Cleaning Up Books for Regifting

Book Cleaning Tips and Re-Gift-ability Scores:
So, at the thrift store, you see a book that you know Mrs. _______ would love.  You have to get her a birthday gift next month.  Do you get the book used to gift to her?

The answer: It depends.

It depends on both what kind of person Mrs. ______ is, and what condition the book is in.  Here are the common ailments of used books and how you can try correct them, as well as how they affect the books ability to become a gift to someone new.

Common Used Book Ailments / Re-Gift-ability:

Germs - All fearful of the microbes, most all germs are dead within days (MRSA can take up to a few weeks) of being outside a human body.  Check out this post here for more info on their life spans outside a human body.  So, if you are worried about a used book bringing in some sickness, put it in 'quarantine' (or, like me, forget you bought it and leave in the car for a week.)  Don't wipe down books with alcohol or windex/ammonia or bleach, as chemicals tend to make plastic brittle and paper yellow.  Wiping down the exterior cover of a book to remove smudges is fine, just do so with a barely-damp cloth and water, adding just a tiny smidgen of soap if you are really concerned about 'clean'.  Any kids 'floppy' books can be hot water and soap bathed, and many cloth books are machine washable - just make sure to air dry them so they don't shrink.

Re-Gift-ability Score - 10

Don't let used status and unknown provenance prevent a book purchase as a gift.  Plan ahead to have it cleaned/aired out before giving, make sure that the recipient wouldn't freak out if she were to know it was a used book, and you will be fine.  However, common sense people - I would recommend avoiding the books with full-on boogers stuck on, as fluid stains don't really come off.  (eeewwww.)

Sticker Removal -
To remove the sticker, methods vary, but I have good luck with the following.  If the sticker is in a prominent place (front cover) then spot test the cover material with the oil to make sure it doesn't cause discoloration.

First, work up one corner of the sticker with fingernail or plastic knife edge, and then 'worry' at it, slowly pushing and pulling up a little bit more at a time, so the adhesive material is pulled up with each little tug and the paper doesn't separate from the adhesive.  If it does, use a plastic butter knife edge or credit card to gently push any remaining paper fibers off.  Then, with a drop of essential oil or Goo-Gone and a lint-free cloth, rub in circular motions to remove the adhesive gunk.  Use as little oil as possible to get the job done.  Wipe and buff the area to clear it of all oil.  All done!

Re-Gift-ability Score - 10

Most outside stickers can be removed from books without any sign they were ever there, so feel free to de-sticker and regift these books if otherwise fine.  If the book is more than 5-10 years, peak under any older stickers to make sure it didn't fade unevenly (which makes it not a great gift).

General dust/dirt - Just sitting on a shelf accumulates a bit of dust and can turn pristine white pages a bit dull.  To clean books page edges, hold the pages together tight, with the book's binder up, pages down.  Wipe the page edges down with an 'eraser pad' (loose eraser particles in a puff bag) and let the eraser bits lift up and hold loose dirt.  Take a soft, clean puffy brush (like that make-up blush brush you never actually used on anything) and run it after the eraser pad to remove eraser bits.   If no brush, try a vacuum to remove static-clung eraser crumbs.  If no eraser pad, blow dust off and gently rub over with an art gum eraser, then vacuum off crumbs.

Re-Gift-ability Score - 7  

In general, books that look dirty aren't well received as gifts unless the person cares more about the topic than condition (just the 'perfect' book for that someone.)  If the book cover/edges clean up well, gift away, but buy them with a back-up plan in mind, in case the dirt and dust won't budge.

Smells -
Paper is tiny fibers, and when a fiber takes up particles that smell, it doesn't willingly release it all at once.  You can, however, mitigate smells like smoke, perfume, or animal (not so much ammonia) by speeding up the rate at which the fiber draws in other things.  First, make sure the book is dried out.  Second, consider a commercial dryer sheet between every few pages for a few days (masking over whatever smelly particles are still there).  Try place the book in a bag or box with baking soda or clean kitty litter (absorption of particles by something else) - just keep the book from actually being in contact with those so it doesn't get dusty.  
Re-Gift-ability Score - 0-1
Smells often are not just unpleasant, but some can cause headaches or reactions to people with allergies.  A book is held right up to the nose, nearly, so never buy a book for a gift if you can smell where it came from.  If you de-stink one successfully and want to gift it, make sure that person doesn't have any allergies that could still be set off by the original cause of the smell.

Edge marks -

Kneadable, white polymer, or art gum erasers can help lift off dirt, pencil, smudges, and marks that accumulate on the sides of the pages.  Art gum probably works best, because it attracts dirt but falls away in eraser crumbs without rubbing anything into the paper. Just hold the book shut tight and try keep the binder pointed up, pages out/down, so eraser bits don't fall between pages.  If there is a 'sun tan' discoloring on the edges, you can take super fine sand paper and 'polish off' the edge to get down to white paper again, but this isn't recommended because it may be noticed when the book is opened if it has thicker pages.
Re-Gift-ability Score - 7-8  
Most edge marks are removable with a little care, and even if a faint darkening is still there, even new books take on these 'beauty marks' from packaging.  Doubtful any but the OCD will even notice.  Just make sure to try remove any that look like oily fingerprints.

Writing On the Inside Cover -
Many people gift books and sign the inside cover or inside first page.  When re-gifting a book like this, or putting it in use for other reasons then your own reading, consider making a print out page with a new message to paste over top.  Print the tag on thick paper, put PVA/white school glue on the back of tag as thin as possible, then adhere into book over writing.  The key here is 'very thin' coating of glue, spread 'barely-there' with an old credit card or stiff plastic edge.  Press a clean credit card or stiff plastic edge over the top of the paper as well, to ensure it is fully flat and smooth against the book and doesn't try to wrinkle when drying.  Printing on cardstock will also help keep the printed image sharp.  If you don't want to risk the drying wrinkles, consider printing on full sticker sheets, available at office supply stores, or using an acid-free spray adhesive.  Cut to size and adhere.
Re-Gift-ability Score - 2-4
Although covering it up is a must if you are going to regift it to all but the most appreciative people, some people really get uncomfortable receiving 'someone else's' gift - like they weren't good enough to get their own.  For really young children, I'd say go for it- they will love writing their name on the tag.  For a little older children through teenagers, avoid it unless you know they'll love the book.  Adults are hit or miss regarding this, so know the person you are gifting.

BTW: Here is a sample "book tag" I made for my sister's library of crafting books.  Feel free to use this for your own books if you have a mind to (I may add a few other themed ones, later on):

Lifting cover corners -
When the very corners of a book have the plastic/laminate start to separate from the paperboard material, you can sometimes stop the progression with the lightest hand, a tiny brush, some white glue, and a 'shine' of clear nail polish for shiny plastic covers, or white elmer's glue for matte-finish covers or paperbacks.  This can cause some coloring on the inside white paper of the cover (from absorbing moisture in either glue or polish), but it will keep the corner crisp.
Re-Gift-ability Score - 5
Books, especially their bottom right corners, take some abuse, and a little wear won't subtract from a beautifully bound how-to book, or a can't wait to read paperback.  However, don't gift these books to people who 'show off' their books as much as read them, or collect them.  Most of my friends are already buying used books for themselves, so I hardly look at the corner tip conditions anymore, and glue them down just to keep them from getting worse.

Crayon -
It's well known, the crayon drawings ruining otherwise pristine children's books.  I was curious if there was a 'good' way to get the crayon off and dried a few online tips. I tried the dry magic eraser (don't), a kneadable pencil eraser (the best) and a white 'polymer' pencil eraser (2nd place).  If you read about wax paper pulling it off, I think that is hoo-ey, or you need really high quality wax paper to make it work, because I tried that on a corner and it didn't even shine the crayon wax, let alone adhere it to the wax paper.  The magic eraser (dry) wears off the surface of the page, taking off the wax, but I'm afraid it is too harsh, and for a colored kid's book page, this would just make the page look worn and colored on.  Kneadable eraser, suggested by Crayola, removed the waxy sheen and some of the dye coloring, though it was still noticeble on white paper.  Try this first if you have an art student rather than reader.  The white polymer eraser removed about the same amount of wax and dye as the kneadable, though left a little more dye color behind.  These methods can help lessen the look of the crayon, but I fear crayons, made of wax and dyes, will stay tight to the paper fibers they are drawn on.
Re-Gift-ability Score - 0
Crayons negate a book for re-gifting, because someone else literally 'changed the story' with their crayon (remember The Purple Crayon?).  However, these books can still be just given to kids that just like books, as it may not affect the enjoyment any.  Know the kid, and try a kneadable or white eraser to mitigate the damage.

Pen and pencil-
Kneadable erasers or polymer erasers also work well for some pen and most pencil marks, as they are the softest erasers and pick up material as they are wiped over it.  Gel pens tend to just smear.
Re-Gift-ability Score - 1-3
It really depends on if the pen or pencil a) went across one page or is on every page, and b) the type of book.  Many times you see penciled in notes throughout a book - if the topic is one that is hard to find books on, your friend may understand your purchasing used, and if he is studying the topic, may even get a kick out of someone else's notes.  As for accidental streaks, one pen mark can easily be overlooked in a hefty reference book, but not so across a glossy picture in a coffee table book.  If you can erase it, all the better, but save your energy for the books you know the recipient wants to read thoroughly and not 'look' at.

Loose pages -
Instant no-no for a re-gift, but to save a good book, use invisible tape and run it the entire length of the entire page that is falling out, taping the seam of first it to the page on its left (crease down tape with fingernail), then turn the page naturally, and repeat, taping the seam of it to the page to its right.  Fully torn or ripped pages can be carefully aligned and taped, but will almost always look like they were torn or ripped, and most tapes aren't acid-free, so will be yellowing in a few years.  If you really need the book to be repaired well, consider bringing it to the library and using a bit of their book repair tape (an acid-free tissue paper type tape with water activated adhesive that blends into paper and lets ink be read through it.)  The only books that really are worth this effort, in my opinion, are required reference or education books that simply cost too much to not keep in repair.
Re-Gift-ability Score -0
Don't bother.  If there are pages coming loose, the book's binding system is likely not holding up, and the whole point of giving books is giving something of value that will last.  Unless someone would want the book for ripping apart and crafting, don't consider gifting books with loose pages.

Buying Used Books AND Re-Gifting NO-NO's:

• Water damage/wavy pages
• Signs/smells of mold or must
• Broken and snapped spines or bindings
• More than one torn/ripped page
• Smoke damage/heavy smoke smell
• Signs of insect or mouse infestation

Wondering WHICH books to look for to give?  Here is a neat article that sums up some ideas for book intentions to consider to gift to people.

The Basics of Extreme Couponing, Class Overview

I actually remember when I was first introduced to coupons.  I was 16, and my friend Sara and I were at the laundromat.  There was a box full of coupon inserts that people could peruse while waiting for their whites.  I'd never really 'seen' a coupon until then, because growing up my mother bought nothing name brand.  Sara explained the seemingly simple process of how you give the cashier a coupon that matches up with the item you buy, and they take some money off your bill.  Sara told me of her aunt, who used tons of coupons and saved tons of money.  I took a coupon for Wrigley's gum from that box, in much the same way one buys a lottery ticket after hearing about a friend of a friend winning.

I shortly lost the coupon.  I guess after that I figured extreme couponing was some fabled activity, and I hadn't consider it much since.

Until today, that is, when I went to an Extreme Couponing Class held by Arizona Republic (our major area newspaper.)  After the demonstration ended, I left realizing extreme couponing isn't the mystical 'lottery game' it used to be.  The demonstrator presented a unified method of how to locate the sales at stores and match them to coupons, how to collect and organize coupons, and how to stock up on items to last until the next sale cycle.  She also shared with us how she personally shops, and gave tips and information that would allow anyone to do the same.

Finally, anyone could take on the intricate and obfuscated world of coupons and come out on top!

Part of this magic is in the promoted website, azsmartbuys.com.  AZsmartbuys.com, the Arizona area site from Grocerysmarts.com, does all the homework for you, providing sales from area stores (think those with their own flyers) and coupon match ups with those sales, all with an excel table format with 'discount' ratings, list making and print options.  This site is like talking to 8 great couponing friends, each with their favorite store to shop at, and being given the inside scoop on the best deals from each of them every week.   By unifying all the information into one site, it takes almost no time to locate super sales.

The organization method offered during the class was simple.  The website refers to coupons by which of the 3 coupon flyers they are in and the week they were sent out.  By using a simple 3 folder system, one for each flyer type, all you do is stash the coupons.  When the website says "use this coupon", you search just that flyer and clip away!

The aspect of stocking up for the sale cycles sounded like the hardest part, as space in a house is usually at a premium.  However, it will save you money.  By couponing on sales and buying enough to get you to the next sale, you save the most money per product.  In explaining the concept to my S.O., I came up with this example:

Let's say at the start of the year you buy your favorite brand of peanut butter on sale with a coupon for just $0.25 a jar.  You now have payed only $0.25 per jar for your favorite peanut butter!  But then you eat it.  If you only bought one, you now have to go to the store and buy more of your favorite peanut butter, but at full price, about $2.00.  Well, $0.25+$2.00= $2.25 / 2 jars = $1.13 per jar.  Your cost per jar just jumped by four!  Now I, the non-couponer, go to the store knowing I can't store 3 months of peanut butter (though in truth, I would MAKE room for peanut butter) and I don't have any coupons. I buy two of the $1.25 jars of store-brand peanut butter, and average $1.25 per jar for the same number of jars.  To summarize, this is what we pay:

Extreme Couponer -     $  .25 per jar of favorite brand peanut butter
Couponer -                   $1.13 per jar of favorite brand peanut butter
Non-couponer -            $1.25 per jar of store-brand peanut butter

So, while extreme couponing may not be for everyone, the math supports that if and when you get it working, you can have a lot of fun with extra money, surrounded by your super-affordable goodies.  The only things you need are a source of coupons, storage space for stocking up on goods, and organization skills to keep track of your purchases (to make sure food doesn't go to waste).  I won't be playing this game myself right now, as I cannot physically store the goods that make extreme couponing extreme, but I found the event entertaining and informational, and came away with some great ideas.

If your family uses packaged foods and goods, you should check this out.  If your family uses a lot of name-brand and packaged foods and goods, you have to check this out.   It will be worth your time.  Free seminars are being regularly scheduled in the AZ area.  Just go to AZsmartbuys.com, and click on your area to see if there are any upcoming events near you!  The classes are free to you, and there are dozens of tips and tricks I learned that will aid even my not-so-extreme shopping.  If you decide to jump into the Extreme Couponing, the AZ Republic is able to offer you, at these classes only, a special multi-paper subscription to get the multiple coupons.

Curbside Recycle "No-no" List: HVAC Filters

Curbside Recycle "No-no" List: 

In trying to reduce waste, I buy and use less if I can.  I try find durable or reusable options.  But when I can't do either of those, I try to make sure what I buy can be recycled.  I noticed in reviewing my curbside recycling program that they didn't accept many things that I thought for sure were advertised as recyclable somewhere.  So, I am going through their 'no-no' list and writing up ways to keep those items from the landfill with just a bit of effort on the consumer's part.  The motto?  Do without, reduce, reuse, or recycle.

Today's "no-no" list item:  Air-conditioning and furnace filters 
It would seem nobody accepts these to recycle in my area, which is sad, as each household uses between 2 and 12 of them every year.  So, I started to rack my brain on what could be done to prevent this landfill filler.

Do without:
Not an option.  Though while saving on anything the easiest way is to go without, the air filter is required for the proper function of the HVAC unit - the filter prevents larger and medium particles from reaching the inner workings of the machine, where they could clog and damage moving parts, and clogged filters can overheat or freeze HVAC equipment.  So, no going without one and no leaving in the original.

Reduce: 
Many manufacturers recommend changing the filter every 30 days.  This number was reached, in my opinion, by the manufacturers finding the worst case scenario and preventing it from affecting their machine.  Worst case scenario for an HVAC filter is a home with lots of furry pets, smokers, cooking, interior construction or dust-creating hobbies, constant carpets/vacuuming, and dirty ducts or higher-than-normal operation of the HVAC machines themselves.  These factors all effect how fast particles in the air accumulate on the filter.  Too many particles holding onto the filter and the filter starts to restrict the air flow the machines need to continue working well.

So, to avoid the recommended changing of every 30 days, and perhaps stretch the 90 day requirement, you should avoid the worst case scenarios.  These tips will also improve your indoor air quality, as well as save you in other ways:

• Don't allow smoking inside (and quit if you really want to save something).  
• Consider less-furry breeds of pets , and consider shaving (when temperature appropriate) the furry pets you have.  
• Brush your animals outside regularly.  
• Turn on the hood fan when cooking over the stove.  
• Vacuum often to capture particles and remove them (and consider getting a HEPA filter vacuum if you have allergies, as vacuuming does put more dust up in the air for short periods of time).  
• Perform dust-creating activities in an open air environment
• Use dust-catching sheets and tarps during construction
• Have ducts cleaned regularly 
• Ensure you install the filter correctly, and it fits properly
• Have an efficiency expert look at your furnace and A/C units, and have regular maintenance done on machinery to prevent over-working.
• Keep your house colder in cold weather and warmer in warm to run machinery less.   

There is always the debate on whether 'blowing' out an air filter allows it to function longer.  I would say that if you have animals or a high amount of dust, taking a filter outside and blowing air through it from a good distance away and from the opposite direction as airflow would only help it function better, even if it doesn't make it last longer.  Slight dust build up actually helps some filters, as the dust makes the holes smaller for the air to go through.  Too much dust/hair, though, and the holes plug, starving the machinery for air.  Too hard of compressed air being blown on a filter can widen and damage the size of the holes, preventing their ability to trap dust.  So, even if the filter still needs replacing every 90 days, a light and gentle 'blow out' can help its performance along.

Mind you, the really, really expensive filters that say they can trap .3 micron particles also clog up faster than the regular filters, so need replacing more often.  It has been argued, and I think well, that thinking of your furnace as an air-purifying system is a silly notion.  First, the HVAC doesn't run all the time, so you are still breathing in particles the other 75% to 90% of the time inside.  Second, the air intake vents with filters are rarely located where the worst polluted air is (kitchen, baths and animal areas).  Third, the filter is designed to prevent the worst of the thick dust/particles from reaching the machine, but the machine has other openings and small gaps that are sucking up particles and sending them down the ductwork (unless you found that efficiency expert to fix that problem).  So, cleaning the ducts regularly would do more for helping air quality than just a filter could hope for.  Unless you really feel the need for them or need all the air quality help you can get (they do trap what they catch, which can be a lot), expensive filters aren't the most effective way to improve air quality in your home.

No matter what, check the filter every 30 days to ensure it is not accumulating an odd amount of gunk, as is the case during sandstorms or visiting dogs.  Be ready to change normal filters at the least every 90 days of normal operation unless you know the system well and are sure it is functioning at its best even with longer filter use.  See HowStuffWorks or this Global News article for great details on HVAC operation and further filter considerations.

Reuse- 

The alternate to using less is to find reusable options for things.  In the world of air conditioning filters, there are permanent 'washable' filters.  One style I found is made of plastic polymer mesh that can be cleaned, dried and reseated into a hard plastic 'cage' that fits the filter opening.  Another style has metal webbing sheets set in a metal frame that are washed regularly in a similar fashion.  These filters should be cleaned once ever 1-3 months, fully dried before replacement (meaning part of a day without the HVAC on unless you buy two) and last purportedly 3-5 years.  If you have a permanent filter, vacuum off the dusty side before rinsing, and run the water from the back to push the dirt off the mesh.  For the metal ones, some companies recommend treating with 'ZAP', an oil/dust cleaner that rinses off with water.  Permanent filters are often electrostatic, though you have to confer with our machine's manual to see if electrostatic filters are advised or not.  One should make sure the filter mesh, especially if you size it yourself, has a tight fit inside the cage, and that the cage has a tight fit in the filter opening area to prevent air from whooshing past it.  Permanent electrostatic washable filters, which I saw online from $25-50 dollars depending on size and material, state to have a higher impact on trapping particles than the really cheap/flimsy disposable filters you can get for a few dollars.  I wonder why there isn't more information on these, as re-usable filters don't seem to take much more effort than changing filters, anyway.

Recycle:

People say that companies have take back programs, but I couldn't locate any online information from the big manufactures of filter about any recycling program or efforts.  I buzzed the internet, and found that only one company seems to make it easy for the consumer to have the old filter recycled.  This would be the Fresh Air Club, who sell filters by mail to you on a schedule, accept the return your old filter and recycle it, and supposedly plant a tree for every returned/recycled filter they receive.  Their pricing doesn't seem too expensive for the service, when you figure they are selling the higher-efficiency filters, which are more when bought in the store, anyway.  With an 'every-90-day' scheduled purchase of a single filter costing you $19.95 (additional filters $15.95 each), it is shipped free, where you then have a pre-paid shipping label and the box to send back your old filter for recycling.  So, $80 a year in filters, but you know none of them are going in the landfill, and you help plant 4 trees.  Not a super affordable option compared to the reusable filters, but if you can't do reusable (like me, where my lease specifies my filter changing) this is a nice, convenient and earth-friendly route.

So, now that you read all that, what are you going to do when it is time to change your filter?

Old Magazines: Reuse and Recycling

After getting so many free magazine subscriptions, I realized they had to go somewhere when I was done reading them for their content.  Over the years, I've developed lots of ways to play with, create from, and recycle magazines, and here is an overview of some of those ways.

::CUT UP USES FOR MAGAZINES::

Magazines often are printed on a high grade paper with shiny ink.  This is what makes them bad for the environment, as the chemicals and energy used in the processing of paper and making of inks can wreak havoc on an environmental footprint.  These same qualities make them ideal for a variety of visual and artistic uses.

::On the Walls::

1.  Simplest reuse is to take images and articles fit for framing and do just that.  If you see pages you like, whether ads or images from articles, cut out the page, and frame it in vamped up picture frames.

2.  Or, just find images you like and tape them up in a pleasing collage on a barren wall.  Short on ideas? Just google "magazine collage ideas" and look at image results.

3.  Use those images and cut into 6x6 squares.  Using the Japanese Mat folding technique, fold, cut and glue into position for one-of-a-kind wall art.

::In the Craft Bin::

1.  Use larger images as papers in any of your paper craft items- scrapbooking, cardmaking, etc.

2.  Pages of a certain color can be cut into triangles and rolled into beads.

3.  Cut out the images and use in place of stickers - alarm clocks, cute dogs, sea shells, all can be given a second life in cards and layouts.

4.  Use the wonderful fonts used as headings and in ads for titles to embolden a scrapbook page, or go 'ransom note' and collect letters of different fonts and put them together for titles. (Consider plastic baggies or a bead box to store them in, depending on what size you collect.)

5.  Use large sheets cut to a template to create colorful envelopes.

::As Toys::

1.  Home magazines with all kinds of furniture and house items can be used to make a 'paper house' in a notebook.  Cut out 'dolls' for the house from fashion magazines, along with the new doll's wardrobe.  Get creative - make paper pockets to look like wardrobe doors and store the cutout clothes, and cut out cabinet doors to hold paper pots and pans.

2.  Use larger images cut into squares for origami art - the writing on the backside can add a fun layer to the finished folded work.

3.  Glue a large image to a piece of cereal box cardboard and then glue over top to seal.  Cut out the image into shapes or puzzle pieces and create a puzzle for a little one.

4.  You can modge podge images you like onto toys, lunchboxes, notebooks or other items to personalize them at no cost beyond contact paper, glue, or packing tape. 

::As Creative Expressions::

1.  Use the images taken from magazines to complete posters for various causes.  I found cigarette ads and health journal images to create a collage image for anti-smoking, mixing the glamorous pictures with those of cancer cells.  

2.  Create color wheels of images cut out and placed together based on color.

3.  Start an 'emotion' journal, with images that express to the artist a different emotion on each page.

4.  Complete 'Shapes', 'Colors', 'Numbers' or any other concept book using cut out items.

5.  Create stories out of the items cut from magazines.  My sister was a pro at this, creating entertaining image stories on blank pages, with dogs tracking bones, ducks wading through bubbles, and more.

::As Words In the World::

1.  Use packing tape to back a phrase or image from a magazine, and then cover the front with packing tape, leaving 1/2"-1" overlap of sticky.  Stick this on like a bumper sticker.  

2.  Post it in reality.  There are a lot of articles that I've found interesting over the years, and sometimes I cut them out just to hand to a friend.  If I feel it is appropriate, I will post it on the message board at work for others to read while waiting for a ride or the bus.

::SECOND CHANCES FOR MAGAZINES::

If you aren't cutting the magazine up, consider the following:
1. Bring your more current editions to a store like Bookman's, which will give you store credit (or a measly amount of cash) for the popular titles.

2.  Sell your mags at a rummage sale.

3.  Donate your mags to the library if they have a Friend's of the Library set up that sells culled books and old magazines.

4.  Donate old mags to a local good will shop, hopefully one that helps with a cause you agree with.

5.  See if a local non-profit company could do with some reading material in their waiting room.  If they can't accept your copies, let them in on the secrets of how to get them for free.

::END OF THE LINE::

Once you've read, cut and/or mangled your magazines, make sure the remnants get recycled:
1.  Place in a paper recycle bin for your local municipal recycling center.

2.  Drop off to a "Paper Retriever" bin at the school or operation of your choice - they get paid by the pound for the paper they can collect in the bins.

3.  See if your library has a recycle bin for them, as they, too, often recycle broken books and old papers and get paid by the pound.

Make Groceries: Chocolate Syrup

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cocoa powder                          -- $1.98 / lb = .60
3/4 cup granulated sugar                      -- $0.52 / lb = .20
1 pinch salt                                           -- $0.33 / lb = .01*
1 cup boiling water                              -- .05 / gallon = .01*
1 tsp vanilla                                          -- $0.20 / oz = .03
Total cost:                                       $0.85 / 10 oz. ($0.09 / oz)

Directions:
1. Boil water (5 minutes).
2. Mix boiling water with sugar, cocoa, and salt in sauce pan.
3. Stir on low heat for 3 minutes.
4. Mix in vanilla, then pour into clean jar and let cool, then refrigerate.  (Jar is washed out jelly jar.)

Notes:  Makes about 12-14 oz, depending on how carefully you scrape the pan.  Homemade variety can get 'crunchy' if you heat too high or too long in the mixing process, so for smoother mix, do 2 minutes, 30 seconds and mix it without heat on the hot pan the last 30 seconds.

Total Cost Materials:                                     $0.09 / oz

Total Time: 8 minutes @ $10.00/hr                 $1.33  

Total Cost Time / Materials:                         $0.21 / oz

Comparison Shop:
Hershey Chocolate Syrup

Total Cost Materials:                                    $0.12 / oz   ($2.99 / 24 oz)

Total Time: 1 minute                                    $.16 @ $10.00/hr

Total Cost Time / Materials:                         $0.13 / oz 

Ingredients: 
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Corn Syrup
Water
Cocoa
Sugar
Contains 2% or Less of: Potassium Sorbate, Salt, Mono and Diglycerides, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 60, Vanillin, Artificial Flavor.

Directions:
1. Find in store and buy.
2. Open and use.

Winner:
Home made chocolate syrup wins on ingredients - no artificial flavors, no HFCS, and no preservatives or smoothing agents.  Home made is more expansive only if you are counting your time, but is so worth the effort.  My S.O. thinks homemade taste better.

I got (picture) framed!

Frames are a go to for decorating the walls of the happy home.  Whether it be loaded with photos of family or self made art, often the perfect frame and matting make the overall appearance 'fit' nicely with the room.  Problem is, you can spend upwards of $150 for large frames and as much in the matting.  Not having that kind of money, I have assembled my basic how-to for wall decor for the real-life home.

1.  Do some math.

•       Figure out the budget, or at least how much money you willing to spend - if you only have $10 bucks, stick to that!  It will take more time and effort, but it can (and will!) be done!  My budget was $25 total.  I turned down framed mirrors, cool frames and a few neat images because I didn't love them and while cheap were too high priced for my budget.  
•      Measure the area you want to decorate, or get an idea of what size frames/items you are going to need to fill the space in question.  Sometimes, the not-quite-perfect item is chosen because of its size and then made to work great, while a perfect frame is useless because it's 2" too big.  



Image from http://www.todayshomeowner.com/ -
check out their cost analysis and testing of them!

•      Use post it notes to mark out where the studs are in the walls you are decorating are (use the 1- 3/4 wide ones or cut them to that size, so where the post it note is shows the width of the stud.  Studs should be 16" from each other, sometimes 24" apart in pre-1940's/older homes)  If you have ideas of hanging any but the lightest items between studs, make sure you add in the cost of a proper drywall anchor system.  Check out this great site that priced and tested the different kind of anchors available.  

2.  Know where to find affordable frames/art:

•     Rummage sales are the cheapest, as people are looking at moving it that day and usually price it accordingly.  Also, if you are on a budget, you can always try negotiate to make something in your price budget.  If you have cash, let it help you negotiate.  
•      Thrift stores are the second best for affordable wall art, though can be hit or miss with pricing.  If you are on a low budget, make sure to visit these stores on their sale days, or have your coupons in hand when you go.  
•      Department stores often clearance out or sale item their wall hangings in a predictable schedule - during or just after 'back to school' days, just after holidays, and at the end of 'seasons'.  Keep an eye out for wall art at the 'discount' department stores like Family Dollar and Big Lots, as they go through large amounts of 'mass made' wall art that for their size are decent priced, and occasionally go on sales of 25% off or more.    

3.  Keep an open mind when you look.

•      Try find wood frames, as these (in my opinion) hold up better over time.  Also, wood frames always take paint well after a quick sanding, so you can stain, paint, or spray paint the color you want.  Plastic frames are okay, though as larger frames will tend to warp or crack if there are constant environment changes or direct sun.  You can only spray paint plastic, as other paints won't stick well.  Metal has similar issues, and though hold up better than plastic they are heavier and the hanging method needs to be double checked. 
•       Don't base final decisions on color, but the condition of the frame.  Miscellaneous frames can be made to go together by painting/staining them all the same color, and different material frames can be matched with paint.  Over at The Broken Plow, she has a nice blog post about converting small frames into a wall o art. However, they need to be in good condition.  Tight corners, straight un-warped sides and well fitted non-scratched glass are essential.  Small divets or dings can be filled in and painted over, and scratches smoothed and painted over, but you need the corner biscuits or metal cleatings to be holding those corners together tight, tight, tight. 

Photo from The Broken Plow, who posted a nice step-by-step
show of her making a wall-of-art with these frames.

•     Check the back- make sure the back is easily opened if you are making any changes to the artwork, as those that are 'papered' at the back can be messy to try open up and change.  Also, check what kind of hanging system the piece is made for, and if you think it strong enough for what you want to do with it.  Sometimes, a frame is worth the extra buck or two if it has a heavy duty hanging system already present.  Plastic frames are harder to hang because you can't drill into or use the plastic in any way besides how it was built to hang.  You already should have thought about wall anchors, but to keep it cheap, consider lighter weight hanging kits bought at a dollar store or heavy style hanging items pieced together from found items.  I've made makeshift hangers from popcan tabs, thumbtacks, ribbons, command hooks, Popsicle sticks and belt buckles before.  Just figure out where you want it to hang, how heavy it is, and be creative/do your homework.   
•      Consider the matting - it really makes an image pop, but often will not be the color you'd choose.  You can paint matting (use flat coat spray paint or acrylic paints with a smooth brush) and either tape the angled edge before painting or go over afterward with a silver/gold/color sharpie marker to make the beveled edge stand out.  You can try cutting your own matting, as sheets of matting can be found in the discount bin of framers shops/departments or random discount/overflow stores, or made from chipboard/cereal box cardboard.  It is hard to make that bevel, but you can get creative with layers this way, which sometimes makes more impact that a perfect bevel, anyway.  Also, you can custom mat a large picture frame to fit two or more different images if that's what you have to show off,  making them different sizes if that's what you need.

4.  Go beyond frames if it's fitting:

•      Shelves can be decorated to be more dimensional and just as artistic as a hanging pictures.  Show off your collection of whatever, or just use it for interesting found items, or as a rack for smaller picture frames you can swap out.
•      Go to Pinterest.com or do an image search in Google and search 'DIY wall art' for ideas of using 'something else' to decorate that wall.  Various materials can be converted to wall art - toilet paper tubes, rugs, placemats, cloth material scraps, plates, beans, leaves, sticks, shopping bags, magazines, trivets, corks, strings, tacks - the list is endless. 
•      Blank canvases are like, well, a blank canvas for your artistic notions.  Buy them on sale at craft stores or with 40-50% off coupons and go to town with your medium of choice.  You can paint over old canvases you may find for a few dollars at rummage or thrift stores.  Also, cut pieces of wood that are sanded and gessoed/painted or stained can be a clean canvas and give added appeal to the right art style.  
•      Really big pieces of styrofoam or chipboard or pink foam can be covered in fabric of choice and become giant pin-up boards for whatever catches your eye.  I had one as a kid, and often made my own 'pin' images with colored push pins, aside from sticking up my latest school art projects.  

A few other notes to consider during your wall-decorating adventure --

•        If at a thrift store/rummage sale and you LOVE it, I mean, just can't stop staring at it, BUY IT THEN.  It will likely not be there later, and it is not often you find things that catch and hold your attention so well.  Creativity will make it fit in with the house, because if you love it, it will be reflected in other things.  
•        If you DON'T love it, DON'T buy it right away.  Wait for a sale, or a coupon, or at least until you have shopped enough to verify that it is an awesome price for what it is.  
•       Take your time, and if the white walls drive you crazy, just tape up some images from magazines in a fun collage until you find the perfect items to hang. 
•       Use your time wisely and perform actions on a lot of items at the same time - save up items and spray paint them all at the same time, or color them all on the same day.  This way, you aren't trying to remember what paint or pencil or etc. you were using a week later.  Wait until you have all the items gathered and painted, then get them on the wall.  When you are hanging, map out with brown bag paper the where and plan the how to hang for each item, and do each one by one until they are all up.

       

Goodwill Hunting!

Things I didn't know::

In a random 'pop-in' on a Thursday afternoon to a local Goodwill store, I heard over the intercom some lovely news - "This week's tag color clothing is only a dollar today."  What?  

I quickly started sifting through and found 4 pairs of jeans that I tried on, and all fit!  Then I dashed about, and found 2 tops I loved.  Scampering to the men's department, 2 polo shirts for the boyfriend.  While carting past a rack, I found a pair of dress pants that just needed a little stitch to hold the fastener in place. Darting to the check out, I saw the cutest skirt for a buck and grabbed it.

Total cost: $10.

In the spirit of frugal, my shopping met some good points I try keep:

• ESSENTIAL: The money spent was for essential items = clothing.
• RIGHT PRICE: Aside from garage sales, I couldn't have paid less for what I got.
• EXTRA BENEFITS: The proceeds from sale help serve people with disabilities/those facing obstacles to enter the workforce.
• LOW-IMPACT: Items bought were used, so no new resources were used up for my purchase. 

I asked about the return policy, as I wasn't sure if the shirts would fit the Mr., and they said bring it back within 14 days with the tags attached and a receipt, and I can turn it in for store credit.  I'm glad I asked, because I made the mistake of not trying on that cute skirt and discovered it was made for more petite derriere than I possess.  Oh well.  Both shirts fit him, so my skirt will go in the car to be returned next Thursday, when I hope to find some more dress pants for a dollar to ready my work wardrobe for full time!

More Ways to Save at Goodwill Stores:
I looked up the Arizona Goodwill website, and found these other great deals that I didn't know happened -

SUNDAY

STUDENT DAY 25% OFF WITH I.D. 

TUESDAY

SENIOR DAY 25% OFF WITH I.D.

THURSDAY

DOLLAR DAYS SELECT ITEMS 

SATURDAY

EVERY OTHER SATURDAY 50% OFF STOREWIDE SALE

And, MORE deals I didn't know about:

SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTER

AND RECEIVE 20% OFF COUPON EACH MONTH!

DOWNLOAD OR PRINT COUPON

FOR 5% OF $10 PURCHASE OR MORE!

A Word of Warning::

Don't touch the metal hanger racks when looking through clothes.  Your hand could look like this if you do.  (The store wasn't dirty, per se, just the racks are never emptied to be cleaned.)

The fix: simply push together the clothes to create a little space in the section you are looking at, then use a walking motion with your first and second fingers to gently flip through each piece of clothing, looking at the front of each article of clothing for tag color/appearance.




Store Locations::
Locating stores can be done by going the Goodwill website store locator, and typing in your zipcode.

For anyone in the Mesa area, I printed this card for myself of stores within 15 miles to keep in the wallet, for when I am around town and want a less-guilty shopping excursion.  It should print out to credit card size.

What's the best deal you found at a your favorite Goodwill or Thrift shop?

Free Magazines and How To Actually Read Them

I am currently receiving multiple free magazine subscriptions in my mailbox, and I realize I feel kinda guilty.  Not for getting them free (hah!), but because there are more eco-friendly ways to receive the same kind of information.  But, then I think about all the crazy good things I can do with them, and I hope things will balance.  So, I share with you today how to score free magazines AND what to do with them afterwards!

Magazine companies make money more from the ads in them more than the subscription fee.  For this reason, sometimes it is advantageous for the company to give out subscriptions to increase its 'subscriber's base' and so make more money on the ads.  

::FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS::

1. Go to deal websites like www.hip2save.com  and check out their freebie pages.  I know Hip2Save has a special tab just for magazines under their freebie tab.  These sites post recent 'free magazine' subscription offers, through other websites or deals, and often specify each as 'no cost/no obligation'.

2.  Some of the sites that those sites are sending you to, like https://mercurymagazines.com, offer free subscriptions to 'businesses'.  Make sure to provide an email you don't mind getting some ads in as the site does send 'further offers' email.  Others will have you perform a survey and get 'points' that you use toward subscriptions.

3.  Special sites let you collect or earn points, and these can be cashed in for magazine subscriptions among other things.  Cokerewards.com is one for the soda pop drinker (or one with access to a recycle center).   Recyclebank.com is a great site for accumulating information on recycling and reduction while being rewarded for it.

4.  Share with neighbors if you each get a magazine or 4 that the other is interested in.  Organize a day where you each deliver the previous months mags and you can meet up and swap, or leave on the back door.  Arrange ahead of time if you or the neighbor wants them back.

::READING TIME::

1.  Now that you are receiving a nice collection of magazines, make sure to READ THEM.  Keep them around where you end up with spare minutes.  Keep 'quick reads' with short articles in the car, fitness mags in your gym bag, and household mags near your couch.

2.  Take note of the ideas you enjoy in them.  I will take phone pictures of the articles or recipes that I like, so I have a digital account of what I like.  You can then Pinterest them.

3.  Cut out ideas or recipes IF AND ONLY IF you have a place to keep them organized.  Otherwise, they will just become paper clutter.  I keep recipes to digitize/use in a folder by my cook books (gone through once a month).  Articles I keep in a shoe box by the magazines by the couch, also gone through once a month. If you see an idea that you want to share with someone, cut it out and send it with a personal letter to them (snail mail is still meaningful, and everyone likes knowing someone is thinking of them.)

Fruit Fly Fever

Once upon a time, we had fruit flies.  They were IMPOSSIBLE.  Never so many to make you gag, but enough to really, really annoy you in the kitchen.  I think they were breeding somewhere down my kitchen sink, but nothing I poured down there killed them entirely, and nothing else appeared to be attracting them.  So, we started our attack.

1.  The shot glass with vinegar.

Premise:  Attracted to fermentation, the fruit flies dip down for a sip, and drown in the swill.

Actuality:  Attracted to fermentation, the fruit flies buzzed around the glass, had a drink on me, and one or two fell in.

2.  The vacuum.

Premise: A fruit fly can not fly faster than the force of suction from a Dirt Devil stick vacuum.

Actuality:  A fruit fly can outmaneuver all but the most direct affronts from a vacuum.  However, watching your boyfriend chase fruit flies through the kitchen with a vacuum is PRICELESS.  

3.  Spritz and wipe.

Premise: Wet the fruit fly down with spray bottle of vinegar while cleaning, then squish with rag. 

Actuallity: Try wet the fruit fly down enough to prevent flying, then attempt to squish with rag while two more flies buzz by your head. 

AND THE WINNER:: 

4.  The paper funnel in a jar.

Premise:  Attracted to a bit of fruit or fermenting thing in the jar, the fruit fly travels down the funnel and is unable to find the opening again, so is trapped.

Actually:   Attracted to a bit of fruit or fermenting thing in the jar, the fruit fly cautiously travels down the funnel and is usually unable to find the opening again.  They are trapped, but they are not dead, and releasing them or killing them is a hassle. 

Assembly- 
Find skinny top fairly deep jar (I used a spaghetti sauce jar).  Place piece of banana in bottom of jar.  Take a piece of paper, curl into funnel,  and tape the funnel to the jar mouth lip to ensure no escapes.  Wait. 

Disposal:  
I ended up pouring in vinegar, dumping in some baking soda and covering the hole, effectively knocking them out from the CO2 level.  While they were unconscious, I swilled them around in the jar and flushed them down the toilet.  Not the gentlest, no, but it was winter and I wanted them gone quick.  Other ways of disposing them would be to set the whole jar outside (where it won't attract attention) and let them freeze/cook/dehydrate to death, or setting them free (you know who you soft-hearted folks are) far from your house.  

I keep a much cleaner kitchen after having to have to have dealt with them. If I see one, I will stop at nothing to kill it immediately.  

Ever had fruit flies?  How did you stop the infestation?  Let me know!