Frugal Luxuries by the Season by Tracey McBride was published in 2000. It is still available in many bookstores online and most copies go for about $19.00. It was published only in paperback form.
What can I say about this book? It's been terribly underutilized by me and I mean that sincerely. I loved Tracey's book, Frugal Luxuries and have worn the pages thin, but this book I set aside to 'keep'. What a foolish woman I've been!
As expected by the title, the book is divided into the four seasons and for each season there are several chapters. Lovely hints about celebrating holidays, recipes, seasonal décor, seasonal luxuries, and tips for filling the pantry and gift pantry by the season as well.
Because it is summer I made the rather unoriginal choice to begin this lovely book in the summer section. I'm so glad that I did, because I had been enjoying the fruits of summer: fresh corn, fresh tomatoes with just enough tartness, lovely summer squash, peaches, berries, melons...It's a lovely time of the year (and a frugal time) when the abundance of foods become very inexpensive and readily available to even non-gardeners. How fortunate for us that gardeners are so very willing to share their plenty!
It was also a reminder to me to look for seeds for lettuce, parsley, peas, carrots and beets to grow here in the fall, all easily grown in pots...I've done so successfully before in our mild climate.
I garnered many wonderful, soulful ideas for enriching my home this summer (and autumn, winter and spring) in reading this lovely book. I thought this quote best bespoke the heart of the book: "How we view ourselves--our abilities, our purposes, our aspirations--makes us either rich in spirit or impoverished. Choose now to enrich your life and affect the future by consciously checking destructive habits--and cultivating positive moments. Cultivating positive moments...that's what we are all doing in working to create our homes on a budget, in our very striving to make the very best of whatever our limited resources may be.
I will end this review here, but urge you to purchase both of Tracey's books. I shall be reviewing Frugal Luxuries soon and I am curious to re-read as I haven't fully read from start to finish for almost 5 years now. I am looking forward to the perspective I will gain as the person I now am, the person these books helped to shape into being.
Tracey has Pinterest boards as well as blogs and they are as lovely as these books of hers. I plan to add both these to my list of places to visit during this Frugal Boot Camp period.
https://www.pinterest.com/traceymcbride/
http://frugalluxuriesseasons.blogspot.com/
2 comments:
I have both of her books and love them. I learned from her how to enhance the ordinary and make it extraordinary. :)
Thank you for another review. :) I just found Heloise's Kitchen Hints. for a dollar. ..Yea !
I don't know how you cook and clean in this heat and humidity. It is almost as hot and humid in our house as out and we wilt.
In the summer we budget to eat out occasionally at places with good value just so we can get cool for a while. They say on the news to go to special places each city has to get cool but when we call there are no places around us. The libraries are cool but they keep cutting back library hours each year. When we have gone all the seats are taken by others ! :-) So as I said, we budget and split a low price but good meal and relax with some friends who do the same thing. Ya do what you have to do. lol We could go to the mall but we are not mall shoppers. Walking around to cool off is not fun for us. And walking around just to try to find an empty bench to sit for a while is not fun either! LOL If this is our only problem we are doing well I think!! Sarah
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