Second Hand isn't Necessarily Second Rate

Have you noticed the condition of the economy has everything to do with our urgent desire to re-define our frugal ways? It seems we are in the midst of such a revival. I've noticed an increased number of blogs, articles and tips outlining ways to save money on those things we must have, and ways to recycle what we already have.

So I'm going to add my two cents from personal experience! I was raised in a very frugal household. Which is not be be confused with 'cheap'. Cheap simply wasn't done in our home because cheap was a waste of money. 'Buy well the first time and take care of it', that was our motto. Sometimes that meant buying something secondhand because it was a better value for the money and expectation of use. Finding vintage glass and useful dinnerware are always a bonus.  A terrific way to add color to the table or kitchen display.  But it makes the most sense if you plan to actually use the finds you bring home! 

I think we are familiar with second hand clothing shops like Goodwill, Salvation Army and the scores of consignments shops. Now some people stalk these secondhand shops looking for that treasure someone else threw out which is worth its weight in gold. I stalk them as the first line of shopping for clothes. I used to find great clothes for my son when he was young. When kids are at the stage of growth where they outgrow things before they've worn them out...secondhand is the only way to go in my book. Vintage linens are another find at most Thrift shops.  Cleanouts of older relatives' homes yield wonderful kitchen towels that simply get passed along to donation centers.

I recently found a brand new designer white cotton dress shirt with the tags intact for $6, well below the retail price and just my size. I found two sets of Laura Ashley cotton window curtains complete with tiebacks and fully lined for $10. Now I do a lot of sewing with cotton and there is enough excellent quality yardage in those curtains to make a dozen pillow cases, cushions, tote bags with enough left over the make some sachets, wrist cuffs and add several squares to my recycled quilt. Vintage napkins are a common find, however, finding napkins in good condition is not so easy.  Don't be quick to pass up stained cotton and linen.  Older cotton and linen fabrics were better made of longer fiber threads and are perfect as lining inside a potholder or sachet. As long as the fabric is washed and free of odors, who cares if the stains are hidden from view.

Beautiful embroidered linens are a marvel of talent and color.  Even if the pieces has some staining, the bits of the embroidery can easily be cut away and used to fashion a sented sachet or embellish a pillow.  The frugal minded used pieces like this to cover holes in the center of doilies.

But remember, great buys are only great if you saved money on something you were going to buy anyway. It has to fit, it has to be useful and it has to be reasonable. Don't waste money on something you'll have to fix because you'll never get around to it.

Scent of the Holidays

It's winter and the holiday season which smells like pine, cinnamon, cloves and oranges. Myrrh and Frankincense are in there somewhere along with peppermint candy canes and apple pies. So how do you spread the scent without spending a ton of money on candles?

Pull the vanilla extract from the cupboard and put a few drops on the light bulb in the living room, bedroom and family room. The heat from the bulb will disperse the scent beautifully. I use orange extract and a couple others too.

A few drops in a pot of simmering water on the stove will accomplish the same wonderful scent drifting through the house as well as add humidity to the air. Gather a few pine branches from the local tree lot or reserve the lower branches you cut from the tree you brought home and break them into little pieces. Add them to the simmering water for the fresh scent of pine.

You can use cinnamon sticks, allspice, whole cloves and other spices you will find in the cupboard. Citrus peel holds the aromatic essential and placing the peel (cut off most of the white pith) in simmering water releases the essential oil into to air.

If you would prefer to use essential oils (pure, not the synthetic versions) it's simple to add drops to simmering water, light bulbs and to the melted wax of an unscented candle, (just don't put the oil right on the flame!)

So save your money and don't buy those overpowering nasty synthetic fragrance candles! Gently scent your home with the ingredients you already have in the cupboards.

Top 9 Reasons to Attend a Craft Show

Spring is coming. Farmers' markets are opening soon and County Fairs will soon be putting up the tents. Between now and Christmas, it will be easy to find lists of open craft shows and festivals every week.

SO! This is the perfect time to lay out the best reasons why anyone would want to go to a craft show....

1. Free Entertainment. Walking around on a nice day beats sitting in a quiet park enjoying a good read.

2. Free Lunch. Usually there are several food vendors offering samples. Feel free to eat up! Don't be concerned with the signs that say 'one per person', and, 'no double dipping'. We all know the vendor has included the cost of the samples in the retail price of the item. You could buy it...but you don't need to buy it now because you are full.

3. Free Babysitting. Bring all of your children and send them down the aisle ahead of you. They gain important product info from all the merchandise by handling, ripping, throwing and hugging every single thing that strikes their fancy. You, the parent will know just which vendors are tolerant, angry or preparing an invoice to hand you when and if you catch up with the kids. It's relaxing to know the kids are annoying someone else for a change.

4. Free Guest Lectures. You are at liberty to expound on the any vendor's technique, comparing it nostagically with all the identical things your grandmother, sister, neighbor or you, yourself have made just exactly like the vendor....only different.

5. Price Comparison Skills. This is where you get to instruct the vendor about the pricing you have seen, or paid at Walmart for the 'same thing'.

6. Free Research. Bring your notebook so you're ready to write down all the answers to your questions like 'where do you buy your supplies?', 'how much did that cost to make?', 'do you make money?', and 'where can I learn to do this so I can make money too?'.

7. Take advantage of the backgound noise to continue an intimate conversation with your friend regarding your latest medical procedure while you absentmindedly flutter through all the items on a vendor's table; constructively blocking access for others who really are interested in buying something.

8. Samples! We already mentioned the food so now I'm referring to those vendors who put out samples of their products, hoping you'll like them so much, you may just buy something in the future. You can gather a lot of samples and put them in a basket to give as a birthday gift...now you don't have to buy anything! So ignore the signs that say 'one per person' and just tell the vendor you'll also take a couple for your neighbor, sister, grandmother or daughter too.

9. Ideas! Cruise around for the latest trends and ideas for your own production! Be sure to take notes and refer to #6 above.

So there you have it! Nine very good reasons to attend a show and enjoy the day!

Clean the Home Naturally

There is no need to buy separate cleaning supplies for each purpose in your home. You can save lots of money and exposure to chemical solvents by trying these easy-to-make cleaning solutions. Most of the ingredients are already in your pantry and laundry room.

Borax: 20 Mule Team variety from the grocery store is a wonderful disinfectant and absorbs odors. It softens water so laundry detergent and soaps work more effectively. Try adding 1/2 cup the wash cycle before adding the clothes. If you have a front loading machine, dissolve the borax in a quart of hot water and pour it into the clothing before you close the door and start the cycle.

Rubbing Alcohol: The same rubbing alcohol you probably have in the bathroom is good for mixing with vinegar in equal parts with hot water to clean most surfaces and tile. Fill a spray bottle with one third each of vinegar and alcohol and finish with warm water.

Salt: Fine grain table salt is great as a gentle abrasive for cleaning the tub and sink. It's good for cleaning copper pots and burned on food in pans and glass casserole dishes. Salt cuts grease and is really affective when combined with natural liquid soap. Put a squirt of liquid soap on a damp cloth, sprinkle a liberal amount of salt onto the surface of the copper pot and rub gently with the soap cloth. Rinse with warm water and polish dry.

Baking Soda: We all know that keeping an open box of baking soda in the refrig helps to keep odors down. Did you know you can also dissolve it in hot water and use in a spray bottle to remove offensive odors from the air? Baking Soda can be added to the laundry wash cycle to help eliminate odors and soften the wash water. Use a half cup per load.

Vinegar: The mild acid in the vinegar is a great disinfectant, grease cutter and stops lime build up in the shower from hard water. Combined with baking soda it helps loosen baked-on food in the oven and in pots and pans; the foaming reaction generates oxygen and heat to help make clean up of burned food come up easily. Oven: Wet the burned food area liberally with vinegar and sprinkle baking soda on the area. It helps if the oven is still warm. Pots and Pans: Pour vinegar into the pot, add the baking soda and gently heat the pot to increase the action. Allow it to cool to room temp or overnight. The burned-on food should be easy to remove.

Keep a spray bottle of vinegar and borax in the shower. Spray the walls and around the tub a few times to keep soap scum and hard water deposits from building up.

Essential Oil: Many essential oils smell as good as they are effective in cutting grease and disinfect bathrooms and kitchens. Sweet Orange, Grapefruit, Rosemary, Cinnamon and Lavender essential oils are my favorite. Mere drops are needed and they even help to keep you happy while you do the tough work. I like to put 5 or 6 drops into the vacuum bag just before I turn it on. The scent is nice and helps clean the air. Add a few drops to spray bottles.

Ammonia, NON-Sud sing: The best cleaner for windows and glass.
NEVER COMBINE AMMONIA WITH CHLORINE BLEACH! EVER!
Use 2 tablespoons of ammonia to a quart of warm water in a spray bottle. You can also add 1 tablespoon of baking soda and a small squirt of liquid soap.

Washing Soda (calcium carbonate): Not to be confused with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), you'll find washing soda in the laundry aisle at the grocery store. A paste of washing soda and vinegar are especially affective for tough laundry dirt like grass stains and perspiration stains. Dissolve 1/4 c of washing soda and 1/4 c baking soda in a spray bottle of very hot water and keep it handy to spritz stains before they go into the hamper or before they go into the machine.

Corn Starch: Draws fresh oil and grease stains from clothing and carpets. Corn Starch mixed with Borax and Baking Soda can be worked into pet urine stains and food stains in carpets. Work the powder in with a cloth whetted with vinegar. The powder will fizz and work it in some more. Cover the area with aluminum foil and allow it dry for a day or so then vacuum it up completely. You may need to repeat the process a few times. Use equal parts borax, baking soda and corn starch, mix well and store in a container.

Peroxide: Good for oxidizing protein based stains on wood and color fast fabric. Apply peroxide directly to the stain, allow it to work for a few minutes then wipe up. Rinse the area with warm water and dry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ALL PURPOSE CLEANING POWDER

2 cups Baking Soda
2 cups Borax
2 cups Salt

Combine thoroughly and store in a closed container. Use a scoop in the toilet. Apply with a damp cloth for cleaning the sink and tub.

Use 1/4 cup to a gallon of hot water to wash the floor. Rinse with warm water and dry. Put the solution in a spray bottle for the shower walls. Add a little vinegar to the bottle for tough water deposits.


ALL PURPOSE SPRAY/LAUNDRY

1/4 cup washing soda
1/4 cup baking soda
Hot water to fill spray bottle, but leave a little room for
a good squirt of liquid soap


ALL PURPOSE CARPET CLEANER

Equal parts: Borax, Baking Soda, Cornstarch

mix thoroughly and store in air tight container.


Thanks for reading! Hopefully we can all do our part to keep excessive chemical cleaners out of the water supply!