Since we are not ‘fully vegetarian’ yet, we do eat animal products on occasion. I went to the food pantry a couple of weeks ago, spoke to someone about what programs they had to help me in my situation. After chatting for a bit, I happened to blurt out about the fridge – or lack thereof – and was signed up for a furniture list (apparently they consider fridges furniture), anyway, I’m on a waitlist for that. So then they asked me if I wanted to get us on a holiday help program. I asked what it was about. They said to help with gifts for my dd a Christmas, and a holiday menu. I asked what was on that. A frozen turkey, dressing, canned veggies, etc. Well I ended up looking at the worker funny and then she realized what she said. We have no fridge. A frozen turkey will be pointless.

I’m not done with this post yet, but has some of my thoughts on dining on a shoestring. In the meantime, check out the link below. I found it today but haven’t had time to have a good look yet.

Vegetarian on the Cheap – A Beginner’s Guide how to stay hip, healthy and on a budget.

Good Morning America Weekend and USA Today are launching “The Frugal Family Challenge.”

Each month, they’ll feature two families who want to save money on various aspects of their family budget. A financial adviser will be sent to meet with the families, evaluate their financial goals, and offer them tips to save money. They will follow and film the progress of the two families over one month as they follow the new money saving tips.

At the end of the month, they’ll will reveal which family manages to save more money.

If you want to be considered for a free financial makeover and participate in the Frugal Family Challenge, send them your info.

In my local library, they have an AccuCut machine and some dies to use with it. It is FREE to use – you just bring in your own paper. You may also be able to use foam sheets, magnet paper, wallpaper scraps, etc. My library has the shape of Michigan (including the Upper Peninsula, which many times prepackaged shapes do not include), music notes, big letters, some animals, vehicles, paper dolls and more. When was the last time you visited your library? Make sure you look – and if you don’t see one, ask!

My nearest scrapbooking store also has an AccuCut which customers can use for Free – mainly for use by scrapbookers, but if you have things to scrap, or need to buy a sheet of scrapbook paper, that’s always helpful. (Plus, they have a clearance table.)

I purchased a Sizzix machine in the Fall of 2006, on sale, and I found some dies at a resale shop (very inexpensive – what a find!). We have been having fun seeing all the neat things we can do with it. One of the projects my dd did was to make her best friend’s birthday card & decorations for the wrapping paper. Another scrapbook store has a Sizzix machine & some dies people can use while they are at a crop. This particular store seems to have lots of crops (they also have an AccuCut + dies) due to the amount of tables – pretty much have of this store is the crop area.

For game making, these die cut machines are neat because you can use whatever colored paper you have on hand (not limited to the colors on prepackaged shapes), make as many as you want/need per game.
More about AccuCut: AccuCut machines can cut anything scissors can cut–faster and easier.
Make an Accordian Fold Apple Book (see number 5)
Slow As A Turtle Poster – Create a quick and fun poster to introduce similes
A Paper-Cut Collage Lesson Plan – inspired by the works of Henri Matisse
How to Use Curriculum-Based Die-Cut Projects to Stimulate Learning

In honor of Earth Day (and every other day), a homeschooling mom decided to start a group for all interested in going “green”. Whether you are new to “green living”, or have been living it your whole life, there are a lot of simple things we can do for a healthier life and a healthier planet.

If each and every one of us made even one small change in the way we do things, it could make a big difference, for our planet and ourselves.

This group is a place to share ideas, resources, and just general information on green living, including (but not limited to) recycling, reducing, reusing, and use natural, organic, chemical free (in other words “Earth friendly” products

Join Its_Easy_Being_Green

1. Mayonnaise – will KILL LICE; it will also condition your hair
2. Elmers Glue – paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off dead skin and blackheads
3. Shiny Hair – use brewed Lipton Tea
4. Sunburn – empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water
5. Minor burn – Colgate or Crest toothpaste
6. Burn your tongue – put sugar on it!
7. Arthritis – WD-40 Spray and rub in, kill insect stings too
8. Bee stings – meat tenderizer
9. Chigger bite – Preparation H
10. Puffy eyes – Preparation H
11. Paper cut – Crazy Glue or Chapstick (glue is used instead of sutures at most hospitals)
12. Use a Maxi-Pad in your cap as a sweat band (of course I think I would staple this or pin it in…you wouldn’t want it to drop on the ground) Ha
13. Stinky feet – Jell-O!!
14. Athletes foot – cornstarch
15. Fungus on toenails or fingernails – Vaporub
16. Peanut butter – will get scratches out of CD’s! Wipe off with a coffee filter paper
17. Sticking bicycle chain – Pam no-stick cooking spray
18. Pam will also remove paint, and grease from your hands!
19. Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls
20. When doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch and watch them slide on
21. Heavy dandruff – pour on the vinegar!
22. Tie Dye T-Shirt – mix a solution of Kool-Aid in a container, tie a rubber band around a section of the t-shirt and soak
23. Preserving a newspaper clipping – large bottle of club soda and 1/2 cup of milk of magnesia, soak for 20 minutes and let dry; will last for many years!
24. To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste
25. Stay-Free Maxi Pads- clean window, floors, just stick to the palm of your hands and work! Can also be used as a knee pad.
26. Pampers as an absorbent! Remove stains from the carpet with club soda, and a pamper to absorb.
27. Wine stains, pour on the Morton salt and watch it absorb into the salt.
28. To remove wax – Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel.
29. Remove labels off glassware, etc. – rub with peanut butter!
30. Baked on food – fill container with water, get a Bounce paper softener and the static from the Bounce sheet will cause the baked on food to adhere to it. Soak overnight. Also; you can use 2 Efferdent tablets, soak overnight!
31. Crayon on the wall – Colgate toothpaste and brush it!
32. Dirty grout – Listerine
33. Stains on clothes – Colgate
34. Grass stains – Karo Syrup
35. Grease Stains- Coca Cola, it will also remove grease stains from the driveway overnight. We know it will take corrosion from batteries!
36. Sweat Stains – Efferdent, or vinegar. Vinegar, Maybe
37. To Keep FRESH FLOWERS longer – Add 2 Bayer aspirin, or just use 7-Up instead of water. Or use a small amount of mouthwash in the water. Maybe – Maybe Not

Edit 1/24/08 to add: On second thought – this will take me forever to look up all these. A better way to find out would be by looking at this: