Dollar Stretcher Tips and Real Age Advice

Removing Wallpaper

A great way to remove wallpaper is to combine one cup of fabric softener with a pail of warm water. Sponge it on the paper and scrape. This works really well! If the wall paper is stubborn, gently score it with a fork. Roz in Canada
Note from Lucy: I know that this works because my SIL is a dry wall man and he does this all the time.

Shipping Small Fragile Items

When I had to ship something fragile, I put the item into a resealable bag, but I didn't close the bag all the way. Then, I inserted a straw into the bag and pinched the bag around it. To inflate the bag, I blew into the straw and then I quickly closed the bag. I packed it in a box with crumpled newspaper. I promise it works! Rachel B.
Note from Lucy: I shipped a package last Thursday. I bubble wrapped the item and then packed it into a small box with peanuts. Then I put this package into a larger box with the rest of the items and used more peanuts. We got word today the everything arrived in tip top shape.

Roach Free

A method of killing roaches is to mix equal parts of cornstarch and plaster of paris and then leave it out (in plastic lids under dressers, etc.). They eat the mixture because of the sugar in the cornstarch and the plaster hardens and kills them. My family lived in Brazil for many years, and this stuff worked miracles on reducing the roach population. KW
Note from Lucy: This sounds like an interesting way to rid your house of roaches. Has anyone ever tried this?

For those of you who live in Florida, this is a must in Hurricane season.


A Secret Inside

Be careful with new product packaging. For example, Wal-Mart had a new package on paper towels that said, "New Bigger Sheets." It was the same price. Sounds good, right? You need to check the square feet per roll! The sheets might be bigger, but they have less square footage per roll. My Wal-Mart not only decreased the roll size, but they also raised the price six cents! Luckily, I had bought all the old packages just before the price increase, so I'm set for a few weeks. Terri

More Efficient Freezer

A freezer runs better when as full as possible. If you need to fill it, just put ice in those areas. It will save money, and you will always have ice ready for those hot summer days coming up. Sue G.
Note from Lucy: If your freezer goes out it is important that you not open the door to the freezer. You can also insulate the freezer by wrapping it in newspaper and then wrapping it in a blanket. You would be amazed how well this works. Of course keeping a full freezer is important too.

Natural Garden Protection

I sprinkle my eggshells around my shrubs. It is a deterrent for slugs. The eggshells also add nutrients to the soil. Mary Jo in Alamo, TN


RealAge Tip
4 Foods for Better ImmunityYour immune system is responsible for helping fight off everything from the common cold to cancer. A tall order!

Send in some reinforcements so it doesn't get battle fatigue. Here are four foods your immune system loves.

Sweet, Creamy, Steamy, Crunchy . . .
Oranges, yogurt, tea, and pumpkin seeds are the order of the day when it comes to giving your immune system a treat, according to RealAge experts Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD, authors of the best-selling (and now newly expanded and updated) YOU: The Owner's Manual. Here's how these four superfoods help:

1. Oranges are chock-full of vitamin C, an antioxidant vitamin that helps your immune system fend off disease-causing invaders. Other good C options: bell peppers, strawberries, cantaloupe, and broccoli. Or take 400 milligrams of vitamin C three times daily. (Look up more C sources.)
2. Yogurt (unpasteurized) contains Lactobacillus acidophilus -- a healthy bacterium that helps thwart fungus-related infections. Or take a 20-milligram acidophilus supplement twice daily. (Here's another great natural fungicide.)
3. Tea is full of flavonoids, powerful vitamin-like substances that reduce immune-system aging. You'll also find them in oats, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, apples, and berries. (Boost your berry intake with this Triple Berry Blender Blaster.)
4. Pumpkin seeds are great year round, not just at Halloween, because they contain zinc -- a nutrient that's been shown to help reduce the average length of the common cold. (Find out how zinc can make exercise easier, too.)
Are your immunizations current? Get a checklist with this vaccine assessment.

RealAge Benefit: Protecting your immune system can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.

Note from Lucy: I'll be leaving town early Monday morning to go on my yearly trip to the beach with my two sisters and my brother. Last year I didn't get to go because of TF's gall bladder surgery but this year is all go. I can hardly wait to feel the ocean breezes on my face, feel the sand between my toes and just listen to the waves come in and go out....I bought a new beach unbrella this year and I plan to use it as I sit on the beach and do my people watching. I will read my magazines, listen to the radio, enjoy the company of my family and just chill.....No phones, no computers or TV. I'm looking forward to walks on the beach, barboque, watching the moon shine over the water and my trips to Wal Mart to just look around. lol......

See ya a week from Monday......