Free quilt patterns

ATTENTION QUILTERS!

Free patterns!

Click here to download

Free EBook from Mr. Food!

Mr. Food always has the best recipes  and I often post his recipes  on my food blog. Click here to get his free EBook,  No Bake Desserts.

Free Jar Labels

Do you can or preserve your own preserves or vegetables from your garden?

If you do or know someone who does . . . check out Jenny's blog, A World of Crafts.  

Click here for a link to some awesome jar labels!  They are so cute . . . and are free!

Be on HGTV

This is the height of being frugal . . . allowing the cameras and crews of an HGTV show into your home and being rewarded with a new kitchen, room, a redecorating project . . . whatever . . . most of them are free!  OMG . . . I only wish I had the nerve!


The people at HGTV are seeking participants for new episodes that will soon go into production.  


Click here to check out the list of what they are looking for!


Actually . . . I'd love to run into Ahmed from Yard Crashers at Home Depot . . .

Frugal Household Remedies

I love discovering new uses for stuff that is

already on hand, much less inexpensive or a 

quick fix for those pesky household problems.  

Here are a few . . . 

Use ketchup to remove tarnish from copper and brass cookware. Squeeze ketchup onto a cloth and rub it on pots and pans. Rinse with warm water and dry with a towel.

Does anyone have a natural remedy for cleaning stainless steel cookware?

Use oatmeal to scrub very dirty hands. Make a thick paste of oatmeal and water . . . rinse well.

Use glycerin to remove dried wax drippings from candlesticks. Peel off as much wax as possible, then moisten a cotton ball with glycerin and rub until clean.

Scuffed Linoleum

Rub the spot with white toothpaste and a dry cloth or with an eraser. Or spray WD-40 on a towel and rub lightly, making sure to degrease the area afterward with liquid dishwashing soap and water.

Stuck Sliding Windows

A little silicone spray lubricant (sold at hardware stores) will grease the skids. Spray it onto a rag and wipe along the tracks.

Stained Tub

Combine equal amounts of cream of tartar and baking soda with enough lemon juice to make a paste. Rub the mixture into the stain with your fingers or a soft cloth. Let sit for a half hour, then rinse well with water.

Clogged drains 
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain, then pour 1 cup of white vinegar. Follow immediately with 2 cups of boiling water. It will fizz and bubble then "poof" your drain will become unclogged. Do this once a month to keep drains free and clear. 

Top Mom Craft Blogs

If you a follower of one of my other blogs, LaBelladiva, you know that crafting and DIY projects are among my favorite things.  One of the main features of that blog is showcasing awesome projects I find through Bloggerville.

I was thrilled to find 50 Top Mom Craft Blogs featured on Babble.com . . . going through this list will be lots of fun!

Garden Frugality ~ Recycling Old Hoses

Don't toss out those old garden hoses!

Exercise your frugal wisdom and recycle them.

Here are some ways to repurpose them:

My favorite way to recycle old garden hoses is to poke holes to make a soaker hose or a really cheap sprinkler-type system.  Those soaker hoses can be expensive!  Don't forget to plug the end of the hose.

Cut the hose to a desired length and attach to the faucet for filling buckets.

Cut 1 to 2 foot pieces . . . thread onto wire or rope and use to stablize young trees on stakes. The hose helps to prevent damage on the trunk/bark of the tree.

Poke holes in the hose and plug the end of the hose . . . use as misters on patios.  Misters can be very expensive!

Cut about a 5-inch length, slit it lengthwise, wrap it around the handle of a bucket, and tape it closed with duct tape.  Makes an awesome grip for the bucket!

Slit the hose lengthwise, cut to size, to protect saw blades.