Daily Thrifty Tips - April 13, 2006

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Movado is 10 months old and is a black and white domestic short hair cat. We got him in October, 2005 at the animal shelter. He likes to play, knead his blanky, play with his brother Christian, and swat at anything and everything. I adopted my other cat Christian (shown yesterday) and Movado a month later when he was 4 mos. old. He was so shy and didn't enjoy being petted or held at all. He has come around a lot! I wasn't sure if he ever would, but he has. It's good to know that "good things come to those who wait!"

By Leah from Boston, MA

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Many household objects can be used as containers in the garden. I love to use old chairs in the garden to add height and interest to an area that might be otherwise plain without it.

Many can be found on trash day, free for the taking. This one was without a seat, so I stapled a wire basket to the underside of the chair and added a cocoa liner. A layer of newspaper in the liner helps to retain moisture as cocoa liners can dry out easily in the heat of the summer. Fill with plants and good quality potting soil that contains a slow release fertilizer and moisture holding crystals.

By Dottie Baltz from Pennellville, NY

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Have you moved to a new neighborhood and looking for a way to get to know your new neighbors? Would you like to host a small charity event? Are you a group of friends who just want something fun and different to do? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Crazy Hat Tea Party may be just what you're looking for. It's a great event which people enjoy preparing for and allows for great icebreaker activities as well as opportunities for fundraising.

Invitations

Supplies:

• Blank cardstock and envelopes
• Magazines, catalogs, and/or clip art software depicting various types of hats
• Glue, if using magazines and/or catalogs

I hosted my tea party on April 1, so I designed my invitations with an April Fools' Background. I chose a crazy background, then printed my cards using a card-printing software program. I'll be doing this party again next year (more about that later!), and have already decided to design the invitations with the hat motif instead. Below is a sample of my invitation. As you can see, the hat motif is stressed, as is the idea to have fun and be creative.

My Hat

Because I am an avid gardener yearning for spring, I chose that theme for my hat.

Supplies:

• One 18" diameter brimmed straw hat
• Five 2" diameter clay pots
• Silk spring flowers
• Silk ivy garland
• Hot glue gun

Glue four of the clay pots to the brim of the hat (space them equal distances apart so the weight of the pots is evenly distributed) and one to the top, slightly off center. Glue a flower or flowers in each of the clay pots. Finally, weave a strand of ivy through the pots on your hat brim. Voila! An "I Can't Wait for Spring!" hat.

Menu

I stayed with a fairly traditional tea menu of tea, scones, and muffins; however, you could get quite creative here as well. If you use a gardening theme, serving salads and/or fresh fruit would be quite fun!

Because there are so many interesting bagged teas available now, I chose to offer several varieties of those rather than mess with loose tea. Of course, loose tea is always a possibility too.

Décor

Outdoors:

To get everyone in the mood as soon as they arrived, I hung oodles of hats from the trees in the front yard and the front porch railing, and a wreath of silk ivy, ribbon and a straw hat on the front door.

Supplies:

• 24 hats of all types: I used every hat we had in the house, including gardening hats, baseball caps, and winter hats. I also purchased hats at thrift shops run by Goodwill, the Humane Society, etc. - all were less than $5, most of them $1. I went with an open mind and ended up with a child's red plastic fireman's hat and a plastic yellow hardhat, several children's winter hats, and a few felt hats.
• Heavy string or crochet thread
• Tapestry needle, with eye large enough for the string/crochet thread

First, I hung hats along the railing of my front porch, using the hooks that hold our holiday lights. The rest of the hats were hung from the trees. Many of you could probably set the hats in your trees - consider yourselves lucky! I live in a fairly windy area and didn't want my hats flying through the neighborhood, so I looped crochet thread through each hat and tied them to the trees.

Wreath supplies:

• 30" Metal wreath form
• Silk ivy garland
• 3 yards of ribbon
• 12" diameter brimmed straw hat
• Heavy string or crochet thread
• Tapestry needle, with eye large enough for the string/crochet thread

Wrap the hat with just enough ribbon to go around once. Weave the ivy garland and remaining ribbon around the form. Using the string/crochet thread, hang the hat from the wreath form so that is centered in the middle of the wreath.

Indoors:

I designed the indoor décor around my hat, using hats, gardening supplies, and the same type of silk flowers used on my hat.

Supplies:

• Two 12" diameter brimmed straw hats
• Ten 2" diameter clay pots
• Silk spring flowers
• One 8" diameter clay drainage dish
• Two empty tin planters, lined with napkins
• Placemats and napkins
• Ironing board
• Tablecloth
• Table runner
• Tea cups and saucers

It's best if they are not a matched set. I scoured thrift stores, resale shops, and antique shops for mine. As an alternative, you could have each person bring their own!

The hats were decorated using the same supplies used for my hat and were used as centerpieces. I placed jars of honey and jam on the clay drainage dish, and the scones and muffins were placed in the tin planters.

Why an ironing board? I was expecting ten guests, but only had space for eight at my table. I set up the ironing board, covered it with a white lace tablecloth, then placed a gold table runner on top of that. I brought in two counter stools from the kitchen, which were the perfect height for the ironing board.

Finally, the Tea Party!

As people arrived, we took pictures. Many people brought their own cameras, so there was quite a bit of photography! We gathered outdoors and discussed our hats and gloves. One guest wore a 70's wedding hat complete with floor length veil, while another wore a chef's hat and oven mitts! It was so much fun to see the personalities that the creativity brought out.

Once everyone arrived, it was time to move inside. As my guests entered, I asked them to look over the various tea cups and sit at the one they liked the best. Once everyone was seated and the hot water was poured, I described each type of tea and passed them around the table so each guest could choose their favorite. The scones, muffins, and honey & jams were then passed around. Once everyone had their tea and food, I asked each guest to explain why she chose to sit at that particular tea cup. It was a great icebreaker and gave us some insight into each other.

It was a wonderful afternoon and, when I mentioned that I'd be donating my thrift store hats back to the charities, it was suggested by several guests at once that this be the first annual April Fools' Tea Party and that I store the hats for next year! That's a pretty good sign that everyone enjoyed the afternoon and I'm sure that you'll find the same success.

For a Charity Function

This could be a great money-making event for a charity. Here are some suggestions on raising money at a Crazy Hat Tea Party.

• Have a silent auction for each participant's hat. (Be sure they know that they'll be donating their hats during the tea party!)
• Have the guests wear winter hats, which will then be donated to a shelter. (Again, be sure they know they'll be losing their hats!)
• Charge a fee for each guest.
• Take photographs and allow the guests to buy as many as they wish, which is easily done in the digital camera age!
• Make all of the hats yourself and have your guests purchase them.
• Have each guest bring a tea cup to sell at a silent auction.

As you can see, this could be quite a versatile and enjoyable fund-raising event.

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When stored in a sealed glass jar in a cool cupboard, unpopped popcorn can maintain its freshness for months. For longer storage, store popcorn in the freezer, it will last for a year or more. Popcorn should pop within 80 to 90 seconds, if it takes longer, it probably has dried out. To add moisture to popcorn, add a teaspoon of water to your jar of popcorn (1 teaspoon per 1 quart of popcorn) and seal the jar for two days. Open the jar and shake the popcorn at least twice each day. Then try popping some of the corn, if it has regained its moisture it should pop more quickly. You can also leave it open in the refrigerator for a day or two, then seal it up. It will absorb moisture from the refrigerator.

By ThriftyFun

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Use on wall pictures to keep them straight.

Keeps loose straps in place on clothing.

Keeps rugs in place.

Instant hems in clothing.

By Patricia from Alabama

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You can turn an old metal wheelbarrow into a mobile, outdoor BBQ grill. Start by drilling 1/2 inch holes in the bottom and sides of the wheelbarrow. Fit an old oven rack into the wheelbarrow to cook food on. When you want to use it, remove the oven rack, put your coals in the bottom and put the oven rack over the coals.

By ThriftyFun

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Carry a cross shaft lug wrench in your car to use when you get a flat. It gives you greater leverage than the single shaft wrenches that come with most new cars. You can also carry a metal pipe to fit over one of the shafts for even better leverage. Use short, sharp impacts rather than applying constant pressure to loosen a stubborn nut.

By ThriftyFun

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I have been hit with many big bills lately. I have disconnected my caller ID, saving me $7.00 per month. When I drink milk or juice, I add water to the glass first. I just had a glass of milk and put about 1/2 cup water in glass first, then filled the rest of the way with milk. it is perfectly satisfying and goes much further.

I had bought a cheaper brand of dog food but that did NOT work at all. I hated to throw it away or even give it away, so I kept it and have been slowly mixing it with her more expensive canned food. I am still saving money but we don't have the problems we did when we gave her cheap food.

I shop at the food bank. They don't require people to be poor, but they do encourage people at the checkout, if they are employed at a good job to pay more than the poor folks. It costs $.35 per pound of food so it wouldnt hurt someone to pay $.50 per pound. This sounds crazy but I try to remember to go to the ladies room at work before I go home, need I say more?

I frequently print out recipes from either this website and others. I am getting together my favorites and will be giving them for Christmas this year. I will type them up and print them pretty. I am excited about them.

Sandy from Baltimore

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Most people don't even realize they are wearing too much perfume. If you can still smell your perfume a half hour after putting it on, you likely are wearing too much. To help prevent putting too much on, spray it in front of you and then walk through the spray. To remove excess perfume, make a paste of water and baking soda and rub it where you applied the perfume, then rinse off the area with water.

By ThriftyFun

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Q.What happens to old horses?

A. They become "NAGS"!

By Great Granny Vi from Moorpark, Ca.

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Where can I buy ZOTE soap for making laundry soap?

Thanks,
Annie from Lewiston, Me

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My mower with a B&S (Briggs & Stratton) engine won't start. Per feedback from others concerning similar problems, I took plug out still attached to wire, there was no spark when I pulled cord. The plug snapped in so it had a good connection. The first time I pulled, my wife said it shocked her, but no spark. (Holding it in the wrong place?) After that, nothing. It was daylight and in the shade, would we see a spark?

Also, a couple of weeks ago it started fine with the old gas still in it. Then I changed the plug, filter, oil and blade. I didn't change the gas, but I did add new gas. I also rinsed it off with a hose pretty thoroughly.

Any of this give anyone any ideas? I'd appreciate any tips.

Thanks,
Terry from Charleston, SC

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Is it safe to use tennis balls in the clothes dryer to keep them from balling up?

Jean from Michigan

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My best friend is turning 25 next week, and my other friend and I want to plan an Easter Egg hunt around town for her. Any thoughts on what to put in the eggs? We're going to use 25 eggs, so any suggestions will be helpful.

Thanks!
Jennifer from Akron, Ohio

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While using a Sharpie permanent marker, I got some on my sweater which is 65% polyester and 35% cotton. Any ideas on how to remove this stain?

Thanks,
garnetgirl9 from Stoughton, WI

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Does anyone have any craft ideas for cleaning wipe containers (such as Clorox, Lysol)? I use a lot of them and would like to be able to use the containers for something?

Thanks,
s0128g from Newark, DE

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Please help with ideas for a birthday cake for 6 year old Swan Lake party.

Nizeth from Cape Town, South Africa

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I had Mashed Cauliflower at Ruby Tuesday's and loved them. If any one knows how to make them, I would love to have them for Easter.

Thank you,
Joanne Weaver from Kingston, PA

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I know that there are a lot of places that advertise surveys, but does anyone really know of some that pay, and don't charge for taking them. There are so many work from home offers. Any free ideas?

Kersti from Bellevue, WA

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Adding fish to the family? Start with freshwater fish because the equipment you will need is a little more affordable than saltwater fish supplies. Freshwater fish are relatively hardy -- remember that goldfish you won at the fair that lived on for several years afterwards?

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Breed Description: The English Springer Spaniel dog breed is one of the tallest of the Spaniels. Its strong, compact build lends itself to great endurance in the field, and its loving and affectionate personality makes it a good companion for families with children. This breed has been divided into working and show strains, with the working strain being somewhat shorter and stockier in stature.

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Breed Description: The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog has a broad, powerful chest, sturdy, muscular body and beautiful tri-colored markings. This good-natured breed was originally developed to help with farm work such as guarding livestock and pulling carts to market. Today, the "Swissy" is noted for its patience with children and its calm and gentle nature.

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Saturday, April 22, 2006, will mark the 36th annual Earth Day. Why not resolve to spend the day in the most Earth friendly way possible. Lead the way by throwing an Earth Day party to show your support for protecting the environment. Here are some ideas on how to throw a party for the planet:

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Breed Description: The Great Dane is often called the gentle giant. This breed combines an enormous muscular body with both elegance and dignity. The Great Dane is very affectionate and displays loyalty to its master, patience with children and cautious restraint around strangers.

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