Easy Caramel Pecan Candy Turtles

If you love chocolate, caramel pecan candy turtles, here's a yummy, quick and easy treat that you can give away as a homemade gift. These are quick and easy and the kids will love helping you make them.

What you'll need:

Pecan halves - other nuts will work too, if you prefer to use something else.
Mini waffle pretzels - you may also use regular mini pretzels
Rolo chocolate candies
Baking sheet
Parchment paper or waxed paper (optional)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Unwrap Rolos candies. Place pretzels in a single layer on parchment or waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Top each pretzel with a Rolo candy. Turn off oven and place baking sheet into hot oven. Leave in for 3 to 5
minutes or just until chocolate starts to melt and candy is soft. Don't let the candies actually melt. You only
want them to be soft. Remove from oven and gently push a nut into the top of each candy piece, just until the
caramel starts to ooze out. Let cool and enjoy.

Gift idea: Place cooled candies into a decorative tin or a jar.  Add a bow and you have a simple, delicious, homemade gift.

Free Printable Christmas Cards

Free Printable Christmas Cards
Click Here to download and print your free Christmas Cards.

Free Christmas Coloring Pages

Free Christmas Coloring Pages

Click Here to download and print your free Christmas Coloring Pages.

Free Printable Christmas Decorations

Free Printable Christmas Decorations
Download your Free Printable Christmas Tree Ornaments, Free Printable Christmas Village, Free Printable Christmas Paper Chain, Free Printable Christmas Advent Calendar and more... These printable Christmas decorations will help you deck the halls with paper ornaments, a countdown calendar, and a silly snowman. When you are all decked out, head straight for the christmas candy!  Click Here to Get Your Free Printable Christmas Decorations.

Free Magazine Ultimate Nutrition

Ultimate Nutrition is giving away a free subscription to Ultimate Magazine.  Supplies are limited.  Click Here to Get it.

Free Posters Teachers & Homeschoolers

TeachingHistory.org is giving away two free posters to educators and homeschoolers.  Click here to select a Civil War Classroom Poster or a Historical Thinking Classroom Poster.

Homemade Soothing Lavendar Mineral Bath

Lavender Mineral Bath Recipe

1/2 cup coarse sea salt
1/4 cup Epsom salts
1/4 cup coarse mineral salts
40 drops lavender Essential Oil
Directions:
Mix all salts together.  Add essential oil last and mix salts while adding.  Store in a pretty jar.  To use, sprinkle 1/4 cup of Lavendar Mineral Bath under running water.

Save $15 Off Campbell's Soup Products

Save up to $15 off selected Campbell's Soup products such as canned soups, specialty soups, Swanson Broth and Spaghetti-Os.  Click Here to select and print your coupons.

Free Halloween Pumpkin Stencils

Pumpkin Masters has halloween stencil patterns that you can download for free from their website. Like them on Facebook and get more free halloween stencils. Click Here to Get It.

Free Dannon Oikos Yogurt

Free Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt. Click on the image or Click here to get your free downloadable coupon.

Free Recipe Book from Reynolds Wrap

Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil is giving away a free downloadable recipe book. Delicious home-cooked meals for your family that are specially designed for today's busy cook. Featuring recipes like Citrus Ginger Pork Tenderloin, Pizzeria Chicken, Mexican Meatloaf, Chocolate Madadamia Cookies and More. Click on the image or Click Here to get your free recipe book from Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil.

Free Samples from Poise

Poise products are specifically designed for outstanding protection against bladder leakage and help you stay prepared for any occasion. We invite you to try a few samples from our full line and experience the amazing protection of Poise® for yourself.  Click the image above or Click Here to get your free sample.

Win Cool Prizes for You and Your School

Click on the image to enter the Education is Great! Sweepstakes and win cool prizes for you and your local school.  Prizes include 8 - $8,000 grants, a $25,000 grant for your child and other cool prizes.  You may also click here to enter.

Free Honey Nut Cheerios

Get a free sample of Honey Nut Cheerios.  America's favorite cereal.  Supplies are limited, so Click Here to Get it.

Clip Grocery Coupons Save Money

Incredible Eggs

If you use a lot of eggs, this can be a great money and time-saver. 

With the cost of food on the rise, the more you know about storing foods, the more money and time you can save.  When buying eggs, look for sales.  Don't worry about buying eggs on sale.  You can freeze them for later use.  Another way to save is this:  If you open a carton of eggs and there are any broken eggs, see if you can get a discount on the carton.  Most people won't buy a carton of eggs if there are broken eggs inside.  Those eggs usually get picked over and left on the shelf.  Eventually, they are tossed.  So, why not buy the eggs at a discount and freeze them?  To freeze eggs, mix an egg in a dish and add a little sprinkle of salt.  Place each eg into an ice cube tray and freeze.  Once they are frozen, pop the egg cubes out of the tray and save them in zippered bags in the freezer. When you need an egg, thaw one of the cubes and use in omelets, scrambled eggs, or in any dishes that will be baked or cooked.

Free Furmano's Recipe Book

Get a free 28-page Recipe Book from Furmano's.  This recipe book contains great tasting, healthy meals.  Click Here to Get your Free Furmanos Recipe Book.

Free Idaho Travel Guide

Planning a vacation to Idaho couldn't be easier. Order a variety of our free travel publications using the form below. Simply check the items you want, and proceed to the next page. Orders of multiple items may be shipped separately.                        Click Here to Get it For Free!

Free GRE Study Materials

Free GRE General Test Preparation Materials.  Powerprep Software: Test Preparation for the GRE General Test — Includes two computer-based General Tests, sample Analytical Writing topics, scored sample essays and reader commentary, test-taking strategies, a math review, and test tutorials. Registrants in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada are advised to download the free software to prepare for the computer-based General Test.  Free, official test preparation materials for the computer-based and paper-based tests are available to anyone who registers for the GRE tests worldwide or who visits the ETS website.  Registrants who do not have Internet access can request a copy of the Powerprep CD to be mailed to them.  Click Here to Get It for Free!

Reuse Plastic Shopping Bags and Win

I see people complaining all the time about how evil and loathsome plastic shopping bags are.  The truth is, these bags aren't evil at all and they have many, many uses beyond the grocery store.  You can take a plastic store sack and use it as a liner for your canvas or cotton totes to keep the inside of the reusable bag clean longer.  After they serve their purpose there, you can use them somewhere else.  Perhaps, in the garden to keep weeds at bay.  I don't look upon plastic shopping bags with the hatred that so many people do. These bags can be repurposed a dozen times or more, for years, depending on how they are being reused.  I can honestly say, without exaggeration, that I have plastic shopping bags around my home that have been here for years, serving in various capacities.  The bags aren't as bad as they're made out to be.  People just need to reuse them.  Or take them back to the store and put them into the recycling bin, rather than just tossing them into the trash or worse, littering the landscape with them. What are some ideas you have for reusing plastic shopping bags?  Send your tip for reusing plastic shopping bags to reuseit@frugalmoose.com and be entered to win a Wal-Mart Gift Card.  You're welcome to submit a photo with your idea.

Make Your Own Spa Products at Home

Learn The 'Secrets' Professional Spa Owners Use To Create Luscious Bath Bombs, Soothing Creams and Aromatic Fragrance Products."  Make your own at a fraction of the cost.   Save money by learning how to make your own lotions and potions for literally pennies on the dollar.  you'll discover an incredible collection of more than 126 spa product recipes that you can use "as is" or easily adapt to your own needs!  The essential oils, add fragrant herbs or other ingredients, or use as provided. It's entirely up to you -- the possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

You'll find recipes for:

- Handcrafted Soaps - from classic recipes to deliciously different versions that you, your family and friends will adore!

- Bath Teas, Additives and Soaks - sink into a hot, fragrant bath and soak away all your cares with these original 'secret' recipes.

- Spa Treatments - professional-quality treatments that you create yourself for pennies on the dollar.

- Bubble Baths and Bath Bombs - if bubbles are your thing, you'll adore these new variations.

- Butters, Balms, Lotions and Creams - to add deep moisture to your skin and luxury to your life!

- Scrubs, Polishes, Salts and Masques - still more variations to add variety and build your line (and make your skin glow!)

- Home Fragrance Products - beautiful fragrance ideas you can adapt to suit your tastes and mood.

- Potpourri and Sachets - including a comprehensive ingredient list that you can simply "mix and match" to create a virtually unlimited number of flavors.

- Aromatherapy Blends - soothing... relaxing... invigorating... revitalizing... you decide - with your own range of professional aromatherapy blends.

Click Here to Get It!

Save on Liquid Laundry Detergent

When you finish your next bottle of laundry soap, stick your fingers into the spout and slide it out.  Add some water and shake.  You can get an additional two or three loads that way.  So, don't throw away that liquid laundry detergent bottle just yet.  If you haven't removed the spout, it's not empty yet.

Free Birthday Treats

FreeBirthdayTreats.com is a free, easy to use, one stop resource that answers... "What can I get free for my birthday?"  Just ask the Birthday Freebie Expert who started this fast-growing online directory that features businesses and restaurants across the US and Canada offering birthday freebies or birthday discounts to adults, kids and even beloved pets. Search locally to find offers near you!  Celebrating birthdays is so much sweeter when you're enjoying free birthday stuff and free birthday discounts!  Click Here to Get It!

Make Fast Easy Cash from Home

You can get paid too!  Join CashCrate and earn easy cash money online.  CashCrate is a fun way to earn cash from home.  Get paid daily just for signing into the site.  Get paid to play games.  Get paid to complete surveys.  Get paid to view videos and get paid to visit websites.  I've personally seen the checks from CashCrate.  They even encourage people to post photos of their checks on their website to prove it.  Need more proof?  Check out the check images below.  This is a great way to make money from home right from your computer.  Sign-up here to get additional bonus cash.

Cream Soup Substitute

If you need a cream soup for a recipe and discover that you don't have any, or if you would simply prefer to make your own, here is a quick, simple recipe:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chicken broth (may use beef, vegetable or other broth)
1/2 cup milk (may use whole, 2% or skim)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed to taste. You can use this cream soup in place of store-bought, condensed, cream soups.  You can also add chopped chicken, chopped mushrooms, vegetables, etc.

Betty Crocker Free Cookbook

Get a free digital cookbook with over 170 recipes for soups, stews and chilies from Betty Crocker.  Click Here to Get It!

Make Your Own Hot Sauce

Making your own hot sauce may or may not save you money, but it will allow you to control what actually goes into your hot sauce.  The recipe is very easy. Remember: Hot sauce intensifies as it ages.

Hot Sauce
3 cups distilled white vinegar
2 pounds hot peppers (your choice) seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons salt (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Process in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour into glass jars. Store in the refrigerator. Use within 2 months or freeze.

Ten Minute No-Sew Recycled T-Shirt Bag

I came across this idea at Leethal and I love it.  I had to share this.  It's a T-Shirt Bag that you can make in just ten minutes and the best part is;  there's no sewing required.  If you're anything like me, that is almost a prerequisite for a craft project.  I can do this.  If you decide to make one of these, come back and let us know about it and be sure to send a photo.  If we get anough submissions, we'll give away a prize!
Click Here to View the Tutorial

Upcycle a Drink Can Into a Trinket Box

This is such a cool idea, I had to pass it along.  Talk about creative.  What a great way to turn an ordinary drink can into a functional work of art.  This comes by way of Atomic Shrimp.  Watch the video tutorial and visit the site for even more ideas.  You may think this is too time consuming, but I'll bet there are some of you out there who will do this once and become hooked.  What other ideas can you come up with to recycle / upcycle an ordinary drink can?  Send us some ideas and include you pics.  If we get enough submissions, we'll give away a prize.

Make Your Own Brown Sugar

With the cost of sugar on the rise, you don't need to buy brown sugar.  Make your own.  It's simple and only requires two ingredients; white sugar and molasses.  There are generally two types of brown sugar, light and dark.  For light brown sugar, all you need is 4 cups of sugar and 2 tablespoons of molasses.  For dark brown sugar, add 4 tablespoons of molasses.  Stir until thoroughly mixed and store in an airtight container.

Make Your Own Vegetable Flakes

You can buy vegetable flakes, which may be loaded with preservatives, and not know how long they’ve been sitting on the shelf, or you can make your own, fresh, preservative-free vegetable flakes at home, inexpensively, using a food dehydrator. Simply slice vegetables thin and lay in your food dehydrator. Once dehydrated, you can place them into your food processor and pulse until they are the desired consistency. Store them in the freezer and use according to your recipe. Make sure they are completely dehydrated and that there is no moisture left in them. Some of the vegetables that dehydrate well include carrots, celery, onions, garlic, peas, potatoes, tomatoes and peppers.

Reuse Paper Towel and Toilet Paper Rolls

Wondering what you can do with your empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls? Here are some ideas:

Create a safety sheath for sharp knives and scissors. To make a safety sheath for knives and scissors, simply flatten the empty roll, slide your knife or scissors inside and store as normal. You can tape or staple the end of the roll together to protect the tips.

Make protective sleeves for items when you're moving or shipping them. To create a protective sleeve for theseitems, simply flatten and/or stuff the paper empty roll, as necessary, with newspaper or old magazine ads. Cap the ends with additional newspaper or magazine ads and tape.

Create 'bumpers' for shipping items when you need additional filler. Stuff the empty roll with newspaper, old magazine ads, shipping peanuts, etc. Use the rolls to create bumpers for items you are shipping.

Create a holder to store art brushes, colored pencils, markers, knitting needles, crochet hooks, make-up brushses and more.

Create jewelry, kids crafts and more. Let your imagination go and see what you can come up with.

Have other creative ideas not mentioned here? Email them to us at ideas @ frugalmoose.com and be entered in a drawing to win a prize. Be sure to send a photo.

Reuse Zippered Bedding Bags

Reuse Zippered Bedding Bags
If you purchase a comforter, bed-in-a-bag, or large blanket that comes in a plastic bag with a zipper, you already know how durable and spacious those bags are.  Don't throw those bags away. Reuse them to store seasonal items such as clothing, seasonal decor and more.  You can rotate the items you store inside the bags, so the bag is always in use. You can even use these durable, jumbo-sized to store your oversized Christmas items, holiday linens, wreaths, garlands, tree skirts and more. The bag is clear, so you will always be able to see the contents and everything will stay clean, dust and pet hair free all year long.  Want to add some scent?  Toss in a cinnamon or potpourri sachet and when you take it out in the fall, it will smell like the holidays.

Reuse Old Coffee Cans and Canisters

Folgers has an activity promotion on their web site where you can print templates to customize your old coffee canisters so you can use them for decorative storage containers.  These are designed specifically for the Folgers brand, but they may work with other brands of cans and canisters.  You can certainly experiment.  There is also an option to design your own template right on their website.  All you need is a large-sized empty coffee canister, a color printer, paper, scissors, adhesive.  You can also print your templates on a full sheet-sized peel and stick label which can be purchased at your local office store or in the office supply section of your local discount store.  If you use this idea, be sure to email us a photo to be featured on our blog.  It doesn’t have to be a Folgers template.  You can create your own design.  Hey, if we get enough submissions, we might even hold a contest for a cool prize!  In the meantime, be sure to visit the Folgers website and get started.

Make Storage Bags from Old Blue Jeans

This is a great idea. Use old blue jeans to make storage bags. Need a long bag to store wrapping paper rolls, tent stakes, camp chairs, umbrellas, pool cues, BBQ tools, camp pie irons, portable antennas, fishing poles, baseball bats, protective jar covers, flatware or silverware and utensil storage, and much more. Simply cut off the legs, sew one end together and hem the other end so it won't fray. You can use two legs, one for the bottom and one for the 'cover' if you need longer storage for items such as pool cues or fishing poles. Need wider storage, use more than one leg, split the seams and sew together. Have smaller items to store? Simply cut the legs of the jeans to shorter lengths and make multiple bags from a single pair of jeans. Get the kids involved and let's decorate! Use sequins, beads, paint, patches, ribbons, etc. This is your project. Express yourself and let your imagination go free!

Free Funnix Reading Program

During January 2011 get the Funnix Reading Program for FREE!

During the month of January, the Funnix Reading Program will be FREE--no strings, no hidden costs. The Funnix sequence teaches 2 year's work of reading skills and is regularly priced at $249.


The program is designed by the world's most successful creator of instructional materials, Siegfried (Zig) Enge0lmann, a maverick professor of Education who has authored many books, including Give Your Child a Superior Mind, and highly successful reading programs like Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons.

Engelmann says of Funnix,"Teaching the lessons requires a lot less effort, and the lessons are more entertaining. Also, the program consists of 220 daily lessons, so it takes kids farther than most beginning-reading programs-- from being non readers to reading on the third-grade level."

The free version of Funnix is electronic. You download the entire package of 220 lessons and other material onto your computer, and you have everything you need to teach the program. The steps of what you do and how you do it are spelled out in Teacher’s Guide, which you review before presenting the program. Workbook and textbook activities accompany the lessons. You print these.

When you teach Funnix, you and you child sit next to each other and watch the computer screen. A narrator presents a series fast-paced exercises in each 30-minute lesson. The narrator asks questions, and your child responds--out loud. Your job is to reinforce correct responses and correct any mistakes by following simple rules for "navigating" through the material.

In schools, the program works the same way, except that there's usually a small group of children being taught, and the person who leads the group is a teacher or an aide.

The program has been very successful with a large range of children from ages 4 through 7 who enter the program knowing nothing about reading, including children who have been written off by schools.

What is Zig Engelmann's reason for providing this amazing give-away? He indicated, "We've been trying for years to do things that make schools successful, particularly with young kids and lower performers. We figured that we're in a position to offer schools and parents a stimulus package that could be worth a lot for every kid who otherwise would not be accelerated or who would be a reading failure. Why not make the electronic package available to anybody who needs it? It doesn't cost us much to do it, and it could help in a small way to counteract the effects of bankrupt schools and dismal times."

Click Here to Download your FREE Funnix Reading Program.

Don't Buy Expensive Toothpaste

Don't buy expensive toothpaste.  The primary ingredients in all toothpastes are the same.  Everythning else is 'fluff' ... pretty packaging, flavor enhancements and advertising; with advertising acocunting for most of the overinflated cost, which has nothing to do with the quality and performance of the toothpaste.  There is one name brand that gets very little, if any advertising.  It costs about a dollar or less per large-sized tube.  You will usually find it sitting on or near the bottom shelf of your local store.  Can you guess what brand it is?   Next time you are in the market for a tube of toothpaste, pick up all the brands and look at the primary ingredients (the first 3 or so on the label).  You might notice something peculiar.  If you really want healthy teeth and gums though, you need only go as far as your kitchen cupboard.  One item that nearly every household has on hand is baking soda.  Did you know that baking soda is great for brushing your teeth?  While it won't have that minty fresh taste, you can try this little trick:  Just add a few drops of mouthwash to a half-teaspoon of baking soda.  You can also add a few drops of peroxide for a whitening effect.  You will notice that your teeth actually feel cleaner and your mouth will be healthier. 

Reuse Old Calendars

Reuse Old Calendars

Now that it's the New Year, you may have a number of old calendars that you dont know what to do with.  They are too nice to be thrown away, but you don't want them just taking up space.  Here are some ideas:

Reuse Old Recipe Calendars: 
If you're like me, you may have several of these.  Trim to size, glue two pages back to back, slip into protective sleeves and insert into a binder.  You can decorate the binder to make your own kitchen cookbook or give it away as a gift.

Reuse Old Scenery and Landscape Calendars: Trim the photo and put into a pretty frame to be used as a small serving or a decorative tray that you can use in any room of the house or even your office.  You can make several of these and interchange between seasons or give as gifts.  If you want to go a little further, you can actually mount the images onto a serving tray or a flat piece of wood and laminate.  This is especially nice if you ahve a calendar phot that you just love and can't stand to part with it.  Some people are able to do this and sell the items for money.

Reuse Old Picture Calendars: Cut out images and use as craft material for decoupage to decorate vases, trinket boxes, canisters, jars, bottles, containers, lamp shades, wood furniture, mirrors, or make covers for books.

Use old calendar pages to make decorative envelopes.  Simply dismantle a standard envelope, trace the shape onto the calendar page and cut out, fold into an envelope and add some glue.

Small calendars with smaller images can be trimmed and glued onto a piece of card stock to make a greeting card.

Other creative uses for old calendars:  Replace the plain face on a cheap clock, create bookmarks, use as scrapbooking supplies, make puzzles, make a mobile, frame a mirror or photo frame, use as a photo backing for a fish aquarium, buletin board covers, gift tags, post cards, journal and book covers, inspirational photo book.

Want to add your own idea? Email us as Comments@FrugalMoose.com

Save Money on Office Paper

Office paper can be pricey and most of it gets tossed into the trash or shredded. The problem is, it's generally only printed on one side, so when you think about it, half of the money you spend on office paper is going into the trash. One example is a fax confirmation page. Yes, fax machines do still exist and sometimes they are necessary. In order to prove that a fax was sent, most fax machines will print out a confirmation page to let you know that the transmission was successful. That little bit of information is contained on less than 1/4 of one side, of a whole sheet of paper. Here are some re-uses for office paper that is printed on one side. **Be sure you are only doing this with non-essential documents that do not contain any sensitive or personal information as those documents should be shredded. Shredded paper can be used as animal bedding, animal litter, mulch, etc.

Keep a bin, basket or box handy to collect paper that you will want to reuse. Mark the page on the printed side to indicate that it is waste paper. A diagonal line drawn down through the page should do it.

Ideas for reusing office paper

* Fold several pages into quarters and cut the pages to use for note paper. Staple pages together, or glue the top ends together to bind. Place a notepad and pen together in every room of the house and you'll always have one when you need it.

* Print coloring pages from the Internet onto the blank side of paper and give to children to color.

* Place paper back onto printer to be printed on the blank side. You will need to learn how your printer feed works, so experiment with this. Some printers roll the paper through and print on the bottom side, while others print on the top side.

Christmas Tree Tomato Cages

These Christmas Tree tomato cages make great indoor or outdoor decorations. Turn a tomato cage upside down.  Bend the legs toward the centger to form a point.  Wrap and weave strands of Christmas lights around the tomato cage.  Plug in the lights and you have an instant Christmas tree.  use clear or colored bulbs.  You can even decorate with with other items to create your very own design.  After Christmas is over, undecorate the tomato cage, put it back into storage and when planting tome comes, you still have a perfectly usable tomato cage.

Dollar Store Holiday Decorating

If you’re like me, you hate to spend money and you love shopping at thrift stores and dollar stores. Everybody knows you can find some great deals at these places along with some rare and unique items. I rarely buy home décor items or clothing anywhere else; except for things like underwear, socks, bras, etc. I’ll gladly pay retail for those items and I believe you should too. I don’t believe anyone should wear anybody else’s secondhand drawers.

Thrift stores and dollar stores are also great places to shop for holiday décor. You can find candles, candleholders, baskets, mirrors, glassware, picture frames, ornaments, decorative stones, centerpieces, silk flowers, placemats, napkins, pretty bowls and trays to create such stunning décor that nobody will ever know you bought it on the cheap. If you’re real crafty, you can browse the aisles, pick up some odd little notions and even make homemade gifts on a dime. People love homemade gifts. So, drop the kids off at your mother’s and treat yourself to a day of thrift store and dollar store shopping. As you wander the aisles, clear your mind and let your imagination run free. You’ll be surprised at what you can find for next to nothing.

One thing to mention: For safety reasons, I don’t recommend buying children’s toys at dollar stores. These items may contain lead paint or small parts that can pose a choking hazard. Don’t let frugality override common sense.

Free Catalogs

I love getting free catalogs in the mail.  Don't you?  I've found some terrific deals and lots of unique items that you just can't find in your local discount or department store.  Get free catalogs for practically everything you can imagine and some things you can't.  Grab a cup of coffee, a notebook and a pen and visit Catalogs.com.

Coffee Shop Taste, Stay at Home Price

Do you love the great taste of gourmet coffee house flavors, but hate what it does to your wallet? Why not get coffee house flavors for a stay at home price? Next time you brew a pot of coffee, try adding one of these to your fresh coffee grounds before you brew, or come up with your own additions. You can also mix these flavors, but be sure to cut back on the amount of each:

1 teaspoon of cinnamon, or
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 teaspoon of apple pie spice, or
1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, or
1 teaspoon of grated orange peel or
1 teaspoon of cocoa powder, or
1 teaspoon of vanilla or other flavoring, or
1 teaspoon of bourbon or brandy

Once your pot of coffee is brewed, pour a cup, add cream and sugar for a little sweetness and enjoy!

New Life for Old Linens

Next time you decide to toss out your old towels, t-shirts, sheets, linens, or other fabric scraps, think about giving them a new life. Cut the item into 1/2" strips and crochet, or weave into bath mats, small rugs, pot holders, or heavy-duty cleaning cloths, trivets, coasters, etc. The possibilities are endless.  Did you know that you can also recycle old plastic shopping bags by using this same method to turn them into rugs and bath mats?  Add a non-skid backing to keep them in place.