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Vol. 7, Num. 65, April 2, 2008 (Read It Online) I hope everyone is having a nice week. Just an FYI, the video post from yesterday about Rocco the Lion/Dog mix was an April Fool's joke. He is a Chow Chow with a lion cut. We rescued him about a month ago. We'll post more about his story in the near future. Thanks for reading, Susan
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As with any mom, when my son turned one I wanted him to have the best party ever. After I had looked at several party themes, I finally decided on the Sesame Street Beginnings theme. It had baby Elmo, baby Big Bird, and baby Cookie Monster with a big one. Not only was it cute but it was way more in my budget than any other ones I had looked at. That is the most important thing to remember when planning a party. You can end up spending a small fortune if you don't keep yourself at a limit. The theme I used was relatively inexpensive, and I was able to find several table clothes and other party supplies for little to nothing that matched just as well.
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Rate It: Here is a raised bed that my husband put together this weekend. It is 4x10 feet and 20 inches high. We put it where we had dug a garden bed in the past and there was a small depression in the ground. The construction was very simple. The boards are screwed into a 4x4 inch post on each corner and have a thinner support every few feet (to keep it from bowing). The 4x4 is longer on the bottom and we dug out a small hole in each corner to keep it set in place. We put two coats of stain on it before installing it so that it would have some protection from the weather and would look more attractive than bare wood. When it was in place, we covered the bottom with landscaping cloth and then placed landscaping rocks to a depth of about 5-6 inches for drainage. The pumice rocks had been used in flower beds around the house and yard when we moved in and we have been slowly removing and replacing them with plants! We also got 3 yards of mixed soil delivered, which was more than enough. I believe we have half of it left for leveling parts of our lawn and filling in other flowerbeds. We are just going to plant veggies in here, things that we would normally buy. It will get full sun until late afternoon and should work great. Jess in Oregon
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Rate It: Winnie is a 9 year old Bouvier. She was a gift.
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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: A Love Affair With Used Goods I came from a home where everything was bought new. My parents would never buy "someone else's junk". They were frugal, but we did without many things because there wasn't enough money for everything. About 11 years ago, I wanted to buy a dining room set, which would have set us back about $6000, so I decided to investigate the used furniture market. I looked in the classified ads every week, and after 11 months found exactly what I was looking for, a barely used Thomasville dining room set for $1800. The couple was divorcing, selling their home, and selling the set because it was too big to fit into an apartment. A few months later, I bought a beautiful white Formica bedroom set for my daughter. The owners were moving across the country and it was too expensive to move it. I realized that people sell perfectly good things for various reasons, and I would be crazy to buy new if I could get it used. This started off a love affair with the used goods market I started going to garage sales, which was a lot of fun. One of my best finds was a brand new anniversary clock for $8 that was $45 in a local department store. The woman's mother worked for the clock company and brought home many clocks. She had three of the same anniversary clocks, so she sold two of them. I joined Freecycle, where I gave and received plenty of items with a lot of life left in them. It made me feel good that I was doing something good for the planet, as well as for my wallet. Speaking of wallets, I listened to my co-workers and neighbors complain about how hard it was to make ends meet. I tried to tell them about how we saved money, but they looked at us as if we were crazy. They still were under the impression that new was better. Sometimes circumstances can change a person. My sister went through a divorce, and had to downsize. She was the one who ended up selling items for a fraction of what she had paid. A lot of the items still had the tags on them. It was a very humbling experience for her. A few weeks ago she called me and told me that she bought a rug that looks great in her new apartment. It was a good thing that I was sitting down when she told me that she got it at a thrift shop! She now goes to this thrift shop on a weekly basis, and has picked up some lovely things. I believe that my spending habits, in addition to cooking from scratch, bringing lunch to work, and comparison shopping when buying new, have afforded me a lifestyle that is stress-free. Our home is almost paid for, and we managed to pay cash for our daughter's college education, leaving her debt-free. I am hoping that she will inherit our values and avoid the massive debt that many Americans think is normal. Judy from Syosset, NY Do you have a frugal story to share with the ThriftyFun community? Submit your essay here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_myfrugallife.ldml Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf30135202.tip.html
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Rate It: I read the post about a person's friend who needs ostomy supplies. When my DH had his surgery in 2006 we encountered so many people who were either under insured or had no insurance at all. This post on the 24th got me thinking. There must be some help somewhere. I did some googling and found this site: They help people who aren't insured to get the supplies they need. It is also a place where you can give charitable donations if you wish.By MartyD from Houston, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf82385478.tip.html
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Rate It: Keep Track Of Events With Your Cell Phone When I'm needing to make a note for myself for a future event, etc. I use the "calendar" option on my cell phone. Bring up the calendar, pick the needed date, and leave my message to myself. For the time, I set it for 2-3 hours prior to the needed time, to reassure myself enough time to prepare that dish for a potluck, or time to get things scheduled at the house for an early out for whatever the event is. I find this works better for me as I've always got my cell phone with me and can check it out during slow times to see what's on for the next week. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf76819461.tip.html
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Rate It: Mark Your Antenna With Red For Parking Lots When leaving your car in a parking lot that is not marked, (like a school, grocery, etc.), I use a VERY RED sock or scarf and tie it to the top of my antenna. Be sure to loop part of the ID over the top of the antenna so it doesn't slide down! It is not only functional, it's pretty! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf13012759.tip.html
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Rate It: To organize your jewelry so you can find it and not have tangles or lost pieces, store it in ice trays or egg cartons. They can be stacked in your closet or spread out to view if you keep it or plan to sell it at a yard sale. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf92588076.tip.html
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Rate It: Here are some inexpensive dental self-care recipes: Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf90255046.tip.html
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Rate It: Because cottage style is all about re-cycling and re-purposing what you have, look around your kitchen and in your storage areas for "orphaned" kitchen and house-wares which can be put to use in your sunroom, on your deck or patio. An enamelware coffee pot that has lost its top looks adorable with a hanging plant. Pyrex casseroles make sweet bases for "dish garden". Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf70629448.tip.html
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Rate It: Heated Cinnamon and Water for Room Freshener If you have any cooking odors or just want your house to smell nice, place two tablespoons of ground cinnamon into a saucepan, add two cups of water and boil. Make sure water doesn't evaporate so have to keep an eye on it. It leaves a wonderful aroma through the house, fresh baked apple pie type aroma. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf39472589.tip.html
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Rate It: Use Vegetable Shortening for Very Dry Skin If you suffer from dry skin, or just want a good moisturizer, try Crisco. I know it sounds gross, but it really works well, is cheap and sinks in. The only problem I have found is that my dogs follow me trying to lick it off. ;) Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf34124052.tip.html
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Rate It: I have a few camping tips for cooking. I also would love it if you will share some of your recipes you have. It is always nice to get tips on food they are hard to find for camping. We bought a Pie Iron and this little pie maker is great. I guess what a lot of people do is buy one for each person in their family. This way you can each cook maybe one meal with everyone cooking something different. What I would love is the recipe for pizza because I have heard it is great! There are recipes on the inside cover of the pie iron for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. You can also go to http://www.pieiron.com/ for recipes. On the night before you leave, have a leftover night if possible. Everyone has something left over from another night they like. This helps to avoid bringing home a lot of food you usually have to toss. As each person can just chose something they like leftover from dinner two nights before. One other thing we bought (I can not for the life of me remember the name but I will describe it as best I can): It is a lot like a grill, however it works a little differently. You set up a tripod over the spot they designate for campfires, the grill is hooked to chains on the tripod. It is set so you can raise and lower it. You can cook as close or as far away to the fire. This is great in the fact it allows you more ways to cook different things the way you need to cook. Also it locks in place to avoid accidents. It comes apart and does not take up a lot of space which you know you never seem to have enough of. I hope this helps somebody I know a lot of people know about these things but when we first started camping we did not know much and it worked on the we learn as we go principle. Talk about your good times! Well the time is coming soon. Have fun camping this summer, I know I can not wait! By Darlene from Fairview, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56059364.tip.html
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Rate It: This is an excellent site from Finland (in English) for anyone needing to go on a special diet; i.e.: Cholesterol-free, Fat-free, Vegetarian, etc. Select the diet plan, and it will list the foods you can eat. It's also the best, easily understandable Nutrient Information of foods, that I've ever seen. By Cajun62234 from Collinsville, IL Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf94940475.tip.html
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Silver Jewelry Leaving Black Marks on T-shirts My silver jewelery keeps leaving black marks on my white t-shirts. Does anyone have the solution? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf58605161.tip.html
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Rate It: Can I grow Hydrangeas inside? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf77697170.tip.html
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Rate It: Crochet Pattern For Infant's Cowboy Hat Does anyone know where I can find a crochet pattern for an infant/child's cowboy hat? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf83438972.tip.html
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Rate It: My daughter is turning 4 this Saturday and she wants to have a pajama party. I don't have any clue of what to do and how to decorate our place for this. Plus I want something not to expensive since I'm on a budget. I hope you guys can give me some ideas and help me out with it since its a short notice. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf76186734.tip.html
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Rate It: Removing Water Marks on Lampshade I have a cotton lampshade that has what looks to be a water stain on it. How can I clean it? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf65764298.tip.html
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Rate It: Do Training Collars Really Work? Do training collars really work? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf87660593.tip.html
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Rate It: Does anyone here have any recipes that are specific to or well known in North Carolina? Am a northern girl and would like to try to make some comfort food for my fiance who comes from there and misses the down home stuff. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf15341895.tip.html
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Rate It: What bird chirps at night? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf27601747.tip.html
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Rate It: We are going to Atlanta in June. We are going to see the Braves and to Six Flags to take my 4 yr. old who loves Thomas to see Six Flags' new Thomas Town. I need a CLEAN and REASONABLE hotel maybe one with a pool in close distance to both. Just don't know anything about Atlanta. Can anyone help? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf89640657.tip.html
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Rate It: Starry, Starry Night Themed Wedding I am getting married July 11, 2009. I'm not sure what colors I should use. My favorite colors are purple and pink, his is blue. We are having an evening/night time wedding so I'm not sure if those colors would be good. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf72191865.tip.html
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Rate It: Getting Rid Of Solvent Smell In Dryer I washed a blanket in my washer dryer. Stupidly, I dried it as well, without checking the label which says "do not tumble dry". The blanket was fine but this really strong solvent-type smell was in the dryer afterwards. I can only describe it as being like petrol but more of a strong glue/dry cleaning fluid type smell. It made me feel sick and dizzy and I was really quite concerned. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf85395074.tip.html
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Rate It: Economical Dishwasher Detergent Which is the most economical dishwasher detergent? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf32186080.tip.html
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Rate It: Painting Fiber Glass Shower Walls We have white tub/shower walls which are about 30 years old. Replacing them is out of the question because of the ensuing mess. They never look completely clean and we'd like to paint them. Can this be done? I think the material is fiber glass. Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf60202788.tip.html
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Rate It: Will Calla Lilies Grow In The Blue Mountains? Will Calla Lilies grow in the blue mountains? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf53748846.tip.html
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Rate It: Science Lab Themed School Event We are doing a Science Lab theme this year for VBS. I always do the food, the food plans are already laid out every year (thank goodness!). But I need decorating help! I usually make an apron every year that goes along with the theme. This year I'm going to buy a lab coat (for when I chat with the kids that are helping make the snack and then to the 150+ kids about the theme for the day etc.). Ok, it's not really a party, but it's close! Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf85133152.tip.html
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Rate It: What kind of house plant has 3 leaves, resembles a butterfly and blooms with small orchid colored flowers? Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf66031301.tip.html
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Rate It: Starting Trumpet Vines After Winter I was advised to bring my Trumpet Vines inside for the Winter as we live in a very cold climate. I had them in pots so this was no problem. I let them dry out and have cut them back. Will they grow back now that I have started watering them? And also the seeds, can they be planted in starter pots and should they be soaked first? Thanks Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf97698461.tip.html
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Rate It: My daughter melted a bread bag on top of my conventional oven and now the print from the bag is on the metal. Please help me find a way to remove it. I've only had it a week and don't want to buy a new one Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf34465885.tip.html
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