ThriftyFun News April, 20 2004

Contents

• Greetings
• Newest Requests
• Previous Requests with Answers
• Articles and Posts
• Disclaimer: Please Read

Greetings!

The site has been really active in the last week. We have created an online version of this newsletter which may be a little easier to read.

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Printer Friendly Articles:

We now have a printer friendly versions of all our articles and tips. Just click on any article at ThriftyFun and you will see the new feature.

Tell a Friend Feature:

We also now have a tell a friend feature for articles. This allows you to easily recommend an article to a friend.

Thanks to everyone for contributing your knowledge to ThriftyFun.

Have a wonderful week!

- Susan

Need a thrifty solution to an everyday problem, submit your requests at the link below.
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Contest!

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By Jonni McCoy

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You can enter this contest once a day to improve your odds of winning.

Newest Requests

I'm making candles and would like a homemade recipe for scenting my candles.

- Cynthia

To answer, click on the link below.
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I am looking for ideas for our first ever Volleyball banquet. We need centerpieces for the tables. If you have any other decorating ideas. I would love to hear them! Thanks! Karla   To answer, click on the link below.
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I purchased a homemade car air freshener at a craft show and am wondering if anyone has the recipe. It was semi-hard, but looked like it was made from some kind of gel, hanging on a string, and cut with a cookie cutter. April

To answer, click on the link below.

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Anyone know how to make a automatic pet feeder or watering bowl. I know that one can be made using a gallon jug, but I am not sure just how to do it. Thank you Gizzmo, in Colorado   To answer, click on the link below.
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We need extra money so I am going to need to go back to work. I found a job that will likely have me working similar hours as my husband. Anyone have some childcare tips? Its looking quite expensive at the moment. Thanks Tammy in SC

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How do you get the smell out of nylon shirts? I've worn one twice and now the stench is unbelievable. (None of my other clothes smell this way....) - Lee

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Does anyone know how to retouch bleach spots on colored clothing? Have ruined good clothes with bleach stains. Thank you.

- Marie from Washington State

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I live
By the ocean, I don't have a lot material to compost other than house waste but I do have a lot of Seaweed available to me. Can I compost seaweed? If so, what kind of mix do I need? Thanks,

- Drew   This question has 2 answers. To read answers or add your own:
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I accidently washed my nice red shirt and yellow and white strip shirt with my black clothes and it made my bright yellow and white strip shirt look black and put some black marks on my nice red shirt. Is there anything I can do to make my bright yellow and white strip shirt look better and get the black marks off my red shirt. Thanks Meredith

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My bathroom counter top is an awful mustard color and I would like to change it, Is there anyway I can do this without going to the expense of buying a new counter? Would like to do a faux marble.

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My husband often comes home with really dirty clothing. Especially when it rains, he works outside for much of the day. I am a stay at home parent since the birth of our first child. Basically a new homemaker. Any tips for cleaning really dirty clothing and having them look respectable again would be helpful. Thank you, love this site! Julie

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I have been collecting wine and champagne corks for some time now. Never knew what to do with them. Now that I am moving to a brand new apt., a.k.a. clean slate. I asked my sister, who is an amazing decorator, how can I decorate my new apt. in "South Pacific, Figi, Tahitian" without spending so much money?"

This question has 3 answers. To read answers or add your own:
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HI, I am getting ready to have my first garage sale the middle of next month. Anyone have any tips to make it a success? I have a bunch of reasonably good stuff that I would like to turn into some cash to help fund some camping trips we want to go on this summer. Thanks in advance, Anne.

This question has 2 answers. To read answers or add your own:
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I am looking for plans on how to build a sofa set for our living room. If anyone could help me out it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Tammy from Texas

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Any ideas on how I can profit from current magazines that I have bought and read? msparker   This question has 4 answers. To read answers or add your own:
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I have a dry cleanable seersucker jacket that has yellowed over time. is there any remedy to return the white areas, white? Now it just looks dirty and dingy and is unwearable.

- Paulette from Tennessee

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Previous Requests with Answers

We are having a high school soccer banquet on the 18th of May and I need inexpensive ideas for table centerpieces for approximately 30 tables. Any suggestions would be helpful. Our colors are black, white and maroon. Thank you.   Answer:

Post
By Rhonand

Try making soccer ball chocolate lollipops and arranging them with some inexpensive silk flowers. Get some baskets from a dollar store, and make flower arrangements with the lollipops. They will turn out beautiful and delicious.

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I have just bought a condo, and the smell of moth balls is wicked, I have removed everything in condo, all furniture, carpets, and stripped the wall paper. I have placed air fresheners in every room (some rooms have more than one) and have aired the house out day and night for a week. Does anyone have any suggestions? PLEASE!

This request has a lot of feedback. Click on the link below to read them.
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Hello, I have recently acquired a dog who loves to chase my cats. He's a couple years old and generally well behaved. They can fend for themselves but the problem is that the dog is HUGE. If he chases the cats in the house he can do some real damage. If I feed the animals outside I end up feeding everyone elses animals as well. Anyone have any tips to train a dog to not chase cats? Thanks Sullivan

Answer:

Post
By Linne Dodds

Get a squirt bottle with a Fine Spray. Put some water in it. Squirt the dog & say "No!" very firmly whenever the dog chases the cats. If the cats are
By any chance provoking the dog, a little dampening of their enthusiasms couldn't hurt.

NEVER SPRAY ANYWHERE NEAR ELECTRIC OR ELECTRONICS!!! or anything else water will wreck. Also, of course, mop floors if water gets on them & don't spray where cats or dogs or people could fall & hurt themselves.

I take a squirt bottle in the van when I go shopping. It also rinses things quite nicely but needs to have a top that can be closed & bottle should be kept upright.

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I was wondering if anyone had a homemade recipe for weed and feed for my lawn? THANKS   There are several answers to this one.

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I am looking for some cheap ways to get my stuff to another state. I am moving to Alaska and have tried some of the Big name moving companies but they all say that it is an international trip and want $5200 for shipping. I only have a few items that are furniture, a couple bunk bed sets and 2 recliners. The rest is boxes. Any ideas?

- Susan

Lots of answers. To read them click on the link below
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I have tried everything to get rid of fleas but with things tight I was hoping to find home remedies that I could make to git rid of them in my home. Any ideas? Please help. Jeannie

Lots of answers for this one. View Responses:
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I am looking at buying an air purifier. I am thinking about the one from sharper image. Anyone have any advice on what works for them? Family members stay here from time to time and have alergies and I want to make it a little easier on them. Thanks Janet from NJ

Lots of recommendations for the Sharper Image Ionic Breeze

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We are planning the year end banquet/band concert for our High School Marching Band. I really need a special centerpiece for each table that the seniors can take home with them. Our budget is limited but I can get enough parent support to make the centerpieces ourselves. I can't seem to find that "special" idea. Please help. Sandra   Answer:

Post
By Joe

You could try something involving a picture of the band. Not sure what but some short of keepsake that has the a picture of everyone in the band and maybe a list of that year performances. If they still have it in 10 years it will give them something to look back on. I am
By no means a centerpiece expert, though. :-)

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Articles and Posts

The purpose of a home ventilation system is to maintain a healthy living environment
By supplying fresh air to your home while at the same time removing stale and polluted air. Home ventilation also helps to maintain proper humidity levels of 30 to 50 percent.

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Herbal remedies don’t have to come from a health food store in an amber colored glass bottle. In fact, you’ll find many of them growing right in your backyard! Whether these plants are classified as a weed, such as the underestimated dandelion, or are cultivated, the following eight are all more than just food – they are nature’s cures for various ailments. For those of you who live in the city or have no garden, you can buy any of these helpful home remedies in your supermarket or, preferably, a farmer’s market or health food store where organic foods are sold. Plants with contaminating pesticides are worthless, even harmful. Also, if you’re looking to gather any of these items in the wild, please stay away from main roads. Exhaust fumes will have permeated the plant, there
By affecting the quality.

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The most important thing to remember is that the room is small, and keep furnishings on a par with the room. In other words, no huge pieces, nothing that dwarfs the room.

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I got an idea one day when I was in a Cracker Barrel restaurant eating breakfast. They had sourdough French toast and it was the best French toast I'd had, so I wanted to re-create the recipe at home.

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The results are in! Homemade cleaners equal and even out perform commercial household cleaning products!

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Convert Celsius to Fahrenheit and Fahrenheit to Celsius using this conversion tool.

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Speed. Accuracy. Efficiency. For anyone who has a lot of lawns to mow these three things are very important.

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Using household water more efficiently-to cut utility bills, stretch the useful capacity of a weak well, or relieve an overloaded septic system— can result in surprising savings. This publication describes several simple methods for improving water use efficiency.

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Soaps have been used to control insects for more than 200 years. Recently, there has been increased interest in and use of these products. This change is due to a better understanding of how to use soaps most effectively and a desire to try insecticides that are easier and safer to use than many currently available alternatives.

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Drinking fresh apple cider is a great way to warm up after raking autumn leaves. Making it yourself at home can be an even greater treat.

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Have you ever come home from work only to wonder why in the world your plants look as if someone had dumped talcum powder all over them? After interrogating your spouse and kids to no avail, you go back out to your plants only to realize the mysterious isn't powder at all. Instead, it seems more like a growth on the leaves themselves, kind of like . . . mildew. Yes, your plants have run into a battle with powdery mildew. What can you do to help your plants win the war?

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Do you like to clean? Hmm. I can probably guess your answer. Most people find cleaning a necessary evil and even for those of us who get a certain amount of satisfaction out of this ongoing chore, we want the process to be quick, efficient and effective.

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Any wood worker needs to take a board from the lumber yard or their local sawyer and make this board a uniform thickness, length and width. This board needs to have all four edges square to each other. This is referred to a milling a board four square and is a pre-requisite to any wood working project.

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Melt and Pour soap is glycerin soap which is made from vegetable oils and is safer for your skin than most commercial brands found in your drug store or supermarket. You can obtain melt and pour soap over the Internet. Keywords are: 'melt and pour soap making' or 'glycerin soap'. You'll pay around $3 - $5 per pound. Translucent glycerin and opaque are the most common types sold. Opaque glycerin is white as it is colored with the mineral titanium dioxide. Also, you will be able to buy soap making kits that contain all the needed ingredients.

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When it's time to clean your blinds and shades, even your best friend is hard to find. But there are some simple and effective ways to clean blinds and shades with minimal effort.

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We think of integrity as doing the right thing when no one is looking.  Does this hold true for money, too? Share with your children the money values you'd like them to carry into adulthood.  We have opportunities to teach our children, even in unexpected ways!

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The grapefruit originates from South East Asia. The grapefruit gets its name because it grows in grapelike clusters in Texas, Florida, Arizona and California.

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When it comes to decorating a child's room, your approach should be much different from decorating an adult bedroom. That's because a child's bedroom should reflect his or her personality and not yours.

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Lumber is available in 2 main categories, hardwood and softwood.Quite simply, hardwood is harvested from any deciduous(leaf bearing) tree. While softwood is from coniferous or needleproducing trees. However a wood worker also needs to decide if anengineered wood product like plywood is better suited for the job. 

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While spring has been a little slow in making an appearance here in New England, the greengrocer's shelves are bulging with spring vegetables; circumstances that combine to create a wonderful opportunity to enjoy Minestrone. Literally, "big soup," Minestrone has no formal recipe; it's merely a reflection of one person's experience at the daily market.

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At least once a year, better twice, take a few minutes to clean your computer. Inside and out.

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