Frugal "Friday" - Easter Week 2020

Quilt binding - before it was pressed.

I realized after the fact that I took exactly one photo of our Easter and it was a plant that was popping out in the garden.  Seriously.  Easter was lovely for us, so I guess that is okay!

We had a slower week this week after quite a bit of busy.  John was home more days this week and we started talking in earnest about setting up more of a rhythm to our days.  I think we're getting there!  There was snow on Sunday (about 5 inches of heavy, wet snow) and then a dusting on Monday and Tuesday.  It was 50F (10C) yesterday and the snow has basically melted.  This is April in Minnesota at its finest! 

Buddy and I started seeds for cucumbers and beans this week.  I need to find my pea seeds and we can start those this week too.  I planted radish seeds as well this past week and I am looking forward to radishes and lettuce in something like 2-3 weeks.  I will plant more radish seeds every two weeks until the end of May. After that it will be warm enough they will not grow well.   I will plant two batches of carrots this year too.  I have a feeling it will be better to grow more vegetables this year.  We have the space and the time, so that is a good idea.

As a family, we have basically been at home.  I did one short shopping trip to purchase groceries and start looking at some small birthday gifts for the children.  My shopping options are limited while we are on stay-at-home orders but I was able to pick up a couple of small things for Missy.  The item I wanted to purchase for Buddy was not in stock.  I am making a few things for their birthday in 3 weeks, but there were a couple of specific small items I wanted to purchase.  We will see!

Being home has its perks - I purchased a tank of gasoline for the car on March 13th.  I still have a half tank left.   Typically I go through a tank and a half per week!   John typically goes through two tanks per week.  He has been going through approximately a tank every week and a half now.  He goes in to work more days per week and has a lower gas mileage vehicle.  We would trade vehicles, except all three days he goes in to work he needs to pick up a load of produce for the food shelf.  My vehicle would not work for that. 

Here are some other things we did this week that were frugal:

* We ate all but one meal cooking from home.  We made a ham dinner with mashed potatoes, corn and fruit for Easter.  We also made scalloped potatoes with ham and salad, hash with sausage, zucchini and potatoes, chicken with Brussels' sprouts and corn, muffins, pancakes, smoothies, scrambled eggs with toast, soup from the freezer and we also ate leftovers this week.

* We did decide to pick up take-out from our favorite small restaurants once a week if we have the money.  This week we purchased chicken from a favorite local restaurant and then rounded the meal out with salad and fruit from home.  For about $10 plus a tip we hope to help keep our favorites open during this time that is so trying.

* John, the children and I continued to exercise at home.  I have been doing live and recorded online Jazzercise classes via our Facebook group and Jazzercise on Demand.  John and Missy have been running together.  Buddy is doing a variety of online workouts.  Both Buddy and Missy have been attending their dance class online.  It has been good and entertaining and we have kicked the coffee table more than once, in spite of moving it out of its usual location!

* I mended two fallen hems and darned three socks.

* Missy and I went through my patterns and fabric.  She will be making an outfit for each of her new baby nieces, a summer romper for herself and a pair of elastic wait shorts for summer. 

* I have been working on a few gifts for the children for their birthday in three weeks.

* I also have been finishing up some partially finished quilts that have been sitting around for quite a while.   I made quilt binding for the first time this past week.  In the past I have done a self-binding, a self-binding with a lace edging, a ruffle or purchased edging.  I didn't realize how easy it was to make the edging and will definitely be doing it in the future!   

* I baked bread and cookies this week.

* John and Missy signed up for a few of the online classes that are offered free right now.  They have been learning magic tricks (both of them), John has been learning video recording techniques that he will use with the online work he is doing for church, and Missy has been learning acrylic painting techniques.  She has been painting for a while but wanted to learn something new.

* We cleaned the garage; tidying the shelves, sweeping out the dirt, road salt and leaves that accumulate over the winter, and making pile of things to donate once we can do that again.

* Missy decorated the driveway using sidewalk chalk we already owned.  We do not have a public sidewalk or she would have decorated that too.

* John and I continued to work primarily from home and the children continued to do school from home online.  I am very grateful. 

What did you do this week that was frugal?