Inexpensive Summertime Activities

1. Library

2. Culture Pass (free admission for 4 to valley museums-check it out at the public library get there early)

3. Lemonade stand with the kids (Peel three fat lemons. Cut them into smaller pieces. Drop the pieces into a blender with 1-1/2 cups of sugar and 1-1/2 cups of water. Use the blender to chop until coarse, then strain into a pitcher. Add ice cubes.

4. Set up a tent in the backyard, roast marshmallows and sing songs around the grill.

5. Visit valley swimming pools cost :$1.75 for kids and $3.50 for adults. Carson Jr. High has free breakfast and lunch for kids 18 years and younger. Stop by for lunch then head on over to the pool. See times and special events like family night at Taylor Pool every Monday night (whole family for $1)at http://mesaaz.gov/parksrec/timeout/pdf/aquatics.pdf

6. Build a Fort. Let the kids drape sheets and blankets over some tables, chairs, and piles of couch cushions for a few days, or round up some cardboard boxes from furniture or appliance stores and have the kids paint their houses with old paints or markers.

7.Picnic lunch at the park. Try one of the four east valley parks that have splash pads. For locations and info see http://www.azcentral.com/families/articles/0514gr-mombeat14Z12.html

8. Re-decorate or paint the kids rooms or the play room. The "oops" paint at Home depot is only $5 a gallon and check craigslist.com for free or cheap used furniture.

9. Have a Christmas in July. Have kids make presents or give them each a few bucks and hit the thrift store. Goodwill has half price day every other Saturday.

10. Go to the movies. AMC has summer movies every Wednesday for $1 at 10am http://www.amctheatres.com/smc/ and Harkins has a similar deal at: http://www.harkinstheatres.com/theatreDetails.aspx?theatreId=4539

Have a fun safe summer!

Gutter Gardening

Want to grow your veggies but don't have a place to plant? Try what this sister did. For more info click here: http://preparetodaynewsletter.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-does-your-garden-grow.html

43 things to do with WD-40

1) Protects silver from tarnishing.

2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.

3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.

4) Gives floors that "just-waxed" sheen without making it slippery.

5) Keeps flies off cows.

6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.

7) Removes lipstick stains.

8) Loosens stubborn zippers.

9) Untangles jewelry chains.1

0) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.

11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.

12) Keeps ceramic/terracotta garden pots from oxidizing.

13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.

14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.

15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.

16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.

17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes

18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Open some windows if you have a lot of marks.

19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car. Removed quickly, with WD-40!

20) Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.

21) Lubricates gear shift on lawn mowers.

22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.

23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.

24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.

25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, well as vinyl bumpers.

26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.

27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.

28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.

29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.

30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.

31) Removes splattered grease on stove.

32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.

33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.

34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).

35) Removes all traces of duct tape.

36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain

37) Florida 's favorite use 'Cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'

38) Protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.

39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time.

40) Ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.

41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.

42) If you've washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and Presto! Lipstick is gone!

43) If you spray WD-40 on the distributor cap, it will displace the moisture and allow the car to start.

*Keep a can of WD-40 in your kitchen cabinet. It is good for oven burns or any other type of burn. It takes the burned feeling away and heals with NO scarring. Remember, the basic ingredient is FISH OIL*

Lowes build and Grow

Lowes has a free kids building program. Twice a month you bring your kids in at 10am and they make something. It's completely free! This month they will make a Mother's Day planter (May 9th), and on May 23 they will make a ready to go kit (emergency preparedness). June's projects are: June 13th putting green, and June 27th pirate ship. You can register online at lowes.com.

Powdered Milk...Yuck!

Does powdered milk make you queazy? Well Morning Moo is here and it's fantastic! It used to be that you had to order it online, but now it's available at Costco. The price is $57.99 (cheaper than online) and it will make 52 gals of the white stuff! That's $1.12 per gallon. My house goes through a gallon a day, that's $60 a month assuming I get it on sale for $2. I can save myself $26 a month by switching and I don't have to make room in the fridge. You mix it up with warm water and refrigerate overnight. You can also use it half strength for skim milk, double strength for light cream and triple strength for condensed milk. It only contains 9% lactose instead of the 20% milk has and it has a 10 year shelf life! If you're interested, but don't have a Coctco card, or if you want to split a bucket with someone, send a post and I'll hook you up.