what are we going to do?

PRICE RISES In the year to June
* Petrol 25.9%
* Milk 22%
* Cheddar cheese 61.9%
* Butter 86.6%

there is rationing already in New York on wheat,rice and corn products because of the increase in demand pushed by BIO-FUEL! There isnt rationing YET here, but the price on these products is tipped to go up so people are buying in large quantities!!

What can we do?
- grow our own corn (better get some seeds before they start getting rationed too!)
- definitely bottle that extra fruit, chutney extra veges from the garden
- trade self sufficiently
- celery, leeks, silverbeet in the garden now . . . get seedling trays ready for seeding summer veges
- compost and enrich empty garden beds...
- do home maintenance yourself! Time to learn if you cant! (I have my own tool box, honestly!) And if my body could do the heavy lifting stuff around here I would...
- what else??? any suggestions? Is it just me that's worried?

The playstation

Now I did not ever want a playstation in our house. I have memories of my husband up at 3am in the morning glued to the playstation when he had to go to work a few hours later at 6am!
So I was rather annoyed when he eventually brought one for our 6yr old son at Christmas last year.
Disappointed that I have to say "i told you so". What did I find at midnight last night when I went to check on the noise I heard in my childrens room? My son whipping the playstation portable quickly underneath his pillow and his red swollen eyes to go with it when I turned on the light! I so wanted to break the thing when I discovered it - what stopped me? My frugal ways and environmentally friendly ways.
My dear son got a chatting to this morning, he is sorry and understands why I was disappointed and why he wont be seeing that damn machine for the rest of the school holidays. Dear husband got a chatting to also!
It's not that big a deal - in the grand scheme of things, i know....but..... oh never mind I dont have to say it - you mothers know!

Plans for 5th birthday party Enchanted Princess

Well - the dress is all cut out. A bit of nerves preventing me from getting to the next step. SEWING. My daughter is turning 5 and for her party she wants to be a Princess. Her favourite movie is Enchanted. I quite like it myself! I will get the dress sewn I am sure!

In the meantime we have been making decorations. On my frugal mission still you see... so we have been cutting out petal shapes from old magazines. Nice big A4 sized and colourful. Then we glue them about 4 or 5 onto a circle and ta-da you have a nice big FLOWER! For an enchanted garden.

My princess loves purple, she and her friend helped to paint egg carton baskets which we will use to hang in the trees with little decorated "jewel stones".

We will decorate downstairs in an enchanted garden theme... wish we could get a wooden castle from somewhere - perhaps I will have to get the good old AFFCO cardboard and paint one!

Have you seen the train cookies at the cafe? I will have to make some cookies for her party now she says! Have to go with my butterfly and flower cutters rather than buying another kind.

And the cake... do I tackle a castle? Gosh looked at the kits to make a grand castle $50 or so - whatever! I think I'll just have to get creative! Castle or enchanted garden cake - maybe a garden will be easier!

....have saved petrol - havent left home since Thursday! woohoo!