New Year's Resolutions: A New Twist on an Old Classic

I have wondered for several years why New Year’s Resolutions are so popular with people.  To be honest, I thought they were mockeries that people spewed about for the satisfaction of our society, not to actually change themselves.  Over the years I have stubbornly believed this notion, and as I reflect on the couple of years I actually made New Year’s Resolutions, I notice something in common for myself and my state of mind. 

I observed  that the years that I actually decided to make a commitment, I had felt guiltier than other years, mostly like I was failing life somehow; almost as if I knew that I was doing something really, really bad to myself and I knew deep down that I absolutely had to change it.

The notion of guilt leads me to wonder why it takes so much weight on our shoulders to want to change.  I realize that the weight of the burden must outweigh the difficulty of changing, but why must it be so heavy?  Perhaps we are afraid of failure? 

Perhaps, though, we are not understanding the goodness of a New Year’s Resolution, only thinking of the idea in a way that will ensure failure, and hence, more guilt.  As a result of this thought, I have an idea:  why not make a New Year’s Resolution that is on a positive note, perhaps a foolproof resolution?

10 foolproof New Year’s Resolutions for 2011:

            For my New Year’s Resolution, I am going to…

• Treat myself to an ice-cold glass of orange juice (or other favorite juice) when I feel sluggish
• Climb into an extra hot shower or bath when the world is pulling me into the floor
• Walk down the block for some fresh air when I feel up to it
• Drive the “scenic route” for some fresh scenery when I am not late for anything
• Take some time when I get home to notice where I live without judgment or a “to-do” list
• Breathe in 3 deep breaths during my showering/bathing time to refresh my lungs
• Dig the cloves out of the spice rack and allow the scent to lighten my mood
• Hold my tongue just once, when I really don’t want to, taking note of how it affects the situation in a positive manner or just a non-negative manner
• Find one good thing about myself each week and remind myself of that strength the whole week long
• Find one good thing about each person before (or after!) I determine that I dislike them

Fun Gift Wrap

Bust Out of the Paper Gift Bags; Fun Gift Wrap Ideas

I have come up with zany “wrappers” for the gifts to avoid purchasing paper or gift bags, after I have recycled all that I have received in the past.  For example, I have rolled shirts or kids’ pants in a paper tube left over from a roll of paper towels.  Crunch up the ends and wrap in something sparkly (cellophane or painted up piece of paper or material), tie with a ribbon.  Basically, make it look like a piece of candy.  Or once I had an old coat that was beaten up badly.  I cut up the faux fur from the liner and pasted it onto a box instead of the wrapping paper.  It was a hit.  I purchase discounted ribbon from fabric stores and craft stores.  We are not talking 50% off here; we are talking the left-over, crazy stuff that no one wants for 80% off the original price.  And, my family actually gathers up my ribbons after everyone is done opening gifts for me to save for next year.  Training, people, training.  I have collected unused, wooden skewers and glued them onto gifts in different designs, some in a big 3-D star.  Don’t give this package to the kids or the drunken adults though.  The results will remind you of something similar to, “I lost my poor meeeatbaaall, when sommmebody sneeeezed…” 

Another good one is after Christmas (or other holiday) sales.  The big packages of plastic bulbs for the tree are half off, or small individual ornaments are nice too, and can decorate many a package!  After holiday sales are great places to find next year’s $5 gift or Santa gifts, too. 

I have picked up acorns from the ground and bought plastic fruit from auction sales for my packages.  Which reminds me: auction sales are great places to pick up Christmas decorations, cheap.  These decorations can be taken apart or used as is to decorate gifts.

Auction sales are also great for vintage gifts.  Estate sales have good kitchen items for the person who is moving into his or her first apartment- pots and pans.  Even cheap pots and pans are expensive, and, well, cheap!  They flake into your food and are just plain gross!  Another good gift for these people are homemade items- jellies, breads, slippers.  Auction sales also sell blankets for your pet to sleep on.  Do you think Rufus cares whether or not it is a $10 pet bed or a $2 fuzzy blanket?  Old ropes, stuffed animals, and soft pillows are also appreciated by Fido.  Some auction sales show a really different side of people… brass statues, art, and other decorative items could also be inspiring.  Remember, Home Depot sells “oops paint” for $5 per gallon for any item you may see fit, and good spray paint is $5 for a whole can.

A couple years ago I began to shop garage sales and thrift stores for small books. 

Bookstores sell them for under $10, usually.  The feel-good-inspirational-you-can-do-it/this-day-is-a-gift- type of book.  Your local thrift stores will sell them for under a dollar, usually.  If not, wait until the store has a sale on books.  I make it a rule not to pay more than $1 for a used book unless I absolutely, positively have to have it.  Don’t start writing in the books, now; instead, take this opportunity to insert a piece of parchment paper or tissue paper with a short note.  The kind of note you would write into a card…and that is precisely what I utilize the book for.  I use the feel-good book for a card.  It could be a picture book about dogs, or Hollywood cars, or a purse book.  Whatever the person is really “into”.  At the end of the note I ask them to pass the book along to someone else when they feel that they are finished with it.  Hence, I have stopped purchasing cards.  That saves anywhere from $2-$6!

The bottom line to saving yourself money is creativity.  Creativity will save you money! 

Look for inspiration, it truly does surround you.

Reduce Cold Symptoms with Tea Tree Oil

Search Amazon.com for tea tree oil

Cold symptoms can be obnoxious.  Tea Tree Oil can help to make you feel better.  Tea Tree Oil can be purchased as your local health foods store, or at Amazon.com

Tea tree oil is an antiseptic that fights bacteria, fights fungus, many viruses, inflammation, and helps the skin to repair itself.  Tea tree oil can be used for many ailments from abrasions to waxing!  Today we will cover how tea tree oil can help to alleviate congestion, coughs, a head cold, ear aches, muscle aches, and a sore throat.  Did you know that tea tree oil even boosts the immune system?  Read on to learn more!

Congestion can be battled in three ways:  

·         Dampen a cloth with warm water and a few drops of oil.  Apply to chest  

·         Draw a bath and add a few drops to the water to soak

·      Massage chest with oil mixed with a few drops

Coughs can be alleviated by:

·        Add drops of tea tree oil to 4-6 cups warm water, drape towel over head for ten minutes, leaning over cup of mixture, inhaling gently

·        Add oil to vaporizer or humidifier

Head Cold will lose power when you:

·        Follow cough suggestions

·        Rub drop of oil on nose and forehead

Earaches can be improved if:

·        To 1/4 cup of warm olive oil, add a few drops of oil. Tilting the head to one side for 60 seconds put a small amount carefully into the ear.  Absorb oil with a small cotton ball, repeating until it feels better.

 Say good-bye to Muscle Aches:

·      Massage area with olive oil mixed with a few drops of tea tree oil

·         Draw a bath and add a few drops to the water to soak

Reduce a Sore Throat:        Do Not Swallow

·        Gargle warm water with a few drops of tea tree oil 2-3 times per day.         

·        Add oil to vaporizer or humidifier

Give your Immune System a kick!

·        Add tea tree oil to 1 ounce of olive oil; massage into skin weekly

How to Make a Large Dog Bed

Need to make a dog bed for a large dog?  If you are reading this, then you have seen the price of dog beds.  True, they go on sale for $10, however my furry friends can only get a paw on those! 

I have two, 80 pound dogs, and have been looking for dog beds for quite some time.  I finally broke down to purchase a bed that was on sale for $10 but, well, long story short, it was just too small.  Beds that are the correct size are between $25-$40 EACH, but I finally got smart.  This is an inexpensive way to give some comfort to your buddies without breaking the bank.

Purchase fleece throws on sale.  I happened to find mine at Wal-mart, two blankets for $5.  These are on the thin side, but perfect for what I wanted them for.

Purchase shredded poly foam or other filler.  I purchased two huge bags of shredded foam in the upholstery department at my local Mac's hardware store for under $3 per bag.

Carpet tape.  I purchased carpet tape for $2.19 so that I did not have to sew.  Unfortunately, it did NOT WORK.  Two-sided Velcro?  Tie the edges together?  I ended up using a stapler.  Yes I am that sad.  Just remember, though, I had those foamy things everywhere and needed a quick fix.

Lay throws out flat on the floor or other appropriate surface, stitch/staple/tape the edges together until there is only about half of a side left.  Empty bags of foam into fleece bag, then finish closing the edge of the blankets...and presto, a huge, comfy dog bed!

Birthday and Christmas: Frugal gift ideas

Over the years I have gotten used to my friends calling me cheap.  I simply remind them that I am thrifty and that I do not live with my parents. Following this comment is usually some snort, but not much of a comment.  Don’t get me wrong- I would love to live with my parents.  They are cool and everything they have is paid for…nothing like stress free comfort!

Over the years my friends have also gotten used to my gifts.  They are…different; but they are only as different as I am willing to admit to them!  Yes, Santa is better to my friends each year than Santa has been to me.  I recall opening a gift one year from a boyfriend while disappointment surrounded me.  It was cheap.  Cheap.  Cheaper than me!  And he had the nerve to say, “I paid a lot of money for that!”  Well folks, it is not the money that you spend, or where you purchase it.  It is the deal you get.  The finished product.  You know, the gift.  The gift that you are giving.  Isn’t that what this is all about? 

An 11 year old’s birthday has just passed in our house, and even though we went over on the budgeted amount, we still spent about 30% of what we would have had we not been thrifty.  We actually did pay full price for a gift, an MP3 player, so in this case, shop quality products.  Unfortunately this situation of paying full price was the result of a father hee-hawing around until the last minute and then suddenly wanting a really stellar gift.  For the amount paid though, it was a great starter, and still under $45 after Uncle Sam took his cut. 

In addition, he received a brand new coat for our 40 below zero weather.  Original price was $70…for a kids’ coat!  I don’t know who buys these things, but wow- that is a lot of money for a coat that will be unrecognizable by spring.  I found a special of half price if purchased on a certain-day-by-a-certain-time which dropped that price to $35.  On top of this I begged my sister to utilize her credit card for an additional 30% off, and in addition, because of the time we were there, an additional 10% came off of the coat.  Final price: $22.  That’s cheaper than Wal-mart!  Give yourself plenty of time to shop around and compare pricing and specials… and begging relatives to use their coupons on your stuff doesn’t hurt.

I also believe in books and reading.  Books, books, books.  While visiting a garage sale this summer I found 2 books that looked brand new; one was full of inventions of this century, and the other was about cars of this century.  Each one was 25 cents.  Stocking stuffers present themselves in a variety of ways, and books are one of them.  These books would have been at least $3 each if purchased in a store, and that is a conservative number.  Another fantastic garage sale find was a watch.  A cool, colorful- without-being- kiddish watch without a scratch on it.  Not a scratch!  Purchased for a buck.  You heard me, a buck.  When it is lost, will it matter too much?  Nope.  It looks new, except for the missing instructions, but come on- he’s a kid.  Did you read the instructions when you were a kid?  Exactly. 

The next birthday, today, is a female; in fact, a brand new teenager.  At a different garage sale on the same day, I found a completely unused pair of Sketchers.  Completely unused, as in not worn.  I paid $5 for these shoes, and they are new.  Now you do take a risk on the person not liking the item- and they cannot return it, and that is another reason to keep the purchasing price you pay very low.  So low that you think, “Wow- I cannot believe this price!  Even if Sally doesn’t like them, (insert name here) can use them!”  Also purchased for 50 cents were two small picture frames with beautiful colors on them, luckily matching her room.  Belts were also a great deal that day, I was able to find about 3 of them for, yes you guessed it, 50 cents each.  They also look brand new.

Many more gift ideas will be coming up; please check back.  Thanks for your visit!

Save Your Wood with Olive Oil

Brighten up the wood around your home without having to purchase more cleaning products.  This is a very green way to take care of your home, keep cupboard space for the items that need it, and save money.

Olive oil can be used for the wood in your home to prevent drying out instead of using furniture polish.  For a nice smell, add a drop of lemon oil.  Lemon oil can be purchased at your local health food store for around $4, and it lasts a long time.  Olive oil is considered to be expensive, although there are a couple of generic brands found at money-saver-stores that are finally selling cheaper.  Also, keep in mind that grape seed oil is similar to olive oil, but less expensive.

Gently massage the oil in to the wood, and watch as the wood soaks up the moisture.  On really dry wood you may need several coats.  I have a wooden couch that just drinks up the oil, and looks fantastic afterward...but I have to use 2-3 thick coats on it.

I recently purchased a cedar chest at an auction sale for $40.  It was from the 1950's, and is made of all wood, no padding on the top.  It is in decent shape, not perfect, but didn't look dry.  I used olive oil on it anyway, and I cannot believe how the grain of the blonde portions of the wood just shine.  They are illuminated in the least, little bit of light thrown on the cedar chest.

I have heard that olive oil only works if the wood was originally treated with an oil finish, but I am very unsure of whether or not this is true.  If anyone has any information regarding this topic, please feel free to share, if you are so inclined to do.  Thanks for reading today!

New Use for Borax

Borax has many uses that I was not aware of until today.  On this fateful day, I decided to give the bathroom sink its weekly cleaning.  This sink gets bad; I would like to clean it daily, but who has time for it?  In addition, a mechanic lives at my house...you must know what the mechanic's sink looks like.  Even though he insists that he washes his hands at work, he still gets pretty dirty at the house.  Add this on top of kids grime, and we then have what I have.  A really gross sink that doesn't come all the way clean.  It always looks like it is dirty, at least a little bit.

I recently purchased some products to make some homemade laundry detergent.  I read the Borax package, and was surprised to read that it can be used to wash more items around the house, so I tried it on my sink...and to my surprise, it sparkled!  I had minimal scrubbing; and it looks almost new.  All the old, rubbed in dirt came right out.  I had to wonder what else it could do...here is what I found out!

Borax will unclog your drains.  Add some down your drain with a funnel, then add some boiling water.  Wait for about 15 minutes, try again for stubborn clogs.

Rubbing it into mildew on fabric will remove the stain.  Use Borax in a little water to form a paste, rub on stain then let sit until stain is gone.  May take several hours.

Borax dissolved in water will clean your windows to sparkle and streak free!

There are plenty more uses to try, I will keep you posted.  Thanks for reading!

5 Ways to Reduce Heat Costs Without Spending a Dime

Winter is on the way, even if we have been quite lucky in having the warm weather this year.  If you are continually looking for ways to save money, here are some items to help you save on your heat bill without spending a dime.

Bundle up-  Winter is not the time to run around the house in shorts and t-shirts.  Winter is here; it is time to have sweaters and sweatshirts on, socks and/or slippers, and pants.  Place throws or blankets onto the couch for snuggle time in front of the tv.

Reuse oven heat-  After making supper, don't let the heat in your oven go to waste.  Leave the door cracked open to allow the heat into the kitchen.  This helps more than you realize.

Recycle dryer heat- This idea is much more tricky.  By allowing the air from the dryer to circulate in-house, you must remove the vent from the outside, however keep in mind that by doing this, moisture also stays in-house.  In addition, you will need to develop a heat resistant cover to prevent all the lint from "linting up" your home.

Minimize the length of time the doors are opening and closing- When a person opens the door, much heat is lost.  Minimize the time the door is held open as much as possible.

Open shades-  Opening the shades to allow the sunlight to shine in to warm up the area is quite helpful in the southern facing windows...just beware of furniture fading issues.

Cutting corners doesn't need to be dramatic and expensive;

all the little things we do (and don't do) add up too!