Mrs T's Virtual Chef Video Contest!

Now through Wednesday, May 9th, Mrs. T's is calling all creative home cooks to submit a short video describing their favorite pierogy recipe and why they deserve to be the next Virtual Pierogy Chef. Once all entries have been received, five finalists will be chosen and the winner will be determined by a public vote. The winner will be awarded $5,000, a six-month supply of pierogies and enrollment in local culinary classes!

For additional details and official contest rules, visit Mrs. T's Pierogies Facebook page

Squidoo Hopping--Making My Way Updating

Good Thursday morning! It's that time of the week to share some squidoo love.

I've still been updating---a lot.  Ok, a lot for me is probably nothing to others, but I am slowly working through my messy record book.  As I update a lens it's going into my new notebook where I am keeping the lenses in alphabetical order.

I have the front page in my notebook a list of ways to update lenses.  This list keeps growing.  I started the list by using Virginia Allains lens: Easy Updates for Squidoo Lenses

Here is my list so far.  If you have any other things for me to add to the list, please comment and let me know!

1.  Add a charity to give 10% to
2.  change theme background
3.  Intro--change the title, make sure photo has a file name, first sentence contains key words, make sure the intro is long enough.
4.  Make sure 6 of my own lenses are in the discovery section.
5.  Make sure the table of contents is turned on, or use the table of contents module.
6.  Use lots of photos, graphics, zazzle products related to the lens.
7.  Sign back up for allposters and get some related posters thrown in
8.  Use html for back grounds and borders in modules.
9.  amazon spotlight in the sidebar
10.  add countdowns to appropriate lenses or update the ones already there.
11.  add polls, quizes, duels and/or predictions
12.  add rss feed related to lens
13.  add flickr photos
14.  Use the big arrow module to make a link stand out
15.  feature an important sentence in a talk bubble
16.  check amazon modules to make sure products are still available
17.  check that videos are still available
18.  make intro photo minimum 250x250
19.  make sure all photos that are not my own are properly attributed
20.  place an add on such as the flag counter
21.  Put a related graphic from zazzle in the guest book module
22.  add the follow me on pinterest button
23.  change all featured lenses modules over using  squidtools instead
24.  add a sticky note
25.  check to make sure the topics are correct
26.  check tags


As you can see, I have a lot to choose from, enabling me to do little updates here and there to keep the ranking up a bit along the way.  I am finding this so much more fun than sitting for hours updating just one lens.


Now it's your turn!  Comment below if you have any other update ideas to add to my list.  Link up any blog posts you have about squidoo----or link up 1 or 2 of your lenses.  Thanks!!

WIP Wednesday--Progress Made!

I'm happy to say I did make progress on both of my quilts this past week.  Mostly due to going to sit n' sew at the local quilt shop.  It's a shame that it takes me taking my sewing machine away from home to get any sewing done.

Here is the scrappy quilt again.  I just have to finish up the binding.  And, again, I do hope to have it done for a TGIFF post. 

I am pleased with my progress on my string type quilt.  I can't believe I thought I would have it done back in February though!

And, here is my 2 week check in on my granny a day challenge blanket.  This is day 109.

I am linking up with the following blogs:
 

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Frugal Friday Link Up--8 Uses for Tea

Happy Friday! Not really anything personally for me to report on frugality this week. I should be working on coupons but I haven't been. I need to start reading coupon savings blogs and get inspired!
It's that time of year that I can start hanging the clothes on the line but I keep forgetting :( I must start doing that to save on the electric bill.
Hubby and I must sit and make out a budget. I had to visit the food bank this week to get us through until next Friday's payday because there was nothing left after bills.....and won't be this week either. (sigh)

But...on to this week's share from the 99 Cent Solutions book. This week it's 8 uses for tea.

1. Keep the fridge fresh. Did you know that tea bags do a better job of keeping odors down better than baking soda? Put 3 or 4 tea bags around the fridge and odors will be readily absorbed. Change them out ever few weeks.

2. Use tea in your smoker. Open a few tea bags and sprinkle the tea leaves over the soaked wood chips. The tea will give your food a distinctive, unique flavor.

3. Help heal pink eye. Make a tea bag compress by wetting the tea bag, squeezing out the excess. Have the child lie still with the tea bag on the eyelid for 10 minutes. The tannin helps the swelling go right down. (One grandchild sent home from school yesterday with pink eye. I'm going to have to tell my daughter to try this.)

4. Brighten dark hair. Pour a quart of warm dark tea through your hair after a mild shampoo and make your hair feel soft again. Summer sun and chlorine makes your hair rough and dry. This will do the trick.

5. Freshen your feet. Each night soak your feet in a basin of strong tea for 20 minutes. After a week or 2 you should notice a real difference in both the sweat and odor output of your feet.

6. Clean delicate oriental rugs. Empty the contents of 6 tea bags in to a bowl and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of water over this. Sprinkle the barely damp tea leaves on the rug and ten brush them off vigorously with a clean broom. the tea leaves will draw out dust and dirt without leaving any stain or color on the rug.

7. Feed your roses. Rosebushes love the tannins in the tea leaves, so if you are a regular tea drinker, keep your tea leaves in a compost bowl by your kitchen sink. Dump them around the rose bushes once a week.

8. Speed up compost. If your compost pile is not composting, pour a few cups of strong brewed tea on it. The acid in the tea will jump-start the compost, encouraging the acid-loving bacteria that makes the whole thing work. (oh how I wish I had known about this last year--I would have actually had some compost for a garden this year!)

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Squidoo Hopping--Updating Away

Welcome to another week of squidoo hopping!
I have been busily updating lenses. I have---youch!---14 lenses in the red. My goal is to get those out of the red. It looks like 2 that I updated have moved out of the red, but 2 more moved into the red.

So, is it smart of me to keep working on those, or is it smarter to concentrate on those that are in tier 3 and above instead? I sure don't want those to drop down, since if I am understanding correctly, we don't make anything on lenses that are below tier 3, or over 86,000 in rank. Is this correct?

I am placing 2 of my in the red lenses (that I have done some updates on) in the linky below this week. Please bear in mind that both can still have a lot of updating done to them. I am just doing 2 or 3 updates at a time.

Some of my updates include checking the tags and the topic. I've been surprised to find out that I had only 3 or 4 tags! Not only that, but the lenses have not even been in the right topic....or they were in the right topic but didn't have any sub topics chosen. I think this goes way back to when they changed to add more sub topics and I never went through my lenses.

I do hope to see many of you link up below :)

WIP Wednesday--Scrappy Quilt is Almost Done

I have still not sat behind my sewing machine to do any work since March 19th---other than yesterday at sewing club at my church.  I spent the day working on finishing up the scrappy quilt.  I just have to finish the tying and put on the binding and it will be done!  I am in hopes of having it done by Friday for the TGIFF post but not making any promises to myself or to you all with everything else I try to cram into my days.
My daughter took this photo of me yesterday getting started on the tying.  The blue in the back is the binding I have ready to sew on.

   If you remember, I am now going to share my granny a square challenge progress every other week.  But, while at church yesterday I got to look through the yarn stash we have there.  The yarn is donated to make the prayer shawls.  The lad in charge let me pay a little bit of money to buy the yarn "scraps" out of the boxes so that I can use them in my granny square blanket.  I'm excited as there were some pretty colors to add to my blanket.  I also brought home 4 skeins to make a shawl with.  I have an idea of making one with granny squares.

In other news, if you remember last week, I shared a picture of loads of netting.  I did get it all cut into strips and worked on making scrubbies.  I ended up getting 19 made (as shown in my jar below)  I sold most of them at my daughter's yard sale, so that worked out to give me a little cash in my pocket.  I've not made anymore yet, but should since they will be having another sale. 

 That's my report for this week.  I am linking up with the following blogs:

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