Frugality and a Giveaway!

I like the begining of January, i like the feeling of starting afresh and all the hopes and dreams that come with the new year.

It's the middle of january that i cant seem to cope with. The endless dull dreary skies and the feeling that winter will never end.

I've been trying my hardest to stop being so miserable this year during january and have been trying to make the most of going outside to the allotment, for walks on my lunch and outings in the car at the weekend (and you know what somehow it's working!)

I read an interesting post by The Quince Tree today about frugality and how she had seen someone write somewhere that you have no reason to be frugal if you are not poor and why waste posting on your blog about saving making and mending when you have enough money to buy NEW. She argued that some of the best things in life are free and i completely agree. So to celebrate frugality and recycling i thought i would post my list of things that make me happy and cost next to nothing to achieve ....


1. Making Lavender sachets from old bits of discarded material and lavender harvested from our allotment (pictured above)


2. Knitting and crochet, you can make a hat scraf, gloves, blanket, headwarmer, for the price of a few balls of wool and it keeps your fingers busy at the same time.


3. Bike rides, cost nothing and help you lose weight as well as get out and about to see your local area up close and personal.


4. Watching the birds in the garden, i love bird watching or just animal watching, squirrels, birds, field mice anything really it can keep me occupied for hours.


5. My library, free books on endless amounts of topics and once you've finished with them you hand them back! Instant de-cluttering.


6. Foraging in the local area, it's surprising what you can find edible around where you live, we harvest walnuts, cobnuts, blackberries, greengages, rasberries and elderflower all local and completely free.


7. Flowers from the garden or allotment placed in old jam jars, bottles and vases around the home.


8. And finally time with friends and family, costs nothing and makes you feel great afterwards like an instant anitdepressant (but of course you have to select carefully the family you spend the time with otherwise you could have the opposite effect happening haha)


So Happy weekend guys hope i have inspired you slightly into the world of frugal living. Im off to watch War Horse this weekend (not so frugal i know) but it looks great dont you think?massive box of kleenex tissue needed before hand though dont want to come out looking like a a panda!






Before i dash i wanted to announce a giveaway from me to you for being such wonderful followers and listening to my rants and moans ..


I shall be giving away the following...

1.  A small square pillow made from the above mentioned lavender from my allotment. It can be used to freshen drawers, place on pillows or add to a pile of fresh laundry, 100% natural lavender no artificial scents and 100% cotton.

2.  This pendant is made of beautiful egg shaped cherry wood and has a minature printed copy of my original portrait Ella from the Fir maidens series which has been varnished.


It comes signed and dated on the reverse and is packaged in a silk ivory coloured drawstring pouch to keep it safe and secure.

The pendant is approx 1 and a half inches long and 1 inch wide and comes suspended on a 16 inch silver plated curb necklace.


All you have to do to enter is to comment below on this post and tell me how you like to over come the winter blues (what is your secret to a happy January) I shall pick a winner next tuesday that is 17th January at 12pm GMT and announce it here on the blog.


Goodluck guys.....
Giveaway now closed well done twinklejulia and thank you for commenting :)
x