Clutter Busting Challenge September 2017

This month I don't have as many pictures of my purge. My husband and I cleaned out the shed and forgot to take pictures and once we realized it we didn't feel like doing it. We purged leftover parts from our camper renovation and he purged a few of his things. I would guess overall we purged 50 items not pictured from the shed, plus the 22 items pictured, my 54 yard sale/donate items, and my husband's 11 sold yard sale items with a total of 137 items for the month. That's a big amount compared to the rest of the months in 2017 with a average of 30 items per month.

My purge pile:

We decide to collect some stuff to sell at the Community Yard Sale. I collected about 54 items and I'm donating all my leftovers. The guys are keeping their things to sell later on ebay or something.

Cleaning the Camper

Shawn and I have had a great time with our camper this Summer. On Saturday, it was a nice warm day so we decided to do a bit of cleaning on the outside of our camper.. Shawn put the tire rimes back onto the camper. I scrubbed mildew/mold/gunk off the awning on the front end of the camper and removed sticker residue from all the outside windows. We removed tape residue from the front and back corners of the outside.  We washed the camper with soapy water before spraying it off. We did Rain-X on all the windows of the camper and our vehicles. We put Armor-All on the tires of the camper and our vehicles.

As we were starting to wash.

This was after I scrubbed mildew/mold/gunk off the front end awning.

After we finished washing. The pictures doesn't show as much difference but it was definitely dirty before we cleaned it. We bought the 1984 Foxfire camper and had it delivered to us on November 1, 2016. It's hard to tell when the last time someone has cleaned it.

September 2017 Reading List

The Treasured Brides Collection by Grace Livingston Hill
The Big Blue Soldier
Found Treasure
The Patch of Blue

Texas Charm by DiAnn Mills
Country Charm
Equestrian Charm
Cassidy's Charm
Compassion's Charm

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

·         1/2 cup butter, softened

·         4-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

·         2  teaspoons vanilla extract

·         5 to 6 tablespoons 2% milk

In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Yield: About 3 cups.

Change up the flavor. Prepare the recipe as directed making the following substitutions:
Almond: Add 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon almond extract instead of the vanilla.
Chocolate: Use 4 cups confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup baking cocoa and 6-7 tablespoons milk.
Lemon: Use 5-6 tablespoons lemon juice instead of the milk and 1 teaspoon grated peel.
Orange: Use 5-6 tablespoons orange juice instead of the milk and add 1 teaspoon grated orange peel.
Peanut Butter: Use 1/2 cup peanut butter instead of the butter and use 6-8 tablespoons milk.
Peppermint: Use 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract instead of the vanilla.

Mandarin Orange Cream Pie (aka Jello Pie)

·         1 package (3 ounces) orange or sparkling mandarin orange gelatin

·         1/2 cup boiling water

·         1-1/4 cups cold club soda

·         1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)

·         1/2 cup whipped topping

·         1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, well drained

1.      In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in soda. Set aside 1/2 cup at room temperature. Refrigerate remaining gelatin mixture for 20 minutes or until slightly thickened; pour into crust. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.

2.      Whisk whipped topping into reserved gelatin mixture. Slowly pour into crust. Arrange orange segments over the top and press down lightly. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until firm. Yield: 6-8 servings.

My Frugal 5 – The Entertainment Edition

1. I went on a book buying ban 3 yrs. ago and haven’t needed to buy a book yet. I read the books on my bookshelf that I already own. I had bought all the books at yard sales and thrift stores for $1 or less over the years.  I donated tons of books that were no long of my interest to a local thrift store charity that gives everything away for free. I donate the books after I finish reading them to someone who enjoys the same genre as I do.

2. I listen to music on YouTube instead of paying for music services or buying CD’s. My favorite music is praise and worship. I’ve listened to music from my birth year of 1972 recently for fun. I’ve listened to 80’s music too.  I watch interesting videos on many topics. I’ve heard a few inspiring TED Talks lately. We’ve used YouTube to find how-to video’s to do repairs or projects around our home including sanding floors, renovating a camper, and repairing our cars. 

3. I listen to free podcast’s on topics of my interest such as finances, homemaking, and organizing.  I’ve been listening to a lot of Organize 365 over the last month. My favorites are episodes 144, 145, 147 (3 stages of organization) and a few from the productivity series (110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 124). I did the Back to School Blitz week that was featured on the facebook page last month too. It was focused on preparing for fall whether you have kids in school or not.

4. I don’t watch much TV, maybe a movie once or twice a month. I like to spend a Saturday watching Hallmark Channel movies on cable every couple months.  I've recently watched Summer in the Vineyard and Eat, Play, Love. I’ve watched a couple series/movies on Netflix recently like the Grace and Frankie series and the movie series Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life.  I must have gotten bored with my normal routine. LOL 

5. I like to craft and I try to do a project 1-2 times a month.  I went on a craft supply buying freeze 7 yrs. ago. I had bought most of my supplies at thrift stores, yard sales, and occasionally Wal-Mart. I use what I have instead of purchasing more. It takes some thought and creativity. I find project ideas for free using library books or on-line. I painted and redid my little craft/office 2 yrs. ago. I donated all the supplies, crafts, and project that I no longer want to do. I donated all the kid science and craft kits since my children are young adults. Our 3 yrs. and 5 yrs.  grandkids love to craft and it’s the first place they head to upon entering our home.