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Vol. 8, Num. 58, March 24, 2009 (Read It Online) Here are the contest winners for last week. There were so many wonderful recipes that we decided to pick two winners, we could have picked more. There also were numerous deserving tips and photos. Thank you to everyone that took time to submit something! Here are the winners... Pet Contest Winner Dazzey (Mixed Breed) We are so glad that Dazzey found a loving home and what a wonderful picture. Photo Contest Winner Laundry Table Top This is a great way to make use of the space on top of front loading washing machines. Tip Contest Winners Color Code Rooms When Moving A color coded move makes unpacking much easier. Make Your Own Board Game This is a great craft for the whole family. Recipes Contest Winner Build Your Own Breakfast Burritos A good meal for households with picky eaters. Artichoke and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts An interesting dish that is easy to prepare. Thanks for reading, The ThriftyFun Team
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If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish. More Information:
This is a picture of the small creek in our yard when it rained and filled up. It was flowing so fast we speculated we could put a toy boat in there and send it to the river. The sounds it made were wonderful.
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Rate It: Cheryl is a long haired Calico. She loves to think she is "hiding" in the grass.
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Rate It: Craft Project: Can-Can Easter Baskets Recycle cans to make these charming little baskets. I used a large vegetable can, soup can, and tuna can. Embellish with ribbon, buttons, stickers, etc. These are great for Easter or May Day!
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Rate It: Craft Project: Sibling Bubble Birth Announcement With the impending birth of a new sibling, we bought a couple dozen bottles of the bubbles that can be used for weddings, etc and decided that Tegan (3 at the time) could announce the birth of her new sister in this manner.
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Rate It: This is Raleigh at four months. He is three and a half years old now. He is a Dalmatian. I bought him as an eight week old puppy from a very good kennel. I was supposed to show him, but he turned out shy.
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These contests are weekly. We pick 2 tip winners and 1 photo winner at the end of each week. Each winner will win $25!
This clever craft produces a nice gift or an educational kid's toy using recycled materials. You will need a sturdy, but not thick, piece of cardboard. The front or back of a cereal box is perfect. Choose a photo, a magazine picture, the front of a greeting card, etc. and glue it onto the cardboard. On the back of the cardboard, draw jigsaw shapes. Keep in mind the skill level of the person for whom you are making it when drawing the shapes. Cut out the shapes, put them in a ziplock bag or an empty card box covered with wrapping paper. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf92885507.tip.html
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Rate It: Storing and Using Plastic Grocery Bags Take a large mesh orange or grapefruit bag that has a draw string type handle from your store bought produce. Snip a bottom corner of the bag off. Insert grocery bags or cleaning rags. It hangs where you wish as well as easy pull out from bottom corner. When it needs to be refilled, go from the top and refill as your bag empties. Beats all them plastic grocery bags from gathering up elsewhere. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf16908889.tip.html
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Rate It: Stretch Liquid Makeup With Mineral Oil I had a small amount of (Cover Girl) liquid makeup in a shade I wanted to use up. I poured into the bottle a small amount of mineral oil, shook it vigorously and that made just enough for one use. I believe you could use extra virgin olive oil if you didn't have the mineral oil. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf20041309.tip.html
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Rate It: I am not sure this is considered a frugal or thrifty tip in everyone's book but it is to me as it saves me a lot of time and energy and don't have to wait for hubs to be around to help me. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf44109481.tip.html
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Rate It: Clean Your Dryer's Lint Screen Regularly When you use dryer sheets, they tend to clog up your filter screen. Every month or so, take it out and wash it carefully and dry and return to machine. It works much better when it is clean! When I have smaller loads of drying to do and I am using a dryer sheet, I cut it in half. It works just as well as a whole one. By MsWolfe from WV Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf62348080.tip.html
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Rate It: Americans spend BILLIONS of dollars a year on storage containers! Recent data indicated that we spent $1.4 BILLION on FOOD storage containers in 2003 alone! I am a pack rat by nature and I save everything: Broken jewelry and bits of china, ribbon pieces to be used in future craft projects; clothing that is a decade out of style but just too nice to throw away. It is a compulsion and a bad habit that with some practice can be reformed. The first stop is to change your mindset: This is not easy. You have to choose to be ruthless. If you just cannot bear to throw or give your stuff away COLD TURKEY, place it in a box and seal the box and label with a date 6 months in the future. If you have not broken the seal on the box to retrieve an item in 6 months it is safe to donate to your favorite local charity. Think of the free time you'll gain by not having to clean your stuff or look for it in piles of junk. Get creative when trying to clean out your items. Set a timer and allow yourself only 15 minutes to clean out a closet. Have boxes handy for throw away, donate and put in their rightful place. Do you really want your loved ones to find all the ____ (Fill in the blank) if you were to die unexpectedly? WE laugh and say my husband will kill me when he finds all the fabric, yarn and craft supplies in the basement if I were to die suddenly! Cleaning Out:
Toys, Etc.: Consider recycling your used sporting good equipment, camping gear and last years cleats to a used sporting good consignment store. Many children' consignment stores accept toys, books, CDs and DVDs too. Many cities now have consignment stores for your used musical instruments as well. Books: Some cities have stores which buy your used books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs. You get a store credit to purchase new and slightly used items in my home town. Clothing: Turn all your hangers backwards; as you wear an item, turn the hanger to face the correct way. At the end of the season dispose of all the clothing you have not worn. Consign it, donate it or e-bay it. Be ruthless - this is not easy! Resist purchasing clothing just because it is on sale and a good bargain. Many of these items end up being discarded with the tags still on them. Recycle your clothing: Turn kids t-shirts or all your racing shirts in to a lap blanket or a quilt. These make nice gifts. I made one for my daughter when she went to college. I have even heard of recycling deceased loved ones garments into a blanket or stuffed animals. Old ties can be made into skirts or messenger bags. Recycle buttons into bracelets or for future sewing projects. Host a PROM dress exchange at your local high school or contact an inner city school about hosting a free PROM dress shopping day in their gym. Host a yard sale, a FREE give away (instead of a sale), donate to your local churches Mission, allow the DAV or Veterans organization pickup, post on Craigslist, etc. In The Kitchen: I knew my life was one of shameless excess when I counted 10 wooden spoons in my utensil drawer. Clean out baking pans, cookware, storage containers and utensils that you have not used in a year. If you can't identify the purpose of the kitchen gadget you need to get rid of it. If you dread using that food processor, grill or waffle iron because it so hard to clean, just get rid of it! In The Bathroom: Discard all expired medications on an annual basis. Use your birthday or holiday as the annual date. Discard those half used tubes of lipstick. E-bay the freebies you don't use that you get when you purchase high end cosmetics. In the Attic, Basement and Garage: Don't purchase craft items until immediately prior to beginning your craft. I have wasted mega-bucks on projects I wanted to try only to have the supplies accumulate but never get used. Donate leftovers to your church resource room, schools after school daycare program or the local preschool. Don't open that box from your last move 4 years ago. Take it directly to the Goodwill! Trust me, you will NEVER miss it! Discard all the "parts" of broken items you were planning on repairing. You are NEVER going to get around to doing it if it has been there for more than 3 months. In Conclusion: Some people are forced to do this when downsizing to a smaller house. I am a lot happier to see uncluttered counters and the basement floor. There have even been studies that indicate that clutter increases your stress. Do yourself a favor and start de-cluttering today! Source: I finally got serious about de-clutterng and it worked for me! By Diana from Prospect, KY
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Rate It: Clean Baked on Grime With Baking Soda and Vinegar When you have baked on or cooked on grime you are fighting with on your pots and pans and bakeware, try this:
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Rate It: Stagger Canned Foods to Store More I found when storing can goods in a staggered form, you can get more on a shelf. I have a very narrow shelf in my pantry and could get only a few cans in. When I began to put one as far back on the shelf as possible and then the other as far front as possible (touching each other) then I could get several more on the shelf. I guess you could do this with a deeper shelf also. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf28809833.tip.html
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Rate It: Use Cereal Liners in the Kitchen Save your cereal bags, they have lots of uses. I save the wax paper cereal bags that come in almost all boxed cereals for later use in the kitchen. I empty the crumbs out and save them in an empty cereal box. The bags can be used in place of plastic wrap for re-heating food in the microwave, storing homemade bake goods, storing a toddler's leftovers in the refrigerator, etc. I also use the bags for cooking my corn on the cob in the microwave. My family loves how the corn turns out and it's quick, easy and no clean up is required. You probably would normally just throw these bags out but now you can use them first and then throw them out. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf15714532.tip.html
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Rate It: When buying a bunch of parsley, I clean off the stems and throw them away. I place parsley leaves in a freezer bag. When needed, I use a scissor and cut off what I need. The rest goes back into freezer until next time. Frozen parsley is better tasting and looks greener. You usually get a lot and it's hard to store until needed. I know it cheap, but do you usually have it on hand when you want it. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf97230302.tip.html
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The infomercial for Derma Wand was on TV today. There used to be a company called Dermal Tone. I bought their machine 8 years ago and it still works today. I am 66 years old and look 46. Dermal Tone went out of business, so I cannot find them anywhere. Is Derma Wand the same company? Their product does not seem as impressive at all. Does anyone know about Dermal Tone or the owner so I could reach them? By Colette Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf13877149.tip.html
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Rate It: I parboiled ribs and then froze them. Now I have thawed them out to put on a grill for browning, etc. Can I refreeze any leftovers? By Toni from St. Louis, MO Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf82189198.tip.html
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Rate It: Eat'n Park Restaurant Cornbread Recipe I am looking for Eat'n Park Restaurant's cornbread recipe. By Carol from Whitaker, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf55958155.tip.html
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Rate It: How to get the middle of a frozen pizza done without burning the rest of it? By sstocker from St Joseph, MN Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf89843182.tip.html
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Rate It: Removing a Window from My Computer's Desktop I wanted to install a shortcut on my desktop to your site and instead installed a window and I want to remove it. How can I remove the window from my desktop? Thanks. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf23840880.tip.html
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Rate It: Inexpensive Plus Size Prom Dresses I'm a senior in high school, and prom is in a few months. It's impossible for me to find anything that fits and prom dresses are even worse! The larger the size I go to fit my 44 bust, 36 waist, 45 hips, the more expensive and unattractive the dresses get. Does anybody have any suggestions as to where I can look for a dress that fits and is both inexpensive and attractive? By Leana from Hamden, CT Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf93015626.tip.html
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Rate It: Birkenstock Sandals for Heel Spurs Has anyone ever worn Birkenstock sandals for heel spur and foot pain relief? Do you like them? By Wacky Camper Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52953803.tip.html
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Rate It: Can anybody help me with a good old fashioned recipe for Hot Cross Buns. The ones with plenty of spice and fruit like we used to get. By Lorimay from Perth, Western Australia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf59513246.tip.html
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Rate It: I accidentally got brown permanent hair dye on a plain cream faux-silk curtain. Does anyone have any ideas how to remove it, or make it less noticeable? Thanks. By Jan from Grantham, UK Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37856222.tip.html
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Rate It: Orange Juice Stains on Clothing How can I remove orange juice and egg stains off of white clothes? I have tried the bleach pens, and the Oxy Clean but the stains are still there. I have read the section on removing yellow stains from clothes. I didn't see any mention of egg stains or orange juice. Thanks. By Adriana from Miami, FL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf89511920.tip.html
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Rate It: Neighbor Rinsing Dog Waste under the Fence I have a problem with the neighbors through the adjoining fence. They daily wash their dog's urine and feces against the wooden fence, which then seeps under the fence and into my vegetable patch. It has died from the concentration of material and constant wetness. The timber has rotted out and despite at least five conversations and suggestions to rectify the matter, the owner refuses to put drainage in place to remedy the situation. In the heat, the flies and smell are bad. What avenues do I have to rectify this matter? By Good Neighbor from Queensland, Australia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf69093717.tip.html
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Rate It: My daughter is going to be 12. Her grandmother is letting us use her pool. I would like to know what kind of games can we play, in addition to swimming all day. I don't think there will be any boys, just uncles and dads. Can you help me? Thank you. By Janet from Torrance, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf10976041.tip.html
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Rate It: How Can You Tell if Tortillas Are Fresh? How can you tell if tortillas are fresh? By Theresa from Dallas, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf63221550.tip.html
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Rate It: Email Address for DollarSurveys.com Does anyone who uses the site DollarSurveys.com have an email address for them? By Audrey from San Diego, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf13068155.tip.html
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Rate It: There is a beauty recipe on this site that uses actual grape juice. Not the recipe where you use the grapes themselves, but grape juice like you buy in the grocery store. Can anyone help, please? Thanks! By metroplex from Houston, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf46272582.tip.html
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Rate It: I have just found a silverfish in my bedroom. Does anyone have a pet friendly recipe to get rid of them? By Barbme from Toronto, Canada Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf91239527.tip.html
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Rate It: Permanent Marker Stains off Linoleum Floor My son wrote on my linoleum kitchen floor with a blue permanent marker. Any suggestions of how to get it off, he also wrote on my wall. By Vickie from Louisiana Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf154302.tip.html
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Rate It: Getting Rid of Moles With Moth Balls Do mothball really get rid of moles? By Beverly from Kansas Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf67559944.tip.html
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Rate It: Growing Tomatoes in Containers I am growing tomatoes in planters. The containers are 2 1/2 to 3 gallons. I just transplanted the plants. They are about 8-10 inches tall. Are these containers big enough to grow healthy tomatoes? Or should I transplant them into something bigger, like five gallon buckets? By Rob from Santa Cruz, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37205887.tip.html
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Rate It: What is a Knifty Knitter? By Debbie from Richmond, KY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf47841568.tip.html
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Rate It: Steam Cleaner Left Mark on Linoleum Floor I bought one of those popular new floor steam cleaners from HSC and I let it sit in a spot after I was done. It left a big white water mark on a linoleum kitchen floor. Usually a water mark fades away in 24 hours but this one is not. I can't be the only person to have done this. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance! By Scot from Philadelphia, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43773030.tip.html
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Rate It: I need ideas for wedding reception food on a tight budget. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf33417745.tip.html
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Rate It: CD Player for Fisher Audio Component System I have a Fisher Audio Component System MC-723. I am wondering if I can buy a CD Player that would be compatible to this system. The current system includes play and record cassette tapes, AM/FM Radio and turntable. By Dorothy from Florida Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf14358532.tip.html
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Rate It: Selling Homemade Food Products in Stores I have just recently started my own hot sauce company, now I am looking to get it into stores. Does anyone have information on how to do this? I know how much I can sell it to the stores for but I don't want the product sold for an extremely high price. I want a selling price cap I guess. I am in the Chicago area. If I want to sell in California, New York, or Florida, how can I ship it to those states and not get killed by shipping costs? Any info on any of these questions would be helpful. Thanks. By JB from Chicago, IL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf44459841.tip.html
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Rate It: I am looking for ideas for light globes. By Sharon from Lanett, AL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43185026.tip.html
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Rate It: What is wheat powder? I saw it as an ingredient on this site for a blemish remedy and I'd like to try it out. It was under 'home remedies for acne'. Thanks! By metroplex from Houston, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf99471269.tip.html
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Rate It: I need to wash my aluminum siding with TSP before painting. Does anyone know if this will fade or damage dark colored shingles? By Rick from Clinton Twp., MI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf76463000.tip.html
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Rate It: Inexpensive Desert Landscape Ideas I am looking for inexpensive desert landscape ideas. Hardiness Zone: 11 By Tish from Las Vegas Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf48266471.tip.html
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Rate It: Removing Sharpie from Vinyl Moonwalk My family and I have been running a moonwalk (inflatable bouncer) business for the past 12 years. We just opened up our new indoor party center in La Porte, Texas. It's called Lil' Jack's Indoor Party Center. Tomorrow will be one week that we have been open, and today was our busiest day. We already had a kid write their John Hancock on the moonwalk. What removes sharpie off of vinyl moonwalks? Please let me know. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf86858894.tip.html
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Rate It: Can I use cat litter for a rabbit? By Nancy from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf74293809.tip.html
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If you are an avid crafter, capable writer and own a digital camera, you are eligible to participate. Submit your craft projects to ThriftyFun and we will pay $15 for any crafts that we publish. More Information:
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