Saturday, June 14, 2008

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 Immunity
Your 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......

23 Comments:

At 8:44 PM, Blogger Susie said...

Thanks for all the tips and I hope you enjoy your time at the beach! Sounds like such fun.

 
At 9:01 PM, Blogger Putz said...

why can't you just paste the old paper over the new paper with lots of glue??????????

 
At 12:22 AM, Blogger Diane@Diane's Place said...

I have a blogger friend who's trying to remove layers of wallpaper. I'll share this tip with her, and Thanks!

Hope you have a great time at the beach with your family. Take care, and come home refreshed, Lucy. :o)

Love and hugs,

Diane

 
At 5:37 AM, Blogger OldLady Of The Hills said...

Have a FABULOUS Time Lucy....! It sounds Divine, I must say....

These are great tips, my dear...And on so very many things....! Thanks For All That!

 
At 8:14 AM, Blogger Jan said...

You are always full of great tips. I learned about some things I hadn't known before. And I still am floored about the tin foil thing. I have showed some people that, and no one had known either that I knew. Hope you had fun at the beach..

 
At 8:43 AM, Blogger Merle said...

Dear Lucy ~~ All good tips there.
Have a good holiday. And I am happy to be just s Mum and don't need the other titles. But then I'm not having to fill in a form. Glad you are proud to be Just a Mom. Take care, Love, Merle.

 
At 6:00 PM, Blogger Nankin said...

Great tips. We have some t-rex cockroaches here in Texas. I may have to try the cornstarch and palster of Paris.

I hope you have a great time at the beach. I haven't had my sand and surf fix in several years. I'm jealous just thinking about it.

 
At 7:52 PM, Blogger Big Dave T said...

Regarding your freezer comment, I wonder whether I should turn on the ice-maker to make more ice. Or would that be a wash with the extra power needed to create the ice. Hmmmmmm.

 
At 9:17 PM, Blogger Jess said...

Hope you enjoy your trip and thank you for all the great tips!

 
At 7:25 AM, Blogger Jim said...

I hope you are having fun Lucy! This is just in case you check on things at the library or borrow a computer at the hotel.
Remember, I won't be at the exam on the 27th.
..

 
At 8:41 AM, Blogger LZ Blogger said...

Lucy ~ I've actually heard of a cure for ants similar to the one you proposed for roaches. Fortunatley, we had not had the need to use it for them. But the ants... it's a constant battle this time of year. ~ THX! ~ jb///

 
At 9:23 AM, Blogger Putz said...

there is a big black cloud hanging over mole wort, so i don't even go in there to look around...i have only been in there once in 6 years...that is just me, so look away and ENJOY

 
At 4:13 PM, Blogger Fred said...

By now, you're on the beach enjoying yourself. I hope you're having a great time.

Great tip about the roaches. Since we've been living here, I've only seen one or two, but it takes constant vigilance to ensure they don't multiply. I'll pass that tip along to The Missus.

 
At 6:38 PM, Blogger Mountain Mama said...

More wonderful hints. Thanks so much for sharing them. We used warm water in a spray bottle and large putty knives to scrape old wall paper off. It worked good too.
Have a wonderful time at the beach.

 
At 9:16 PM, Blogger Rachel said...

Thanks for the tips Lucy and do enjoy your vacation!! We all need to chill every now and then!

 
At 1:15 AM, Blogger Jamie Dawn said...

Did you say something about moonshine??
Oh, you said "watching the MOON SHINE..."
I was beginning to think you planned on drinking yourself silly with hillbilly liquor.
:-)
Just Kidding, Lucy.

Have a wonderful time with your siblings!!!!!

 
At 12:02 PM, Blogger Granny Annie said...

Have a good time Lucy.

Another way to remove wallpaper is to leave your five-year-old granddaughter seated at the computer near the wall where you think she is trapped and you know what she is doing. What was a small tear in the paper will quickly become a huge bare space:-)

 
At 11:02 PM, Blogger Cliff said...

You must be tired after looking all of this stuff up. Go get a rest.

 
At 10:05 AM, Blogger Oh great One said...

Have a fantastic time on your vacation!

(I LOVE the tip on packing fragile stuff. So CLEVER!)

 
At 1:53 PM, Blogger OldLady Of The Hills said...

Welcome Home, Lucy!

"SHADOWLANDS" is a Beautiful and moving film....Worth finding, my dear. And Debra Winger's book is really special!

 
At 10:46 PM, Blogger preacherman said...

Lucy,
Wonderful post and so full of information.
Our fridge, washer and dryer went out at the same time. We bought energy star appliances.
Go green!!!:-)
Thanks for you wonderful tips.
I found them very helpful.
I enjoy reading your blog.
It is definately one of my favorites.

 
At 1:19 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Back when I had a freezer (I need to get another one), I used to fill empty milk jugs with water and put them in it to fill it up. Saves electricity and takes care of part of my water storage at the same time.

 
At 4:58 AM, Anonymous aeg appliances said...

this is wonderful as well as very good stuff !

 

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