Category: Uncategorized

Good Grief

I’ve been pretty open about the two deaths my kids and I have experienced this year — my sister and one of Matt’s nieces.

My desire to have all my people and children know each other for support has been a big desire for years, so I’ve been active in cultivating friends, extended family, and other networks since 2016ish. I have been open to meeting new people and assuming that everything is going to work out for the best. 

One example of these two areas of my life meshing – death and social networks – happened this last Sunday at coffee and donuts after church. I pointed out the new blue wristband on social media, and thought I’d write an explainer here on my blog.

I thought coffee and donuts would be an enjoyable way to pass the time before my event, so I sat with a couple women with adorable Tennessee accents and talked for a while. We somehow got to talking about family size, and I was asked about my siblings. I have always said, “I am the oldest of three; I have a brother and sister.” I hadn’t said it aloud since July, and somehow I assembled some words to let them know that Sara passed recently. The one gal asked if I had ever seen a blue wristband like hers. No, not until today, I said. She removed the wristband from her hand and gave it to me as part of the ministry she took on when her son died in a freak accident at age 35. She talked about the meaning of butterflies and the group that helped her through grief — compassionatefriends.org. This is the wristband in the photo on my social media and above.

In addition to reminding me of rebirth like a butterfly’s metamorphosis, when I see the wristband, I also remember the goodness of people and adding them to my network and that I should always have a donut after church.

I believe in local small business

I’ve consumed a lot of training in marketing over the years from my involvement in non-profit organizations and as a contractor/business owner. Some times I am presented with ideas for new practices because the world changes. An example would be the evolving role of the internet in our lives and the rise of social media. Other times I am presented with ideas for old practices that need revisiting as I evolve. Today, I revist the ideas of the “what” and the “why” of my business — both have changed multiple times over the years. Currently, my business is beekeeper education and honey production.

My what is 1) backyard beekeeper education and 2) lavender honey production

My how is 1) bridging current Midwestern research with practical backyard operation — I have belonged to the IPM4Bees Midwest Working Group since its inaugural year, 2019; and continually learn from the academics and the boots on the ground operators; and 2) keeping bees on a lavender farm with conservation-minded land owners.

My why is 1) the value I place on combining local and regional data with hyperlocal practices to produce honest, local food and sustainable apiaries and 2) I was raised in a family of intergenerational small businesses.

TLDR: I believe in local small business and local food.

Pin it! Do it! Soft Fishtail

I have enjoyed trying variations of and replacements for the ponytail. On Monday, I tried the Soft Fishtail.

juliecache tried the soft fishtail

My original pin on Pinterest.

One source (but it could have been published online earlier by someone else).

Thoughts: My hair is shoulder length with long layers. With my short sides pieces of hair, I used a technique similar to a French braid. Fishtailing is extremely similar, and when it’s worn loose, it also looks very close to a loose French braid. Conclusion: I’m keeping this style, but will need to refine it.

Refine it? Yes. I’m not a huge fan of the long barrette; I’m still figuring out how to get the rest of my ponytail hidden under the fishtail portion. With my hair as fine, and therefore thin, as it is, anything more than wearing it down is a perpetual challenge.

 

My month of frugal yard improvements and the Frugal Tuesday Tip

My month (last two months, really) has revolved around getting my yard “visitor pretty.” With plant exchanges, a pallet garden (post coming soon!) and one distressed plant, I’ve got a fresh looking front yard that aligns with my long-time goal of less mow-able yardage. Not that I hate mown grass, but I dislike the noise that lawn mowers and edgers and weed whips create (especially before 8:30 a.m., even with a noise ordinance in effect).


The Frugal Tuesday Tip — generously share your tips and recipes for living frugally with everyone in bloggerland! Whichever blog that you choose to link up your post, it will show up on all three websites listed below! As a reminder, this linky is a way to share your posts with 3000 people on what you are doing to live the frugal life. Frugality can be gardening, sewing, making your own cleaning supplies, cooking at home, conserving energy, etc. Let us know about your great ideas!

Your hostesses:

Please read and follow the Frugal Tuesday Tip linky rules

1. Please link your post, written within the past seven days, back to one of the hosting blogs. This is a common linky courtesy. We all end up sharing and learning from each other, which we can’t do when you don’t link back. Posts without will be deleted.

2. No giveaway away or otherwise primarily advertising oriented posts. The other hostesses and I have gone around and around about giveaways. They just don’t fit. We will delete giveaway posts.

3. Use your permalink. Without the URL of the post, it’s really ambiguous and readers can’t always tell where the frugal tip is. (Read here for help on permalinks.)

4. And of course, here’s our button to put in your post or sidebar — just copy the text in the box and paste in html view.

juliecache

 

Frugal Tuesday Tip: Lip balm

3 Comments on Frugal Tuesday Tip: Lip balm

Three ingredients: sweet almond oil, beeswax, and honey. 

That’s all that I put in my lip balm. I adapted a recipe from local mom and herbalist Kristie because I had an abundance of beeswax. I say adapted, because I didn’t read the instructions carefully when I made the recipe the first time. Now, I can’t imagine my lip balm any other way. It’s so…perfect. All edible, all honeybee products, all from America, and all crafted in my kitchen. It’s not too hard, not too soft, and smells like honey.

It is a frugal option for me once I purchase the lip balm tubes. It can be frugal for you, too, because I am offering lip balm kits — 15 tubes and lids and 5 T. (approx. 2.5 oz.) grated wax for $20. This could be your kids’ Christmas gift to someone! You can choose your recipe online or ask for mine. Kristie generously shared her recipe with me, so I will share with you. You can also buy finished lip balm from me for $2 tube. I’ll be delivering at my coupon meetup on Nov. 12. (RSVP with a comment here or by clicking on the photo to the right). To order, please use the Contact Form.

Now let’s share some FRUGAL TIPS

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You can add anything frugal here — share how you made a meal, finished a craft, hold a giveaway, etc. If you join the linky:

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