Frugal Friday Link Up---4 Uses for Spices

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.

Squidoo Hopping--Updating Challenge Lenses Revealed

Good Thursday morning to all!  It's the day that I can reveal the 3 lenses that I chose to update with VAllains Updating Challenge.

I want to thank Virginia for putting the challenge out there.  For those of you who read this post each week, you know I've been in a slump for about a month or so as far as squidoo goes.  Her experiment not only prompted me to get to some updating, but I also learned some things along the way.  It's also prompted me to get to updating other lenses as well.  Two of those I am sharing in the linky below.

Here are the 3 lenses, along with starting and ending lensrank, that I chose for the experiment:

Empty Promises by Ann Rule  
Started out with a rank of 211,286, went to 77,136 after the first update, 72,789 after the second update, and has ended with a rank of 79,142 the day after the 3rd update.

Summer Sisters by Judy Blume    Started out with a rank of 222,549, went to 93,472 after the first update, 100,085 after the second update, and has ended with a rank of 105,081 the day after the 3rd update.

Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume    Started out with a rank of 241,734, went to 93,471 after the first update, 92,446 after the second update, and has ended with a rank of 92,935 the day after the 3rd update.

I'm impressed with the fact that they rise just with updates and no promoting.  Hopefully you will take the time to visit them now for a little more of a boost for me?  Thanks!  I have plenty more updates that can be done to the lenses and I intend to try to do some updating still every 3 days with these 3 until I've exhausted my list of update ideas.

That's my report for this week---I hope to see lots of you link up--keep me hopping on squidoo!

WIP Wednesday 3/28/12--Lots of Sewing!

I did lots of sewing this past week!  I finished up the last 2 walker bags for the community project with quilt guild.  I turned those in at guild Monday.  Our guild has made a total of about 60 bags and the cancer project is in awe.

I also finished up the scrappy quilt top for sewing club at church.  I plan to share a photo of it in the TGIFF post this week.  If you remember, my camera is with my daughter in England so I wasn't able to take any pictures this last week.  Actually, right now she is just under 3 hours from landing in the Houston airport, where they will catch another plane in to Wichita and be home---today!  I'm so anxious to get her home and hear all about the trip.  Only communication for 8 days has been status and pictures on the youth ministers facebook page.

My only picture this week is my progress in the Granny a Day 2012 challenge.  I am worked ahead....I can't help it!  I actually would like to finish the blanket now that I have a good start on it.  This picture is up to today, March 28, 2012---Day 88.

 If you want to see the scrappy quilt top complete, be on the look out for my Friday post.  Hopefully she's not lost my camera while she was away!  I hope she has tons of pictures from England on that memory card.

I am linking up with the following blogs:

Old School Fun with Chick-fil-A--Win 3 Free Kids Meals!

Lace up your sneakers because the new Nutritious Chick-fil-A Kid’s Meals are going to help fuel active family fun! Spring is here and what better way to promote an active lifestyle, and enjoy the great outdoors than with some old school games for your family to enjoy. 

Have fun with the Old School App below!

• Fun Activities! Spin the wheel to get an endless amount of Old School Fun and games for the entire family!  You’re just a spin away from creating awesome family memories!

• The Old School Fun Quiz! Are you a disco-dynamo or the bomb dot com? Take the throwback quiz to reminisce about the pop culture icons of your era!

Disclaimer: Old School Game App and information has been provided by PartnersHub and Chik-fil-A. They are also providing the prizes to the winner.

Giveaway open to residents of the United States who have physical mailing address. Winner will be chosen using rafflecopter. Enter using the rafflecopter form below. Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or another winner will be chosen. Giveaway ends April 6, 2012.

Homeschool Journal--Pictures from England!!

I've not done my journal post the past couple of weeks.  Our lives have been a whirlwind!
Jasmine left for England March 20th, and comes home tomorrow evening.
I am sharing the photos today that the  youth minister has shared with us through facebook.  I can't wait for them to get back tomorrow so that I can see what photos she has taken and hear all about the trip!    




Here they are ready to leave for the trip:

Youth Minister, Andy, being silly.

   Big Ben?

 Lunch Time

 Canterbury Cathedral:

 Jack the Ripper Tour

 More lunchtime:

St Pauls Cathedral after Eucharist:

Goodby London--Hello Hogwarts

Hampton Court Palace:

Lambeth Palace:

Windsor Castle:

Lunch at McDonalds:

I am linking up with:

Are You a Blogger Who Needs More Facebook Fans? See Inside!

Join in on the FREE Blogger Event sponsored by The Ultimate Baby Shower! You can have your Facebook link added for FREE, and the prize $100 PayPal Cash!

The Ultimate Baby Shower is Sponsoring the Event and Paying for the Prize! Click HERE to Sign Up!!!

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?

 Pin It