Frugal Getaway {part deux}

I find it amazing that despite the winter doldrums, skimpy pocketbook, and general recession fed malaise that seemingly strikes at will, one can still find a little respite, a frugal getaway of sorts.

We enjoyed just such a getaway and found ourselves swooshing down the side of a mountain, wind in our hair and bright snow reflected sun in our eyes. Okay, no actual downhill swooshing took place. We cross country skied. More like panted and sweated with bright snow reflected sun in our eyes, but it was glorious!

You may remember how we scored a weekend on the Oregon coast, our first frugal getaway. A little work around the place and our stay was free. Likewise, the gear for our mountain getaway to Bend Oregon was wrangled via a homemade pumpkin pie. And you know very well you can't make only one pumpkin pie, making it a sweet deal all the way around. Our one night stay at the Shilo Inn was discounted because HH is a veteran, and a generous breakfast buffet was included. Hello, frugal happy happy dance!

I don't think an expensive crowded snow resort or any amount of downhill hill swooshing would have been as peaceful and beautiful as the few hours we spent on this snowy trail.

If you're lamenting leaner days too, think about putting the word out to your network of friends and family and see what you come up with for your own frugal getaway. I'm sure it'll be fabulous.

wooooooodoggie!

Sisterhood

Sisters. I got lots of them. I am from a big family and my older sister and I are less than a year apart. My mom treated us kinda like twins. We frequently wore the same outfits and hairstyles. But we were not a well to do family. Quite the opposite, as is true of many families.

Rit Dye was just the trick for my frugal mother. And a pair of scissors were an artists tool in her hands as she rendered two small toddlers the same hairdo. I cringed at the bobby pins though and did not tolerate them well to the disappointment of my homemaker gone stylist mom. And I haven't mentioned my three older brothers and their dealings with mom and her clippers.

Mmhmm. yeah. One heck of a mom!

So I carry with me by osmosis my mother's frugal sensibilities. And when I want to show my Sibs how dearly loved they are, I only need to look in my own bag of tricks. Here is my latest.

If you have a stash of cards with the little music player inside then you know how long-g-g-g-g-g-g lasting those gizmos are. So why not re-cycle, re-do, re-gift them to the ones you love. Beats standing in Hallmark looking for the perfect card. Been there, done that.

I used a photo from my computer archives, and a Lady Marmalade playing birthday card I received from another sister. I decided to just sign my name to her sentiments, cuz well, were sisters, and we love each other alike.

I crafted an envelope from plain brown craft paper.
Rubber stamped some details,

and




Mooka-choka lata ya ya !