Friday, August 19, 2011

200TH POST PAR-TAY!

Welcome to the party!  Would you like some chips & salsa?
I think 200 posts is worth celebrating don't you?  To celebrate, I'm having the biggest giveaway I've ever had!  I've got a great list of prizes (more may be added through the day, so watch for announcements of that throughout the day), so I know you want to play!  Here are the prizes currently available:
1. Dill seeds (courtesy of SimplerTimes Homestead):  1"x3" mini baggie. enough for a small batch of dill pickles, planting or simply seasoning a nice dish.  Note these are organic seeds. Origins of the plants are volunteers from last year at an organic community garden plot we cultivate.  Offer good in the US only.  Congrats, Kim P!
2. Dried lavender, 8 grams (courtesy of Lawnless Trials): US only  Congratulations, Tina!
3. Dried boneset, 7 grams (courtesy of Lawnless Trials): US only Congratulations, SustainableHome!
4. Dried yarrow flowers, 6 grams (courtesy of Lawnless Trials):  US only Congrats, Kim D-M
5. Dried calendula flowers, 6 grams (courtesy of Lawnless Trials):  US only Congrats, Tasha!
6. Dried calendula flowers, 5 grams (courtesy of Lawnless Trials):  US only Congratulations, magreen!
7. Assorted seeds: US only.  This is a Trailer Park Homestead assortment that will include some goodies from my garden, including ground cherry seeds, a few tomato, zucchini, some Amish snap peas, and whatever else I find.  Since it is a TPH assortment, there are only a few of each, but they should all be heirloom seeds (I'll mark it if any aren't), so you can use these few seeds to grow more seeds for future years!   Congrats, Allyson!
8. Seed assortment 2 (courtesy of Allure of Hearth and Home):  Us only.  This is not an heirloom collection so you get what you get:  Golden Cross Bantam Hybrid Sweet Corn, Blue Lake Stringless Garden Bean, Sweet Italian Basil, National Pickling Cucumber, Big Max Pumpkin, Crimson Sweet Watermelon, Nantes Coreless Carrot  Congratulations, Amie!
The following books are all used, but in good to like new condition:
Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich (Revised edition)9.  Voluntary Simplicity: Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich (Revised edition)Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin, first published in 1981 and revised in 1993, is the sacred text for those wanting to liberate themselves from enslavement to a job and the pursuit of status symbols. Elgin's work emerges from a concern for the environmental consequences of our mass consumption lifestyles. His book exhorts us to save the planet and our souls by "living with balance in order to find a life of greater purpose."   Congratulations, grammasmiles!
The NEW Passport To Survival. 12 Steps to Self-Sufficient Living 10. The NEW Passport To Survival. 12 Steps to Self-Sufficient Living: The New Passport To Survival is your Passport To Peace, your ticket to a self-sufficient lifestyle - whether you choose to live in a city, a suburb, or in a rural area. This book will show you how to prepare, without panicking, for all kinds of disasters-loss of a job, natural and man-made disasters, or global calamities.  Congrats, Anne!
 11.  Cooking Without AdditivesToday's hectic lifestyle creates a new set of problems in the kitchen, but most can be solved with the help of a well-stocked freezer, and ideally a microwave-cooker too--ensuring a healthy balanced diet for busy people.  (I don't like to use my microwave, which is why I don't want this book anymore) Congratulations, Amy S!
Herbally Yours (Health Education)
12.  Herbally Yours (Health Education)
Herbally Yours is the first comprehensive herbal handbook.  An easy to use, alphabetized guide to the use of herbs, Herbally Yours, is simple enough for the herbal student, complete enough for the herbal practitioner.   A complete list of herbs and herbal combinations and how to use them.  An alphabetized list of health problems and what herbs aid.  Chapters on diet, cleansing, pregnancy, nursing, and babies.   Herbal first aid, poultices and tinctures, Herbally Yours is a veritable herbal encyclopedia. Congratulations, Lydia Harper!
13.  1 Paperbackswap.com credit good for any one of more than 5 million used books!:  Must have a valid Paperbackswap account.  US only (since Paperbackswap is only available in the US)  Congratulations Patricialynn!
What a great list of prizes, wouldn't you say???  And it is so easy to enter!  Actually, there are two ways to enter:  1.  Comment on this blog post (on the actual blog, not any syndicated feed of it off in the wilds of the WWW), telling me what your favorite Adventures of a Thrifty Mama blog post was your favorite of all time (so far) or 2.  Post a link to your favorite Adventures of a Thrifty Mama blog post (this one doesn't count...you gotta work harder than that!) on your Facebook page, tagging Adventures of a Thrifty Mama, so I know you did it.  All entries will be stuck into a hat (actually, I'll probably use a web-based randomizing tool, but if it was a real life party, I'd probably use a hat, so we'll go with that for the imagery of it) that I will draw from at random times throughout the day (ie, whenever I think of it and am near my computer to make sure my list of entries is up to date).  I will then tweet the winner's name (which will also be automatically be posted on my Facebook page so you can watch for that either way) and that winner gets to pick the prize they would like most from the available prizes.  I'll be crossing out the prizes as they are no longer available, as well as adding any more that get donated by anyone that would like to promote their blog or business that way. The winner will then need to email me with the prize they'd like and the address they would like it sent to.  Prizes will be awarded in order of valid emails (both prize requested and address included) received, not names drawn, so if you are a winner, but dally about before claiming your prize, you may miss out on the prize you want because a quicker fishie may have snagged that worm!  With that in mind, cancel any plans you had for the day and come hang out at the Trailer Park Homestead PAR-TAY!
The party will continue until the beer, er, prizes, I meant to say prizes, run out!  Since everything is random, I don't even know how long it will last!

21 comments:

  1. Oooo...that's a tough one. I love a lot of your posts, and have found some helpful information in them (especially about stretching a chicken - that one bird has lasted us all week). But I would have to say, as a bibliophile, that my favorite post would have to be "The Books that Made Me" from March 23rd. It introduced me to two great new authors (Daniel Quinn and Margaret Atwood). It was also my first introduction to paperbackswap.com, although it took me a few months to feel secure enough to sign up.

    And if I win, of course, I will probably choose a book!

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  2. Congrats on 200 posts, thats a big deal! I would say my favorite posts are June 30 and July 4, both calls to action to defend our rights to garden. Its easy to forget that we can fight for our rights even concerning things like gardens and chickens, etc. I also really like your garden tour posts because those are always fun :)

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  3. Congrats on your posts! I am a follower and love love your blog! So far my favorite blogs are the one about homeschool being cheaper than public. My children are in public not but we want to start homeschooling next year. I also like your recent post about not being able to afford to eat healthy.

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  4. Congratulations! What a feat! I wouldn't get anywhere near that post count if I didn't share a bunch of links! LOL! My favorite post? Your last update on your struggles with your park management. Why is that my favorite? Because I would be in the same boat if I lived in a trailer park. I couldn't NOT grow whatever food I could.

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  5. Congrats on 200! I think my some of favorite posts are the recipes. But I also really liked the recent one on saving energy (cant remember the date). I just love seeing how someone else with "limited space" can do so much, while others just make excuse about not having the right space.

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  6. Yay for 200 posts! It is super hard for me to pick my favorite post of yours. I found your blog by random chance one day and read every single post within the first week. If I have to pick a favorite post, I will go with the post about making your own laundry detergent because every time I go to a store I look for washing soda and think of this blog.

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  7. Washing soda can be found in the laundry aisle, usually on the top shelf since it isn't a big money maker for the store.

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  8. Like everyone else, it was hard to choose! I must admit, though, I love June 30th's "A Call to Action." Reading your blog has taken my thought processes in a completely different way. Instead of being bummed out about how "small" my new yard is going to be, I'm reveling in the idea of companion planting and raised beds and square foot gardening. I'm disappointed I didn't get to garden this summer, but we should (hopefully... pray for us lol) be in the new place in time to use the autumn to clean out, trim the fruit trees (there are a couple of apple trees already mature), decide where the raised beds are going, etc. So... you've called me to arms, and I'm ready to bare my arms and get dirty. ;)

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  9. Chris, for some reason none of the stores around here that I have been to seem to carry washing soda. They have a lot of Arm and Hammer detergent, but no washing soda.

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  10. @Anne if you can't find it locally, you can get Arm & Hammer washing soda from amazon.com

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  11. I was so glad to read about you fighting "the man" in regards to you having to ditch your garden "by when?!" :)

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  12. I agree, picking one post isn't fair. The ones about yard gardens and fighting to keep them are on the top of my list, as are the laundry detergent and acorn posts.

    I am seriously just addicted to your blog and love your sense of humor and humility.

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  13. I literally just stumbled onto your blog today! I'm going to go back and read your other posts but I found you through "I can't afford to eat healthy". I have a ton to learn and since I have an oak tree that damages my van every fall, looking forward to your acorn posts!

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  14. I really enjoyed the video tour on July 2nd. It was very interesting. It gave me a lot of ideas for gardening in small places.

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  15. Yay! Congrats! 200 is something to celebrate, and thank you for allowing us to join you!
    Favorite post...has to be how to stretch a chicken! My DH & I were just talking the other day about how when I talk about your blog, esp the chicken stretch, we picture the chicken on a rack, all fours tied down with some cackling woman "stretching" the bird! Hey, it's Friday night, we get to be silly here, right? ;-) Congrats again!

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  16. Um, would now be a bad time to mention that I *am* that cackling woman? MUHAHAHA

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  17. I like the post about harvesting acorns, but I do like all your posts.

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  18. Hard to say! Probably going to go with the one about natural mosquito repellents, since I've recently been studying several of the herbs you mentioned there. But the meatmuffins one was great too, and the dirt cake was fabulous, and the potato condo and garden updates were enjoyable and educational, and others about meal planning have been helpful...see, hard to choose - they're all good! :) And congrats on reaching your 200th post!

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  19. Oh I hope it's not to late to enter. I knew the party was today but didn't have a chance to enter until now.
    I love all the posts you do. My favorites are the recipes.
    I loved the chicken egg roll recipe.
    Because of that post I will never buy egg rolls again! I have some frozen and am planning to freeze more this weekend so my family can enjoy them when ever we want while I am taking my classes out at the college.
    Thanks for all 200 of your posts.
    Amy S.

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  20. Nope, not to late. There are still 3 prizes left to give away...and I haven't gotten emails from most of the winners to pick their prize, so there are still quite a few to choose from!

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  21. I opened the door to check my mail and immediately smelled....LAVENDER! It was so intoxicating even 2 feet from my mail box. 8 grams is more than it sounds like, and I am using this to make soap very soon. Thanks again!

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