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Frugal Friday Link Up--3 Uses for Spam

Welcome to Friday. I really slept in today. I'm sure it's because my body really needed the rest...maybe my mind too!

I've had lots of thoughts on saving money this past week. Basic things such as not having excess lights on in the house, getting my coupons in order, using up leftovers for meals. Paying the bills today is top priority and then forcing my husband to take a realistic view of a budget and making him understand that just because there is some money in the bank, doesn't mean that he can spend it. Does anyone else have this problem with their hubby?

Today's share from the 99 cent solutions book is 3 uses for Spam---yes, Spam!

1. Polish wood furniture. Cut off a chunk of Spam, wipe it across your wood tabletop, and polish it off with a soft cloth. Spam has no harmful chemicals and no silicone that will build up like many furniture polishes have.

2. De-mist mirrors. Wipe a chunk of Spam across a mirror and wipe it off with a soft cloth. The light coatung of oil it will leave behind is invisible, and your mirror won't steam up for weeks!

3. Catch fish. A chunk of Spam is what catfish or carp fishermen will tell you to use. Take 2 cans on your next fishing trip--one for the fish, and one for you.

The book also shares 2 pages on the history of Spam.

Who would have thought of some of the things I see in this book. I need opinions please. Would you like me to continue through the book as I am, or would it be better if I read through the book and just note things that I really think are good? At the rate I am going, it will be 2 years from now before I share everything in the book the way I am doing it. That's ok, as I do plan to still be here 2 years from now ;)

Would you like to buy your own copy?


Now it's your turn to link up!

Squidoo Hopping! --VAllain's Lens Updating Challenge

Lensmaster vallain (Virginia Allain) has issued a challenge. The challenge is to pick up to 3 of our lenses that rank between 200,000 and 250,000 and update them 3 times over a period of days. No advertising, or linking up that you have updated them until the end of the challenge. Hey, that is a challenge within itself. The experiment is to see how lensrank does with updating alone.

Hop on over to her lens or full details.  I am sure happy that I did!  She links in others lenses that will really help you with updating and making your lenses stand out as well.  Thank you Virginia!

Squidoo Updates/Lensrank Challenge

As you know, I've just not had the motivation needed to do much work on lenses the past few weeks.  I hope this challenge will give me what I need and that I can keep it up!

No....I can't share which 3 lenses I chose to update, but they will be revealed in the end.  I will say that these lenses really needed to be updated!  Ugh!  They were boring, lacked content....so much in fact that I wonder how they were even in the 200,000 ranking to begin with!  I'm also glad that there are 3 updatings with the challenge because then I can take my time at getting in the updates that should have been done on these a long time ago.

For this week in the linky I am going to randomly pick a couple of my other lenses to share.  I do hope to see lots of link ups.

WIP Wednesday 3/21/12--My Camera is in England but......

......I made sure to get pics for this week before sending it off with my daughter.  Yes, I sent my camera to England with my daughter, in the hopes that she doesn't lose it while she is there!  Of course that she also gets tons of pictures taken.  She doesn't return until the evening next Wednesday so pictures will be about none next week...unless I try to figure out how to save my cell phone pics to the computer.

I've gotten more work done on the cross magnets while out and about but didn't take a picture.  I think I made 7 or 8 more and have magnets for 12 more.  They are sometimes good sellers at our garage sales, which will be starting soon.

I worked more on the flower quilt I am working on:

 I am happy with my progress on the scrappy quilt for sewing club at church....just 2 more rows to sew together, and they are pinned ready to be sewn.  This one has been fun...like putting together a puzzle and I love the way it looks.  I thought of making one to put up for sale, then thought no, but now I am thinking why not?  It takes forever, but hopefully eventually I would get it done.

 We are on Day 81 of the Granny a Day 2012 challenge.  I am worked through next week with a picture so I will at least have that to share next Wednesday.  You might notice that I have started putting the edging on as well as far as I could.  That's Molly posing pretty on the bed with it.

 The remainder of this week must be working on the other 2 walker bags for quilt guild.  They need to be turned in on Monday.  No sewing today----I stayed up until 4 am watching my daughters flight to London online---and it's a cloudy rainy day too, so I have no energy---plus hubby and I are cooking today for supper at church tonight too.

I am linking up with the following blogs:
     

TGIFF--Two Walker Bags

 

It's been a few weeks since I've posted a finish on Friday.  I had meant to post one of my pink walker bags, but now I have a second one complete.  I still have a blue one and a green one to complete.

We are making these in our Quilt Guild as a community service project.  They are being donated for auction and all proceeds go to help families of cancer patients with medical expenses.  Current count from the guild turned in is 40 bags....who knows how many more there will be when we meet again on the 26th, but I will have 4 of them done.

I'm also thinking of making up a few to list in my etsy shop--what do you think?

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Frugal Friday Link-Up--6 Uses for Soda and Cola

Pin ItWhew! Another whirlwind week around our house!

This week I want to share 6 used for soda and cola from the 99 Cent Solutions book:

1. Take rust off of chrome. Crush a piece of aluminum foil and dip it in cola, then scrub off those little dots of rust with ease.

2. Speed up a drain. Slowly pouring a whole 2 ltr. bottle of cola down the drain every once in awhile will help to prevent any clogs that may be forming. It's the potent carbonic acid in the cola that will keep your pipes free and clear.

3. Clean battery corrosion. Dip a rag in cola and wrap it around the battery terminals. Let it sit for several minutes and then scrub off any rust deposits and any cola residue with a damp sponge. The same trick works to loosen rusted-on nuts and bolts.

4. Restore stained porcelain. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of soda and let it sit for an hour. Scrub and flush. Your toilet will be good as new.

5. Get oil off of concrete. Sprinkle the oil spot liberally with sawdust or cat litter, working it in with a broom. Leave for half an hour to soak p the grease. Sweep this up and throw away. Pour enough cola to cover the area and work it in with a rag. Let this sit for half an hour. Mop it up with 2 tbsp. each of laundry detergent and bleach mixed with 2 quarts of warm water. (I've heard of using kitty litter, but sure didn't know about all the other steps that will completely clean the oil off the drive or garage floor.)

6. Keep flowers fresh longer. When putting flowers in a vase, add 1/2 cup of a clear soda, such as Sprite or 7-Up, to the water. The flowers will live for days longer than they would have with just plain water.

Have you post some good frugal tips, shopping trips, recipes, etc this past week? If so, please link them up. Inspriration to save is great for everyone.

Squidoo Hopping 3/15/12--Payday!

I'm working hard on getting myself back in to routines. It's not easy with everything that has gone on in our life lately, but if I don't get back to a good routine, I will go insane! No need for details because if you follow my blog and follow me on gather, you pretty much know what all is going on.

It was payday yesterday. Mine was $5.85 with .21 going to charity. Charity will continue to go up as I gt back in to updating lenses and choosing charities for those lenses I've not gotten to yet. I'm showing $5.88 in commissions from sales yet on my stats, so that is good.

Tell me about your earnings--in other words, inspire me to get to business with squidoo!

Since I did no updating or building last week, I'm going to list a couple of my lenses towards the bottom of my list that need a boost in this week's linky. I hope to see many link up this week. Thanks to those of you who are coming aboard to link up each week and thanks to new ones who join us.

Marsha

WIP Wednesday 3/14/12--Whew!

Wow! is about all I have to say about this last week.  Well, busy is another word, but honestly not anything new for me. 
I attended the Sit n' Sew Friday evening from 6-9 at the local quilt shop.  They have it once a month on the 2nd Friday evening.  I took the walker bags to work on.  I forgot the pattern, however, so only could work as far as I knew.  I have since finished one that I started.  I have 2 more to complete.  I didn't take a photo.


My Great Aunt Donna passed away on Saturday so this week has been all about her and family---including today as we went to clean out the rest of the place where she was living.  Can we say major WIP to look through the stuff and find it a home?  Not to mention the putting back together of the house that I already needed to do!


I got a start on the cross magnets, in fact, I finished 4 of them yesterday.  I worked on them while we drove to take my middle daughter back home after the funeral yesterday.  I even finished up 2 of the baby blocks this past week.  I do have a picture of those.

I worked on the scrappy quilt but very little.  I sewed some of what I had pinned, ironed those pieces and put more pieces pinned.  I didn't think it was enough to warrant a picture to share.


I didn't get any more work at all done on the flower print quilt I am making.  I sure intended too and I have my pink thread in the machine ready to work on it.


I guess otherwise, I just need to share my progress on the Granny A Day 2012 challenge.  It's day 74.  It's starting to fill in a bit now.  I am leaving it 19 squares long for now although I intended it to be 21 squares long.  I will decide on that later.  I can't see where 366 squares can come out even at all, so I am planning on a couple of pillows with the extra squares, especially if I leave it 19x17 squares.  

I am really late posting this today so I am going to close for now.  I am linking up with the following blogs:

The Natural Dentist Healthy Gums Antigingivitis Rinse Giveaway

Are you seeing red? When you floss or brush your teeth, that is….

If you are experiencing “pink in the sink” when you spit out your toothpaste, or blood on your dental floss, take heed.  People mistakenly think this is a sign that they are brushing hard/well or flossing efficiently, but bleeding gums is actually a symptom of gingivitis, and it is a warning sign that your gums need serious attention. 

You can take dental hygienist training and learn what it takes to maintain oral health.

Dentists estimate that 80% of us develop gum disease in our lifetimes, ranging from mild gingivitis to severe periodontitis. If left untreated, however, gum disease may progress to other oral health issues, including tooth loss (it’s the #1 reason for adult tooth loss!). Other studies and experts, including Dr. Oz, have also linked gum disease to heart disease, stroke, breast cancer and respiratory diseases, such as COPD.

While it can happen to anyone, the following raise the risk for developing gingivitis:

§         Poor dental hygiene

§         Pregnancy/puberty/menopause (hormonal changes increase the sensitivity of the gums)

§         Uncontrolled diabetes

§         Genetics/family history (30% of general population susceptible to gum disease)

§         Smoking

§         Stress

§         Medications

§         General illness

Gingivitis is due to the long-term effects of plaque deposits, and it is often painless, so bleeding gums may be your only symptom until it has progressed further along (other symptoms are swollen/tender gums, receding gums, and/or persistent bad breath).  Luckily, one of the early warning signs of the gum inflammation IS the bleeding you see when you brush or floss, so it is your body’s way of telling you something’s not right. If you have a family history of this issue or notice bleeding when you brush or floss, you should schedule a dental visit to evaluate your condition, as well as take steps at home by adding The Natural Dentist Healthy Gums Anti-Gingivitis Rinse to your oral care regimen.

              

The Natural Dentist Healthy Gums Mouth Rinse is clinically proven to:

• Reduce and prevent bleeding gums
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• Also contains other natural medicinal components such as Echinacea, goldenseal, calendula, and grapefruit seed extract that help calm gum inflammation

The Natural Dentist line is powered by nature, proven by science.  The Natural Dentist Healthy Gums Anti-Gingivitis Rinse DOES NOT contain alcohol or artificial ingredients, making it natural and healthy for your mouth.  However, unlike other natural products, The Natural Dentist tests its products in controlled studies. Universities, oral care experts, periodontists, and dental hygienists continually evaluate the products, ingredients and effectiveness. The Natural Dentist products are not tested on animals; research is conducted with human volunteers and laboratory tests. View research studies, publications and abstracts at http://www.stopbleedingnaturally.com/clinicalstudies.php.

The Natural Dentist Healthy Gums Rinse is available at all several major retailers nationwide including Walgreens, Rite Aid, Whole Foods and more for an average retail price of $7.49. To see a complete list of stores and the entire line of The Natural Dentist products, visit   http://www.stopbleedingnaturally.com.

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My thoughts:

My 15 yr old daughter was the first to try it.  She says that you can taste the aloe in it.  Next to try it was my 26 yr old daughter.  She commented on how the peppermint taste stays with you. (I see this as a good thing as far as keeping your breath fresh).   My daughter's husband tried it.  He thought it didn't taste bad at all.  He hasn't ever tried a mouthwash that didn't have alcohol in it.  He didn't think he would like it, but he did.

I was the last to try it.  I wasn't sure what to expect taste wise.  It's for sure not the usual mouthwash taste.  Actually, I think this is a good thing.  To me, it doesn't have that anti-septic taste that I just do not like in mouthwashes.   

For me it's the ideal product.  All other pertinent information is listed above.

Enter to win your own bottle using the rafflecopter form below!

Disclaimer:  I was sent a bottle of the rinse for the purpose of review.  I was not compensated in any other way.  Product for the winner is being provided by Robin Leedy Associates.  All opinions of the product are my own.  Information provided was sent to me by Robin Leedy Associates.

Frugal Friday Link Up--5 Uses for Shortening

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Here we are to another Friday. It's been a good week for being frugal.
I am excited that recyclebank is now "live" in my town. Not only can I earn points for our recycling, but it's increased our recycling. I was lazy on some things, not rinsing cans and such and just throwing them in the trash. Not any more...if it's recyclable it's going in to the cart. I hadn't thought much about plastic bag recycling since they can't be put in to the cart. I read over on the recyclebank website about recycling plastic bags in a bin at the grocery store. Ever since reading that, all plastic bags are now going to the store.
I'm feeling much better about our recycling efforts.

Today I am sharing 5 uses for shortening from the 99 Cent Solutions book:

1. Make a magic snow shovel. Before heading out to shovel the snow, smear a generous amount of solid vegetable shortening on your snow shovel. The snow will slide right off much more quickly.

2. Restore a pair of galoshes. Bring back the shine to your child's galoshes by polishing them with a dab of shortening on a clean rag.

3. Soften your feet. Save yourself more than a few bucks by softening your feet with shortening instead of the fancy foot creams. Shortening contains pretty much the same active ingredient at the fancy foot creams: fat or grease. Before bed, slather it on your soles and put on socks. In the morning you will have satiny soft tootsies.

4. Remove tar from fabric. Scrape off what you can with the edge of a credit card and then work shortening directly in to the stain. Let it sit overnight, then dab up the excess with a paper towel and treat the whole area with a grease remover. Launder as usual.

5. Tell the squirrels to take a hike. Is your bird feeder being raided by the squirrels? Grease the pole of the feeder liberally with shortening. Squirrels won't be able to climb the pole and will soon go find their food elsewhere, leaving the birds to eat in peace.


I hope you are enjoying these tidbits each week. I am loving this book, and I've learned several great tips along with my sharing here on my blog.

Now it's time for you to link up a blog post, or posts. Share those frugal tips and more with us. Thanks!