Daily Thrifty Tips - November 11, 2008

To all of our U.S. readers who are veterans and to all of their families, Happy Veteran's Day!

Here are the contest winners for last week. We gave out three tip contest winners because there were so many wonderful tips to choose from.

Photo Contest Winner

Craft: Recycled Camping Lanterns
By Wendy from Coopersburg, PA

This is a fun craft idea for kids. Thanks for sharing it!

Pet Contest Winner

In Memory of Dukane (Doberman)
Sheila and Tessa from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Thank you for sharing Dukane with us, he was a beautiful dog. We are so sorry for your loss.

Tip Contest Winners

Save Data on External Hard Drive
By Bobbie from Rockwall, TX

If you have ever lost all the data on a hard drive, you know how important this tip is. Having current backups can save you a lot of headaches and heartache.

Retirement Planning Tips
By Coreen from Rupert, ID

Coreen share's some great tips for preparing for retirement.

Election Signs = Garage Sale Signs!
By Holly from Golden, CO

Holly offered a very timely tip, especially for signs on public land. Make sure you don't take signs from people's yard without first asking permission, though. Many people want to keep their signs as souvenirs and taking them without permission is a crime.

Recipe Contest Winner

Watermelon Cookies
By Sandra from Salem, OR

Sandra shares her first prize winning cookies recipe. These are adorable.

Thank you to everyone that took time to submit something!

Thanks for reading,

Susan

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Crafting for Fun and Money!

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.

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Craft Project: Pom-Pom Aliens

These adorable aliens are a great way to use up left-over craft supplies. A few pom-poms, chenille stems and googly eyes is all you need to whip a little critter up. Well, those items and lots of good, old white glue!

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Craft: Organizer from CD Cases

Recycle your old CD cases and make an organizer. We made a Father's Day organizer for my husband. I placed photos of the kids on each side and let them decorate their own page. We placed a poem on a blank side. You can use this organizer for many things. You can even place the cds back inside of the organizer. It would make a great Christmas gift for grandparents etc. We even made on for the teacher for Earth Day.

You need 5 empty CD cases and some hot glue. Start with one case on the bottom and glue each side one at a time. Be sure you can open the case cover as you glue it to the bottom. When you are done gluing, open each case and add decorative paper or photos etc.

By Wendy from Coopersburg, PA

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Craft: Crocheted Snail Pin Cushion

With scrap or regular yarn, you can make a nice little pin cushion. I collect snails, so this was a natural for me.

You will need: Scrap yarn, hot glue, plastic canvas or other small bit of plastic that is flat and smooth. Yarn has natural oils that keep your pins sharp.

You simply chain the amount of stitches that you want the item to be wide. The one you see, is just a 6 chain, working back and forth with a single crochet in each chain/stitch, then turning and continuing.

To get one this size, you will need a strip about 12 to 14 inches long. The longer you make it, the larger the snail will be.

NOTE: The longer it is, the wider it needs to be to sit up right.

When the desired length is reached, simply cut and secure the end. Measure off 1/3 of the length from either end, and put a safety pin on the edge. From the other end, roll the yarn, tucking in the tail, hot gluing it with cool setting every 2 inches or so.

When you get to the pin, stop and make sure you glue right there. Remove the pin.

When the glue dries, turn the snail back over, and curl the "head" with the last 1/3 of the strip. Glue as before, and when the head is rolled, glue the head to the back of the shell area so the head stays with the body.

For extra stability, you can glue a strip of plastic canvas to the bottom of the snail. Use the glue sparingly, as it will ooze out.

You can use cardboard, but you will always have to be careful to not sit it in water. Plastic is better.

Find two cool head pins (hat pins, etc) for the antennae. Put a tiny bit of glue on the ends and put them in the head at an angle.

You can decorate the face with eyes if you like.

This snail is about 3.5x1.5 inches, so it's tiny.

By Sandra from Salem OR

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Scenery: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

NewFound Gap Road, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

By William from Martinez, GA

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Punkin (Yorkie)

Punkin is a Yorkshire Terrier. We think she is around 10 or 11, she is a rescue dog. We have had her for 2 years.

She loves to go for walks and snuggle on my lap and watch TV

A month after we got her, we had to have an eye removed because she was abused. She has a collapsing trachea so she sounds like a little pig when she gets excited. She had a very hard start to her life, but she is the princess now and she knows it.

By Kalene from Oregon City, Oregon

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Fancy (Himalayan)

Fancy is a 2 year old Himalayan. Fancy was given to me about a year ago, she was already a year old.

She likes to chase birds in the yard. Fancy looked like a "fancy" cat to me.

By Vickie from Earle, Arkansas

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• Tip Contest
  Submit a Tip or Recipe!

• Photo Contest
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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!

• My Frugal Life
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Online Game: Super Obama World

Here's a surprisingly fun online game feature the President-elect. It's based on the old side-scrolling Super Mario Brother's games. You have to watch an ad before you get to play, but it is 100% free other than that.

• Play Super Obama World
  http://superobamaworld.com

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Link: Black Friday Website For Comparison Shopping

To do comparison shopping for the holidays or any purchase you will be doing, go to http://www.black-friday.net/ and enroll to get all stores running specials sent to your email. I finish up my holiday shopping, including some birthdays, by having ideas, watching these ads and planning how to save my money I was spending anyway.

The closer to Black Friday, the more ads will appear. It shows that Walmart is having a special Pre-Black Friday sale this weekend.

• http://www.black-friday.net/

By Joyce from Benson MN

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Cleaning Jewelry and Silverware With Oil of Olay

I ran out of hand cream one day so I used my pharmacy brand of Oil of Olay. I noticed a few minutes later, that where my rings were, my fingers had black tarnish marks on them. So I took my rings off and rinsed them and they were so shiny.

Then I tried it on my other jewelry and it cleaned it up with no problem: silver and gold. I was so surprised that I couldn't wait to tell all my friends and family, how easy it was. I just rubbed the cream on, rubbed it off, and then rinsed it off. Works great! Just beautiful!

By Velma from Westland, MI

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Apple Cider for Heartburn

I had suffered with heartburn for many years. One night I had nothing to take for a terrible burn. I remembered my Grandmother telling me to take two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar and chase it with water. I did this and within 5 minutes it was gone. I have used this remedy for years. You should try it.

By Joe B from Nampa, ID

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Make Christmas Wish Books For Your Kids

When I and my nieces were younger, my older sister (also their mother) would make up books for us to choose our Christmas gifts. She would take pictures of toys from ads and catalogs and cut them out and paste them in the book. She would give us the book and tell us to look through and circle all the things we wanted for Christmas. She did this for quite a few years.

I don't know how old we were before we found out that the items were things she had already bought, maybe on sale or outlets earlier in the year. She cut out the pictures of things she was giving us anyway, and we were so happy to get all the things we circled in the book!

By Amy from Ashville, Ohio

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Use Fleece Throws for Warm Curtains

For really frugal and warm curtains, I purchased two of those fleece throws that are on sale for under $5 and used the inexpensive gold clips. The two throws fit a 76 inch picture window nicely, and they come in dark colors also nice for wintertime. Mine came with a nice cloth bow tied around it which I used for tiebacks.

By Peggy N. from Canastota, NY

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Using Plastic Shoe Organizer for Kitchen Items

I was reorganizing my limited kitchen drawer space (5 in the entire kitchen). I needed to have a place for my plastic storage bags, waxed paper, plastic wrap, and what have you. So I bought a plastic shoe bag that hang in a closet at the thrift store. I store kitchen items inside the slots for the shoes. Now that I have the empty drawer space I can put my spices that really helps, since I am having issues with arthritis in my shoulders. I hang the organizer in my front closet half pantry. It is easily accessible and so are my spices.

By Laura from Gig Harbor, WA

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Use Corn Starch for Rug Spots

Using corn starch for rug spots actually works. Using a kitchen sifter, liberally apply pure corn starch to trafficked area as well as in front of sofa, chairs, etc. Leave it on 1 hour and vacuum up. It soaks up black marks very well. We use in front of each waiting room chair in our doctor's office where I work. It does the job and I use it at home frequently.

By Apeters from Northampton, PA

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Get Yarn From Thrift Stores

With the economy the way it is now, it is going to be a "homemade" Christmas for sure. I have visited several thrift stores around my area and bought beautiful yarn for crocheting warm scarves for family members this year. I have been able to make nice warm Chenille scarves for the older people on my list, fun and fancy fur ones for the teens and I am very pleased with how they have all turned out. Average cost per scarf is less than $1.00.

By Julie from Liberty, NC

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Save Left Over Halloween Candy for Holiday Baking

Now is the time to gather up as much of the uneaten Halloween candy and stash it in your freezer or at least hide it from the kids. Chocolate candy can be used in place of chocolate chips for lots of your holiday baking and other kinds of candy can be used to decorate cookies, cupcakes, gingerbread houses and the like. Going out to buy this stuff later is costly, and by now your kids have had enough sugar overload anyway!

BTW, brush a little clear Karo syrup on your plain cookies and the little candies like Smarties will stick to the syrup as if with glue! Sprinkles or crushed hard candies will stick, too.

By Linda from Vista, CA

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Christmas Soup Swap

Calorie Free Christmas! We try to keep things healthy at our house, so instead of a Christmas cookie exchange, we do a soup swap in our neighborhood. Each person brings six containers of their favorite soup. You can use plastic storage or even a Styrofoam cup with a lid. Everyone takes home six different soups. Fun and freezable.

By Wendy S. from Coopersburg, PA

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Graduation Party Ideas: Librarian

After what will be five years of graduate school, I will finally earn my Master of Library Science degree next spring. I would like to host a graduation party to celebrate this achievement. I would like to tie in the idea of libraries and books as the main theme of the party. Does anyone have any ideas of how to do this in a fun, inexpensive way?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions.

Blue

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Weeping Cherry Tree Sprouts

I'm a 'thrifty' person by habit, scavenging for seeds whenever possible. This gives me a wide variety of flowers, bushes, and trees to enjoy the following spring. However, this year I was trying to get seeds from a weeping cherry tree and couldn't see any seeds beneath the tree. Yet, just along the driveway edge (beneath the overhang of the cherry tree boughs) were a multitude of sprouts with leaves that look a great deal like those of the weeping cherry tree.

Is it possible that these sprouts are indeed the 'offspring' of the mature weeping cherry tree? I have looked on the Internet for some kind of information to help me identify these sprouts. But nothing I've read says that the tree throws it's seed and the sprouts grow beneath it all in one season. Have I happened upon a gold mine of weeping cherry trees, or, will I be the one weeping when these things mature into some huge ordinary tree?

Hardiness Zone: 5a

Verita from Mansfield, OH

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Removing Band-Aids from Stuffed Animals

How do you get Band-Aids off a stuffed cloth animal? They are really stuck to the cloth and rip when I try to pull them off.

Joan from Philadelphia

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Dog Keeps Rubbing Against Furniture

My dog rubs its body and butt against the bed and the couch.

Tony from Florida

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Solutions for Slippery Ceramic Tile Floor

I have a ceramic floor that became very slippery all of a sudden. I have tried degreasers, etc., but nothing helps. What can I do?

Roberta from Boca Raton, FL

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Western Themed Christmas Tree

Our home is decorated with a western theme and I would like to decorate our Christmas tree the same way. Can anyone suggest how I could make western ornaments and wreaths?

Kathy from Edmond

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Keeping Yorkie's Hair Out of It's Face

My husband got me a Yorkie puppy that is 3 months old. She likes her bath but she hates for me to brush her. I brush her everyday thinking she will get use to it but she hasn't. Her hair is getting matted and I need to know how to get it out. I put a clip bow in her hair but she takes it out right away. Is there anything else I can use so the hair stays out of her face?

Kathy from Edmond, OK

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Repairing a Crack in the Bottom of a Jacuzzi

How can I repair a crack/hole in the bottom of my jacuzzi?

Sandy from Clemson, SC

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Sugar-Free Ribbon Candy

Is there a recipe for sugar free ribbon candy?

Tauna

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Hard Water Stains on Glass Tumblers

How do you remove hard water stains from glass tumblers?

Basant from Bangalore

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VCR Recording TV Shows Poorly

I have a Symphonic VCR/DVD that plays tapes great but when recording a TV show the picture rolls constantly. When I play a tape that has been recorded on a different VCR it plays the tape great. Does anyone know how to fix it or what the problem is?

Michelle from Windham, Maine

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Not Receiving a Magazine Subscription

I subscribed to Country Woman Magazine last May. I got the one issue and the company says they have been mailing my issues to my box #. The problem is, I only received 1 issue and nothing since. Has anyone had a similar problem? I can't prove I haven't received them, but it ticks me off that I paid and I'm not getting them! Thanks for any advice anyone can give.

Natalie from Saskatchewan, Canada

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Cat Stopped Using Litter Box

My cat is three years old and just started a new habit now. He likes to poop next to the litter box instead of inside it. I have not changed litter or my litter box scooping habits (once a day scooping and once a week it is completely cleaned out with Clorox wipes and water). So I don't know what his deal is. Any ideas?

Annoyed with my cat from Omaha, NE

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Roasting Hickory Nuts

Does anyone know how to prepare and roast Hickory nuts to be cracked? My husband and I have a Hickory tree that has dropped an abundance of nuts into our driveway. We have collected a bunch of them, and have taken the outer husks off. Now to crack the nuts, it is a real challenge.

They are very hard, yet just springy enough to resist being cracked open. Apply enough force to open the shell, and it shatters into uneven pieces. The nut meats are sweet, but take a lot of effort to pry out of the crevices of the shell.

To make a long story short, can I roast/dry them in the oven or in a pan, to make the shells drier, and more brittle for cracking? Does anyone know how it's done? Will roasting make the nuts shrink?

Sue from Clyde, North Carolina

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Making a Sphere with Christmas Cards

Does anyone know how to make a sphere using recycled Christmas cards? I made one long ago in grade school by cutting circles and can't remember the rest?

Wendy from Coopersburg, PA

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Reusing Vacuum Freezer Bags

Can the Reynolds Handi-vac vacuum freezer bags be reused?

Cyndy from West Monroe, NY

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Planting Holly Hock Seeds

I received hollyhock seeds. Should I plant them now or wait till spring?

Hardiness Zone: 7a

Christine from Rock Hill, SC

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City Bear, Country Bear Book Title

I'm trying to recall the title of a children's book about bears. It had a city bear/country bear theme and featured two bear families in a big winter storm. The country bears welcome the city bears into their cabin home where they survive the storm with the simple comforts of the country bears. This book would have been circa late 70s or early 80s, I think. Thanks!

Stephanie from Anchorage, Alaska

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Planning 100th Birthday Party

I'm planning a 100th birthday party for my very alert mother. Any suggestions?

Joni from Boston, MA

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"Jingle Bell Rock" Christmas Float Ideas

I need ideas for a Christmas float with the theme "Jingle Bell Rock".

Jason from Pampa, TX

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Salad Dressing Stain on Cotton Clothing

How do I get oily salad dressing off cotton pants?

Gail

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Putting Cuffs on Reversible Jacket

I am looking for a pattern of how to put cuffs on a reversible jacket. I have the cuffs. Thank you.

Fern

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Ink Stains on Polyester Clothing

How do I get ink stains out of polyester clothing?

Scot from Wilburton, OK

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Changing Easter Bunnies into Christmas Bunnies

I have a lot of stuffed Easter bunnies and would like ideas on changing them into Christmas bunnies to donate to the church for Christmas gifts. I removed the cloth Easter basket from their paws and the ribbon from their necks. What could I replace these with?

Gretta from Wayne, OK

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Making a Good Cup of Coffee

I have bought a new percolator, and can't seem to make a decent cup of coffee. Do you have any suggestions that would help?

Mary C. from Newark, California

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Coca Cola Cake

I am looking for the old fashioned recipe for Coca Cola chocolate cake and frosting.

Dorothee from Connecticut

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Crafting for Fun and Money!

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:
Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml

Winter Life for Summer Children's Clothes
By Kelly Ann Butterbaugh

As summer comes to a close many delve into closets to wake the warmer clothing from its summer hibernation. Yet, while adults can pack away summer clothes for next year, children often outgrow their summer clothes before another summer season arrives. How can one get the most wear from summer clothing that isn't outgrown yet? Create frugal yet fun styles.

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Saving Money on Buying a Turkey

It's turkey season. Here are tips for saving money on buying a turkey as suggested by the ThriftyFun community.

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