Faux Fur-Lined Tartan Poncho

I've been loving the fact that ponchos of all types are back again and have been wanting one for myself in a fun plaid. What could be better than a cozy wool tartan poncho wrapped around your shoulders? Read more.

A Boy and His Boots

A kindergarten teacher was helping one of her students put his boots on. He had asked for help and she could see why. With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn’t want to go on. When the second boot was on, she was nearly out of breath.

 

She almost whimpered when the little boy said, “Teacher, they’re on the wrong feet.” She looked and sure enough, they were. It wasn’t any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as they worked together to get the boots back on – this time on the right feet.

He then announced, “These aren’t my boots.”

 

She bit her tongue rather than scream, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?” like she wanted to. Once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off.

 

He then said, “They’re my brother’s boots. My Mom made me wear them.”

 

She didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered up the grace to wrestle the boots on his feet again.  She said, Now, where are your gloves?”

 

He said, “I stuffed them in the toes of my boots…”

Draft Dodgers

by Nina Graff in Michigan

Here's another budget tip. (I DO try to find ways to DIY, with not so much expense). I've been talking about making 'draft dodgers' for the patio doors (or as I call them, window sausages!)… LOTS of temperature exchange going on there! Well…. another week of below temps spurred me into action.

I was brainstorming about what to stuff them with…that would insulate, but be cheap. Couldn't see wasting that quantity of rice or beans! SO--- wood pellets to the rescue! A 40# bag costs about $4, and one bag filled 6 sausages last night. (6"x35")

I made them out of canvas drop cloth…. a fabric I've come to LOVE! (Made curtains last year out of some. Very natural looking… and affordable!)  I tied the bags up with jute…. and they will help quite a bit with that NW wind. 

I just thought I would share, in case anyone is looking for easy extra insulation this winter. (Brrrrrr.-- this house has some finishing issues… I do believe there is something missing in the door channels or not quite installed correctly?)

Creative "Build-A-Snowman" Kit

by Lois Breneman - 2012 - Heart to Heart

In some parts of the country this winter, warmer than usual temperatures have kept away the snow.  Are your children or grandchildren praying and begging for the white fluffy ice crystals?  If so, this activity might help!  Encourage and help them prepare now for a future snowy day by gathering everything they will need so their snowman or snowlady can stand in your front yard in style!   But who said a snowman can't be sitting in a chair?  Be original.  Have your children draw out their ideal snowman or snowlady on paper, and plan what they will need to dress their snowy masterpiece as soon as enough snow arrives. 

If you need inspiration or more ideas, check out the 25 cent bin at Goodwill or a thrift store for fun accessories.

For the hat, you could decide on a stocking cap, black felt hat for a man or a straw hat with flowers for a snowlady.

A colorful scarf could be an actual scarf or simply a piece of fabric you already have with raw edges.

A carrot nose could be kept in the refrigerator until needed, of course, but for the eyes and nose you will need coal, large dark stones or large buttons (toothpicks might help to hold them in place).  Dark colored Tootsie Pops would work even better (possibly grape flavored).

 

For the mouth, a red or pink ribbon would work.  If you have wire ribbon, you can shape it into a mouth even better.  Or use several radishes or red pepper slices to form a mouth.  Even red buttons could be held in place with toothpicks to form a smile.

For arms and hands, if you want an easy way out, gather twigs.  But you could also easily form arms around the front of your snow person's body.  One year our snowlady held a bouquet of flowers, which meant we didn't need to worry about forming her hands, since the flowers hid them.  Your snowperson could also be warming his hands with a muff (a piece of fabric or fake fur wrapped around where the hands would be).  Gloves could be placed over the hands as well.

You may want to be even more creative by dressing your snow person in a coat, but keep the size in mind when making the snow body.

For a snowman with shoes or boots, fabric could be wrapped to look the part, or you could use a pair of real shoes or boots, if you don't mind a puddle inside them or taking a chance that they'll be carried away by a stray dog.

If you want to get a message across to those who pass by your home, give him a sign to hold. 

Snow animals are lots of creative fun as well!  A bear, lion, turtle, dog, cat, or whatever your heart desires.

 

Teaching your children and grandchildren to plan ahead in something as mundane as building a snowman, will help them learn the importance of planning ahead for more important things.

Creative Snow Play / Winter Sun Catchers

CREATIVE SNOW PLAY
by Lois Breneman, © 2002, Revised 2008, Heart to Heart 

Growing up on a farm in Pennsylvania was great fun -- and work, of course, but in the winter we loved ice skating on our pond, sometimes having the church youth group or friends from Youth for Christ there for "crack-the whip," hot chocolate, snacks and a good time.  Once when the ice was thick enough, we even had a bonfire at the edge of the pond!
            

My brother, Carl, and I had great fun building a snow fort once in the cow pasture when we were quite young, with walls about two feet tall to divide the rooms -- no roof.  Our older sister preferred the indoors and our baby brother was too young at the time to join in the fun.  We built a kitchen (even a kitchen sink) in our snow fort where we made "snow hamburgers," as we played "house."  Later Carl went outside our fort and speared a pretend walrus for another meal!  

Another day we decided that making a snowman was too ordinary, so we made a huge snow lion!   We built igloos too, but if your children try this, be sure there is an adult with them, (outside the igloo), in case of a cave-in!  We also had fun writing in the snow and making angels. 

Since our frozen pond was at the bottom of a big hill in the cow pasture, sometimes we'd go sledding down the hill, up over the bank of the pond, slide across the pond and fly up over the other bank and down to the other side of the pasture!   We also made snow speed bumps and ramps for a more exciting sled ride.  No wonder we have aches and pains today, but I suppose the fun we had back then makes the aches and pains serve as good memories of our childhood!

After I was married and our three children were still at home, we had fun making a snow bear in our front yard, with two faces -- one facing our house and one facing the road, so we could enjoy it from inside our house as well as the people driving by.  Then we went over to a neighbor's house and helped them make four more bears -- one for each of their family members.  Another fun and easy idea would be to make a  snow turtle.  We've done this with sand at the beach, and snow would work well too.  Be sure to draw a design on his back with a stick, then paint it in with water and different colors using food coloring or tempera paints. 

Your children could also paint pictures in the snow using watercolors.  Spray painting the snow is fun as well.   As the snow melts, the colors will run together and that's fun to watch too.   

If you want to build a unique snow man, snow lady or snow baby, trim them in a special way for a one-of-a-kind, out-of-the-ordinary snow person!  For *eyes*, use large dark buttons attached with toothpicks, radishes attached with toothpicks, chunks of grilling charcoal or dark-colored stones.  Nothing beats a carrot *nose*, unless you want to use a red radish to depict a very cold nose.  The *mouth* could be made by bending a red, pink or orange pipe cleaner into a smile.  Several cranberries or holly berries would also work for a mouth.  For *ears*, cut a lemon or orange in half, scoop out the fruit to eat later, and attach each half with a few toothpicks around the edges of the rind.  For *arms*, sticks will do, but you can also add extra snow close to the body for arms that come to the front in a handclasp.  But since the *hands* are difficult to make, attach mittens in the front with toothpicks.  Or have the snow lady or child hold something like a bouquet of silk or plastic flowers or a bouquet of fresh holly. 

The man might hold a dish of birdseed (stick an unbreakable plate into the snowman's stomach -- ouch! -- just above his hands and fill with birdseed) or he might be a plumber, holding a plunger.  The baby could hold a toy.  The *scarf* should be of a bright, cheerful color.  Even a piece of unfinished fabric will do fine.  Or a substitute for a scarf might be a ribbon tied into a bow.  The snow people's *hats* could be almost anything -- a stocking cap, a straw hat, a piece of fabric or a winter headband. Use strands of yarn or pine needles for *hair* sticking out from under the hats and for a snow baby, just a pipe cleaner curl sticking straight up!   *Buttons* can be raisins, real buttons, cranberries or holly berries, all attached with a toothpick or they can be pieces of charcoal.  Mom might even look good in an apron!      

Or try building a snowmobile!  The February, 2002 issue of the Family Fun Magazine told how to do this, and I added a few extra instructions.  Since winter forts and snowmen are so common, why not upgrade to a fantastic snowmobile?  A little extra "snow-how" (see directions below) and some household supplies make this baby purr.  Once done, the kids can name their car (maybe Blizzard?) and go for a pretend joyride!  It would be a good idea to gather the necessary supplies now for a snowmobile and other possible snow activities, so you have them handy when the snows come.  Here are the directions:    

1. The Body: Using a shovel, mound snow up to form the sides of the car.  Fill in the hood and trunk areas.  Pack it firmly and trim away excess snow with your shovel or an old cookie sheet.  Once you've got the basic shape, it's a matter of customizing.  Using a garden trowel or spackling knife, kids can add tail fins, extend the back to create a pickup-truck bed for carrying passengers or hauling snowballs.  Or build a sporty design or a copy of your own car.     

2.  Engineering Factory Features:  You can make a radio antenna with a willow twig, a stick for a stick shift, and dashboard indicators made from colorful laundry detergent caps or toy box odds and ends.  The headlights can be two yellow or orange plastic cereal bowls or two halves of grapefruit rinds.  The tail lights could be rubber balls or plastic cups.  The wheels can be Frisbees or fancy wheels drawn on posterboard. Use a safe metal lid for the side mirrors or stick the handle of a hand mirror right into the snow.  For a steering wheel, use a disposable plastic plate, cut in the center and mounted on a bottomless plastic bottle.  Push that into the dash panel.  Several twigs pressed vertically into the front of the car can be the grille.  If your children have a bike horn, this would be a great addition!  A plastic toy lion would work as the hood ornament.  This snowmobile, of course, is a convertible, because you wouldn't want the roof to cave in!     

3.  Be sure to get several pictures with your children driving!  Smaller children can be lifted into the car by a teen or adult, so it doesn't get ruined.  Ladies, please be sure to send me a picture of the snow creations that you and your children make!  Or at least tell me about them.  I just wish Carl and I would have had these snowmobile directions back in our childhood years!

WINTER SUN CATCHERS

by Julie Druck, Editor of "A Heart for Home," a monthly e-mail newsletter for families.

To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to:  aheartforhome-subscribe@welovegod.org

My sister-in-law, Amy, threw an impromptu ice skating party last year when their pond froze over.  She and I helped each of our sons make these lovely sun catchers to hang in the branches of one of her trees.  They looked magical! 

Here’s how:  Place a sturdy disposable foil pan (or better yet, two inside of each other) on a cookie sheet.  Arrange orange rounds, cranberries, small pinecones and small pieces of pine branches in the pan and add enough water to cover them.  To hang them, cut sturdy twine into 2 lengths for each sun catcher (about 2 ft. each).  Lay one end of each piece of twine in the pan, submerging it at least several inches.  Place the pan in the freezer and store overnight or until frozen.  Remove the ice block from the pan (run a bit of warm water over the back if needed) and tie it to a tree with the ends of the twine.  It’s best to do this when the weather is very cold, so that the sun catchers don’t melt too quickly.  You could put them back in the freezer for another time if you want. 

A Fresh Evergreen Wreath

If you have never made your own fresh evergreen wreath, you may want to give it a try!  It is really quite easy and so rewarding to see your own handiwork hanging on your door, especially knowing the money you saved! 

Gather pine branches from the woods, use excess clippings from your Christmas tree, or ask for stray branches where Christmas trees are sold.  Keep the greenery outside until you are ready to make your wreath.  Purchase a green wire wreath ring and some sturdy green floral wire from a craft store.  You will also need a wire cutter and small branch pruners. 

Working from the outside of the circle in, simply layer small branches of greenery one at a time by twisting wire around each one to the ring, overlapping as you go. It won't look spectacular at first, but keep layering and twisting from the outside in.  When the wreath is as full as you want it, make a wire hook on the back and add a bow, if desired.  For extra color, a few Christmas picks can be added - either 3, 5, 6 or 7 look best. 

After Christmas remove the picks, but leave it up all winter or as long as it stays nice.  Misting it with water every now and then might help lengthen the freshness if using only the greenery.  Dismantle it when it looses its freshness, but save the wire ring for next year's wreath.

Crafts

FUN WINTER CRAFTS

These crafts would be fun winter gifts to send your grandchildren living a distance from you, with supplies and directions on how to make them.  This sled would also make cute Christmas ornaments for next Christmas - made assembly line style with your children or grandchildren. 

Craft Stick Sled

Penguin Finger Puppet  Snow Family Finger Puppets Pom Pom Polar Bear

Snowmen Fence
Snow Globe ~ A lovely art project for the children!  http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/blog/winter-snowglobe

FUN SPRING CRAFTS
Spring is right around the corner!  Last week I saw a periwinkle blooming in our front yard!  Goldfinches, coming to feast three feet from my kitchen window, are beginning to have more yellow feathers, and we've seen several convertibles with the tops down!  So after a few more cold snaps and maybe some snow, spring will be here!

Coffee Filter Flowers
Fingerprint Flowers
Sunshine Flower Pot  

Tips

Most of us keep our eyes open, L°Ô¿Ô°KING for good tips to make our lives easier, but if we can find tips that also save time and money, they are especially worth trying.  I would be interested to know if you try some of these tips and find them to be beneficial in your home!

 

Easy Way to Remove Strings from Mashed Sweet Potatoes ~ Use an electric mixer to mash your sweet potatoes.  Slowly lower the speed as you lift the beaters from the potatoes, to remove most of the potatoes.  You no doubt will find lots of strings clinging to your beaters.  Run water over the beaters to remove the strings, and repeat beating and removing strings from the beaters once more.  This makes for creamier and less stringy potatoes!

 

Auto Inspection Savings ~ Before my husband takes a vehicle for inspection, he always checks the lights, turning signals, windshield wipers, etc. himself, with my help.  Then he replaces whatever needs attention for a fraction of the cost, buying parts at an auto parts center.  If one doesn't know how to do this, it would be worth learning from a friend.

Mark Your Calendar for the months of future auto inspections, so you don't let it slip by and get a ticket.

 

Appliance Wholesale Distributors sell appliance parts for much less!  If you or your husband can replace a part safely without hiring a professional, you can save lots of money.  My husband bought a special appliance light bulb from an appliance wholesale distributor in town for 59 cents and replaced it himself.  The distributor where he bought the bulb told him that's exactly where that particular store buys all their appliance parts, but they were going to charge my husband $29.99 for that same little 59 cent bulb!  Not labor - just the bulb!

 

Check Your Roof After a Snow ~ If it's below freezing outside and the snow melts quickly on parts of your roof, the heat from your house may be helping to melt it, since warm air rises.  Check to see if you need more insulation in the attic.  That can make a huge difference in heating costs!  With heating bills "going through the roof," we need all the savings we can get!

 

Tax Credits ~ Storm windows and doors, thicker insulation in the attic and other home improvements can each save you a lot on fuel bills and you can take a tax credit too!  It's a win/win situation! 

 

Foaming Natural Dishwashing Liquid ~ Regular dishwashing liquids from the grocery store cause chapped and peeling skin for many people.  I couldn't resist the new foaming liquid by Dawn, but it wasn't kind to my hands at all, so I emptied the bottle to save for other types of jobs - possibly as a prewash on clothing stains.  Natural dishwashing liquid from a health food store is much easier on hands, and I stock up when it's on sale.  Wearing gloves, of course, is another alternative, but many of us find them to be bothersome.  This is my solution to the problem - using natural dishwashing liquid in the foaming dispenser at a 1 to 2 ratio - one part liquid soap with 2 parts water.  The foaming dispenser makes the natural liquid last much longer.  I soaked the bottle in hot water to remove the label, and Goo Gone removed the sticky residue.  Then I decoupaged a fabric flower on the front of the plain blue bottle, so now it looks like it really belongs in my kitchen.

                       

Preserving Baby Memories ~ After our daughter's family moved into a new house, I noticed our 3 year old grandson's nursery curtain (a topper) in storage.  I asked my daughter if she'd like me to preserve the memory of his baby nursery by turning the topper into four drawstring totebags for his toys, and she liked the idea.  When I made them, I removed the inside label, sewing it on the outside of one bag to expose the label, "Just Born."  I gave them to our grandson at the birth of his new baby sister, with a new toy, book, craft activity and game in each bag to open over a four-day period, letting him know he's still very special, even with a new baby sister in the house taking center stage.

 

Planning an Herb Garden ~  During the colder months, even while the snow still lies on the ground, why not look forward to spring, by thinking of starting an herb garden and drawing up plans?  Herbs usually flourish in spite of neglect - they love the hot sun and do well even in drought.  My favorite herbs are sweet basil, curly and flat leaf parsley, garlic chives, thyme, peppermint, tarragon, marjoram, oregano, sage and rosemary.  Small plants can be found at farmers' markets to plant after frost.  Basil is a tender plant when it comes to frost, but is very easy to grow.  Peppermint is delicious, but invasive, so plant that in pots or in an area where the roots will not invade other plants.  Check out a book on herbs from the library to help with your dreams and plans.

 

Hard Water Deposits on Showerheads and Nozzles ~ Vinegar is great to remove hard water mineral deposits around faucets, but have you ever noticed mineral deposits clogging the holes on your sink spray nozzle and showerhead?  Pour about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of straight white vinegar into a baggie and fasten it to a nozzle or showerhead with a strong rubberband until the deposits disappear.  Then reuse the same bag for another clogged nozzle or two.  Works like magic!

 

Easy Lunch Time ~ Eating lunches out on a job quickly drains a budget dry. Just in case you forget to pack your husband a lunch some day, supply him with a few things like canned soup, fruit, crackers, peanut butter and nuts to keep on hand at work.  For traveling keep fresh fruit, crackers, cheese, granola bars, and nuts handy.  Carry water bottles and healthy snacks in the car all the time.  While running errands, many times I've found it took longer than planned.  Rather than stopping for fast food, having a healthy snack and water in the car saved me from spending time or money on another purchase, especially an unhealthy snack or meal.

 

Lemon Juice without Seeds ~ Microwave lemons for a few seconds to get more juice from them.  Then squeeze half of a lemon, holding cheesecloth over the cut part, to catch the seeds.  Or hold it with the cut part upright, so the seeds won't fall out.

Good Marinade for Meat ~ Did you know that any brand of bottled Italian Salad Dressing makes a good marinade for meat?


Pastry Blender for Meat ~ When browning ground beef, try using a pastry blender to break the meat into smaller pieces, unless you are cooking in a Teflon pan.  It works much better than a fork.


Frozen Oranges and Lemons ~ Buy several oranges and lemons when they are on sale.  Put them in the freezer in Ziplock bags.  When a recipe calls for juice, just defrost in the microwave.  When a recipe calls for grated peel, it's easy to grate while frozen. 


Peeling Sweet Potatoes ~ For easy-to-peel baked sweet potatoes, rub the skin with vegetable oil before baking.  The skins will come right off.


Less Mess ~ Peel your vegetables over a half sheet of newspaper.  When you're finished, just fold up and throw it all away!


No Smoke While Broiling ~ When broiling meat, put 1/2 cup of water in the drip pan. There will be no smoke and cleanup will be a snap!

Oil in a Squirt Bottle ~ I keep oil in a honey bear squeeze bottle in a cabinet near the stove - with the lid off.  That way I can reach for the oil, squirt it into the pan, and put it back in the cabinet - all with one hand.  As often as we cook, little things like this save time and help a lot.

 

For Browning Meat ~ Keep whole grain flour in a sugar shaker container, so you can simply sprinkle flour over the meat before browning, rather than putting flour into a dish to coat the meat.  Flour is not wasted and you save using a dish for coating the meat with flour when using a sugar shaker.  Brown only one side of the meat, put in a pan with oil, floured side down, and sprinkle flour on the other side while in the pan before turning to brown the other side.

What to Do with White Rice? ~ Forget about eating white rice with the natural nutritional value bleached out.  Use any white rice you may still have in the house to make beanbags for children, a microwavable heat wrap for the neck, or draft dodgers to keep cold air outside.  Or fill a storage bin with white rice and sand toys for toddlers to have lots of indoor fun while it's too cold or rainy to play in a sand box outdoors.  A swivel sweeper will make quick work of the mess made indoors.

 

Large Chicken Breasts have too much meat for one serving, in my opinion.  Many times I slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts into two portions, after removing the fat.  My favorite way to shrink the portion is to slice each chicken breast in half, horizontally, and freeze the meat with plastic wrap between each piece, so they can be separated easily when needed. 

 

Easy Gourmet Chicken ~ Using a meat tenderizer mallet, pound each whole chicken breast with plastic wrap on both sides of the meat, stretching it to a larger flat piece of chicken.  Place a spinach filling or stuffing on the breast and tightly roll up to bake, placing the seam on the bottom.  This gourmet touch is very easy.  One large chicken breast can easily serve two people.  Top it off with a light sauce and a sprinkle of sweet basil or parsley.

 

No More Tears with Onions ~ Putting onions in the freezer for a while (don't freeze them though) helps cut down on tears. Also burn a candle nearby.  Peel the onion from the top without disturbing the root, which is the part that causes burning tears. Chop or dice the onion, leaving the root intact.  I cut down almost to the root all across the onion about 4 times, then give the onion a quarter turn and do the same thing.  Next I thinly slice the onion on a cutting board with a chef's knife, while clasping it with my left hand, as the root holds it all together.

 

Easiest Way to Get Rid of Onion Odor on Hands ~ After working with onions, wash with soap and water, then rub your hands over the chrome faucet several times.  This really works!

 

Extend the Life of Celery ~ Wrap celery in aluminum foil as soon as buying it and refrigerate it, for much longer lasting fresh celery.  It stays fresh for 3 weeks this way!

 

Quick Fix for Spots on Kitchen Floor ~ When you find a few spots on your kitchen or bathroom floor, that don't warrant getting the mop out and washing the entire surface, just drop a wet terry cleaning cloth on the floor and move it around with your shoe, cleaning the spots.  No need to get down on your hands and knees or even bend down, until you retrieve the cloth.

 

Pure Water ~ Distilling your own drinking water saves on buying and lugging 8 pound gallon jugs home from the store.  A water distiller removes chlorine, lead, and other harmful contaminates that are present in water and the taste is great, making it much easier to drink the large amount of water each day that we should.  If you drink distilled or reverse osmosis water, you will do well to check into liquid minerals, however.  Adding a few drops to each gallon will also change the Ph oh the water from acid to alkaline, which is better for health.  Plenty of pure, uncontaminated water is very important for all parts of our bodies - and even improves the complexion.

 

How Much Water Should We Drink Each Day? ~ Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.  That will tell you how many ounces of pure water you should drink each day.  A person weighing 130 pounds should drink 65 ounces of water every day.  With 32 ounces in a quart, that's one ounce more than 2 quarts (8 cups).  A person weighing 200 pounds needs to drink 100 ounces of water each day - more than 3 quarts.  If you have trouble keeping track of how much you drink, it helps to measure out the amount each morning in a juice pitcher, water bottles or Tupperware cups (2 cups/16 oz. each).  My doctor said headaches are sometimes brought on by forgetting to drink enough water.  Pure water removes toxins from our bodies. 

 

Make Do and Do-It-Yourself ~ The older generation would often say, "You can't squeeze blood from a turnip."  Or "Make do with what you have."  Then they would make whatever they needed!  If your parents were known to say things like that, you are probably creative, from their example and out of necessity.  Today we have lots of practical help with Do-It-Yourself information at our fingertips!  Do a search on specific projects at www.DIYnet.com,  www.HGTV.com, www.lowes.com and www.homedepot.com for step by step instructions; then print them out for your use.  Teaching video clips are available on these sites as well. 

 

Patching the Soap ~ Our son-in-law laughed so hard when he learned how we have always "patched the soap," as my husband calls it, by sticking the last sliver of soap onto the next bar, rather than tossing it.  My husband and I both grew up in homes where we were taught to do that, and continued with this money saving practice after we were married.  Later our son-in-law gave us a call, just to say he asked his best friend what he does with the last little bit of soap.  His friend said, "I just stick it onto the next bar of soap!"  So even some in the younger generation have learned this frugal trick!  We just save the slivers from each bar of soap, and when we have a few, I patch them all at the same time.  It works great to place a small amount of water in a shallow dish, place the sliver and a new bar of soap in the water, microwave for about 30 seconds, and press them together.

My Favorite Housecleaning Shortcuts ~ The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, lamb's wool dusters, the Swivel Sweeper, OxiClean, rubbing alcohol, and terry cloth cleaning cloths are my favorite housekeeping shortcuts, each helping to save lots of time and energy! 

 

Marks on Walls, Appliances, Floors ~ The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is truly magic!  I find more uses for it every week.  It removes coffee cup rings from a light countertop, without having to reach for bleach!  It removes stains from leather tennis shoes, appliances, scuffs on floors and the bottom of doors.  Dollar General has a less expensive brand that works just the same.

 

Lamb's Wool Dusters can pick up dust in a jiffy.  I use 3-4 at a time, and shake the dust off of all of them outside when they have done their job.  They come with long or short handles.

 

A Swivel Sweeper picks up surface dirt in just a few minutes, from all four sides without a cord following you around (rechargeable).  It swivels 360 degrees and allows you to maneuver around furniture and other objects easily! CVS and Hamricks have carried them for $39.95. www.swivelsweeper.com

 

OxiClean Works Great! ~ Even when clothing has gone through the dryer, only to find a stain afterwards, OxiClean still works most of the time.  Last week OxiClean removed black grease from a pair of khaki pants that had gone through the dryer and some unknown stains from two other items.  It works great on used baby clothes you might find at Goodwill or yard sales.

 

Spot Cleaning Clothes without a Water Spot ~ Using a clean terry cloth with some clear rubbing alcohol on it, gently wipe away the stain.  After it is removed, dry the spot with a hair dryer.  I've found this to work very well.

 

Rubbing Alcohol dabbed onto a terry cleaning cloth works as a great cleaner and germ killer, as well as being inexpensive.  Shine a bathroom in short order.  Start with the mirror, and wipe the countertop, faucet and sink.  Use another cloth to wipe over the bathtub faucet, tile and the tub.  Shine the towel racks and toilet tissue holder.  Wipe over the toilet - even the floor, in the same way.  Periodically wipe over all the doorknobs, light switches, and phones, especially during the cold and flu season.  I like to use wintergreen alcohol, but the plain alcohol works just as well.

 

Terry Cleaning Cloths ~ I don't even call these cloths "rags," because they are so nice to use - no holes.  Using thin, worn towels (without holes), I cut each bath towel into 8 sections, and zigzag, non-stop, all around the rounded edges with my sewing machine, assembly line style, without cutting the thread until the end.  Old hand towels, dish towels and washcloths work too.  Fluff them in the dryer to remove the lint before using as cleaning cloths.  I fold mine over once and stack them in bathrooms, laundry room and the hall closet for cleaning.  When laundering them, I skip the fabric softener so they are more absorbent.  We are still using cleaning cloths that used to be towels we received as wedding gifts 41 years ago!  If you don't have worn towels yet, check at yard sales, Salvation Army, and Goodwill.

 

Combining Discount Opportunities ~ One week at Kroger, after missing several weeks of grocery shopping, trying to use up what we had, I paid $140 for two full carts of groceries, but actually took home $244's worth of groceries - because of sale items, triple coupons, and my senior citizen discount.  That was fun - until I had to put all those groceries away!  Save trips to the store by keeping bread and milk in the freezer and planning to use what is already in the freezer, refrigerator and pantry.  Kroger doubles the value of coupons every day (50 cents and under) and periodically used to triple coupons. 

 

Longer Lasting Soap ~ If your bars of soap come in boxes, such as Dove Soap does, remove the bars from the boxes as soon as you buy them and store unwrapped in a large open box.  They will harden a little more this way and last longer. 

Pretty Gift Boxes ~  Save the soap boxes that bars of soap, such as Dove, come in, and make lovely little gift boxes!  Fold the top ends inside the box and tape down.  Using colorful fabric scraps or wrapping paper, cover the box and glue the ends, with seams on the sides of the box.  Avoid having the seam on the bottom of the box, because it won't stand up very well.  Trims of lace, ribbons and beads add a special creative touch too.  If you want, you can add a ribbon or raffia handle.  Even brown paper from a grocery bag that is sponge painted would make a nice gift box with a raffia handle.  Tuck a small gift into the box with colorful tissue paper.  This is perfect for earrings, a bracelet, or a small Christmas ornament!

Peanut Butter Suet ~ Wrens, nuthatches, tufted titmice, chickadees and woodpeckers especially love peanut butter suet!   Peanut butter and fat are good cold weather treats for birds because they need extra fat in their diet to keep their tiny bodies warm.  Peanut butter is perfectly safe for birds and they will not choke on it.  You can mix up your own mixture to save a lot of money though.  Mix shortening and peanut butter together.  Add flour and/or cornmeal, until it is easy to form into blocks to fit into a suet feeder.  You can even use flour or cornmeal that has become buggy, and the least expensive shortening and peanut butter will do fine.  I wrap the blocks in plastic wrap and put several in the waxed liners that I save from cereal boxes.  They can be stored at room temperature (preferably cooler), though they can also be refrigerated or frozen.  Do not add water or it will become as hard as a rock.  Guess how I know that?  I will warn you that raccoons dearly love this suet too.  They come at night, reach right into the feeder and dig it out!  Then in the morning you may see greasy little raccoon prints everywhere.  So I asked my husband if he'd build a wire cage surrounding our suet feeder, extending the space between the suet and the outside edge, with spaces for the smaller birds to go inside and feast.  That is working real well! 

Science Fair Ideas ~ It may be too late for your high schoolers to use these ideas this year, so you might file this for next year.  Robert Krampf has put together a quick list of 35 experiments, along with some suggestions for turning them into interesting science fair projects.  Some are simple, while others are more complex.  You will find projects for just about every grade level, especially if you get your creative juices flowing.  You can find the list at:  

http://krampf.com/members/science-fair-ideas  - Used by permission

 

Highlights for Kids http://www.highlightskids.com  ~ Highlights Magazine Links, Hidden Pictures, Games and Giggles, Express Yourself, Story Soup, Science in Action & Fun Finder

 

Babies Likes to Put and Take ~ Once your baby can sit up by himself, this is an activity that may help keep him occupied for a while.  Give him two small basins or sturdy plastic shoe boxes - one with small toys.  Teach him to take toys out of one basin and put them into the other one.  Babies and toddlers love this and the sound is fascinating to them as well.

 

Lego Play ~ Store Legos in covered containers or Ziplock bags.  Then when your children play with those creative little pieces, have them be creative as they play with them on a bar pan with sides or a storage bin with low sides.  That will prevent the many tiny pieces from becoming a choking hazard for smaller siblings, and barefooted parents won't keep stepping on them.

 

Diaper Pails ~ Try dumping a small container of whole coffee beans into a mesh bag.  Close the end and toss it into the bottom of your baby's diaper pail, below the bag.  His room may smell like Starbucks for a week, but soon that will vanish and you will no longer smell the diapers.

 

Excellent Step by Step Help with Getting Your Home Clean and Organized ~ www.flylady.com   A good many e-mails are involved, but this has helped many women get their homes in order, including Heart to Heart subscribers, who recommend this great resource. 

 

Lightbulb Penguin ~ Save burned out lightbulbs for crafts.  This is just one of the cute ornaments you can make:  http://familycrafts.about.com/od/penguincrafts/ss/lbpenguin.htm

 

Snowmen, Snowglobes and Snowflakes ~ http://www.hgtv.com/holidays-occasions/snowmen-snowglobes-and-snowflakes/index.html

 

Food Time Line ~ Ever wonder what foods the Vikings ate when they set off to explore the world?  How Thomas Jefferson made his ice cream?  What the pioneers cooled along the Oregon Trail?  Who invented the potato chip -- and why?  Welcome to the Food Timeline.  Great site for finding recipes related to the time period you or you children are studying.  www.foodtimeline.org  ~ Thanks to Debbie Klinect in Florida for mentioning this to me!

 

Thanks to Becky Noell in Georgia, for the following tips seen in the Home & Garden section of her local newspaper, and also sent by a friend.  Other than that, the source is unknown.

Easy Deviled Eggs ~ Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up.  Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up, mixing thoroughly.  Cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done for easy clean up. 

Expanding Frosting ~ When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar/calories per serving. 

Reheating Refrigerated Bread ~ To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster. 

Newspaper Weeds Away ~ When you start putting in your plants, work nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers and put layers around the plants, overlapping as you go.  Cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic, but they will not get through wet newspapers.

Retrieving Bits of Broken Glass ~ Use a dry cotton ball to pick up tiny broken glass pieces of glass. The fibers catch ones you can't see!

 

Easier Thank You Notes ~ When you throw a bridal/baby shower, buy a pack of thank you notes for the guest of honor. During the party, pass out the envelopes and have everyone put their address on one. When the bride/new mom sends the thank you notes, they're all addressed!

In Case of Stolen Bike ~ If you purchase a new bike for your child, place his/her (ID) inside the handle bar before placing the grips on.  If the bike is stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof of who owns the bike. 

Flexible Vacuum ~ To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge, add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings. 

Reducing Static Cling ~ Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and - voila - static is gone. 

Measuring Peanut Butter or Honey ~  Before pouring sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water.  Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup.  Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out. 

 

Foggy Windshield? ~ Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

Leg Shaving Conditioner ~  Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

 

Tips and Tidbits

Knitted Dishcloth Directions ~ Thanks to Linda Crosby in Virginia for these directions!  This pattern starts in one corner.  You will have a triangular-shaped piece until half way through, but end up with a square.

Use Sugar 'N Cream (or comparable) 4 ply cotton knitting yarn and size 8 needles.
 
Cast on 4 stitches; Knit 4 stitches; Knit 2 stitches, yarn over, knit to end.
 
Continue this row until you have 43 or 45 stiches on needle (depending on size you want)
 
Next row:  Knit 1 stitch, Knit 2 together, yarn over, knit 2 together, knit to end of row.  
 
Continue until there are 4 stitches; bind off


Sparkling Windows ~ Recently I discovered a wonderful way of cleaning windows. When the windows are clean the whole rooms seems to sparkle. My sister who lives in Germany, shared this great way of cleaning windows with me and I wanted to pass it on to you. Incidentally it also works great on car windows, without having to breath in all the ammonia from traditional window cleaners. You will need to purchase tea tree oil, and 2 microfiber cloths. Mix 8 drops of tea tree oil in 2 qt. of warm water. With one of the microfiber cloths wash the window and dry with the other cloth. It is fast, the windows look beautiful, and you get it done in half the time. Tea tree oil also works great on mosquito bites. I rub a little on the bite, the itching stops, and I don't have "bite bumps" the next day. ~ Barbara Hassell in Virginia

Wax on a Carpet or Tablecloth ~ You can safely remove the wax by folding a brown paper grocery bag over two of three times and placing it on top of the wax. Using a warm iron (not hot), iron back and forth over the wax. The bag will absorb the wax as it melts. If the candle has a lot of dye in it, however, and your carpet is light in color, the spot may remain. I have had a white tablecloth for years with the wax removed, but the red dye still remains. No matter what I have used on the stain, it won’t budge. It happens to be at a spot where a candle holder with a candle ring will cover it. If you have an unmovable dye spot on your tablecloth, maybe a trivet could go over a stubborn spot, or a garland of ivy or flowers if it is near the center of the table. Of course, table runners are a great addition to a tablecloth and they are very easy to make with or without a pattern. There are several ways to prevent candle wax drippings. Freezing candles just before lighting them helps. You can purchase glass rings to slip down over your tapered candles to catch the drippings. A ring of wax paper could also be placed under the candle ring, where it wouldn't be seen, yet it would do the job. Using a candle snuffer rather than blowing out your candles can help prevent candle wax from being blown onto your tablecloth. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” 

For Bird Lovers and Everyone Else ~ http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=2219299085003&source=jl999  Thanks to Alice Stoddard in Virginia who sent this card to me!

Bird Watching ~ I get so much pleasure from watching the birds come to our feeders, and keep my camera handy. There are several concoctions you can make to keep the birds coming. I usually mix peanut butter, shortening and flour together. Sometimes I add cornmeal, soy nuts, raisins or sunflower seeds, but these aren’t necessary.  Another concoction is simply peanut butter and corn meal.  I tried mixing flax seed meal in suet, but they didn't like it, and it smelled bad to me after a few days.  So we learn by mistakes!

All of these suet mixes especially attract Carolina wrens, chickadees, tufted titmice, downy woodpeckers, nuthatches, finches, catbirds and mocking birds. If you or your neighbor's Christmas tree is out by the curb waiting to be picked up, remember that you could use it to attract birds to your backyard. Stick it in the ground in an unused spot of your garden or flowerbed. The birds will use the tree for shelter. String popcorn, unshelled peanuts and cranberries around the tree. Cut a few grapefruit and oranges in half, eat out the fruit and fill the halves with the peanut butter mixture above, bacon fat or beef tallow. Ask for "fat for the birds" in the meat department of your grocery store. Sometimes it is free.

Use pipe cleaners to hang the citrus treats in the tree. Your family will have hours of entertainment and enjoyment by watching these interesting creatures! I read how one person saves the fat from cooking bacon to feed the birds. After the bacon fat is cooled to room temperature, she adds bird seed, cranberries, and raw peanuts, and shapes it into a block the size of suet blocks one can buy.

Keeping Kids Warm in Bed on a Cold Night ~ Fill a hot water bottle with hot, not scalding water, screw on the lid very tightly, wrap a thin blanket around it and let your little one snuggle it and keep warm as she goes to sleep! Or use two-liter soda bottles as hot water bottles!  Growing up on a farm in the north, we used to take hot bricks to bed (heated in the wood kitchen stove), wrapped in tea towels, to keep our feet warm in bed!  I've actually used a hot water bottle on these frigid winter nights lately.  Flannel sheets help immensely as well!

Mitten Extenders and Leg Warmers ~ Save ribbed cuffs from sweaters, sweatshirts, or just use socks. Cut off the ribbing and pull them up over the mittens, continuing up over each coat sleeve. This will keep the cold air and snow from making your children get too cold while out in the freezing temperatures. You could also make your own leg warmers in the same way.

American Doll Clothes ~ Outfits for the American Dolls are rather pricy. However, if you buy a pattern for $1 during a sale, and stock up on patterns for dolls 18” tall, you could save a bundle, and have lots of fun doing it! Of course, fabric remnants, already marked way down, with some lace and small buttons, will end up being a real bargain, as well as making some special girls very happy!

Help for Blended Families ~ The week of November 15, 2010, Focus on the Family had a very helpful three-day series about blended families on their radio broadcast. If you are a step-mom, you will find valuable help by going to www.focusonthefamily.com and either listening or ordering the CD. There doesn’t seem to be enough Christian information on this subject, so here you go!

We WHISK you a Merry KISSmas! ~ For a cute gift, my friend, Nina Graffs in Wisconsin filled whisks full of Hershey's kisses, wrapped each one in cellophane, tied with a ribbon and wrote on a tag, "We WHISK you a Merry KISSmas!" Cute little gifts!