A Happy Home

Your home should be a place where you feel cozy and happy. When you look around you should see people and things that make you smile. 

I admit freely that I am a huge homebody. There's really no place I'd rather be than in my cozy home, or wandering around my property in my country gardens. 

Perhaps it's because I don't have enough time to spend there....we have many social commitments that keep me away as well as that dreaded 4 letter word....WORK. 

I suppose its the quality of the time I spend in my home that's most important, not the quantity of time. 

As I drank my morning coffee I looked around from my perch on the chair closest to the fire and smiled at the place I am so blessed to call home. 

And I did what I am so often compelled to do these days....I grabbed the camera and started capturing the simple beauty I'm surrounded with, so I could share with all of you, my dear readers. 

I was first drawn to the side dining room window. I have been checking the Fiddleleaf  Fig daily to see if there are any signs of new growth since I moved it to this new location. It's certainly happy! I see a new leaf has emerged, which is a great sign. 

While I was there I watched the woodpecker on the suet....for once, she didn't fly away as soon as I went near the window with  my camera. 

Can you see the giant icicle that's also on the suet? It's not stopping the birds from enjoying their little treat, thankfully. 

The sun was lovely streaming through the dining room windows this morning. I truly love this little dining room, it's just such a warm and welcoming space.  

Taking a peek out the other dining room window I spotted this little red squirrel making his way to the flat feeder. 

I caught him mid jump - he's like a flying squirrel!

He made it safely and happily sat on the feeder stuffing his little cheeks with peanuts and seeds. 

I throw a pile of peanuts in the shell onto that feeder every morning along with a cup of mixed seeds. The flat feeder is also a handy spot to put any leftover popcorn or stale bread - the critters eat it all. 

This little guy made his way home with me when I went off the mountain the other night. It's a Money Tree or Guiana Chestnut. Wouldn't it be great if it really grew money? I love the form of this little tree, and the braided trunk. I've never had one of these so it will be interesting to see if it will do well in my home. 

For now, I have him on the bookcase in the living room, but I'm not sure he will stay there. All I know is, he insisted on coming home with me. I kept putting him back on the shelf and he kept jumping back into my cart when my head was turned. I had no choice but to bring him home - what else could I do?

This little Poinsettia is quite happy on the kitchen counter. I don't think I've ever had a Poinsettia that lasted so well after Christmas. I have two others that are still alive in the guest room but are dropping leaves like crazy. Not this one!

Just look at that Pothos trailing down the side of my china hutch - wow! I think he loves the sunshine in the dining room almost as much as I do! 

This Pothos has been in this little rooster pot for years. Probably ten years or so. And it has never been happy....until now! It loves this spot in my kitchen on top of my mail organizer. It gets lots of sun from the skylight in the kitchen and it is just thriving!

The same with this plant - I have had it for eons. I always thought it hated me! I believe this is known as an "Arrowhead Plant" from my research online. I don't even remember where I got it but I have had it in so many locations and it always survived but never flourished. Until now. 

It seems that the houseplants and critters are all quite happy in and around my little home. 

Me, too. Out of the many places I've lived, this home is by far my favorite. 

Which is just as well since I'm never leaving. 

I'm home to stay. 

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No Spend Month - Week Three Recap

I can't believe it's been three weeks since I began my first no-spend month! I doubt that there has been another time in my adult life when I went three whole weeks without spending any money (other than on bills, of course!) and it feels amazing that I have made it this far!

The challenges have been few, as apparently I did quite a good job of prepping for my no-spend month. We certainly haven't struggled with food, that's for sure! I've been using up the perishables first, of course, and then going to the freezer to supplement. 

My daughter also picked up a few bits of fresh produce when she was at Trader Joe's so that helped. 

As you can see, my produce tower still looks pretty well stocked. Take note of the bananas and avocados in the second tier - my daughter bought those and they are still there because I happen to be allergic to both bananas and avocados! Otherwise they would have been all gone by now. 

I'm on my last bag of sweet onions. My potatoes are starting to grow eyes so I'm using them up these days. The sweet potatoes will need to be used in the next couple of days as well. I generally just wrap them in foil and pop them in the crock pot on low - they are cooked perfectly when I get home. Just remember to line the crock pot with foil as well - sweet potatoes leave an awful mess when they 'leak' out of the foil wrappers!

I'm starting to work my way through the fall produce now - I left it until later in the challenge as it lasts so much longer than things like fresh green beans, spinach, etc. 

See that monster green squash? I grew that baby in my little veggie garden - I had no idea what it was until my dear friend Maureen identified it for me! 

Apparently it's a Hubbard Squash - it seems the squash plant I purchased at the nursery was mislabeled as Acorn Squash. I still don't know what I'm going to do with it but at least now I know what it is. 

I still have that beautiful pumpkin also that I bought ages ago at the farmers' market - I had no idea what I would do with it but after that absolutely incredible Pumpkin Lasagna I made over the weekend I am definitely going to do the same with this pumpkin!

I'm completely out of fresh fruit and have been resorting to frozen fruit on my Greek yogurt in the mornings. I was also out of Greek yogurt but my sweetie picked up some when he was at the market - thanks, Sweetie! I just pop the frozen berries in the microwave for about 30 seconds before dumping them on my yogurt and it works like a charm. 

My grocery list is growing and growing....

....I have no doubt that next Monday when my challenge has ended I will need to hit the market on the way home from work!

My gas tank is a little over 1/4 full. I'm not sure I'll make it through to the end but we'll see. 

My wine supply is dwindling.....I'll have to re-stock after the challenge. Of course, I am still waiting for my daughters to replace all the wine they drank....ahem. 

I'm still puttering around the house, doing this and that, but not spending any money on the updates. 

My recent post on the lack of a proper entry in my house prompted me to finally hang some hooks by the kitchen door. 

I bought a few of these hooks back when I was moving into this house - there's one on the back of the other door that leads to the deck, also. And one in my daughter's room, by her door. I think I have one more, possibly two, in my utility room, just waiting for the right spot. You can't have enough hooks in my opinion!

Over the weekend I moved my Fiddleleaf Fig into the dining room so it can get some more sun. It seems to be kind of naked on one side, probably because I had it over next to the fireplace. Hopefully it will start to fill out now. 

And then I read Sarah's post about her Fiddleleaf Figs and how she makes the leaves shine - guess what I did last night while dinner was cooking?  It works like a charm - thanks, Sarah!

After dinner, when I went out to let the pups out, the moon was incredible and the sky so beautiful I had to run back in for the camera. 

And yes, I am still putting on my holiday lights every evening. I haven't unplugged the lights around the eaves yet....that will happen soon. The lights on the deck railing will stay - I use them all season when I sit out on the deck in the evenings. 

Seriously, just look at that sky! Gorgeous!

I'm thinking the full moon last night must have had something to do with the beautiful sky this morning as well. 

I feel so blessed.