As many of you know, my daughter, Jasmine is now home from England. Amazingly enough she came home with over half the money my husband and I sent with her for spending money. She was helped a bit by some giving her money spending money at the airport. She converted that to Euros before using the Visa gift card.
She's kind of been on a spending spree with her card since being home though. It's been mostly for the family though and not for herself. We are struggling financially (don't ask--hubby needs a money counselor!) so she took us out to eat at Arby's as well as bought some groceries. Hopefully we can squeak out some money from today's paycheck for groceries. I've been working at getting my coupons cut and in to my binder. Something I've not done for about 6 weeks. I have my work cut out for me once again. I can't save though if I don't know what I have, or if I know there is a coupon out, I can't find it!
Let's move on to sharing from the 99 Cent Solutions book. This week it's 4 uses for different spices. If you try these, be on the lookout at your dollar stores as most carry the spices very cheaply.
1. Discourage insects. The pungent fragrances that humans so enjoy are the same scents that make bugs scurry for cover. Keep ants and other insects out of your flour and sugar by putting a bay leaf into the container. Put apple-pie spice into a small squares of fabric and tie it tightly with a string. Hand this easy sachet in moist places such as under the sink and behind the washer to discourage silverfish.
2. Keep thermoses and storage jars fresh. Drop a whole clove into the bottom of a container that you usually store closed. This will eliminate the stale smell from it being closed. Just remember to discard the clove before filling the thermos.
3. Take care of those smelly sneakers. Crumble up a bit of dried sage into each show before putting it on. Sage is not only gently fragrant, but it actually kills the bacteria that make those shoes smell so bad. Shake out the flecks at night, and add a new leaf the next day. (This is a must try at our house!)
4. Keep your dark hair glossy. If you have black, brown, or chestnut colored hair, you can keep it glossy by using a weekly herbal tea rinse. In three cups of boiling water, steep 1 teaspoon each of dried rosemary, sage, and allspice, along with 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves. Strain through a paper towel or a coffee filter and let it cool. Use this as your final rinse after washing your hair.
Youth Minister, Andy, being silly.
Big Ben?
