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Packers Doilies

I love to crochet Packers doilies and coasters. I do take request for orders.

By Sheila from Fond du Lac, WI

Packers Doilies

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Puppy Love Valentine Cards

These cute Valentine cards are easy to make and fun to give! Even small children can put them together.

Supplies

Construction paper
Scissors
Glue
Pen

Instructions

For each puppy, cut the following from construction paper:

one large heart
one medium heart
five small hearts
one very small heart

Glue the medium heart onto the point of the large heart to attach puppy's head to the body. Glue the small hearts in place for feet, ears and tail. Glue the very small heart in place for the nose. Use a pen to add eyes and a special message.

By Angela from Murphy, TX

Puppy Love Valentine Cards

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Photo While Flying

I love flying. This is one of the photos I took on my most recent trip to Florida.

By Kaitlin from Sparta, TN

Photo While Flying

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Tia (Working English Cocker Spaniel)

Tia is almost 2. She is a Working English Cocker Spaniel. One year ago today from someone who was emigrating

For fun, she likes to rip up paper and play 24/7. Next Christmas, we are just giving her gift paper as a present.

By Phillip from England, UK

Tia (Working English Cocker Spaniel)

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You Warm My Heart Valentine Gift

Here is a Valentines for teachers or someone special. I saw in a magazine where they did this with a paper cup but I decided I am using a mug with paint that can be used on glass.

Take a mug red in color or pink and make a pattern of hearts/flowers (whatever the kids wanna do)

Take a packet or two of hot cocoa and make a cute heart out of card stock that says "You warm my heart!" Tie with ribbon to the mug (mugs can be bought at dollar stores). I decided I would add marshmallows and a few chocolate Hershey kisses in colorful plastic wrap and add "kisses, love your child's name."

Source: Child's Craft magazine

By Kim from Milan, Ohio

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Use Clear Two Liter Bottles as Gift Wrap

If you have clear 2 litre plastic soda pop bottles, you can use them to hold a gift. Just cut an "H" on the side of the bottle, peel open the plastic, insert gift, be it a wrapped gift with ribbon, a teddy bear or doll, or a fresh baked treat. Once you are satisfied with the look of the bottle with gift inside, close up the "H", and seal with some clear packing tape. Use this area as the back of your bottle display. Items can even be mailed with the correct postage attached.

I had a great time at the post office mailing a few of these gift bottles. Sure makes for a fun gift and it is even better when the receiver tries to figure out how you got the gift inside.

By Karyn from Ottawa, Canada

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Keep Opened Carton Turned To The Outside

We buy orange juice by the carton and usually have two in the refrigerator door. The one that has been opened is turned to the outside; the unopened on is turned in. That way I don't take out the wrong on accidentally.

By Carolyn from Sioux Falls, SD

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Use Old Electric Toothbrushes for Cleaning

Don't toss those old electric toothbrushes if you upgrade to a better model! Just like cleaning with an old manual toothbrush, your old electric toothbrushes can be used as well! I've used mine with fantastic results on grout and caulking stains, cleaning along the edge of base trim, hard to reach areas around faucets, and difficult hard water stains on sensitive surfaces you shouldn't use a pumice stone on. It cuts cleaning time in half!

Don't have an old one? There are a lot of affordable ones on the market now from brands like Crest and Colgate. It's well worth the investment when you see the results and time savings! Are you really brave? Try it out on stubborn toilet stains, you'll be glad you did!

By Stephanie from Yakima, WA

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Have A Master List Of Important Cards and Numbers

Because my husband and I travel so much, we came up with a way to have the most vital information in one easy and small space in case a wallet or purse is ever lost or stolen.

Every year, we type out a list that includes information on cards that almost all of us have on our person: credit cards, health/dental/auto insurance cards, drivers license, membership cards and so forth.

Choose list columns that make sense (member number, customer service 800#, expiration date, etc). and print several lists to keep safe, lock box at home, in purse or wallet, safe box at bank, or anywhere else you feel it will be secure. If anything should happen, this list could be your lifesaver and all that information will take up no more space than 1 sheet of paper.

By Amy from Northern Virginia

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A Valentine Day Chocolate Gift Basket - How to Make Your Own for One Tenth the Cost!

At florists shops and online, you can find a big valentine day chocolate gift basket selling for thirty to a hundred dollars or more. Here's how to make your own chocolate "bouquet" basket for a few bucks. These are the only supplies you need:

a bag of your valentine's favorite chocolate candies or mini candybars
a basket or other container
a chunk of florist's foam, Styrofoam or even a big ball of clay or playdough to hold things in place
skewers, popsicle sticks or sturdy straws
some pretty tissue paper, celophane, fake grass or shredded paper
hot glue gun or super strong glue (not Elmers!)

Start by putting the foam in the container or basket. Next you need to attach the chocolates to the skewers. You can either poke the skewers through the outer wrapping and into the chocolate (it helps if the chocolates are room temperature) OR you can use a dot of glue to affix each candy to a skewer, stick or straw. If using popsicle sticks, you may want to first quickly paint them all red or gold to dress them up.

Poke each candy laden skewer into the foam. If you want, you can poke each skewer first through a three to six inch square of tissue paper or cellophane and then into the foam to make the bouquet more jazzy. If you do this, you may not even need or want the shredded paper or grass to cover the foam. If there is foam visible or if you did not use the squares, cover the surface of the foam with the shredded paper or grass to finish off your valentine day chocolate gift basket!

By melthegiftgirl from Kalamazoo, MI
See more homemade valentine day gift ideas at my website: uniqueholidaygiftideas.com/valentine-gift-basket-ideas

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Make Liquid Non-Dairy Creamer from Powdered

I make my own liquid non-dairy coffee creamer from powdered creamer. I buy the 16 oz. size store brand of powdered creamer for $1.00. I add one cup of hot water to one cup of dry creamer and shake. Then I add one cup of cold water and shake it up again.

I store it in a plastic bottle in the fridge. It makes 24 oz of creamer each time, and I think I get about 3 bottles per 16 oz. canister. I have also done this with flavored powdered creamers as well, always with excellent results. This way I don't have to worry about checking expiration dates, and I can control the richness of the creamer by adding more or less water. It has really saved us money, as we drink lots of coffee!

Source: I took the recipe from Dollar General's brand of non-dairy creamer, and it seems to work the same way for all other brands I have tried.

By Cynthia from Pittsburgh PA

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Watch Out For Registration Tags Stolen Off Your Car

A local pal, whose husband, has been in a hospital in another town, recently had her car's registration tags stolen off her car, while there. She found out the hard way about something that my husband and I heard about several months ago. You need to take a knife or something sharp to your vehicle's registration tag, once you've placed it on your vehicle. There are folks that are stealing them and selling them to earn money for drugs. She had to pay out the whole fee all over again to re-register her vehicle. She said the local DMV office said there's a lot of that going on now, around here and in other areas.

By Terri from NV

Editor's Note: Most DMV's appear to only charge a small fee for replacing these stickers, not the entire amount of the registration. Oregon, for example, charges $10. However, it is best to discover this before you are pulled over.

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Use Both Ends Of Your Ironing Board

When ironing on a regular ironing board, most of us use the narrowing of it and never think about the wide end. For ironing men's shirts I use the narrow end for the collar cuffs and the shoulder ironing the endside of each first and then the outside. I then switch to the wide end to iron the large pieces, the button first then the back and this is where it really pays off and the the plack with the buttonholes on it and it really looks nice. My hubby says every bit as nice as the cleaners and much cheaper. You'll find other things to iron on the wide end as you get use to it.

By GigGhee from Indianapolis, Indiana

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Making Angled And Tiered Planters

I landscape on an angle from the house. I will make a three level planter; the first level is 8 feet wide and long, the sides are white rock or, preferably, pressure treated wood. In the center of the second level, make the planter 5 1/2 feet wide and long. The third level is 3 feet wide and long. If possible make a second planter on the opposite angle from the house. The angles makes the grounds look bigger.

On each level, plant shrubs and flowers. Keep the planters in clean shape and put a nice ground cover like bark mulch thinly to keep it fresh. Then in the back, add some rectangular beds to plant vegetables. Loosely behind them, plant corn and potatoes. For a delightful addition, add dry flower seeds and miniature gourds. Then add berry bushes.

Source: myself

By Bev from Chilliwack

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Dear Webby's Joke of the Day

Read More Jokes Here: http://webby.com/humor

Dog With Itchy Skin

My dog has a very dry, itchy skin problem. I bathe him with oatmeal shampoo and give him one fish oil tablet a day but how do I get rid of it? The poor thing is scratching like no tomorrow.

Dayle from Central Coast, NSW

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Looking for Meat Tenderizers

I am looking for meat tenderizers for beef, (e.g. minute steaks and other less tender meats).

Bo from Ontario

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Removing Strong Odor from Moldy Refrigerator

I have a GE top-bottom fridge that was sitting in my buddies garage for atleast a year. Surprisingly roses didn't grow inside but mold did, some tiny pin head sized mold. I was able to get some sort of eggs for some creature that loves smelly stuff, and some disgusting looking black sludge on the bottom.

I used the whole bottle of Clorox all purpose cleaner with bleach and hosed everything out. Aside from some stains on the bottom that aren't coming out without a torch, the thing is spotless. I opened a box of baking soda and put it in there but it still freaking reeks. It wouldn't surprise me if there was still mold on some of the inner workings of the fridge but i don't know if I can get to them.

If anyone knows what parts I should specifically look at please let me know and please for the love of god tell me how to get rid of this smell!

Shane from Orlando, FL

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Girls' Hooded Jackets with Drawstrings Sold Exclusively at Marshalls Stores Recalled by Apollo Jeans Due to Strangulation Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Girls' Hooded Jackets

Units: About 14,000

Distributor: AJBlue LLC, dba Apollo Jeans, of New York, N.Y.

Hazard: The jackets have a drawstring through the hood which poses a strangulation hazard to children. In February 1996, CPSC issued guidelines (pdf) to help prevent children from strangling or getting entangled on the neck and waist by drawstrings in upper garments, such as jackets and sweatshirts.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recalled velour jackets have a drawstring at the neck. The jackets are hooded, zip up the front, have a front pocket, and were sold with matching velour pants. The word "DIVA" with rhinestones is displayed across the front of the jackets. They were sold in children's sizes small, medium, large, extra-large and 4, 5, 6, and 6X and came in red, blue and beige colors. "Apollo Active Wear" and either style number 5033gk or 5033gg are printed on the jackets' neck tag.

Sold exclusively at: Marshalls Stores nationwide from August 2007 through November 2007 for about $15.

Manufactured in: Korea

Remedy: Consumers should immediately remove the drawstring from the jacket's hood to eliminate the hazard, or return it for a full refund to either the place of purchase or Apollo Jeans.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, call Apollo Jeans collect at (212) 398-6585 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m ET Monday through Friday.

Note: CPSC was notified about these garments by the Wisconsin Department of Consumer Protection.

Picture of Recalled Hooded Jackets with Drawstrings

Girls' Hooded Jackets with Drawstrings Sold Exclusively at Marshalls Stores Recalled by Apollo Jeans Due to Strangulation Hazard

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Albumin Powder Instead of Egg Whites

When a recipe calls for only the EGG WHITES can Albumin powder be used instead. If so, how much water is added to the powder to reconstitute it? Can the powder be added to the dry ingredients and the water to the liquids? Any info about albumin powder will be appreciated. Thanks all.

Mairmie from Edmonton, AB

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Removing Water Stain on Mattress

I was trying to clean a spot off of a mattress, now I have a water stain that is twice the size of the spot.

Michael from Vicksburg, MI

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Removing Watermark on Oak Table

How can I remove a watermark from oak dining table. This has been caused by putting pottery pot with its base onto the table. It was obviously porous and the bottom rim must have been damp. I brought it in from the greenhouse. Any help would be much appreciated.

Jan from Leicester, England

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Cat is Losing Hair and has Dandruff

My indoor cat is suddenly losing small clumps of hair and when brushed, the skin appears to have dandruff. Not sure of age, maybe 10 yrs old, and otherwise seems happy. It is me who is not. Anyone have an inkling as to the cause of this?

Rhea from NY

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Straightening Warped Cupboard Doors

Does anyone know if it is possible to straighten out kitchen cupboard doors that have warped slightly on the corner?

Pico from ST Paul, Alberta

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Looking for Recipes for Easy Bake Oven

I was wondering if anyone has recipes for an Easy Bake Oven. The packages you buy in the store are kind of expensive.

Melissa from Greeneville, TN

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Bleach Stain on Tile Floor

I spilled bleach on my bathroom floor and now have an ugly yellow stain. Is there anything that will remove this from the tile?

Hannah from Cabot

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Cleaning Steam Marks Off Bathroom Wall

How do I clean steam marks off of bathroom wall. Liquid cleaner doesn't work and the brown steam marks look terrible even after washing the wall down in the spring.

Debra from Hampton, Tn

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House Training a 2 Year Old Dog

I have a dog that is almost 2 years old and is still not fully house trained. I'm open to any suggestions. Can anyone help?

Tammi from Swanzey, NH

House Training a 2 Year Old Dog

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Removing Orange Stain from Sweatshirt

I have a sweater that I received as a Christmas gift about a year ago. I left the hoodie on the back of a chair in the kitchen for a few days, forgetting about it, and when I picked it up there was an orange-ish splattered stain on the front.

I've tried nearly everything imaginable to remove the stain, yet I have no idea what it really is, to no avail. I tried Comet, peroxide, window wash, professional stain removers (the one that comes in two bottles attached together, and combine for the 'ultimate' effect) but NOTHING has worked.

Brittany from Canada

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Recipes for Homemade Dog Treats

I am looking for some quick and easy homemade dog treat recipes. I'm not very good at working the computer to find these things so please email me any recipes.

I have one recipe: 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup peanut butter and 3/4 cup milk. Mix until moistened then knead for 5 minutes, roll into balls and use a fork to criss-cross cookies just like you would for regular cookies. Bake 350 for 20 minutes and cook completely.

My dogs LOVE them but I would like more recipes. I hope your dogs like these, please send me some recipes. Thank you.

Elaine from Christmas Valley, OR

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Displaying Award Ribbons

My daughter has over 30 award ribbons from horse back riding shows. I am looking for a cleaver way to display them in her bedroom. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Susie Que from Baltimore

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Cakes are Not Rising in the Center

I have been baking for a home industries shop for 3 years now and lately my cakes are not rising properly in the center. They seem to rise nicely, then after 3/4 time has elapsed, they sink in the middle. I have changed my flour and baking powder, and reduced my oven temperature. I am now at a loss as to what to try next. Please can someone throw some light on this problem.

Carolyn from South Africa

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What Model Carburetor is This?

Does anyone know what model carburetor this is? It is a Lauson brand that was bought out by Tecumseh. I bought this snowblower used and the seller told me, he thought the snowblower was a Jacobsen. It's a single stage (smaller) snowblower with 4 curved rubber paddles and the entire body is orange plastic.

The snowblower started coughing and finally died the other day and believe it's time for a carb rebuild and can't find a kit anywhere. Here is a picture. The numbers stamped on the side of the carb are; 544 8e31 (The 544 could also be 5zz, but pretty sure, it is 544) On the inside back of the carb, (where it attaches to the manifold) are the numbers; 1091-162.

It is a Tecumseh engine and I'm guessing it to be 3 1/2 hp or less and I'm guessing it to be at least 20 years old. It worked awesome until a few days ago and I've used it about twice a week for the last 6 weeks or so. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Steve from Blair, Nebr

What Model Carburetor is This?

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Inexpensive Sweet 16 Birthday for Boys

I need sweet 16 party ideas for boys, that are cheap!

Michelle from Columbus, Ohio

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Help with Water Bath Canning

I am looking for directions in water bath canning of potatoes and also dry beans. I need to know how to do it and how much time after water bath canner starts to boil. Thank you.

Helen from Tunnelton, WV

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Accompaniments for Chicken Salad

What are some good accompaniments for chicken salad? Thankful for any help.

Ellen from Taft, CA

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What Can I Use Instead of Bran?

I have a fruit bread recipe that calls for BRAN as well as the same amount of flour. I do not want to use bran, but what would I use in place of the bran. Thanks for any help you can give to me.

Connie from Cotter, AR

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Pink Stains on White Trim of Shirt

I have two shirts that have white trim. Something red faded onto them in the washer? Anyway to get the pink out?

Kim from Arkansas

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Prep and Reheat Recipes for Teacher Appreciation Event

I am planning a breakfast for 50 people. I would appreciate menu ideas and recipes. It is for a Teacher Appreciation event. I would like to have things made and reheated at school. Kitchen facilities are very limited.

Sandra from Allentown, PA

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Dealing with a Nosy Coworker

I have a coworker who is very nosy. He is always sticking his nose in my business no matter if it is work related or personal. Should I just tell him to stop or would this create a huge problem?

TD from Cleveland, OH

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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:
Click Here: http://www.thriftyfun.com/post_craft.ldml

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Daily Thrifty Tips - February 5, 2008

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