Original Uses for Old Panyhose

I always hate it when a good pair of panthyhose or knee high stockings get a run. They are so expensive, I hate to throw them out!

Luckily, there are many fantastic frugal uses for stockings that have seen better days.

Here are just a few:

Use the feet as car and closet fresheners. Simply stuff them with small, broken pieces of bar soap, a handful of herbs or potpourri. Tie off or sew the stuffing end shut to prevent the contents from spilling out.

You can also stuff the feet with bulbs of garlic or small onions and hang them in the kitchen. The porous fabric allows for good airflow, making them last longer. Just be sure you use clean ones to store your food! :-)

Use the tummy part of pantyhose as a natural filter for shop vacuums and swimming pool skimmer baskets. The mesh-like fabric traps debris that can clog things up!

The waistband of an old pair of pantyhose makes a great giant rubber band. Use it for bundling old magazines and newspapers, or to keep trash liners from slipping in to the garbage can. Simply stretch the waistband around the top of the liner.

I have personally used old knee-highs and pantyhose feet in craft projects. I fill them with dryer lint I collected over time from my laundry room, and used them to stuff small cloth ornaments I was sewing for the Christmas tree.

What creative uses can you come up with on you own?


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

The cure for a gassy gut is...

Image via Wikipedia

pineapple! Drinking one cup of juice after a meal calms those rumbling intestines. Pineapple contains bromelaine, a digestive enzyme that breaks down food quickly, reducing gas build up. It also is soothing to the tummy.

Another great food that aids digestion is papaya, which also contains bromelaine. Having a cup of this yummy tropical fruit will have the same effect as pineapple.

Why not try them both?


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• Raw Living Food Energy (rawlivingfoods.typepad.com)

Clobber Cellulite with Coffee Grounds

Image via Wikipedia

Women hate cellulite and go to great lengths to get rid of it. Skin creams work, but boy are they expensive! If you don't have the beauty budget of Paris Hilton or a runway model, try this frugal fix instead.

Warm about ½ cup of coffee grounds and 2 tsp. of water in the microwave for 30 seconds, and massage the warm coffee grounds onto thighs, buttocks or other problem places. Cover the area with plastic wrap. After 10 to 15 minutes, remove the wrap and rinse off the grounds.

Caffeine dehydrates cells and tightens skin, making those unsigthly bumps smooth out.


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• Get Rid Of Your Cellulite - Cellulite Natural Treatment (slideshare.net)

Delicious Ways to Use Day-Old Bread

Image via Wikipedia

Make seasoned bread crumbs: Lightly toast the bread, tear it into small pieces and dump it into a blender or food processor. Add a handful of your favorite seasonings, then pulverize the bread into small crumbs.

Make croutons: Cut the bread into cubes and sprinkle it with salt, pepper and your choice of spice, such as paprika or chili powder. Cook them lightly in a frying pan with olive oil. Use them to top your salads.

Make a yummy bruschetta: Brush slices of French bread with oil and bake them in a 325 degree oven for about 5 minutes per side. Then rub the bread with the cut side of a fresh garlic clove,and top it with your favorite pesto, soft cheese, or a topping of diced tomatoes/sweet red onion/cilantro.

You can also tear pieces of bread and put it on top of a nice big salad with Italian dressing. The vinegar and oil softens the bread and adds a delightful flavor to an otherwise ordinary salad.


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• What Can I Do With Leftover Bread Crusts? Good Questions (thekitchn.com)

Soak Away PMS Symptoms in the Bathtub!

Image via Wikipedia

Are you feeling anxious? Toss 5 chamomile tea bags in the water. Chamomile tea contains ingredients that lower levels of stress hormones in the bloodstream and increase serotonin, the body's "feel good" chemical.

Do you have cramps? Add 2 drops of rose oil and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to hot running water. The pleasant aroma of the oil combats depression and eases pain.

Do you feel tense and sore? Add a few drops of lavender oil to your bath water. Inhaling the scent of lavender has a numbing effect on pain receptors in the brain, bringing instant relief!

To keep the good feeling, sip on lavender, rose hip and chamomile teas during the day. You can find them in any grocery store.

Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• Growing Herbs for a First-Aid Kit (backyardgardeningtips.com)

FRUGAL HEALTH TIP #4: FIGHTING COLDS AND FLU

Image by SteffanyF! via Flickr

The cost of doctor visits and prescription drugs is unfortunately, beyond the means of many Americans today. Wintertime colds and flu can cause lost days from work, and make a body feel miserable, so I have complied some frugal, effective ways to alleviate those rotten symptoms. Why not give them a try?

Drink hot liquids. They relieve congestion, prevent dehydration and soothe inflamed membranes that line your nose and throat.

Take steamy showers. You will feel relaxed and your nasal passages will clear and your lungs will open up.

At bedtime, sleep with an extra pillow under your head. It will help to drain your nasal passages.

To calm a chronic cough, dissolve in one cup of boiled water, one tablespoon of honey and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon. Taken periodically throughout the day, it will also clear out your sinuses.

To alleviate a sore throat, and eliminate hoarseness, dilute the juice of one fresh lemon in one cup of boiled water. Gargle with it several times a day. It will also help with canker sores, or lesions inside the mouth.

To ease the ache of the flu, take a nice warm shower or bath. Add 20-30 drops of lemon oil to one cup of sunflower oil and massage it well into your skin. Cover yourself with a good blanket, and go to sleep. By morning your aches and pains will be gone!

For respiratory ailments such as cold, asthma, bronchitis and sinusitis, put a few drops of tea tree oil in your vaporizer. Inhale the steam and you will feel wonderful, blessed relief!

Here are two food remedies to try:

Eat plenty of garlic. It has anti-bacterial and immune boosting properties. You can eat it raw in garlic bread and in salads, or infused in vinegar for cooking.

You can also try this quaint suggestion, handed down for generations by little old grandmas!

Crush a few garlic cloves and cover them in olive oil. Let them soak for about half an hour. Rub the garlic oil onto the bottoms of your feet, cover them with warm socks, and go to sleep. The garlic is absorbed into the bloodstream and carried to the lungs, where it does a wonderful job of clearing out congestion. You may have a little garlic taste in your mouth on rising, but a good tooth brushing should take care of any unpleasant odor.

Make this effective tea:

To a pot of boiled water, add a one inch piece of grated ginger, four tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and three tablespoons of honey. Cover and let the mixture steep for about 20 minutes before drinking it. Ginger and honey are great immune system boosters, and lemon juice is a good source of vitamin C.


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

FRUGAL HEALTH TIP #3: TEA TREE OIL

Image via Wikipedia

Tea tree oil is a product that I really love! I use it daily around my house.

Since it is effective against viruses, fungi, and bacteria, the three types of infectious organisms, it is a medicine cabinet in a bottle.

Here are some of the traditional uses of tea tree oil:

For respiratory ailments such as cold, asthma, bronchitis and sinusitis, put a few drops of tea tree oil in your vaporizer. Inhale the steam and you will feel wonderful, blessed relief!

As a first aid remedy, tea tree oil can be used to treat cuts, abrasions and scrapes. The anti-bacterial properties of tea tree oil prevent wounds from becoming infected.

Tea tree oil is also a traditional remedy for athletes foot fungus, blisters, burns, cold sores and acne. Dab a little on a damp cotton ball and treat the affected areas.

At home, I disinfect my toothbrush with it, and add a drop or two to my mouthwash. It is a common ingredient in toothpastes now, because it is wonderful at preventing gum disease.

I also add a few drops to a warm, damp washcloth and clean my face with it. It is refreshing and clarifying, and works as well as any pricey toner you get at a cosmetics counter! My son uses it in soap form to prevent acne breakouts.

One tiny bottle lasts me weeks! I don’t have to buy any expensive facial cleansers, antibiotic creams, cold or sinus remedies, or special mouthwashes.

Pick up a bottle for yourself!

Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• How to Create a Natural Medicine Chest (lewrockwell.com)

Homemade Lavender Bath Products

Lavender is lovely! It has a beautiful fragrance, and many healing properties. It is known to be a great nerve tonic, easing depression and anxiety and relieving stress. It is calming and can help induce sleep in insomniacs. It even has pain killing properties and can ease the agony of a migraine headache!

It is also widely used in natural skin care products. Lavender is antifungal and antiseptic so it is an effective acne treatment. It helps sooth sunburn, and speed healing of cuts and abrasions.

Below you will find a few recipes for lavender bath products that will baby your skin and help you unwind after a hard day. Why not give them a try?


Homemade Lavender Bath Cookies

2 cups finely ground sea salt
½ cup baking soda
½ cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons light oil
1 teaspoon vitamin E oil
2 eggs
25 drops of lavender oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together all the ingredients.
Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.
For an extra nice touch, decorate the dough with dove pieces or rose buds.
Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes or until they are lightly browned.
Be careful not to over bake them. Cool completely.
To use: Drop 1 or 2 cookies into a warm bath and allow to dissolve.

Relaxation Herbal Bath Tea

1 cup rosemary
2 cups lavender
2 cups rose petals
1 cup mint

Mix these dry ingredients together and keep in a sealed, dry jar. Use about ½ cup for each bath.
To use: Pour 1-2 cups boiling water over the herbs and steep for 15-20 minutes. Add to your bath water.

Lavender Herbal Milk Bath

2 cups cornstarch
2 cups dry milk powder
2 tablespoons of dried lavender, crumbled

Mix these dry ingredients together. Store them for future use in an airtight container.
For your bath, put about ½ cup of the mix into cheesecloth or a muslin bag. Be sure to tie it tightly. Add to your bath. You can tie kitchen string to the bag and float the bag in your bath as the water runs.

Homemade Lavender Bath Salts

1 cup Epsom salts
5 or more drops of lavender essential oil

Mix them together and keep in a covered jar. Allow the salts to sit for a few hours or overnight.
Add about ½ cup to running bath water.
To make it extra soothing to your skin, add 1 cup baking soda.
For a moisturizing effect, add 2-3 tsp. of honey.

Homemade Body Butter

4 TBSP. shea butter (found at any natural foods store)
1 to 2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. Vitamin E oil
5 drops lavender essential oil
3 drops geranium essential oil
2 drops rose essential oil

Place the shea butter and olive oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave 90 seconds (or until the shea butter is completely dissolved).
Allow the mixture to set for 30 minutes.
After it has cooled, add the Vitamin E and essential oils.
Stir well and let the mixture set for 12 hours.
Stir again after 12 hours and pour into a decorative container.


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• How To Make Homemade Bubble Bath (apartmenttherapy.com)

Make a Cooking Wreath with Herbs from your Garden

Image via Wikipedia

Herbs are wonderful things! They flavor our food, heal our minor ailments, beautify our gardens, and scent our homes. They are a joy to grow and use.

Did you have an exceptionally good yield from your garden this year? Do you have enough spices stored away for cooking?

Why not take your excess herbs and craft beautiful wreaths for yourself, and friends and family? They are easy to do, both useful and beautiful, and a homemade gift that is sure to be appreciated!

Following, you will find easy instructions for drying your herbs and arranging them into a variety of decorative wreaths. Why not give it a try?

To dry the herbs:

Cut fresh herbs and stems at least 6 inches long.
Tie the herbs in bundles with string and hang them upside down to dry for about two weeks.
Or, if you prefer, you can dry them in a single layer in a food dehydrator for 3-4 hours.

To make a wreath, you will need the following:

9 inch white willow wreath
8 small bundles of various dried herbs (try for example, basil, bay leaves, chive flower heads, dill, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme)
30 dried red chili peppers
24-gauge green wire
Fishing line (6 pound test or stronger is best)
4 strands of natural raffia

Cut two 12 inch lengths of wire. String the red chili peppers onto each length. Bunch the wired peppers together, and wrap them onto the willow wreath using additional wire.

Cut a 2 yard length of fishing line and tie the end onto the back of the wreath.

Place one bundle of herbs on the front of the wreath, besides the peppers. Wrap the fishing line around the bundle and the wreath once or twice to hold them in place.

Place the leafy portion of the next bundle over the stems of the previous bundle. Secure with fishing line, and repeat until the ring is complete (try to keep the look of the wreath balanced by alternating bright and bushy herbs as you go around the circle).

Tie the end of the fishing line onto the back of the wreath and trim off the excess.

Tie the strands of natural raffia into a bow and place it at the top of the wreath.

Hang an attractive pair of small scissors from the wreath, so you can easily snip off what you need when you are cooking.

NOTE: To best preserve the look of your wreath and the flavor of the herbs, avoid hanging it in direct sunlight, or in areas of excessive moisture.

You might also want to create a wreath centered around a theme.

Does your family love homemade pizza? Make an Italian wreath with basil, oregano, garlic, and red peppers.

Are you crazy for Mexican food or homemade fresh salsa? Try designing a wreath with a variety of peppers, fresh cilantro, garlic, and onion chives.

For those of you who enjoy sipping herbal teas, try making a wreath with anise, chamomile, cloves, dandelion, lemongrass, mint, raspberry leaves and sassafras.

To make a lovely, fragrant wreath to scent your home, use fennel, lavender, mint, rosemary, and thyme.

Try decorating the wreaths with nice extra touches. For your pizza wreath, adorn it with a red and white checkered bow, reminiscent of the tablecloths you see in Italian restaurants. Add a little sombrero or dangle a pair of castanets from your Mexican wreath. Hang a tea infuser from your herbal tea wreath. Add a nice lace and ribbon sachet pillow to your fragrance wreath. The possibilities are endless — just use your imagination!

To find more beautiful herbal and garden crafts, check out the Garden Crafts Special Issue published by Crafts magazine.

Or visit their website at http://craftsmag.com.



Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• ANN LOVEJOY: Homemade Gifts For Gardeners (kitsapsun.com)
• Go Green With A Herb Planter (glenns-garden.com)

FRUGAL HEALTH TIP #2-SEVEN SUPER USES FOR LEMONS IN HOME REMEDIES

To stop a nosebleed, saturate a cotton ball with a mixture of equal parts of lemon juice and water. Dab the cotton repeatedly onto the nasal mucous membrane. The astringent properties of lemon juice cause the tissues to draw together and the bleeding to stop.

To alleviate sore throat and hoarseness, dilute the juice of one fresh lemon with one cup of hot water. Use it as a gargle three times a day. This is also an effective remedy for canker sores or lesions inside the mouth.

Diluted lemon juice also takes the pain out of sunburn. Merely saturate a cotton ball with a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water, and dab it gently on the affected skin.

Are you having trouble sleeping? Pour one cup of boiling water over one tablespoon of dried lemon leaves, and steep for ten minutes. Drink one cup of tea an hour before bedtime. You will be seeing the sandman soon afterwards!

To purify the air in a sick room, mix together 8 drops of lemon oil, 1 drop of clove oil, 2 drops of thyme oil, and 1 drop of tea tree oil and heat it in a diffuser.

To fight fatigue, mix 2 drops of lemon oil and 2 drops of peppermint oil in a small bowl. Dip a cold, moist cloth into the mixture. Lie down in a quite place, and drape the cloth like a compress over your forehead and temples. Breath deeply. In a few minutes, you will feel refreshed and renewed.

To ease the ache of the flu, take a nice warm shower or bath. Add 20-30 drops of lemon oil to one cup of sunflower oil and massage it well into your skin. Cover yourself with a good blanket, and go to sleep. By morning your aches and pains will be gone!


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• homemade cold remedy (everydayfoodblog.marthastewart.com)
• Lemons: Discover a new zest for cooking (telegraph.co.uk)

Why We Should Teach our Children to be Frugal

Our children today are raised in a very materialistic society. They are marketed to constantly by predatory advertisers. Companies develop shows that revolve around an entire line of toys, games, and videos. The message to kids today is buy, buy, buy!

In school, a child’s popularity is often a direct result of having the most and best toys, or from having the nicest clothes. The message is sent that a person’s self-worth is directly tied to their ability to own things. How sad!

Teaching a frugal lifestyle to kids is the antidote to this sickness, and has many benefits.

For example:

Frugal children are creative. They learn to think outside the box, and see multiple uses for common things. A piece of aluminum foil becomes more than something to wrap vegetables in on the grill. It becomes a way to correct the magnetic field of your TV set, a way to remove rust from your car’s bumper, a scissors sharpener, and a way to remove static cling from clothes.

Kids that are creative can go on to invent new things and find solutions to problems that plague society. They embrace multiple possibilities and solutions for things. What a great mindset to cultivate in a child!

Teaching frugal living also helps kids learn to manage their time and resources and not be wasteful. Are you out of wrapping paper for a present for a birthday party? Don’t hop in the car and spend your gasoline and time getting an item or two.

Encourage your child to make some wrapping paper. Surely there are comics, colored paper, aluminum foil, stickers, glitter, markers, pieces of cloth, felt, crayons etc. in your home they can use?

Making do with what you have is a good thing to teach a child. As adults, they won’t always have the financial wherewithal to indulge every purchasing whim, nor the time to drive, shop and wait in line for small items. Being resourceful with what lies at hand is a way to instill some sense of basic restraint and discipline.

Frugal living also improves the quality of your family’s life. You don’t spend money impulsively and waste your time and resources running around shopping. The money you save can be used for the enrichment of your own family.

What you save on buying second hand school clothes, packing homemade lunches, and setting reasonable limits on Christmas shopping, can be put towards a great family vacation, for example.

Enlist your kids in the selection of what to cut back on and what to save for. They will become willing partners in your plans to conserve, and learn lots in the process.


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

FRUGAL HEALTH TIP #1

THE BENEFITS OF BANANAS

Tens of millions of Americans have no health insurance. They simply can't afford it!
The cost of prescription drugs is outrageous, and he loss of wages from missing work due to illness can be a real budget killer for many.

It is best to try and stay as healthy as possible, by eating plenty of nutritious foods. Bananas are a great choice to add to your diet. They are low cost, easily available, and have numerous health benefits.

Here are just a few:
Bananas are high in potassium, the mineral the body utilizes to normalize your heartbeat, send oxygen to the brain and regulate the balance of water.

Doctors routinely prescribe potassium for patients with high blood pressure. According to new research in the New england Journal of Medicine, potassium can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke by about 40%!

Bananas are the only raw fruit that people afflicted with ulcers can eat. That is because they neutralize acidity in the body, and coat the lining of the stomach so it feels less irritated.

When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises and levels of potassium are depleted. We can then feel edgy and irritable. Eating bananas restores the balance of potassium and that stressed out feeling subsides.

Bananas are also a good source of vitamin B6, a mood stabilizer. Women with PMS can benefit from eating bananas to help with mood swings during their menstrual cycles.
They also contain other B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Constipation can be a thing of the past for you, if you consume bananas. They ae high in fiber, making laxatives unnecessary.

Are you anemic? Bananas are high in iron, which is needed for the production of healthy blood.

A school in England gave students a banana at lunch and for a daytime snack, and found pupils were more alert and able to concentrate on their lessons.

Finally, bananas are a great cure for hangovers! Make a banana milkshake sweetened with honey. The milk re-hydrates you, the bananas coat your jumpy stomach, and the honey replenishes your depleted blood sugar that is giving you that pounding headache.


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• Child Nutrition - B is For Barry the Banana (thebestrawfooddiet.com)

Crazy Uses for Cola Drinks!

Everybody has cola in their house, new and bubbly, and even old and flat. Believe it or not, it is not just for drinking!

Here are a few surprising uses for this common soft drink:

For your car:

Use it to debug or deice your windshield. Get rust off your bumper by dipping a crumpled piece of aluminum foil in cola and rubbing on the affected area. It is also great for removing oil stains from concrete. Simply pour the soda on the greasy area, let it sit for a while and then hose it off.

In your yard and garden:

Spray your lawn with it once a month for greener grass. Also use it as an effective bug repellent. Mix a 12 oz. can of cola with 1 cup of ammonia and 1/4 cup of liquid dish soap, and spray it on your lawn or plants.

Around the house as a cleaning product:

Use it to clean your grout. Simply pour it on the tile and scrub it with a toothbrush. Do you have a burnt pan? Pour cola in it and bring it to a boil. The baked on crust will come right off! De-scale your tea kettle with it as well. Let the soda sit in the kettle for a day and then rinse it thoroughly and wipe it dry. You can even use cola to get permanent marker out of carpet! Pour coke oon the stained area and let it sit a few minutes. Scrub it gently with a brush. Follow up with soapy water and blot the area dry. In the laundry room, you can remove the fish smell from clothes by washing your laundry in it.

Is your swimming pool rusty? Add two 2 liter bottles of cola to the water and the rust will be gone!

If you go to the beach and get stung by a jelly fish, pour cola on it right away. It will relieve the pain.

As a hair product:

Do you want perfect curls? Pour it on your long hair and let it soak in a few minutes, then shampoo it as normal. If your dye job came out too dark, you can use diet cola to fade or remove the dye. (Note: You must use diet cola for this to work.) Did you get gum in your hair? Soak it in a bowl of cola for a few minutes and then wipe. The gum will come right out!


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• Good News: More Shoppers Abandoning Beverage Aisles (fooducate.com)

Cost-Cutting Uses for Kitty Litter

Cat litter is a low cost, versatile product that can clean up and deodorize your home.

Here are just a few practical, frugal ideas:

Put cat litter in old pantyhose or socks, and put them inside gym bags, sleeping bags and tents. They will stay odorless, dry and free of mold. You can also place the socks in chests, trunks or boxes to freshen books and other stored items.

Use kitty litter to soak up fresh spills, including oil in the driveway or carport. Simply put a generous layer of litter over the affected area and wait a few minutes for the mess to be absorbed.

Scented cat litter, placed in a small container, is great for deodorizing refrigerators and closets. Remember to change it regularly, as you would baking soda.

Place kitty litter in the bottom of an ashtray. It absorbs smoky odors and puts out the ashes quickly.

Cat litter in the bottom of garbage pails is a good way to keep them deodorized, and free of sticky spills.

Do you have a koi pond? Use cat litter to clean up an algae problem. Use one pound of litter per 2,000 gallons of pond water. The bentonite in the litter kills the algae. Your pond may appear muddy at first, but the water will clear after a day or two.


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Cost-cutting Uses for Club Soda

Club soda is a versatile, inexpensive product that can be used in many areas in a frugal household.

Here are a few of them:

Do you have lackluster houseplants? Water them with old club soda that has gone flat. The minerals are beneficial to the health and vitality of your potted friends!

Are you tired of paying high prices for soft drinks, and don’t like the obesity causing high fructose corn syrup they contain? Make your own soft drinks with club soda, mixed with the fruit juice of your choice. You can be creative with the flavor combinations and not get bored drinking the same old sodas.

If you have an upset stomach, drink a little club soda. It will take away that queasy feeling.

Club soda is great for removing stains from fabrics. Dab a little on a spot on a piece of clothing and watch it disappear! You can remove wine stains from carpet with it as well.

Do you need to degrease your car windshield? Spray it with club soda and wipe it down.

Around the house, club soda is a great cleaning product. Spray it on porcelain and stainless steel, and use it to wipe down your kitchen counter tops.

Have you ever cooked with club soda? Substitute club soda for the liquid in your favorite pancake or waffle recipe, and see how light and fluffy they turn out!

Do you have nuts and bolts that are rusty and hard to remove? Pour a little club soda on them. The bubbles will dissolve the rust.

Has your blond hair turned green from the chlorine in your swimming pool? No worries! Rinse your hair with club soda and your normal color will return.


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• Is it a Drink or a Toy? (mpdailyfix.com)
• Sweetened drinks may aggravate liver disease (cbc.ca)
• When Is A Calorie Not Simply A Calorie? (lockergnome.com)

Practical Frugal Uses for VO5 Hair Conditioner

My grandmother was a bottle blonde. Weekly she would torture her hair by combing a bottle of peroxide through it. I thought for sure she would have dry, brittle hair, but hers was soft and shiny, and oh so touchable!

Her secret? Alberto VO5 leave-in, gel hair conditioner.

It is still available in drug stores today, and I have discovered it has lots of practical uses.

Here are just a few:

Make cleaning your hands after painting or doing greasy jobs easy. Just rub some VO5 on them before you start working, and wash your hands when you are done. Paint and grease comes right off!

Do you need to get a ring off that is stuck on your finger? Rub VO5 on it and then hold your hand over your head to let the blood drain away. The ring will slide offeasily.

Do you have dry, chapped skin? Use VO5 as a heavy- duty moisturizer.

VO5 can also be used to condition leather, and it is far less expensive than the mink oil that is usually recommended. Rubbing it on shoes can protect them from winter salt and ice, and prevent them from squeaking as well.

You can detangle your pet’s coat with VO5, and protect their feet outdoors, by rubbing a little on their paw pads!

Do you have a horse? Use VO5 to shine their hooves, detangle their mane and tail, and condition the leather saddle you ride on.

VO5 is also a great lubricant. Use it to keep medicine cabinet doors sliding easily on their tracks, to make pipe joints fit together easily, to keep hinges from squeaking, prevent dresser drawers from sticking, and make refrigerator racks slide easily.

Do you have wood paneling in your house? Rub it into wood to keep it from drying out. You can also use it to cover scratches. Apply a little to the damaged area and just buff the scratches out.

Are your kids sports enthusiasts? VO5 can be used to lubricate bicycle chains and keep skateboards and roller skates gliding smoothly.

You can prevent nuts and bolts from rusting together by putting a thin coat of VO5 on them before screwing them together. A thin coating applied to tools keeps them rust-free as well.


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Frugal Uses for Dental Floss

Dental floss isn’t just for cleaning between your teeth! It has lots of other practical uses, both indoors and out.

In the kitchen, you can use waxed dental floss to cut perfect slices of cake, or cheese, and to lift cookies off the baking sheet. It also is a good choice for trussing a bird before baking, or sewing the bird’s cavity shut so the stuffing doesn’t fall out.

Do you go camping? Bring along dental floss in case you need to repair your tent or replace a broken shoelace. It is much stronger than thread or string.

If you have a heavy winter coat with big buttons, reattach them with dental floss. It prevents them from falling off.

Dental floss is also great for repairing torn screen doors or the mesh on playpens.

Little hands find dental floss easy to use when making necklaces or stringing beads. They slide right on the string!


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Uses for Clear Nail Polish

When I was a young girl, I used clear nail polish to strengthen my nails, and to make them look pretty. Back then, I didn’t really think of other uses for it. But now, as a frugal middle-aged mom, I can appreciate its versatility as a cheap fix for a variety of problems.

Here are just a few creative uses for clear nail polish:

Paint over the center of a button with clear polish. It reinforces the thread, and prevents them from unraveling, and causing the button to fall off.

Dab it on screws, or on the bottom of a can of shaving cream. It prevents rust from forming.

Apply it to a small run that is starting on your pantyhose. It will keep the fabric from ripping further.

Laminate small objects with it, like the label of a pill bottle or the front of an ID card. It keeps the print clear and easy to read.

Tighten loose knobs on doors and closets. Simply brush clear nail polish on the threads of the screw and reinsert it in the hole. When the polish dries, there will be a nice tight fit.

Use clear polish to fix small dings, dents and holes in wood floors, paneling, car windshields or windows. Just fill the hole with polish and let it dry.


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Frugal Uses for Bananas and their Peels in your Garden

Bananas are delicious and nutritious for humans. But did you know they are wonderfully healthy for plants as well?

Bananas and their peels are rich in potassium and phosphorous, two essential nutrients for healthy plants. Dry the peels on a screen, and then grind them up in your food processor or blender. This makes a high-quality mulch for seedlings and new plants. You can use larger pieces of cut, dried banana skins around the base of your older plants as well.

One bonus of adding banana peels to your garden is that those pesky little aphids hate them! Simply put dried or cut up peels around the base of affected plants, about an inch or two under the soil, and watch them move on to your neighbor’s vegetable patch!

The rotted fruit of the banana, and the peels are both good additions to your compost pile. Just be sure to bury the fruit deep in the middle. Otherwise you may attract skunks, raccoons and other night-visitors looking for a midnight snack.


Do you want to attract birds and butterflies to your yard? Put over-ripe bananas, and other sweet fruits such as mangoes and melons on a raised platform in your yard. Your winged friends will make a bee-line for it! Some nature enthusiasts recommend punching some holes in the bananas and filling them with sugar water from a hummingbird feeder, or some sports drink. It makes it easier for the butterflies to feed on the fruit.

Bananas are good for houseplants as well. Instead of misting the leaves with water to clean them, rub the leaves with the inside of a banana peel. It gives the leaves a nice shine.



Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com

Related articles by Zemanta

• The 411 on Bananas (svmoms.com)

Peroxide: Versatile and Frugal Uses for your Home

Do you want to clean, freshen, and kill bacteria and fungus around your home for just pennies per use? Then get out that bottle of hydrogen peroxide.

Here are just a few of its wonderful, frugal uses:

In the Laundry room:
Use one cup of peroxide in your wash,instead of bleach, to whiten your clothes.

For those of you with a green thumb:
Put one ounce of peroxide in one ounce of water, and use it to mist your plants, to keep the leaves healthy.

You can also use it to sprout seeds. Just add one ounce of peroxide to one pint of water. Add the same amount of peroxide each time you rinse the seeds.

In the kitchen:
Use peroxide to wipe down all of your surfaces. It sanitizes everything beautifully!

Peroxide also is an effective pesticide remover, so use it when cleaning you fruits and vegetables. Just wash your fresh produce in a sink of cold water with a little salt and 1/4 cup of peroxide. It prolongs the freshness of your food.

Peroxide is also good for washing chicken, and other meats. Use a little salt and peroxide in chilled water. It kills any bacteria and viruses that may be lurking!

In the bathroom:
Keep a spray bottle with half water/half peroxide handy for spraying down your shower and bathtub. It kills germs and keeps them nice and clean.

You can also use peroxide on your toothbrush, to kill bacteria, and to make a cheap tooth whitener. Just swish a teaspoon of peroxide around in your mouth every day, after each time you brush your teeth.

Straight peroxide on a cotton ball is a great acne treatment. Just clean your face with it 3 or 4 times a day and watch those pimples disappear!


Irene Helen Zundel is a freelance writer, educator and mother, and an expert in child development, home schooling and creative parenting and home making.
Visit her online at http://www.irenehelenzundel.com</span>

Related articles by Zemanta

• The Uses of Hydrogen Peroxide (thehomeadventure.com)