Daily Thrifty Tips - April 11, 2006

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Charlie is our 6 months old domestic long hair/short hair mixed cat. We got him from an animal shelter in October, 2005

He likes to get into all types of trouble, play with 3 year old Rat Terrier, Gracie.

He is such a joy. Very mischievious and curious. He thinks he is a dog.

By Sherri Tomlin from Granbury, TX

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I love painted flowerpots, and I think in the spring they make a fun statement. One of the most popular outdoor motifs is watermelon. I have watermelon cups, plates, and pitchers, so I decided that I wanted to make watermelon flowerpots to match. This set is small enough for starter seeds in the Spring, or even an herb garden.

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Here is a picture of the soap angel I carve for birthdays and Christmas for my Friends, Neighbors and Children. I learned this from a Girl Scout leader over 60 years ago. And have taught several little girls and also a few boys how to carve them over the years. GG Vi

By Great Granny Vi from Moorpark,Ca.

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My son Dominic and a policeman, taken on September 11, 2002 (one year after), lower Manhattan, just feet from World Trade Center Site. This picture says to me ...."Everything will be okay."

By Dawn La Rocca from Matawan, NJ

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You can rejuvenate old paper items like the covers of used paperback books - or worn posters by touching up the worn spots with colored markers. It works particularly well with books with black designs - but other colors work as well - This is particularly good if you are going to them cover the books with contact paper - as I do with all my music books. Once covered, they look quite new! (You'd be surprised, lower level antique dealers and such use markers to touch up their wares all the time.)

By Pam from L.A., CA

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Rather than buying a neck support pillow for when you take a bath, just roll up a towel. It works great and assuming you don't get it wet, you have the towel handy to dry yourself off.

By ThriftyFun

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Before purchasing or renewing your cell phone plans, ask around and find out what your friends and family are using. Some cell phone carriers allow you call people on their network for free which can dramatically reduce the number of minutes you need each month.

By ThriftyFun

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If you bake yeast breads and dinner rolls, often the recipe will call for a final brush of butter across the surface after taking them from the oven. I save my stick butter wrappers for not only coating baking pans for casseroles, but also for running over the finished, hot yeast bread or rolls.

I lay the wrapper on top of the freshly baked product to melt the butter for just a second or two and then begin wiping it across the surface. If the baked product is really hot, I lay a hot pad on top of the wrapper and continue (using a very light touch). By the time I am done, the wrapper is devoid of butter, I haven't ruined a stick of butter or messed up a pastry brush, and the rolls or bread look so yummy!

By Ronsan from Southwest Missouri

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I have saved and cut into squares the mesh (plastic) bags that potatoes, onions and some fruits come in.

You can use these to scrub resin lawn furniture. Use dish washer powder or baking soda and warm water paste. Rinse well. Another use is to scrub your garden pots before replanting in them. Also use them in the bottom of the pots to help keep the soil from running out the bottom.

By Great Granny Vi from Moorpark, Ca.

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Q. What kind of kitten works for the Red Cross?

A. A first-aid kit!

By Great Granny Vi from Moorpark,Ca.

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Growing up in a family of 5 you didn't have to learn to be frugal, it was a given. A lot of our clothes were bought at garage sales and my mom even made some. Most new clothing was gotten at the beginning of the school year, Christmas and Birthdays.

Cakes and cookies were usually homemade and meals of spagetti, goulosh, etc were big in our house. Anything that was cheap to make, went far and filled you up. Vacations were rarely taken. Camping was done a fair amount as it was inexpensive to do. But don't get me wrong, we had the things we needed, just not a lot of extras.

When I became a single parent with no support coming in from the "ex" and 3 kids I found myself being frugal once again and that has just become a way of life for me and ya know, I don't mind it a bit. I prefer to hit goodwill or a garage sale before I go to retail store to buy something. And if I can get something on sale and save a little money, I think that's a good thing! I have learned and taught my kids that you don't need the expensive things in life to be happy.

IMAQT1962 from ILLINOIS

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Put those little packages, that come in everything (moisture preventing) in your crispers. It keeps all you keep there, lettuce etc. fresher for a much longer time. I've had things last more than 3 weeks. Every couple of months replace them. As I get them, I put them in a zip-lock bag so I know exactly where they are next time I need one.

By Linda Thiel from Grand Rapids, Mich

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My daughter will be 16 soon and she wants a boy/girl party for the first time. Any and all ideas are welcome. I haven't a clue what to do with them. She is inviting 9 people so including her there will be 10 teenagers in my small apartment. I told her the party can go from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Is that reasonable? Should it be shorter/longer?

Darlene from Mississauga, Ontario Canada

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I know someone out there would be able to answer this for me. I accidentally got red, permanent hair dye on a painted wall and need to know how to remove it. I have tried awesome and that didnt work. Please help me! Thank you in advance for your help and advice. I do not know what type of paint, we rent.

jmz2005 from illinois

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I'm using RIT dye for the first time. Is it completely washing machine safe? I want to use my mother's machine and she is understandably nervous about damage or staining. I don't want to stain her bathtub either. Are there any other methods for RIT dying a lot of linen/cotton fabric (I'm going for a dark brown)?

Moondog from Tusla, OK

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Does anyone know how to make cupcake bath bombs and also I am looking for a recipe for they resemble jello jigglers but they are for your bathtub. You scent them, color them and drop one in the tub for a nice bath.

Fruity6 from Cleveland, Ohio

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I have a 4 year old cat who seems bored lately. He won't play very much anymore. His health is fine. We both work days, so he is home alone from 10 AM till 4 PM, but he seems to sleep during that period. I was wondering if I should get a kitten for him to play with? He is pretty skittish with other animals and doesn't seem to like other animals. This makes me nervous that he wouldn't like another cat in the house. Right now we live in a three bedroom apartment. What do you think? Can anyone share their experiences of bringing in a kitten with a 4 year old cat?

Thanks,
ED from Ottawa, Canada

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I have a five year old daughter who has fairly thin and curly hair. It doesn't seem to be growing, she also suffers from asthma and eczema. I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how I could speed up the growing process. Also, because of her eczema she has no eyebrows. Her pediatrician keeps giving her these hydrocortisone creams that don't work. Please help!

Momonabudget from Griffin, GA

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My mom is getting married for a third time in early March. She really likes the bud vase that the hotel will provide but we are having difficulty coming up with a way to make them into an elegant but simple (and inexpensive) centerpiece. She also wants to use carnations as her flowers. Any suggestions?

Crystal from Novi, MI

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I have been looking for a recipe for surprise pies. My mother made these when I was young. I think they were made in a cupcake pan (graham crust?) and the filling was chewy and had chocolate chips in it. I've searched everywhere to no avail. I know somebody, somewhere, has heard of these. Help!

joynchocolate from Lancaster, PA

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I have a MTD 18 HP riding lawnmower. I have changed the battery, ignition, fuse, and spark plugs. I have checked the starter and flywheel and they seem fine. I still can't get the mower to turn over. Does anyone have any ideas on what else to try to at least get the mower to turn over?

Robbie Bynum from TIMBERLAKE, NC

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Stick two toothpicks through three links of breakfast sausage before cooking. It makes them easy to flip over, they cook evenly and stay together in the pan or on your griddle.

By ThriftyFun

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I am looking for an old recipe from the late 60's to early 70's. It was called Hawaiian Cream Pie. All i remember is it was a custard type pie and had a nutmeg taste and the crust was very thin. The topping had a whipped cream mixed with something else. I have searched every cookbook but I can't find it. My mom used to have an old betty crocker cookbook, it had a red cover. If anyone has this recipe, please let me know.

Thanks so much,
Dispatchermom911 from Mich.

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My family of 4 (DH, and DD ages 8 and 14, plus me!) is traveling to the Laguna Beach/Irvine area in California in October of this year. We plan on visiting DisneyLand, the Nixon Library, the San Diego Zoo, Hollywood and Balboa Island.

I would like to hear what other attractions we should take in. I am also interested in touring plans for DisneyLand--there is plenty of info on the web for WDW but I have not been able to locate any for DL.

Thank you!
Diana from Prospect, KY

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I have some cute note paper and I would like to make post-it notes using this paper. Can this be done? Can I make my own post-it notes?

Judy from McDonald, PA

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Any ideas on hiding dark circles under your eyes? I wear concealer but the dark circles are still there.

Dixie35481 from Alabama

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Does any one have a recipe for pumpkin rolls, the one you roll with cream cheese in it. I would love to make it for Easter.

Thank you,
Joanne from Kingston

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Does anyone have a good suggestion for a Easter gift for my son's girlfriend? I would really appreciate any ideas. She is 23 years old.

TDK from Ohio

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My son has put silly putty in his hair, I don't know what is best to break it down to get it out, any ideas?

Kristie from Lakewood, CO

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Breed Description: The Chinese Crested dog is unusual looking and comes in two varieties. The first is "the Hairless" which is almost completely hairless except for a crest of fur on its head, a tuft on its tail called a plume and fur around his feet known as "socks". The second is the Powderpuff, which has long silky hair.

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Description: Children have always been fond of keeping Mice and Rats as pets-especially young boys. Intensive breeding over hundreds of generations has resulted in many colorful and interesting species. Rats and Mice are generally inexpensive and easy to care for. With regular handing, they are easy to tame and even grow to enjoy human interaction. Because of their size, they these pets require delicate handling and are not suitable for small children.

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Breed Description: The diminutive and glamorous Yorkshire Terrier is a very compact dog with a long, silky coat and an lively and ostentatious personality. Originally developed by the working class to control rats in mines and cotton mills, today the Yorkshire Terrier enjoys popularity as a beloved companion and show dog.

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A new baby is an adjustment for everyone -- parents, siblings, and pets! Here are some tips to help make the transition easier for everyone.

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Stella (Susan's daughter and one of the ThriftyFun Staff) is in Vietnam working at orphanages for the months of April and May. She is working through the Global Volunteer Network and traveled there with a friend of hers, Chelsea, who is also a volunteer. Because we have received so many questions about how she is doing, we'll post her progress here and let you know when there is a new entry.

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