Adjusting to a New Life
So sorry for the loss of your husband. My mother in law was recently widowed, I know it is a big change for her, too.
Using a LP Refrigerator While Driving?
Yes, you can. Our fridge we keep on Automatic. When we are plugged into electricity it will use it, but when we unplug, it goes to gas. We travel with our camper all over, and keeping food cold is a must!
Using Hedge Apples for Pest Control?
You use them whole, but think long and hard before you do this! I did this as I don't like spiders and thought this method would be great as it doesn't involve chemicals. Well, what ended up happening was a ton of gnats came to visit, drawn to the hedge apples...
Cleaning the Outside of a Camper/RV?
Believe it or not, Mister Bubble bubblebath that you can get at the Dollar Store. Pour a couple capfuls in a bucket of warm water. Wash camper with this solution, rinse well. A fellow at a campground was washing his and it was so shiny I asked what he was using...
Leaving an Abusive Husband?
I grew up in a home like you described. My mother chose to stay. From a child's point of view you are not doing them any favors. Living in violence will cause them more harm than I can list hear. I do hope you walk away. Because it is not healthy for you, either...
What Type of Countertop Material Is This?
Corian. (Yes, spelled Corian.) Nice pretty top! http://www.remodeling-center.com/1/corian%20countertops/m/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Peel%20and%20stick&utm_term=corian%20countertops&utm_content=2021668733&campaign=Peel%20and%20stick&Adgroup...
Using Hedge Apples for Pests?
I used whole hedge apples in my house to run out spiders, and was I ever wrong in doing it! They drew gnats, my house was full of them! And then they rotted. Gross! I got rid of them, got rid of the gnats, and learned a lesson. :-)
Preserving an Old Cookbook?
Would it be possible to cover the old binder with clear contact paper? Is the binder together enough where this would hold it? Or perhaps you can find another cook book cheap at a yard sale or a thrift store and switch the binders. Good luck!
Value of Antique Pink Maytag Wringer Washer?
Check with an antique store. I was looking for one in a working condition to use and they were going for several hundred dollars, and they were in rough shape! And since it is pink it may be more valuable. I would ask several places.
Value of Antique Pink Maytag Wringer Washer?
Check with an antique store. I was looking for one in a working condition to use and they were going for several hundred dollars, and they were in rough shape! And since it is pink it may be more valuable. I would ask several places.
Crockpot Red Beans and Rice Soup
When I saw this yesterday morning it looked SO good, so I decided to make it. I used what I had on hand, so instead of using vegetable broth I used home canned turkey broth. This was AMAZING! DH loved it. Thanks so much for posting it!
Potty Training a 21 Month Old Girl?
My oldest daughter, now nearing 30, was a very prissy little lady. I potty broke her at a VERY young age. I did it by having a lady who sewed cute little girls panties make some for her. Bright colors, lots of lace. My daughter loved them and didn't want to...
Rams Versus Mustangs Homecoming Float?
Horses in a pen, with a sign that says "corral the mustangs". With a Ram outside the gate holding a rope.
Orange Pineapple Ice Cream
Wow! This sounds awesome! DH and I are both diabetic. I have been wanting to make some homemade ice cream, and this one will be it!
Other Party Won't Sign Divorce Papers?
File for divorce. Years ago if the spouse refused to sign, you were stuck. Not any more. She refuses to sign, no biggie. Your attorney can take care of it.
Remedies for Bug Stings
We recently went on a trip with a friend of ours. She was bitten by a bug, unknown what kind. Her ankle was red, itchy, sore, and swollen. She had us stop by a grocery store and she purchased a small container of Accent Meat Tenderizer. She wet her ankle and...
Freezing Water Bottles?
You can get a thicker plastic water bottle at DollarTree to reuse. The thin plastic they use in bottled water does crack easy.
Sewing Machine Needle Jammed?
Can you turn the wheel? It may be stuck in the bobbin. Can you open the throat plate and see the needle? If all else fails you may need to break the needle, I'd use a small wire cutter, and take the needle out. More than likely it is stuck either in the bobbin...
Scanning Food Package Recipes Into Computer
Great idea! Now I need to go through my stack of torn labels. :-) Thanks for posting!
Soap Gift at the Gate (The Garden Gate)
How wonderful! In this day and age it is so nice to know there are good people out there!
Wind Chime for The Path Garden Gate
:-) That is awesome! You work hard on the garden, and people appreciate it!
Delectable Biscuits
I don't guess I have ever made biscuits without baking powder before. I look forward to trying this recipe out! (b)Editor's Note:(/b) The recipe does need baking powder instead of soda. We have changed it to show the correct ingredients.
Reducing and Preventing Junk Mail
Why would it anger a mail man? I do the same with mine IF a valid return address is shown with no "special instructions for undeliverable mail in accordance with...", which means trash. It does cut down on junk mail.
Solar Lights for Camping
I purchased some for use in the house when power was out. But I made a mistake of not checking, and they the plastic around them was frosted. One of these days I will buy clear ones and try again. :-) Good post!
Being Organized for School Mornings
I do the same thing here. Sure makes the mornings go a lot smoother! I did have my husband hang a hook in the bathroom for each person. Makes it easier to keep each person's clothing for the next morning ready.
Never Buy Used Mattresses or Upholstered Furniture
As a retiree I, too, have had to buy used, although we did buy the mattress set new. Before I purchase anything I check it out thoroughly. I turn it upside down, I remove cushions, etc. Stains and odors will make me walk away. If I decided to buy it I put it...
Muffin Tin Ice Cream Cakes
What a great idea! I can't wait to try these using sugar free cake mix and ice cream! Thanks!
Gnat Traps?
I made the mistake of using hedge apples to try to get rid of spiders, and instead I got a house full of gnats. :-( I put small bowls of vinegar out, with enough veg oil on top to thinly cover it. I was amazed at how many of those pesky gnats I caught in them...
Corn Dog Muffins
That sounds like a recipe the kids would like. Thanks for posting. And personally, I do not understand why some post negative remarks on here. If you feel it isn't for you, don't make it. You don't like the GMO corn, don't eat it.
Cemetery Christmas Wreaths (Central Texas...
As the mother of a Soldier, I thank the volunteers for caring and honoring them in this way. And thank you for posting the picture!
Make Your Own Shopping Bags
I do that too! I line mine, and double stitch them. They hold a lot more weight than paper or plastic! I keep some of them in each vehicle. They sure come in handy!
Cubed Steak Recipe?
Dredge it in flour mixed with a few seasonings, such as seasoned salt/garlic powder/salt/pepper/etc. Brown in a little oil just until browned. Lay it on a paper towel to try to get excess oil off. Place in a foil lined pan. Mix up a mixture of about 1/4 cup...
Dealing With a Verbally Abusive Husband?
Once a person gets comfortable with being verbally abusive it will usually go up a step to physical abuse. No one can make the decision to stay or go but you. But I will say, life is too short. I know a lot of people that tried to hang in there, usually "for...
Keeping the Monsters Away with Vanilla Spray
What a cute idea! Thanks for posting this. And although I raised children in the 80's I never heard of it. I wish people who post on these stories would realize that not everyone reads every magazine.
Egg Free Cake Mix in a Jar?
Ground flax seed is a good egg replacement. I mix 1 heaping tablespoon of ground flax seen in 1/4 cup of warm water. Let it set a minute, then mix in. This will replace one egg in cakes, breads, and cookies. I have not tried putting the ground flax seed directly...
Backup in Two Locations
If you use a web based email your email will not be deleted or lost. I have numerous folders in my email account. I email my self important files and keep them in the folders. If my computer messes up, I can go back to my email and there it is! Backing up is...
Capt. Mel Anderson's Alaskan Whale Stew
I don't know if I have enough jars to can this! Hmmm, each quart jar will hold approximately 2 pounds of food.
Canning Beef?
You will need a Pressure canner. I cut my beef in chunks, pack it tightly into a sterile jar raw. Work it in to take out the air bubbles. I add 1/2 teaspoon of canning salt per pint. Wipe rims with a paper towel dipped in vinegar, add lids, apply rings. The...
Canning Beef?
You will need a Pressure canner. I cut my beef in chunks, pack it tightly into a sterile jar raw. Work it in to take out the air bubbles. I add 1/2 teaspoon per pint. Wipe rims with a paper towel dipped in vinegar, add lids, apply rings. The time/pressure depends...
Tips for Cold Prevention And Treatment
Great tips! Plus I do another thing, I get rid of the germs! I raised three children and when one got sick, they passed it around. I stripped the beds to keep them from reinfecting themselves. I aired the house out, yes, even in the winter. Wiped down door...
Reuse Favorite T-shirts As A Quilt
Your mother did a great job! I make quilts and using the stretchy T shirts to make one is no easy job. It looks awesome!
Shop the Week After Halloween
I do this, too. I bought bags of candy and vacuum sealed them in jars. I can give my kids/grandkids a few pieces of candy every now and then without spending a fortune. I also get a lot of my Christmas decorations the day after Christmas, and a lot of times...
Using Artificial Light for Indoor Plants?
My mother, now deceased, had a green thumb. She could grow anything she wanted. I even recall her starting a rosebush from a cutting. I recall her placing a canning jar over it in the yard. It grew. In the winter my mom would carry all her plants in, and they...
Protecting your Camera
This also works for cell phones. When I am in the pool I put my cell phone in a snack size zipper baggie.
Cleaning Your Shower?
The best stuff I have found is the cheapest. Daily Shower spray at Dollar Tree. I keep a squeegee in the bathroom, too. After I shower I wipe down the walls with the squeegee, then spray the tub/shower with the spray. I also take a cleaning cloth with me into...
Prepare a Disaster Bin For Emergencies
I was really happy to see your post on keeping your pets safe! I have two pets and I, too, plan for their safety in emergencies. It is so sad to see on tv the homeless pets wondering streets when families evacuate and they get left behind.
Blackberry Buckle
I had never heard of the term buckle as a name for food. :-) So I have learned something today! I have blackberries in my freezer and a husband who would absolutely love this! Thanks!
Safety of Canned Salsa?
Sometimes I have jars that "spew" a bit, too. If it is salsa, and the seal it tight, I let it sit in the kitchen for a few days to make sure it is really sealed. Then I take it on to the pantry. If it is meat, and there is a chance that fat is between the rim...
Enlarging the Screen Display on a Laptop?
Hold down your control button. Click on a blank spot on the screen. Turn your wheel on your mouse upward. It will enlarge.
Be Prepared For An Emergency
If you don't "over shop" (stock up) how do you continue to eat? I understand that without power you would be in danger of losing food. A few years we were without power for a week. Without power, stores won't sell. (Although I thought that was foolish that...
Using the Oven for Canning?
I am sure many people have tried this and feel it is safe. I am a big time canner and personally, I would never do it. I use a boiling water bath for items that can be water bathed safely, and I use a pressure canner for items that cannot be. I won't take a...
Removing Urine from Couch Cushions and Frame?
I have a small Bissel Little Green Machine that I use on upholstery. Maybe this would work on the foam? Or setting them out to air in the sunlight? Washing the wood down with vinegar? These are all guesses. I did have a grandchild urinate on the mattress once...
Extending the Life of Razor Blades
I saw a tip, don't recall if it was on here, about dropping a few drops of baby oil on the blades after using. So I picked up a cheap bottle and after shaving drop a few drops of the baby oil on it. I have used a disposable razor for over 5 months, it really...
Sara's Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
This works well with Splenda, too. I make these a lot for DH and I.
Cutting Down One of Two Apple Trees?
Wish you were my neighbor! :-) Ask around, any home canner would be thrilled to come and pick them for you!
Value of a Small British Royal Arms Plate?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieu_et_mon_droit I have no idea of the year but according to this it is from the UK.
Keeping Salt From Clumping
Great tip! Not only do I live in a humid area, I live on the edge of a small town. Which means mice occasionally come to call. I have learned to keep all my pantry staples in glass jars. :-) Flours in gallon pickle jars, etc. Keeps all my stuff clean and fresh...
How I Quit Smoking
Awesome! I smoked for 30 years before I gave them up. I have been a non smoker for over 11 years now. One thing that I never knew is how bad it stinks! After I stopped I had went to visit some inlaws that are chain smokers. I gagged. :-(
Homemade Yellow Cake
I use wheat pastry flour in cakes, DH and I are diabetic. Thanks for posting how to make cake flour. I wonder if it will work with wheat pastry? I will have to try it. :-)
When Should Girls Start Shaving Their Legs?
When the girls start to feel uncomfortable when other kids notice it. I raised two daughters. When they came to me and said they wanted to shave because of comments, they were old enough. Yes, I know you can tell kids about standing up to peers, etc. But I...
Removing Musty Smell from a Bed?
Are you able to air it out in the sunshine? Or open the windows to a room and leave it open? That should help. I have a Little Green Machine and I have steam cleaned my spare bed when grandkids had an accident before I got the the mattress cover with a vinegar...
Sausage Milk Gravy
I love homemade biscuits and gravy! Once on a camping trip I forgot to pack flour.(I had taken refrigerated biscuits for the trip.) My husband went up to the little campground store, they didn't have flour. But he came back with a list of what they did have...
Paper or Fabric? What Napkins Save the...
I have a drawer full of homemade napkins. I used left over material, sheets, etc to make them. Like Polly, they go into a load I am already doing. I hang my clothing out on the line, no cost to dry. And I love them. I don't like paper, I don't buy them.
Stains on a Cast Iron Tub?
I have an older house, it too has an old cast iron tub. It has rust stains down the inside, from a previous dripping faucet. I used the toilet bowl cleaner purchased at Dollar Tree on it. The stain is gone, it didn't hurt my tub any.
My Frugal Life: Thrifty Grandmas Stay With You Forever
I was never fortunate enough to have a loving grandmother like yours. I am now a grandmother myself, and I am caring for my grandchildren. I pray that someday they will have the same warm feelings for me that you have for yours. :-) Thank you for posting such...
Getting Rid of Gnats in the House?
Poor but Proud hit the nail on the head. I put hedgeapples in last fall because I heard they run spiders off. But no one admitted they draw gnats, big time! I did research, came across the apple cider vinegar but it called for a dab of oil. It took about a...
Removing Stains from an Old Bathtub?
Our upstairs tub in a huge old porcelain tub. I had an ugly rust stain running down the front of it that was there when we purchased our home. One day I was cleaning the toilet with toilet cleaner liquid I purchased from the Dollar Tree store. I was amazed...
Cigarette Receptacle for Repairmen
Good idea! When we had a party in the back yard to celebrate the return of my son from Iraq I used milk jugs. I put them by the back fence, filled them with a few inches of water. We are nonsmokers and I did not want the mess left behind. Afterward the lids...
Above Ground Pool Has Very Cloudy Water?
Do you have a sand filter or paper filter? Is the filter clean? Do you use chlorine or non chlorine? We use Baquacil and they sell an item called "flocculant" that makes the small particles clump together to be filtered out. It cleared ours up. Ask your dealer...
Top Job Household Cleaner?
I haven't seen it in years but after reading your post commercial song keeps playing in my head."Top job, top job, so clean and bright and fast.." :-)
My Frugal Life: Disguising Generic Items
When my daughter was a teenager she insisted she had to have name brand steak sauce. I had a small bottle I purchased with a coupon. I then purchased generic and refilled this bottle. I did this for ages, until the lid on the "real" bottle broke. One day we...
Removing Hard Water Stains from Toilet Bowl?
I had purchased some toilet bowl cleaner at the Dollar Tree. I had some hard water and rust stains in my toilet, the immediately disappeared! Since it did so well I decided to try it on my old cast iron tub that had spots. It cleaned it, too.
Canning How Tos?
There are online canning groups, one being canning2 on yahoo. If you join that they will help you, plus they have lots of recipes.
Dishwasher Leaves Soap Scum on Dishes?
I had horrible scum on my dishes when I lived in an area that had hard water. I had to put vinegar in the rinse cycle. It worked fine. Eventually I had to have a water softener put in.
Chocolate Mug Cake
This also works with wheat flour and splenda. Oh, and if it looks like it is coming out of the mug in the microwave, it's ok. :-) It raises way up out of the mug but goes back down when it comes out of the microwave.
Making Powdered Milk Taste Better
I use powdered milk in my homemade mixes, breads, etc. I had a jug mixed up to use in cooking in the fridge when I ran out of "regular" skim milk that the grandkids drink. One insisted on a glass of milk. So...I poured a glass from my mixed up powdered milk...
What Do I Use to Glue Sand Dollars on the Bathroom Walls?
I would probably glue a square of velcro on the back of the sand dollar with super glue, and the matching square on the wall. Would make them easy to take down and clean.
How Can You Save Money on Your Electric Bill?
I made window quilts for my windows, they are held up with a tension rod. I can raise them to let in light or a nice breeze, I can lower them to keep heat or cold out. I keep throws on the backs of the chairs so in the winter if we get cool in the house you...
Insulate Tube on CPAP Machine
Do you use a humidifier? My husband has sleep apea, he has never used the humidifier with his machine. I don't know why, he just never did. ( He has used a CPAP for close to 10 years now.) I know what you mean about a cold room. :-) He says it really helps...
Cursor Problems With Dell Inspirion Laptop?
Is your mouse pad a big one? My new laptops mousepad is bigger than on my previous one. I find that if I do not hold my wrists up above it they will touch the pad and then, I have the same problem you have.
Chef Washer Overfills With Water?
I had a GE that did the same thing. The technician came and took off the top back part, the part that has the controls on it. Behind it was a little hose that had came undone. He put it back on, clamped it, and it was fixed. If the hose came off your machine...
Alternatives to Paper Towels
I keep a stack of cloths that I cut from old T shirts. I use pinking shears. I also keep a spray bottle full of a 50/50 solution of water and vinegar to use in the kitchen. A spray of this solution, a wipe with the t shirt cloths, and the job is done! And as...
Freezing Milk?
Yes, you can and I do it all the time. If it has fat in it you will need to shake it like the others on here have said. I buy skim milk. I buy several gallons and I pour out part of each into a clean 1/2 gallon jug. Then I freeze all of them. I have never had...
Heart Healthy Recipes?
DH and I eat low carb, heart healthy all the time. I have learned to make pretty well anything healthy enough for us, even sweets. The way I did it is to figure out what meals I liked, then researched to find recipes that I could modify to suit my needs. Such...
Can I Freeze Bread in Original Packaging?
Some I freeze in the original bag, some I do not. If I am going to be using it soon I have left it in the bag. If not, I take the bread out and wrap 2 pieces, or one bun, and wrap them in plastic wrap then put them back. DH and I do OAM shopping, we stock up...
My Frugal Life: Resolutions for 2011
Contact the place you purchased it ASAP. If I am not mistaken that little piece of paper will not void the warranty if not returned. I would call the company, tell them the serial number, model number, etc. I wouldn't give up yet.
How Economical Is It To Pressure Can Food?
Yes, you can save a fortune using a pressure canner! Plus your food is fixed the way you want it. (Less sugar, salt, preservatives.) And you can open a jar of meat, a jar of potatoes, etc and have a meal in minutes! Ball Blue Book is an excellent source for...
