Extend Milk By Adding Water
I do understand about having to save money these days, especially with a family to feed. Please keep in mind that when you dilute the whole milk by using half water, youre also reducing by half the amount of calcium, vitamin D, and other nutrients your kids...
Preventing Animals from Damaging Plants...
Ellen Brown is usually right on with her advice and gardening expertise, but her advice re the use of Tanglefoot sticky bird repellent is ill advised. Please, please never use this. As she states, it also is dangerous for other than the target species, such...
God's Best Cake
Now this is a cake that everyone can and should have second (and third) helpings of. :-)
Dealing With Aggressive Birds?
They probably have a nest near where youre walking and are trying to protect it and their eggs or young. In a few short weeks, the baby robins will be out of the nest, so Id just try to give them as much space as possible and enjoy the fact that they chose...
When Are You Being Too Frugal?
Deeli, this is wonderful...and good to print and save! I especially love the advice on not using questionable food and putting off seeing a doctor. I remember an older aunt, long gone now and not impoverished, who tightly rationed out portions for holiday dinners...
Mother Duck Has Abandoned Her Nest?
I agree with Mrs. Story, I doubt shell be back. In cases like this when we notice a nest, its best to put off any yard work close to the nest and just leave it undisturbed. Maybe next year, shell come back and youll have a chance to protect her and see the...
Squirrels Chewing Through Window Screens?
Im not sure why you stopped feeding her in the winter, as this would be the time when food is needed most. When you decided to take pity on her and feed her as a baby, why would you not want her to survive now that shes growing up? The reason shes damaging...
Keeping Birds Out of Wood Chips?
I think it goes with the territory of having a happy, healthy garden. :-) The birds are actually doing you a great favor in those wood chips, theyre digging around for bugs and other garden pests and taking care of them for you! Id just thank the birds and...
Keeping Mice Out of Garden
Mice like peanuts, but so do cardinals, blue jays, squirrels, and children! Please dont do this...youll have no control over what you might end up killing. And even if the mice do eat the pellets, pity the beautiful hawks or owls that might eat that mouse and...
Grammar Tip: "Advice" vs "Advise"
These are all great tips, our written words sometimes are the first impression someone will have of us and they can speak volumes. Another good way to remember advice vs advise is that advice is a noun and advise is a verb. Another common mistake I see a lot...
Entering Toddlers in Beauty Pageants?
Although I share the same basic opinion about beauty pageants being ridiculous and even unhealthy for young children, I was surprised to see that the posting taking my Lord and Saviors name in vain was displayed. I would ask that all of us at TF please be more...
Removing Burnt Smell From Microwave?
Haily, I want you to do me a favor. Please never think or refer to yourself as stupid again, okay? Your request to TF for advice is actually one of the most well-written Ive seen here and youre only 15! The advice about vinegar and/or lemon juice from others...
Wildlife: Heron
Hes beautiful! I wish you hadnt driven off into traffic with him on the hood though. Hate to see such a lovely creature end up as roadkill or for you to have an accident because your vision was blocked. :-(
Christmas Cactus is Dying?
I understand about having your moms plant now that shes gone. I did the same thing after my mom passed away. With a Christmas cactus, as with any succulent or cactus, less is more. Dont water it unless it thoroughly dries out in between watering and then only...
Ten Lessons from the Blind Side
I agree that your gift for communicating so clearly about blindness and your experience after losing your sight should be shared even more with others, which youre already doing beautifully here at TF :-) I love that you credit your faith with bringing you...
Link: Live Eagle Cam (Norfolk Botanical Gardens, Virginia)
Oh, Deeli, thank you so much for posting this info. One of the eagles is in the nest now (5:16 PM EST) and Im smiling from ear to ear :-) I just love all things with wings and feathers and to be able to view these eagles is a wonderful treat.
Blue Jay
Your photography is wonderful! Love seeing the blue jay coming in for a landing. Ive been feeding the birds for many years and blue jays are one of my favorites, too. The one on the feeder is doing whats called whisking through the seeds to see if he can find...
Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder?
The best squirrel proof feeder Ive had is called the Squirrel Buster Plus, made by Brome. It comes with a cardinal ring for the bottom and they will eventually get used to it. The cardinals like a regular hopper or platform feeder better, but the Squirrel Buster...
My Frugal Life: A Winter Miracle
What your group of ladies did was like giving a Christmas present to Jesus. :-) With so much sadness and greed around Christmas time, your story was like a breath of fresh air. Thanks for sharing and may you all be blessed and strengthened by our Lord in the...
Wildlife: Red Cardinals in the Snow
Hes gorgeous, but I dont think he can get to the seeds too easily through the snow on this feeder. I love feeding birds in winter, too, and we need to remember to brush the snow away from the ports or openings where the seed comes out so the birds are able...
How Much Should I Charge a Friend Temporarily Staying in My Apartment?
You didnt say whether shes actually living with you or just using your laundry and cooking facilities, but in either case if shes your friend and if youre a really good friend, you wont charge her anything, unless its going to become a long-term arrangement...
My Frugal Life: Adopted Angels
Very inspiring and easy to do. And I agree with Ruth. Youre an angel for doing it and for sharing the idea. May God bless you. :-)
Poem: Ode to ThriftyFun
I agree with the editor. Thrifty Fun just wouldnt be the same without you, Deeli. You made me feel at home from the start and your poem says it all. :-)
Is the Taste of Evaporated Milk Noticeable When Used in Cooking?
You wont notice anything except it makes things creamier than just using regular milk and its more stable to cook with at higher temperatures. I have a neighbor who also dislikes the taste of evaporated milk, but she cooks with it and is happy with the results...
Best Airtight Food Canisters for Dry Storage?
The absolute best containers Ive found are called Lock & Lock. You can get these at a good price either at www.amazon.com or www.qvc.com. Just type in Lock & Lock and do a search. Theyre completely air and water-proof and I use them for just about everything...
Removing Sharpie from a Comforter?
Cant add anything to all the good advice youre getting re the stain, except maybe get your boyfriend to buy you a new comforter. ;-)
My Frugal Life: Out Of Sugar?
It seems so simple, but what you suggest is really a huge blessing to those of who no longer drive or get around as easily as before. Even a 10-minute drive to the store provides a change of scene and, most importantly, the company of someone who thought of...
Home Remedy for Boils?
I cant emphasize enough the reply you got about seeing a doctor, ASAP! For any infectious lesion near the head or neck area, especially when its causing pain thats spreading out, you need to see your doctor for treatment. Boils are caused by a staph infection...
Snakes of Florida?
Please dont be afraid of snakes when you visit your brother in Dania. It is very built up and youll have nothing to worry about. Ive lived in FL before, including in the Keys, and the only time I actually saw a snake was when my cat killed the poor thing and...
Simmered Garbanzo Beans and Tomato With Basil
Deeli, I LOVE your recipes! Many of them are very simple, but make use of interesting flavors and veggie combinations so they turn out really special. I think you should consider writing a book :-) Thanks for taking the time to share.
Buying the Sticky Paper Refills for Nightlight Flea Traps?
I just ordered a Victor flea trap with sticky paper and nightlight from Amazon and they have the refills, too. If you go to www.amazon.com and type in flea trap in the search area, it will probably bring up the refills, too. Hope you have success fighting fleas...
Write Down Blessings To Change Your Mood
This is a wonderful tip and I hope that many will give it a try. God is so good that even for those who dont know Him, Hes made us so that its impossible to feel gratitude and be depressed or fearful at the same time, just try it. :-) Thank you, Deeli, for...
Overwintering Potted Evergreens?
If you have an idea where theyre going to eventually be planted, Id encourage you to plant them in the fall or even now if you have a way to keep them well-watered for the rest of the summer. Shrubs really do well when planted in the fall. They put more energy...
Healthy Midnight Snack Ideas?
The advice from Puppermom is excellent. Eating at night is really not good for us and tends to unbalance our whole metabolism, making it easier to gain weight (which nobody wants to do, right?). At night when we go to bed, even our digestive system needs to...
Cleaning a Birdbath?
I wouldnt use the bleach, I dont think. For my birdbath, I just keep a brush handy thats made for cleaning barbecue grills and this does the trick. I change and refill the water sometimes several times a day in hot weather and depending on how many customers...
Using Meat That Was in a Broken Freezer?
I would just throw it out, but the FDA says its safe to use if there are still ice crystals present, so it would have to still be very, very cold, and this would only be for the solid pieces of meat. Never save thawed ground meat of any kind for more than a...
Wildlife: Snapping Turtle
May be a great picture, but dad was really teaching his son a lesson in foolishness. First of all, he should not be teaching a child to tease a wild animal. The animal isnt mean, its only defending itself the only way it knows from its tormentor. Secondly, maybe...
What is This Plant?
This is Virginia creeper, which can be either a nuisance or something people love. Some garden centers actually sell it! Right next to your deck, I think it would be in the nuisance category, as it will take over rapidly and some people can be sensitive to...
Robin
Thanks for sharing this photo. I saved it for my screensaver collage - its a really wonderful photo of the mom and her hungry babies :-) You were there at just the right time!
Are Cooking Sherry and Dry Sherry the Same?
Cooking sherry and dry sherry are not the same at all. Cooking sherry treated with sodium to make it undrinkable. The only wine or sherry to use for cooking is one that youd drink - your cooking is worth it! Also, just a small correction to an earlier post...
Juju (Sun Conure)
What wonderful advice and what a wonderful home Juju has now :-) If you dont already, I recommend reading Bird Talk magazine for great articles on bird behavior and other interesting things, too. Ive got three rescue parrots myself and they have long memories...
Keeping Mold Out of Packaged Foods?
I think Id be concerned about the mold. I believe Ive read that the mold spores can get into foods packaged in paper or cardboard containers. The spores are very, very tiny, and this could be unpleasant to dangerous to consume. Id try to store foods like flour...
Determining the Gender of a Parakeet?
The answer above re the color of the cere (that area with the nostrils just above the beak) is correct. Boys will be blue and girls are tannish to brown, although with young budgies it might be hard to tell - they mostly all look like girls at first. With parakeets...
Mouse Traps for the Garden
I agree with Kodiakstar above. Please dont use these traps, especially now when there are so many baby birds in our gardens, finding their way around and investigating everything, looking for food. This could easily cripple or kill them. And a mousetrap can...
