Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: January 8 ~ 14, 2017

[ReneeT]

Brrrr!! Another ch-ch-chilly day here, with the thermometer hovering just above 0*F. Of course, by Thursday, the temps are supposed to be in the high 40's I thought we'd already had our normal-for-us January 'thaw' and rain early last week, but it looks like we have another one coming, and I, for one, am glad. I didn't have a chance to refill my rainwater jugs that I use in the canner and for watering my plants last week, but I will surely be out under a downspout with my 5 gallon jugs and buckets on Thursday!

The garden porn is coming in - I'm going to enjoy lollygagging around on the couch with a stack of seed and plant catalogs next week while I am off work I'm seriously going to TRY to keep the garden down to a reasonable size this year - we'll see how well it works out... There is an 11am-11pm - 3 day/week shift opening up in my department that I have been considering, but I am not sure if I would really like it or not - I'd probably stay up late, sleep in, and lounge around until it was time to go to work, then be mad that I hadn't gotten anything useful done - and none of my favorite stores would be open by the time I got off work, sooo....maybe not!

Today is donut day at work, so I need to pull on a jacket and run out to start the van here in a minute in order to let it warm up just a bit before I head out early to pick them up. No one has cooked around here the past couple of days so I'm likely to be taking a peanut butter 'n jelly sammich in my lunch - maybe I'll swing by the deli 'leftovers' area on my way to the checkout.... One of my patients told me about the leftover area, and what time they mark it down, and when to go to get the best deals!

Whoops! There's the 'you have 15 minutes; make the best of it!' alarm; gotta go! Take care all; have a safe and joyful week!

 

[Jonas Parker]

Here's something to plan as a summer project ~ stolen from a UK board:

Oil Cloth Recipe

First you need to prep your cloth. 100% cotton works best. You can get canvas at Walmart, or by a canvas painters tarp at the Paint store or Harbor freight. Do not use the cheap 8oz canvas tarps, their weave is too open and they never close up. The best way to prep it is wash it in hot water and dry it on hot setting. This shrinks the fabric and closes the weave.

Next you need to mix some simple chemicals. You will need one quart of mineral spirits (You are not wanting mineral oil. Mineral oil will not work), which is available as "paint thinner" at Lowes, Home Depot or any paint store. You will also need a quart of boiled linseed oil. It is available at the same place. If you go to Sherwin Williams or Porter Paints, you can get tarp and chemicals at the same stop.

Mix the mineral spirits and linseed oil 50/50. Shake it up good. You need the combination of chemicals. The linseed oil waterproofs the fabric and the mineral spirits allow the oil to dry. If you use straight linseed oil the fabric will never dry and will remain oily and sticky forever. (At this point you can also add pigment if you want color in the tarp.)

Hang your prepared tarp from a clothesline or the back yard fence and paint it with the solution. Make sure it is saturated well. Leave the tarp hanging until it dries. With the 50/50 mixture it will take about 48 hours. It will take the smell about a week to disperse. It is best to leave it hanging in a shaded spot for at least a week.

My method is not only the traditional method, it is also cheap. It costs only a fraction of the cost of Camp Dry, Scotch Guard or commercial waterproofer.

I have a couple of the linseed/mineral spirit tarps that I have been using for 15 years. The waterproofing never wears out and it does not rot the canvas.

I have also used this recipe to waterproof knapsacks and possible bags. It is nice to know your possible bag will double as a water bucket if necessary.

Have patience. It is going to take some time. Things usually did back in the old days. This is not a treatment you will do on Monday to take to the woods on Friday!

CAUTION!!!!

The tarp must be left outside and hanging until the oils have dispersed well. Do not try to fold the wet tarp and store it. Linseed oil can cause spontaneous combustion if the fabric in folded or wadded up and stored before it dries.

Neither do you want to get this tarp or any items treated with linseed oil near the fire.

 

[Illini Warrior]

I've used the method for years to re-new custom car & boat covers - always cut the linseed oil by more than 50% with the mineral spirits - more like a 75-25 or 60-30 ratio ...

a tite knap paint roller cover does a decent job for application - do one side and let dry for a few days - flip and do the reverse .... a really heavy canvas tarp could require two applications - it soaks

also not a bad recipe for wood handle treatment on the long handle garden tools or wood ladders - the thinner linseed oil cut give better wood penetration for the wood that's been abused thru poor maintenance ....

 

[Bensam]

I have successfully used Thompson's Water Seal to treat canvas tents and canvas tarps. Apply with a compression sprayer. Allow to dry for 24 to 48 hours. Works wonderfully.

 

[ReneeT]

Thanks for the info on waterproofing tarps and wood handles - great info to have!!

I ended up pulling an unplanned 16 hour shift on Saturday, followed by a 14 hour one on Sunday - my Sunday papers are still in my backpack, so beyond a tip my dear friend texted me re: CVS and Boost, I don't know if there will be anything useful in those sale ads or coupon fliers yet. I did see a grocery store ad that came in the mail today - split chicken breast for 88 cents/lb, and I have a friend who is wanting to learn how to can chicken; may be a good time to get that done while I am off on vacation.

Today was pretty much a wash - getting over working 30 out of 38 hours (and driving 2 of those 'spare' 8 hours!) I got the birdfeeders filled before the neighbor lady got here to pick me up for aqua aerobics, which was followed by a coffee at McDonalds; then I rode along and kept her company while she ran errands. And then I came home and somehow ended up on the couch around 1pm and didn't crawl back off of it until a bit after 4. Simple supper tonight - spaghetti and salad; now the dishes are done and I'm ready to be lazy again The spaghetti will likely serve as lunch tomorrow as well, so I'll just have to think about supper - Salisbury steak, maybe; or ham loaf with scalloped pineapple...

Tomorrow is aqua aerobics with the ladies again; followed by a run to daughter's town to pick up some hats I ordered from a lady. Then I have a doctor's appointment at 1pm - I swear I've done more doctoring in the past few months... This should be it for a while, at least! I'm hoping to get a chance to look at the sale ads before then - looking for a good sale on spaghetti sauce as we're down to about 6 jars. I've not found a home canned recipe that I really like, but do have plenty of 'ingredients' on hand for making it by the meal. I may swing by the appliance dealers in town to see what a new washer and dryer would run us - Hubs is not wanting to buy used again - the washer we bought used for $75 the last time I had cancer has lasted 7 years; I don't think that was too bad of a deal, but I reckon maybe if we buy new they will last as long as we do Maybe seeing the prices will scare him into getting a good used set though....

Well darn, I'm yawning so big I can barely see the screen (and sitting way too close to a container of peanut butter fudge a friend brought over lol!) so I reckon I'd better snag those ads and see if I can stay awake long enough to look at 'em

Take care all; stay safe!

 

[moldy]

Good heavens, Renee! Go to bed!

Working on the retirement place till Wednesday (or until we get to a stopping place), dogs to the vet Wednesday, I work Thursday. I"ve been gradually inventorying my canned goods to see what to plant this year. I have seeds for most everything, I kinda hate to place an order with anyone for such a little bit - but i will.

 

[nomifyle]

Still decluttering in the kitchen and my office. I can actually see half of the floor in my office. I moved my treadmill to a different spot and I think it will work out well, its no longer blocking anything. Dh would like to see me get my recumbent bike and rowing machine out of the living room, but there is no other place to put them. He would probably complain less if he saw me using them. I need some floor space in my office so I can do yoga, I am so stiff and unflexible that I can hardly get up and down on the floor, that's a miserable feeling. Its slow, but this plan I'm following is really keeping me from getting overwhelmed. If I start to get overwhelmed I go in the kitchen and wipe down my cleaning off counters and already clean stove. Its inspiring.

Judy

 

[anna43]

I decided to make January a no-spend month so only preps will be with what I have on-hand. I'm having an issue with copper pipes leaking -- third leak in as many months -- so I have a plumber coming out to give me an estimate on re-piping the house. Sounds like I have several more no-spend months in my future!

Actually, staying home and not spending money is a good prep if you use your time wisely. Cleaning, decluttering, sewing, reading, watching instructional u-tube videos, planning the garden, canning dried beans. Also, need to sort and discard a lot of my too old seeds, organize what's left and order what I need to replace. I need to do germination testing of saved seeds to determine what's viable and what's not.

Also, a good time to get on my treadmill instead of just thinking about it.

The weather is nasty today. Started above freezing with rain, then temps dropped and everything turned to ice, also light snow and high winds. I went to the mail box early to take a couple cards and although I put on my Yak tracks I didn't need them. When I went out to get the mail a couple hours later, I again put on the Yak tracks and still slipped and slid my way down the drive. Really a good day to hibernate!

 

[ReneeT]

Added a few items to the pantry today (and to daughter's freezer lol!)

After going with the neighbor lady to swim/do aqua aerobics this morning, she was kind enough to let me pop into CVS, where I picked up 4 more cartons of Boost for a total of $30. I used 4 - $3 coupons, a $2/2 Boost scanner coupon, and the $10 Extra Care Buck I got from the last Boost purchase = $22; paid $6 plus tax out of pocket and got back another $10 Extra Care Buck. The 4 cartons should last Hubby almost 5 weeks. I have more coupons, thanks to my dear friend, so I may do the deal one more time this week using Buddy's card. While at CVS, I also grabbed a gallon of milk for $1.99; used a 75 cent Extra Care Buck I got for buying candy last week (2 pks of M&Ms @ 99 cents; used a buy one get one free coupon, paid 99 cents, got back the 75 cent ECB); so paid $1.25 with tax out of pocket; got back a $1 Extra Care Buck.

Co-worker Buddy needed to make a trip to another town"and called to ask if I would ride along to keep him company; I said "Sure!" so he picked me up around 1pm and off we went. First stop was a foo-foo popcorn shop - he was getting some for our co-worker whose retirement party is Friday. Since he had a punch card, I put my bag with his order and told him I would give him cash for it....well, his bags finished off the punch card, which meant he got a free bag, which he insisted was mine

Then it was off to the locally owned chain grocery store; I didn't pick up much there - a loaf of 'English muffin' bread that I don't get to have very often, a bag of apples, and a bottle of salad dressing that Hubby had asked me to look for; scanned Buddy's fuel perks card when I checked out (cashier told me to) to give him the benefit of my purchases.

Next stop was Walgreen's. First purchase was a bag of Trolli gummy worms; paid $1.50 + tax; got back a $1.50 Register Reward. Second purchase was 6 packs of Juicy Fruit Starburst gum @ 69 cents each = $4.14, plus 2 pkg of M&Ms @ 59 cents each. I used 3 - 50 cent off 2 Juicy Fruit coupons, a buy one get one free M&M coupon (59 cents) and the $1.50 register reward; paid $1.73 plus tax. The candies are going in a small tote to be used in Easter Baskets - it's only a bit over 3 months away! Last purchase was 4, 6oz pkg of Butterball turkey bacon (I don't see the point of turkey bacon, but daughter and family like it, so...) @ 2/$2 = $4, and 6 cans of Progresso soup @ 2/$2.50 = $7.50; total $11.50. I used 3 - 50 cent off 2 Progresso coupons and 4 - 55 cents/1 Butterball coupons = $3.70; paid $7.80 plus tax or $1 per can of soup and 45 cents per pkg of 'bacon'.

Last stop on the way out of town was a quick trip through McDonalds drive up - Buddy needed caffiene and had a buy one get one free foo-foo coffee coupon, so I gave him the $1 and bit of change left out of the $20 I'd left home with early this morning (used debit card for groceries) and he dug around in his change cup for enough more to pay for a couple of small Mocha coffees for us

Home now, birdfeeders all filled, compost carried out, and some empty boxes from work brought in to the house (gonna fill 'em up and take them to the thrift store tomorrow!) and I'm about ready to plop down and see if I can fit a few more pieces in the jigsaw puzzle (brand new; $3 at the thrift store last week) I laid out on the library table in the living room the other day. My father and I always worked on jigsaw puzzles together, so it made me a tiny bit melancholy when I laid all the pieces out .... but then I thought about how he'd be grousing about a 1,000 piece puzzle and the complexity of the scene and smiled instead

Take care all; wishing you all something to bring a smile to your face today!

 

[prudentwatcher]

I've spent the last few months fine-tuning a budget now that I have a full time job. I now have everything set up the way I want it with a plan to pay off debts, save for retirement and take trips. I opened a brokerage account for investments and will be transferring my IRA to another mutual fund company as I don't think the company I've been with for the last 25 years (which sold to another company 10 years ago or so) has been doing so great the last few years. I've been working on ways to maximize my outside income and cut expenses (an ongoing project for several years). I feel that I am in a good place to make things happen and to really kick off from where I am currently at. Everything is all coming together and it is exciting!

 

[nomifyle]

Since the last couple of days on my declutter plan were things I already have control over, I'm working in other areas. The living room is looking better, I have some totes to move out of the house and a couple of walls I want to hang pictures on. My kitchen counter has a one foot ledge on the backside of it, which is in the living room. I cleaned all the clutter from there and put decorative dust catchers on there that look nice. One way to keep me from cluttering it up again. I'm seeing a bit of a difference all over the place and its so encouraging.

Judy

 

[moldy]

More working on the retirement place today and clean up. Now I will spend any extra time at work trying to figure out a floorplan. I need to measure some appliances so I can see where they will fit. We did get a window replaced, so the front of the house looks so much better. It was so much nicer working inside than it was Wednesday when we put the roof on the little addition. I swear it took me 2 days to get warmed up, even with having hot flashes!

Managed to go thru a couple drawers and get rid of clothes I either don't like or that don't fit. We are being supplied scrubs at work, so my colorful ones will get packed away (that should make a little more room in our closet). I"m going thru magazines and making recipes that look interesting - so far, they've been pretty meh.

 

[SAPPHIRE]

Go to printablecouponsanddeals. com and the Jan 13 posting of DiGiornio Pizza deals coming to CVS............print out pizza coupons at this site and use with apps...........hope this helps someone......

 

[ReneeT]

I'm laughing, Moldy - I just carried 8 sets of scrub pants/short and long sleeve lab jackets to the thrift store Friday morning - when the new VP of Patient Care came in last summer, she decreed a new color of scrubs for RNs - at least the hospital paid for half the cost. Decided the older ones weren't doing me as much good as space in the closet would (I can live with the royal blue color of the 6 new sets if I change jobs), so toted them out to the van. I'm hoping that one of the CNAs or LPNs at one of the three local nursing/assisted living homes will find them useful. I left them on the hangers in sets and told the ladies that they were all the same size - and asked them to put a cheap price on them

Had to put together a pan of BBQ meatballs and one of hash brown cassarole Friday morning - used stuff out of the pantry and freezer to do so; then stuffed them in a cooler bag and ran to daughter's town to drop off the scrubs, pay younger grandson's private pre-school tuition (only 4 more months of tuition!), and pick up some hats I'd ordered made. Zipped back the other direction, shoved the grub in the oven at Buddy's house to cook and left him to watch it while I ran errands for both of us - lots of hoopla about the incoming ice storm so there were about a zillion people at both stores (very proud of both of us - no bread, milk, eggs or beer on either one of our lists!) We went to the retirement dinner at work and I'm very glad we did - not a one of the night shift crew showed up, and neither of my two regular co-workers were there either. We're a small unit, so that was a hit - Buddy and I both blamed the coming ice storm for the low attendance, so I'm hoping the retiree's feelings weren't too hurt. Good thing that those of us who came made plenty of grub though - boss called up folks from other units, security, etc... and they came up and joined us, so it ended up being a nice crowd.

I'd planned to swing by the town the pool is in when the party was over - pay for my membership and maybe exercise in the pool at bit - but the weathermen were preaching (or maybe screeching would be a better word!!) doom and destruction, so instead I just hit Rural King on the way out of town and stocked up on two weeks worth of bird food. Got home and was just finishing up getting it all toted into the shed and put in the barrels when I heard rain hitting the shed roof... just sprinkling though, and rain, not freezing rain. I barely even got damp filling the bird feeders!

Worked on my jigsaw puzzle at bit more until the daylight had faded, cut up some old clothes into rags for the shed until about 5:30pm, then put the small pans of bbq meatballs and hash brown cassarole I'd saved back from the ones I made for the party in the oven (hey, if I'm gonna cook, I'm gonna make it worthwhile lol!), and opened a jar of home canned green beans, added some dehydrated onion and a piece of torn up cooked bacon, and set the pan to simmer on the stove for a bit. Hubby was pretty happy to see dinner ready when he got up He ended up leaving for work a bit early as some of the rain froze on the vehicles; no problem getting to work, but the drive home this morning once he got off the highway and on to the country roads was a bit of an adventure, he said.

I couldn't think of a single thing I needed or wanted to do bad enough to brave the roads today, so I stayed home but didn't get a darn thing accomplished other than laundry and dishes - because I suddenly remembered that I was on vacation, so I decided to act like it I read one and a half books, took a nice long bubble bath with some lilac scent stuff granddaughter left out in the bathroom, watched the birds at the birdfeeders, got quite a bit done on the jigsaw puzzle, and wrote out a to-do list for next week! Hubby's uniforms are clean, and I don't even have to cook as he has plenty of leftovers for supper tonight - unless he took them in his lunch - guess maybe I'd better check!

I think I might just go ahead and change into my pjs and robe and plop down on the couch to finish up the other half of that book

Take care, All; stay safe out there!

 

[BinWa]

Due to our weather I did not get out to shop for food storage but did get things done inside. Also added $5.00 to my envelope.