Quick Tips - De-stink Stinky Sneakers

These tips are from the October 2009 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine.

#1: Shake baking soda inside the sneakers, coating the insoles as well. Dust some on the outside of the shoes, working it into any crevices where bacteria may lurk.

Dump out excess baking soda. Whisk off the outside with a dry, soft brush. This will also remove dirt.


#2: After wearing them, stuff shoes with newspaper to absorb smells and moisture (even the kids could do this!!).


#3: Use antimicrobial fabric spray, like Febreze, to kill bacteria and help eliminate odors.

February = free dental care for children

Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. In most cities, free dental services are provided to children as a "Give Kids a Smile Day" on the first Friday in February. This year, Give Kids a Smile Day is Friday, February 5.

To find out if there is a Give Kids a Smile program in your area, click HERE.

The American Dental Association offers:

While we cannot promise that free care will be available for your child, we can direct you to clinics closest to your home where help may be available. In some cases, a fee may be involved depending upon your ability to pay.

To find dentists in your state who participate in State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP) and Medicaid, visit the Insure Kids Now Web site or call the Insure Kids Now hotline at 1-877-KIDS NOW.

Here's a list of free "dental health activities" to download, offered by the American Dental Health Association:

• Eye Spy! Activity | English PDF/180k
• Maze Activity | English PDF/148k
• Floss Lasso | English PDF/84k
• Sudoku | English PDF/132k
• Secret Drawing Activity | English PDF/604k
• Tooth Anatomy | English PDF/124k | Spanish PDF/128k
• How to Floss | English PDF/80k | Spanish PDF/84k
• How to Brush | English PDF/96k | Spanish PDF/84k
• Flossy's Big Book of Dental Trivia | English PDF/140k | Spanish PDF/136k
• Board Game | English PDF/168k | Spanish PDF/176k
• Crossword Puzzle | English PDF/140k | Spanish PDF/148k
• What's Missing? Game | English PDF/380k | Spanish PDF/384k
• It's Math Time Game | English PDF/140k | Spanish PDF/148k
• See and Say Activity | English PDF/168k | Spanish PDF/156k
• McGrinn Twins Coloring Sheet | English PDF/172k | Spanish PDF/172k
• McGrinn Twins Calendar | English PDF/140k | Spanish PDF/152k
• Healthy Smile Certificate | English PDF/80k | Spanish PDF/80k

Every year many adults go without routine dental care as well, due to the cost and/or lack of dental insurance.

If you are an adult seeking free or low/cost dental care, click HERE to locate a (medical and/or) dental health center near you. This website is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You can search by address, city, state or zip code to find a conveniently located center where you an receive care (including the option to get a map to the center).

OnTel Product's Dryer Max Dryer Balls Product Review

I'm not generally one to purchase every new gadget or latest invention advertised on television but I did purchase OnTel Products' Dryer Max Dryer Balls over two years ago. My husband and kids have allergies to some laundry products, including ingredients in some laundry detergents, fabric softeners and dryer sheets so I thought I'd give them a try.

I purchased the Dryer Max Dryer Balls for $9.99 at Walgreens. The Dryer balls come 2 per package and each rubber ball is a little smaller than a tennis ball. The balls have soft nodules - like soft rubber spikes - all over them and my set is light blue.

The Dryer Max Dryer Balls are much gentler on the fibers of clothes, towels and other laundry items than traditional fabric softener. I've noticed that since I've switched from fabric softeners to the Dryer Max Dryer Balls, I have less lint to clean out of my dryer's lint filter and off the door of the dryer. That's how I know the fibers in the fabrics of my clothes, towels, etc. are not being broken down so harshly - more lint = more fabric fibers.

Also, the fact that drying clothes using the Dryer Max Dryer Balls means that we're not adding chemical compounds to our clothes, and releasing them into the environment.

Some of the ads indicate you'll cut your drying time in half. I haven't found that to be the case all the time, especially when I'm drying a load of towels or jeans. But the time is reduced and for lighter weight loads, the drying time may very well be close to a 50% reduction. We also have very little static electricity when the clothes come out of the dryer.

I know we have saved money by not having to purchase liquid fabric softener or fabric softener dryer sheets. We also never need to worry about not having fabric softener when we're ready to dry a load of clothes.

The life expectancy of the Dryer Max Dryer Balls is about three years. (Ours are still going strong after 2 1/2.) That's a savings of a tremendous amount of chemical compounds from being released into the environment and into our clothes and a savings of at least a couple of hundred of dollars over the life of the Dryer Max Dryer Balls.

I give the Dryer Max Dryer Balls by OnTel Products a 5 out of 5 stars!

Save money by shopping on the 'right' day of the week

In this day of the internet, it's easier than ever to shop smart and spend less on groceries, clothes, household items and even vacations!

In fact, Smartmoney.com promises that "savvy shoppers can pay less than full-price on any day of the week that ends in "y"."

The sites Stretching A Buck and Becentsable are great on-line resources for finding freebies and good deals on food, baby items and more. There's even a "how to" tab at both sites for beginners to the couponing and freebie-finding revolution.

The website, Yahoofinance.com offers a way to save mega-money by shopping smart and planning ahead. In an article posted at Yahoo. Smartmoney.com offers a day-by-day guide to saving money on everything from groceries to furniture, from sheets and towels to vacations.

Best day of the week to buy groceries: Sunday or Tuesday. Maximize savings when you combine coupons with store sales. (Don't forget to ask for a raincheck-to lock in the sale price if the item isn't on the shelf.)

Buy cars on Monday: Low foot traffic after the weekend makes it seem like there are fewer potential buyers on the lot--dealers may be more willing to negotiate. With all the "special deals" associated with government stimulus package, you may be able to pay far less for a car than even a year ago!

Entertainment and Airline Tickets: Many movie theaters and amusement parks offer deep discounts or special promotions mid-week. Airlines, responding to discounted weekend fares of their competitors, often slash their rates to remain competitive.

Best time to buy gas and Clothes: It doesn't seem as if Gas and Clothes should be in a category together! Gas prices tend to go up on the weekends, so buy your gas on Thursdays before 10 a.m. After that the weekend prices start inching up.

On Thursday nights, stores stock their shelves for the weekend sales. Shop retail clothing stores Thursday evening for great prices and avoid the weekend crowds.

Friday and Saturday: Check the yard sale ads in the paper and on-line. Make a list of what you're looking for, plan your route for visiting the maximum number of sales without backtracking. Start early! By 10:00, all the best items are usually gone. Also, go back to the sales where there were items you wanted, but were priced too high. If they're still there by mid-day, you'll probably be able to negotiate a lower price.

This article was originally published at Richmond Frugal Family Examiner.

Frugal Find: Clothespins!

I'm always looking for low tech, low cost ways to teach important concepts to children, to decorate my house, and generally make my life a little easier. That's why I just love clothespins. Clothespins are one of the most versatile and inexpensive inventions ever made! You can purchase a package of twenty clothespins at a local "Everything's A Dollar" store. That places clothespins in the low cost category.

Clothespins, and just about anything else you might need or want, can generally be found at the dollar store. I've purchased everything from cleaning supplies, to silk flowers, to gift bags, and frozen foods. You really ought to check you local dollar store-you'll be hooked, too!

Refrigerator Magnet

Just attach a small magnet to the back of a clothespin and stick it up on the front of the refrigerator. Craft stores have magnets in all shapes and sizes. Some of the magnets are backed with glue and you can just peel and stick one to the back of the clothespin. You can also hot glue a small magnet strip to the clothespin. If you desire, you can paint the clothespin to match your kitchen décor. Use the clothespin magnet to hold your grocery list. As you run out of items, add them to the list; and even other family members can help keep the list updated. (OK, that might be a stretch!)

Chip Clip

Yes, those plastic "chip clips" you see in all the stores are cute. They are available in all sizes and colors and shapes. Let's be honest, though. Does anybody really see those clips? Aren't they in the cabinet on a bag of chips? Wooden clothespins work just as well, and they don't break! Clothespins are more heavy duty than those plastic clips. Clothespins can also be used to seal up cereal bags and snack items. I use clothespins to keep big bags of frozen vegetables sealed up in my freezer.

Hang Clothes and Artwork in Children's Room

Finish reading this article at Associated Content: Clothespin Creativity - Beyond the Clothesline.