Thrifty Tip Contest (December 10 - 16, 2011)

Duration	Entries
December 10 - 16, 2011	34

Article: How We Keep the Santa Magic Alive

Diana
Bronze Tip Medal for All Time! 51 Tips

December 14, 2011

Our daughters are now 13 and 20, but neither one has ever asked us if we are Santa Claus. From the time they were very young we tried to do magical things to keep the spirit of St. Nick alive.

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Tip: Water Bottle Holiday Gift Package

NoRulesArt

December 14, 2011

This is a great way to use some of those empty water bottles. Fill them with treats then decorate them up a bit, and you have a great package ready for gift giving.

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Tip: Keeping the Monsters Away with Vanilla Spray

coville123
Silver Post Medal for All Time! 433 Posts

December 13, 2011

When my oldest son was little, he use to be scared to sleep in his room. He thought there were monsters under his bed, or in his closet.

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Avoiding Diaper Leaks on Car TripsWhen my children were in diapers, we traveled a lot. Sometimes you just cannot stop right away for diaper changes and sometimes the diapers would leak. Then you have a wet car seat, especially the cloth seats.

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Santa Sided With the KidsOne year for Christmas, we chose to put the tree in the family room, which did not have a fireplace in it. The children thought the tree should go in the living room.

2 Comments Comment

Consider Nature When Choosing PaintSome of you may recognize this suggestion, as I have written it several times. When I am in doubt about paint color I take a look at nature; I consider green to be a neutral color. Green grass, trees, leaves of all shades. Green seems to go with any color.

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Folgers' Coffee Can Christmas ArtFolger's has lovely holiday templates on their website for you to decorate their red canisters! There are even instructions. I can think of many more ways to use that clip art, myself!

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Homemade Hair De-tanglerUse a small empty spray bottle; add 1 tablespoon of hair conditioner and fill the bottle with warm water. Shake well before you use. Spray on wet hair and brush, without tears. I use this on my two girls' hair and it works great!

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Paper White Narcissus at Christmas TimeHere is what I do with my paper white narcissus bulbs that many of us love to grow indoors at Christmas. Put some marbles and the bulbs in the bottom of a tall clear glass vase.

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Re-using Plastic Liquid Laundry Soap BottlesI wash out the empty bottles. Rinse them thoroughly. Cut the top off of the bottle including the top of the handle. You still have the handle left for holding it and you can use it for a scoop for birdseed.

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Remedies for Dry SkinEveryone seems to be having problems with dry skin in different forms, place on the body, and stages. I have been surprised this year, it seems to be everyone. I have tips used by my grandma and experiments I use that work. I hope these will help you.

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Shopping for ChristmasFor my Christmas shopping this year, I make sure I wear comfortable walking shoes, and put on my iPod with peppy music. Shopping malls know you will take your time if you hear Christmas music, and will walk slowly, visiting more stores.

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Christmas Card Holder BoxI like to keep all the Christmas cards I get from year to year. I like to go through them each year and just enjoy them.

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Homemade Flavored Lip GlossTo make chocolate gloss, use equal parts of shortening and Vaseline. Melt in your microwave using only short increments of time as not to overheat. Heat only until melted. You can also do this in a double boiler. Then stir in cocoa powder to taste.

1 Comment Comment

Mardi Gras beads used as candycane Christmas tree ornaments.

Metallic Garland Beads As Candy CanesI was out and about, and I saw this beautiful Christmas tree. It had sections of metallic bead garland which had been cut into 8 inch or so pieces and hung on the tree. The way they hung them, the top was draped over to form the crook of a candy cane.

5 Comments Comment

Money BraceletRemember the bracelets you made as a kid from gum wrappers and candy? Well these bracelets are the same principle, but made using money instead.

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Recycled Rainbow CrayonsHere is a good use for all those broken crayons that we all throw out; it seems wasteful. Gather them up, peel off the paper, and add about 10 different colours into your measuring cup. Melt the crayons in the microwave.

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Sewing on ButtonsBanty gave a nice tip about sewing on buttons. I have another that makes the work look nicer. If you are using a button that is "not" a shank type, make your knot at the end of your thread as usual.

1 Comment Comment

Store Glue Sticks In FreezerKeep glue sticks in the freezer until ready to use.

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A Holiday Solution That Will Work All YearI found solar mini twinkle outdoor lights at my local Walgreen's. They are LEDs and didn't cost much. I bought clear so I can decorate for Christmas, and then use them in my garden or down my sidewalk all year, with no cost for electric or worrying about turning them on and off.

2 Comments Comment

Getting the Most Out of Your SpicesAll cooks have their own secret ways to make the dish special. This time of the year, we are using spices that may have not been even thought of in 10-12 months.

1 Comment Comment

Keep Cut Apples From Turning Brown Before LunchWhen you want to send a cut up apple in a child's lunch, cut the apple in square pieces, leaving it together as you cut, then wrap a rubber band around it to hold it together. This keeps it from turning brown.

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Keeping Baked Potatoes HotI bake them in aluminum foil in our toaster oven. Most of the time I will need the toaster oven for something else so I have to remove the potatoes. I place the potatoes inside our insulated oven mitts, using a spring clothespin to keep the mitt closed.

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Thrift Shop Holiday ItemsI haven't bought new Christmas decorations in years, because I can find items nicer than the ones I could afford, in thrift shops. I add them to my collection of decorations, which I store every year until Christmas.

2 Comments Comment

Pot holder folded up one third to make a note pad and pen holder.

Cute Pot Holder GiftsI purchased a set of pot holders from the Dollar Tree. You simply get out the hot glue gun. Fold one up 1/3 the way and glue the sides. Some of my glue oozed out, so I just stuck a purple rose on each end.

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Inexpensive But Thoughtful GiftsHere are a few of my ideas for inexpensive but thoughtful gifts.

A box of chocolates with a homemade card that says you're just too sweet for words.

1 Comment Comment

Old Credit Cards for Cleaning Stove TopMy Corning stove top always gets dirty when I cook on it and have overspill. I first use some Soft Scrub, then I take an old credit card and scrape it clean. Last, I wipe it with a soft cloth, and I have a clean stove. No trouble at all.

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Re-using Address LabelsWhen you get a letter in the mail, neatly cut off your name and address and you have free address labels.

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Recycled Carpeting Tube "Pillar"Here's a great use for that sturdy cardboard tube in which new carpeting is rolled. Decorate any way you choose to match your rooms decor.

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Christmas Card QuotesWhen I send out the Christmas cards to those people on my list, I like to put a quote on the back of it after I seal it. I have a book that has some quotes about Christmas in it.

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Cutting Down Larger Coffee FiltersFor health reasons we like to use natural brown filters in our 4 cup coffee maker. But often only bleached white filters are available at the store. So we buy the larger brown 8-12 cup size and cut them down.

2 Comments Comment

Plan Meals to Use Most Perishable Items FirstYou know you can save money on fruit and vegetable by shopping once a week, but throwing out spoiled food is a waste of food and money.

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Reminder On Garage DoorA great way to remind yourself of things like take the garbage out, return movies, an MD appointment, get gas, etc. is to place a note via a magnet with a clip on it for your note to be placed onto the metal door inside your garage on the door that goes into your home.

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Use Dryer Sheets To Clean Glue GunWe can't live without glue guns, but they can certainly can cause problems. When you are finished with your gun, let it cool to the touch. Then take a dryer sheet and wipe the tip and also the gun itself.

1 Comment Comment

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