Loaves and Fish: Part III

Aside from laying hands on inanimate objects and selling, giving away or throwing things out that we don't need, I've been able to make quite a few things that I would normally buy.

It really all started with bread and pizza dough. Three years ago, I wanted to learn how to bake my own bread for our meals. I went to the library and borrowed The Bread Bible, a book filled with carbo-lisiousness. After borrowing the book for over three months, Not-So-Classic encouraged me to buy one for myself. Since then, I bake bread all the time and we have homemade pizza at least once a week. It's cheaper (and my family says) it's better than the other options.

After the bread, I realized that there a bunch of other things out there that I can make, rather than buy. Last week I mixed up some spray starch for my husband's shirts. I looked it up online. Water and cornstarch in a spray bottle and Not-So-Classic has freshly starched shirts. If I added it up, it would probably cost me about twenty-five cents. If you can make it fast and cheap, then why buy it? But if it takes too much time away from the ministry that God has given you (for me: my husband and kids) then you should probably just buy it. Your time is priceless, you know.

It is fun to be frugal, but I really should mention that frugality, although great, can be dangerous. If your entire world is surrounded by saving money and your own self-reliance, then you may need to take a step back and remember to honor the One who gives ALL things. We try to remember here at our house that it is God who gives good gifts and whatever way He would like to bless us, is okay with us.

Guess What UPS Brought Her?

She is happier than a clam.

"Loaves and Fish" Part II

Yesterday, I'm sure I delighted my readers with tales of appliance resurrection...today, I wanted to share a money making something that I found this past week.

Clutter isn't good for anything. It started last Saturday when I went to a class called "Pretty...Simply" given by Kerry Shuey. It was all about minimizing our stuff so we could maximize our impact on the kingdom. Kerry shared some neat truths about our internal clutter and our external clutter. "A life filled with yesterday leaves no room for the joy of today." It was like an episode of Clean House without annoying people yelling at you. After I left, I was inspired.

Monday I cleaned out a drawer of clothes. You know, the clothes I've been keeping for three years just in case I ever loose my Bubba weight. Let's face it, if I ever do loose the Bubba weight, I'm not going to want to wear old clothes. If I loose that much weight, I'm going to buy some new duds.

Wednesday, I looked around our school room at another clutter hazard that is completely my fault: excess books. I really can't blame Not-So-Classic for his book collection, since it really only consists of ten books and two of them are Far Side Comics. I remember reading in a magazine about a place that buys books so, I looked it up.

Cash 4 Books is pretty self-explanatory. You type in the ISBN number of a book and they will tell you how much they will buy your book for. Pack up the books, print a shipping label and take it to FedEx. If you have a large enough order, they will pay for shipping as well. I packed up ten books and am awaiting a check for $26. That's money that was just sitting on my shelf doing nothing! The books that they did not buy are neatly placed in a box ready to be donated to the library. Hey, if I could part with them for money, then I could part with them for nothing.

But, Classic Mama, what if you need those books again? Please. Am I going to need books about teaching high school poetry in the next five years? Nope. If I teach high school English again (to other people's kids) then I'm sure I'll be fine. After all, I didn't part with my favorite things, just the ones that I really haven't used in ten years.

"Loaves and Fish" Part I

It's what Not-So-Classic and I say after every good shopping trip, every rebate, and every blessing we have received the last few weeks. The present state of the economy has no bearing on my frugality. I'm frugal when it's raining and when the sun is shining bright. So, in honor of being good stewards (that really is my super power anyway) this post is the first in a series on frugality. It's what we do: the Classic guide to being frugal.

Money that doesn't go out, is money in our pocket. Yes, I know I'm a sage. ;) Not-So-Classic and I try to remember that if we have one that works, then we really don't need a new one AND if it's about to die, we pray over it.

A few months ago, I noticed a steady little stream coming from the door on my front load washing machine. It was only about three years old and I certainly didn't want to buy a new one. Not-So-Classic went online and read a bunch of articles about how horrible our particular model of washer was and how anyone who owns it should really put it out on their lawn instead of paying to fix it. It could not, ever be fixed. It was now junk. Not one to believe bad reports, we actually laid hands on our leaking washing machine. We did nothing to it. Guess what doesn't leak anymore?

As an incentive for our other house, we sacrificed our brand new dishwasher. I have no idea how old our current dishwasher is. It came with the house. About a month ago, it started having drainage issues. We figured out ways around the problem, pushing this button and that one until it drained, sort of. It was really the dishwasher telling us that it's time was drawing short. Then, two weeks ago, I had had it. We laid hands on our non-draining dishwasher. Guess what functions better than ever? Yup. It is now earning it's keep again.

You can do this too. It's not like Not-So-Classic and I cornered the market on appliance resurrection. I don't mean to get all weird on you or anything, but hey, if you have something that isn't working and you don't have the funds, right now, to get a new one, then why not give it a try?

Come on back tomorrow, if you're not too freaked out by the crazy lady who prays for large and small appliances, when I tell you had to make a bit of extra cash off of stuff that you may have lying around. (Hint: it has nothing to do with e-bay.)

Sew Excited

Yesterday, Scarlett joined a bunch of talented ladies to knit, crochet and sew blankets for the babies in a local NICU. Scarlett decided that she wanted to learn to crochet. Thankfully, there are a few ladies who do it quite well and one of them is a dear friend who writes the blog The Thrills of Being a New Mom. Much to Thrills' dismay, Scarlett did not pick up crocheting as fast as knitting and Scarlett even admitted "I don't like crocheting, but Miss Thrills is really nice. She's so pretty." I agree. She is both nice and pretty. Still, my little one did not enjoy crocheting nearly as much as knitting; however, last week, Scarlett was invited to one of her favorite places: the Livin' Life household to learn a bit about sewing.

Off I sent her with her sewing kit and her little bitty twenty dollar sewing machine. When Livin' Life brought her back, she told us that Scarlett's sewing machine was okay, but that it just wasn't able to keep up with Scarlett's craftiness. The rest of the week, Scarlett told me of the beautiful sewing machine at the Livin' Life house. "It can do everything. You push a button and it EMBROIDERS, Mom!"

Last night, Scarlett and I looked at all the wonderful sewing machines on Overstock.com and she fell in love with one that is "almost just like" Miss Livin' Life's. A bit cheaper of course. Scarlett was excited to order the machine, but even more excited that she was purchasing it with her own money. The next five days will be agonizing for her as she waits for her purchase, but I'm enjoying how enamoured my Scarlett is by making things with her own hands. She inspires me.

My Aunt Bee

Do you have someone in your life who loves you, prays for you and tells you the truth? Fortunately, I have a few of those great folks who walk along side of me and today, I get to brag about one of my favorites because today is Aunt Bee's birthday. Her name means "worker bee" and I can't think of a cooler name for her.

My Aunt Bee is usually just as busy as one, but it's not the kind of busy that is worthless or for the sake of being busy. No, Aunt Bee's work is purposeful, timely and strong. Funny thing, Aunt Bee has strength like an ant. She may look like a light-weight, but that woman is worth her weight, plus a few tons, in intercession. If Aunt Bee says that she will pray for you, well then, friend, buckle up because she'll pray for you until that thing is accomplished.


Aunt Bee is just like a mom to me, a good mom. I've never known a day without her loving me, caring for me or telling me how special I am. Today, I'd like to remind her of how very special she is to me, to Not-So-Classic, Bubba, Scarlett and to Brother Bear as well. Happy birthday Aunt Bee, you are inspiring and elegant.

Twice Blessed

The scriptures were not originally written in English. (I know, this is not a revelation to my readers.) One word translated into English could be quite a few different words translated into Hebrew or Greek.

Our wonderful Pastor, who I will refer to hereafter as the German Shepherd, has been leading us through his study on the Beatitudes (Matthew 5). You know, the blessed are the (fill in the blank) for this is what happens. When he looked at the word "blessed" in Greek, he found that this kind of blessed was used only in referring to the Most High. Therefore, changing the meaning from the stoic "you shall be bless-ED" to the "this is the highest coolness that will happen."

This morning, I couldn't seem to get very far in Psalms because I kept asking the Lord questions about the words. In Psalm 1:1, David says, "Blessed is the man who..." I had to see if it was the same blessed. It was not, this one only refers to man and really means "bliss." What does that do to this familiar scripture? The following is a paraphrase of mine after I looked up the key words in Hebrew...

A man who doesn't take counsel from people who are evil, doesn't go along the same journey as those who don't love the Lord and who stay out of assemblies led by folks who mock and aren't genuine will be happy, blissful even.

That sounds about right to me. It's great advice. It's not a tale Psalm that I memorized in ninth grade anymore, it's God telling me that if I want pure bliss, then I should be pleased with the way, manner and custom of the Lord. If I really want true joy, then I should get to know him so that He's on mind like an old sweet song.(Psalm 1:2 Classic Paraphrase.)

I Just Want to Say...

...that I love my friends; the ones who stop by on their bikes or toting thier strollers just to say hi.

...that I really appreciate nap time.

...that sometimes you need a day without laundry, no matter how many baskets are filled.

...that Not-So-Classic is the best.

...that, in this world, we may have trouble, but He gave us His peace.

...that I really do love a good fluffer-nutter sandwich, even though Not-So-Classic says that it's gross.

...that right now, even though I am in the least control of it, my life has never been better, or more fulfilled.

What do you want to say?