No-Sew Mask Credit: Adventures in Mama-Land

I'm so glad to have discovered Tzivia's  Literally TWO MINUTE no-sew easy coronavirus mask from an old hankie (video + step-by-step guide).

I followed directions best I could. The only differences were that since my husband's hankies are a bit smaller, I had to fold a bit larger than by thirds, and it felt better to tie slightly differently around my head, probably because my scarf is different. But I'm very happy with the results. I'll probably cut some 100% cotton fabric the right size to have more.

Thanks, Tzivia. I really appreciate the idea and your hard work perfecting this no-sew mask.

PS I used about a meter of jersey yarn I've been crocheting with for potholders and rugs.

Frugal Choices Even for Simple Slippers

My slippers bit the dust. I can't complain; I got my money's worth. I bought them about four years ago in the states. They were washable,  comfortable and not expensive. They certainly did their job, but a few weeks ago I noticed that the soles were falling apart. Yes, it was time to dump them and buy a new pair.

I wanted the same sort of slippers. Why not? I began slipper shopping and discovered that similar washable slippers don't seem to exist here in Israel.

A few stores sell slippers that look rather similar, but they all have "care labels" saying:

אין לכבס "Ain lichabes." Most accurately translated as "Don't you dare try to wash them." or "wash at your own risk."

And they weren't at all cheap. I went through every possible store in the Hadar Mall, plus the Hamashbir department store at Zion Square. A few times I even tried on a pair, and they weren't comfortable. Besides not fulfilling that important requirement, prices were high, NS100 and more. A few people recommended buying online, but I don't do that.

Then yesterday I got a tremp to Jerusalem, near the Clal Building. The Stock, a junky discount chain, store had some open packages for NS20. Some seemed mislabeled. But as I continued walking down Rechov Yaffo, I spotted other stores with packaged/wrapped NS20 slippers, and decided to walk into one.

I picked out and tried on this funky pair. They fit and were walkable. Considering that the least expensive I had seen the week before cost NS60, I can buy a new pair three years running, and it would cost the same. Most of the slippers I had considered buying were even more expensive. These are for the house only. I have rubber ones for the pool.

my new slippers

PS I'll keep my eyes posted for sales, so maybe I can find an additional pair even cheaper.

Israel's Great Public Transport Deals, Especially for "Seniors"

Israeli Public Transportation is getting better and better in most ways. There are special discount tickets which give unlimited transportation within various districts at amazingly low prices, especially for senior citizens like myself. Today I met some friends in Gedera, which isn't near Shiloh at all. It's on the way to Ashdod, southeast of Tel Aviv.

Before leaving home I studied the map of travel discounts carefully, as did a friend who was joining me. We had already traveled cheaply to Beit Shemesh. The one day unlimited ticket to Beit Shemesh was the same as the one I use traveling to Jerusalem. The only thing I needed to tell the driver was to make sure it said Jerusalem Metropolitan West. The cost for the day was NS13.50. That's about $3.50. For someone too young for the senior discount, the price is about double.

Gedera is further than Beit Shemesh. The code name for us to get the discount fare to Gedera is Jerusalem-Gush Day. The fare was a bit more, just NS16, about $4.50. Unlike my Shiloh buses, these intercity buses are pretty reliable. The buses also had outlets to charge your phone. OK you need a long cord, too.

This district is humongous. It covers from Netanya in the north until Ashdod in the south, Jerusalem, of course, and all of Samaria and everything in between, Kfar Saba, Petach Tikva, Tel Aviv, Rechovot, Modiin and more.

The buses were clean; drivers and passengers polite.

It was a long day, and I am exhausted, but I just had to tell you about these great travel bargains. Frugal Israel is getting better.

Has Anyone Ever Heard of Seventynine S/9 Shoe Company?

I've needed new summer sneakers for a long time. Not only are my two pairs old, but they are full of holes. The fabric just doesn't last long,l even if the soles are still good. And then even worse, one pair began causing strange foot pain. Yes, it was time to buy new shoes.

I need light flexible shoes and over the years had bought quite a few pair of Sketchers. And I had bought my shoes in the states when visiting my parents. They've been dead for a few years already, so not only were my shoes old, but I needed to find shoes in Israel. In the states I had done well in outlet stores, buying good brands at fantastic prices. It certainly never bothered me that the style was "old."

This summer I'd been checking out shoe stores. And I was waiting for sales. Apparently I missed the big sale this week on Election Day, but I wouldn't have traded the enjoyable visits I had with children and grandchildren for discounted shoes, even two pairs for the price of one.

Rather desperate for new shoes, yesterday I went to the Sketchers store in Jerusalem and was horrified to see that their "sale" was half price for the second pair. I didn't really want to buy two pairs, especially at the prices offered.

Since I'm in the Hamashbir discount "club," and they have good/name brands I went there. After checking out the women's department and the sports shoes, I finally found the "bargains." I tried on shoes that seemed attractive and comfortable at a price I was willing to pay, and they were discounted, too. I just had never heard of the brand,  Seventynine S/9. Have you? I checked online, and there's nothing about the company at all, just stores/sites where you can buy them. They are made in China, no surprise.

I ended up buying two pairs at a total price which was less than one pair of the least expensive in Sketchers. Actually, I wore one pair out of the store and found them comfortable, even after my evening walk. But as you can see, they already look soiled. That's not the end of the world. I'm sure they can be cleaned pretty easily with wipes, if I want.

The fabric stretches, like stretch jeans/denim. As long as the elastic (in the heel) doesn't give out quickly, that's an advantage. Ever since shoe uppers became synthetic, rather than genuine leather, many people, including yours truly, have found that problematic.

Even though the sale price of shoes here in Israel is higher than the discounted ones in the states, I still saved a lot of money. My day's transportation Shiloh-Metropolitan Jerusalem Unlimited only cost me NS13.50, less than $4- instead of close to one thousand dollars for roundtrip travel to the USA, even more when you add all the other expenses a trip to the states includes. Because my feet are sensitive, I must try on shoes, so I can't imagine buying online. BTW when I googled these shoes the price was more than I had paid. I had discovered the same thing when I checked prices for the perfume I like versus the discounted price I paid in Hamashbir.

If there's anything newsworthy about the shoes, I'll blog again on the topic. I'm still curious about reports if you have any.

Happy Walking and Happy Shopping

One of The Bonuses of Walking

Like most walkers, I walk to keep fit, lose weight etc. And besides having to periodically buy comfortable walking shoes, which should be worn even if you don't walk much, it's free. Yes, unlike most other sports, fitness methods, classes, pool memberships etc, walking doesn't require an expense.

OK, maybe you'll need a sunhat and sunscreen, but many sedentary people have those for lying the sun and floating on rafts, cruising etc.

So, besides the frugality of walking, there's an added bonus, views, sunsets, sunrises etc. Last night I scheduled a walk with a friend, so I'd see the golden sunset. All it cost was a few calories, and I wanted to lose/spend those anyhow.

Simple and Relatively Frugal Salmon Prepared in Advance

Over the years, especially as we're now empty-nesters, I've gotten out of the habit of daily cooking. Also, I'm frequently too busy, or out of the house when my husband needs to eat dinner. So, when I cook for Shabbat, I cook for the week. This week it's more complicated. It's the "Nine Days," when our tradition is to refrain from eating meat/poultry. That means that most of the leftover Shabbat food went to the freezer. We're on a limited budget, so frugal shopping and cooking are necessary, but fish isn't cheap. And cheeses aren't all that inexpensive, either. Also, I limit my carbohydrates. After trying the less expensive fish, I've discovered that buying a large fillet of salmon is most practical. Frugal salmon is not an oxymoron.

Generally, I don't cook it all at the same time. Honestly, I can't even put the whole piece of salmon fillet in the oven without cutting off a bit. When I want just a serving or two of salmon, I take it out to very slightly thaw. Then I cut off what I need with a heavy/sturdy knife. It ends up costing less than half of what I'd pay for a package of pre-cut salmon.

On Sunday I saw that the remaining salmon was about a week's worth. I sliced it into serving sized pieces, placed them on a large baking dish, seasoned and baked. Every night we've been having salmon, which we love, heated up with whatever side dishes.

I've also used these large salmon fillets for serving lots of guests, also cutting into serving size pieces in advance, then cooking/baking.