Frugal Friday Link Up 8/31/12

Thank goodness it's Friday---or so they say.  This has been another incredibly busy week for me and it's not over until Saturday is done.
I apologize for not doing this post last week.  It was hubby's week vacation.  He let me sleep in a bit Friday morning then we took off shopping---for 3 hours!  Nothing too frugal about that except the coupons that I used.  We had to replace the kitchen faucet that wouldn't stop dripping.  Replacing it was a good idea, but buying one for over half the amount of what we could have bought was an extravagance.  

I just got home from Walmart.  There I found a cart full of cute school supply type items.  They were normally up to $2.28 each and now just .50.  Yes, I'm thinking Christmas.  The kids love this kind of stuff.   I could have bought a lot more than I did!

For this week's share from the 99 Cent Solutions book I am sharing uses for cotton balls.
1.  Light my fire.  I think we've all heard of using dryer lint as a fire starter.  You can also use cotton balls.  Rub the cotton balls with petroleum jelly and store them in a zipper bag.  Take it along on your camping trip along with water proof matches and a lighter.  When making your fire just pull a few strands of the cotton ball and place it into your pile of tinder or wood.  Instant fire starter. (and a lot less expensive than buying lighter fluid.)

2.  Calm your flight.  Dribble lavender oil or clary sage onto a few cotton balls and place them into a zipper bag.  Take them out of the bag during the flight for instant tension relief.

3.  Freshen your car.  Take that stale stink out of your car with cotton balls.  Soak a few in eucalyptus oil, tea tree oil, or vanilla extract and transport them to your car in a zipper bag.  Take a few out of the bag and place them some place out of the way, such as the cup holder, and refresh your ride.

4.  Squash bugs.  Soak cotton balls in bug repellent and place them in a zipper bag to carry along with you.  Dab your skin with the cotton balls whenever you sense trouble.  Less trouble than carrying a can with you, and less likely to spill in your purse or suitcase.

5.  Tackle mildew in crevices.  No need for elbow grease in those hard to reach areas to clean your bathroom.  Just place cotton balls soaked in bleach in those corners, behind the faucets etc.  Let the cotton ball sit until you are done with your other cleaning.  Once done, remove the cotton balls and rinse with warm water.

Your turn!  What frugal posts have you shared this past week?

 

Combat Source Kill MAX Ant Giveaway and More!

Have you been troubled by ants this season?  Are you wondering how to get rid of ants?

Combat has just what you are looking for.   Try the Combat Source Kill Max ant bait stations.  A box contains 6 child-resistant bait stations.  Place the baits where you are frequently seeing the ants--under the sink, in a window sill etc.
The ants enter the bait station, eat the bait and carry it back to the nest.  The ants then pass the bait on to the queen and destroy the entire colony.

Or, try the Combat Source Kill Max ant gel.    The gel provides fast control of ants in just 3-5 days.  It contains Fipronil, the fast-acting ingredient.  The speed is still slow enough for the ants to carry the bait back to the next and feed it to larvae and the queen so that the whole colony is killed through the Domino Effect.
The gel does have a sweet odor so you will want to make sure to put it out where your animals and children can't get in to it.  Use it in the window sill, under the stove, behind the refrigerator, under the sink etc.
Here is a photo of hubby putting out at the back under our sink:

  I was wondering just how to get rid of the ants, so I was glad to get a chance to try the Combat products.  It's great that we have not seen one ant in the kitchen since putting the gel out.
I have put the baits in various places, even including under the bathroom sinks.
I really like how easy the baits and gels are to use...and none of that awful smell from using a spray!

Baits and Gels VS. Sprays:
(Information taken from http://www.combatbugs.com/articles/baits-gels-vs-sprays)
1.  Unlike spray insecticides, Combat roach and ant baits are attractants
2.  The interval between ingestion and death gives ants and roaches the time necessary to carry the insecticide back to the main colony where it’s spread amongst the rest of the pests.
3.  Spray and aerosol insecticides, on the other hand, are repellants, designed to kill on contact. While they provide short-lived satisfaction by killing the insects you see, they do nothing to solve the larger issue of a pest infestation you cannot see.

Combat is holding a $1000 sweepstakes!!  One lucky winner will get $1000 to hold their very own Bug Free Backyard Bash.  The winner will also receive an assortment of Combat brand product to ensure ants don't spoil the bash.
Click HERE to get your entry in now.
While you are there, also print off a $1 coupon as well.

One of my lucky blog readers will win a free box of Combat Source Kill MAX Ant Gel.  Entries are easy using the rafflecopter below.

Please note--Giveaway is open to US residents only 18 years or older.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me with their information or another winner will be chosen. 

Disclaimer:  As a member of PurexInsiders, Combat provided me with the Combat Ant products for the purpose of this review and giveaway.  I was not compensated in any other way, and all opinions are my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Squidoo Hopping--This Week's Theme is History

Good Thursday to all!

This week I am choosing history to be the theme.
There are lots of interesting pieces of history.
Maybe your lens is a specific date in history, maybe a specific time in history, maybe an event in history, maybe even teaching history.  The list goes on.

Remember to link up any blog posts about squidoo as well as your lenses for the week.

 

WIP Wednesday--Back to Work

I am trying really hard to get into a routine where, no matter how busy my day is, that I make it in to my craft room each day.

After crocheting and crocheting granny squares, I realized again that I do not have enough yarn to make all the squares needed to finish out the challenge for the year.
I picked up some yarn from church yesterday.  I'm knitting one prayer shawl and will crochet another one.  I will then have the left over yarn from those for my granny squares.

Here is my granny square a day 2012 challenge blanket---day 242, August 29:

 
Here is what I got done on the knitted prayer shawl so far.  Knitting is not really my thing.  THe pattern states to knit 3, pearl 3 on each row.  I tried that 3 times and all 3 times I just ended up with a confused mess.  I thought it would be easy, but I gave up.  I am just doing it totally in knit.

I completed my block of the month block.  About time since Sampler is this Saturday.  Nothing like last minute for me.
This is called Clay's Choice:

I did get my quilt pieces laid out for the quilt I am making for sewing club at church.  I didn't do anything past get my lines for half square triangles on that pile of smaller squares that you see.

At quilt guild this week the speaker showed us a super cool pattern.  I'm itching to start in on it.  I do NOT need to start something new with still so many UFO's hanging around, but I will do it anyway.  I even bought my middle fabric yesterday.

Off the top of my head I know that I have 3 sets of bibs to complete, 2 table runners, a child's quilt, the Halloween bags, and of course my crochet and knit projects as well.  IF I can stick with my plan to work in my craft room every day no matter what, things will start to get done.

I am linking up with the following blogs:

 

Squidoo Hopping--This Week's Theme is Cooking

This week's theme is cooking---recipes, time saving tips, cookware, etc.  Any lenses that have something to do with cooking will fit in.

Don't forget that if you blog about squidoo to link up those posts too!

 

WIP Wednesday--We are on mini-vacation

Nothing unusual about the fact that I didn't get any sewing done this past week  :(
In fact, I don't remember working on any crafts...hhmmm

We are, however, on our mini 2 day vacation away from home.  I crocheted granny squares on the way here to Dodge City.  Looking at them laid out I think it will take 9 on each side for my pillow.....at least I hope.  I will crochet more on the way home this evening.  At least I will be able to say I did work on something.

We stopped on the way here and went to a museum.  I loved this sign we seen there:

We are having a good time.  Hubby and I left Jasmine at the motel while we checked out the casino.  That was fun, and we were good and only had so much to  use on the slots (we played the penny slots) and we came back with most of that.
We just got back from the free breakfast here at Days Inn.  Wow...I was impressed with the food choices!
We are about to get packed up and head out to Boot Hill.
I wish we could have a vacation and stay somewhere at least 3 or 4 nights....maybe next year  :)

I am linking up with these blogs:


 

Frugal Friday Link Up 8/17/12

Whoa! It has yet again been a busting busy week for me away from home. Doesn't end until at least after Sunday. Next week is hubby's vacation and we do have an overnight trip planned at least. We've been saving change for it...as well as he has been saving the money he makes mowing the neighbors lawn too.

My mind is flying!

I had another great shopping trip yesterday saving 82% after coupons and sales. I used $34.22 in coupons including the additional $10 off for buying the 20 items. I paid $10.44 out of pocket for what you see in the picture:

This week I am sharing 4 uses for chest rub from the 99 Cent Solutions book:
1. Kick the cough. Rubbing a chest rub containing camphor or menthol over your chest and throw will relieve the pain in your chest as well as stop the cough itself.

2. Steam away your stuffiness. Add a teaspoon of vaporizing chest rub to a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Remove the pot from the stove and lean over it, keeping your face about 18 inches away. Place a towel over your head and shoulders to make a dome over the water. Breathe in the steam and your sinuses should be better shortly.

3. Chest rub for your feet. Pamper your sore feet with chest rub at night. Cover them with the goo, put on a pair of socks to protect your sheets, and go to bed as usual. You will have happy feet in the morning.

4. Tick off ticks and other pesky bugs. Don't give gnats, mosquitoes and ticks a chance to bother you next time you venture out in to the great outdoors. Slather on a good dose of check rub on your legs and pants to repel the bugs. Just like us, they want to stay far away from that smell.


Your turn! Encourage us all by sharing your frugal related posts. Remember that the linky remains active for a week.

Squidoo Hopping--This Week's Theme is School

Yesterday was the first day of public school here in our city.  Today is the first day for high school.  Usually we start slow into our schoolwork on August 1, since that is the first day of the fiscal school year.  This year is different only because my daughter now has a boyfriend and today is his first day.  Therefore it's also our first day and time to get serious!

This is why I choose school to be this week's theme.  Please share a lens or two below in the linky that have anything to do with school. (I will be building a new lens later today to get us started for this school year.)
Don't worry...if you don't build lenses related to school, feel free to share 1 or 2 of your other lenses.

Also, share any blog posts you have done that have anything to do with squidoo!

 

WIP Wednesday--8/15/12

I couldn't think of a title today.  It's been a busy week!

I was able to complete 4 Halloween fabric bags at sit n' sew at the quilt shop.  I have 4 more cut and even some sewing done on a couple of them.  Here is just one of the prints that I made:

Here is the picture I took late last night of the prayer shawl.  I did get in to a movie afterwards and did get the rest of the fringe put on.  They have posted a need for more prayer shawls, so despite not wanting to start anything new until completing a lot of what I have started, I will be getting yarn and starting another prayer shawl.  I haven't decided if I will crochet it or knit it.

 Yesterday was sewing club at church.  I don't feel like I moved much on the quilt I am working on.  I put together some more of my larger half triangles, and started on all the half triangles for around those larger ones.  I am in hopes of laying the materials out on my craft table here at home and putting in some time each day on working on it.  Seriously this is going to take me over a year just to get the top done!

 Finally for today, here is my granny square a day 2012 blanket---day 228, August 15.   I did get more colors after finishing up the prayer shawl above, but I'm still nervous about having enough yarn to finish this project out.  I'm anxious to get all the squares made that I can to see if I do have enough yarn.  That's Ellie sitting in the middle of it---it's usually Molly in the middle of my pictures  LOL

 

I really need to get a list put together this week of projects that I have started and place it on the bulletin board in my craft room.  I didn't make any further progress on my craft room other than picking up some of the grandkids' toys.  I plan on just putting those in the garage.  They have plenty in the cabinet and drawers in the hallway to keep them busy while they are over here.  Their books will remain on the shelf in my craft room for now.

I am linking up with the following blogs:

Frugal Friday Link Up--Uses for Calamine Lotion

Wow! Another week has flown by....and another week that I have just been on the go almost constantly.
We did get some rain this week, which helps on the water bill. I've not done my usual amount of laundry this week due to time constraints, but I did have to dry one load in the dryer due to the rain.

I'm behind again on getting my coupons cut and into my binder, but I am working daily on it. I have a shopping trip with coupons planned this morning to Walmart. I'm hoping for enough items to be available with overage to cover some of the one item I need to buy without a coupon. Hopefully the shelves aren't emptied of those products once I get there. That has to be the most aggravating part of couponing.....making your list, getting your coupons ready, then getting to the store and finding that other couponers have already cleared the shelves.

This week I am sharing different ways to use calamine lotion from the 99 cent solutions book:

1. Calamine lotion is not only great to soothe poison ivy, but also a great relief for heat rash.

2. It's good to take an antihistamine for relief from hives, but you will get even more relief by also applying calamine lotion.

3. Use calamine lotion on blisters. The lotion draws out the moisture as it dries.

4. Think pink for Halloween. Dabbing a few layers of calamine lotion on your face and skin with a cotton ball will achieve that ghostly white pallor. Apply it evenly.


Your turn to share your recent frugal posts!