If you’re on the budget boat trying to stay afloat like me you need ideas on how to save and get creative with your means.  Because, as they say poverty is the mother of invention, right?  Well you can leave the invention to someone else because someone else has already thought of it…

A friend of mine found this book called Generation T Beyond Fashion at her local library on renewing your wardrobe using old T-shirts or making new items out of them.  Believe me you probably haven’t thought of most if any of these ideas.  It’s a great resource and the sewing is easy to follow even for those who haven’t sewed since 4H (yes, it’s true I was in 4H Sewing)!  Plus, the author, Megan Nicolay, has her own website giving you instructions how to make anything from mens ties mad from T-shirts to a World Cup Soccor Ball made of, you guessed it, T-shirts .  Check it out!

It’s almost the 4th!  For my husband and I that means a lot of clean-up at home, in the yard and the garage before the big BBQ.   We started our garage project last weekend which resulted in a large sum of items being donated and also some toxic chemicals that needed to be disposed of properly.  

There is a great need for clothes and household goods right in our own community.  My husband and I try to donate as much as we can.   There are several nonprofits that pick-up right at your doorstep such as PickUpPlease  where donations go toward Vietnam Veternans and their families also the Salvation Army and Goodwill in some areas have pick-up availablity.  Or simply Google “household donations” and a plethora of information is available at your fingertips to help you donate to a group you would like to support or find a group that will accept the item you’re trying to donate.

 My husband at one time owned his own painting business so we found quite an assorment of old paints, primers and the like in the garage and it was time to discard.  So we investigated what would be the best way to dispose of them properly.  Most states have a chemical drop-off center you can take chemicals too and sometimes for free.  Look up your state Chemical Disposal to find the closet drop off center to you.  These drop off centers are great for taking  household cleaners and chemicals to which is helpful  if you’re moving toward using only green cleaners.

Organizing a garage or basement once you’ve separated what stays from what is going away can still be a daunting task.  Here are some helpful tips from the Housekeeping Channel.

1. Set aside enough time to work on your project. Back-to-back days are recommended (like an entire weekend), so items that are being sorted do not have to sit out in piles for long.

Tip: Try to plan for a dry weekend, since you’ll have to pull many items out of the shelter of the garage.

 2. Hire an expert, or get a team of people to work on the project, or it may turn into an overwhelming task that will be abandoned part way through.

 Tip: While friends and family may be willing to help, be sure you have a plan and guidance to direct the process from start to finish.

 3. Consider what categories of items you want to store in your garage. Does luggage really have to live there, or can it live in the attic or an indoor closet? Should chemicals live in the garage, or can you relegate them to the garden shed? Some typical items that are housed in the garage are recycling, sports and recreational equipment, camping gear, automotive, seasonal décor, garden and tools.

 Tip: It is much easier to tackle a garage after you have organized the rest of the house. The garage tends to be a dumping ground for all the unknowns throughout the house. Once you determine the purpose of your interior storage and items have a home inside, when you organize your garage many items can be relocated inside.

 4. Once you know what categories of items will live in your garage, begin pulling everything out of your garage and grouping into categories in the driveway or center of your garage. Use lots of boxes for this process.

 Tip 1: Obtain boxes of all sizes, since items of all descriptions — from huge paint cans to nuts and bolts — will need to be contained.

Tip 2: Don’t forget to label boxes with contents as you are grouping them.

 5. Reconsider, trash or donate items that do not fit the categories.

 Tip 1: Visit the Resources page on www.RestoringOrder.com for donation resources.

Tip 2: Sometimes, random parts or singular items are discovered in the garage. In this case, if you want to keep them, just store with the most similar category or in a visible place so you remember you have them.

 6. Once items have been consolidated by like type, purge any excess, broken or unnecessary items.

 Tip: This process takes time, so allow reasonable time to accomplish this task.

 7. Determine where you want each type of item to live by frequency of use and available space. Recycling should live near the entrance to the home for ease of use. Tools should live near the workbench, and so on.

 Tip: Think about valuable real estate when you are considering available space. Parking space and those shelves at eye level or within reach are valuable real estate. Less valuable real estate would be very high or low shelves, and should be reserved for less frequently accessed items.

 8. Install additional built-in cabinets or obtain modular storage if needed.

 Tip: Find a local service provider.

 9. Re-locate remaining items into their new sensible home within the garage.

 Tip: Don’t buy containers, bins, baskets and boxes to organize your items until this far into the process. A big mistake people make is purchasing the fun plastic bins too early in the process, and then discovering that they don’t have the correct sizes, sturdiness, etc.

 10. Commit to a regular schedule of maintenance for your newly organized garage. Promptly put things away after using them, and order will truly be restored!

 Tip: Get your quarterly or bi-annual garage maintenance on your calendar. If it doesn’t make it onto your calendar, it is far less likely to happen.

My husband and I recently travelled to Egypt for our belated honeymoon. Being blonde and fair I wanted to try to fit in as much as possible while in Egypt.  I purchased a couple scarfs to cover my hair when sightseeing.   However, I must say this also acted as a great protection from the blazing sun.  A friend of mine found this really great book called 99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Tie & Rock Your Scarf.  I used some of these ideas while on my trip.  My favorite from this book was the Grace Kelly Style Scarf.  Here are the directions to get that dazzling look and more…

 Grace Kelly Style Scarf – The Vintage Look
1.Take a square scarf and fold it on the diagonal
2. Drape the scarf over your head with the fold at your hairline
3. Wrap the scarf around your neck crossing in front
4. Tie a simple knot in back

The Crown – The Glamour-Chic Look
1. Use a long rectangular scarf and drape over your head with one side hanging down farther than the other
2. Cross the scarf ends behind you
3. Twist the longer end and place it around your head
4. Tie in the back of the head with a simple knot.

Gypsy Wrap – The Cool Relaxed Look
1. Fold scarf in half on the diagonal
2. Place on your head with two scarf ends hanging equally on either side of the face
3. Tie ends into a simple knot in back of your head tucking in triangular piece underneath the knot.

I made bolognese last night. So good. I used fresh tomatoes, pork, onion, and the Big Three spices in Italian cooking: garlic, salt, and black pepper (I call these the Big Three because 99% of the time, they are the only spices my mom will use when she’s cooking). Oh yeah, I forgot I’m supposed to be writing about laundry. Back to the story…

I made a mess of the place. Bolognese all over my shirt (hey, it was good! I was probably eating way to0 fast and spun out of control. Not uncommon). I immediately jumped on google to look for an answer – what’s the best way to get tomato-based stains out? About.com was the first search result, and very helpful. Here’s the tip:

Stain Removal Step 1.

Remove as much of the excess tomato as possible from the fabric.

Stain Removal Step 2.

Run cold water through the back of the tomato stain as soon as you can. This will force the stain back out through the fabric.

Stain Removal Step 3.

Rub a liquid detergent into the stained portion of the fabric. Work it in gently.

Stain Removal Step 4.

If the garment is white, or you have tested it for colorfastness, apply a mild bleaching agent like hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar with a sponge. You can also use lemon juice on white fabrics. Rinse well.

Stain Removal Step 5.

Repeat with the detergent followed by mild bleaching agent until the stain no longer appears.

Stain Removal Step 6.

Apply a stain remover stick, gel, or spray, and allow it to sit for at least 5 minutes.

Stain Removal Step 7.

Washed the stained garment normally with detergent. Before drying double check the stain.

Stain Removal Step 8.

If the stain remains, rub detergent into the stain and soak in warm water for 30 minutes. Rinse well.

Stain Removal Step 9.

If the stain remains apply stain remover stick, gel, or spray and wash according to directions.

(They’re swimming in a tomato puree at the Tomatina Fest in Buñol, Spain)

On a separate topic, have you guys noticed the outrageous price of tomatoes nowadays? It’s insane.

It’s been a few months since I last washed my gym shoes, so it’s time to give it another go. I was happy with the results the last time I resorted to the web to solve my shoe stench problem, but I wanted to try a different approach (for no particular reason). And this is what I found on eHow.com from contributor Jenny Rae Armstrong:

Step 1

Take the laces out of your shoes, and remove any inserts. Pull the tongue of the shoes out, to expose as much of the surface as possible.

Step 2

Brush any loose dirt or mud off your gym shoes with a terrycloth washcloth. Spray especially dirty areas with laundry pre-treater.

Step 3

Set the washing machine to maximum capacity and the water temperature to warm. Start the water running.

Step 4

Add the recommended amount of detergent and color-safe bleach for the laundry cycle you are running. The bleach will kill the bacteria that makes the shoes smelly. Put the shoes, laces and inserts in the washing machine, and let the cycle run until finished.

Step 5

Set the dryer temperature to warm, and tumble dry the shoes for 10 minutes. Remove the shoes and stuff the toes with crumpled white paper, and place them in a well-ventilated area to air dry.

Go Saints! Actually, I’m a Jets fan, so I had nothing investing in the Super Bowl this year. Okay, maybe I made a small investment in the game (and won!), but my heart certainly wasn’t in it.

Beer. Salsa. Buffalo sauce. There’s evidence that I consumed each of those things yesterday afternoon – it’s smeared all over the Jets jersey that I was wearing. This prompted me to surf the web looking for answers – am I to launder my authentic football jersey with the rest of my clothes, or is special care needed? The latter is necessary, and eHow helped me out. I’m relaying the message for you:

1. Hand wash your jersey. It is recommended by NFL equipment managers to use a non-abrasive, color-fast detergent to wash jerseys. Woolite matches this description. Run cool water in a large sink, pour one cap of Woolite into the running water and suds will appear. Put the jersey in and wash immediately.

2. ??Rinse the jersey thoroughly by emptying the sink and getting rid of the suds. Then put the jersey in running cold water and get all of the detergent out of it. Check your jersey once the soap is out and it is rinsed; it should be clean and it should have a very pleasant and fresh smell.

3. ??Wash the jersey again in the color-fast detergent if all the stains have not come out. A second washing will remove all stains except anything permanent. It will take out blood. After washing it a second time, rinse thoroughly.

4. ??Line dry your NFL jersey. The worse mistake you can make is to put it in the dryer. Putting it in the dryer will damage the numbers, letters and symbols on the uniform. Let it line dry for about 24 hours in a non-humid area.

5. ??Take your jersey to the dry cleaner if you are not adept at hand-washing it. The dry cleaner uses chemicals and not heat drying, so your jersey will be safe.

Before the summer sun sets for good, get in some solar-powered line drying to freshen your wardrobe. And while you’re at it, we’ve got some line-drying tips that we purloined from Ohio.com. Those Ohioans know their laundry.

• Hang shirts by the hemline instead of the shoulders. You won’t have bunched shoulders when the shirts are dry.

• Dry black and navy clothing indoors, and anything else that’s prone to fading. The sun may fade the items unevenly.

• Don’t set up a clothesline under trees, where birds can make clean clothes dirty in a hurry.

• To soften laundry, take it off the clothesline when jeans or towels are still barely damp, and dry everything the rest of the way in the clothes dryer. You’ll get the fluffing that a dryer provides with much less energy.

• In cold or inclement weather, hang a clothesline in a basement, garage or other area that is heated and has fairly good air circulation. The clothes may not dry completely, but you’ll still greatly reduce the time they need to spend in the dryer.

If there’s one thing about washing your vintage clothing that you always remember, it’s this:

ONLY WASH IT BY HAND!

Of course, different fabrics have different methods, but never consider throwing your vintage in the washing machine. Here are a couple key tips we picked up on Fashion-Era.com:

• Rayon is best dry cleaned, as is any vintage fabric that obviously rustles or looks as if it has a special finish like watermark moiré.
• Certain wools and silks will wash, but many will not.
• Don’t hang white or creamy wools or silks in the sun as they are easily yellowed by direct sunlight
• If light ironing is out of the question consider whether direct steaming would work, or whether non invasive steaming such as hanging the garment in a steamy shower room would be better.
• Dry cleaning would add to the cost, but remember your time is money so weigh up whether trying for hours to improve the look of a garment would be better achieved by a professional cleaner.

Believe it or not, swim suits require a different method of cleaning than regular clothing. You’d think because they’re made for the water that they’d be relatively resilient to regular washing! Well, because they’re made from unique fabrics they can easily be damaged by harsh detergents.

We found this great step-by-step guide to washing your swimsuit on HowToCleanStuff.net that explains the process in detail so you can safely wash your summer gear.

Supplies

• Sink or small tub
• Detergent made for swimwear, or gentle liquid hand soap such as Dove or Neutrogena
• Towels
• Flat surface

The Process

1. Always read the tag on your bathing suit first, and if the manufacturer’s recommendations for washing/drying contradict anything in this article, opt for following the manufacturer’s directions.
2. Rinse your bathing suit thoroughly in the sink or tub with cool water.
3. Fill sink or tub with cold water and add amount of swimwear detergent indicated on the product package. If using hand soap, add about a teaspoon per gallon of water.
4. Place bathing suit in the sudsy water and gently massage with your hands (DO NOT wring or twist bathing suit as doing so may damage the material).
5. Remove bathing suit, drain sudsy water from sink or tub and refill with fresh cool water.
6. Place bathing suit in the fresh water and gently massage to rinse out soap residue. Again, DO NOT twist or wring the suit as this may cause damage.
7. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until no soap remains in the bathing suit and the water stays clear.
8. Remove bathing suit from the water, gently squeeze excess water (again, never twist or wring the bathing suit)
9. Lay a towel out on a flat surface and lay the bathing suit flat on top of the towel to air dry. DO NOT place the bathing suit in the sun as this may cause fading.

Ever wonder how to keep your shirt collar clean? So have we, but we could never figure out a solution. Luckily, someone else did and they were kind enough to post their method on YouTube. Enjoy!