Miracle Uses For Household Products - Bonus

These appeared in our local paper and I thought that I would share them with my readers. As you know there are avid followers of vinegar and duct tape. Well, here are some other items and things you can do with them. I'll cover more of them in later blogs. By the way, I have not tested these, so test them yourselves, no guarantees.

By the way, if you get a chance and need a laugh, check out my joke blog, ZJokes4U

Bonus Tips sent in by Readers: (Not tested, use at your own risk)

Baking soda

> Use baking soda and a slightly dampened cloth to polish up white shoes, sneakers, soccer balls, bike seats and purses.

Coffee filters

> Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave.

> Clean windows and mirrors. Filters are lint free.

> Protect good dishes by putting a filter between each dish.

> Filter broken cork from wine.

> Protect cast iron skillets. Place filter in skillet to absorb moisture.

> Recycle frying oil by straining through filter.

> Hold tacos. Filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

> Stop soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line pot with filter.

> Poke Popsicle stick through filter to keep drips off your hands.

> Use strips of filters to wax eyebrows.

> Keep in bathroom. Great “razor nick fixers.”

Dryer sheets

> Place inside heating/air conditioning vents for an air freshener. They also will catch dirt.

> Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a dryer sheet will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.

> Wipe window blinds with a dryer sheet to clean them and prevent dust from resettling.

> Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sandpapering. A used dryer sheet will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

Epsom salt

> Put a handful of Epsom salt in a bowl and add a little water. Apply solution to poison ivy periodically with a cotton ball to dry out the rash.

Nail polish

> Apply a small drop of clear nail polish to the threads of eyeglass screws before tightening them. It will prevent them from loosening.

Non-diet cola

> If you’re driving while it’s raining and your windshield gets nasty on the outside, after you stop, pour non-diet cola (some readers swear by Coca-Cola) all over the outside and it immediately clears it up.

Orange Pledge furniture polish

> Removes gasoline smell from hands.

>If you have trouble with yellow jackets and buy one of the yellow jacket traps, use root beer or Coca-Cola to draw the yellow jackets into the trap.

Vodka

> Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting your safety razor blade soak in the alcohol after shaving.

WD-40

> Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.

> Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.

> Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.

> It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor.

> Removes all traces of duct tape.

Miracle Uses For Household Products - Part 6

These appeared in our local paper and I thought that I would share them with my readers. As you know there are avid followers of vinegar and duct tape. Well, here are some other items and things you can do with them. I'll cover more of them in later blogs. By the way, I have not tested these, so test them yourselves, no guarantees.

By the way, if you get a chance and need a laugh, check out my joke blog, ZJokes4U

Oatmeal

Treat itchy poison ivy or chicken pox by soaking in an oatmeal bath. Grind 1 cup of oatmeal into a thin powder, pour into cheesecloth or into a clean old stocking and tie into a knot. Suspend the bag under the faucet as it fills with warm water.

Eat oatmeal each day for 365,025 days and you will have lived to be 100 years old (LOL, although that is what my 101 year old Mom has for breakfast each morning). 

 

Olive Oil

Five uses

1. Polish wood furniture with a teaspoon of oil and a soft rag.

2. Lubricate measuring cups and spoons for easy cleanup of sticky ingredients such as honey, grain mustards and syrups.

3. Control hair frizz by combing a bit of olive oil through dry hair to tame the frizz and flyaway’s on humid days or in the winter.

4. Free a stuck zipper. Use a cotton swab to apply olive oil to the teeth of a zipper, and then gently ease the tab down.

5. Remove paint from your skin.

6. Fix a squeaky door by using a rag or cotton swab to apply olive oil to the top of a problematic hinge.

TISSUE BOX (EMPTY)

1. Store empty plastic grocery bags.

VINEGAR

1.     Remove stubborn price tags or stickers. Paint them with several coats of vinegar, let the liquid soak in for five minutes, then wipe away the residue.

2.     Spray on weeds to kill them.

2. Make wool sweaters fluffier. Drop in a couple of capfuls of vinegar during the rinse cycle for an extra-soft feel.

3. Kill weeds between cracks in paving stones and sidewalks. Fill a spray bottle with straight vinegar and spray multiple times.

WINE BOTTLE (EMPTY)

1. Put in boots to prevent crease line.

Miracle Uses For Household Products - Part 5

These appeared in our local paper and I thought that I would share them with my readers. As you know there are avid followers of vinegar and duct tape. Well, here are some other items and things you can do with them. I'll cover more of them in later blogs. By the way, I have not tested these, so test them yourselves, no guarantees.

By the way, if you get a chance and need a laugh, check out my joke blog, ZJokes4U

Marshmallows

> Stop ice cream drips by placing a large marshmallow in the bottom of the cone before adding the ice cream.

> Keep brown sugar soft by adding a few marshmallows to the bag before closing it.

Mayonnaise

Four uses

1. Condition your hair by massaging it into your hair and scalp. Cover your head with a shower cap, wait several minutes, then shampoo.

2. Relieve sunburn pain by slathering mayonnaise liberally over the affected area.

3. Clean piano keys. If the keys to your piano are starting to yellow, tickle the ivories with a little mayonnaise applied with a soft cloth. Wait a few minutes, wipe with a damp cloth and buff.

4. Remove bumper stickers by rubbing some mayonnaise over the entire sticker. Let it sit for several minutes and wipe it off. It will also remove tar and pine sap.

Milk

Four uses

1. Use milk to shave with if you have nothing else to use as a barrier.

2. Clean patent leather shoes to a gleaming shine by rubbing them with a little milk on a soft cloth. Leave to dry and then buff them.

3. Remove ink stains on clothing by soaking the area in milk. This can take from half an hour to overnight to remove the stain completely.

4. Repair fine cracks in china plates and cups by boiling them in milk. The milk reacts with the kaolin in china and closes the crack. Place the plate in a pan, cover it with milk (fresh or reconstituted powdered milk) and bring to a boil. As soon as it starts to boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Nail Polish

Five uses

1. Make cup measurements visible by using a brightly colored polish to trace over basic measurement levels.

2. Mark levels inside a bucket with a color that stands out.

3. Seal an envelope by brushing a little polish on the underside of the flap.

4. Protect your belt buckle’s shine by covering new or just-shined belt buckles with a coat of clear polish.

5. Stop a windshield crack from spreading by brushing both sides of the glass with polish to fill it.

Non-Diet Soda

Four uses

1. Clean car battery terminals. The acidic properties will eliminate corrosion. Pour some soda over the battery terminals and let it set. Remove the sticky residue with a wet sponge.

2. Loosen rusted-on nuts and bolts. Soak a rag in the soda and wrap it around the bolt for several minutes.

3. Make cut flowers last longer by pouring about a half-cup into the water in a vase full of cut flowers. The sugar in the soda will make the blossoms last longer.

4. Clear out a slow drain by pouring a 2-liter bottle of cola down the drain to help remove the clog.

Miracle Uses For Household Products - Part 4

These appeared in our local paper and I thought that I would share them with my readers. As you know there are avid followers of vinegar and duct tape. Well, here are some other items and things you can do with them. I'll cover more of them in later blogs. By the way, I have not tested these, so test them yourselves, no guarantees.

By the way, if you get a chance and need a laugh, check out my joke blog, ZJokes4U

Grocery Bags

Five uses

1. Preserve paint brushes. To keep brushes and rollers from drying out, place them in bags and tie them or wrap them with rubber bands to keep air out. The tools will stay moist and protected for a day or so.

2. Bulk up curtain valances by stuffing them in the valances for a resilient pouf. Can also be used to stuff crafts or pillows.

3. Treat chapped hands by rubbing with a thick layer of petroleum jelly and placing them in a plastic bag for 15 minutes to half an hour.

4. Keep one or two stashed in your car to use as a trash bag.

5. If you are picking berries (blue berries, blackberries, etc), slip a hand through each loop and simply pick and drop right into the bag without having to hold a container.

Honey

Three uses

1. Soak in a milk and honey bath. Add about 1/3 cup of honey to 2 1/4 cups of milk. Mix thoroughly. You can even add a few drops of essential oil to give your honey milk bath additional scent.

2. Treat minor skin abrasions and wounds with honey’s antibacterial and antifungal properties. Apply a small amount twice daily to a wound or burn to speed up the healing process.

3. Help a hangover by spooning a few tablespoons of honey on toast for breakfast. The fructose speeds up the metabolism of alcohol.

Ice cube trays

Organize jewelry, small nuts and bolts and buttons in easy-to-stack trays.

Ketchup

1. Get rid of chlorine green hair with a ketchup shampoo. Massage ketchup generously into your hair and leave it for 15 minutes, then wash it out, using baby shampoo. Wonder if you would then be red headed, LOL!

2. Clean the bottoms of copper pans by spreading ketchup over the copper portion. Let sit for about 15 to 20 minutes, wipe off and rinse.

Lemon

Five uses

1. Relieve a sore throat. Cut a lemon in half. Skewer one half over a medium flame on a gas stove or an electric burner set on high and roast until the peel turns golden brown. Let cool slightly, then mix the juice with 1 teaspoon of honey.

2. Whiten fingernails. Rub a wedge on the surface of your nails.

3. Remove soft cheese or other sticky foods from a grater. Rub both sides of the grater with the pulp side of a cut lemon.

4. Create blond highlights by adding 1/4 cup lemon juice to 3/4 cup water and rinse your hair with the mixture. Then sit in the sun until your hair dries. Lemon juice is natural bleach.

5. Giving your pets a lemon rinse after their bath to keep fleas and ticks away. Fleas and ticks don’t like citrus. Squeeze 6 lemons into a gallon of water, heat on the stove to a boil. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Use as a final rinse (don’t rinse out the lemon).

Miracle Uses For Household Products - Part 3

These appeared in our local paper and I thought that I would share them with my readers. As you know there are avid followers of vinegar and duct tape. Well, here are some other items and things you can do with them. I'll cover more of them in later blogs. By the way, I have not tested these, so test them yourselves, no guarantees.

By the way, if you get a chance and need a laugh, check out my joke blog, ZJokes4U

Cotton balls

Fight mildew in hard-to-reach spots in the bathroom. Soak a few cotton balls in bleach and place them in those difficult spots. Leave them to work their magic for a few hours. Finish by rinsing with a warm-water wash.

Dish detergent

1. Get a better manicure by soaking fingernails in the soapy solution, rinse and apply polish. The polish will adhere better to the nail and spread smoother.

2. Pre-treat oil-based laundry stains, such as lipstick and grease.

3. Soak your oily and grimy tools to get them clean.

4. Kill pet fleas by washing pets in a soapy water bath. ( See Lemons in a later post)

5. Use New Dawn detergent and mix in a quarter cup with a gallon of water and spray around your house where ants are coming in and they will avoid that area. Also, I noticed that if you spray the aunts directly, it kills them in about 10 seconds.

Dryer sheets

1. Repel mosquitoes on your patio. Hang a sheet when outdoors during the mosquito season.

2. Freshen the air by placing an individual sheet in a drawer, hang one in the closet, locker at the health club, locker at work or under the seat of your car or truck.

3. Run a sewing needle through a sheet before sewing to prevent the thread from tangling.

4. A sheet left inside luggage or travel baggage can prevent musty odors.

5. Eliminate static electricity from the television or computer screen.

6. Dissolve soap scum from shower door and tile walls. Clean the surfaces with a sheet.

7. Repel bees and bugs by tucking some in your picnic basket or under lawn furniture. You can also rub a sheet directly on your bare skin.

8. Combat static on your clothes, stockings and hair by patting with a sheet.

9. De-stink your pets: scrub incoming dogs or cats (especially wet ones) with a dryer sheet before they enter the home.

10. Soak cookware with burnt or baked-on food in warm water, with a dryer sheet or two. Makes clean-up easier than you’d expect. Also works on cook tops and dingy cabinet doors.

Epsom Salt

Four uses

1. Exfoliate skin by massaging handfuls of Epsom salt over wet skin, starting with your feet and continuing up toward the face. Have a bath to rinse.

2. Remove excess oil from hair by adding 9 tablespoons of Epsom salt to a half-cup of oily hair shampoo. Apply one tablespoon of the liquid to your hair when it is dry; rinse with cold water. Next, pour lemon juice or organic apple cider vinegar through the hair, leave on for 5 to 10 minutes, and then rinse.

3. Remove a splinter by soaking in Epsom salt.

4. Soaking in an Epsom Salts bath is also good for any aches or pains.

Miracle Uses For Household Products - Part 2

These appeared in our local paper and I thought that I would share them with my readers. As you know there are avid followers of vinegar and duct tape. Well, here are some other items and things you can do with them. I'll cover more of them in later blogs. By the way, I have not tested these, so test them yourselves, no guarantees.

By the way, if you get a chance and need a laugh, check out my joke blog, ZJokes4U

Baking soda

15 uses

1. Extinguish a grease or electrical fire. Scatter the powder by the handful to safely put it out.

2. Clean combs and brushes in a soda solution.

3. Wash glass or stainless steel coffee pots (but not aluminum) in a soda solution (3 tablespoons soda to 1 quart water).

4. Sprinkle soda on barbecue grills, let soak, and then rinse off.

5. Sprinkle soda on greasy garage floor. Let stand, scrub and rinse.

6. For a badly burned pan with a thick layer of burned-on food: pour a thick layer of soda directly onto the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle on just enough water so as to moisten the soda. Leave the pot overnight, then scrub it clean the next day.

7. Soak your shower curtains in water and soda to clean them.

8. Sprinkle soda in tennis shoes, socks, boots and slippers to eliminate odor.

9. Repel rain from your car windshield. Put gobs of baking soda on a dampened cloth and wipe windows inside and out.

10. Soak dried beans in a mixture of soda and water to make them more digestible.

11. Freshen your carpet and upholstered furniture. Sprinkle them with baking soda. Allow them to sit undisturbed for a half hour or so. Then vacuum.

12. Eliminate water rings on your finished wood with a paste of baking soda and toothpaste. Dip a soft cloth in the paste and rub the water spots away.

13. Get rid of ants in your house by mixing equal parts of baking soda and salt together. Sprinkle the mixture wherever you see the intruders coming in.

14. Fill in some nail holes in a plastered wall with a paste of white toothpaste and baking soda.

15. Clean coffee stains from your coffee mugs by mixing 1 part baking soda with 2 parts water and let sit in the cup over the stain overnight. Then scrub using the mixture and rinse. This might work for tea stains as well.

Bananas

Seven uses

1. Polish leather shoes by using a de-stringed banana peel. Finish by buffing with a soft cloth or paper towel.

2. Remove warts by rubbing the inside of a little piece of a banana peel on a wart every night for several weeks.

3. Detract aphids by burying dried or cut-up banana peels a few inches deep around the base of rosebushes.

4. Nourish your skin by mashing a medium banana and combining with 1/4 cup plain yogurt and 2 tablespoons honey to make a facial mask. Leave on 20 minutes.

5. Tenderize a roast by adding a peeled banana to the pan.

6. Wipe your houseplant leaves down with the inside of a banana peel to remove dirt and leave a shine.

7. Rub scraped knees with the inside of a banana peel to promote healing.

Beer

1. Use beer instead of water in your favorite batter mix, and it will have a delicious flavor.

2. Soften hair and add body with a beer shampoo. Mix a raw egg together with half a can of beer and massage it into your hair. Rinse and style as usual. Beer also makes an excellent conditioner for hair. Massage a cup of warm beer into your hair and scalp after washing and allow it to set for half an hour or so. Rinse thoroughly.

3. Fertilize plants. Use all of those half-filled bottles and cups of beer after a party to pour on your houseplants and garden vegetables. The plants will love the nourishment that the yeast adds to the soil.

4. Get rid of slugs in your garden. Put a shallow dish of beer into your soil buried up to the lip. The slugs will be attracted to the beer and become stuck in it. Empty the dish each day and replace with new beer as they are attracted to the smell.

Miracle Uses for Common Household Products

These appeared in our local paper and I thought that I would share them with my readers. As you know there are avid followers of vinegar and duct tape. Well, here are some other items and things you can do with them. I'll cover more of them in later blogs. By the way, I have not tested these, so test them yourselves, no guarantees.

By the way, if you get a chance and need a laugh, check out my joke blog, ZJokes4U

Alka-Seltzer

1. Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets; wait 20 minutes, brush and flush.

2. Attract fish. Fill a tube jig with a piece of Alka-Seltzer and cast off.

3. Remove burned food from cookware. Fill your cookware with warm water, then dissolve six tablets and allow to sit for an hour or so.

4. Soothe insect bites. Dissolve two tablets in water and saturate a cloth or cotton ball with the solution, and place on the bite for 30 minutes. Don’t do this if you are allergic to aspirin, which is a key ingredient in Alka-Seltzer. An alternative suggested by our family Dr is meat tenderizer. Moisten the sting/bite and immediately put a heavy dose of meat tenderizer on it. Quicker is better because it counteracts the poison.

Aluminum foil

1. Sharpen your scissors by cutting through six to eight layers of aluminum foil.

2. Shine rusty chrome. With a bit of water on a wadded-up piece of aluminum foil, you can rub most rust spots off chrome car parts.

3. Keep birds out of your fruit trees. Hang twisted strips of aluminum foil all over your fruit trees using fishing line. The light reflections and the sound will keep birds away from your fruit.

4. Keep the bottom of your fireplace or charcoal grill from becoming encrusted with soot. Line the bottom of your fireplace or grill with aluminum foil before starting a fire, then dispose of the foil after the fire is out and the coals are completely cooled.

5. Eliminate electromagnetic interference if your TV and DVD player are stacked on top of each other. If the picture is fuzzy, place a sheet of aluminum foil between them.

6. Iron more effectively by putting a piece of aluminum foil under the ironing board cover. The foil will reflect the heat from the iron so both sides get ironed at once.

7. Move furniture with ease. To slide big pieces of furniture over a smooth floor, place small pieces of aluminum foil under the legs. Put the dull side of the foil down —- the dull side is actually more slippery than the shiny side.

8. Clean starch build-up from your iron by running a hot iron over a piece of aluminum foil.

Aspirin

1. Remove perspiration stains from white fabric by dissolving two aspirin in half a cup of warm water and applying to stained fabric. Leave for a couple of hours before washing.

2. Eliminate chlorine discoloration from hair by dissolving eight tablets in a glass of water and rubbing into your hair. Leave for about 10 minutes and then rinse. Shampoo.

3. Reduce pimples by making a paste with water and crushed aspirin. Cover the pimple with this paste; rinse after a few minutes.

4. Recharge a car battery by dropping two tablets into the battery itself. The aspirin’s acetylsalicylic acid will combine with the battery’s sulfuric acid to produce one last charge. Drive to the nearest service station. (One note, most car batteries are sealed these days, so if it is sealed, leave it sealed. Also, I don't know if there might be some chemical reaction, so cover your eyes with protective glasses and cover your exposed skin).

Let me know if any of these work for you.

Your Personal Economic Stimulus Plan

Now here is story that reflects how people are feeling in general right now. In our little town, there was a story in the local paper about shops in town were closing. One lady said she couldn’t cut her costs anymore, so she was closing the shop because she didn't want to sign another year lease since she didn't know how the economy was going to do. It sounds like she is making a decision based on fear.

 This is the part that frustrates me. That means that the landlord is going to be without rental money for a while, so he will have less to spend. Why didn't she talk with him about a month to month lease, explaining her predicament, and possible impact to him if she closed her shop. She draws traffic, which has a positive effect on stores next door. She closes, some of that traffic will not materialize. See, it all feeds on itself.

 Maybe she did try to renegotiate, or was losing money at an un-sustainable rate, the story didn't elaborate, because it was too focused on the negative economic aspects.

 Now read this story on the opposite side of the economic fear spectrum.

 Last evening I saw a story on NBC nightly news segment called "Making a Difference". This was a story about a local pharmacist in Brewton, Al., a small town, with economic troubles of their own.

Here is the bright spot. The pharmacist decided to begin his own economic stimulus plan. He ordered $16,000 from his local bank in $2 bills. He then called a store meeting. Some were afraid of pending bad news. You know the typical story these days, "Uh oh, layoffs or store closing!" Instead, the pharmacist gave out the $16,000 to the employees with these instructions.

Do not use this money to pay bills. Do not put it into savings. Do give 15% to charity. Do spend it all locally. The use of the $2 bills was to let people see how spending their money locally helped other local businesses. So off they went. One fellow needed two mattresses, so he bought one mattress at one store, and the other mattress at another store. Thus he was helping two store owners. They earned a profit, giving them money to spend at other local stores, and so on. They are seeing those $2 bills all through their town reminding them that they do help each other.

The moral to this story is if you are working, if you are part of the 91% employed, then get out there and spend a little bit locally. 

If we could get the 91%, to stop listening to the instant evening news about how bad everything is, our attitudes would improve, and slowly we would resume living a normal life. So turn that evening news off for a week and see if your attitude improves. If the 91% would start this spending plan, you would then see on the evening news "Consumer spending is on the rebound", wall street would go crazy, and your stocks and retirement funds would begin rising. Did you know there is $4 Trillion sitting on the sidelines waiting to renter the stock market, hoping to catch it at the bottom? Once the flood gate opens, it will be a tidal wave of buying and computerized trading.

There are some great bargains to be had right now. Fall and winter clothing is on sale, so it is a great time to start that early Christmas, or birthday shopping now. You save money, you help stimulate the economy.

Need a new car? This is the best time since 1974 to buy a new car. In fact, new cars are even close in price to late model used cars. Plus you can help those folks out in Michigan, and other states that supply parts, the truckers that carry those parts.

You have the potential to create more jobs than anything stimulus plan that Congress can put into place. 

So if you are ready to go spend a bit of money, here is a website that offers advice on saving money by getting free shipping, coupons, etc. www.savemoney.com

and the save money blog.

Also, if you just need a good laugh to take your mind off all that emphasized depressing news, go to my joke blog, www.zjokes4u.blogspot.com, to help put a smile on your face.

Let's get this economy moving!!!

Laughter is the Best Medicine

One thing we can save is ourselves. We often hear that laughter is the best medicine. It really is!!

We feel good when we are laughing, it is actually a form of exercise, and releases good things in our bodies.

For this reason, I started a new blog: http://zjokes4u.blogspot.com/

If you really need a reason to read a good joke and laugh (I don't need a reason), you can read the following that tells you about the benefits of laughter. This came from a CBS News report in 2006.

We change physiologically when we laugh. We stretch muscles throughout our face and body, our pulse and blood pressure go up, and we breathe faster, sending more oxygen to our tissues.

One pioneer in laughter research, William Fry, claimed it took 10 minutes on a rowing machine for his heart rate to reach the level it would after just one minute of hearty laughter.

And laughter appears to burn calories, too. Maciej Buchowski, a researcher from Vanderbilt University, conducted a small study in which he measured the amount of calories expended in laughing. It turned out that 10-15 minutes of laughter burned 50 calories.

In the last few decades, researchers have studied laughter's effects on the body and turned up some potentially interesting information on how it affects us:

Blood flow. Researchers at the University of Maryland studied the effects on blood vessels when people were shown either comedies or dramas. After the screening, the blood vessels of the group who watched the comedy behaved normally — expanding and contracting easily. But the blood vessels in people who watched the drama tended to tense up, restricting blood flow.

Immune response. Increased stress is associated with decreased immune system response, says Provine. Some studies have shown that the ability to use humor may raise the level of infection-fighting antibodies in the body and boost the levels of immune cells, as well.

Blood sugar levels. One study of 19 people with diabetes looked at the effects of laughter on blood sugar levels. After eating, the group attended a tedious lecture. On the next day, the group ate the same meal and then watched a comedy. After the comedy, the group had lower blood sugar levels than they did after the lecture. 

Relaxation and sleep. The focus on the benefits of laughter really began with Norman Cousins' memoir, Anatomy of an Illness. Cousins, who was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a painful spine condition, found that a diet of comedies, like Marx Brothers films and episodes of Candid Camera, helped him feel better. He said that 10 minutes of laughter allowed him two hours of pain-free sleep. 

So hop on over to my newest blog and enjoy a good healthy Laugh!!

  http://zjokes4u.blogspot.com/

Sears Supports Military Families

When I was a little fellow, there was no internet in our house, or any house as far as that goes. TV was black and white, no color. Our entertainment came from books, bible stories, comic books, and using our imagination while playing with friends. There was always the Christmas parade and the excitement that surrounded this part of the year both in church and school.

 There was one book that always came in the mail at this time of the year. When it arrived, I would quickly search through it for the toy section. There were colorful pictures of all types of toys. Everything from Lincoln Logs, to bicycles, to vibrating football games.

This book was the Sears catalog, which was also known as the "Wishbook". This was mainly because many wishes were made while viewing its pages. I always envisioned playing with the different toys, knowing that I would most likely not see any of them. However, the entertainment was the imagination that the pictures invoked. It seemed that Sears had many pages of toys available for our little minds to play with. 

 We bought a lot of things from Sears, it was the trusted store. If you bought it from Sears, it would work and last a long time. 

 As I got older and the world expanded, more electronic stores and super stores came about, I strayed away from Sears. In fact, I have not been in a Sears store in probably four years. Well, after tonight that will change.

 I just saw a story on NBC news that spoke about how Sears has always supported its veterans. We hear many stories of families enduring hardship while they have had to go off to serve their country. Some have come back to find they have lost their job and maybe even their home.

 Not at Sears. In fact according to the story, Sears actually pays the difference in what the employee would have been making while working at Sears, and what they are making while in the Service, while also maintaining their health insurance for their family. One fellow said he even got his bonus just as though he had been working for Sears. My friends, this illustrates that Sears seems to be a company that really cares about its employees and supports good values. Values seems to be something that seems to be in short supply in corporations and government this season.

That story about Sears really touched me. Sears has just regained a former customer. 

So I looked around and found that Sears gave out over 30,000 $100 gift cards to famlies through its "Heros at Home" program to support our military families. This is just a good corporation!

And let me go one step further to encourage you to shop at Sears! www.sears.com

Or even better drive over and walk around the store, pick up that last item you need for Christmas. The exercise will do us all some good. 

Here is the link to the story on NBC, you have to watch a 30 second commercial first, but the story is worth waiting for: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#28285258

PS: I did manage to get some of those toys from Sears. Thanks Mom and Dad!!

Shopping Frenzy

Well, in a few hours Black Friday begins and along with it the start of the Christmas shopping season. I saw at one Best Buy people were already in line when the 6 PM news came on and Best buy doesn't open until 5 AM! I hope they get what they came for.

Not me, I'm shopping from home this year. I spent the morning going through the ads and granted, I didn't look so much at the ladies items, but tended to look more at the electronics. There are some good buys to be had on large screen TV's (if you are already in line), but other than that, I didn't see a lot to get excited about.

However, in the world of the internet, things can change quickly. Plus, there are other savings to consider, your gas, and in most cases taxes. 

So here are a few links for you to go straight to the deals pages of some sites, and maybe, just maybe they might give you some gift ideas, help you finish some of your shopping early, and save you a bit of that hard earned cash!

Walmart Specials

Amazon Black Friday deals

Spa Gift Certificates

Buy.Com

Perfume - Use code CJD2008 to save 10% off your entire order

Dell Computer Black Friday Deals! 

Online Exclusives - Find the Perfect Cruise

Magazines make great gifts. I love the Handyman subscription and PC World magazines. And my PC World magazine subscription will run out this year (hint, hint).

Beauty Products $10 off $60!

Save up to 60% at Overstock.com!

Black Friday is Almost Here

Well, it is Thanksgiving Eve, the pies are baking, the turkey will soon be prepped, and we will be sound asleep with drumsticks dancing in our heads! For the vegan's, that might be carrots dancing in your head, LOL!!.

The day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday, because that is the day that most retailers hope to go into the black (become profitable). All kinds of specials are out there, if, you are willing to be up at the wee hours of the morning, and stand in line.

A few years ago, I thought this would be fun. There were a couple of items at the local electronics store that we were interested in, so we thought we would give it a try. We knew the store opened at 6 AM, so I thought that if we got there about 4:30, we would be first or close to first.

I learned a couple of things from that experience. First of all, when we arrived, we were probably about #200 or more in line. Second, people had been there since midnight. Third, for the really big specials (you know those that say a minimum of 6 per store), they gave coupons to the first ones through that wanted those items. So if you wanted one of those, you probably had to have been there at midnight.

Luckily, we did not need those items, and were able to get what we wanted plus a couple of things we did not plan on. Since that time, we have only ventured out once, but we didn't get up quite so early.

This year some of the stores are going to open at midnight. I must admit, I can stay up until midnight much easier than getting up at 4 AM (I think). However, this year, I am going to telecommute with my shopping. I'm going to attend Amazon's Black Friday sale that starts at 3 AM on Friday morning. But I don't think that I will be at the PC at 3 AM. I'll probably be moaning about the amount of turkey I ate. If you want to join me, here is the link: Amazon's Black Friday Sale.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and that you counted your blessings, and had a successful Black Friday shopping experience.

Kitchen Fires Happen Most Often on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of the year. Friends, family, food, great conversation and lots of catching up to do.

I just read an interesting article that said that more kitchen fires happen on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year. Things happen. Your guests are arriving, someone spills something, the doorbell rings, the phone rings, the dog needs to be let out. Anything can happen to take you away from the kitchen.

There are several products available to help you extinguish a kitchen fire, the Kitchen Fire Blanket is one. It can be thrown over the top of a blazing pot or pan, however, if the fire has spread beyond the pot or pan, you will need a kitchen fire extinguisher.  We keep one of these in our pantry, just in case.

If the fire has spread to the cabinets, obviously you need to call 911. Don't endanger yourself or the lives of others over "stuff". "Stuff" can be replaced, your friends and family cannot.

Here is the link to the article that had some tips in them. This Old House. 

Have a blessed, safe and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Rebate Processor files for Bankruptcy

While shopping for someone one the web, I just ran across the following important information. If you are doing your shopping and plan on getting a rebate, or have recently filed for a rebate, or have just gotten a rebate check, here is something you need to know about. 

Continental Promotion Group (CPG) has filed for bankruptcy and this could potentially result in not only you not getting your rebate, but if you deposit a rebate check from them, you may get hit with a fee from your bank if the check is returned for insufficient funds.

To determine if you are affected you may be able to tell if you look at the address where you mailed your rebate form. If it is: 

P.O. Box 52900 (or P.O. Box 52911)

Phoenix, AZ 85072-2900

Or if you see a website for checking your rebate status is www.rebatestatus.com, you may be affected.

Some notable stores that may have sold products with rebates being processed by this company, along with additional details, may be found at the following link: Rebate Bankruptcy.

So while shopping for great deals that include rebates, remain aware and 

Happy Shopping!!!!