One Week Only! Free eBook Download: Lye In Wait by Cricket McRae

Love love loved this book (along with the other books in the series)! To my ebook reading friends, SO worth checking out this free ebook! Download your free copy now through August 31 (that's one week only!).

Best Environmentally-Friendly Household Products

I've written in past about using ketchup and vinegar as cheap, environmentally-friendly cleaning products. Environmental Graffiti has a great article on the best environmentally-friendly household products (including vinegar and baking soda. Read the full article here.

DIY: Save Money by Making Your Own Jewelry

I spent years when I was younger in craft stores, buying beads, embroidery floss, clasps, and other jewelry-making implements. Somewhere along the line, though, my enthusiasm waned and life became too hectic for jewelry-making. Recently I've been on a kick to add some "oomph" to my wardrobe, and jewelry is a relatively cheap and easy way to do that.

But as I've purchased necklaces and earrings that look fabulous for anywhere between $10-$20 (with my thrifty nature, I refuse to spend any more than that on jewelry), I've noticed that they look an awful lot like the ones I used to make. And, you guessed it, I'm now back on craft store patrol (I've found that Wal-Mart also has a good selection with reasonable prices) for beads and other items.

What I've found: for about $5, you can make your own jewelry to your specific taste. It's an incredibly relaxing activity, as well, since you are focusing on the task at hand and not the other three thousand things you think you should be doing.

What you need:
-Beads, appliques, or other jewels (I found each of the main pieces I used at Wal-Mart for $3 each; the vials of small glass beads were $2.50 each)
-Clasps, findings, or other connectors (I spent $3.99 for a bag of 6 sets of findings and $2.99 for earring findings, also a set of 6)
-Some sort of cord on which to place the beads/jewels. I use fishing line because it is very strong while being very thin, which makes it ideal for the tiny glass beads I like to use. (Price: free, since my husband keeps a large supply of fishing line in our garage.)
-An idea! Just a quick stroll down the jewelry section in any store is enough to provide you with tons of ideas.

Most of the pieces I purchased had ideas on the inside, and there are several websites that are great resources as well. I like:

• www.spottedcanary.com
• www.jewelrylessons.com
  
• Beading with Eden
• CraftGossip

I know there are literally thousands of great craft, DIY, and beading/jewelry-making blogs and site, so I know I'm missing a ton. Leave a comment to let me know who/what I'm missing!

How to Save Money on Air Conditioning

The dog days of summer are here; for the past four weeks or so, much of the nation has been suffering with high temps, high humidity, and high heat indexes. Thank God for air conditioning, right?

Though literally (and metaphorically) a life-saver, air conditioning does some severe damage to summertime energy bills (according to MSN.com, the average American home spends 17%—about $375—on summer cooling). How can you save money while still being comfy and cool?

Here are a few ways to save money on air conditioning:
1. Adjust the temperature. To me, this is a no-brainer. A programmable thermostat (or even just remembering to adjust the temp before you leave the house for the day) can save a lot of money in the long run. After all, you won't be home to notice if it is cool or not. According to MSN, you should aim for 78 degrees when home, and adjust up and down a few degrees accordingly when you leave and return home.

2. Use only when necessary. My husband and I live in Minnesota, which means that we spend a good 6 months out of the year boxed inside our home with the furnace on high. Come summer, I want the windows open and to relish the fact that I finally feel warm. We generally turn our central air on only when daytime temperatures are 90 or above (or when the night-time low isn't predicted to get below about 75, where we keep our thermostat set). I've been told, however, that because the air conditioning unit needs time and energy to cool down the house when warm (and about 24 hours to remove all humidity), it should be turned on at night (when it is cooler and the unit won't need to work as hard to cool the house), and it should not be turned off/on daily, as this uses more energy than simply letting it run. Aim to use it during the hottest weeks and go without during the weeks when you are able. 

3. Buy EnergyStar appliances. An EnergyStar window unit or central air conditioning will not only use less energy than other models (10% and 14%, respectively). You may also qualify for a tax break at the end of the year for any EnergyStar appliances you purchase. MSN has a list of which EnergyStar AC models will use 25% less energy (or more) than standard models, and also suggests visiting the EnergyStar website to compare models before you purchase.

4. Close the windows and shut the curtains. To me this is another "duh," but if the air conditioning is on, the windows should be shut (and locked, to maximize the tightness of the seal). (With my husband in and out of screen door to the deck for summertime grilling, I've uttered the phrase "I'm not paying to cool the outdoors" more than once.)  That said, I'm guilty of leaving the curtains and window shades open (I love my sun and natural light!). My husband is great about shutting the shades on south-facing windows during the day, and opening them as the sun moves overhead. The sun heats up the house quite a bit, and reflecting off of a dark deck or an asphalt driveway can add even more heat before it enters your house; the shades keep out some of the sun, helping to keep your house cool. Yahoo! recommends putting a plant near windows, as well, to absorb some of the extra sunlight as it enters your house.

5. Sign up for a Saver Switch. Many energy companies have what are called "saver switches" or something similar; these devices are hooked up to your central air conditioning unit, and when temps get high and energy usage goes up across your area, the saver switch will automatically raise your thermostat a few degrees. This saves energy, saves you money, prevents rolling brownouts or blackouts, and is highly unnoticeable (we have had ours for the past three years, and this summer was the first time we noticed it in use). As a bonus, it will save you money on your bill, and, BIG BONUS, you will get a discount on your energy bill during the summer months. Here in the Midwest we have Xcel energy, which gives us a 15% discount on our bill each month during the summer (I believe for other states they service they offer a discount of $50 on the October bill). Check with your energy provider to determine which programs and rebates they offer.

August 2011 Sweepstakes from Better Homes & Gardens

The site for Better Homes and Gardens Magazine is a treasure trove of ideas for the DIYer. What's more, they offer some fabulous sweepstakes from Better Homes and Gardens and their affiliates that you can enter daily!! Here are the sweepstakes that you can enter during the rest of the month of August:

• Recipe.com $5,000 Groceries Sweepstakes One winner will win $5,000 to spend on groceries! (Ends 8/14/11; enter once daily.)
• Better Homes and Gardens $25,000 Save Money, Save Energy Home Makeover Sweepstakes Win a $25,000 home makeover to celebrate healthy, energy-efficient living! (Ends 8/15/11; enter once daily.)
• Better Homes and Gardens $25,000 Summer Switch & Save Sweepstakes One winner will win $25,000 cash! (Ends 8/31/11; enter once daily.)
  
• Parents $20,000 Best Family Car Sweepstakes One winner will win $20,000 for a new car! (Ends 8/31/11; enter once daily.)
• Parents $3,800 Breathe Easy Getaway Sweepstakes Enter to win a family trip to Yosemite National Park! (Ends 8/31/11; one entry per household.
• Midwest Living $2,000 Best Midwest Getaway Sweepstakes! Share your best getaway for a chance to win one of 5 midwest getaways! (Ends 9/5/11; one entry per household.)
• Scrapbooks Etc. Sewing Box Sweepstakes One lucky winner will receive The SewingBox from The Original Scrap Box, worth over $1,400! (Ends 9/15/11; enter once daily.)
• Diabetic Living Stock Your Pantry Sweepstakes Win $500 to stock your pantry! (Ends 9/26/11; enter once daily.)
• The Small Dog Adventures $2,000 Sweepstakes Enter to win $2,000 in The Small Dog Adventures Sweepstakes brought to you by Mighty Dog! (Ends, 9/30/11; one entry per household.
• Travel Meredith 2011 Nature's Own Fall Family Getaway Enter to win one of five family getaway vacation packages! (Ends, 9/30/11; one entry per household.)
• Better Homes and Gardens Daily Sweepstakes. Enter daily for your chance to win great cooking and decorating prizes! Plus, be entered to win the grand prize of $2,500 when you enter! (Ongoing; enter once daily.)
• Prize Tested Recipes Contest Each month, enter for your chance to win $500! Two winners will be selected each month. (Ends 12/31/12.)
  

Save 60-80% at Kohl's!

Spectacular deals! Save up to 80% at www.kohls.com! They also have 99 cent standard shipping!