Woman in Real Life

On my most recent visit to the thrift store, I discovered an abundance of vintage white baking dishes. I found the patterns so cheery and the prices so reasonable that I couldn't resist picking up a few. Plus my mom was with me and she got her senior's discount, for another 10% off. These dishes were all $2 or $3 each to begin with. Practically a steal, no?

There is something so lovely about using Pyrex bowls and dishes for baking, cooking and even serving up salads and desserts. It makes me feel all cheery inside. (It's the little things!) Some of the "regular" bowls I use for baking are just boring in comparison. I think part of it is stirring up that muffin batter or pancake mix in a bowl that has a sense of "history" - a connection to women who have prepared tasty goodies for their families before us. Essentially using a Pyrex bowl turns you into a domestic goddess, no?

Do you use your Pyrex regularly?

This week, I'm sharing a look at some of my recent thrifty finds. If there's a theme to be had, I guess it's yellow and brown. This first item - the made in Japan mushroom and owl spoon rest above - was actually a gift from my sister. She thrifted it for me. I hung it above the stove because thrifty dishes that I leave on the counter tend to get "accidentally" broken by my husband. (Strange - he is ordinarily so careful.)

Not much thrift store shopping around here recently. I had hoped to pop into a couple of thrift stores yesterday to look for more little plates for my food photographs. But the kids were home for a PA Day and I had promised to take my little girl shopping to spend her birthday money. Between the five or so stores she wanted to go to and a couple of stops for groceries, we were gone about six hours. Then I was too tired to go to the thrift stores. If you follow me on Instagram, you saw that I did, however, make an apple pie. But that's another story.

Today I'm sharing a look at the vintage Pyrex storage containers my mom gave me recently. I am always looking for more food storage. I like my dry goods to be in glass or plastic containers so I can see what I've got in the pantry and hopefully not waste anything. I put vegan protein powder in the larger of the two containers. We usually put it in the cupboard and forget to use it. Then it expires...which is a shame...because it's something like 50 bucks a jar! I put red lentils in the smaller container (another food item I tend to forget about - sometimes, if I'm good, I'll throw a handful in pasta sauce, because the kids hardly notice it and it adds extra nutrients).

Ever since I told my mom that Pyrex is hard to come by (in our area at least) she has been keeping an eye out and picking up pieces for me. She uses her seniors discount too, so she gets great bargains. I have no plans to become a big collector of Pyrex, primarily because my kitchen cupboards are completely full. I am constantly rearranging them to try to fit more dishes. But I gratefully accept the little beauties that my mom gifts to me now and then.

Despite visiting a couple of thrift stores and an antique market in the last week or so, I haven't purchased any thrifty finds lately. I'm trying to be super picky about what I add to the chaos of this home. It is spring and all that. I should be purging rather than buying. Or purging and THEN buying!

I did add to my Pyrex collection though, via a gift from my mother. That brings my Pyrex pieces up to three. Ha. There's nobody like a mom. I told my mom that Pyrex has become hard to get, so she stopped by the thrift store in her town to check for it. This Homestead pattern covered casserole had a sticker on it that appeared to say $8. Mom wasn't about to pay that. But it was half price day. And, it turns out the sticker was meant to say $3, so she got this dish, complete with lid, for $1.50. Nice work Mom! Now here's a little peek at the stuff I didn't buy these last couple of weeks.

In my "Small Town Shopping" post last week, I showed you a few of the treasures I found while browsing the thrift stores in the small town of Dunnville, Ontario. I have just a few more goodies to share.

My husband and I went shopping without the kids, much to my daughter's dismay. I promised I would bring her something back. I found this cute owl piggy bank, above, at the Salvation Army shop. When I brought it home, she said, "Is that all?" Well, I like it anyway.