Daily Thrifty Tips - May 22, 2007

Volume Six, Number 100, May 22, 2007 (Read It Online) Here's today's featured request... What makes grocery store rotisserie chickens taste good? How do they get the rotisserie chickens from the grocery store to be so flavorful? Are they injected with something? If anyone has any information on this I would sure like to know about it. Thanks, Joan from Chesterfield, MI Post Feedback Here Thanks for reading, Susan Send to a Friend! Share a Tip (You could win $25!) Share a Photo (You could win $25!) Have a Question? Submit a request... Link to ThriftyFun.com View Active Topics! Edit Your Subscriptions: To edit your ThriftyFun subscriptions, click the Update Profile/Email Address link at the bottom of this newsletter. Today's newsletter contains: Today's Photos: Rainbow Baby Afghan Tabletop Christmas Tree Ms. Dimples Angel (MinPin) And Billy's (Chihuahua) Puppies Today's Tips: Sell Your Stuff On Craigslist Homemade Drain Deodorizer Milk Jug for Organizing Plastic Bags NFL Players Defend Dog Fighting Children's Book Wall Art Frozen White Sauce Cubes Sealing Cabinet Knobs Olive Oil as a Moisturizer Removing Dog and Cat Hair from Clothing New Requests: Making Large Paper Mache Food Getting Rid of a Volunteer Tree Oven Cleaner for Soap Scum? Planting Grass Where I Have a Concrete Patio Purple Hydrangeas Problems Running Internet Explorer Making an Airline Reservation Alabama State Quarters Woodruff Plant Turning Brown Blackcurrant Juice Stain What makes grocery store rotisserie chickens taste good? MTA Discount Oil Program Finding a Personal Property Appraiser Buying Tower Vases Washing Machine Spin Cycle Not Working Burn Mark on Countertop Today's Sponsor: 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 Today's Photos: Rainbow Baby Afghan This is a quick and easy baby afghan to make. I just love worsted weight yarn so I try and make most of my baby projects in it. It makes for a warm and heavy blanket. But this could also be made in sport weight or baby weight yarn for a lighter blanket. This is a great project for a beginner as it teaches a great trick for changing colors that you will use a lot for afghans. View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52868198.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Tabletop Christmas Tree Spray a tomato cage gold for Christmas. Turn it big side down, tie the legs together with wire or a twist-tie at the top, and there's a quick and easy tabletop tree. By blindquilter from Front Royal, VA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf72936192.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Ms. Dimples By Mariyel from Aurora, IL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf19639342.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Angel (MinPin) And Billy's (Chihuahua) Puppies My dogs' names are Angel and Billy. Angel is a two year old MinPin and Billy is an 18 months old Chihuahua. Angel was 6 weeks old and billy was 4 months when I got them. They like to run and play with each other and sleep together, go bye bye with me and of course sleep with me at bedtime! I wanted to show off their babies! They were born 5-07-07. I think you will find these adorable too! Please let me know! By Violet from Newark, OH Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf39917199.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Contests: Tip Contest Submit a Tip or Recipe! Photo Contest Submit a tip with photo! 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 Submit a My Frugal Life Essay! Today's Tips: Sell Your Stuff On Craigslist If you have a few items that are in good shape and want to sell, try Craigslist.com. It's a community based website where you list your items with photos for free and people in your area look for items. I have sold a ton of my stuff here. By Carol from Massachusetts http://www.craigslist.com Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf81563853.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Homemade Drain Deodorizer To keep sink drains smelling good: once a month, sprinkle 1/4 cup baking soda into drain, follow with a cup of white vinegar. Let this bubble up and work for about 5 minutes. Next pour a cup of boiling water into drain Leave for another 5 minutes, then flush down with running water. By ruthvalleygal from Harlingen, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf85372395.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Milk Jug for Organizing Plastic Bags If you are like me, you come home from stores with two or three items in a plastic bag and so many plastic bags, there aren't enough cabinets or drawers to put them in. I came across a handy dandy way to store them until you need them. On the sides of each gallon milk jug is a nice round circle just right to cut around. Cut one of them out, making the hole large enough to get your hand in or out. Then, as you collect those pesky bags, just stuff them one by one into the jug. They will come back out easily, one by one just as you put them in. A bottle holds dozens of bags. Hopes this gives you a way to free yourself from that mess of bags. By Signaler from Bellefontaine, Ohio Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf15097288.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print NFL Players Defend Dog Fighting "Washington Redskins players Clinton Portis and Chris Samuels defended Michael Vick on Monday by ridiculing the notion that dog fighting is considered a crime. In an interview with WAVY-TV, Portis said that if the Atlanta Falcons quarterback is charged and convicted of being involved in a dog fighting operation, then authorities would be 'putting him behind bars for no reason.' 'I don't know if he was fighting dogs or not,' Portis said. 'But it's his property; it's his dogs. If that's what he wants to do, do it.' Portis said dog fighting is a 'prevalent' part of life." Read the Rest Here... I would encourage all pet owners to contact your local representatives to let them know that dog fighting should NOT be tolerated. It is a crime and it these criminals should be brought to justice. I also suggest contacting your local NFL team and let them know that their players should not be promoting dog fighting. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf94654940.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Children's Book Wall Art I created this book art when decorating my son's farm bedroom. Since we went with a down on the farm theme, I wanted to incorporate some of his favorite books in artwork. First, I color photocopied his favorite book (front cover only) at Kinkos: size 8-1/2 x11 size or 11x14. Second, buy a pre-stretched canvas board slightly bigger than the photocopy. Third, paint background with the matching colors of the picture or paint one color. Let dry. Glue photo copy down on canvas. Dry again. Put picture hooks on back and hang up in bedroom. Costs less than $6 per art work and only 1 hour to make. With coupons, it's even cheaper. Have fun! By Kerry from Flat Rock, MI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf13652433.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Frozen White Sauce Cubes Instead of using canned soup in casserole recipes, I use frozen white sauce cubes I make from a book called "Make Your Own Groceries" by Daphne Metaxas Hartwig. By Roz from Victoria BC Editors Note: Use your favorite white sauce recipe or try this: Put equal parts flour and butter, say 2 Tbsp., in a pan over medium low heat. Mix them together as the butter melts and let brown slightly, then add milk and stir. As it thickens, add more milk to your desired consistency. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf36211875.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Sealing Cabinet Knobs Seal old cabinet knobs with clear nail polish so sticky fingerprints wipe right off. By Suebowman Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf561796.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Olive Oil as a Moisturizer Olive oil is a great moisturizer. I remember watching a television show with Sophia Loren. She said that was all she used on her skin. Apply it after you have cleaned your face. Let your skin absorb the water then immediately seal it with olive oil. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf506644.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Removing Dog and Cat Hair from Clothing Use Rubber gloves to remove cat or dog hair from your clothes. Then just rinse the gloves off when you are done. By Domenica Editor's Note: What are your tips for removing pet hair from clothing? Post them below. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf593220.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Friends of ThriftyFun Dear Webby's Humor Letter Webby publishes our tips daily! A very funny newsletter. Webby now has a blog, read his latest newsletter as well as back issues here: http://webby.com/humor/blog/ More Information: http://webby.com/humor New Requests: Making Large Paper Mache Food I am wondering if anyone has ever made over-sized paper mache "food" before. We have a Chicken BBQ here every year and I want to make a huge plate of the food for a parade entry. I haven't done paper mache since I was a kid... lol. Chris from Oshkosh, WI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf13086897.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Getting Rid of a Volunteer Tree I have a tree growing out of my children's swing set. It is a new tree this year. How can I dispose of it without using round up? Natasha Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf76424056.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Oven Cleaner for Soap Scum? Does oven cleaner help remove soap scum? Becky from Dover, DE Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf96606429.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Planting Grass Where I Have a Concrete Patio I would like to have grass where we have a concrete patio. Do I need to remove the concrete or can I put topsoil over the concrete? Hardiness Zone: 5a Kathleen from western NY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf31601239.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Purple Hydrangeas There is a purple hydrangea bush in our neighborhood. How was that effect achieved? Hardiness Zone: 8a Nana from Hattiesburg, MS Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf47781102.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Problems Running Internet Explorer My computer has become more and more unresponsive. When I open up IE, it is slow and sometimes will sorta freeze up. I can unfreeze it if I open up another page of IE and click somewhere on that page when it loads. For some reason, when I go back to the first page I was trying to get to cooperate, it will start working again. Sometimes when I "x out" or try to close a page it is totally unresponsive. I will do control Alt delete and it still won't close out. Most times I just have to hit the power button and shut the whole computer down and I don't mean going to the start menu and shutting it off like you are supposed to, that process is unresponsive also. I have run anit spyware and Microsoft updates and AVG antivirus software. It just seems to be getting worse and worse. Any ideas? Paula Scott from GA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf63209838.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Making an Airline Reservation I have never made an airline reservation before. I need to get a round trip ticket to New York for my 17 year old daughter to attend a ten day seminar at Columbia University. How do I go about this? Since I am inexperienced, I am concerned that I will waste a lot of money. Also, she does not go until June 18th, and I'm wondering when I should make the reservation. SusannL from St. Cloud, FL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf73569005.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Alabama State Quarters Have Alabama state quarters disappeared? gwg Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf20712892.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Woodruff Plant Turning Brown This is the second year that shortly after my Woodruff plants blooms it begins to turn brown. Does anyone know if there are common woodruff diseases and how to get rid it. Hardiness Zone: 5a Thanks, Carol from Ohio Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf57942683.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Blackcurrant Juice Stain I need help getting blackcurrant juice out of white dress that can only be dry cleaned. Thanks, Laura Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf13292345.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print What makes grocery store rotisserie chickens taste good? How do they get the rotisserie chickens from the grocery store to be so flavorful? Are they injected with something? If anyone has any information on this I would sure like to know about it. Thanks, Joan from Chesterfield, MI Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf27266425.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print MTA Discount Oil Program This request is for Massachusetts teachers. Has anyone used the MTA discount oil program? I would like to know if it is a good deal. az2010 from Easthampton, MA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf18219630.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Finding a Personal Property Appraiser I've been trying to do two things: locate a general personal property appraiser for my Mother's estate (I am executor) and even the lawyers cannot help me; secondly, there are items that I will donate to charity but others that I would like to either auction or sell to a dealer, how can I locate someone knowledgeable to assist with this? At first, I wanted to have an estate sale, but where she lived, those are not allowed. There are not a lot of items, but what will be left after family dispersal will be of quality and seems like I should do more than donate (believe me, I am donating quite a bit as is). Molly from Central, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf98938144.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Buying Tower Vases I'm looking for used Tower Vases to use as centerpieces for November 2007 wedding. RJill Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf74332145.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Washing Machine Spin Cycle Not Working My washer, which has not given my one bit of a problem after 15 years, is in need of a repair. When I wash a load of clothes, the motor runs just fine and the laundry goes through a full cycle. When it is supposed to spin, it just makes this loud clicking noise and does not spin. I was wondering if anyone has any idea what might be wrong. There is no problem with the machine filling or draining. Should I call a repairman or just get a new machine? I know it's old, but has been a great machine up to now, and has never needed anything. The motor works fine. (I'm not sure if the agitator moves or not. Would it make a difference?) Please advise me on what to do. I really do not want to invest in another machine if it's worth fixing this one. Susan from AR Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf45295027.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Burn Mark on Countertop I have placed a hot pyrex glass on my kitchen countertop and now it has left a burnt mark. I'm not too sure of the material of the countertop. Does anyone know how to get rid of the burnt mark, without replacing the countertop? Minuet Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf227224.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Today's Sponsor: 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 Interactive Coupon Swap! Swap coupons with other ThriftyFun.com users. Seed Swap! Swap seeds with other ThriftyFun.com users.