Daily Thrifty Tips - December 27, 2007

Volume Six, Number 248, December 27, 2007 (Read It Online) We have quite a few new product recalls today in the More Reading section. Be sure to look them over. Also, tomorrow's Saving Money on Newsletter will be about Saving Money in the New Year. What tips or money saving strategies to you plan to employ next year? Post them here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf10447304.tip.html 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: Craft: Shaker Cards San Francisco Wedding Photos Turn A Photo Into A Window Outside Wrap Presents With Foil Bello (Shepherd Mix) Today's Tips: Numbering Puzzle Pieces for Easier Sorting Getting Rid of Smells After Cooking Put Dirty Cat Litter in an Old Coffee Can Used Dryer Sheets to Clean Pans Organizing Your Coupons When Shopping Soap Nuts: The Soap That Grows on Trees Resizing a Big T-shirt Use Landscape Fabric for Interfacing Joke of the Day New Requests: Kitten Only Uses Litter Box to Pee Freezing Pimento Cheese Pruning Gabriel's Trumpet Plant Making Fleece Gloves Non-slip Frizzy Hair That Won't Hold Curls Paper Plate Challenge Freezing Sprouts Cleaning Cloth Tote Bag Handles Reshaping Artificial Holly and Pointsettias Whitening Porcelain Sinks Engagement Party Etiquette Parakeet Is Losing Its Feathers Sweet Plum Sauce Using Wilds Ezy Sauce Removing Burnt Residue on Popcorn Popping Machine Cookies are Very Thin and Hard Removing a Steam Mark from Table Saving Money in the New Year Sugar Free Peanut Butter Fudge More Reading: DeWALT Recalls Cordless Drills due to Fire Hazard Christmas Candle Sets Recalled By Specialty Merchandise Corp. Lenox Recalls Covered Warmer Dishes Due to Fire and Burn Hazards Girls' Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings Recalled by Liberty Pressure Cookers Recalled By Manttra Inc. Due to Burn Hazard Teething Rings Recalled by Empire Silver Due to Choking Hazard Super Magnet Toys Recalled by MTC Due to Aspiration and 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: Craft: Shaker Cards Ever wonder how to mail a snow-globe in an envelope? With this easy technique of making "Shaker Cards", turn your hand-stamped cards into dimensional windows that you can fill with confetti, potpourri or anything you like. View This Craft: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf64727805.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print San Francisco Wedding Photos This is a really nice couple, and funny, The tree picture was actually taken the next day after the wedding and we all went to San Fransisco. The stair picture I just though would look like a funny picture but actually is a very nice piece. I added it to my collection. It reminded me of a Charile Chaplin movie. I finally decided to take pictures, people are always telling me I take nice pictures. I can tell when a picture is good, very professional, but never thought I could take nice professional pictures. The couple love the pictures, let me know what you think. Thanks! By Igor from Sacramento, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf20091236.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Turn A Photo Into A Window Outside This photo was taken in my in law's back yard. My Father in law would set there when he wanted to smoke. My mother in law wouldn't allow him to smoke inside. So these lawn chairs were a part of him. After my in law's passed on to a better world, my wife and I were visiting her brothers one day. While I was outside, I grabbed my camera and took a photo of the lawn chairs, then I made a frame out of old barn siding. The frame is made to look like a window. I mounted the photo of the lawn chairs in the frame. Now when you view the photo of the chairs, it looks like you are looking out the window Hope you like it. By John from Haysville, KS Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf96255848.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Wrap Presents With Foil Instead of using wrapping paper (save a tree) for my smaller gifts, I used aluminum foil. It was much easier to wrap with than paper and I didn't have to use as much tape. I bought the longest, cheapest roll I could find. I ran out of gifts before I ran out of foil! Plus with a ribbon, it looks like more expensive foil paper. Very festive! By Jenntaker from Lenox, MA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf69177035.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Bello (Shepherd Mix) Bello is 3 months old and is a shepard/pit or boxer(?) He is an adopted stray from the SPCA 2 weeks ago. He likes to chew things, take walks and wrestle. He is very smart and although he likes nipping and growling during play time, he appears friendly. I believe he may be very large. Hopefully, he will be a calm and friendly animal and can be our forever dog, no matter what mix! By John from Peckville, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf44121638.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: Numbering Puzzle Pieces for Easier Sorting If your children or grandchildren have several board puzzles, here is a great way to know which piece goes to which puzzle, when two or more are out at once. This works great in preschools also. Turn all the boards over and number them 1- whatever. Now turn the pieces over to each board after you are sure which goes with which one. Number each piece the same as the board it belongs to. Number 2 board pieces would all be number 2's. Now when you find a piece left out or someone drops several puzzles at once you can easily tell where it goes. By Randa from San Marcos, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52047421.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Getting Rid of Smells After Cooking If you cook something like fish or broccoli and want to get rid of the smell, try this thrifty tip: Fill a small saucepan halfway with water, sprinkle some ground cinnamon and cloves in, and simmer for 15 minutes (set your timer so you don't burn your pan!). By Kathy from Danville, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf28015732.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Put Dirty Cat Litter in an Old Coffee Can Save the can that coffee came in and the lid. When empty, use the can to put dirty cat litter in, the kind that lumps and put the lid on top. This will keep the odor at bay and can be used several times. You will not have to go out to the garbage can to empty litter very often. When I need to empty it, I just pour it into a plastic bag from the grocery store and then take it to the garbage can. By Judy from FL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf22681076.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Used Dryer Sheets to Clean Pans If you want to make it easy to clean dishes in which you have baked meat loaf, scalloped potatoes and so on, just fill the empty dish with detergent and hot water, then throw in a couple of USED drier sheets, like Bounce. Let soak for a few minutes or so, and voila!, you can wash that dish and all the burned-on gunk comes right off. So easy! Source: I had actually heard of this, or read it somewhere, long before I tried it. The drier sheets must be used ones. By Annabelle from Phoenix Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf47102738.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Organizing Your Coupons When Shopping On Sunday night, take out your store fliers from the newspaper to check for sales. Take an envelope and write on the back which products that you want, the size and the price (very important so that you buy the right thing or if unavailable and you need to check with the store or if a item rings up incorrectly.) Next, match up your coupons to these items and mark them to indicate that (I use an 'x' in front of the item), before putting the coupon in the envelope. It will save much time if you list the items in the order that you shop for them in the store (e.g. produce first, if that is the first place that you go to). Cross off each item as you find it, as you shop. Be sure to put the envelope in your purse when done! Also, you may want to put coupons for restaurants in your car's glove box- funny how they seem to be home when you decide to stop for lunch? Source: I developed this method years ago when I was a Coupon Queen. By Roxanne from Rochester, NH Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf88418202.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Soap Nuts: The Soap That Grows on Trees Sustainable Forest Harvest! Maggie's Soap Nuts (TM) is the only laundry soap that grows on trees! Truly effective, 100% natural and safe for your most sensitive skin. Soap Nuts are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry tree. They contain saponin, a natural cleaner used for thousands of years to clean clothes, just like the plants used by Native Americans for washing. Simply put a few Soap Nuts into the included cotton sack and drop it in your laundry. Your clothes come out clean, vibrant, and soft. Replace your laboratory detergents and softeners with the soap made from Nature by Nature. Your clothes, your skin, your family, and your planet will thank you. Source: This is from an article in http://www.gimundo.com/. I did not write the article and I am only taking credit for the great Green Living Tip it gives to all of us. I will be Soap Nutting my clothes from now on. By Joseph from Laval West, Laval, Quebec, Canada. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf79761887.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Resizing a Big T-shirt Need to take in a huge T-shirt? Hate pinning? Turn it inside out and have a friend staple around the edges until it fits. Sew 1/2 inch inside the staples and then trim off excess. Fast! Source: http://etsylabs.blogspot.com By Veronica from Sedalia, Missouri Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf68155192.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Use Landscape Fabric for Interfacing Interfacing can be expensive, but I have found that landscape fabric is the same thing as sew-on, black, light weight interfacing. It comes in different thickness', too. Landscape fabric is made to keep weeds from growing through your garden. It's made to withstand water, weeds, and 4 or more years of everything the environment can throw at it! Plus it is only $3.99 for a 3 x 50 foot roll. On the west coast, I buy mine at Big Lots, which is a discount, liquidation store. They sell their own brand. So if you're gardening, save some of your landscape cloth, and put it in your sewing box! By Cyinda near Seattle, WA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf50954991.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Dear Webby's Joke of the Day At a clearance sale, the wife of a federal district court judge found a green tie that was a perfect match for one of her husband's sports jackets. Soon after, while the couple was vacationing at a resort complex to get his mind off a rather complicated cocaine conspiracy case, he noticed a small, round disc sewn into the design of the tie. The judge showed it to a local FBI agent, who was equally suspicious, that it might be a 'bug' planted by the conspiracy defendants. The agent sent the device to FBI headquarters In Washington, DC for analysis. Two weeks later, the judge phoned the Washington office to learn the results of their tests. "We're not sure where the disc came from," the FBI told him, "but we discovered that when you press it, it plays 'Jingle Bells.'" Read More Jokes Here: http://webby.com/humor New Requests: Kitten Only Uses Litter Box to Pee Should I take my kitten to the vet? She is pooping on the floor but pees in the litter box just fine. Lindsey from Phoenix, AZ Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf89016699.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Freezing Pimento Cheese I was "blessed" with a big tub of Pimento Cheese this Christmas. I need to know if this can be frozen, as we cannot eat it fast enough! Jonnie from Utica, KY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43486355.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Pruning Gabriel's Trumpet Plant I need to prune a Gabriel's trumpet plant/tree to a canopy instead of straight up and down. Any advice? Pam from DNA Point, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43649560.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Making Fleece Gloves Non-slip Is there a way to make fleece gloves nonslip? I received a pair as a gift, and I really like them, but they are so slippery on the steering wheel and handrails. Is there something I can sew onto the fingertips and palm? Or something I can apply to them? Thanks, everyone! Patty from PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf59647367.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Frizzy Hair That Won't Hold Curls I live in Houston, TX and it is literally humid here nearly all year long, even in the winter. My hair is straight and frizzy. How this can be, I don't know because I've tried just about everything I can think of. Also, my hair has too much 'slip' my hairdresser said. It slips out of curling irons, brushes, electric curlers (yes, I had to revert back to the dark ages and use them because blow drying my hair makes my hair more frizzy, and besides my hair won't stay wrapped around the brush) I have also tried not brushing my hair after curling - just using my fingers. But my hair frizzes and the curls fall, even if I wait until my hair cools. The other issue is that any kind of product I have used - gels, serums, conditioners, leave in conditioners, etc. weigh my hair down. I've tried expensive, really expensive and cheap, but no luck. Even when I used to get my hair permed, my hair lost body and became limp. Smoochie from Houston, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf90716862.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Paper Plate Challenge Here is the 'Paper Plate Challenge!' How many uses can each of you think of for a paper plate (or plates)? Jennifer from Buffalo, NY Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf50116404.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Freezing Sprouts How do I freeze sprouts? Alvyn Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf83448035.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Cleaning Cloth Tote Bag Handles I need some help I have a Coach Hampton tote and the handles are cloth with white. I'm trying to clean it with mild soap and a damp cloth but the dirt seems to be getting darker. I would like it to be white again. Does anyone have any suggestions? Jenn from Marietta, GA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf17304712.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Reshaping Artificial Holly and Pointsettias When I unpacked my artificial holly and poinsettias for X-mas, they were out of shape. What is the best way to re-shape them? Candy from Rockwall, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf72509851.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Whitening Porcelain Sinks How do you whiten an old porcelain sink? rabbit10mom from Creston, WA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf456484.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Engagement Party Etiquette My boyfriend and I have been reunited after 22 years and just recently became engaged and are planning on a June wedding in NC where he lives. I will also be moving there about 3 weeks before the wedding. He will be coming down to help me with the move. So that all of my Texas friends can meet him, my friend offered to give us an Engagement Party. All of the etiquette tips I have read say to invite all of the guests to the wedding that are invited to the engagement party. I wasn't planning on doing that since I know very few of them would or could travel 1300 miles to go to my wedding. Would it be proper to make an exception since I am getting married out of state? Should I just have a BBQ while he's here instead of an Engagement Party? Tell me what you think. I have probably 150 people that want to meet him while he's here and only about 15 are coming up for the wedding. Thanks for your help. Amanda from Central Texas Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf13376103.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Parakeet Is Losing Its Feathers My Parakeet is losing feathers. What could be causing this? Michael Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf37589995.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Sweet Plum Sauce Using Wilds Ezy Sauce Does anyone have the recipe to make Sweet Plum Sauce using Wilds Ezy Sauce? Jackie from Adelaide S.A. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf68519934.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Removing Burnt Residue on Popcorn Popping Machine I work in a cinema outlet and have to pop the popcorn in a popper machine. During closing, washing the popper kettle is so difficult due to big patches of burnt marks on the base of the popper kettle. I have tried using soda water from the dispenser, using warm water as well as using dish washing soap to clean but it takes ages. Any idea to wash off the marks as fast as possible? Vincent from Singapore Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf79305500.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Cookies are Very Thin and Hard When I bake cookies they turn out paper thin. The directions says drop by tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Mine stuck on the ungreased sheet. Then I greased the cookie sheet and they still turn out paper thin and hard as a rock. Betty from Lubbock, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf26344136.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Removing a Steam Mark from Table I did the iron method on my new dining room table to remove a heat mark but now i have a steam mark. How do I remove that? Carolyn from DR, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf74577099.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Saving Money in the New Year Tips for saving money in 2008. Feel free to post your ideas below! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf10447304.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Sugar Free Peanut Butter Fudge I am looking for peanut butter fudge for a diabetic. Diane from NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf40115325.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 More Reading: DeWALT Recalls Cordless Drills due to Fire Hazard Hazard: The trigger switch of the cordless drill can overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf73340407.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Christmas Candle Sets Recalled By Specialty Merchandise Corp. Hazard: The snowman candle could tip over and the exterior coating on both candles can ignite, posing a fire hazard. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf39806291.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Lenox Recalls Covered Warmer Dishes Due to Fire and Burn Hazards Hazard: Flames from the tea candle can extend up the sides of the dish. In addition, a label on the bottom of the dish causes excessive smoke when exposed to the flame. This poses fire and burn hazards to consumers. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf34685507.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Girls' Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings Recalled by Liberty Hazard: The garments have a drawstring through the hood, which can pose a strangulation hazard to children. In February 1996, CPSC issued guidelines (pdf) to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled on the neck and waist by drawstrings in upper garments, such as jackets and sweatshirts. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf55639361.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Pressure Cookers Recalled By Manttra Inc. Due to Burn Hazard Hazard: If the pressure cookers are not closed properly, the lid can separate and allow hot contents to spill out. This poses a risk of burns to consumers. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf95582239.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Teething Rings Recalled by Empire Silver Due to Choking Hazard Hazard: The silver ball that holds the ring in place can separate and release the beads inside. This poses a choking and aspiration hazard to infants. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf73085162.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Super Magnet Toys Recalled by MTC Due to Aspiration and Hazard: The magnet attached to the bottom of a small toy panda can detach. If swallowed or aspirated by young children, the magnets can attract each other internally and cause intestinal perforations or blockages, which can be fatal. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf84213380.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Interactive Coupon Swap! Swap coupons with other ThriftyFun.com users. Seed Swap! Swap seeds with other ThriftyFun.com users.