Daily Thrifty Tips - October 13, 2006

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Mya is 1 year old Siamese Cat, her birthdate is 5/24/05 She's a snowshoe (we think maybe she's mixed with something else too). We rescued her. She was abandoned in a trailer park.

She likes to run around the house like a crazy animal. She likes to look out the window too. Mya is a indoor cat. In the picture she was eight months old.

By Ashley from Warners, NY

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Today is Ethan's 4th birthday. He's my grandson and a happy little guy. He loves looking at the pet photos on ThriftyFun. It just goes to show you that are some very good things about Friday the 13th.

Susan at ThriftyFun

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This is a picture of my niece, Tehra (a few years back), in her homemade witch's costume! That particular year, she needed a Halloween costume, but money was tight, so my mom and I made her this costume at a cost of probably $2 or so!

Her witch's dress was two leftover pieces of black material that I sewed together into a very simple a-line dress (and trust me, I'm not a good seamstress)!

Her necklace was a piece of curling ribbon with a glow-in-the-dark plastic star hot glued onto it. Her wand was a stick, painted purple, with sparkly curling ribbon and decorative Halloween wire with spiders on it.

The only thing that probably cost anything was her plastic witch's hat! I think she just wore black shoes to complete the costume. It was very easy to make, but as you can see, she looked REALLY cute! We were glad the costume turned out so well, and cost so little to make.

By Lisa from WI

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This band hat project will delight your child. It's simple to make, fun to wear, and you probably have everything you need to make it right at home. It's a great project for a rainy day, sick day, or "nothing to do" day.

Crafting time: approximately 30 - 45 minutes

What You Need:

• Cereal box - opened to lie flat
• Scissors
• Stapler
• Construction paper - green and white
• Cellophane tape
• Markers
• Glue stick

Directions:

1. Cut a 2" wide strip of cardboard from the length of the cereal box. Fit this strip around your child's head and staple the ends in place to create a ring or band. Cut off any excess cardboard. Cover the cardboard with green construction paper. Use tape to secure the paper.

2. Draw and cut a green construction paper frog face. Decorate it with marker. Draw and cut frog eyes from white construction paper. Decorate these with marker. Glue the bottom of the eyes to the frog's head at the back of the green construction paper. The eyes should be at the top of the head. Glue the bottom of the frog's head to the front of your green band.

3. Draw and cut two arms and hands from green construction paper. Decorate these with marker and glue them to the band at the sides of the head.

4. Draw and cut two frog legs and feet from green construction paper. Decorate these with maker. Tape the tops of the frog's legs to the inside of the band at either side of the frog's head. The legs should hang out from the bottom of the band.

By Marie from West Dundee, IL

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When cooking a steak, use tongs or a spatula to turn the meat rather than a fork. It you puncture the meat it will let the juices out.

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Here are some uses for Eucalyptus Oil.

• Dilute 50% with water in a spray bottle and use as a room freshener to mask unpleasant odors.

• Add a few drops add to your laundry rinse water or to the water you use to mop your floors.

• To remove grease marks on clothes rub with a damp cloth moistened with oil.

• Use to clean stainless steel surfaces.

• Great also for temporary relief of coughs,symptoms of colds/flu and fever: add 5 ml (1 tsp.) to 500 ml (2 cups) hot water and use as an inhalation.

• Sprinkle a few drops on a handkerchief, in bath water or on pillow for additional relief.

• As a chesty rub for adults massage into chest /back. For children mix equal parts of vegetable oil. NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 2 YEARS OF AGE.

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With quick action, you can limit the amount of water that winds up on your floor from an overflowing toilet. First, take off the back of the toilet and push the stopper or plunger down in the bottom of the tank so it stops allow water into the bowel. Then reach down behind the toilet and turn off the water value. Then find your handy plunger to take care of the blockage.

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Don't have a funnel handy? Aluminum foil can be easily crafted into a funnel that will work in a pinch. Get a piece of aluminum foil that is twice as long as it is wide and fold it to form a square, use this to roll into a funnel.

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Pour a little baking soda into the bottom of your hamper to help keep your dirty clothes smelling fresh. You can even keep a shaker with baking soda in it near your hamper to shake on top of your clothes when needed. A used and cleaned out parmesan cheese container makes a great shaker for baking soda.

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Now that the weather is getting cooler we spend less time outside. If you have solar lights, the ones that have a central solar panel and hook together with wires, put your central panel where it will get sun during the day. Place the lights among your house plants, I take the stakes out of mine. Or put them to highlight another spot in your house. At night you get soft ambient light that makes your plants glow.

By Valery from Cranford, NJ

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My beagle suffers from ear infections so often and it was getting to expensive to keep going to the vet, so I read that Monostat for women will work. I tried it and after three days it was clear, follow the daytime treatment with a nighttime ear wash and this should do the trick. Hope it helps.

By kilborn7 from Martinsburg,WV

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I just got 2 tickets to a rock concert (with a famous old timer) for $10 a piece from a discount site and ALSO found out about FREE museum admission this Weekend! All though internet sources - It pays to keep your eyes pealed for deals even in entertainment. Sometimes those junky emails do pay off!

By Pam from Los Angeles

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I was given about 20 mats of every imaginable size, shape and color. These normally frame pictures under glass, but I plan to have a Neighborhood Art contest. I'm soliciting help from a few folks, donating a big plastic box of unused jars of multiple colors of tempura paints for them to use in the project, once I get a little money to purchase a few packages of inexpensive tempura paint art brushes and some hot chocolate.

I plan to make and send out invitations, or place Announcement signs, which invite the first 20 children to participate in "The Washable Art Contest" on the driveway or at the park at the end of the street, between the hours of noon and three p.m., in case it's cooler. This will give overworked homebound moms around this 600 home area suburb a chance to catch up on early holiday shopping, AND making best use of the mats,. This project has the "hidden agenda" of making special art pictures with "matching mats" for their parents' holiday gift to frame in whatever store-bought frame they buy/put it in at their leisure, complete with tempura greeting/ hand/fingerprints and date on back of each piece of butcher paper "masterpiece" of their choice. It will help to raise the self-esteem and "needs to please" among the children of all ages, ranks, and family stresses, as well as safe, wholesome, friendly competition during their holiday vacation.

They will all become "winners" when they realize their parents are grateful to have a couple of hours to shop, and when the parents realize the "contest" was not only truly washable, but with "PRIZES THAT LAST A LIFETIME" as a surprise gift from their child, AND it will free up a big shelf in one of my closets! lol

By Lynda from TX

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Dear Webby's Humor Letter

Webby publishes our tips daily! A very funny newsletter.

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How can I remove tar from clothing?

Liz from Mass

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How do I remove anti-perspirant deodorant build up on shirts?

Anthony from Sydney, Australia

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Looking for mulled, spiced orange juice recipes. I had some at disney world some years ago and would like to attempt some of my own.

Erica from New Braunfels

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My son has a white canvas school golf bag with cardinal lettering, I am trying to find out a way to clean it safely without the lettering bleeding on to the bag and turning it pink. I have gone to 2 dry cleaners in my town and have called an Edwin Watts golf dealer and no one can tell me how to clean it.

Brenda from Prattville, AL

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I am looking for info for cleaning glass stove top with sugar cubes. Need info on how. Suppose to be able to remove burnt and messes, without scratching.

Jo from CT

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I am looking for tips for traveling across America.

Young from Baker, LA

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My husband has decided to start "Juicing" again. I need some recipes that are out of the 'Norm' and if you add any supplements what are they and what are their functions?

Laurie from Nevada

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I am really freaked out by this. I woke up at 4am and a dead baby mouse fell off me when I got out of bed. I have no idea where they came in from, and/or if there are any more, but I need a suggestion on what I can use in my bedroom to keep them out. I use baking soda in my DD's closet and she has no mice, but in my bedroom i have no idea where they are coming from. Please help! I am terrified and creeped out by mice. Thank you for any and ALL suggestions on this.

jmz2005 from Illinois

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How do I use thyme and tea tree oil to get rid of bedbugs?

Asif Nayani from Karachi, Pakistan

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I am a stressed out, overwhelmed, broke stay at home mom.

I am so bad about getting things done, I never finish what I start. I have more laundry than I thought was humanly possible, and have been having feelings of "it'll just get messed up as fast as I clean it anyways, so why bother?"

What do you do when you start feeling this way to motivate yourself? How do you deal with the husband that leaves his socks in a pile by his desk where he takes them off after work? How do you keep a 5 year old from making a HUGE mess every time he does ANYTHING? How do you get through 20 loads of laundry faster than you dirty it, and, and, and...?

Just frustrated, by myself as much as anything else. So, What should I do?

Celeste from Florida

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I am looking for directions to make a planter out of a pair of children's jeans, preferably free. Thanks!

Audrey from Robeline, LA

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I have mice in my brand new car! I first noticed them in my glove box, they ate ketchup packets, so I took everything out of there. I also put peppermint oil on a cotton ball. They still go in my car. NOW they are all over, on the seats, on the dash, steering wheel. It is like they have set up camp, yet I have never seen them, just the droppings!

We park the car in the garage (which is infested with mice this time of year) and I was wondering if anyone has ever had this problem. My car is starting to smell! I use urine spray that I got for my dog who pees on the floor, it works well, but every morning they leave more. I set traps and they are constantly full. Is there a hole I can plug up or something! AHHHH!

Jen from ILLINOIS

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Any Halloween costume ideas for pregnant woman?

Jamie from Stockbridge, GA

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I'm thinking about offering individual computer and internet instruction for extra money. Anyone have any advice? Should I charge mileage (maybe over 20 mile?), how much should I charge, and is this a viable idea? I thought I may advertise in the local paper.

Thanks,
Margaret from VA

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I like to research for the origin of things, especially cooking. It is often thrilling to see how our grandmothers did things. This time, I am searching for old fashioned recipes for Christmas, such as spekulatius recipe, stolen cakes, etc. I know there are some goodies that need a whole month of preparation before baking. Also, recipes you can store for a period. If anyone can oblige... My thanks in advance.

Zelda from Sao Paulo - Brazil

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I am on the Prom Comittee for my school and we need to think of different ways of decorateing to go with our theme. Our theme is a Masquerade Ball, Any ideas that arent really expensive?

Mighty Mouse from WacTown, MN

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I need to remove a smokey odor from some clothes that I have. The fabrics range in materials, but a few items are either supposed to be hand washed or dry cleaned. Is there anything I can do to them besides spraying them with febreeze? I did hear of hanging them above a tub of hot water with vinegar in it, but I'm not sure if it'd cause them to develop a new odor. What would you suggest? Thanks.

Dawn from Cincinnati, OH

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Has anyone ever had problems with gnats in their potting soil? I recently opened a bag of potting soil and used it to sow some spinach seeds in a pot indoors, and now little tiny gnats are all over the place. I tried spraying the top of the soil with insecticidal soap, but that didn't kill them. I spend a lot of time squishing them with my finger. Help!

Hardiness Zone: 7a

Kathy from Canton, NC

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Finding couples Halloween Costumes has always been a challenge! Over the last few years I have seen many different ones at Halloween parties. To give you a few ideas I have about 80 here:

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My gardening attention span seems to be tied to the growth and die back of the plants in my garden. As they wake up each spring, I find myself full of energy and ambitious to take on various garden chores. As plants die back in the fall, however, my motivation tends to go dormant along with them. Although I can't resist the showy contributions they make to my perennials gardens, there are few chores I dread more than digging up tender bulbs and storing them for winter. If you live in a zone where tender bulbs will not survive winter outdoors, here are some tips for making this task as quick and painless as possible.

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Here's a video for Barbecue Ribs On The Grill. Looks pretty tasty. Courtesy of BarbecueWeb.com.

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