How to save a wet cell phone!

Follow this link to a short video that tells you how...and make sure you have the "secret weapon" in your pantry...and maybe a pair of rubber gloves handy, just in case!

Some money saving tips for around the house...

Here are some good tips on saving money around the house.

A few good ingredients are all you need to clean your house, and they will save you money...try to keep in stock;
ammonia
bleach
baking soda
white vinegar
and olive oil...

An inexpensive substitute for Windex is;

1 part white vinegar

1 part non-sudsing ammonia

1 part water,
mix in a spray bottle, and voila! Clear Windex...

Every month pour 1 cup baking soda into all your drains, then add 1 cup of white vinegar...helps keep drains cleared. Wait 15 minutes, then rinse.

If you have an ac unit, change the filter monthly, add 1 cup boiling water followed by 1 cup of white vinegar into the intake of your central ac...the boiling water breaks up any ice that forms around the coolant lines and the vinegar kills any bacteria or algae growth. The results are a more efficient unit and a healthier house.

Happy savings!

Tis The Season, cough, cough, sneeze, sneeze!

Curing Colds
A common saying about a cold is that it “lasts for a week if you treat it, seven days if you don’t.” As amusing and true as that may be, it’s not fun to have a cold.

What can we do to help our bodies through this seven-day healing process so that we can savor the joys of the season?

Drink plenty of fluids to keep your body hydrated during times of dry indoor air.
Hot soups (chicken, of course) clear nasal passages. Try Granny’s Best Chicken Soup steaming hot and seasoned with garlic.
Herbal teas bring relief. Rose hip tea is full of vitamin C.

Eating foods heavy in garlic, onion, or horseradish may aide recovery as well.

To ward off spreading colds during the holidays, wash your hands frequently!

See more herbal cold remedies as well as ways to avoid colds and the flu before they start!

Simply stay warm, rested, and wait. In seven days, we all have the same amount of time!

Good health and good sense are two of life’s greatest blessings. –Publius Syrus (c. 42 B.C.)

From Old Farmer's Almanac...a repository of good sense!

Another bizzare phishing expedition...

...and there are trusting souls out there who will fall for this!

Your Password has beed disabled
U.S. Bank Password show details 11:15 AM (51 minutes ago)
Warning: This message may not be from whom it claims to be. Beware of following any links in it or of providing the sender with any personal information. Learn more
Dear U.S. Bank Customer,
Your password has beed entered incorrectly three times.For security, we have disabled your password.
To re-enable your password, please go to :"disabled link"
and follow the security steps from there.
U.S. Bank is dedicated to protecting your information.Learn about our security measures and what we do to protect your accounts online.
If you have any questions, we are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at: "disabled link".

I have deleted the links to prevent accidentally going to that site. Quite disgusting and blatant cons...and not that I highlighted aol's advice in green!
Can you imagine how scary this could be to some elderly widow? If you know of ANYONE who is vulnerable to these scams, please warn them...and show them what to look out for!
Notice too the lack of facility or acquaintance with spell check!

Kitchen booboos...

...and some hints for saving your food, rather than wasting it!
Here is a good series of good ideas!

12 more e-mail scams...

...persistant boogers, aren't they?

If there is a sucker born every minute, what do you call scammers?

The Old Farmers Almanac

I have put up a link to, "The Old Farmer's Almanac", I have found some terrific recipes, interesting facts and information, history and weather predictions.
Altogether, an excellent source of fun and fact.
I hope y'all enjoy the site as much as I do, you can register(it's free), which gives you access to a personalized recipe file and other goodies.

And, you can sign up for a free monthly newsletter...

11 top scams, and...

...what to do about them.
Got this list from my aol account.
As my Momma used to tell me, "There's no such thing as a free lunch.", and, "If it looks too good to be true, it probably isn't."

A couple of interesting articles...

...and another terrific site that was started for the same reason SensibleFolks was begun!
Check it out, and I'll put the site on the sidebar.
This one includes information on a site called, The Hillbilly Housewife, looks to be another site with helpful information!

And a few ideas to get your debt down...

Sensible Tip: Be Nice...

... Or you'll wind up being remembered like this:

(Click to enlarge, or follow link below.)

This was a real obituary that ran in the Vallejo Times-Herald by the one of the deceased's daughters, who said that as children they were, "unfed, poorly clothed and completely terrorized."

A Tip From Kelly!

I live in Southeast Texas, where it's mosquito season most of the year, and have a mild allergy to the anticoagulant the mosquito injects.
I try not to get eaten up by them, but it happens on occasion, and it causes intense, painful itching for me. Instead of buying some overpriced product to relieve itching, I just rub some lemon or lime juice on the bites. The citric acid of the juice breaks down the protein-based anticoagulant. And, of course, relieving the itching prevents scratching, which helps prevent infection.
I hope this tip helps. :)

Living in Florida myself, the mosquito is practically the state bird! So ANY help is welcome! The acidic nature of the citrus may be matched by white vinegar...anybody try that? In Australia, during a certain season, all beach goers take white vinegar along to treat jellyfish stings...so it might work too.
Though the citrus certainly smells better!
And a big thank you to, Kelly, of http://onemonkeystypewriter.blogspot.com , for sharing!

A post I shamelessly swiped from Jungle Mom...

...a missionary who knows how to use what you have. A very handy person to know!

Things I've learned ...
The following are a few recipes I have acquired over the years as I have lived in places where one could not always find certain items. These days it is much easier to get imported items over seas, but they are often very expensive. I have found many of these items to also be expensive here in the USA.

Ranch Flavoring Mix

2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dried minced garlic
2 tsp. dried minced onion
2 tsp. parsley flakes
2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. paprika

Mix together. Makes 1/2 cup dry mix. Variations: 1) Add 1 T. mix to 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup sour milk for creamy salad dressing. 2) Add 1 T mix to plain yogurt for dips 3) Combine 2 T water with 1/4 cup vinegar. Stir in 2 T mix, then add 2/3 cups vegetable oil. Shake well for salad dressing.


Taco Seasoning Mix

1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 T flour
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
Mix well. Equals one packet of seasoning, enough for 1/2 kilo meat. ( 1 lb)


Whole Milk Ricotta

2 liters whole milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
Pour milk into saucepan. Heat slowly to 200* Stir in lemon, cover and turn off heat. Let stand until a solid surd forms.(3 -4 hours) Strain through cheesecloth. let drain for 30 minutes to 1 hour. The longer it drains, the firmer the curd.Turn cheese into a bowl and salt to taste. refrigerate. ( great for lasagna and recipes that call for ricotta or cottage cheese)


Blender Mayonnaise

1 egg
2 T vinegar
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup salad oil
Put 1 T of vinegar and all other ingredients EXCEPT the oil into blender. Cover and blend on low. Slowly pour 1/2 cup oil. Blend on medium. Add the second T of vinegar and the other 1/2 cup of oil into blender. Blend on high. yields: 1 cup


Homemade Mustard

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
5 T dry mustard
dash of salt
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
Turmeric

Mix sugar,flour, dry mustard, and salt together in saucepan. Add water and vinegar. Cook until desired thickness mixing with wire whip. Then add the turmeric to desired color.


Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 cup hot water
1/4 cup margarine
2 cups white sugar
4 cups powdered milk
Blend until well mixed. Keep refrigerated.


Evaporated Milk
1 cup dry milk
1/3 cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
3 T melted butter Combine all ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth. Refrigerate. Yields:1 and 1/2 cups.


Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tsp powdered ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup honey
Use to marinate meat overnight. Good for chicken, beef, tapir, deer, wild boar and capybera!:)

Play Dough

1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 T cooking oil
Mix all dry ingredients together.. Add food coloring to the water. Add colored water and salt to the dry ingredients. Cook stirring constantly until mixture forms a ball. Store in air tight container and may be refrigerated for longer use. NON TOXIC!!!


Baby Wipes

2 cups hot water
1 - 2 T baby shampoo
2 T baby oil
1 roll paper towels

Remove cardboard form center of towels and cut entire roll into half. Mix water, shampoo, and oil and pour over paper towels. Store in air tight container. Use best quality of paper towel available.

And especially for missionaries!

Unleavened Bread for Communion

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 cups shortening
6 T milk
Combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening with a fork. With fork, mix in milk. Form into ball and let rest 5 minutes. Heat oven to 180* C ( about 375* F) Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Score dough into 1 inch squares without cutting completely through. Prick each square 2 or 3 times with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned

From Ma...up on the mountain.

Nanc and my adopted 'Ma', sent me this handy tip, just in time for summer hiking, camping, fishing or just goofing around.
After all, even insects have to breathe, and since they use orifices on their sides...I would imagine that the necessity of breathing will cause them to forgo a meal!
A School Nurse has written the info below -- good enough to share - And it really works!!
I had a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best way to remove a tick. This is great, because it works in those places where it's some times difficult to get to with tweezers: between toes, in the middle of a head full of dark hair, etc.
Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab it for a few seconds (15-20), the tick will come out on its own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away.
This technique has worked every time I've used it (and that was frequently), and it's much less traumatic for the patient and easier for me.Unless someone is allergic to soap, I can't see that this would be damaging in any way. I even had my doctor's wife call me for advice because she had one stuck to her back and she couldn't reach it with tweezers. She used this method and immediately called me back to say,' It worked!'

More household hints

Tired of those nasty pans under your stove top burners? A soaking in simple green will loosen most of the caked on grease. For really tough baked on stuff you can soak the pans overnight in a sink of water and several dryer sheets. In the morning a quick scrub will remove the softened grime.

Chamomile and Valerian mixed together make the best nerve tonic you can get without a prescription. I buy the raw herbs in bulk and make a tea but you can also buy the capsules.
The stress of the day melts away in minutes and there are absolutely no side affects. I have also used this combination to treat my dog's severe epilepsy and he went from having a seizure a month to none at all.

Dried and cracked leather can be brought back to life with ordinary baby oil. Several applications might be needed for the most severe cases but eventually the item will look as good as new.

Soaking faucet aerators in 5% vinegar overnight will bring them back to full function. No need to buy expensive and dangerous products like CLR and lime away.

Running a quart of 5% household vinegar in your dishwasher will remove lime deposits from your glasses and will restore function to your dishwasher as well.

Save those desiccant packs from electronics and other items you buy. They can be used for storing items that are sensitive to humidity, like photographs, old letters, stamp collections etc.. every few years you can recharge the desiccant packs by placing them in a 200 degree oven for 20 minutes.

If you steam clean your own carpets don't use the carpet shampoos they recommend. These products leave residue in your carpets that act as dirt magnets. Instead, I use powdered laundry detergent or oxy clean. Detergents are much easier to extract from carpets and do a much better job at attacking dirt. Be sure to add water to the detergent first before filling the machine and test on a small area to make sure your detergent is color safe for your carpet or upholstery.

Household tips.

Some random tips.

If you have a stuck lock or your key keeps sticking or getting jammed, try coating the key with liquid dish soap. It really works!

If you have a loose jeans zipper that works it's way down at the most inopportune times, try coating the metal teeth with superglue then work the zipper several times until the glue dries. It will add resistance and keep the zipper in the proper place.

Pouring rubbing alcohol on an ink stain and rubbing with a soft cloth will remove all but the most stubborn pen marks.

Put lemon rinds down the garbage disposal and run it without water to kill lingering germs and smells.

When storing fresh herbs in the refrigerator, place them stem down in a cup of water. They will last for weeks instead of days.

If you have a stale bag of chips, you can spread them on a cookie sheet and bake them at 350 for 5 minutes to make them good as new.

Instead of buying expensive car washing products, use regular liquid dish soap. It will get your car squeaky clean without streaking.

Use household vinegar on oxidized black molding, rubber parts and tires to bring back the original lustre.

Pure lemon juice will clean the worst greasy stains on stove tops and vent hoods with very little scrubbing.

Pouring a coke on your car's corroded battery terminals really does work. It can keep you from getting stranded.

Keep a can of WD40 in your car's trunk. If your car stalls out from driving in deep water you can spray it under your distributor cap and on the spark plug wires to displace the moisture and get running again.

Shelf Life?

Thanks to Z, of Golly Geeez for this bit of info about tires.
It is from ABC's, 20/20 program, on tire safety and "shelf life".
Something to ponder as you shop for your next set of tires.

Car buying tips

When looking to buy a new vehicle, shop on the last days of the year for the current year model (for example buy a 2008 car in December 2008) and gather up any dealer and manufacturer incentives you can.

Be hard on the salesperson and keep driving that price down. Be sure to negotiate your interest rate as well. You can often get pre-qualified at your bank. This alone will save you time and money. Remeber always be Prepared to walk out.

Don’t tell the salesperson about a trade in until the deal is done. Also, make sure they give you a fair allowance depending on your trades condition and age. You can find this info at KBB.com

When buying a new car, skip the extended warranties, service plans, life insurance and make double sure the finance person does not sneak them onto your finance contract. They will keep hounding you so be firm and say no.

These added warranties may sound good, but they will cost you several thousand dollars and 99% of the time they will never be used.

You may want to consider GAP insurance. In case your car is stolen or totaled, it pays any difference between the car value and the loan. This may save your bacon in the end.

Also look for hidden fees like make ready, delivery, service fees etc… they are all just bull and if the dealer won’t remove them just walk out. (They will chase you and remove the fees)

Buying from an individual is also a great way to get a nice older car. It may be a risk but there are some real beauties out there with low mileage and impeccable maintenance.

Be sure the seller has a clear title. Do not give the seller money unless he immediately signs over the title at the time of payment and gives at least a hand written receipt. Make sure all co-owners sign as well. You don’t want to shell out good cash and get a nasty surprise from an ex spouse who may be co-owner of the vehicle.

Always be sure to call and add the car to your insurance right away. Cars are a big financial expenditure. It makes sense to cover all your bases.

If you are really in tough financial shape, you can get an old beater that’s over 15 years old but still mechanically sound for a few hundred dollars. With minimum liability insurance and a little TLC, a beat up car can be a stop gap measure until your finances are in better shape.

Quick and easy gormet pasta

Think about spending $12 for a plate of pasta at some Italian bistro. You can make it better, faster and cheaper at home with a few simple ingredients

1 can of Rotel (diced tomatoes with chiles) (or w/o chile)
1/2 Lb pasta noodles wheat or regular. You can use rigatoni, shells, farfalle angel hair or whatever.
6 gloves garlic
1 small onion
1 small 4oz can of chopped green or calmata olives
cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
Put the noodles in a glass bowl and cover with 2 cups of water and microwave on high for 10 min
The noodles should be a little al-dente (not mushy)

Chop the garlic and onion finely and soften them in a large skillet with the olive oil salt and pepper.

Once the garlic and onions start to get soft add the olives and can of tomatoes.

Cook this on med high on the stovetop for about 3 min then lower the heat to medium.

Once the noodles are done, dump them water and all into the sauce pan.

Mix the noodles with the other ingredients for about 3 more min on med high heat.

Pour the pasta into a serving bowl and sprnkle the parmesan on top.

I just serve it with some garlic bread and a glass of wine.


The total cost of this meal will be under $10 and it will serve 3 really hungry adults.

A Tip For 'Big Oil.'

I heard this on Beck's radio show today, and it's what we should all be screaming at our so-called servants of the People.

OK, so it's not really a sensible living tip, but I couldn't help myself:

GLENN: Enough. We brought together the heads of big oil. See that big head over there? Yeah, he runs Shell. That one? That runs ExxonMobil. Mr. Big oil, we're here to talk about the high price of gasoline. How could it have possibly gotten this high?

Let me tell you what we've done here in congress. We told you that drilling in ANWR is off limits. We told you that drilling off the coast of Florida and California is off limits. We told you, Mr. Big oil, that there wouldn't be any new leases for drilling in the Gulf while China and Venezuela and even Cuba pursued these leases and have just signed 100-year leases on the oil in the Gulf of Mexico. We here in congress have promised, as all three presidential candidates have also promised, to introduce and pass in the next term a cap and trade legislation bill that will increase the price of gasoline according to the EPA by an additional $1.50. Some people say it could be as high as $5 additional per gallon. Order, order. We have said that we're shutting down oil fields in Colorado. We won't let you develop shale oil fields in several Western states. And yesterday we passed legislation that would let us sue OPEC with the full understanding that they'll never retaliate. Yes. We have allowed environmental attorneys to sue you big oil fiends for future possible destruction of Alaskan Eskimo village which legal experts believe is the same strategy used to bring down big tobacco. We're especially proud of our recent action to protect the polar bear and their habitat which just happens to be where the future oil deposits happen to be located. We told you that you're making too much money and that we're looking at seizing any money that we consider windfall profits. Yes. We have allowed you to drill in some very small areas in Alaska while simultaneously creating very generous environmental laws which have tied up the very production we authorize through years of litigation after you spent the money on buying and setting up equipment. We told you through our policies that we would not allow you to build a new refinery in over 30 years. In fact, this great country, under our tutelage, has even reduced the number of operational refineries by half since 1982. Order, order, order. We have even told your potential competitors in the nuclear and hydroelectric industries that we would send the environmental lawyers after them if they even dared think about building a new plant or a new dam. We've refused to fund or allow the deployment of coal-to-oil technology which has been around since the 1930s. We've told you that you have to make different blends of gasoline, let states like California dictate what unique gasoline blends you have to make for them. We will not reduce our federal gasoline tax. We won't even consider reducing it for the summer months. So Mr. Big oil, tell me why exactly are gas prices so high? Order, order!

Stop. That's what should be said. Thank you. That's what should be said. Instead congress is going to bring big oil in front of them today and say, "Oh, oh, are you price gouging?" .