I Love Martha Stewart

Keep bugs, leaves, and other unwelcome guests from joining you for drinks by topping glasses with these jaunty little hats (otherwise known as baking cups). Cut a small X into the center of each liner, poke a straw through the hole, and enjoy your beverage worry- (and pest-) free.

Martha Stewart has such great summer ideas....I agree, "It's a good thing Martha!"

Dawn Dishliquid....It's not Just For Dishes Anymore

The heat of the summer is beginning to boil. Our temperatures the past few days have been hovering around 105* To make matters worse, we haven't had any rain in so long that the ground is cracking and it takes a pick axe just to break it. We desperately need a break in this drought something horrible.

Because of the dry, hot climate the fleas have started to rear their ugly heads & my sweet girls are being targeted. So it was definitely bath time. All I had on hand was oatmeal shampoo which didn't have any flea killer in it. What to do, what to do....

I grabbed my bottle of Dawn liquid dish soap and started their baths. As I lathered my girl up, you could immediately see the fleas beginning to rise to the surface of her fur as if they were looking for a breath of fresh air. Within seconds they were dead.

Once fully lathered I allowed the soap to sit for about 5-8 minutes. If I could find my flea comb this would have been the perfect time to brush through the fur to help aid in finding the hidden fleas. But boy howdy were those nasty pests were dropping dead as quick as you can blink.

Come time to rinse, you could see the dead fleas peppering the bath water. In no way am I saying that using Dawn should replace your regular flea treatment or flea shampoo, nor do I claim that it kills the eggs. But from my personal experience, I am definitely sold on using it.

Those Damn Ants!

(Image source)

Now that we have been experiencing warmer weather the ants have decided they want to homestead along my walkway. Well, that is not going to work for me. So I am in the process of looking for a good homemade ant killer. Here's a recipe that I am certainly going to try....

Mix one part of water with two parts vinegar. Add in liberal amounts of salt. Taste to see if mixture is salty enough. Pour solution over the ant mounds and let it do it's work.

I'll let you know how it works (or doesn't work.)

Attention FaceBook Users

Increase your safety while using Face Book and help avoid identity theft by using some of the basics that can be found in this article....

7 Things to Stop Doing Now on Facebook

Your Personal Information On The Web

How long this website has been around, I don't know....but....I was introduced to it tonight and boy is it nerving. To know that with the strike of a few keys you can find out personal information about others. I'm talking about getting a hold of someones physical address, telephone number, who they are married to if applicable, etc. But there is a way to delete the page that has your information.

Go to www.spokeo.com

type in your name and see what is available for the anyone in the world to know about you.

Go to the bottom of the screen and look for the "Privacy" link

Click on it and then enter the URL of the page that has your information on it in the area where it asks for it.
This will delete your information account in that system.

Frugal Household Cleaning

Do you find that your tub has mineral deposits from your water, soap scum or those nasty bath rings that you find after everyone has finished bathing? Instead of getting out the harsh chemicals to clean with, here is an easy way to tackle it. Start by filling the tub with hot water, then add in 4 cups of regular white vinegar. Allow mixture to sit for several hours or overnight. Drain water and rinse. Your tub should now be clean and dirt free. 

 

The town we used to live in would "treat" the water lines quite often. In turn, our water would be rusty colored or even brown at times for days after they treated it. Yes, it was nasty!! You learned real quick not to do your laundry until at least a week later once the water has had time to run clear again or else your whites would be brownish orange. Then of course there was the issue of the toilet. How embarrassing it would be to know that after being used, the commode had in fact been flushed but because of the water it looked as if it had remnants of the last use in it. If you didn't warn your company first, it would be an awkward situation until they themselves flushed and saw that it was in fact the water. This nasty water would discolor the porcelain in the toilet, so you had to get the Clorox out or other chemicals to try and bleach the basin back to it's original state. It was so frustrating!!!! So trying an old method that my Grandmother had told me about years and years ago, I poured a can of Coca-Cola in the toilet. After it sat for several hours and then flushed it to rinse, I was surprised at how clean the basin was. Of course I didn't try this until after the water was already running clear, otherwise I was defeating the purpose. For any stains that remained, I only had to take my toilet brush and brush over the area and flush once more. Voila! Clean and stain free until the next city water treatment occurred.

This is one that I have mentioned before, but for those burnt on casserole dishes or pans, instead of working your elbow grease on cleaning it, spray it with oven cleaner. Allow the cleaner to sit and within 30 minutes to an hour (depending on the burnt on food) simply take your dish sponge and wipe the mess away; then wash as usual. It's so easy and it really works. Another method you can try is using a fabric softener sheet. Fill your pot or casserole with hot water and lay your drier sheet in the water. Let it sit for several hours, then wash as normal. The burnt/stuck on food will wipe away with ease. 

We have a set of crystal drinking glasses that unfortunately made their way into the dishwasher. The result was an etched cloudy look on the glass. I saw a tip and wanted to see if it really worked , so I tried it. I filled my sink with warm water and placed my glassware in the water. Then I tossed in a copper penny and swished it around a bit. Within 5-10 minutes, I pulled the glasses out of the water and rinsed. After drying them, I could notice that they were much shinier than they had been. It did help with the cloudy film that the dishwasher detergent had marred them with, but some had been etched by the detergent so they still had somewhat of a mar but they were much shiner. So if you have crystal that just needs a touch up clean, try pulling out your pennies and giving it a try. 

Who needs Draino when you have a clogged drain? All you need is jello. Mix one packet of jello with 1 c. of boiling water. Allow it to cool and then stir in 2 oz. of regular white vinegar and 1 c. of room temperature water. Place mixture in the icebox to cool but not fully set up. You are only looking for a gel like consistency. Pour jello down the clogged drain and allow it to sit overnight. Come morning, run hot water down the drain while the disposal is running. The clog should be cleared. Depending upon the nature of the clog you may need to repeat the process once more to fully clear it, but one application is usually enough for those everyday clogs.  (Source: Joey Green, author of Fix-It Magic)

A Little Tax Day Relief

To help ease the pain of "Tax Day," some businesses are offering their own relief efforts to help the consumers.

Cinnabon: Get two free bite-sized cupcakes from 6-8pm at participating mall locations

Starbucks: Bring your own refillable coffee mug and get free coffee

Boston Market: buy one individual plate & get one free Thursday 4-15-10 through Sunday 4-18-10 --coupon required http://bit.ly/d1YlRO

IHOP: free dinner for one child age 12 or younger w/ each adult meal purchased 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. all month long.

This Just In....

Dollar General has updated their coupon policy concerning printable, internet coupons.

Coupon Policy

Updated 4/8/10

Dollar General is pleased to accept Manufacturer’s Coupons and Dollar General Store Coupons at any of our more than 8,700 stores. These coupons come from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to, newspapers, magazines, print-at-home (internet), direct mail, product packaging, and in-store coupon boxes.

Our coupon requirements are as follows:

Dollar General will accept coupons, including Internet Coupons, provided they meet these requirements:

1. Coupons must be original (no photocopies)

2. Coupons must have a scan-able barcode

3. Coupons must have an expiration date

4. Coupons may be used only on products sold at Dollar General, and must match exactly to the item as it is packaged and sold at Dollar General.

5. Coupons must clearly say “Manufacturers Coupon” or “Dollar General Store Coupon”

Dollar General will NOT accept the following:

1. Manufacturer’s coupons that do not scan, or Dollar General Store Coupons with an invalid promotional code

2. Expired Coupons

3. Coupons for products not sold at Dollar General

4. FREE Item coupon if printed from the Internet, unless a purchase is required (example: a “buy one, get one free” is acceptable).

5. Coupons from other retailers or coupons that may be used only at other retailers

In addition, unless the coupons state otherwise, you may use multiple coupons in one transaction. You may also use a Dollar General coupon along with a Manufacturer’s coupon for the same item, as long as neither coupon states otherwise.

I Didn't Know This.....Did You?

Our friend, who works in a hospital pharmacy, was telling me that her Dad was having blood pressure issues. His doctor was concerned that even with medication, they just couldn't seem to get his blood pressure under control. As our friend was sitting with her Dad watching t.v. he hands her a piece of licorice. She immediately asked him how much/often he eats licorice. He said he ate about a pound every day, as it was his favorite snack. She then proceeds to tell him that this is probably the culprit in his uncontrolled blood pressure issues.

I had never heard of this before. I searched online to read up on this and what do you know...she is right, licorice can cause your blood pressure to elevate...not that I doubted her. So if you or someone you know has blood pressure issues, be careful when it comes to eating licorice. It may curb your sweet tooth but it can do more harm than good.

Finally, Something That Doesn't Taste Like Cardboard

I don't know how many of you have actually tried those flat, cardboard-ish rice cake patties, but to me they are not my cup of tea. I'd rather just eat a chunk of Styrofoam and be done with it. (No offense to those that like them.) But...alas, I have found an alternative to them that is low in fat and only 15 calories per serving. It's called "Magic Pop!"

Magic Pop is made from unbleached wheat flour, rice flour, tapioca starch, white corn flour, water, sugar, soy lecithin, long grain parboiled brown rice, rice powder, salt, soybean oil, natural flavor and stevia (natural sweetener.)

A glass of ice cold water and one of these cakes really hits the spot. I have certainly found my new favorite snack!

FYI ~ I found these at Central Market.

Ellinger's Agatized Wood

(Photo Source Ellinger's Testimonial Page)

I happened upon a kitchen type site this morning that I thought might interest some of you. I had not heard of them before but some of may already be familiar with Ellinger's Agatized Wood Products. For those who are new to the company, like I am, here is a little information on who they are...

"Ellinger's Agatized Wood Inc. has been in business producing agatized products from natural wood powder and resins for almost 60 years. We manufacture wood mixing bowls, salad bowls, serving bowls, cutting boards, deli servers, buffet plates, snack trays and serving trays. The salad bowls and mixing bowls are available in sets. For more information about the composition and characteristics of our products, visit the Information page.

The products are made with FDA approved materials and the company was certified with NHMA, the National Houseware Manufactures Association in 1998. Our raw materials are of the highest quality, produced in the USA."

What really stood out to me were the prices. Check it out for yourself by clicking HERE.

Bella Cucina Grill/Griddle Price Comparison

Bella Cucina Grill/Griddle Model #13121

I wanted to give you a little price comparison on this panni grill/griddle. This is not just a panni grill it has interchangeable heating plates, which allows you to do more. So with that in mind, if you are in the market for one for yourself or as a gift here is a small price comparison that I found for you. (I have not personally used one so I can't give you a user review on it.)

Macy's regular price $99.99 on sale for $69.99

Target $57.99

Montgomery Ward $129.95

Seventh Avenue $129.95

Steinmart $49.99 (plus you can use your 20% coupon) final price before tax $39.99

Blog Reconfiguration

I found a really neat site that had some pretty 3 column blog backgrounds on it. I had not seen this site before so I was happy to find it. However, when I used one of their background codes on my blog, I could NOT get rid of it!! I tried changing my background numerous times and still the new sites code was attached like a suction cup to my blog. UUUGGGHHH!!! This is so frustrating. So I want to warn you, if you ever change your background...proceed with caution or you'll get stuck like I did. The only way I could get rid of the stupid background was to completely start my blog template over. So now I have had to reconfigure everything back to 3 column and reinstall all of my widgets, graphics and links. However, I STILL get the same background image on my site. What is the deal!!!???? This is so FRUSTRATING! So again, I warn you to be careful in using background sites or any site for that matter. I am not saying this website is bad, but as for my experience I am leery of using any background site at all now. Back to the drawing board to see how the heck to get rid of this parasite.

***UPDATE*** I did contact the graphics owner & received a reply. However, after hours of working on it myself I was finally able to remedy the situation on my own. What a nightmare this was.

Get Your Game On Before It Starts

For those of you who are "Black Friday" addicts, don't forget to keep your eyes open as the ads are already surfacing online. Get those shopping game plans ready now so you won't be caught at last minute trying to figure out who is having the best deal. Click HERE to get your preview.

Burnt On Food Is No Problem

Have you ever accidentally burnt something in the bottom of your pan? I have and tonight was one of those nights that this very thing occurred. Well, have no fear when you encounter this. I have a super easy solution that is almost effortless.

Spray your burnt on pan or pot with oven cleaner. Let it sit for 30 minutes or so then wipe burnt on food debris away and wash as usual. Viola! Your pan is spic and span and there's no elbow grease needed.

Now's A Good Time To Start Bulking Up If You Haven't Already

September is just days away, which means the holiday seasons will be quickly approaching sooner than we might like to think about. So now is as good a time as any to start catching those grocery sales and bulking up in the pantry.

This morning I was out shopping for more school supplies. Don't you just love it when each class has their own required supply list!?! I digress and will move on from that subject. *grin* Anyway, while out I recalled that a friend mentioned the opening of a new grocery store in the area that I happened to be in today. It's not a new store per sea, but a new location. I have frequented this particular small chain for sometime now, but the closest to us was about 45 minutes away. So that made my trips to it few and far between unless I was in the area or planned for a drive to it. Now with this new location, its about 20 minutes from the house. So yippee!!! I am doing the happy dance.

Now to make a long story semi-short, I stopped in, armed with my coupon book but with no real agenda in mind of buying anything. As it would happen, I found some great sales that I could have passed on but really didn't want to -- so I went back to the front and got a basket. My first item was an almost 6-lb. pork roast for just over $4.00! It's such a pretty piece of meat too. Then I thought, well, if I'm buying meat I might as well get my milk. So I picked up 4 gallons to add to my stash at home. (Remember you can freeze your milk and it thaws out just as tasty as when you bought it. But I do find that I have less chance of the containers expanding and cracking during freezing if I place them in the icebox freezer instead of the deep freeze.)

Next I went to the baking isle. There I found a good price (for our area) on cooking oil, $1.99 a bottle. Normally they are $2.49 on up depending on the brand you buy. So I picked up 10 bottles. We were low on salt so I went ahead and bought 12 more of them to have on hand. That really wasn't a big bargain, but for $0.33 a can it's about average.

Sugar, that's something we go through often so when I looked back at my price book and saw that the cheapest I have been buying for (save for sale times) was $1.79 and this store had it for $1.33 a bag, I loaded up. Now what's funny to me is this...you could buy a 4-lb. bag for $1.33 or an 8-lb. bag of the same brand for $3.19. What!!??!! I see this all time, regardless of the store I am at. Why on earth would I buy one larger bag for more than it would cost to simply buy 2 of the smaller bags (that equate out to the same weight as the larger.) It's amazing how many people get sucked into that marketing scheme.

I don't know about you, but I cook with can milk a lot, not just at holiday time. So when I checked out the price and saw that they were $0.28 a can cheaper than Kroger (who is is the cheapest in our on this same size can) I knew that was a deal. We're now 20 cans to good on that. And of course, there is the Wyler drink mix packets that Hubby so enjoys. When on sale you might catch it at 10/$1 or even 12/$1, and if your lucky, you might get Kool-Aid 10/$1. So when I saw that the drink mixes were 15/$1 I stocked up and got $3.00 worth of it. That's 45 packets! I haven't found it that cheap in a long time.

We have a pretty good stash of staples and with today's bonanza, we are really well stocked. Wen you catch things on sale that you know are a good price; if the budget allows...stock up on it. Don't let space limit you. If the pantry won't hold it, then be creative in your storage areas. I'm sure there might be some room in the closet, on the laundry room shelf, and even the garage (provided it's not something that needs to be kept climate controlled.)

Don't get caught this holiday season or possibly even on a short paycheck with your pocketbook down. Make your money work for you not against you. Just because today turned out to be a lucrative shopping and saving trip for me doesn't mean that I won't keep my eyes out for the weekly sales. Whenever our budget gives way for some extra grocery money to be added to the normal budget, I certainly don't want to waste it. Believe me, I am not one that is afraid to buy in bulk! In fact, most times when others look at my basket, they frequently ask if I am buying for a school or daycare. When I tell them that I am simply buying for our home they look shocked but after talking with me for a moment or two they soon start questioning me on how I do it and most importantly how I do it so frugally. That's when I know that as a Keeper of the Home I am doing my job to best that GOD has equipped me.

Deuteronomy 28:1-8 "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."

Fruit Flies

(Photo source Fruit Fly - Autism Connection)

Jamie asked " I was wondering if you had any ideas for getting rid of little fruit flies?? They are driving me crazy!!!" Well Jamie, I too had been battling those nasty little pests. Here are a few tricks that might be of benefit for you.

1. A bowl trap: Put a piece of old skinless fruit balsamic vinegar in a bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap. Poke small holes in the plastic with a fork. The fruit flies go in and can't get out (if the holes are too big they will fly back out.)

2. A plastic zip lock trap: Place a few slices of an apple inside a zip lock bag. Leave an inch open to allow pests to enter. The little pests will soon be on and surrounding the apple. Zip the bag closed and crush each one with your fingertips.

3. A funnel trap: Using a sheet of paper make a cone. Tape the outside of the cone so that it stays in place. Make sure the cone fits snugly into a glass or cup. Cut off the tip of the cone so that you now have a funnel. Pour a small amount of cider vinegar into the glass or cup. Insert the funnel into the glass or cup, but don't let the bottom of the funnel touch the liquid. Tape the funnel in two or three places from the outside so that there is no gap between the glass and the cone. Place trap on a flat surface. The flies will be attracted by the smell of the fruity vinegar and fly into the cone. The flies will slip down the cone and will either land in the vinegar and drown or will be trapped and not able to get back out. If you leave the trap overnight, the trapped fruit flies will eventually fall into the vinegar and drown.

4. A soda bottle trap: Remove the lid and label from a clean, empty plastic two-liter soda bottle. Remove the upper third of the bottle by cutting along its circumference at approximately where the top of the label used to be. Pour cider vinegar into the cup-shaped part of the now-severed bottle. Turn the cone upside-down and insert it into the cup-shaped bottom part of the bottle. Seal the seam at the top of the bottle with duct tape. Fruit flies find their way into the bottle, but they can't get back out. After most flies are trapped inside, simply seal the bottle & throw out.

Review Before You Buy

(Image courtesy of fotosearch.com)

If you're like me you want to know everything there is about a product before you let loose of your hard earned money to buy it. Such was the case for my recent Cuisinart coffee maker purchase. I looked and looked online for all kinds of information for user reviews, products specs, pricing comparison, etc. I didn't want to go into my purchase uninformed and uneducated. Granted there are several places online to get this type of information on products,but I have found the most useful ~ at least for me ~ have been Consumer Search and Epinions.

I just thought I'd pass this tid bit of information on to you. I hope it helps when you decide to make your next major or minor purchase.

Stretching A Buck Around The House

Extend the life of your disposable shaving razors by rinsing the blade as normal, then dip the blade in alcohol. Give it a good swishing to help remove residue. Tap the razor to remove excess alcohol and all to air dry. The alcohol will evaporate quickly thus allowing the blade to dry faster. You never want to store your razor immediately after use while it is still wet. Dry your blade completely before replacing protective cover back on. This will reduce rusting and dulling of the blade.

Have you looked at the price of mattresses lately? If you have you know how costly they can be for a good, quality one. even some of the lower end mattresses are rising in price. Here's a couple of easy ways to extend the life of your existing mattress...flip you mattress monthly to help distribute the wear more evenly. Every other month flip and rotate your mattress. Several stores, now carry mattress pads/covers. This is a good investment to help protect the mattress from body odors & stains. Speaking of odors; each time I remove my linens to wash I get out my best friend, my Shark steamer and steam the mattress. This cleans, deodorizes and sanitizes the mattress.

Regular vehicle maintenance is essential. When getting your oil changed (the suggested schedule is 3,000 miles or 3 months) don't forget this will also be a good time to have your tires rotated. Just as we change the filter in our a/c units at home, our vehicle air filter needs to be changed yearly too. Spark plugs, radiators and exhaust systems need to be checked regularly (check manufacturer's recommendations for your specific model's needs.) Don't forget about your transmission fluid, it is suggested that it be changed once every 30 thousand or 60 thousand miles (check manufacturer's recommendations for your specific model's needs.) An easy but sometimes forgotten tip is to wash and wax your vehicle regularly. Make sure you clean the headlight covers and rear taillight covers to make sure your lights shine forth as bright as possible. Don't forget the interior; give it a good vacuuming and dusting as well. Oh don't forget those windows, you need to make sure you can see where your going when you go for a drive. Check you wiper blades as well. You wouldn't want to get caught in a rainstorm and not have proper working wiper blades.

Do you enjoy the aroma of burning scented candles in your home? I found an easy way to keep the fragrance longer is by storing them in the freezer when not in use. To burn candle more evenly, follow the suggestions on your candle and this will extend their life as well.

How many of us use those fragrant pump soaps to wash our hands? I love the ones from Bath & Body Works, but even on sale they add up. So why not get the most out of them as you can. Try this trick...wrap a rubber band tightly around the base of the pump head. When inserted into the soap dispenser the pump will not go all the way down into the dispenser. This will not hinder the soap from being dispensed but it will make the soap last longer. Pretty neat trick, huh!?!