Daily Thrifty Tips
Volume Four, Number 81, March 26, 2005
http://www.ThriftyFun.com
Hello,
Yesterday's TF News was about Spring Gardening Tips. If you aren't subscriber to the TF News you can read it online at:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf341920.tip.html
If you have any
gardening requests, be sure to submit them as a Reader's Request.
We have a lot of experienced gardeners on this site. You can
submit a request here:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/add.ldml
Also, if you have a plant, flower, garden decoration, irrigation
system or anything in your garden that you are proud of, take a
picture of it, write a description and submit it to the photo
contest. It would be fun to see what people's gardens look like.
Enter The Photo Contest:
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Thanks for reading,
Susan
Enter The Photo Contest:
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Today's newsletter contains:
Today's Photo Contest Entries:
- Easter Greetings
- Cats and Yarn
Today's Tips:
- Easter Basket Fillers
- Mini-Muffin Pan For Drying Easter Eggs
- Using Eye Drops
- Stickers on Easter Eggs
- Colored Deviled Eggs for Easter
- Keeping Trash From Smelling
- Pan Substitutions - When You Don't Have The Right Sized Baking Dish
- Adding Spinach to Pasta
- Cleaning Wood Floors With Tea
- Saving Money on Cereal
- Fancy Chicken Salad In Minutes
- Baby Wash as Body Wash
- Shining Stainless Steal
- Cooking Corned Beef in the Oven
- Learn to Make Soup
- Flannel Cleans Everything!
- Call the Paper For Special Offers
- Layered Pea Salad
- Easy Cake Mix Cookies
New Requests:
- How Much Should It Cost To Feed Family of Two?
- Husband Quit Drinking, Now Is Addicted To Sugar
- Hand Sanitizer - For Home or Office
- Remedies for Ringworm
More Reading:
- Top 10 Ways to Organize and Simplify Your Life
- Redesign Your Headboard with a Slipcover
- Boating Safety
- Understanding Weeds - How to Kill them?
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Today's Sponsors
No sponsor today. Advertising information available at:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/advertising.html
Today's Photo Contest Entries
Water Feature - Old Pump And Washtub as Pup's Drinking Fountain
This is a two for one. After a bad wreck I was very depressed. At the time I did not have any pets, which was unusual for me. My family gave me this dog to try and help with the depression. She was about a year old at the time and refused to drink water out of anything except puddles in the back yard. She is now about 5 years old and is still particular about what she drinks out of. I have never found any kind of a dish that she would drink from. I was feeding her ice cubes for her water.
I was given this hand pump and made a water feature out of it, along with an old metal tub. I gutted the pump and ran the tubing through to the faucet. It makes a lovely sound and of course looks nice. Well, come to find out my tempermental dog will drink out of this and nothing else. I no longer have to feed her as many ice cubes. I would sure like to know why she is so picky about her water dishes. I have thought about submitting this to Unsolved Mysteries. :-)
By Verue
Editor's Note: We'd love to know her name and breed.
View Photos and Post Feedback: Click Here
Emmy (Golden Lab?)
We received this contest photo from Mary but never received the description. We'd love to let you know more about the adorable Emmy but just don't have any information. Mary, if you are out there, either email us or post more about her in the feedback.
View Photo and Post Feedback: Click Here
Submit a tip with a photo or a pet description with a photo and you could win a prize. You can enter the photo contest here:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/photo_contest.ldml
Today's Tips
Holiday Wreath/Easter Egg Nests
Ingredients:
- 30 marshmallows
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 tsp. green food coloring
- 3 1/2 cups corn flakes
Directions:
For the nests: 3 1/2 cups use chow mein noodles for corn flakes.
Combine marshmallows, butter, and vanilla plus food coloring in top of double boiler. Heat over hot water until marshmallows are melted. Stir in corn flakes gradually. Drop from tablespoon onto waxed paper and with hands, shape into a 9 inch wreath. Decorate with candied cherries or red hots. For Easter Nests: For them into little nest and put jelly beans in them for eggs.
By Robin
View Article: Click Here
Free Microsoft Mouse Replacement
If you have one that needs to be replaced:
Send a letter to the following address:
Microsoft Corporation
PO BOX 1096
Buffalo, NY 14240-1096
OR CALL FREE at 800-360-7561 x 1. All you will need is a part number.
They asked how long I had the mouse (1 year) and to read the type and code # off the back, and she said I should get it in 3-5 business days! She said that this was just a service provided by Microsoft for ALL of its products, they send you out a replacement if their hardware (peripherals) don't work!
By JC Miller
View Article: Click Here
Cleaning Dolls
A doll restorer gave me the following tips for cleaning dolls:
Composition Dolls - never use water (it's like acid on skin). Clean with Pond's Cold Cream or Vaseline and a soft tissue.
Hard Plastic - Use mild detergent - no chlorine bleach or ammonia - and a soft cloth
Vinyl - Mild detergent - Remove ZIT makes ink stains disappear!
Hair or wigs - reattach with rubber cement (easily cleaned up). Use wig spray to bring back sheen.
By JC Miller
View Article: Click Here
Spice Scent Recipe For a Closet
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds of course salt
- 1/2 cup each of whole allspice, cloves, and ginger
- 1 cup broken cinnamon sticks
- 3 whole nutmeg (crushed with hammer)
Instructions:
Mix ingredients gently in a large glass jar. Cover with lid and store
for six weeks until salt is well seasoned.
To scent a closet, remove lid. Close when not in use.
By JC Miller
View Article: Click Here
Dusting Fragile Plants and Knick Knacks
To clean dust on your African Violets, artificial flowers, knick-knacks buy a small soft bristle brush and dust with that, It's great for the African Violet being that the plant does not like to be touched. The job gets done a lot faster.
By Christine Bors
Editor's Note: African Violets don't like water on their leaves either so make sure to water them from the bottom.
Post Feedback: Click Here
Filling Birdhouses
To fill your bird house faster make your own funnel by cutting off the bottom of a clean 2 liter bottle. Cut off what you want (the choice is yours) then put the neck of the bottle in the bird house and filler up. It's fast and less messy.
By Christine Bors
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Tips For Dealing With Stress
Tips for helping people deal with stress and stessful situations. Post your ideas.
When feeling stressed, try to see everything as if for the first time.
By suebowman
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Scented Clothing
Moisten cotton balls with perfume and slip in each drawer to scent your clothes.
By Suebowman
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Long Hair Tips
Tips for caring for long hair. Post your ideas.
Don't brush wet hair. Comb with a wide-tooth comb instead.
Only condition the ends of your hair.
By Suebowman
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Take Out Menus - Inspiration for Meals
I get take out menus (when available) from restaurants and store them in a folder. When I run out of meal ideas, I occasionally look to these menus for inspiration. They are divided by type of cuisine.
Also handy because the phone numbers are right there and I can call for the restaurant's business hours (on weekends we sometimes eat out at odd times).
I have learned not to trust the menu's printed hours of operation. Some restaurants close between lunch and dinner and they aren't going to toss the old menus and print up a bunch of new ones just because something has changed.
And lastly, I will suggest a restaurant to DH and he'll ask to look at the menu as a means of deciding. He's spoiled (but nice).
By Holly
View Article: Click Here
Shopping Tip from CVS Manager
A manager at a CVS drugstore told me that the sales are recycled every 3 weeks, so if what you want isn't on sale and you can wait to stock up, be aware that this is a possibility and may also be true of other stores. This may no longer be practiced, but it was true as of a few months ago.
By Holly
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Frozen Yoplait Yogurt Ice Cream Alternative
Trying to lose weight but want you ice cream anyhow? I started doing this a couple months ago, I buy Yoplait Light yogurts and put them in the freezer. They take awhile to eat because they are frozen and you're kind of shaving it off at first with your spoon. It costs less than ice cream and it's healthier for you. Tastes yummy too.
By Stephanie Witham
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Orientation in Heaven Joke
Three buddies die in a car crash and they find themselves at an orientation in Heaven. Each man is asked, "When you're lying in your casket & friends and family are mourning, what would you most like to hear them say about you?"
The first man says, "I'd like to hear them say that I was a great doctor and a family man."
The second man says, "I'd like to hear them say that I was a wonderful husband & school teacher who made a huge difference in children's lives."
The third man says, "I'd like to hear them say, 'LOOK, He's Moving!'
By T.H.
View Article: Click Here
Reusable Furnace Filters
Buy reusuable furnace filters. These you can put in your shower/bathtub and rinse the the lint and dirt off or take out to your yard and use the garden hose to rinse the dirt off. Allow to drain and dry before spraying with Lysol and reinstalling. (The Lysol is to kill any germs or in the air). We've had ours for about 10 years and they're still good.
By Terri H.
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For Dried Coffee Stains on Carpet and Upholstery
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp dish soap
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp ammonia
- 3 cup water
Directions:
Beat into a lather or put in a foam-producing bottle. Spray on, leave a couple minutes and rub off. Because so little ammonia is being used in such a large quantity of water, it does not leave a strong ammonia smell. I did this on a very large spot, and it really works! Just be sure to do a test spot first to make sure the dye in the material doesn't fade.
By Jigger
View Article: Click Here
Checking the Furnace
About twice a year, turn off your furnace and A/C, pulling your furnace door(s) off, taking out the filters, take your vaccuum cleaner and clean around your furnace fan and motor. Use a flashlight & look for any oil caps, that might need a drop or 2 of 3 in 1 oil. Cleaning the motor and fan will make the fan motor run cooler.
By Terri H.
Post Feedback: Click Here
Checking the Air Conditioner
In the Spring or Summer, check your outside air conditioner compressor before turning it on for the season. Rinse out any dirt that might have blown in. Be sure to turn the power off first.
By Terri H.
Post Feedback: Click Here
Regaining the Tan Color after Bleaching
If you are trying to get bleach stain out of tan clothing you can use a tea bag to hide the stain. I discovered this trick when I used a bit of bleach to get rid of a stain on my favorite tan jacket.
By Isabelle geczy
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Homemade Furniture Polish
White vinager and cheap olive oil makes a wonderful furniture polish. Rub in circles for best results.
By Isabelle
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Lawnmower Tip - Using Up All The Gas
On your gasoline engine lawnmowers: * Always run the engine out of gas before putting it up till your next use. Also, it doesn't hurt to use a bit of gas additive in your fuel (so you don't gum up your carburator.)
* We have done this with our lawnmower, that we've had for 15 yrs. and it still works good!
By T. H.
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Iron On Backing For Quilt Pieces
I use iron on backing to make the quilt pieces easier to work with.
By sis7460
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Use Cat Hair to Keep Rabbits Away from Flowers
If you have a problem with rabbits munching on your flowers, try brushing your cat and then sprinkling the cat hair over the plants. This was the only solution that helped me after I had tried other remedies such as sprinkling cayenne pepper, human hair and blood meal over my plants. (The rabbits ate the cayenne pepper!!) By using cat hair, I think the rabbits avoid the plants because they think a predator is close by.
NorskyGal
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To keep your garbage disposal clean and smelling fresh. Mix one cup of Vinegar in enough water to fill an ice cube tray, freeze the mixture, grind the cubes through the disposal, and flush with cold water.
By chell
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Coconut Squares
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 cups flour, divided
- 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed and divided
- 1/3 cups butter or margarine, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine 1 cup of the flour and 1/4 cup
of the brown sugar, add butter and blend well. Press firmly into a 9 inch square baking pan and bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the eggs until thick and light yellow. Gradually add the 1 cup of remaining brown sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy. In a separate bowl mix together the remaining 1/4 of the flour and the baking powder, gently stir into the egg mixture. Add the coconut, vanilla and nuts. Spread over the baked crust in the pan, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and cut into squares.
makes about 2 dozen
By Chell
View Article: Click Here
Easy Cheeseburger Casserole
Ingredients:
- 1-2 pounds ground beef, browned with minced garlic
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup Velveeta cheese
- 1 family size can cream of chicken soup
- 1-2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
Combine meat, rice, Velveeta, and soup while hot and stir until cheese is melted. Spread into baking pan and top with shredded cheddar cheese. Heat in a 350 oven for 20 minutes.
Enjoy! Serves 6-8.
By Chell
View Article: Click Here
Gardening Email Group for Phoenix, Arizona
I hope this is okay to post this here.
There may be some gardeners in the low desert that would be interested in my new list for the exchange of plants, seeds, info, advice and posting of garden events throughout the Valley of the Sun (Metro Phoenix). Come join us.
Pat
Phoenix_gardeners_exchange-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Editor's Note: We love to post our subscribers projects and groups. Sharing good information is what ThriftyFun is all about.
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Other Active Topics
Be sure to check out our active topics page to follow the discussion.
http://www.thriftyfun.com/board.html
Tip Contest
Submit a tip and you could win:
New Contest! $30.00 Gift Card
In our newest contest we are giving away a $30.00 Gift Card at one of the following stores: Home Depot, Jo-Ann's Crafts or Amazon.com. If you are the winner, you get to choose which gift card! We figured it would be more valuable if you pick out your own prize, that's why we have decided to go the gift card route. This contest will end on March 31st.
Enter the contest!
Syndication Spotlight:
Here are some publishers that have chosen to publish our tips this week!
Dear Webby's Humor Letter
Webby publishes our tips daily! A very funny newsletter.
http://webby.com/humor
Do you publish a newsletter? Sign up for our Tip Syndication:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/syndication.html
New Requests:
Cleaning a Textured Tub
I clean houses on weekends and one house has 2 tubs and a shower that have a rough texture in the bottom. It's not even 2 years old and they are all stained. The rough texture is made to be there. It has the look and feel of those sticky things you put in your tub so that you won't slip, except it is on the whole floor of the tubs and shower.
I have tried clorox, peroxide, peroxide and baking soda, clorox cleanup, folex, pine sol, 409, dishwasher liquid soap, and have let most soak before trying to remove, but nothing has worked so far.
Any suggestions?
suzi_homemaker01
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Stains in Toilet
I have a bad stain in my teen's toilet, right below the top edge of the toilet where it's hard to reach. I've used several different products to try and get this cleaned but they haven't worked. I've used lime away, clorox teflon for toilet bowls, etc.
Any suggestions?
Peggy
Post Feedback: Click Here
Sweat Odors On Upholstery
I have a sectional sofa that everyone always ends up taking a nap on. It has recently begun to smell like sweat. I have tried steaming it, using febreeze, and upholstery cleaner and nothing seems to help. It still has the smell of body odor.
Any suggestions?
Lori
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Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
My fiancee and I are having a very small wedding in mid-May. Only 13 total invitations went out 2 weeks ago for a total count of 25 possible guests. It is an out of town wedding so all guests are invited to the rehearsal diner. My mother, whom I adore, wants to wait until the response cards from the wedding invitations come back before sending rehearsal invites out. I say everyone should get an invite regardless if they are coming or not. That shouldn't matter.
It's not that the cost is too high since there are only 13 to be mailed out. I just don't understand her logic! I think my fiancee has a good point about sometimes not everyone will respond. They will forget or slack off about it. My mother wants me to follow-up with phone calls to our guests to see if they are coming or not. My fiancee just about died when she heard that and said NO WAY!
What to do? How can I convince my mother to send all 13. Isn't it done like that all the time?
David
Post Feedback: Click Here
Cheating Husband
My husband and I have 3 children together. He cheated on me prior to us getting married and I felt he was truly sorry. Well now I find out not only is has he been cheating but the woman is pregnant. She does not want to keep it but what do I do after that? Do I stick it out again or do I file for divorce. I am a stay at home mom. He pays for everything. However, the house is mine and the car is mine. Help please. - Hurt Wife
Editor's Note: This is outside our normal scope of requests but some of you might have some good advice.
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Protecting Flowers From Chipmunks and Rabbits
I am hoping someone can help me save my flowers this year. We are overrun with Chipmunks and Rabbits. They totally stripped all of my flowers last year and I heard that if you spray them with Cayenne pepper they will not eat them ~ Well~ that didn't stop them. I sure hope someone has an answer for this problem.
Thanks in advance,
Helen from Ontario
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Carrot Juice Stain On Blender Lid
How can I get carrot juice stains removed from my white blender lid?
Barbara
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Anniversary Party With a Luau Theme
I'm planing a hawaiian themed party for my mom and dads anniversary and I need some ideas that are inexpensive
Kassidy from Turlock
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Party Game Ideas For a Teen
I'm turning thirteen and I am having a party. My mom is going to help out, but for once I'm in charge of what to do. My best friend is helping me, but we are a little stuck on ideas. Every tip we found either includes a limo, scavanger hunt, or sleepover and it is totally unlike us.
I am a maverick, otherwise described as, 'I'm a rebel and I'm LOUD!' so the party can't be normal. We have food, music, and decor somewhat planned, but no party games or activities.
Any ideas?
Kat
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Cleaning Refrigerator Seal (Gaskets)
Can anyone tell me how I can clean the mildew on the rubber seal on my refrigerator/freezer doors? Thanks!
Pam
Post Feedback: Click Here
Party Theme and Games For 13 Year Old's Birthday
My son will be 13 in june, I need ideas for a party theme and games for the party.
Laura
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Today's Sponsors
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http://www.thriftyfun.com/advertising.html
More Reading:
Boiling Eggs and the Famous Anti-Cracker
By DearWebby
Here are some tips for boiling eggs in an energy saving manner.
View Article: Click Here
Making Gourmet Dog Treats
Even the family pet deserves a "special" treat! But those "gourmet" dog treats can be very expensive. These are great recipes for making your own dog treats at home. They also are terrific as gifts - we all know someone whose dog is very special to them:
View Article: Click Here
Prevent Heart Disease
By Mike Spencer
You should always keep in mind that whatever actions you do today can either help to prevent, delay or minimize the effect of heart disease or worsen it. The key is to control risk factors. Granted that you cannot control every risk factor for heart disease such as family history but you can definitely do something about your behavior. Age and gender also influence your risk of heart disease.
View Article: Click Here
Putting Family First
By Joyce Moseley Pierce
I once knew a man who spent his life working and trying to provide for his family. More than anything, he wanted to be successful. In his mind, that meant making a lot of money and having material things to show for it - nice house, new car, expensive suits, cash in hand.
View Article: Click Here
Organizing Baby Clothes
By Rachel Paxton
When I first found out we were expecting twins, I had no idea how we were going to able to afford enough clothes for both of them! Two baby showers later, I had more baby clothes than I knew what to do with, and I was struggling with trying to find somewhere to organize everything.
View Article: Click Here
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