Saturday Schmaterings and a Little Thrifty

   

The pond from the east end. Water is so low,
wildflower and milkweed grew so much
the water isn't visible from this angle.

 Happy weekend to you all. I never have much to write about on Saturdays-no theme. It's just a little collection of things on my mind. I was so busy Thursday with having to brave the commuter lanes, I never got around to a Thrifty Thursday  post, so I'll capture a few ways I was sort of thrifty with my time, resources and money here. 

Top Thrifty Things for the week, no specific order and covering time, resources, and money

1. Brought water and snacks to my daughters mudd run, which was a good thing as the concessions were very limited, and not really anything for her. 
2. Did not buy extra fall stuff in Dollar Tree even thought things were cheap and cute. I am happy to have not wasted the money or added to more consumerism of stuff made cheaply in foreign countries. 
3. Brought a water bottle to the office and filled twice while there. I forgot how dry that office is! 
4. Had a nice catch-up with one of the sweetest women while in the office. Not wasted time, but I can see how much time probably gets wasted in  regulars offices compared to all of us teleworking)
5. Made a dozen muffins with berries picked back in July and froze. These were so good, and I nibbled for a few days on them. 
6. I didn't stop at DQ for a Buster Bar on route home form office even though I  really wanted one. Saved nearly $4 and 500 calories.  
7. We didn't feel like cooking last night so ate leftovers-and DH didn't even mind. Well, he had bought himself strawberry ice cream and fruit bars and he must have had at least three of the bars and a bowl of ice cream at some point. Buster bars aside, I am happy to be able to leave ice cream, particularly strawberry, a flavor I really dislike in ice cream. Weird though, I like every so often a  strawberry shake, but it has to be vanilla with real strawberries blended into it, not strawberry ice cream. 
8. I brought home a notepad/mouse pad from my work office. I almost had DH pick one up for me, but here I had  several spares in my work office. I think this was a Christmas gift from a coworker form a few years ago. 
9. Salvaged a bulletin board that had a tear by  pinning a reference card over the tear-now not noticeable at all. It's a make do for moment but will do better. I found a remnant of fabric for 40 cents, will get some spray adhesive and do a DYI upcycle and it will be some office whimsy. 
10. Put together into a couple folders to get printed a few pictures from the Van Gogh experience with, London, and Europe. I will get them printed the next time I have an awesome coupon code that includes freebie prints from Walgreens. They are ready to order. I'll put together in either  collage format with repurposed frames, or multi picture frames for my office. 

     We're now 12 days past the last day of the Minnesota state fair, and 10 from the start of the school year for most  districts in Minnesota. If we start getting a surge of cases, it will start now and pick-up over the coming weeks. Everyone's healthy in my family, at least that I know. Considering how big my family is, niece in law aside, we only had a few cases, and they followed quarantining, and for the most part, needed no special care. My niece-in-law did not go back to her school job this year, figuring she still is in recuperating mode, but will revisit  for the new year. 

     I'm starting to think towards the holiday season, even though it is months away and I don't like to rush seasons. The hype on the news is that we should all expect supply chain shortages so prepare now! I have no one to buy for that needs the latest and greatest new toy or gadget, so I'm not too worried. The hot video games players want will continue to be in high demand. I'm hopeful my son will make it home and the youngest wants us to have a gaming tournament with the Play Station and games he bought us for Christmas two years ago. I'll look into getting another remote, but heck if I know what to buy. I'm more thinking about consumable things I want to serve, prepare as gifts, or have as take along items should get togethers be normal again. I like to watch holiday cooking shows starting  in the fall with hopes to be inspired. The next season of the British Baking Show starts on US Netflix on September 24th. I can't wait! I guess because of Pillsbury, we can't call it  the Bake Off here in the states. Bake Off-how stupid that a company could put a a patent on a  generic phrase like that. 

     With leaving home early tomorrow, there may be no menu plan or a Sunday post. I did a bare bones top off yesterday afternoon when I bought a mum for the porch. I'll need milk and shoot, just remembered I forgot toilet paper. I'll have plenty to cook with and even if I planned,  likely  the plan would change anyway. That's enough schmatterings. I've got an ample list to get done today, followed by take home seltzer's from the brewery. I hope you all have a truly lovely Saturday and the rest of your weekend.