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Moving With PetsThis is a page to moving with pets. Moving is always a lot of work, especially if your new home is far away. If you have pets the moving process can be even more stressful for you and it's not easy for your pets either.
Repairing Patio FurnitureThis is a page to repairing patio furniture. Patio furniture is exposed to the elements day and night. It is no surprise then that the furniture on your patio is often in need of repair.
Cleaning "Dry Clean Only" Clothing at HomeMany of our nice clothes are dry clean only. Taking your suits, dresses, etc. to the dry cleaner can be very expensive. Are you looking for a way to clean them at home? This is a page about cleaning dry clean only clothing at home.
Removing Odors from the MicrowaveMicrowaves can pick up odors from the foods that you cook, especially if they get burnt. It is unappealing to use a microwave that smells bad. This is a page about removing odors from the microwave.
Preventing Grainy FudgeThis is a page about preventing grainy fudge. Homemade fudge is a delicious treat. However, on occasion rather that the smooth creamy texture you were hoping for it turns out grainy.
Cleaning Silver JewelrySilver jewelry is very beautiful and complements your attire, whether formal or jeans casual. However, silver has a dark side, tarnish. This is a page about cleaning silver jewelry.
Homemade Dish Soap RecipesThis is a page about homemade dish soap recipes. Making your own dish soap can be a great way to save money. You will also be reducing the amount of chemicals and dyes you utilize in your household.
Fresh Tomato RelishGreat way to use some of the veggies from your garden.
Double Potato BakeYummy potato recipe - love the cheese.
Mexican Chicken, Rice, and BeansThis recipe is so easy and tasty. It is a semi-homemade meal that tastes homemade to me.
CappuccinoThe only way to drink coffee for me!
Beans OrientalVery good green bean dish.
Chocolate PuddingThis is really yummy and a family favourite.
Cajun Lime Grilled ShrimpThis is an awesome marinade to use on chicken wings too! For those who might be worried about the amount of spiciness, simply halve the spices only, and taste test once marinade is mixed.
Aluminum Free Baking PowderThis is homemade baking powder that does not contain aluminum. I like it, since I want to keep aluminum out of my family's diet, and it works just as well as store bought baking powder.
Crock Pot Barbeque Turkey MeatballsI enjoy making meatballs that are made in the slow-cooker. You can use lean ground beef or ground chicken instead of the ground turkey.
Bamboo or Metal Kabob Skewers?I was watching a neighbor grill assorted types of meat kabobs on our shared apartment community gas grill, and noticed that he was using metal skewers for some and bamboo skewers for others.
Mr. Grubs (Tuxedo Cat)Mr. Grubs or "Grubby" is a tuxedo cat. He has no tail, and it looks like he's wearing a pair of pants. Grubby first showed up at our front door about 2 years ago. At first I wanted to feed him, because he looked hungry and was very friendly.
Craft: Memory Tree For 25th Anniversary PartyFor a 25th anniversary party, I made a memory tree. To make it, I took a few branches from a limb my husband cut, attached them together with Elmer's and hot glue, then wrapped the bottom with white ribbon.
Wildlife: Wandering BullsThese two wandered onto our property this past Sunday. I was afraid they would knock over the grill, but they caused very little damage and were quite docile. A nearby neighbor provided feed, which kept them from wandering further, until the owner could pick them up.
Embellish Used BooksEmbellish a used book when passing it along to someone else. Here, I wrapped the book with a scrap of patterned paper and satin ribbon with silk flower on top.
Keeping Pet Food Away From MiceWe have always used dry pet food for our dogs, but find that mice like feasting on it as well. To avoid the mice and keep the food from getting stale we store it in a plastic garbage can with a snug lid.
Removing Blood Stains from White ClothesMy husband went fishing the other day, and came home with fish blood stained through his jeans to his underwear and on his white T-shirt. I washed the whites in bleach and dried them, but the stains were still there.
Don't Use Your Linen Closet For Your SheetsI haven't stored my sheets in my linen closet for years! Every bed has 2 sets of sheets. I fold the sheets as most everyone else seems to do, and fold the pillowcase around it .
My Frugal Life: Six Decades of FrugalityI can't remember a time when I was not frugal. My parents were young during the big depression so I learned "thrift" early on. Now at 63 with my hubby at 67, we find that frugality is what allows us to survive.
Saving PaperWhen I make a mistake when I copy something, I cut out the part of the paper that is blank. Any mail I get that has parts that have blank areas, I cut it out. I now have a drawer full of paper that I use for notes, shopping list etc.
Magnadoodle As TherapyThis was done on a Magnadoodle, which is a toy you draw on. I used to have to buy one each month because my daughter, who loved them so much, would tear them up. She has Asperger's, which is on the Autism Spectrum.
Take Photo of Tile Design to Assist InstallerI recently hired a professional tile layer to install the tile back splash in my kitchen. I decided to lay out my tiles on the floor in the design that I wanted. I then took a photo of the layout to show to the installer.
Cooking Fish RoeWhen steaming or boiling fish roes, put it in food bags and seal. Put the bag in a pot of boiling water and remove after 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from bag, cool, and fry or add to chutney. The fish roes are intact when adding to the chutney.
Ziploc as Lid AlternativeIf the lid for your bowl is broken or lost, put the bowl in gallon Ziploc. This keeps it airtight, just like a lid. Maybe better.
Repair Your Dryer Instead Of ReplacingYou don't need to buy a new dryer, repair it. I got a very high estimate on repair of the drum of our 30+ year old Kenmore dryer. The part was $33, a belt. The new dryers we looked at were too wide to get through our doors.
Buy Honey Locally And Other TipsMost people think honey is honey, but not all honey is created equal. Store bought honey most of the time is not all USA honey. A computer will print the place of origin of honey on the container.
Removing Odors From the MicrowaveLots of food smells linger in the microwave for a long time. To combat those odors and leave your microwave smelling fresh, use lemon essential oil. Just put a cup of water into a microwave-safe glass container...
Pay Off Your 30 Year Home Mortgage in Only 18 YearsPaying one additional mortgage payment each year, whether in a lump sum or monthly increments, can lower a 30-year loan down to 18 years. If you pay more than one extra payment, the number of years will decrease even more.
Storing Pet FoodI save all the cat litter buckets to store my dog and cat food. The flip up lid makes it convenient to get the food and they seal well to keep out ants. The handle comes in handy too.
Solar and Battery Lights Inside and OutsideOur dog Buddy was blinded in one eye, so we try to keep the floor lighted enough for him to find his way around easier. They also help us to see him, if we have to get up during the night. We bought small LED lights at the $.99 store.
Grandfather Mountain Vista (North Carolina)This was taken from the top of Grandfather Mountain State Park, in North Carolina. Even though it was cloudy, it was a beautiful view.
Melt Marshmallows For Rice Krispies OutsideTemperature at 4 this afternoon was 102 degrees F. It has been hot today. Too hot for our area. I wanted to make a batch of Rice Krispie treats, and just for curiosity I decided to see if the marshmallows would melt in the sun.
Dryer Sheets to Deter Bed BugsWhile traveling, I bring fabric softener sheets to put under the four corners of mattress under my sheets. 4 to 8 should do the job.
Bissell Carpet CleanerI highly recommend the Bissell Pro Heat carpet cleaner. You can buy this machine for the price of commercial carpet cleaning with similar results. It will pay for itself over time. The brushes lift the carpet the same way as your vacuum cleaner does.
Crochet Pattern OrganizerI am a crochet patternaholic. I am constantly printing out patterns and buying pattern books and was having trouble organizing the stacks.
Kara (Mini Pomeranian)Kara is a 5 year old mini Pomeranian. I've had her since she was 2 years old. I got her from a show breeder. She loves to swim, swim, swim. Here she is floating in the swimming pool.
Marking Hard Boiled EggsHere's a tip I learned from my mom way back when I was a kid. She simply marked both ends of the hard boiled egg with pencil scribbles! That's it. Then she could tell the boiled ones from the raw ones.
Wildlife: Young SquirrelThis photo is of a young squirrel that just left mama's nest. The other photo is the view of that portion of the tree of the sleeping sweetie, I see while just sitting on my patio. This squirrel slept in the crook of that tree trunk and branch for three nights.
Grandma's Lil' SnowballsChristmas is a fun time of year and it is always enjoyable decorating the ol' homestead. I have favorite decorations and ornaments that I put out each year, but I felt it was time for a few new things. I love having pictures of my grandchildren around so I made this snowlady for myself.
Live Like No One ElseListen to Dave Ramsey, and take his advice. Save as much as you can; Invest, but only in something decent. Never try to live beyond your means or try to impress someone.
Choosing the Right Shrub for Your Garden?We are looking for shrubs that will do well with cold weather, freezing or below in the winter and are heat tolerant in the summer, it is in the upper 90's in Bryson City, North Carolina. They must also require little maintenance, since we will not be there too often.
Homemade Rice-a-Roni Herb Mixes?Does anyone have a homemade recipe for the herbs in Rice a Roni? I would like to use brown rice instead of the white rice in most of their boxes.
Plants Not Blooming?I have a clivia, sometimes called Kaffir lily, that has plenty of beautiful leaves. I've had it for several years now, but it has never bloomed for me. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get it blooming?
Scale, Ants, and Aphids on a Meyer Lemon Tree?I have a beautiful Meyer lemon tree, that has been giving me great fruit year round. This summer the branches and stems are just covered with scale and they have brought on the ants and aphids. There has to be a non-toxic spray for this condition as I do not want to hurt all my fruit.
Adjusting the Flame on a Gas Range?I am getting a lot of orange flame and some soot, do I adjust the air somewhere?
Cleaning Burners on a Gas Stove?How do I clean the burners on a gas stove?
Household Uses for Borax and Washing Soda?Can I use borax for a slow draining sink? I am going to purchase a box today for laundry and household cleaning, also some washing soda. If anyone has more hints plus little known uses for these please share.
Free Computer Training for Senior Citizens?I am a senior citizen and have a deep interest in participating in various types of computer based training opportunities. I need this training to be offered free of cost by some social institute whether government or NGO. Does anyone have a suggestion where I can look?
Storing Bulbs?I have received bulbs and rhizomes that I can't get planted this year, how can I store them for next year? They are irises and gladiolas. It gets below zero here in western Colorado.
Identifying Small White Jelly Bean Shaped Eggs?I am trying to identify some small white jelly bean shaped eggs. Are they from a snake or lizard? I saw the part of a reptile, but I didn't want disturb it. I went back a couple of days later and a blue green lizard ran off, was he eating the eggs or were they the lizard's?
Removing Deodorant Stains from Clothing?How do I get deodorant stains out?
Getting Coupons Through the Mail?How do I get coupons through the mail?
Business Name Ideas for a Marketing Company?I need a catchy name for a new marketing company I'm creating. I would prefer not to use my name (Zena), but have my initial "Z" in it if possible. Thoughts or suggestions? I'm having a total brain freeze!
Previously House Trained Dog Peeing in the House?My 20 month old puppy keeps peeing in the house all of a sudden when we are gone; what can I do? He has been doing really well. Now all of a sudden about 2 weeks ago he began peeing in the house, twice on the toilet seat once in the living room, and now today in the kitchen.
Tiny Black Bugs in Kitchen?I live in northeast Ohio and for the last couple of days we have had these small black bugs in our kitchen. They are mainly on the floor around the baseboards. There are a lot of them. Anyone know what they are and how to get rid of them?
Reducing Cobwebs?How do I keep cobwebs from coming back so soon after I clean them?
Planting Green Beans?When is the latest that I can plant bush beans and expect to harvest them before cold weather?
Removing a Permanent Marker Stain on Vinyl?I have permanent marker on a vinyl billfold, can you help?
Freezing Tomatoes?I have 30 tomato plants after a 30 year lapse without a garden. Can I freeze my tomatoes in any way? Please give me some helpful hints.
Shopping for Raw Peanuts?Does anyone know where I might find raw peanuts? My husband lived in Georgia for a short while and he raves about their boiled peanuts.
Cleaning Musty Smelling Dresser Drawers?I am going to a little place in the country (nothing fancy, so no point in talking to the management) for a much-needed, once-a-year holiday at the end of this week. The only bedroom furniture is a very old, wooden (maybe pine, not sure) dresser.
