Being Booga

There’s FREE fun and wholesome goodness available to those who are lucky enough to live close to a town or city that has a Botanical Gardens. Many communities’ Botanical Gardens are gearing up for the season by hosting Spring Plant Sales, Free Admission Days and Education / Special Events Days.

My own Denver Botanic Gardens is offering Free Admission to the public this weekend during its Annual Plant Sale.

On Saturday, May 10, 2008, from 10 am to 4 pm, the public can enjoy the Gardens and free admission to tour the Gardens or join in the bloom-bargaining fun.

Drawing thousands of people, it’s sure to a be a wonderful event but one that, if not well-prepared for, you may not be able to take advantage of all the great deals.

Carol O’Meara, at The Rocky Mountain News has put together an awesome guide on how to prepare for and get the most out of these special events.
I think this guide would be useful and applicable at any large Botanical Gardens Plant Sale.
See the Guide Here

For my Blog Readers and Subscribers I also went around the ‘net and rounded up some information on Plant Sales and Free Days at Botanical Gardens in other cities.

Here’s my list along with links to the Gardens’ web site’s events pages.

Berry Botanic Garden
Montgomery Park in NW Portland, Oregon
Next Plant Sale September 27, 2008
More Information

San Francisco Botanical Garden
More Information

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Sales and Events
More Information

University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley
**FREE Admission the first Thursday of every month
More Information

Leach Botanical Gardens
Portland, OR
I couldn’t find “Free Admission Days” but they do have a Spring Plant Sale.
**I was pleased to find out they also host a Seed Exchange.
More Information

Mother’s Day Perennial Plant Sale
**featuring Master Gardeners to answer questions
UBC Botanical Garden in Vancouver, Canada
More Information

I realize this is a very short list. If your city is not represented, simply search “Botanical Gardens Plant Sale” and your location to find out if a Botanical Gardens close to you offers these special events. See the top-right of this page for a Google search box.

Here’s an idea if you’ve missed your Spring Sale or other special event:

Why not write in your mom’s card a future “date” you plan to take her for a fun filled time together at a Botanical Garden!

What is happening in your community this weekend? Please let us know by posting it in comments! Thanks and have a fabulous weekend!

Just some thoughts I had today after my last post.

I think Frugal Bloggers have the power to help the Country not be afraid of the recession. If we lean on each other…post our best strategies, our best tips. If we represent our philosophies, beliefs and values we can facilitate change. A new way of life that doesn’t feel like panic, or “doing without” but fosters a feeling of connectedness, a feeling of sufficiency.

The County is looking for “help” to prepare for a scary, really bad recession. It’s our calling. We’ve been doing this for years. It’s easy for us.

So however mundane it seems, I’m going to keep posting the best prices I can find in Denver. I don’t have much of an audience yet, but I’m sure one is developing. I’m going to keep reaching out to the more experienced bloggers and learn what I can. It’s my hope to be able to offer those who are afraid a reason to NOT be afraid in a recession.

Just be FRUGAL.

Here’s How. Right?

I had an idea for a post title, “Don’t go Shopping when you’re hungry - and other useful tips”. Yes, it
was an idea, MY idea. But lots of folks beat me to it. Dratz!

I simply did a search on my proposed new-post title, and here’s what came up. I don’t think I can do better, so I’m just going to list out the best articles!

Please note that I have read ALL the articles linked here and believe they’re full of very useful information about good strategies to use in order to make your shopping more successful. While mainly focused on grocery shopping, I believe the basic concepts are useful for any kind of shopping.

Lifehacker: Shopping: 10 Things Supermarkets Don’t Want you to Know

Zen Habits: 50 Tips for Grocery Shopping

WikiHow: How to Go Grocery Shopping

Real Life Survival Guide Tips: Don’t Go Grocery Shopping When You’re Hungry, Cranky, or in a Fabulous Mood”

Kids Health: Smart Supermarket Shopping

And Finally - Here is what my favorite site, “Frisky Wife”, has to say on the subject:
Do You Long for the “Good Ol’ Days”?

In other news, I’m still working on the “Domestic Goodness Great Thangs Amazon Store”. Today I added 20 aprons.

I got interested in aprons a number of years ago while living in rural Missouri. I attended an auction / estate sale and scored a hard-sided suitcase full of handmade vintage aprons from the 50s and 60s. These were aprons that someone’s dear mother had actually worn. I was drawn to them! I believe they were drawn to ME, or, rather, I attracted them to me, because I really appreciate them. After I got the case home I literally spent hours sorting through them, feeling the fabric, smelling them, trying them on! I guess they had an energy vibration - as all things do. I started wearing the aprons, hanging a few of the prettiemy aprons / fancier ones on hooks in my kitchen. Unfortunately, I discovered they were rather delicate, being so old - so I carefully cleaned them with a dry-cleaning kit and gingerly folded them in tissue paper and packed them away. Now I’m in the process of framing the vintage ones to display in my home. I think they’re beautiful and a solid reminder of the good things and of days gone by.

Now I LOVE aprons, and find them very necessary now that I’ve started wearing them. They keep my clothes clean while doing the mundane household tasks we all do. The great thing about aprons is, by wearing one, you can still dress “nice” while cleaning, doing laundry, cooking, and whatnot. Long gone are the baggy T-Shirts and sweats! If I can “bring back the apron” I would. I’m trying to anyway! So my advice to you, harried housekeeper would-be Domestic Goddess is, Number 1: Don’t Go Shopping When You’re Hungry, and
Number 2: Wear an Apron.

If you want to know more about apron-lore, check out the book,
“Aprons of the Mid-20th Century: To Serve and Protect” by Judy Florence.

I’ve also selected a few lovely aprons to get you started, they’re here in my Domestic Goodness Great Thangs Amazon Apron Store. Just don’t go over there if you’re hungry!

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