Daily Thrifty Tips - May 13, 2008

Vol. 7, Num. 94, May 13, 2008 (Read It Online) Here are the contest winners for last week. Thank you to everyone that took time to submit something. Photo Contest Winner Craft: Dollar Bill Rose By Babbie from Lemon Grove CA http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf67951187.tip.html Tip Contest Winners Preparing for Thunderstorm and Tornado Weather By Diana from Prospect, KY http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf52239170.tip.html Make Your Own Bottled Coffee Drinks By Susan from WV http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf20795945.tip.html Recipe Contest Winner Mexican-Style Deviled Eggs By Connie from Cotter, AR http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf45119904.tip.html Thanks for reading, Susan Send to a Friend! Share a Tip (You could win $25!) Share a Photo (You could win $25!) Have a Question? Submit a request... Link to ThriftyFun.com View Active Topics! Edit Your Subscriptions: To edit your ThriftyFun subscriptions, click the Update Profile/Email Address link at the bottom of this newsletter. Today's newsletter contains: Today's Photos: Be Patient And Prepared For Photo Opportunities Raised Veggie Garden Gordi (Bernese Mountain Dog/Great Pyrenees) Charlie (Mini Pinscher/Chihuahua) Today's Tips: Use X-Rays For Doll Clothing Patterns Product Review: Razor Bump Tool Use Cellophane Instead Of Tape To Keep Drawers Closed When Moving Use Fabric Softener Solution As Febreeze Keep Bleach (Peroxide) from Burning Your Scalp Seldom Used Flash Light - Keep Batteries Separate Use A Dryer Sheet For Stuck On Food Add Baking Soda to Dish Water Freeze Cake Before Frosting Seal Lettuce In An Opaque Container Make Your Own "Sparkling" Apple Cider Joke of the Day New Requests: Cleaning Fiberglass Tubs and Showers Help With Hair in Windy City Removing Oven Cleaner Stain From Slate Tile Floor Looking For Review of "Not So Scary Halloween" Looking For Yellow Shrub The Flowers Through Summer "Card Locked" Message on Casio Digital Camera Help Identifying Pastry From Wedding Reception Painting Liquor Bottles So They Look Full Identifying Male And Female Avocado When to Prune Lilac Bush Dead Heading Dianthus Fixing Shrunken Sheets Making A Hat From A Bra Growing Plants In Florida Carpet Shampooer Recommendations More Reading: Saving Money on Ice Cream Planting Blueberry Bushes Today's Sponsor: 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 Today's Photos: Be Patient And Prepared For Photo Opportunities Keep a camera near the door and use a lot of patience to get shots of your feathered friends. This little fella posed for me for about ten minutes. He even turned for a profile shot when I asked him to. Certainly made my day. By Travis from Columbus, OH Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf56120095.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Raised Veggie Garden Hubby started his raised veggie garden. Since we don't have enough sun or DIRT to do a big garden, here is his way to help fight food costs. Well, maybe $1.00 each for radishes isn't saving us anything yet, LOL but maybe the cost will go down as he learns how to garden. Time to start the Victory Gardens of WWII Radishes, green onions and sweet yellow wax peppers, he thought were bell peppers. Bless his heart. By Great Granny Vi from Moorpark, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf64267663.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Gordi (Bernese Mountain Dog/Great Pyrenees) Gordi is one year old. He is a Bernese Mountain Dog/Great Pyrenees mix. I purchased Gordi from a breeder and my husband and I drove to Missouri and picked him up the day he turned eight weeks old. He likes to play with my other dogs, dig holes, chew on bones and lay on the sofa with us. Gordi has a really wonderful personality. He is very sweet and goofy. He is now 77 lbs. of pure love and he thinks he's a lap dog! When we are on the sofa, Gordi will jump up and lay upside down with his tongue hanging out. He has a dominant nature though and one of the things he does to the other dogs is, he will put his big paw on their head if they are on the floor. The other dogs don't seem to mind and it's just really cute to see Gordi with his 'arm' around the other dog's neck. By Sandra from Orlando, Florida Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf60860228.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Charlie (Mini Pinscher/Chihuahua) Charlie is 4 months old. I think she is a mini pinscher/chihuahua mix. I got her at 3 months She likes to play with her toys. She loves going to the park and playing with my 2 other dogs By Jenefer from Los Angeles, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf60797921.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Contests: Tip Contest Submit a Tip or Recipe! Photo Contest Submit a tip with photo! These contests are weekly. We pick 2 tip winners and 1 photo winner at the end of each week. Each winner will win $25! My Frugal Life Submit a My Frugal Life Essay! Today's Tips: Use X-Rays For Doll Clothing Patterns As I am a dressmaker, I always make my own patterns for dolls clothing. To have my patterns last forever, I use all my old X-rays. Put on a white sticker to write on so you can easily find it's back. By Sara from Australia Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf98514196.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Product Review: Razor Bump Tool I found an ingrown hair remover implement that I've had really good luck with. It's called 'Razor Bump Tool' by Moore Unique Skin Care, L.C. http://www.mooreunique.com It's just a little plastic tool with a hook at the end. The directions say to use the hook under the center part of the ingrown hair and it works! Before and after I use it, I clean it really well with rubbing alcohol. It's supposed to be for beards, but I have ingrown hair on my legs unfortunately and use it there with great success. And the best is it was only $1.99. I bought it at Walgreens Drug Store in Houston, TX USA, but Walgreens has stores all around the USA. Also, they have a website: http://www.walgreens.com. I don't know though if you can buy this tool on line, but you can try! The back of the box the tool comes in says to use their Razor Rash Relief Cream after using the tool, but I just read this so I haven't tried it or tried to find it yet. I'll look at Walgreens first and If I have good luck, I'll let you know!! Hope you have as much good luck as I do! Best regards from Smoochie from Houston, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf77487768.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Use Cellophane Instead Of Tape To Keep Drawers Closed When Moving When moving, be careful not to use tape on your furniture to hold dresser or night stand drawers closed. The tape can easily damage the finish, especially in hot weather. Use a self clinging cellophane wrap. It can be purchased on different size rolls at hardware stores, UPS, and office supplies. Wrap around lamps or fragile items also. Source: I learned this from my son who worked in a warehouse and in charge of shipping and receiving. By Linda from Arlington, Texas Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf92582870.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Use Fabric Softener Solution As Febreeze If you're looking for a really cheap, but effective alternative to Febreeze, try this: Fill a spray bottle with 1/4 parts fabric softener to 3/4 parts water. Works just the same. I stumbled upon this tip when I ran out of Febreeze once and couldn't get to a store. I've been using this solution ever since. By sbb1 from Umm al Quain, UAE Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf50706628.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Keep Bleach (Peroxide) from Burning Your Scalp Here is a great tip if you bleach your hair and the bleach burns your scalp: ask your beautician to add a pack of "Sweet n Low" to the mixture! It takes the burn out and doesn't affect the color at all! If you want bring your own. I read this from a Hollywood makeup artist, great idea! By Carol from Landisville, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf18442747.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Seldom Used Flash Light - Keep Batteries Separate In regards to your tip about putting flashlight batteries in backwards to prevent accidental discharge, many designs of flashlights will allow them to operate even if both batteries are reversed. Also, even one battery reversed will allow discharge if accidentally switched on. The best thing to do is: A) Remove batteries, especially if not being used for extended periods of time (to prevent leakage). or B) Place a piece of masking or similar tape on one of the battery terminals. This electrically isolates the batteries from the flashlight. Simply remove tape to use. By Jeff from Norco, CA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf172265.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Use A Dryer Sheet For Stuck On Food Everyone has baked a great casserole, then had to deal with the stuck on mess! It's easy to clean the dish by pouring hot water into it, then placing a dryer softener sheet in the water. Let soak for an hour or two, and voila! The crusted on mess is softened and easy to clean out! Source: http://www.queenofclean.com By CKDavis from Flagstaff, AZ Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf13234613.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Add Baking Soda to Dish Water Place a tablespoon of baking soda in your dish water when washing dishes by hand. It helps take off hard water stains and makes your soap last longer. By Debbie from Bewick, ME Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf24894847.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Freeze Cake Before Frosting To frost a cake easier: after baking, cooling and removing from the pan, wrap a layer in wax paper and freeze. When ready to frost, bottom side up, brush off the crumbs and frost as usual! Much easier and nicer. Source: An old cake decorating friend; D.Davis By Keeper from NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf51747804.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Seal Lettuce In An Opaque Container Refrigerate lettuce in a sealed, opaque container, such as Tupperware, to keep it green and crisp at least twice as long. Paper bags or black and white newsprint also works, but a container seals in moisture. By Kel from Dallas, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf64907277.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Make Your Own "Sparkling" Apple Cider If you love sparkling cider, but don't want to pay extra for that little pretty champagne bottle it comes in, try this: Add a little apple juice to chilled seltzer water or club soda. Tastes just the same and you get more for your money. By sbb1 from Umm al Quain, UAE Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf552592.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Dear Webby's Joke of the Day A patient mentions his concerns to his doctor during his annual physical. "Isn't there some kind of memory medicine you can give me?" he asks. "I'm getting terribly forgetful. I lose track of where I'm going or what I'm supposed to do when I get there. What should I do?" "Pay me in advance," the doctor, says. Read More Jokes Here: http://webby.com/humor New Requests: Cleaning Fiberglass Tubs and Showers What is good for cleaning fiber glass tub and walls? I have never had fiber glass before and not sure what to use. Debbie from Derry, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf000735.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Help With Hair in Windy City Solutions for hair in a windy city. No matter what I do, 5 mins. in the wind makes my hair a mess. Holly from Richardson, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf23492963.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Removing Oven Cleaner Stain From Slate Tile Floor Hi, I accidentally spilled some oven cleaner onto my kitchen floor tiles and only realized the next day. This has left a stain which I can't seem to remove. Does anyone know how I could remove it? They are (unsealed) quarry slate tiles. Thanks! Jayne from UK Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf62499033.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Looking For Review of "Not So Scary Halloween" I'd like to ask anyone who's gone to Disney World's Not so scary Halloween. I'm planning on going in Oct. this year and just not sure which week would be best. I see it begins in Sept. and I don't plan on going Halloween night, it would be too crowded I assume. We love Halloween and this looks like a lot of fun. Thanks. Gayle from St. Louis, MO Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf64969970.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Looking For Yellow Shrub The Flowers Through Summer I Live in the Northeaster part of the country and I am looking for a shrub, preferably yellow that flowers all Summer. Thanks. Jeannekelly Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf97077064.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print "Card Locked" Message on Casio Digital Camera I have a Casio Digital camera that I cannot use because it says "card locked". What does this mean? Dianna G. from Burton, Mi Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf55781158.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Help Identifying Pastry From Wedding Reception When I was younger, I attended my Uncle's wedding, and at the reception there were these wonderful "treats", they were like a pastry, only they were very thin (like a chip, only larger in size),and were sprinkled with powdered sugar. I remember they melted in your mouth... Because I grew up in the north east and the Bride's family was from New York, I'm not sure if these are a regional food product. Any help identifying these wonderful things and a recipe would be most helpful and appreciated. Tami Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf24967823.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Painting Liquor Bottles So They Look Full How do I paint empty liquor bottles so that they look full, and transparent? Is there a special paint ? And where do I get it? Martin from Santa Fe, NM Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf35213144.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Identifying Male And Female Avocado How do you know if you have a male or female avacoda seed to grow? Thanks. Hardiness Zone: 9a Sandy from Kenner, LA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf42589219.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print When to Prune Lilac Bush My lilac bushes do not have too many flowers this year. When is the proper time to prune? Perhaps I trimmed too much last year. I try to keep them from growing too large and out of control. Hardiness Zone: 6a Rose from Malvern, PA Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf94960812.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Dead Heading Dianthus Is it necessary to dead head dianthus? Hardiness Zone: 8a Holly from Richardson, TX Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf74669856.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Fixing Shrunken Sheets My queen size sheets have shrunk. Is it possible to put a gusset in each side to make them a tad bigger? Has anyone done this and how did it work out? Were you satisfied with the results? Can some one suggest another option for fixing this problem? Helen from Central Illinois Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf17336433.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Making A Hat From A Bra How do I make a hat from a bra? Janice from Jacksonville, NC Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf45631643.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Growing Plants In Florida I have a tomato plant and several other flowering plants. They are just doing terrible. I am new to Florida and perhaps my growing experience is not suitable for this climate? I even planted 10 different seeds under clear plastic and am having no luck there either. Help please? Hardiness Zone: 8b MrsJim from Florida Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf82882231.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Carpet Shampooer Recommendations I am thinking of getting a carpet shampooer. I really don't know what to look for. If you have one, can you tell me what the pros/cons of that particular machine are? I appreciate any input. Thanks! - Diane Post Feedback: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf000728.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Today's Sponsor: 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 More Reading: Saving Money on Ice Cream Here are some tips for saving money on ice cream from the ThriftyFun community. Feel free to post your ideas below. Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf42964186.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Planting Blueberry Bushes Question: We are getting ready to plant blueberry bushes. I have read online that we need to cut off the top 3rd of the plants when we plant them and then not let them produce for the 1st 2 years. Does anyone out there have experience with blueberries? Any help will be appreciated. Thanks and God bless! Read More: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf51211345.tip.html Email to a Friend | Get Responses | Bookmark | Link | Rate It: | Print Interactive Coupon Swap! Swap coupons with other ThriftyFun.com users. Seed Swap! Swap seeds with other ThriftyFun.com users.