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Solution Contest
(September 10 - 16, 2011)

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Duration	Entries
September 10 - 16, 2011	55

Tip: Moving To A New State With Pets

September 15, 2011

Before we moved to another state, I had new dog tags made for all my dogs with our cell phone numbers and also my mother-in-law's phone number. I also contacted the microchip company where all our dogs and cats were registered and updated their files with our new address before the actual drive.

Comment Was this helpful? 7

Tip: Cleaning Your Silver

September 14, 2011

It is always a good idea to wipe your silver off as soon as you are finished with it. For instance, my silver omega chain gets wiped after every use. The oils on your fingers and skin cause silver to tarnish.

Comment Was this helpful? 18

Tip: Make A Gnat Trap

September 13, 2011

I also have a gnat problem again this year. The only thing that worked for me was to take a 9 oz or larger glass, make a funnel out of paper with a tiny opening at bottom.

Comment Pin it! Was this helpful? 13

Back-to-School Lice RemovalAs a preschool teacher, I have heard (and tried!) many tips for getting rid of lice, the back-to-school bane of every school. The best and cheapest one is to use mayonnaise.

2 Comments Comment

Banana Peels for Cleaning ShoesWith mornings being extremely crazy, I certainly do not have time to buff or polish shoes. This is particularly true, especially since we spend a big part of each morning looking for them, saving time is a must!

1 Comment Comment

Growing Basil from CuttingsI have fresh basil up until almost December. I live in the northeast and the garden will soon be going to bed. In mid September, I take cuttings from basil plants and put them in a clear glass dish such as a bread loaf pan.

Tape aligned, door locked.

Is the Door Locked?Every time we went away, someone would have to check the back door to see if it were locked. I put four small pieces of reflective tape on the toggle. If the four are in a straight line, it's locked, if the middle two are sideways, the door needs to be locked.

1 Comment Comment

Photo of spreadsheet for budgeting.

Keeping a Spreadsheet to Monitor BudgetI use a spreadsheet I made up to list all expenses and income right down to the penny. The spreadsheet lists income, and then all expenses such as groceries, gas, each utility, eating out, prescriptions, credit card bills, miscellaneous expenses, absolutely everything.

6 Comments Comment

Pine-Sol to Remove SapWhen it comes to removing sap from clothing, I have had very good luck with Pine-Sol or Lestoil. It is worth a try.

Winter protection framework against the side of the house.

Preparing Your Garden for WinterPreparing the garden for fall and winter is a routine task for me. About this time or when the first cool spell arrives I begin to prepare my winter protection of plants that won't take cold.

Recycle Junk MailI recycle everything! My husband and I use the cloth bags that we use every week to get our groceries. I keep one next to my office desk, my living room chair, and the kitchen pantry, in order to toss things in after they are read.

Remove Fleas with a Flea CombUse a flea comb on pets, it works wonders. I use a dry flea comb on my 2 cats. Swipe, then throw the fleas into a bowl of water and dish soap. I do this every day to make sure they are rid of fleas. Takes about ten minutes a cat.

Saving Money on Sewing PatternsTo save money on patterns for sewing your own clothes, you need to watch for sales in the fabric stores. I recently got McCall patterns for 99 cents each at JoAnn's Fabric. Some of those patterns sold for $17.95.

Shake Bottle With Dish Soap Or DetergentRinse obvious debris out of the bottle. Then put two tablespoons of powdered, automatic dishwashing detergent in the bottle. Or place one tablespoon salt, and one teaspoon dish soap in bottle. Add very hot water until 1/3 full.

5 Comments Comment

Use Dandelions InsteadInstead of getting rid of dandelions, use them. You can use the greens in salads. Dandelions can be used to make jelly and wine. Instead of contaminating the soil with pesticides, it would be much better to use what nature provides.

1 Comment Comment

Use Up Old Gas In Yard ToolsIf the gas is just old, you can mix old gas with fresh gas in roughly a 1 to 10 ratio and use the gas for lawnmowers, weed whackers, chainsaws, and other gas powered tools. The greater portion of the new gas reinvigorates the old gas.

Using Junk Mail to Prevent WeedsI save up my junk mail until I get enough to mulch a section of my flower garden where weeds are a problem. You can lay the pieces of mail two, three or four pieces deep and spread over the area to be mulched.

1 Comment Comment

Add Vinegar To Pet's WaterTo get rid of fleas, use apple cider vinegar! Add a bit to your pet's drinking water and it really helps! I have 3 small dogs that are prone to fleas and we no longer have that problem.

9 Comments Comment

Cheesecloth Ghost CostumeAs a quick ghost costume, I had her wear black clothes, top to bottom. We then sponged white make up onto her face and used a good amount of black eyeliner and red lipstick. Finally, I draped a few layers of cheesecloth over her, including covering her face.

Dispose Of Used Paint At Local DumpHere in Georgia at our county dump, there is a bin marked for used paint disposal.

Junk Mail As Scrap PaperIf it is blank on the other side I use it as scrap paper to write on. If not blank, I put it my recycle bin.

Onion or Garlic Juice To Deter AphidsIf buying ladybugs is not an option, I have been successful making a spray made from a boiled onion or garlic. Strain the juice and spray on the plants affected by aphids. This works for me. Tobacco juice is also effective.

1 Comment Comment

Reducing the Amount of Junk MailYou can cut down on the amount of junk mail you receive by registering at dmachoice.org.

Refuse Junk Mail And Return Unopened.I have, in the past, just written "refused" on the unopened junk mail and put it back in the mailbox. The postal service will take it away.

Return it to SenderI mail it back to the sender if they enclose an envelope for which they will pay. Let them pay twice for the spam and they can get rid of the clutter. Otherwise if I can use the backs for note paper, I do that.

Sand And Vinegar For the Inside of BottlesFill the object with straight, plain vinegar and letting it sit for a day or two. If this does not work then add a bit of sand to the vinegar and shake it really well, repeatedly.

Shred Junk MailI have a shredder. I shred all of my junk mail. I use the strips for packing materials when I mail boxes.(eBay) I also use them for paper mache projects with my children or kids in my class. I sort the colored paper out.

Sort Junk Mail At The MailboxThe quickest way to get rid of junk mail is to have a wastebin (waste basket) somewhere near where you pick up the mail. Don't let the junk mail get any further. Drop it in the wastebin right there and then and you will have no worries about junk mail clutter.

1 Comment Comment

Use Hot Water To Clean Candle SticksPut the candle sticks in hot water. When wax softens, peel it off. Do this again if the melting is not complete. Have an old cloth ready to rub the stick while it is still a bit warm. This will take off the final residue.

Use Rope To Deter SnakesTo get rid of any snake, use sisal rope. Put it where you don't want the snake. Because of the soft underbelly of the snake, it will not cross over the rope. This is an old cowboy trick handed down by my family.

4 Comments Comment

Use Squeezed Lemons For Kitchen CleanupAfter I have squeezed a lemon for a recipe, I take the two lemon halves and rub them on the countertop to clean all the stains off it. I then throw the lemon halves into the garbage disposal and turn it on to have a sweet smelling and clean counter and garbage disposal.

Break Denture Tablets to Fit Inside BottleUse denture cleanser tablets to clean the inside of the bottles. Put in the tablet (break up to fit), add water, and shake.

Clean Inside of Bottles With Dishwasher DetergentI have found putting granulated dishwasher soap in the bottle, filling it with the hottest water possible, and letting it soak overnight works well.

Clean Veggies With Water and VinegarWhatever you do, don't use anti-bacterial soap! You don't want any residue in you, and it's not that good anyway, and in time causes resistance in bacteria.

2 Comments Comment

Collecting Child SupportYou can call or visit your county court house, it must be the county where you live. They should have a child support enforcement office located there, in the building. They can help you with all of the steps that need to be taken.

1 Comment Comment

Combine Coupons with Ad PricingWhen planning your grocery shopping trip, use coupons, but also read the ads carefully. General Mills will put on a special with their cereal and cereal bars. They had the box of 8 bars 2/$5. If you bought 4 boxes, $10 total, you got $4 back at the register.

Create a Gnat TrapTo create a gnat trap, take an empty 2 liter bottle, cut off the top 1/3, pour in some sweet pickle juice or vinegar/sugar combo, then invert the top and fit it into the bottom containing the mixture.

Denture Cleaning Tablets For BottlesOne of the best methods I have found is to buy the tablets for cleaning dentures. Depending on how large the bottle is, drop a whole one or 1/2 of one in the bottle and add hot water.

Giving Medication To PetsGiving pills or meds to pets is so very easy if you just use the right method. I take the pill and a bite-size piece of their favorite people food. People food is always a special treat for pets since they only very rarely get it.

3 Comments Comment

Killing Dandelions with Sulfate of AmmoniaI have had great success killing off my dandelions with sulfate of ammonia, the 21-0-0 stuff. After watering, I just put a teaspoon of the dry crystals in the center of the damp dandelion.

1 Comment Comment

Oxi Clean For Cleaning BottlesUse 2 Tbsp. of Oxi Clean, fill with water and shake. Leave overnight and use a bottle brush the next morning.

Peeling a PineappleWhen I peel a pineapple, I slice it in the thickness that I want. Then I stick a knife inside the skin and cut around the skin and I push out the pineapple till all of the skin is removed.

1 Comment Comment

Salt to Clean Inside BottlesPut in some coarse salt inside the bottle with a bit of water and swirl it around. The salt scours off the crud and it can be rinsed out easily. Repeat if necessary.

Use Vinegar On WeedsTo kill weeds, spray them with vinegar when the sun is shining. Spray all the leaves. They will shrivel up and die. It is non-toxic to animals, etc.

Bathing PetsUsing baby shampoo, even the cheap stuff, as long as it really is sensitive, is perfectly fine for dogs and cats. Cats don't need to be bathed at all unless they get into something that's gotten them extremely dirty. They clean themselves.

Have Friends and Family Check On Older ParentMy mother lives in our home and has several health issues. I ask friends or relatives to call and chat with her. This helps her feel valuable. At the same time it allows others to check on her status several times a day, while I am at work.

3 Comments Comment

Lemons For Mold RemovalThe only solution for getting rid of mold in the bathroom on tile, tub, or any other hard or porous surface is lemons or lemon juice. I recently read where someone had thought bleach was the answer. At one time so did I, until I had children.

2 Comments Comment

Very tall diaper cake with a white teddy bear on top.

Make A Diaper Cake For Baby ShowersTry making a diaper cake for a baby shower. These darling diaper cakes make quite a beautiful site as a centerpiece for a baby shower. They are unique in that you can use almost every item bundled in this cake.

2 Comments Comment

Remove Pressure Foot For Machine QuiltingQuilting is my hobby. I have heard of many, many different ways to machine quilt. Some people or books insist that to do free-motion quilting on the machine you must get a special presser foot, called a darning foot.

Swap Instead Of Selling PaperbacksThis really isn't a pointer on selling your old books but it is an option if you are an avid reader with lots of paperback books. There is a club online called paperback swap and you can visit it at paperbackswap.com.

2 Comments Comment

Tips For Cleaning A Garbage DisposalI use baking soda. Make sure the power is off. Pour into the garbage disposal, then take a scratchy sponge and put your hand in there. Clean the walls and under the rubber flaps.

1 Comment Comment

Tips For Making A Kiln At HomeThere are two types of kilns, brick and glaze. You can build a brick type kiln, that will fire clay to about the same temperature as bricks or flower pots, quite cheaply. Those you can heat with simple BBQ burners.

1 Comment Comment

Fruit Fly DeterrentThe best way to keep the fruit flies away is to get some mint leaves. Put them in the fruit basket along with the fruits. The fruit flies don't like mint.

1 Comment Comment

Witch Hazel and Alcohol Skin TonerI've made my own for years and it works just fine! I use 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol and 3/4 cup of witch hazel. You can add a couple of drops of blue food coloring to make it look store bought.

3 Comments Comment

Giving Pills to PetsTo make giving your pet pills easier, dissolve the pill in water and use a medical syringe to squirt in their mouth.

1 Comment Comment

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