Daily Thrifty Tips - November 16, 2006

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Materials:

• Straw hat
• felt (any color you want for feathers)
• hot glue and gun
• string (to hang up)
• ribbon to tie under face

Directions:

Cut out all feathers pieces as in picture.

Cut out eyes and beak and feet and red thing under beak.

Glue feathers, eyes, beak and feet onto hat.

Take black ribbon and tie in a bow and glue on under face.

Glue string on back to hang up.

By Sandy from Bluff City, TN

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Sarabi (Sarabi G, Squeakers, Fat Cat with the Little Head) is a Chocolate Point Siamese and is 1 yr. 3 months old. Her "sister" Nala was already named when we adopted her, so we kept with the Lion King theme.

My family has always had Chocolate Point Siamese, after the loss of our family cat Sibu, it took 10 years before I could have another! I HAD to have one! I got her from a show breeder for Free from Craig's list because she wasn't "show" quality. She is PERFECT to me!

Her FAVORITE thing is an elastic string. She brings it to us from anywhere in the house, if you throw it, she will get it and bring it back! She loves tin foil balls and anything she can bat around the kitchen floor. She is a FAT and sassy cat, after being fixed she's definitely overzealous about her food, her "sister" Nala is skinny, she's the fat one!

She sits up like a Bunny when I ask her "Where is the bunny wabbit?". She squeaks! Really, since we've had her at 5 months, she's squeaks when you come greet her. She talks like a Siamese, but the squeaking is the best! P.S. She is fatter now, than in the picture!

By Michawn from Morgan Hill, CA

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Recycle your large salsa jars. I use them for my salt, pepper and spices. Just spray paint the lid any color, I use white spray paint then take a nail and hammer in holes on the top of the lid large enough for whatever spice you are putting in them. Great for dry rubs and your own spice blends. These work great for barbecue. After friends and family saw mine they all made their own.

By Pam

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After unloading groceries, I put the empty bags in the bottom of the wastebaskets all over the house. When I throw one out that is full, an empty one is right where I need it. I do this with the roll of kitchen bags, too. I keep it in the bottom of the kitchen trash can.

By Linda

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Having a new litter of kittens in the house is wonderful, until you discover fleas. Unfortunately, there is not a lot you can do for fleas on newborn kittens. I discovered a great tip. Baby wipes with aloe! The kittens love being rubbed down with them. Don't worry about rubbing vigorously. They love it, just like momma giving them a bath. And, if I keep a close eye on them and do this daily, I won't see another flea.

By Kimber from West Virginia

Editor's Note: Be sure to wait at least a week or two before handling newborn kittens and then only for a short amount of time. The mother can reject them if they don't smell right.

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Well, if the webslinger is your favorite superhero, then this party is just for you. Here is are some ideas for making this a party that everyone will enjoy, including you. First, decorate where you are having the party with streamers and balloons in red and blue. Decorate your table with red or blue tablecloths. Raid your little one's toy box and get all the Spidermans you can find. Now use these to decorate your gift table.

Make your own Spiderman cake or decorate a plain bakery cake. Bake a 9" round cake. Frost with white frosting. Starting in the center of the cake, make a small circle with tube frosting. Now make a larger one around the first one. Now another one around that. Now starting in the center, make lines coming out from the center. Start by dividing the cake with lines into fourths. Now go from there. When you are done, your cake should look like a spider web. Add a small plastic Spiderman and your cake is done.

Here are some idea's for Spidey games you can play:

Spiderman Target Shoot

You will need: One piece of Poster board
One black marker
One can of silly string for each child at the party

You have a choice here, you can make a black silhouette of a bad guy or just draw a target.

How to play: Tell the children as you line them up and hand them their cans of silly string that you are giving them webs to shoot just like Spiderman. Line children up with their cans of silly string and let them take turns shooting at the target. Let them try 3 times. The one who hits the target the most times can win a ribbon that says "Best Shot". If you have 2 or more kids to hit the target, have a shoot off and keep moving them farther and farther back until you have a winner.

Spiderman Hot Potato

You will need: One red or blue soft ball like a tennis ball

How to play: Have the children sit in a circle and gently toss the ball to each other. Let them toss it until one of the adults says "stop". The child with the ball is out. Have the children tighten up the circle and go again until you are left with one child. Give a small prize for being the fastest.

At party stores, you can buy a Spiderman pinata and fill it with candy and small toys bought at the dollar store. Blindfold each child and let them take a whack at it. The child who finally breaks it open can win a ribbon, being the pinata champion and you can divide the candy and toys between the kids.

You could also do a bug hunt. At the dollar store, you should be able to find a wide variety of big bugs. Hide them around the yard or room like you would an Easter egg hunt. The kid who finds the most could get a small prize or ribbon for being a super sleuth.

Spiderman Birthday Craft

Let the kids decorate the bags. They can use these to take home their candy and toys from the pinata.

By Debra from Colorado Springs, CO

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Put perfume or cologne on your skin instead of your clothing. The perfume may stain or damage some types of fabric.

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Before laundering clothing, close zipper, snap naps, fasteners, and button buttons. That way your zippers and fasteners won't snag other clothing. The best time to do this is before you toss clothing in the dirty clothes hamper.

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Leftovers usually need to be used first so create a space on the top shelf of your fridge just for leftovers. It will help you use them before they go bad and prevent moldy surprises when you clean out your fridge. Also, try to use clear tupperware or glass jars for leftovers so you can see what is in them at a glance.

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I am always collecting samples of shampoo, conditioner and so on. I found a nice shell-shaped "dish" for them so I can put them out in the bathroom and actually use them. Don't know why I didn't think of that before!

By Pam from Los Angeles

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To keep tooth picks clean and organized place them in an empty spice jar. One that has the sprinkle top spices and big enough holes for a toothpick to fit through. Just shake out toothpicks one at a time.

By TP

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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/

More Information:
http://webby.com/humor

I am looking for a homemade steam cleaner solution.

Kathy from Lansing, MI

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What is everyone putting in their family's stockings this year for Christmas?

Colleen from Kingston, ON

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Is their a plant that repels all bugs?

Lynne from London, KY

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My 3 year old son with autism won't eat anything but McDonald's fries, pancakes, and PB & J sandwiches. I have tried every trick in the book. Any suggestions? (Accepting potty training tips too.)

Robin from Palm Bay, FL

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I am looking for great christmas gifts for guys.

Brittany from Denver, CO

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When making caramel I forgot all about it and it boiled dry and blackened the pot. How do I get it clean. I have soaked and boiled it in vinegar but not a great amount is coming off. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Trudy from Australia

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Does anyone have a recipe for stuffing that is baked in the oven instead of the turkey that turns out crunchy? I remember having this as a kid at a relatives house, it was so good, but don`t know how it was prepared.

Tammy from Missouri

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I came across a quilted memory wall hanging. It had cloth family pictures hot glued on it. I scraped most of the glue off. Does anyone know how I can get the rest off?

Cassandra from Dayton, OH

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What is the best way to remove "film" off of shower doors?

Lisa from Surrey, BC

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Where can I find directions for a shirt purse?

Krystal from Jasper, Alabama

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Every Halloween our neighborhood does a game called "We've been Boo-ed" where someone unknown leaves a gift at your door and you have to post a sign saying "We've been Boo-ed" and then pass along the game to 2 other households without them knowing. I know there is a similar game for Christmas time but I can not find it online. If anyone knows, please let me know. Thanks

Stacey from Mt. Zion, IL

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I want to ask my boyfriend to sadies and I want him to got through a scavenger hunt. I can't come up with any riddles. Can someone help me?

Angie from Las Vegas, NV

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Do you cut the backs off you koolaid packs? I have the patters for a whole bunch of creations. The problem is the time it takes to cut the backs off the packs. I have made purses with backs and without. What is your thought on cutting it.

Thanks,
giftsandbags.com from MI

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All the phones in our house work but they don't ring. Any ideas?

Don from Seattle, WA

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My almost 5 month old pitbull girl, rarely ever goes to the bathroom outside. Now, she pees & poops on paper in the kitchen. Now that she is crated she is making a mess in her crate pooping all over. I don't know what to do. No matter what i do she doesn't got to the bathroom outside. Whenever she hears noises she gets scared. Please can someone help me?

Tara from NY

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How do I do a single knit stitch on the rectangle knifty knitter loom? If you have an illustration, that would be nice.

Mpreston from Lonaconing, MD

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Where can I get transcribing equipment? I don't know where to start and I will be doing this for my church very soon.

Thanks,
Brenda from GA

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How can I get the scorch marks from around the burners of my stove off?

Melissa from California, KY

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How does salt effect plant?

Hardiness Zone: 7b

Teresa From Southaven, MS

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Where can I buy plastic drink holders to do the snowflake?

Len from Howell, NJ

Editor's Note: Here's the link for the snowflake.
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf001447.tip.html

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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.

More Information:
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It's been said that the world is made up of 4 types of people: 1) Those that don't recognize the problems that exist in our society; 2) Those that recognize the problems, but don't care enough to act; 3) Those that recognize the problems and are too overwhelmed or frustrated to act; 4) Those that recognize society's problems and work actively towards solving them. Which type of person are you?

No one likes to think of themselves as oblivious to the world's problems or worse, too uncaring to try and solve them. When asked what type of person they are, most people see themselves as either number 3 or number 4-too overwhelmed or frustrated to act , or actively doing their part to make positive changes in the world. The truth is that most of us has been all of these "types" of people at point or another.

Sometimes people don't have enough information to recognize that a problem exists. At other times, certain problems don't seem like much of a priority. Most of us try to do our part, whether it's writing a letter to the editor of the local newspaper, voting in a state or national election, or shopping for organic products at our neighborhood grocery store. All of these actions are forms of activism and they all help create positive change.

Many of society's problems seem insurmountable. At one point or another you've probably found yourself throwing up your hands in disgust and asking, "I'm just one person. Things will never change, so why should I even bother?" To quote Mahatma Gandhi, " You may think your actions are meaningless and that they won't help, but that is no excuse, you must still act."

Here are five things you can do to stay passionate about activism:

1. Pick Your Battles

2. Remember That You're Not Alone

3. Find Yourself A Mentor

4. Keep Your Eye's On The Prize

5. Take A News Break

And above all, know that you ARE making a positive difference in the world. As Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Looking to get inspired? Here are a few great links to get your started:

• http://activism.net
• http://www.envirolink.org/
• http://www.worldrevolution.org/
• http://dmoz.org/Society/Activism/

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The fat content in recipes can be reduced in a variety of ways:

When buying hamburger, look for extra lean hamburger. This type has much less fat than regular hamburger. You can also substitute ground turkey for hamburger. Turkey has a slightly different taste, but it is good and generally costs less than hamburger. Ground turkey is generally very low in fat.

For chicken, white meat contains less fat than dark meat. Try to buy boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. These contain relatively little fat. Turkey can be substituted for chicken. Boneless turkey breast is cheaper than chicken breast, and it is a little lower in fat (although chicken breast is low in fat also).

Trim as much fat as possible from pork before you cook it. Turkey ham can be substituted for real ham. Turkey ham, of course, is really turkey. It really does taste like ham, though, and can be used wherever a recipe calls for ham. Some people can't tell the difference between the two. Turkey ham has very little fat compared to regular ham.

If you've never tried turkey bacon, you're missing out! Regular bacon is made entirely of fat, with no nutritional value whatsoever. Turkey bacon is not a pork product, it is made from turkey meat. Turkey bacon contains little fat (it is usually about 97 percent fat free). It still doesn't have a lot of nutritional value, but it is relatively low in fat and will give you a little protein. It tastes considerably different from regular bacon, but it is very good!

Tuna can be purchased packed in oil or water. Tuna packed in water contains almost no fat. Tuna packed in oil contains considerably more fat.

Lowfat cream of mushroom and chicken soups are now available at your grocery store. Check the labels to see which one is lowest in total fat grams per serving.

For the recipes that require milk, skim milk can be used without sacrificing flavor.

For recipes call for cheddar cheese, there are low-fat and non-fat varieties of cheddar cheese. The lowfat variety work well in these types of recipes. The nonfat cheeses usually do not melt very well and aren't great for cooking.

Lowfat or nonfat sour cream, cottage cheese, cream cheese, and mayonnaise can be used without sacrificing any flavor.

Butter can be eliminated from some recipes. When browning onions, hamburger, etc., you can spray your skillet with nonstick spray or use chicken or beef broth instead of butter to cook with. When baking, you can use reduced-calorie margarine instead of butter, but the texture will not always come out right. You've got to experiment a little. Nonfat margarines currently on the market do not bake well at all. Just remember...with baked goods, it's not always the calorie content per cookie or piece of cake, it's how many you eat! Remembering that has helped me maintain my weight better than any reduced calorie diet.

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Here are some recipes to get you started on your tea party menu. These are my recipes that I use all the time for my teas. I hope you enjoy.

Tomato Cream Cheese Tea Sandwich

It is very tasty with tomatoes from your garden.

Ingredients

• 3 ripe tomatoes
• Whipped Garden Herb Cream Cheese, softened
• 8 slices thin white bread

Directions

Spread cream cheese thinly on bread slices. Slice tomatoes very thin and blot with paper towels. Lay tomato slices on bread and top with bread. Remove crusts and cut into squares or triangles.

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 2 medium cucumbers, peeled, sliced thin
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. sugar salt and pepper
• 8 slices of thin white bread
• Miracle Whip mayonnaise
• Whipped softened Cream Cheese

Directions

Marinate the cucumber slices in the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper for at least an hour. Drain well. Lightly spread mayonnaise and cream cheese on bread slices. Layer the cucumber slices thinly on bread. Top with other bread slice and cut off all crusts. Cut sandwiches in squares or triangles.

Cheddar-Walnut Tea Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 or a 3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/2 tsp. chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped walnuts
• dash of red pepper
• 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
• 2 dozen white or whole wheat bread slices
• paprika

Directions

Combine all ingredients except bread and paprika. Spread about 1 Tbsp. of mixture on bread. Top with a second slice of bread. Cut off crust and cut sandwiches into triangles.

Spiral Tea Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1 scallion, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp. chopped dill
• 4 slices whole-wheat bread
• 8 thin slices smoked turkey
• 1 roasted red pepper, cut into thin strips

Directions

Combine the cream cheese, scallion, cucumber, and dill in a food processor. Process into a chunky paste. Set aside. Use a rolling pin to flatten the bread. Use a butter knife to spread the cream cheese mix over the bread. Then cover each slice with two slices of turkey and a little red pepper. Roll each slice of bread into a jelly roll shape. Press the roll together and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

By Debra from Colorado Springs, Colorado

Editor's Note: You can see some of Debra's other Tea Party tips at the following links:

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf32095968.tip.html

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf30671664.tip.html

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