Daily Thrifty Tips - December 1, 2006

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Every year for my son's birthday we have used the same vinyl tablecloth. Each year with a different colored marker we ask his guests to write him a birthday message. It has proved to be a great tradition, a keepsake, an inexpensive decoration and a conversation piece all in one. Not bad for a dollar store purchase!

By Tracy White from Lancaster, PA

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When making homemade vegetable soup, make a huge pot full to save for future meals. Instead of freezing as we usually do for make ahead meals, take the extra time to can your soup in quart jars. Great for a really fast meal. Frozen soup needs to thaw, but with canned, you just pour from the jar and heat and eat, or add a few noodles or dumplings and let it simmer a few minutes. Great for times when you are coming in late from a shopping trip, tired and short on time. Faster than pizza delivery!

By Harlean from Hot Springs, Arkansas

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I used only half a can of pumpkin when making a mousse for Thanksgiving dessert, and the pumpkin bread recipe needed a full can. No more pumpkin in the house, what to do? I substituted mashed yams for 1/2 the pumpkin, the bread came out perfectly!

By Linda from Vista, CA

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For easy gingerbread houses just use graham crackers assembled with regular tub frosting. You can make the houses ahead of time and then let the kiddos decorate from there. We just did this for 7 little kids and they thought it was great.

By Melanie

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We all know that recycling is good for our planet and most people have the soda can and plastic and newspaper recycling down pat. But did you know there are other things that can be recycled. I am going to try and give you some easy ways to recycle items that you have that you may have not thought of. The more that we can save from going to the local landfills the better.

First, let's start with recycling everyday household garbage. You pay for these containers so you are really putting your money to better use when you recycle them.

1. Meat containers that most of us get from the Walmart. These containers washed out make great pet food containers. The larger ones can also be used for disposable paint pans as most rollers will fit into them. Use them for dyeing small items. They can be used to store school papers for the kids and since they stack well, they can be used for storage of craft or office supplies.


2. Styrofoam containers: Washed out, these can be shredded for packing material. The shredded materials can also be used to make hot seats for camping or for a dog that has arthritis. The styrofoam retains your body heat.


3. Juice cans and containers can be used to store other liquids like ice tea and your kids can decorate the frozen juice cans to be used for pencil storage. Soda bottles can be used to make hot bottles for your garden, glue together with silicone caulk to form a ring and then fill bottles with water and place around your tomato plants in the early spring to keep them warm or they can be cut to make wind socks. Gallon milk containers make great shovels for pet droppings and can also be used as a funnel when you change your oil. Washed out full bottles can be used to take your old oil to the recycling center. The plastic can also be ironed flat with a warm iron and used for making your own templates or stencils. Frozen juice container lids can be used to make a "rattle" to keep birds out of your garden, string them on a stick and hang in your garden. Clean gallon milk containers can be filled with water and put in your freezer to fill it up so your freezer runs more efficiently. When you have enough food to fill your freezer, these frozen bottles can be used to cool your ice chest for your next picnic.


4. Shred your junk mail and use it for packing materials around your breakables that you store. It's cheaper than bubble wrap. Shredded junk mail can also be used as packing material around anything you have to mail. It also can be put in your compost pile. Shredding it helps to break it down.


5. Clean cardboard can be used as spreaders for glues or adhesives. You can also use it to make templates and stencils though these don't last as long as the plastic ones. Organize your cross stitch thread by cutting squares and wrapping your thread around them. Store all of these in an old Velveeta cheese box. Cereal boxes can be cut down to store magazines or instructions. Mac and Cheese boxes make great building blocks for your kids. Cover them with the comics from your newspaper or spray paint them to look like bricks.


6. Old mesh vegetable bags can be used to make handy scrubbers for around the house. Ball up two or three and secure with a rubber band. You can also drop a bar of soap into one, tie it off and tie next to your hose for quick clean up from gardening or other messy chores.

Well, this is about all the room I am sure they will give me on this topic but look around you! I am sure you can come up with more that even I haven't thought of.

Happy Recycling!

By Debra from Colorado Springs, CO

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Since the 1920's, the poinsettia has become synonymous with the holiday season. Here are a few tips for selecting and caring for this year's poinsettia, as well as some advice for getting it to bloom again next year.

Selecting This Year's Plant

Bract Color: When selecting a poinsettia, there are a few things you need to know. First, the showy parts of the plant are not actually the flowers. Instead, they are modified leaves called bracts. Select a plant with fully colored and open bracts-avoiding bracts with green around the margins. Because poinsettias now come in shades from red to white and every shade in between (including purple, yellow and salmon), make sure you check the variety to ensure the bracts are displaying their mature color.

Unopened Flowers: A poinsettias true flowers are yellow and tiny and located in the center of the flower-head. Plants with unopened flowers will last longer.

Freshness and Overall Health: Select a plant with healthy green colored foliage from the flower heads to the base of the stem. Stems should be stiff and the plants should have good leaf retention. Avoid plants that show signs of wilting, damage or soil that is saturated or too dry.

Shape and Proportion: A healthy plant will appear balanced and full from all sides and be appropriate in height and shape relative to the container it's in. (generally 2 1/2 times taller than the diameter of the container).

Caring for Your Poinsettias During the Holidays

Since the 1920's, the poinsettia has become synonymous with the holiday season.

Temperature and Location: Poinsettias need at least 6 hours of exposure to indirect, natural light daily. To maintain good color, direct sunlight should be avoided (or at least diffused) and daytime temperatures should not exceed 70 degrees. Keep plants away from excessive hot or cold drafts, like those from heat ducts, fireplaces or outside doors.

Food and Water: Poinsettias appreciate moist soil. Water thoroughly so the soil is moist, but not saturated. Overly moist soil can lead to root rot and eventually kill the plant, so poinsettias should not be allowed to stand in water. Plants are often purchased covered with plastic, paper or mesh sleeves. If you plan on keeping your poinsettia after the holidays these should be removed and the plants repotted in order to prevent the plant from deteriorating. Fertilizer isn't necessary during the flowering period.

The Poison Myth: A common misconception about poinsettias is that they are poisonous to pets and children. They are not. According to joints test conducted by the America Society for Florists and Ohio State University, a 50 lb. child would need to eat 1 1/2 pounds of Poinsettia bracts to shows signs of toxic poisoning (a bad stomach ache).

In regards to the family pet, anything your pet eats that is out of the realm of their normal diet may give them an upset stomach. Ingesting large amounts of the bracts and flowers may cause skin, eye and mucous membrane irritation in pets.

Signs Your Poinsettia is in Trouble

Wilting, followed by loss of leaves: This is usually a symptom of improper watering. Allow the surface soil to dry a bit before watering, but make sure the compost around the roots stays moist, but not saturated.

Loss of leaves without wilting: This is often a sign that the plant has been subjected to hot or freezing drafts. Other reasons for leaf drop include poor light or night time temperatures being too low.

Leaf edges are yellow or brown or loss of flower-heads: Dry, indoor winter air may be the culprit. Poinsettias like warm rooms with moist air. Mist leaves frequently with a spray bottle.

A Calendar to Re-flowering

The poor poinsettia. Its bright show of color has become synonymous with holiday decorating, but it's often thrown out when the holiday decorations come down. In its native Mexico, it's actually a perennial that grows up to ten feet tall. If you're like most gardeners, you wince at the thought of throwing out a plant just because it's done flowering. You will be happy to know that with a little care and patience, you can "recycle" your poinsettia and get it to re-flower next year.

November/December

Poinsettias naturally come into full bloom sometime in November or December as the days grow shorter (and nights grow longer).

March/April

As the bracts ("flowers") start to age and lose their color (usually late March or early April), cut plants back to about 6 to 8 inches in height.

May/June

The pruning done in March or April will promote new growth by the end of May. You may need to prune again during the summer to keep plants bushy and compact, but don't prune them after September 1. Continue to water and fertilize ever 2 to 3 weeks. Plants should be kept in a soil mix containing high amounts of organic nutrients with good drainage. In early June, plants may be transplanted into pots that are no more than 4 inches larger than the original pot.

Special instruction for planting outdoors:

In general, poinsettias are sensitive to cold weather, frost and rain, so moving them outdoors is not recommended. If you want to move yours outdoors, wait until night time temperatures stay above 55 degrees. Start by acclimatizing the plant to outdoor light by placing it in a shady location for a few weeks. Then sink the entire pot into a sunny well-protected flower bed. Turn the pots every 2 weeks to keep the plant from rooting through the pot's bottom holes.

October

Here comes the tricky part. Starting October 1st, poinsettias need at least 14 hours of COMPLETE darkness to set their flowers. The smallest amount of stray light (street lights, night lights, etc.) can delay or even stop the re-flowering process. One way to avoid this is to place a tall box over plants at night.

October/November/December

During October, November and early December, the plants also require at least 6 hours of bright sunlight daily and night time temperature between 60-70 degrees (temperatures outside of this range can also delay flowering). Watering and fertilizing should be carried out as usual. Following this disciplined "photoperiod" for 8 to 10 weeks will get your poinsettia blooming just in time for the holidays.

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Melting chocolate and then dipping pretzels or cookies etc. can be made easier if you keep the chocolate warm after melting on a warming tray set on it's lowest setting. I've found that just an occasional stir keeps it at dipping temperature and saves constantly popping it into the microwave. Remember to cover your surfaces with waxed paper or foil for easier clean up!

By Gayle from Gainesville

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Every year you find the Christmas cards you had received from the year before when going thru your Christmas stuff. You can put those cards to good use by cutting them where the card is folded, so you have the front of the card in one piece and the greeting in the other. I usually cut the first piece with pinking shears to make a cute border cut. I place them on my walls all over the house. It adds a Christmas look on the bedroom doors, kitchen walls, book shelves, etc.

By Barriosjh

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While helping put together a rummage sale, we came across a pair of ladies high heeled shoes. We cleaned the shoes of any paper, so the possible buyer could easily slip the shoes on checking for comfort. This particular pair of shoes had, what we thought was, a pair of short intersoles in it for catching perspiration from the previous wearer's (arch area of the) foot. Not till we removed it, did we realize it wasn't an innersole after all, but a ladies' feminine pantiliner.

It worked well as it had the adhesive strip on the bottom for a non-slip pad for the foot. What an innovative idea! Ladies know that pantiliners are inexpensive anyhow, especially if found on sale and maybe purchased with a coupon. Pantiliners are much are far cheaper than innersoles of any brand name.

By Terri from NV

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If you find you are left with panty hose that don't fit in the panty - (that is, the legs fit - but the panty comes up too short) you can still use them. I cut off the panty of old control top pantyhose and save them. Then use them when the panty in the pantyhose is too short, I can still wear the pantyhose with the old control top panty on top to anchor them. (You can also snip the elastic waistband to provide a little more give in the too tight pantyhose.)

By pamphyila from Los Angeles

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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/

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Can I use leftover pork roast to make stroganoff?

Jim from El Dorado Hills, CA

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My question is about using rubbing alcohol and class cleaner combo for cleaning windows in winter. What is the concentration that keeps it from freezing on windows?

Kris from Bloomington, IL

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How do you remove the waxy buildup on your skin from stick antiperspirants / deodorants? Need a solvent for the wax and soap doesn't work.

G. Baldauf from San Francisco, CA

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I read somewhere about using joint compound for "fake snow".Does anyone have info on this.This stuff you buy is so expensive. And I use a lot of it. Any ideas would be helpful.

Thanks,
Anita from Pritchett, TX

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Does anyone have recipe (they have used successfully) for English Pasties? The crust is my problem? Every time I attempt the crust it falls apart and seems to not be enough.

Thanks,
Mommamoody from Marietta, GA

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Looking for the original lyrics to the song I Like Mountain Music
that was first recorded in 1933. Please help me find them.

Ronnie from NSB. Florida

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I've a drop of lemon juice on my (fake) suede shoes and it has left a dark circle on my shoes. I've tried soap and water, talcum powder but hasn't helped. Please help!

K

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Any ideas for creative cookie storage containers for those at the cookie swap?

Amber from Fort Wayne. IN

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My cat poops under the bed no matter how clean litter box is. Any ideas?

Robin from Centralia, Illinois

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How do I remove the scratches/stains left in my sink from metal pans scraping against the sink surface? It's a porcelain sink.

Deniece from Sacramento CA

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Does anybody have ideas for a Hannah Montana themed party? The party is Dec. 1st!

T from CT

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Would anyone have the old Bisquick recipe for "Impossibe" chocolate pudding pie. This was from the late 70's early 80's. It made a chocolate sauce on top, and was mixed all at once and put in a regular pie pan.

Leann from Columbus, Ohio

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Does anyone know how to make stamp pad ink using glycerine and Rit dye or rubbing alcohol and Rit dye? I need to re-ink and I'm way far away from any store with re-inkers.

Marilyn from Front Royal, VA

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I belong to a Red Hat Society and I would like to make photo tiles 4x4 for each member with their photo. Any idea on how to do this?

Thanks,
Johnnetta from Clayton, NJ

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I have just got tendentious in the Achilles Tendon. Does any one know how to: ease the pain; make it easier to walk; and prevent this from happening again.

Many thanks,
Alan from The Potteries, UK

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I am looking for a baked spaghetti recipe that uses olives and fresh bell peppers. I want to make several for friends that are in need of a little break from cooking.

Thanks!
Mara from Arlington, TX

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Our church is wanting to build but we are short on money. Does anyone have fundraiser ideas?

Thanks,
Sandy from Mountain View, AR

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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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A tree's bark acts as a protective barrier in the same way skin protects the human body. It protects the tree's underlying vascular system from insect and animal damage and acts as a buffer to external changes in environmental conditions. Winter can be tough on trees, especially young trees and species with thinner bark. Over time, splits in the bark caused by sunscald can weaken your trees, adversely affecting their development and leaving them more vulnerable to attacks from animals, insects and disease. When properly applied, tree wraps may reduce the incidence of this common winter injury. Here is a look at some different types of tree wraps and how use them appropriately.

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When gathering with friends for caroling, when's the last time you sang this song: "Have a pricey, costly Christmas"? Or what about this one: "O Christmas bills, Christmas bills, how much this season costs me!"?

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