Tori | ThriftyFun

Cricket (Chihuahua) - wearing a pink neck cuff with pom pom ears

Cricket (Chihuahua)
Love these pics, especially the one with the pink pom pom hat. SO cute!

Treating a Dog's Ear Infection
My dog has also had chronic ear problems, which went unresolved through my vet. I found a product that has worked miracles. It's called Zymox Otic HC 1.0% Enzymatic solution. You can read about the product at the manufacturer's website: www.PkbAnimalHealth...

Treating a Dog's Ear Infection
My dog has also had chronic ear problems that have gone unresolved by my vet. I have found a product that has been a lifesaver, and I have been using it for years now. It is called Zymox Otic HC 1.0% Enzymatic solution. You can read about it at the manufacturer...

Picture Frame Jewelry Holder
You can also make a similar version for the adult ladies by stapling aluminum or fiberglass window screening to the back of a wooden picture frame with the glass, etc. removed. Hang your favorite earrings in the screening. I saw this on a TV craft show where...

Cleaning Mini Blinds
You can either clean your blinds in your tub/shower or outside, but you'll need to figure out a way to hang them up, like on a clothesline for example. Next, take some Scrubbing Bubbles foaming bathroom cleaner (the dollar store versions of this work great...

Kleenex on Clothing
Put those items in the dryer, and most of the tissue will end up on your dryer's lint screen. The rest you can remove by hand. truerblue in PA

Cleaning Aluminum Cookware
Use an SOS pad (a steel wool pad with soap in the USA) and lots of elbow grease. truerblue in PA

Winterizing an Older Unoccupied Mobile Home
I agree with the previous poster, Jilson. You need professional level advice, and ideally, if the company where you purchased your father's mobile home is still in business, I would start there. If not, then another mobile home sales company would suffice. I...

Washing Machine Not Spinning Properly
You might want to try the website www.repairclinic.com This site gives free repair help and things for you to try before calling a repair person. Hope this helps! truerblue

AM/FM Radio Reviews
My dad is a big fan of AM radio and the various talk shows. Check out the C. Crane Company, Inc. which has a print catalog and website (www.ccrane.com/) He purchased the CCRadioPlus, an AM/FM digital radio, and has been happy with it and the company's customer...

What to Do When the Toilet Doesn't Fill Back Up
Check out the website www.toiletology.com which can help with many different repair problems. Tori

Tuckerman (Boxer - Pitbull Mix)
Tuckerman has a beautiful face and very expressive eyes, and he looks really cute with his reindeer antlers! Thank you for adopting a dog (especially an older dog) from a shelter. I hope your picture and story will inspire others to consider adopting a shelter...

Restore a Permanent Ink Marker
You can extend the life of a dried out permanent marker somewhat by dipping the tip in rubbing alcohol and storing it tip side down overnight. If you try to use it before some time has passed, the marker is too wet with not enough color. Also, if the marker...

Advice for Choosing a Dog Breed
Try to watch the tv show on Animal Planet called Dogs 101. It's a very entertaining hour-long program that goes into detail about different pure-bred dog breeds and both the pros and cons of owning them. Topics covered include how much exercise the breed requires...

Rug Shampooer Recommendations
Is this something you want to purchase or rent?

Cleaning Burners on a Gas Range
I have a Kenmore gas range, and the following are instructions from my owner's manual: 1. Remove the burner cap from the burner base, if you have them. 2. Clean the burner cap with warm, soapy water and a sponge. 3. If the gas tube opening (in center of burner...

My Dog's Spine is Sticking Up
I also have a Boston terrier, but she is 10-years-old and has just started to "slow down" like a senior dog within the last two years. I agree with all three of the previous posts on Nov 8th. Yes, it could be a food quantity issue or possibly just an issue...

Grease Stain on Polyester
Try Goo Gone! Tori

Cleaning a Textured Tub
Oven cleaner can work and shouldn't harm the tub. And yes, I have found some of the dollar store versions of oven cleaner work BETTER than Easy-Off! Tori

Does Rain-X Really Work?
Yes, it works for all types of rain, and it will prevent you from having to pull over when it is really pouring. The only drawback is that you need to reapply it often. truerblue in PA

Photo of decals stuck to the bottom of a bathtub.

Removing Bathtub Decals
I agree with the previous poster, OliveOyl. You might be better off to just leave the decals where they are. I removed some circa 1970s decals from a tub, only to find that the adhesive on these decals left permanent marks that I have been unable to remove...

Bleeding Sores from Incontinence
I think spiderhannah is on to something. I would treat this like you would diaper rash in a baby and buy a diaper rash cream with the highest percentage of zinc oxide you can find (I think I've seen some with 40%.) I read somewhere recently that zinc oxide...

Home Remedies for a Dog with Flatulence
BTs are known for their nuclear-powered stink bombs, which I believe is related to the amount of air they swallow being brachycephalic dogs (the smashed-in looking nose is a physical characteristic.) That's also why they snort and snore. too. You might want...

Cleaning Candles
Rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth also works well to clean dust and dirt on candles. Tori

Doggie Diapers Won't Stay On
I also have a dog that needs to wear a diaper sometimes, and I came up with a solution that might help you. I used my idea with human disposable diapers, but this idea should work with cloth diapers as well. I put a dog harness on my dog instead of her collar...

Homemade Hand Cream
This recipe is fantastic! My hands usually crack and bleed in places in the winter because I wash my hands so often. This winter, I made a batch of this recipe and applied it to my hands and feet before going to bed so it had a chance to really soak into my...

Cleaning Fabric Softener Build Up From Washer
I have a tip for possibly preventing that fabric softener buildup in your washer in the future. My washer is almost 18 years old, and I have never had a buildup of fabric softener in my washing machine. I only use about 1/4 cup of fabric softener in each load...

Cut Mr. Clean Magic Erasers In Half
In response to Katie A. who was asking how the erasers last longer by cutting them in smaller pieces, here is a possible explanation. A Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is about 2-1/2" by 5" in size, and it seems that when you use it to "erase" marks on a wall, for example...

Aggie (Shepherd Mix)
Wow, what a cute picture! Aggie and Brady both look very happy and content, and I hope your story will inspire others to consider adopting a senior pet. Thanks for sharing! truerblue in PA

Feeding an Azalea Plant
I believe azaleas are acid-loving plants, so you can mix some used coffee grounds into the soil occasionally.

Redecorating a Mobile Home
In addition to the www.mobilehomerepair.com website that Cyinda mentioned below, another good site is www.mygreathome.com/ Those are the only two I know of. Good luck! trueblue

Energy Efficient Light Bulbs Burning Out
Every single CFL I have used has died prematurely, and I was not using them outdoors, in a dimmer, in a 3-way, or in any other previously "not recommended" situation. I've tried the cheap bulbs and also the brand name bulbs with the same result. I have marked...

What Is Biological Washing Powder?
I just watched an episode of How Clean is Your House today on BBC America, and according to Kim Woodburn on the show, biological washing powder is "clothes washing powder," or what we here in America call laundry detergent. truerblue in PA

Homemade Presents For Dog Lover
Paw Shaped Christmas Stocking One year I made a Christmas "stocking" for a dog-loving relative in the shape of a dog's paw. I think I saw this idea in a magazine, and I used two pieces of red felt for the body of the paw and green felt for the pads of the paw...

Uses for Old Socks
For those of you who give their dogs plastic soda bottles to chew on, here's another idea for your old socks and pop bottles. Take one plastic pop bottle (about 20 ounces) and put about 4 or 5 dried beans inside the bottle and put the cap on. Slip this bottle...

Cleaning a Glass Cruet
Fill your cruet with hot water and drop in a denture cleaning tablet. Let it soak until the water is at room temperature. Then dump out this mixture and rinse. Those denture cleaning tabs usually do the job. truerblue

Removing Algae From A Boat
Use oxalic acid to remove the algae from your boat hull. Oxalic acid, which is a white powder, can be purchased in the pharmacy section of drugstores and discount department stores like Walmart. You won't find it over the counter because it is poisonous, and...

Replacing Ceiling Tile
At Lowes and Home Depot you can actually buy ceiling tiles made of plastic or vinyl that look just like the old tin ceiling tiles when painted. I think they are applied to the ceiling with some type of adhesive. The previous post suggested the wallpaper which...

Low Purine Diet for Someone With Gout
I have never had gout, but I have used tart cherry juice concentrate for other types of pain, and I have been pleased with the results. This juice concentrate contains flavanoid compounds that are supposed to lower uric acid and reduce inflammation, both associated...

Cleaning Textured Wallpaper
My suggestion is to spray a foaming bathroom cleaner like Scrubbing Bubbles on your wallpaper. You will be amazed at the result! I found this tip on the web somewhere, and it cleaned up 30-plus year old wallpaper in two rooms in my house. The wallpaper I have...

Very Dry Lips
Some toothpastes, Colgate Total is one of these, cause a contact dermatitis type reaction if they are not rinsed off your skin completely when brushing your teeth. A dermatologist can help you to get rid of that if your toothpaste is the problem. If toothpaste...

Solution for Ice on a Deck
You could use chicken grit, which is basically very small pieces of gravel. It is not expensive and can be purchased in feed stores. The only disadvantage I can think of for using it is that it needs to be swept up at the end of the season. I've used it for...

Painting Privacy Lines on a Shower Door
Here in the States you can buy spray cans of a special paint that will make clear glass "frosty" for privacy, but I don't know if it is available in Canada. I think it is made by Krylon or Rustoleum, but I'm not sure; found it at Wal-mart. Also, it is not a...

Water Spots on Antique Crystal
If your crystal isn't permanently etched like another poster mentioned, I would try soaking it in hot water with a couple of denture cleaning tablets added to it. I would soak until the water becomes lukewarm, then rinse off the solution and dry. If the spots...

Painting Window Shades
I've never tried this myself, but I saw an easy idea to change window shades on a TV decorating show. The show host used spray adhesive in a can on the shades and then attached fabric to the shade that was a better match with the room's new color scheme. Tori...

Buying a Used Boat
I may be able to answer your question about buying a used boat, but I need more info from you to be of any help. Is this boat for just riding in and/or swimming from? Is it for water activities like water skiing, wakeboarding, or tubing? Will it be operated...

White T-shirts Turned Pink
Use RIT Color Remover, following the directions on the box. You will find this product in the laundry aisle with the RIT dyes. It will remove the pink from those tee shirts! truerblue in PA

Nature Foretelling the Season
In our city's newspaper I recently read that the leaves on the trees this fall were not going to turn their usual spectacular colors as much but instead would go from green straight to brown and then fall off the trees. I live in Pennsylvania, but the newspaper...

Promoting ThriftyFun.com
How about ThriftyFun creating a "form letter" e-mail that readers could voluntarily click onto to forward to any friends and relatives they think would appreciate knowing about ThriftyFun. It could be set up in a manner similar to how you can send free greeting...

Moldy Odor In a Thermos
Try dissolving a denture cleaning tablet in the thermos with very hot water and let it sit for a while, overnight if possible. Then rinse, and the moldy odor will probably be gone. I use cheap denture cleaning tablets from the dollar stores for a variety of...

Boy Dressed as a Crow Painting
This is a wild guess, but what you described might be a promotional poster from the movie The Crow, starring Bruce Lee's son, Brandon. The movie came out in 1994, so this movie was released around your time frame. Hope this helps! Tori

Aunt Martha's Flour Sack Towels
I saw flour sack towels recently at K-mart with the rest of the dish towels. I think they are a brand other than Martha Stewart, but I can't remember for sure. Something with the word "Basic" in the name, maybe??? I have bought flour sack towels in my local...

Antique Mirror Finish
I saw Martha Stewart make a faux-antique mirror on her show using silver leaf and a piece of glass. Instructions can be found at marthastewart.com by searching under "silver leaf mirror." The whole process looked relatively simple, and the end result looked...

Self Tanners
Check out the website sunless.com. I found this website completely by accident, but it is a terrific resource for anybody who wants to use self tanners, whether over the counter or as part of a salon service. This site even gives you ratings and reviews for...

Help My Slow-Growing English Ivy
Thanks, Jim, for your helpful suggestions for my English ivy. I'm going to try your tips asap! Tori

Applying Grommets To Window Coverings
I just ran into the exact same problem with a grommet kit -- we probably both have the same one! There is a piece that you need to use in the kit that is barely mentioned (the anvil) but it is not pictured in the directions on the package!! The best way I can...

Wallpapering an Old Refrigerator
I would think contact paper would be easier to try than wallpaper, and I've even seen a silver metallic looking adhesive paper at Wal-mart, for that stainless steel look. On a decorating show, I saw a crew spray paint a shabby looking refrigerator with appliance...

Softening a New Baseball Glove
Apply neatsfoot oil to the glove to soften and condition the leather. I don't know if you can still buy this or not, but I would try a sporting goods department in the discount stores or a sporting goods store itself. That's what a relative of mine used in...

Why do I have to flush the toilet twice?
Check out the website www.toiletology.com and click on "Low Consumption Toilets" which explains your problem and offers a partial solution at the end of the article. Tori

Meeting DECENT Singles Online
Try www.bookofmatches.com/. I have not had a chance yet to try it, but I saw it mentioned in a woman's magazine. It's free and features instant messaging. Also, you can find out who's viewed your profile and who's most compatible with you. truerblue

Working Long Hours - Dealing With Pain in Feet,...
You have my sympathies with the long hours on your feet! Here are some tips to hopefully help you alleviate some pain: 1. You didn't specify if you are permitted to wear athletic shoes at work or not. If you can, wear athletic shoes all the time, specifically...

Controlling Underarm Wetness
Try an antiperspirant called Certain-Dri. It is pricey at about $6.00 a bottle, but it may save you money in the long run, since you may only need to use it a couple of times a week after your skin adjusts to the ingredients. It is strong stuff, and you have...

Inexpensive Frames Needed
Just like another poster stated, dollar stores (Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Dollar Wave, etc.) have picture frames, but I find some of them look kind of cheap. However, they can be jazzed up and disguised somewhat. The metal ones can either...

Frosty Contact Paper
I don't think the frosty contact paper is discontinued, but it seems to be very difficult to find in a brick and mortar retail store. I found mine recently at a large, independently owned mom and pop hardware store, but I have also seen them recently in catalogs...

Winston (Boston Terrier)
Winston is a cutie pie! I also have a Boston Terrier (9 years old going on 3 as the vet described her) and have found that they are very energetic and affectionate companions. Good luck with Winston's healing! Tori

Cleaning Your Dryer Filter - Dryer Sheet Build-Up
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Linda, for your incredibly helpful tip! I never would have believed this, since my dryer filter "looked" clean, but I tried the "water test" after reading your snopes.com link, and I am now a believer! Tori

Removing Shoe Polish Stain from Rose Coloured Carpet
You should try Goo Gone, which won't hurt the carpeting. I used this when I had three very noticeable lipstick stains on bedroom carpeting. I followed the directions on the bottle and kept blotting and blotting until all traces of the lipstick were gone. In...

Cheap Way To Lubricate Squeaky Hinges
Try marine grease, which comes in a large (14 oz. or so) tube and looks like petroleum jelly but is a dark color. I found mine in the boating section at Wal-mart, but it can also be purchased at marinas and boating supply stores. It is designed to protect against...

Portable Lock for Motel Doors
These locks sound like a great idea, but I don't think I've seen them while shopping. Where can you buy these? Thanks, Tori

Decorating a 14 Year Old Boy's Bedroom
Some of the other posters suggested a loft bed or a "raised bed", which would basically double the space that was originally taken up by the bed itself. Putting the study area under the loft bed was also a great previous suggestion. If you can't do this, at...

Uses for Cardboard Wrapping Paper Rolls
After the wrapping paper is used up, I take the empty roll and cut straight up the roll with scissors from one end to the other. Then I take the cut empty roll and place it over another roll that still has wrapping paper on it. You may have to add a rubber...

Keeping Clasps on Dog Chains From Freezing
WD-40 does work well for this purpose, but you will probably have to repeat the application at some point. Also, you can pour rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) on the clasp and it will unfreeze it instantly. This is roughly the same ingredient in lock de...

Fixing Bump on Furniture
If you want to keep things really easy, cover the spot with a towel to prevent further marks and lightly hammer over your bump with a rubber mallet, not a hammer. Most of the time, you can get the bump almost level with the surrounding wood without any further...

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