get from the first page to the last page, but it was worth it. I guess one of the reasons that I loved this blog, was because Julie (blog owner) does not live far from where I am. So the content (climate wise) is relevant.

The most important thing I took away from this blog was 'baby steps'. lol When I get an idea in my head, I usually just charge at it...... Then promptly fail lol. So I figured that the baby steps message was one that I should take note of.

Okay, it's time to organise dinner. I'm cooking Quinoa Black Bean Salad tonight, I haven't cooked with quinoa before, so I hope it turns out ok :o) I'll leave you with this photo....

Damn! We've been caught!