My Walk Through Life 8/21/2016

When you order free stuff like I do, you get great coupons in the mail also. Free stuff, Free money. I love it!!

Have you heard of FlyLady? Her site has been around for years and is a great way for the busy (or the lazy, like me) to keep up on household chores without a lot of effort. She gives you a chore or two a day and it will keep your house looking like you work hard every day.
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If you haven't figured it out yet, I love sweepstakes. I even win once in awhile. I will sponsor my own contest when I get 2000 views on my blog, 10 followers, or 100 facebook followers. 

As much as I hate to think about it, Christmas is just around the corner. I like to start shopping in January so my December isn't so financially tight. My blog shopping page has some great online stores, most with discounts available. Don't forget to check into Ebay for the collectors and other great deals, Groupon for more great deals, and Ebates to get money back. 

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FREE MONEY

I went to Walmart the other day to do my biweekly grocery shopping. I took with me, 2 Walmart ecoupons that totalled $40. Swagbucks sent me $25. I received this for doing searches, watching a few videos, a few surveys, and entering swagcodes. All simple. The more time you put in, the more money they give you. 
The $15 came from Walmart's Savings Catcher program. Enter in your receipt either through Walmart.com or a phone app. If a local price is lower than what you paid at Walmart, they will give you back the difference. Of course, I also used my Ibotta and got a rebate of $2. (I am getting ready to transfer $40 into my Paypal account). I am a lazy person. This is all without trying very hard. Again, the more your work these, the better your money outcome. 







Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies

All Purpose Cleaners

Mix 2 teaspoons borax, 1 teaspoon liquid soap, and 1 liter water. Use in a spray bottle

Mix 4 tablespoons with 3 cups water in a spray bottle.

Soak orange peels and vinegar in a sealed mason jar for two weeks. Pour the orange vinegar into

  a spray bottle for a nice smelling cleaner.

All Purpose Cleaner Wipes

   ¼ pint of rubbing alcohol

   1 ½ tablespoons household ammonia

   ½ tablespoons Joy liquid dish soap (I am using brand name because that was what was

       given to me)

   1 quart water

Mix all ingredients in a 2 quart container. Lay a roll of paper towels on its side and cut it

   in two. Put ½ roll in a container and pour ½ solution on the towels. Turn towels over,

   pour the rest of the solution on. Remove the cardboard insert.

Heavy Duty Cleaner

Mix 4 liters hot water, ¼ cup cloudy ammonia, and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Double ingredients except for water, for a stronger mixture.

Oven Cleaners

For a fresh spill, wet and sprinkle with baking soda and scrub with a soft nylon scrubber (or

   netted onion bag).

For normal cleaning, make a paste with baking soda and water. Apply to a warm oven. Leave to

   dry. Clean with a brush or scouring pad and hot water.

Dishwasher Detergent

   1 cup borax

   1 cup washing soda or baking soda

   ½ cup citric acid

   ½ cup kosher salt

Use vinegar for a rinsing agent.

  

Soft Scrub

Baking soda. I store mine in a Parmesan cheese container and shake it out when needed.

   Sometimes I add small amount of scented oil, such as lavender. 

Pot and Pan Cleaners

Mix borax with hot water

Wall and Floor Cleaners

Mix Borax with hot water.

Homemade Swiffer Wet Jet Solution

50 % water, 50 % white vinegar, 2 or 3 drops of dish washing liquid.

Glass Cleaners

Mix white vinegar and water. Clean with a newspaper.

1 Tablespoon cornstarch to 1 quart water. Soak and wring out a lint free cloth. Wash.

Put Dawn dish washing soap in a bucket of water. Scrub the windows and then use a squeegee to

   remove excess liquid. Wipe the edges with an absorbent cloth to remove the water that the

   squeegee couldn't get.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Use vinegar and leave to soak for 10 minutes, or add some baking soda also. That will help any

   potential clogging issues also. Brush it clean.

Drop a denture cleaning tablet into the bowl. Wait 2 minutes and then brush it clean.

Drop an Alka Seltzer tablet into the bowl. Wait 2 minutes and then brush it clean.

Bath and Tile

Mix borax and vegetable soap with hot water. Scrub with rag. (vegetable soaps are soaps made

  without  animal fats, such as Dr. Bonner’s or even liquid detergents or shower gels.)

Heat 12 ounces of white vinegar in the microwave until hot. Pour into a spray bottle. Add 12

 ounces  Dawn dish washing liquid. Shake to mix. Spray, scrub, and rinse.

Furniture Polish

1 teaspoon olive oil with juice from one lemon and 1 teaspoon water, OR: 2 parts olive oil and 1

   part lemon juice.

Mayonnaise is good for removing water rings

Laundry Detergent

1 bar of soap, such as Ivory

1 cup Borax

1 cup washing soda (made by Arm and Hammer, found near the borax)

A large pot, spoon, grater and funnel

   Grate the soap  into pot. Add a gallon of water to it and heat until the soap is melted. Add the borax, washing soda, and another gallon of water. Stir and heat until it is all dissolved. Turn off the heat and  after the liquid is cool pour into two gallon size jugs.

Liquid Laundry Softener

6 cups water

3 cups white vinegar

2 cups hair conditioner

   Combine water and vinegar together and warm in microwave. Stir in hair conditioner. Pour into a 1 gallon container. Use as you normally do in the rinse cycle, or make dryer sheets. Recipe below.

Dryer Sheets

Soak a wash clot in your favorite fabric softener, then let it dry. It can be used several times

   before it  needs to be soaked again.

Stain Remover

2/3 cup Dawn dish washing liquid

2/3 cup ammonia

6 tablespoon baking soda

2 cups warm water

   Mix all ingredients into a spray bottle. Spray on stains and let set for a few minutes. Launder as usual.

A Product like Oxy-Cleaner

½ cup hydrogen peroxide

½ cup Arm and Hammer washing soda

1 cup hot water

   Soak laundry in this mixture overnight to remove stains. Do not store. It needs to be used immediately after making it.

Fabric Freshener

1/8 cup liquid fabric softener

1 to 2 teaspoons baking soda

Warm to hot tap water

   Mix the fabric softener and baking soda. Pour into a spray bottle. Add the water and fill to the top of the bottle.

Uses for Hydrogen Peroxide:

   Add a spray attachment to the bottle and use for glass, heavy duty cleaning, bathtubs, etc. Sprinkle baking soda and then spray the hydrogen peroxide for extra cleaning power.

My Walk Through Life 8/14/2016

We had to put our little old guy, Mongo, down. He was old and tired and I think the summer heat was just too much for him. I went to the animal shelter, thinking I would like to rescue an old dog. The animal shelter here is different and so much better than the ASPC in Virginia. There wasn't a lot of old, sad dogs there. There was a catahoula/lab mix that I fell in love with. No one wanted the little girl. She was red listed and rescued from death in Texas, and people here wouldn't look at her. They wanted small dogs or pit bulls. I brought her home. I adore her, but she has turned my household upside down. My big dog, Chester, pictured above, has to tolerate Ruby using him as a seat. My little dog, Skunker, didn't much like her at all, but is getting better with her. The cats won't come in the house. I have had to replace 2 pillows, a computer mouse, a remote control, and 2 pairs of flip flops. Her saving grace...She is a beautiful dog, very sweet, very smart, and she is really, really trying to be good. 








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My Walk Through Life 6/26/16

Life in the desert. It is HOT! But, I have to eat and I have to feed my mother a decent meal every night that she is with me. It is hard trying to figure out something filling, healthy, and something that will not heat up my kitchen too much. I should also mention, I don't have central air. Last night I fixed tuna fish and tomato salad. I also have a mango chicken salad sandwich on the menu. Crockpots come in handy and I will have to learn to use the grill that was just brought to me. I am open to some meal ideas if anyone would like to share.

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Free Beard Oil (I didn't order this one. I try to keep my beard plucked)
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Free Cooler Bag. I didn't do the survey afterwards
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Free Tea Sample. This is linked with Survey Monkey so if you are interested in surveys, you can continue with more. You will also get an option to order all their samples for $4. I only order free so should only get one sample.
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I get free gift cards every year and it makes a big difference in my Christmas budget!

I have been trying hard to keep plants alive this year. I do not have a green thumb and it has been a struggle. My dog didn't like my new flowers. He isn't good with "new". He peed on them until there was no hope. For the most part, my lawn is looking pretty good. I have fruit growing on my fruit trees, and a couple tomato plants that are doing the best they can to stay alive. I haven't tried any of these fertilizers. I will pass them on to you and I think there are a couple I will try also

If you have an ill plant, once month adding to tablespoons of maple syrup to the base of it.

My roommate in the Navy was given a plant. She had it on the window sill and it fell, three stories down. She added one of her Geritol tablets to the soil, after she rescued and replanted the plant. It revived beautifully!

Dilute one part beer to two parts water. Add to the soil of azaleas and ornamental bushes to help enrich the soil.

Sprinkle Epsom Salts around the base of plants to enhance the blossoms. 

Add cereal crumbs to the soil in flower boxes or around your garden plants. The sugar feeds the microorganisms and adds nitrogen. The cereal adds other nutrients.

Add used tea bags around plants. Cover with dirt or mulch. Each time you water the plant, nutrients from the tea will seep into the roots of your plants.

I add my coffee grounds to my plants for added nutrients

Make powder from dried egg shells. Egg shells are made mostly of calcium carbonate which is the main ingredient of the lime used in agriculture.

If you have a fish tank, use the dirty water to water plants. 

My Walk Through Life 6/12/16

Today is National Loving Day. June 12th is the anniversary of the 1967 Supreme Court decision to overturn all the state laws that did not allow interracial marriages. 
   In 1958, Mildred Jeter married Richard Loving. She was African-American and Native American. He was white. Richard was a family friend, and they met when they were young. They started courting, and at the age of 18, Mildred became pregnant. They went to Washington DC to be married. When they returned to Virginia as a married couple, they were arrested for "cohabitating as man and wife, against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth". They avoided jail time by agreeing to leave Virginia. They moved to Washington DC and started legal actions. They wrote to the US Attorney General, who at that time was Robert Kennedy. He it turn referred them to the ACLU. Two lawyers were assigned their case, and the Warren Court ruled in favor of the couple.
   They didn't set out to change history. They just wanted to live in Virginia, which was their home and where their families lived. They were allowed to return and raise their three children in their hometown outside of Richmond. 
   It is 2016, and mixed marriages are still frowned upon by many. We also have the issue of same sex marriage. You don't choose who to love and there should never be laws to dictate that you have to. 
   Celebrate today by looking at the person you love and be thankful.



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Free Green breathalicious bone for your dog
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Free Skinnies 0 calorie cocktail mix samples
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TacoBell announced since the Golden State Warriors stole an away game, they will give away Free Doritos Locos Tacos on 21 June. Get there between 2 and 6 pm to get your FREE taco. I looked it up, and it is national at participating Taco Bells. 


Dove TV ChannelSafe, family-friendly streaming movies, TV shows and specials 

Helpful Hints for the Gardener (or wannabes like me)

Outdoors

 Disposable aluminum roasting pans make great containers for starting  

   seeds indoors. Cover with plastic wrap until the seeds sprout.

Poke holes in a bag of fertilized soil and place seeds in the holes.

   Transplant seedlings when they are  ready and discard the bag.

Use golf tees to mark spots to plant bulbs. You can mow over them.

Before sowing fine seeds in your garden, mix them with a little talcum

   powder so you can evenly distribute them.

Mark inches on your garden trowel with red nail polish so you can plant   

   seeds and bulbs the proper depth.

To mark seed rows, put planting date on empty seed packet and insert

   into clear soda bottle and stick bottle neck down into ground.

Tomatoes: To prevent blossom end rot, add 2 or 3 tablespoons Epsom

   Salt per plant hole before planting. Each month, sprinkle a tablespoon    

   around the base of each plant and scratch into the soil.

Lawn Care

Spray lawn mower blades with vegetable oil so cut grass won't stick.

Use salt to kill weeds in the lawn or in the cracks of your sidewalk. Let

   the salt sit for a few minutes, then pour hot water over it.

Spray the whole lawn with a mixture of ½ cup children’s shampoo per   

   20 gallons of water.

Apply any kind of liquid weed killer, but ONLY to the weeds. Use a 20-

   gallon hose-end sprayer. One with an on/off button would be best so

   you can go from weed to weed without getting the weed killer on grass

   or other plants. Later on, spot treat the weeds with a mixture of 3

   tablespoons white vinegar and one pint warm water. Squirt from a

   spray bottle.  

For nicer lawn: Mix 1 cup Epsom salt, 1 cup Listerine, 1 cup liquid soap, 1 cup ammonia, 2 cans of  beer. Use 1 quart of mixture for every 2500 square feet of lawn. Apply using a hose and spray  attachment.

Summer Lawn Food:

   Feed every 3 weeks through the summer. Every third “feeding”, throw ½ cup clear corn syrup or molasses into the mixture. Mix together 1 can beer, 1 cup children's shampoo, and ammonia to fill the  jar of a 20 gallon hose-fed sprayer.

A lawn needs one inch of water a week to stay healthy. Water in the morning or evening so the heat of  the sun won't evaporate the water before it is able to do its work.

Natural Pest Control Liquid

For the base:

1 head of garlic

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 cup water

For the pest control liquid:

2 tablespoons base mixture (above)

½ teaspoon liquid dish soap

2 cups water

   Make the base: Remove the garlic cloves from the head. Removing the peel is not necessary. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and 1 cup of water to a blender and blend until it forms a wet paste. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve to remove any small from the mixture. The remaining liquid is the “base”.

   To make a batch of insecticide: Mix 2 tablespoons of the base mixture, with ½ teaspoon liquid dish soap and 2 cups water. Put it in squirt bottle and spray.

   This mixture will also deter rabbits and deer.

Make Decorative Garden Stones

What you need:

12" round plastic flower pot drain tray works the best

Cooking spray oil

Quick drying concrete

Glass beads, broken tile, shells, decorative stones or rocks

   Spray the inside of the tray with cooking oil. Prepare the concrete using the directions given on the package. Pour the mix into the tray. Decorate. You can write out your initial, or make random designs to suit your taste and style. Or place hand and foot prints in the concrete and decorate around them. Let the stone dry overnight and remove from the tray when it is completely dry. Place in your garden.

Random Hints

To entice butterflies and bees to your garden, plant oregano, catnip and

   hollyhock.

An old wheel barrow makes and interesting flower planter. Drill a few

   holes for drainage, if needed.  Rust holes work just as well.

Wastebaskets make inexpensive and attractive outdoor planters. Cut out

   a drainage hole in the bottom  and add a small  layer of stones to help

   with drainage.

Plants love the nitrogen in coffee grounds. Add coffee grounds to your

   compost or add to flower beds.  Pour left over coffee on roses or  

   azaleas.

Dissolve an aspirin in a quart of water and use in your garden or flower

   beds to help plant resist diseases.

Indoors

Make mini-greenhouses from plastic milk jugs with the bottoms cut off.

   Leave cap off for ventilation.

To check if your plant in a clay pot needs water, tap your fingernail on

   the side. A thud means plant is okay. A ringing sound means it needs

   water.

Every time you water your potted plants, rotate the pot a quarter turn.

   This will encourage new growth  to come up evenly and your plants

   won't lean towards the sun.

Rub mayonnaise on the leaves of your houseplants to clean them, or

   clean the leaves with a rag dipped in milk.

Once a month, water your houseplants with weak tea to help balance the

   acidity in the soil.

When you go on vacation, punch a few small holes in plastic bags, one

   for each plant. Enclose each plant in a bag and fasten with a twist tie

   after watering. Plants will stay moist for a couple of  weeks.

Force Bloom Bulbs: buy bulbs from your local garden center. Arrange

   them as close together as possible in a shallow bowl or dish, filling it

   completely. Add water just to touch the bottom of the bulbs and

   maintain that water level at all times. When roots start growing, add a

   small amount of plant food to the water. Soon there will be blooms.

Some ways to keep cats out of houseplants:

   Sprinkle a heavy coating of pepper on the soil.

   Place pine cones around the plants

   Place a few yards of adhesive backed paper, sticky side up, on the

   surfaces where you put your houseplants. Once the cat learns to avoid

   the area, remove the paper.

My Walk Through Life 6/1/16

                                 I love free stuff. And I love to share.


If you are like me, there are always better things to do than housework. My house isn't out of control, but there are some hot spots that I just don't want to tackle. That is where FlyLady comes in handy. This is a great site to keep your house and yourself "blessed". Every day she gives you tasks to do that won't take more than 2 hours of your day to accomplish them, some days less. She also reminds you to take special care of yourself and to go out and spend time with your family. This site is great for the busy and the lazy. There are special lists for people who work full time, students, and more. 






FREEBIES

Free Wildflower Seed Paper and $6 coupons for Flonase
Free

Free Kcup from Green Mountain coffee. I already received mine
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Free Sport Fishing Magazine subscription
Free

Free Sample of PurinaOne Cat Food
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You can get the occasionally free items from you favorite places if you download their apps on your phone. Chik fil a  has a free chicken sandwich that ends Jun 30th. Don't forget to also sign up for Redbox text alerts for free and discounted movie rentals.






SWEEPSTAKES

Win a weekend vacation worth $5000
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Win a Father's Day BBQ Gift Set
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63% OFF 6 Piece Set: Luxurious 100% Cotton Bath Towels $21.99


Make Money From Home

I have been cashing in on free money the past few weeks. You can also:

Ibotta --- $26.50
Swagbucks ---$25.00
Ebates --- $15.30
Ebay --- $11.20

My Walk Through Life 5/28/16

                                       Arch in Edzell, Scotland

My biggest desire is to travel more. I grew up in the military, joined the military, and married military, so have been able to live in exciting places such as what is now Eritrea, Hawaii, Scotland, the Azores, Japan, and various mainland states.There are so many other places to see though. I have a savings account specific for trips. I managed to visit friends and family in Virginia at the beginning of the year, and will be going to a reunion in Las Vegas in September. After that, who knows. I have friends all over the world, so some great options are available to me. I really want to take a cruise, either river or ocean. 
   I came across a great article on Penny Hoarder. Here are some options on how a person can travel for free. 
Free Travel
  Here are the methods I build my travel account:
 Rebates with Ibotta
  Make money with Swagbucks
  Money back with Ebates
  Play games, watch videos and more with Perk
  Recycle my aluminum cans
 Sell items on Ebay
 When I get my paycheck each month, what ever is left in my checking account gets rolled over into my savings and I start fresh. It is an incentive to use coupons and curtail my spending
  All my change and five dollar bills go into my savings account.
It all adds up and I get excited when I have enough to plan my trip.








FREEBIES

Free subscription of Western Horseman
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Free subscription to Good Housekeeping
Free

Free gummy probiotics and a fizzy drink
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SWEEPSTAKES

Win a Bullet Blender
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Win $5000 for a dream vacation or other fun summer prizes
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Win a Ford Escape
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Win a Bug Out Survival Kit
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GET THE KIDS TO PLAY OUTSIDE

Marbles

Potsie: Make a hole in an area of dirt. The object of the game is to be the first person to shoot a marble into the hole. To start the game, each player takes a marble and drops it ten feet or so from the “pot”. Now the players take turns shooting their marble towards the hole. The main rule is that the person who has a marble farthest away from the hole gets to shoot, even if they get to shoot several times in a row. The first person to get the pot gets everyone else’s marbles in that round and a new round starts.

Duck Duck Goose

  All players except the one who has been chosen to be “It” sits on the ground in a circle. The person who is “It” walks around the circle and GENTLY taps the players on head or shoulder saying Duck, Duck until he chooses a Goose. The goose chases “It” around the circle trying to tag him before he sits in the empty space in the circle.

Red Light, Green Light

  One player is “It” and stands a distance away from the other players who are lined up next to each other, facing him. “It” turns away from them and say “Green Light”. The other players run towards him, with the goal of tagging “It”. He says “Red Light” and turns around. Players need to freeze and if “It” sees them move, he calls them out. The first person who tags “It” takes over that spot.

Color Tag

  Choose a course to run. It can be around the house, from one tree to another, from one side of the yard to the other, for some examples. One person is chosen to be “It”. The others go into a huddle and choose a color for each of them to be. Everyone gathers at the starting point. “It” calls out colors. When a players color is called, that person runs the course. “It” tries to tag them before they reach safety. It they are caught, they are “It” and everyone chooses a new color. If that person is safe, the game continues by calling out a new color.

Freeze Tag

  One person is chosen to be “It”. All the other players run away from “It”. If they are tagged, they have to freeze until another player comes and touches them to unfreeze them. All the players are trying to run to the spot that was chosen to be “Safe”. When all the players have escaped “It” and got to the safe spot, a new person is chosen to be “It”

  Another way to unfreeze someone is to tag them and call out a tv show, or a color, or an animal.

Flashlight Tag

  Before play, decide on a spot for home base. One person is “It” and gets a flashlight. That person closes his eyes and counts to 20 and the other players move around. “It” opens his eyes and turns on the flashlight. Players are “out” if they are found by the flashlight beam and named before they reach home base.

Human Knot

  All players need to form a close circle. Everyone reaches into the middle and joins hands with two other players. While holding hands, everyone steps back a little bit without breaking the knot. Try to untangle without letting go of anyone’s hands. If you can’t untangle the knot, let go and try again.

Follow the Leader

   One person is chosen to the be the leader and everyone else does what the leader does. You can tap your head, jump on one foot, for example.

Obstacle Course

  You can make an obstacle course and use a stop watch to find out who is the fastest. Crawl under lawn chairs, go through tunnels made from large boxes, hop on a rock path, jump rope, balance something on your head, or dodge the sprinkler. Look around the yard and see what you can come up with.

Target Practice

  Set up plastic cups on a wall, a fence, or a table. Shoot them down with a water gun.

Slippery Slide

   Make a slippery slide using a 4 1/2 by 12 ft piece of heavy plastic. Place on lawn and water down or place near a sprinkler.

Make a Backyard Football Goalpost:

Needed:

Two 48 inch (½ inch diameter) wooden dowels

3 pool noodles

2 pool noodle connectors

  Mark two spots five feet apart. Set the dowels at each spot six inches into the ground, then slip a noodle over each dowel. Put the connectors at each end of the third noodle and place it on top of the other two for the crossbar. The crossbar can be lowered or raised for the different ages of the players. Now your backyard can be a football field.

Four Square

   Draw a large square with chalk. Divide the square into four parts. 2 to 4 players can play the game using a good bouncing ball. Each player takes turns bouncing the ball to another players, who in turns bounces it to another player. When the ball bounces in a square but is missed by a player, that is a point against that player. If the ball doesn't hit into the square, that is a point against the person hitting it in.
The player who ends up with the most points, loses.

Glow in the Dark Ring Toss

Needed:

Glow Sticks with connectors, such as the ones to make bracelets

Ruler

Tape

Playdough, clay, or putty

Shallow tray

   Make rings using glow sticks and connectors. Tape 4 activated glow sticks to the top of the ruler. Use the putty to attach the ruler to the middle of the tray. Tuis is a great game to play in the dark inside or outside.

Go for a nature walk and collect items such as leaves, small stones, and sticks. Make a collage with these items gluing them onto a poster board or construction paper. Have an adult help with hot glue if needed.

Make a waterscope and watch life under the water (Adult supervision recommended)

Needed:

Can opener

Empty coffee can

Duct tape

Plastic wrap

Wide rubber band

  Use the can opener to remove the bottom of the of the coffee can. (you may need an adults help.) Cover the sharp edges with duct tape. Stretch the plastic wrap tightly over one end of the can. Make is smooth with no wrinkles. Put the rubber band around the wrap to keep it secure against the can and then duct tape it to keep it very tight. Put the covered end into the water and look inside the can. It will magnify anything in the water for you to see it better. Make sure you are safe and with an adult.

 

My Walk Through Life 5/14/2016

Join me on PINCHme 

This is what I received in my first FREE box. Love free samples!

I have vowed to not post any blogs about politics or religion, but this made me laugh. I have seen so many people post that they will not stay in the United States if Trump becomes president. I won't lie. The thought of Hilary or Trump scares me and the thought going to Belize has crossed my mind. Well, the weather conditions and beaches may have also played a part in that. 
   This morning I read an article about a dating site called Maple Match. I didn't realize that during many election periods, Americans cross over to Canada. Now there is an easy way. Disgruntled Americans and single Canadians will get put on a waiting list to get hooked up. Right now, there are many more Americans than there are Canadians signed up, so it might be a long wait for some.

And talking about dating sites, if you love the paranormal, and would like to be match up with someone else who loves the paranormal, check out Corsentra






SWEEPSTAKES


Win a trip to the Bahamas
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Win a BMW or $3000 for a road trip
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Win Beach Prizes from Arbor Mist.
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Win a Toyota Rav4 or other prizes from Bass Pro
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Free Dominoes Gift Certificate. They will text you when it is active. This is how I received my bottle of Victorias Secret Lotion
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Free subscription to Digital Photo magazine
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Free subscription to Womans Day magazine
free

Free Coffee Mug
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MAKE MONEY FROM HOME


Swagbucks is a simple way to earn points to trade in for money or gift cards. In the morning I run videos on my phone. I have it set up that I get notifications when there is a SwagCode available. I also made it as my default search. It is easy to get points. You also get extra points when you refer friends. I am wairting for my $25 Walmart card to come in the mail. 


Kids Party Game Ideas

When I was a kid, birthday parties were fun with games and prizes. My kids went to a lot of birthday parties, and not many fun games were played. They would eat cake, open presents, and run around. Here are some ideas to bring the fun back to parties

Ball in Cup Game: Hang three paper cups, using tape, off one side of a table so that the cup opening is level with the edge of the table. Put small prizes in each cup. The prizes can be stickers, candy, pencils, erasers, or coins. Give two players a paper towel roll and put a ping pong ball in front of each of them. The players have to gently blow the ball across the table, trying to get the ball into a cup. If the ball goes into a cup, the winner gets to choose a prize. If the ball goes over the side of the table without landing in a cup, that players turn is over. Keep taking turns and playing until all the prizes are gone.

Count the Beans: Use a large glass jar with a lid. Count out jelly beans and fill the jar with the beans. Each guest has to try to guess the amount of jelly beans in the jar. The person with the closest guess wins a prize.

Balloon Pop: Before blowing up balloons, put a piece of paper in some of them that gives the name of a prize. Everyone gets a chance to pop balloons and if they pop the balloon with a paper in it, they win the prize. If you don't want to give sharp objects to kids to pop balloons with, let them sit on the balloons until they pop. 

Trash Can Basketball: Using a small trashcan and a Nerf ball. Let the players throw the ball and see how many times they can make a “basket”.

Penny Toss: Using a checker board, let the players throw ten pennies. Give points for each penny that lands completely on a red square.

Penny Toss 2: Cut off the top third of a plastic milk jug, leaving the handle. Use it to play penny toss. Pick a spot to stand and see how many pennies out of a ten each player can get into the jug.

Penny Toss 3: Remove the top of an egg carton and mark the inside of the cups with numbers 1, 2, and 3. Each player takes a turn throwing the same number of pennies. Add up the score and the high score wins.

Scavenger Hunt: Hide clues around the house and/or yard that lead the players to the goodies at the end, whether it is the cake, goodie bags, or prizes. Or another option is to hide prizes such as pencils, candy, or other small prizes around for the players to find.