How To Hang Clothes OnThe Line By Jill Cooper LivingOnADime.com Many people want to learn how to hang clothes on the line - whether itis to save money, protect the environment, or just because line-driedclothes smell so nice. An often overlooked benefit is how much linedrying will save on wear and tear on clothing. Unfortunately, due tolack of knowledge, after the first try or two of hanging things on theline, people usually get frustrated and quit. It seems like hanging clothes on the line should be simple, right? Howhard can it be to stick a clothespin on the fabric and put it on aline? But, as many have discovered, the results can be stiff andwrinkled clothes. Like so many other homemaking skills, there is an art to hangingclothes on the line. Like other skills, it will take practice. Don'tgive up if it takes time or is hard the first time around. Withpractice, you will be able to hang an average load of laundry in about5 minutes and take them down in that amount of time. They'll be aswrinkle-free and soft as if you did them in the dryer. Here are a few things you will need to know before you start. This is what I do to keep mylaundry dryer soft. You can do one or all of these if you want. First,when I have a dryer, I always fluff my clothes in it for about 5minutes. This uses almost no electricity and makes the clothes just assoft as if you had run them full cycle in the dryer. When I don't have a dryer, I try to hang my clothes on a windy day. Itdoes the same thing as a dryer. In Kansas, a windy day can be almosteveryday, but for those of you who live where a 5-mile an hour breezeis considered a gale-force wind, don't despair! There are other thingsyou can do. As I begin to hang each piece of clothing, I give it a sharpsnap, or shake, holding from the bottom of a shirt or pant legs. Thisdoesn't take long. I just do it as I am going from the clothesbasket tothe line, making it done and ready to hang when I get it up to theline. You don't need to do this with everything; for example, you don'tneed to do it with socks or undies. I do it to items I don't wantwrinkled or things I want soft, like towels. I always use fabric softener; if you prefer, you can use vinegar. Fading is not a problem for me here in Kansas. It is hazy anddefusesthe sun's rays slightly. When we lived in the northwest, though, it wasa real problem. If you find fading to be an issue, just turn thingslike jeans or dark t-shirts inside out. It also helps to slow fading if you bring items in as soon as they aredry. In the opposite way, I leave my whites out as long as I canbecause it bleaches and brightens them. You will need clothespins and a clothespin bag or apron. You cangetclothes pins and bags at Wal-Mart or Dollar stores. They are usuallywith the things like ironing board covers. I prefer a clothespin apron.I made mine; it is about 10 inches long with just 2 large pockets onthe front for the clothes pins. It ties around my waist like an apron.Either a bag or an apron is just fine. Before You Start Hanging out the clothes properly starts before you even leave thehouse. The next few steps may make me sound like Martha, but there is areason for the method. Most of these steps not only speed the hangingof the clothes, but they also make taking them in quicker. The stepseven help in folding and putting away. If you are brand new to hanging clothes on a line, you may want to justpractice hanging things the way I will show you. After you get thatdown, you#146;ll want to speed things along by practicing the next steps. Before I put the clothes in the basket to take outside, I sort themquickly on top of the washer or dryer. This doesn't need to be doneperfectly and will get easier the more you do it. I pull out the bigitems like the sheets or tablecloths. I fold the sheets in half andgently lay them in the basket. This way, when I am ready to hang them,I just pick them up out of the basket by their four corners and quicklyhang them because they are already folded and ready to go. Next I do pants and jeans. The legs get folded with the seams together(see a picture below) and then folded in half and laid on top of thesheets. Any large towels go next. I just lay them in the basket. On the washeror dryer I lay piles of t-shirts all together, shirts together, handtowels together and all like things together in their own piles. I thenstack them into the basket beginning with largest items and working myway to the smallest. The next items in the basket are washrags,dishrags, and underwear. I lay them in flat piles, corners together,like laying a stack of papers. I do this because I can pick up thewhole pile (or half, depending how big it is), and take it to the line.Because the corners are together, I can pin one corner after the othervery quickly without having to go back and forth to the basket eachtime to get another item and I don't have to stop to straighten eachone. Last in the basket are the socks. I straighten them out and flattenthem, laying one on top of the other, toes together. Again, I can pickup a stack of them and quickly go along the line, hanging them withouthaving to return to the basket each time. Pinning Clothes on the Line Jeans Hang by the legs. Water wicks down to the heaviest part of the jean(the waistband). The weight of that water combines with the weight ofthe waistband, pulling on the pant legs and so pulling out thewrinkles. The same idea applies when steaming a garment. Gently pullingon it will remove wrinkles. You can pull the pockets out if you want. I don't usually do thatbecause they seem to dry fine, even here in humid Kansas. Shirts and Blouses Hang upside down by the side seams. This puts the heaviest part of thegarment at the bottom, as explained before. It also prevents puckersfrom the clothespins (as you would have if you hung them by theshoulders). T-shirts If you don't straighten out t-shirts, the corners at the seams can havepoints from the clothespins. To prevent this, bring the side seamstogether then the center of it and gently pull, then hang by thebottom. You don't need to pull all your t-shirts. I have a couple thatdon#146;t seem to hang right, so in order to prevent the pointy sides youcan get on some t-shirts, I do this. I normally don't pull the kid'sitems because they aren#146;t as much of a problem. Sheets To hang a fitted sheet, I tuck one corner into another, fold it in halfand hang by each end with the pockets (or corners) hanging down.For a flat sheet, I just fold it in half. Towels Towels are simply hung by one edge. You will want to note that for items like towels, dishrags, underwearand t-shirts that you can pin the corner of one item with the corner ofthe next item. This will cut down the number of clothespins that youneed to use. Undies and Socks If you don't want the whole world to see your undies (or "smalls" asour English friends call them), then you can hang them on the back lineor the 2 lines in the middle. Socks are hung by the toes and I usuallyhang a pair together. This saves on pins and time. Stands It is nice to have a stand on which to set your basket. It saves youfrom bending over each time you pull an item from the basket. Even asmall table or chair would help. Tawra has a metal table she uses (seepicture below). It has metal legs from an old TV tray. Legs like thiswork better if there is a board attached across the top. Years ago I got a shopping cart from a grocery store auction and it wasjust perfect as my "laundry cart." It was the right height and I couldroll it to where I needed it. I made the mistake of getting rid of itwhen I moved. Now I use a thing from the 50's I found at a garage sale.It has TV-tray type legs with a canvas bag across the top. It is theperfect height and has a place for the clothespins on the side. Taking Things Down I fold my clothes as I take them off the line and most everything isfolded by the time I take it into the house. It takes so little timethat I was folding faster than Tawra could take the pictures. Less than30 seconds. A couple of last tips: See which way the wind is blowing and hang your clothes so that thesmaller things are in the front. That way the wind can pass through tothe large things at the back. If you put the large things in front itblocks the wind from getting to the smaller items behind them. Unlessyou need to hide your undies like I mentioned above. Always bring your clothes pins in at the end of the day. It helps themto last longer and prevents black marks on your clothes that can happenwhen the clothespins are left out. It you haven't used your clothesline in a while run a rag along it toclean it off before hanging the clothes. This doesn't have to be doneoften only like in the spring if you haven't used it all winter or havegone a couple of weeks without using it. Don't let yourself get overwhelmed. This is a lot of information. Takeit slow. Maybe start with just hanging sheets out for a while and drythe rest of your things in the dryer. Before you go outside look at thepicture of the jeans and how I hung them and practice putting the legstogether by the seams. Maybe one day you could practice with justsocks. Do baby steps so you don't get frustrated and give up. Jill Cooper is a frugal living expert and the co-editorof LivingOnADime.com .As a divorced mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own businesswithout any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 amonth income. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Homemade Cleaners by Tawra Kellam LivingOnADime.com Here are some tips for using and making your own household cleanersfrom Dining On A Dime Cookbook. Most are simple and only take a fewminutes to mix. NEVER MIX AMMONIA AND BLEACH! Mixing these chemicals creates a harmfulgas that can be fatal! If you don't want to make your own cleaning supplies either purchasethe store brands at your dollar store at bulk at a janitor supply. Buy 1 gallon of bubble bath and use instead of liquid hand soap. It ismuch cheaper and smells better than regular hand soap. Read the labels on any cleaning product you buy, even on commonproducts that you, your mom and grandmother have used for years. Forexample for generations women have used ammonia to disinfect theirkitchens, but ammonia is not a disinfectant, it is a de-greaser. Itworks great for that greasy grimy build-up on floors, but it isn'tactually disinfecting anything. Mark your cleaning pail with fingernail polish to indicate the levelsof water you usually use for your jobs (i.e. 1/2 gal., 1 gal.) That wayyou don't waste water. When using cleansers, tear the tab back only part way. Then you onlyget half as much cleanser so that you don't wash as much unusedcleanser down the drain. Save on spray cleaners. Spray the solution on a rag and then wipe. Thisway the extra spray cleaner is not wasted and you save time by nothaving to rinse off the over spray. Use fabric softener sheets to dust furniture and television screens.The sheets make your furniture smell good, but more importantly,eliminate static so dust won't be attracted to these surfaces. All purpose/Window Cleaner 1/2 cup ammonia 2 cups rubbing alcohol water 1 tsp. dishwashing liquid In a one-gallon container, mix ammonia and rubbing alcohol. Fill almostto the top with water. Add dishwashing liquid and mix. Top off withwater. Rated by Consumer Reports Magazine to work much better (and muchcheaper) than most commercial window and kitchen sprays. Alcohol is thesecret ingredient - it's what commercial window washers use. *Safe on most, but not all, household surfaces. I use this to clean almost everything from the bathroom to the window.This the main cleaner I use in my house. Ready Mop Cleaner Refill 1 gallon water 1 cup ammonia 1/2 cup vinegar water Mix ingredients and pour use in your mops instead of buying commercialcleaner. Tip: Use a piece of scrap fleece, scrap flannel or micro-fibertowels (purchased at automotive stores) to replace your SwiferTM orClorox Ready MopTM disposable pads. Cut several to size to have onhand. When soiled throw in the wash and launder as usual. Note: Don'tuse ammonia on wood floors. Just use vinegar and water or water andMurphy's oil soap. Daily Shower Cleaner 1/4 cup concentrated cleaner (Lysol is a good brand) 1/2 cup isopropyl alcohol water Pour cleaner and alcohol into quart spray bottle. Add enough water tofill. Thoroughly clean shower before using. Spray on shower daily. Usedaily to prevent water deposits and soap scum. Homemade Cleaning Wipes 1 round baby wipe container* 1 roll of paper towels** 2-4 cups cleaning solution (homemade is fine) Recycle a used round baby wipe container. Cut a roll of paper towel inhalf, (an electric or serrated knife works best for this.) Remove thecenter cardboard. Place 1/2 of the paper towels in the baby wipecontainer. Pour cleaning solution into the container. (The amount willdepend of the absorbency of your paper towels.) This can be used forwindow cleaner, all purpose cleaner, or disinfectant cleaner. Pull thefirst paper towel out of the center of the roll, through the hole inthe container lid. If the paper towels dry out before they are all usedadd more solution or some water. *If you don't have a baby wipe container, you can use a round plasticcontainer and just drill or punch a large hole in the center of the lid. **It is best to use expensive, thick paper towels. The cheap ones won'thold up to scrubbing. Face/Hand Wipes 2 tablespoons liquid baby bath 2 cups water Bathroom Wipes 1/2 cup pine cleaner 2 cups water Window Wipes 1 cup glass cleaner 1 1/2 cups water Outdoor Window Washer 3 Tbsp. liquid dishwashing soap 1 Tbsp. anti-spotting agent (Jet DryTM) Put soap and anti-spotting agent into a spray bottle attachment foryour garden hose. Spray upper windows and let them dry. This is forcleaning the higher windows on your house that you can't reach exceptwith a ladder. Tough Hand Cleaner 1/4 cup Fels Naptha*, grated 2 Tbsp. mason#146;s sand or pumice 1 cup water 2 cup plastic container (16 oz. cottage cheese container works great) Place soap and water in a saucepan. Place over low heat; stir untilsoap is melted. After mixture cools, add mason's sand or pumice. Storein a cottage cheese container or margarine tub. Dip fingers into soapmixture and lather hands. Rinse well. *Any grated bar of soap will work but Fels Naptha removes the stainsbetter. Skunk Smell Remover 1 qt. hydrogen peroxide 1/4 cup baking soda 1 tsp. dish detergent Sponge on and let dry. Safe for use on cats and dogs. Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living expertsand the editorsof LivingOnADime.com .As a divorced mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own businesswithout any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 amonth income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on$22,000 a year income. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

The Cost of Clutter by Jill Cooper LivingOnADime.com We live in a society of extremes. People seem to be extremely in debt, extremely overweight and extremely disorganized. people everywhere are trying to come up with new and better solutions to solve these problems but not many of their ideas are working. It's because they are focusing on the wrong problem. For example, if your child comes to you and says "I have a drug problem." You don't sit them down and say, "Well let's work on a way to get your grades up and then we'll work on your drug problem." How foolish that would be. The real problem is not the grades but the drugs. You take care of the drugs and the chances are pretty good that the grades will come up. For some of us, instead of focusing on getting out of debt or losing weight, we need to first give more serious thought to becoming organized. Does that sound crazy, almost laughable? Before you start laughing too hard, look at these examples and see if you can relate. How often do you go out to eat because your kitchen is a mess? If your kitchen is clean, chances are you would not only be more willing to fix dinner at home but in the morning you would fix breakfast and pack yourself a lunch too. Here are some benefits of getting your kitchen organized: You would save at least $5,000 a year for one person, $10,000 for two, and so on if you ate at home. When you are organized you know what you have in your pantry, so don't buy ingredients that you already have and you don't throw out food you forgot you have. You would be using your leftovers instead of tossing them. You will start losing weight because you are preparing regular well balanced meals instead of eating fast food all the time. Besides the fact that homemade food generally has fewer calories than fast food, balanced meals create fewer cravings and this helps eliminate grazing. Organizing can reduce your wardrobe and laundry costs. Do you keep buying more clothes because you are gaining weight from fast food or from the stress of your clutter? How big is your wardrobe? Do you or your children own 30 pairs of jeans at $60 a pop because you don't keep up with the laundry or because your closet is so stuffed you can't find anything? That adds up to $1,800 worth of jeans. If you cut it down to even 10 pairs you would save $1,200. How many tops do you own? How about those shoes? Before you say, "There is no way I have that many jeans, shoes, or tops!" go count you clothes. You may be surprised... How often do you toss a suit jacket on the floor or on the furniture and then later have to have it dry cleaned because it's wrinkled? Just think what you could save on your dry cleaning bill if you keep a little more organized. Organizing saves you money! Organizing can save you money in every aspect of your life. Do you buy new items because you can't find something? The cost of things like tools, glue, tape, ropes, garden tools, kitchen items, light bulbs, batteries, office supplies and other things really adds up. How much do you pay each month in late fees on your bills because you can't find them, your checkbook or even a stamp to mail them? Try something different! So often we think that the solution to our debt problem is for both spouses to work outside the home when there are no children. At times we even compound the problem when one or both spouses takes a second job. When both spouses work out of the home, who takes care of the house? Frequently, there is a constant battle between them about whose job it is to take care of some element of the housework. After all, the husband has been out working all day, so he doesn't feel like it. Oh, but the wife has been working, too so why can't she take a break? Imagine if your boss at work decided to work a second full time job. How would this impact your work place? Who would you ask if you couldn't find products for your customers? What if there was no change because your boss was at his other job until after the bank closed? What if you needed help or advice from your boss, but he said, "Not now... I'm too tired from my other job?" How long would that company last? The same thing happens in many homes every day. Would your marriage be better served if one spouse stayed home? Someone needs to be responsible for the bulk of the care and maintenance of the home. Ideally, everyone will share the work, but like in any other business there has to be one person in charge. Otherwise, everyone will avoid the work and everything will descend into chaos. If this sounds like your home, you might sit down with your spouse and seriously consider whether one of you might take off of work to try to get your home in order. Instead of thinking of staying at home as a prison sentence, think of it as another job to help save you money, reduce family stress and add more family comfort. If you're considering staying home, get rid of the emotions and, with pen and paper (hopefully you can find one) in hand, write down the ways that being disorganized is costing you money. Be honest and try to cover even the small things. You might find that the money you are spending dealing with disorganization is equal to or more then one spouse's take home pay. Organization has nothing to do with what is politically correct or what the media or other people tell you you need to do. It is a practical choice that you can make. I am NOT saying that you can't work doing something that you love. I am saying that regardless of how your family handles it, the work of keeping the home has to get done. If you feel that you and your spouse have to or both want to work, then try to come up with other ideas. Would spending your vacation organizing things and deep cleaning give you enough of a jump start to help keep things organized? Maybe once you organized everything you could consider hiring someone to clean your house once a week. Before you say you can't afford it, think about this-- Which would cost less? -- Paying someone $50 a week to clean your house or paying for all the things that cost you money because you are not organized? Consider whether it would be worth one spouse working part time instead of full time. Try one simple thing like hanging up your clothes so you don't have cleaners expense or getting the whole family to pitch in with cleaning the kitchen at the end of each meal. Maybe you do have the time, but you just don't know how to get organized. If that is the case, then learn. Check out books at the library or search for help on the Internet. Better yet, find someone you know who is organized and ask them to teach you. Don't be embarrassed to do this. Most people are more than willing to show you how to do things. Remember, those older women (and men) that seem to have it all together now didn't start out that way. They've had 20 years or more practice and they remember what it was like to not have a clue where to start. Just ask. Instead of wasting your time and energy on trying to bail the water out of your sinking boat by bailing faster or using a bigger bucket, fix the hole. CLEAN UP THE CLUTTER AND SAVE. Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors of LivingOnADime.com . As a divorced mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

10 Easy Ways to Get Organized by Jill Cooper LivingOnADime.com Hang up your keys. (Preferably by the door.) Find a place for your purse, coat, gloves and other frequently used items and always keep them there. Make your bed each day as soon as you crawl out of it. Get dressed. Even if you are a stay at home mom or your job is at home, get dressed. Clothes really do make the man or woman. You'll be just as productive as you are dressed which means if you are dressed for sleep (pajamas, sweats or a robe) then you will get about as much work done as you would when you are sleeping. That may be stretching it, but you get my point. Wash the dishes and wipe the counters after each meal. No matter how large or small the meal or how tired and in a hurry you are, do the dishes. Even if you are hurried or late in the morning you wouldn't dream of leaving the house half dressed. Make leaving your kitchen clean as important a priority as getting dressed for work. This may seem impossible at first but once you are on top of things it should only take five or ten minutes to clean your kitchen. Get rid of trash. About 50% of what unorganized people have in their homes is trash or stuff they will never use again. Stop wasting time taking care of it, moving it or stepping over it. As you walk through the house, pick up garbage and toss it. Control your laundry. Don't let it control you. Follow these simple steps to help keep your laundry from taking over your home and you. Place a hamper or basket for dirty clothes in each bedroom and/or bath. Make sure that everyone's dirty clothes are put in the hamper before bed and in the morning. The laundry isn't done until it is put away. Get out of the mind set that if it is washed and dried it is done. Folding and putting it away is equally as important. Some of us think that if we get the laundry washed and dried that's all we need to do and it's okay for the family to just pull stuff out of a pile. That makes as much sense as cooking a meal and expecting everyone to stand at the stove and take turns scooping the food out of the pan and eating it one spoonful at a time. You wouldn't dream of doing that. Yes the food is cooked, but the meal is not complete until the table is set and the food is put on plates. Do the same for your laundry. Put it away. Pick up continually. This may seem like a pain to do at first but if you stick with it, it will become a habit. I didn't realize how much of a habit it had become for me until I was visiting my daughter's the other day. As I was walking into the kitchen, I picked up empty glasses and odds and ends on my way. Then when I walked from the kitchen to the bedroom I picked up toys as I went in there. It wasn't even my house but I had seen something out of place and out of habit picked it up. Every sock or glass that you walk past is a spore waiting to flourish into a vortex of debris. Catch it while it is small! Read and dispose of newspapers and magazines. There are usually two reasons people have stacks of newspapers and magazines piled around: They want to save an article in it. If that is the case then cut the article out as you are reading the magazine and file it. Trust me, you not only won't cut that article out at a later time, but you probably won't remember what or where it is. They don't have time to read them. If you aren't going to read them the why are you subscribing to them? Stop your subscriptions. This doesn't have to be an all or nothing thing. If you can't keep up with the daily newspaper then just get the Sunday paper. Most people usually have more leisure time Sunday to read it. Pick out one or two of your favorite magazines and stop subscribing to the rest. With any item, if it is broken or you don't use it anymore get rid of it. That includes clothes, toys, furniture, decorations, dishes and exercise equipment. If it's not important enough to fix right now, you don't need it! Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors of LivingOnADime.com . As a divorced mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Air Drying Clothes Without A Clothesline By Jill Cooper LivingOnADime.com We all know that if we don't dry our clothes in the dryer we save on electricity, but many of us don't think about how the dryer reduces the life of our clothes. For a long time I couldn't understand why so many people were buying scads of socks and underwear for their families every few months. When my children were growing up, they almost never wore out their underwear and socks and we owned only about a quarter as many pair as most people. No I didn't buy some name brand known for its child proof quality. I usually bought the least expensive ones I could find. Fast forward a couple decades. One day after folding my grandson's new underwear, I noticed that the waistband was terribly rippled. After doing some research, I discovered the answer: The dryer was destroying the rubber elastic in the socks and underwear. I rarely dried my family's clothes in the dryer, so the elastic never broke down. It doesn't just happen with underwear - Have you ever noticed pilling (those little fabric balls) on your clothes and linens and the resulting lint in the dryer? That is the result of the fibers being rubbed thin. The dryer also shrinks clothes and sets in stains. The two reasons I think most people don't line dry their clothes are that they think it is inconvenient or they're just not sure how to do it. Here are some of the best tips I have found to air dry clothes without a clothes line. Though I don't use the dryer to dry my clothes, I do use it for five minutes or so with some loads (just long enough to fluff the clothes). I put one load in the dryer and only leave them there as long as it takes me to load the washer with the next load. If you have no clothesline, you live in an apartment or your homeowners association won't allow clotheslines, here are a few ways to dry without a clothesline. Using a clothesline to dry your clothes can save lots of money! You need at least one drying rack and some type of clothes rod. You can buy drying racks at most discount stores or hardware stores. You might locate a clothes rod in your laundry room above the dryer, use a sturdy shower curtain rod in the bathroom or get a metal clothes racks that hooks over the back of a door. You don't need much. I can hang two loads of laundry on one drying rack and 2 feet of clothes rod. Hanging on a Clothes Rod Hang as many items as you can on clothes hangers, beginning with the obvious things like dresses, dress shirts and blouses and hang the hangers on a clothes rod to dry. Be sure not to put the hangers too close together or the clothes will not dry. You can also hang things like pajama tops, t-shirts, small kids shirts and one piece outfits. Lightweight pants, pajama bottoms, skirts and sweats can be pinned on clothes hangers and even sheets can be folded and hung on them. If you are really short of drying rack space, you can hang socks, underwear, wash rags, hand towels and towels on hangers and add them to your clothes rod, too. Hanging on a Clothes Rack When hanging clothes on a drying rack, I start at the bottom with socks and underwear, wash rags and baby clothes. Young children's clothes and hand towels go on the middle layer and the top rack is for towels, jeans, pillow cases, sweaters, sweats, pajama bottoms and t-shirts. I try to use every inch of space, so if I put a pillow case on the rack and there are a couple of inches left next to it I put a sock there. I even hook bras on the corners of the rack. Drying racks are handy because they can be moved to speed up the drying process. Place them outside on a sunny (but not windy) day. Inside the house, try putting them over a vent and the heat or air conditioner will dry them faster. If you don't have central heat or air then you can place them in front of your heater or a fan. Don't place clothes close enough to heaters to be a fire hazard. If you are short on space and don't want to look at a drying rack in the middle of the room, do the laundry before bed, hang it and in most cases it will be dry by morning (especially if you set it above an air vent). Try hanging large king sized sheets or blankets over your shower rod, over the rail of your deck, between two lawn chairs or folded in half or quarters over your clothes rack. When you fold large items, you must flip and turn them every 5-10 hours so that each side gets dry. Sometimes it is useful to hang a clothesline in the basement or attic. Be sure to check out your department stores and hardware stores for other ideas. They have many clever items like retractable clotheslines, things to hang over doors and some not so new ideas like extra large drying racks that can hold two loads of laundry each. Even though this may sound complicated at first, once you do it a few times it becomes second nature to you. Pretty quickly, you will discover the most efficient way to hang your clothes on the rack. I know automatically that three wash rags fit across the bottom bar of my rack and the two socks will fit next the that particular t-shirt. It's like putting a puzzle together- the first time takes you longer than the times after that because you know where the pieces fit. Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors of http://www.LivingOnADime.com/. Jill Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

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Is the Price ofRelaxation Stressing You Out? By Tawra Kellam http://www.LivingOnADime.com/ Do you usually find yourself stressed during the holiday season? Istrying to find inexpensive but nice gifts making you ache all over?Save your hard earned money and don't spend it trying to pamperyourself for the holidays. Instead, use these ideas from my frugal bathand beauty guide Pretty for Pennies to ease your holiday stress. Before your bath, make a batch of Hot Oil Treatment and take it to thebathroom with you. Lock yourself in the bathroom, put on some soothingmusic and light a candle. Put the Hot Oil on your hair and wrap. For a milk bath, mix 3 cups dry milk and 5-6 drops essential orfragrance oil. Mix ingredients and add frac12; cup to your bath water.If you don't have dry milk try adding 2-3 tablespoons baby oil for arelaxing bath! Eyes looking a little rough around the edges? Try cucumberslices or tea bags on the eyes to help reduce puffiness. Try it forhalf an hour while soaking in the tub. To save money on manicures, don't get them so often. Instead, use anail buffer to shine nails between manicures. An easy way to remove cuticles is to rub them with oil. Then gently push back the cuticles. For aching feet, make yourself an Herbal Foot Bath or rub a peppermint lotion or salve on your feet. Wrap a warm towel around your feet and enjoy. Go to the local beauty school to have manicures, pedicures and facials. You can feel pampered without spending a fortune. Five bucks is a great deal for a facial! After Christmas sales can offer many great deals on bath and beauty products. Purchase nail care kits after Christmas at half price. You can get several polishes and tools for $2-$4. If you family loves to receive perfume, cologne or aftershave, stock up after Christmas when gift sets are on clearance. Give for Mother's Day, Father's day, Birthday's, etc. Hot Oil Treatment 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil Heat ingredients just until warm. Spread on wet hair, especially the ends. (Place only on the ends if you have oily hair.) Wrap a warm, wet towel around hair for 30 minutes to one hour. Shampoo and rinse. Alternatively, put this on before a shower and then put on a shower cap. Let the hot water from the shower run on your head to warm the oil. You may also use a blow dryer instead of the shower. Be careful not to make it too hot. Herbal Foot Bath Use any of the following dried herbs*: lavender rosemary sage Mix herbs and place in a small cheesecloth. Fill a bucket full with warm water for your feet and add herbs. Soak away all the pains of the day! Make several at a time and keep on hand after a long day. *A few drops of scented oil may be used instead. Tawra Kellam is the editor of http://www.LivingOnADime.com/ . Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

Milk Alternative Does a Body Good Too! by Kymythy R. Schultze www.Kymythy.com Question: I have a child who is allergic to milk and dairy products. Do you have a recipe for a good substitute? Answer: The following recipe is a healthy alternative to dairy milk - you can use it in recipes calling for milk or drink it by the glass. You can also add spices and flavorings to it if you like. Your child is not alone with their intolerance; many animals, including some humans, don't tolerate milk after weaning. In fact, humans are the only species that purposely drinks another animal's milk. Milk is a hormonal fluid produced to nourish a baby animal of a particular species until weaning. So it's not really that unusual that a child cannot utilize a fluid produced to grow cows! Fortunately, there are other foods rich in calcium. I hope your youngster enjoys the recipe below. If you let them take part in making it and experimenting with flavors, it will help encourage a desire to drink it. Ami's Almond "Milk" 1 cup raw shelled almonds (organically-grown is best) 5 cups water 1 teaspoon vanilla Soak almonds overnight in 2 cups of water; afterward, drain the water from the nuts, rinse, and pat dry. Put the almonds in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, adding enough water to reach the desired consistency. Strain through a cheesecloth if you wish (you'll loose some nutrients, but the texture will be much smoother). Makes about 4 cups. And always check with your pediatrician regarding your child's nutritional needs. About the author: Kymythy R. Schultze is a clinical nutritionist and has been a trailblazer in the field of nutrition for almost two decades. Kymythy is the author of "Natural Nutrition for Cats", and "The Natural Nutrition No-Cook Book: Delicious Food for You...and Your Pets!" She is also author of the best-selling book "Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate Diet." For more information go to www.Kymythy.com . Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com. More >>

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