CLEANING WITH MEL: Ammonia De-greaser!

Posted by Ethne~

Hey Dudes.  (Remember the show 'Hey Dude' on Nickelodeon when we were kids?  I just thought of that for the first time in like 2 decades.  I digress.)

We helped my bro and sis, Rich and Mel, move into their new FIRST house last Saturday.  I am super excited for them.  As in totally crazy jealous and at the same time genuinely thrilled.  They got a GREAT house and it has some genius features like a spice cabinet alongside the Jenn-Air stove/oven and almost all of the kitchen cupboards have pull-out shelves and drawers.  And heated bathroom floors.  Holla!

Happy Homeowners!

Naturally Mel is Queen Organization so by the time it came to moving on Saturday, we got the men doing the big furniture and then she and I sorted, assembled and organized drawers and such.  By Sunday, they were completely unpacked, put away, and had cleaned and turned in the key to their apartment.  That girl is CRAZY!  In a pretty cool way.  As in I will be delegating my next move entirely to Mel.

So since Mel is fully unpacked, she now has nothing better to do than pack for Mexico and scour Pinterest for ways to mega-clean her new house.  Here is one such example...

"Hi Wom-Mom followers.  I was so excited about my newest household tip that I kind of hinted to Ethne that it should be a blog post.  My intent was that she would write it.  But you know Ethne, always so savvy…she now has me doing her dirty work!  Speaking of dirty work.  Look at this before oven grate and see how sparkly they can become.

Before on the right: Grime City!

Recently my husband, Rich and I bought our first home (recent, like 1 week ago).  We are absolutely thrilled and could not be more excited.  My only complaint was that the previous owners did not treat my Jenn-Air Stove very nicely.  I mean really people!  Most people that enjoy cooking would kill for a Jenn-Air restaurant-quality stove that is both conventional and convection oven (gas & electric) and gas stove top. (Or at least they would sell their first born!)  Clearly the previous owners had no love in their hearts for “Jenni” so it was left to me to get her sparkling again.  {EDITOR'S NOTE: I won't be satisfied until Mel has named something totally cool after me.  Hand mixers and other such small appliances do not qualify.}

That’s where www.pinterest.com came in.  Here is the original sight I found my new tip on http://workmanfamily.typepad.com/our_life/

If you don’t want to waste time looking at the site (there’s a lot of extra nothing on there), here’s what I did.  Take a Ziploc bag (the site recommended a gallon bag.  My grates were on steroids so I had to use a Ziploc Big Bag (size XL).  I simply put the grate into the bag then added the magic.  The magic being . . . ¼ cup of ammonia.  Don’t be scared folks.  Ammonia is fine if you don’t sit and inhale it for long periods of time and mix it with other chemicals.  Plus it is only $1.19 at Target.  I also had a $.50 off coupon for the Target Up & Up brand.  Grand total: $.69.   And you read correctly, only ¼ cup.  It’s the fumes that do the work not the liquid, but it is ok for the grates to touch the liquid. 

So, you should now have your grate in the Ziploc with ¼ cup of ammonia.  Seal the deal and let it sit for a long time.  I checked at 12 hours and nothing happened.  This caused feelings of defeat.  Fortunately, I was too busy to deal with it at the time so I just stuck the grate back in the bag and left it.  When I finally remembered, it was at about 36 hours later.  I found lots of black crud floating in the bag.  I instantly got excited and thought, “Yay it worked!”  Then I realized, “Oh Crap!  That may be the paint peeling off!”

That wasn't paint peeling off - look at the gunk that came off!

All I had to do was rinse the grate off.  I had to use a washcloth in some of the corners but it took no scrubbing at all.  So simple and cheap!"

THRIFTY + CLEAN = WOM-necessity

Needless to say, these pictures show the before and after results are a success in the cleaning department.  The other 3 grates are already fuming as I type this.  I hope you find this tip helpful when trying to maintain your stove which should be both functional and beautiful.  “Jenni” is no longer ashamed of her exterior!"

WINE BY THE GLASS!

Posted by Special Guest Steph~

**Hey everyone, Happy Thanksgiving!  One of Lor's and my bff's, and GT cohort, is our regular correspondent and WOM-MOM follower, Special Guest Steph.  She texted me a little while back and said she found this awesome wine at her mom's in OR, so we agreed right then and there that it should be a blog post.  So just in time for the Holidays - check it out!  GENIUS!  THRIFTY!  What more could a WOM want?  xo, Ethne**

Steph and AK

Steph's future princess, baby EK

"Recently, my kids and I took a trip to Oregon to visit my mom, Grandma Jewel.  My husband was on a week long hunting trip, so rather than risk pulling my hair out and parenting solo, the three of us hopping on a jet plane and headed west. 

My mom lives in an average sized town in Oregon, an hour north of Portland in the heart of the Columbia River Valley – wine country.  There are a number of wineries along the valley and beautiful vineyards around every corner.  My mom and her husband even grow some grapes and combine them with a neighbor who bottles the wine. 

New to her town is a renovated wheat mill called Sunshine Mill named after Sunshine Biscuits, originally created at the mill.  The original structure had the milling equipment built right into the building itself. This massive equipment, all powered by electric motors designed by Thomas Edison, still exists in the building today.  The new design is formed around this equipment in an attempt to preserve historic design.  I’m kind of a nerd for historical buildings, but there was something even more cool coming out of Sunshine Mill. 

Cut to Copa di Vino, loosely translated meaning “wine by the glass.”  This cool concept created by winery owner James Martin, was crafted after something he saw in France while on vacation; wine sold in individually packaged glasses.  Copa di Vino is single portioned glasses of wine bottled right into a 100% recyclable plastic container.  There’s no separate glass needed.  And no pesky corkscrew either.  The patented package is even wine glass shaped!  Each generously portioned serving is a cheap $4.  They are available in single portions, or in a package of 12 – mixed or same variety.  How’s that for thrifty?

So check out their website or facebook:  http://www.copadivino.net/.  Copa may not be available in your area, but it’s available online.  Who knows, you might see it in your area soon – I have a feeling word will travel fast on this cool product!"  

MY CLOTH DIAPER ADVENTURE PART II

Posted by special guest Jen~

Jen comes back to us with part two of her cloth diapering adventure.  Thanks again Jen (WOM-MOM EXTRAORDINAIRE) for her valuable information! 

PART II: Supply, system, laundering and care, and leakage

Yes, cloth diapers are more labor intensive than disposables. There is no way around it. They need to be rinsed, washed and stuffed. But I’ve incorporated all that into my routine and it is now just part of life. Our daycare provider (who had the original misconceptions about cloth diapers with pins and covers) uses the cloth diapers and has no issues with them. She is great! However, we do use somewhat of a hybrid approach. We use disposable diapers when we go out and travel. It is a little cumbersome to fill the diaper bag with the cloth diapers and then carry around the dirty ones. And our daycare provider uses a disposable at nap time. But for the most part, Smiles is in cloth. 

If you Google “cloth diapering” you will find tons of blogs and message boards with all kinds of info on the care and different systems people use. I’ve used a combination of several different techniques and here is what we have found works for us.

First the supply. We have 14 BumGenius one size, 9 Bumkins one size, 3 Bumkins size small, and 1 Charlie Banana one size, so 27 in all. Smiles is almost 4 months old now and we are going through 8 to 10 diapers a day. I wash diapers every other day, sometimes I can go every third day, but that is pushing it. Smiles will eventually grow out of the Bumkins size small diapers so we will be down to 24. They tell me as he gets older he will go through fewer diapers in a day, so that shouldn’t be a problem and we should have enough to last us until he is potty trained.

Storing the clean diapers

What we spent. Well, it isn’t cheap to start your cloth diaper system. But in the long run, we will see a savings. We spent about $350 on the diapers themselves, $50 for the wet bags for storing dirty diapers, and $40 on the sprayer for the toilet. So in all, $440.

Expandable snaps--they will grow with the child!

 The system. You will definitely need a sprayer attachment for the toilet. This is necessary for rinsing off the solids into the toilet. Smiles is only getting breast milk right now so his BMs are mostly liquid, but you still need to rinse off the diapers to prevent staining. After spraying the diapers off in the toilet I just store them in a wet bag on a hook in the bathroom until wash day. With both wet and dirty diapers I remove the liner before putting in the bag. They wash up much better if you remover the liner.

Washing the cloth diaper with the toilet sprayer

Washing. I have a high efficiency washer and dryer and I love them. Of course it isn’t necessary to have these in order to do cloth diapers, but it helps. Firstly, you only use half (or less) the amount of detergent as recommended. This is important because if the diapers get a residue on them from the detergent they loose their absorbency. The diaper manufacturers often want you to use the special detergent they sell, but IMO and that of other cloth diaper bloggers I’ve seen you can use a fragrance and additive free detergent and that will work just fine. I use Tide Free and Clear. It is important however to make sure the detergent is free of additives, fragrance, and softeners.

Setting the washer settings!





I run the diapers through the “heavy duty” cycle and set the water setting to HOT and add the SECOND RINSE. I was using the “Sanitize” cycle, but this cycle uses a lot of energy to get the water extra hot, and I don’t think that is absolutely necessary. The SECOND RINSE is important to make sure all the detergent is rinsed out of the diapers. Again to prevent build up and damaging the absorbency of the diapers. If diapers get stained you can hang them in the sun to bleach out the stains.

Drying. Here is where it gets a little tricky. Depending on the type of diaper you get, you will need to either hang the diapers dry or you can put them in the dyer. Be sure to read the care instructions for the diapers you get. The BumGenius diapers MUST be line dried. The liners you can put in the dryer, but the outside must be line dried to prevent damage to the waterproofing. The Bumkins diapers can go in the dryer but I often end up just line drying all the diapers, it doesn’t hurt. I bought a drying rack for this purpose. I can hang the diapers outside on the line in the summer, but hanging them outside in the winter in North Dakota is a bit of a problem unless I want to freeze dry them.

Diapers drying on the line.

However, I did start to have a problem with the Bumkins leaking. The wetness was actually seeping through the outside waterproof fabric. I contacted customer service and they actually told me to put them in the dryer to seal up the waterproofing. That seemed to work.

Leakage. Well, I can’t deny that we have had some blowouts and leakage with these diapers. Although, I can’t say that it has been any more than it would be with disposable diapers. There have been some times where we have leaked around the legs and that is a common complaint from other cloth diaper users. But honestly, that hasn’t bothered me that much. And, except for the wetness seeping through the waterproof fabric on the Bumkins (which we have remedied) I think these diapers are working well for us.

So that is how we do it. If you don’t mind investing the time and washing responsibilities, I’d say cloth diapering is the way to go. I love it. I smile every time I hang them to dry and all in all, it really isn’t that much more work. We have already upped our laundry quota since Smiles was born, so what is a couple extra loads a week anyway. Thanks to the WOM-MOMs Lori and Ethne for letting me share my experience. I hope what I have learned can give you some insight as to what might work for you.

Thank you Jen for sharing!  We have learned a ton! 

MY CLOTH DIAPER ADVENTURE PART I

Posted by special guest Jen~


A great big thanks to WOM-MOM follower and new mom Jen.  She has decided to go the cloth diaper route (GOOD FOR HER!  I TOTALLY HATE LAUNDRY, SO I AM SUPER IMPRESSED!  NOT ONLY THAT...BUT IT IS HELPING THE ENVIRONMENT AND SUPER THRIFTY!)  And she was willing to test drive several options and reported back the results...Here's part one of her two-part series:

Jen in the middle--rockin the 80's style!  She is an awesome mom!

Part 1: Finding the right diaper for us

Cloth diapering is surely an adventure. There is a lot to learn and a lot of lingo out there to describe all the different types. But I love to research stuff, I’m a biologist, and a recycler and a conservation minded person, so this experiment was right up my alley. This is my unique experience and I hope it helps you WOM-MOMs out there.

Cloth diapers were a natural consideration when I found out I was pregnant. I hate the thought of all those diapers going to the landfill and taking decades to break down. And when I actually found out the price of disposable diapers, well then I knew cloth was the way to go for our family. In the first 6 weeks after my son "Smiles" was born we had already spent $100 on disposables!!! (Granted I probably wasn’t being as thrifty as I could have been)

Firstly, throw all your mother’s and grandmother’s ideas about cloth diapers out the window. Today’s cloth diapers are state of the art. No pins and awkward folding needed. Most of the diapers you can get now don’t even need a waterproof cover to contain messes.

Smiles in his BumGenius cloth diaper with hook and loop closure

All-in-one, all-in-two, pre-fold, pocket, one size, cover…These are all descriptions of the different types of cloth diapers. Well, there are a few web sites out there that define these terms so I won’t go into it. But I will tell you that the most popular are the all-in-one, pocket diapers and each brand has their own take on this style. Two important terms that I will use are “one size” and “sized”. The “one size” diapers are designed to grow with your baby, so you only need to buy them once. “Sized” diapers are small, medium, and large, so you have to buy a new supply as your baby gets bigger. This option is obviously less economical but some say they fit better than the one size diapers.

On my baby registry I chose several different diaper brands because I wanted to see which one I would like best before I invested in a full supply. (I later discovered that someone on Amazon sells a sampler pack that is great if you want to try a few different types). Here is what I started with: 1 Thirsties (sized), 1 Charlie Banana (one size), 2 BumGenius snap closure, 3 Bumkins (sized diapers), 2 Bumkins one size.

What I learned about the brands (Star * rating 1-5):

Thirsties * needed a cover, this diaper is just fleece with no waterproof outside. Very soft and absorbent, but when Smiles wet, it soaked right though. So when you put this diaper on the baby it is basically like putting the diaper on twice, first the diaper then the cover. But what I did like about this diaper is that you didn’t have to stuff it with a liner. Another down point do these is that they are sized so as your baby grows you will need to buy a new supply of the next size.

Charlie Banana *** deserves an honorable mention. Although it has snaps that I don’t prefer, it has adjustable elastic in the legs which many moms like. Ill fitting leg holes are a big complaint with cloth diapers and Charlie Banana has fixed that problem. Waterproof outside, stuffable liner, one size. However, the one size system for this brand is a little confusing. The diaper is pretty small and the snaps are just designed to grow with the baby’s waist and not length. We’ll see how long Smiles can wear this diaper.

BumGenius (snap closure***, hook and loop*****) brand has cornered the market for cloth diapers. They seem to have put the best of everything in one diaper. They are a pocket diaper and come with an infant liner for when the diaper is at its smallest size and additional liners that fit the diaper when you increase the size. The outside is extremely waterproof and you can insert an additional liner when you need extra absorbency like at bedtime. The one size system is straight forward and you only need to buy your supply once. I started out with the snap closure but got a larger supply of the hook and loop closure (it is just easier).

BumGenius with separate stuffable liner

Bumkins sized ** were given to me by a friend who used them on her baby and really liked them. I thought I would love these too. They had an absorbent liner that was attached to the diaper (no stuffing necessary). This is a great style because I thought my husband would have a hard time with the stuffable ones. The outside seemed to have great waterproofing and they were hook and loop closure. Once I started using them and washing them they started to leak. Not just at the vulnerable spots but actually seeping through the outside of the diaper. Plus, as Smiles grows, I would need to buy a supply of the next size up. I also discovered that these diapers are spendy and hard to find.

Bumkins one size **** are pretty cool, the stuffable liner is attached to the diaper and they come in fun prints. I got these in an attempt to compromise between the removable liner and the attached liner. These are a great option but you still need to take the time to stuff them after washing. As I continue to use them I find they have a bit of the same problem with leaking as the Bumkins sized diapers do. The wetness seeps through the fabric. I emailed the company and they told me to put them in the dryer on high. That solved the problem for now, so I am still giving these diapers a good rating. These diapers can also be a little harder to find. I went to a couple of different websites before I found one that had them in stock.

Bumkin diaper with attached liner

Here is what I learned overall:

1) Hook and loop fasteners are the best. Don’t bother with the snaps, they are just too hard to snap on a squirmy baby.

2) Although not needing to stuff the liner in the diaper seems like it would be great, and less labor intensive, the fact is these diapers take longer to dry and you can’t really get a “one size” diaper in this style (that I have found anyway).

3) Get a diaper that is easy to find and has good customer support (BumGenius, Bumkins both do). Don’t bother getting frustrated trying to find a specific type that is no where to be found.

4) Don’t bother with a diaper that needs a cover in order for it to be waterproof. The BumGenius ones have great waterproofing and it is just too cumbersome to have to put two diapers on your baby.

Stay tuned for Part II where I discuss laundering and care of the diapers.

WEARABLE WEDNESDAY: HOLLY’S DESIGNS!

Posted by Lori~

My good friend Holly has great style and two adorable kids! 

Holly is also an awesome photographer!

Super F with his adorable tree shirt (made by Holly)

Super E--this shirt had a stain, but is now like new!

She recently attended my appliqué party (instructions for appliqué shirts can be found here) and left with some major inspiration!  She has created some awesome looks!  Recently she attended her twin nephew’s birthday party and decided to give them shirts with lots of style!  Her creations are awesome and super inspirational!  WOMS—GET INSPIRED!

Twins E and M in their "Holly" designs!  FABULOUS!

Thanks Holly for sharing!

NO SEW ROMAN SHADES!

Posted by Lori~

Our fabulous friend and follower Kirsti happens to be author of the blog Living in Lovely LaLaLand .  She asked us to do a guest post/tutorial on how to make no sew roman shades using plastic mini blinds. 

One of my shades in my living room (I have 6 matching in my living/dining area)

These shades are brilliant, super affordable, and require NO SEWING!  Click here to check it out.  And of course…consider following Kirsti’s blog!  Her style is divine!

LEAP DAY: EATING OUT BAN!

Posted by Lori and special guest Jen~

Recently, I read an article in my “All You” magazine (this magazine is stacked full of coupons, so consider buying it….plus there are always sales, deals, etc. so you can purchase a subscription for DIRT CHEAP!).  In the article, the working mom decided to stay home with their kids and in order to cut costs they decided to cut eating out (which they typically did at least once a day).  Steve and I find ourselves grabbing food on the go—it is so simple! 

After reading the article—I told Steve I am inspired!  Let’s do it!  He agreed, I agree, and we shook on it!  Of course, we set some ground rules.  The eating out ban would begin on Friday morning (or today).  So far so good!  Also, the only time we would “eat” out is if we had to be out of town (we of course could not schedule going out of town to eat).  And if there were other issues that came up (like a lunch meeting out), we would discuss prior to the meeting as well as focus on healthy and affordable options.

Both Steve and I know that this will cut down significantly on our spending, but it should also help to shrink the waistline, because to be honest…1996 bodies are not coming quick enough!  ENOUGH WITH THAT! 

My girlfriend Jen was explaining to me how she and her husband cut down on eating out and arguments about what to cook (saving time).  Ethne and I LOVED IT and asked Jen to write a guest post for us and here it goes:

Aaron and Jen in Mexico--QUANTUM LEAP TRIP!  HERE WE COME!

My husband Aaron and I have been married for 3 years, but we have lived together for almost 8 years. One of our earliest arguments as a cohabitating couple was the “what’s for dinner” debate. We would come home from a long day of classes and thesis/dissertation writing and have nothing but frozen chicken and pasta sauce in the fridge. I would offer up something to cook and Aaron would reject it, and so it went, every evening. I was fed up and we needed a solution to this constant argument (which is what it usually escalated into).

So we came up with a plan, we make a weekly dinner menu and stick to it. Every Sunday morning over breakfast we sit down with our cookbooks and put together a list of dinners for the week and our grocery list (Lori says:  I of course am a couponer, so I would encourage you to meal plan around what’s in your stockpile or on sale). Doing this also helps us look at our schedules for the week, and plan who’s doing the cooking.

Jen menu planning and eating a healthy breakfast (check out that grapefruit)

It was a bit of a struggle at first. However, this simple solution turned our arguments into a once a week thing instead of an everyday thing. We truly enjoy this time together as a couple and we often find meals we can cook together, which is fun. Now, for the rest of the week we have a plan. We look at the menu every morning before we go to work to make sure we take what we need to out of the freezer to thaw in time for dinner.  

 

A menu example--I see some yummy meals!

 

Benefits:

1)   Most importantly we don’t argue over what is for dinner.

2)   It helps us make a thorough grocery list and we get everything we need for the week without having to make multiple trips to the store.

3)   It helps us divide up the cooking so I’m not the only one doing it every night.

 

Aaron taking his turn!

 

4)   Keeps variety in the meals we cook. We have our staples, but we usually end up cooking at least one new recipe a week.

5)   We assess what is in the fridge/freezer each week to make sure we only buy what we need and to ensure the food we already have doesn’t go to waste.

6)   AND THIS WILL HELP LORI AND STEVE MEET THEIR QUANTUM LEAP GOAL OF NOT EATING OUT!

Our favorite recipe resources:

“Everyday Food” – This magazine is part of Martha Stewart’s empire. The recipes in this magazine range from quick 30 minute meals to longer hour plus cooking time. Most of the recipes are simple, quick and delicious. Not many exotic ingredients and lots of simple side dishes which is something we need help with because before we got this magazine we were eating a lot of plain old steamed green beans. “Green beans again!” Aaron would complain.

“Cooks Illustrated” magazine – Aaron loves this magazine because it is all about the science of cooking. It has articles with each recipe where they test it several times, tweaking the ingredients each time to find the perfect combination of looks, flavor, and texture. The recipes in this magazine are pretty elaborate and usually take a long time to make so we usually reserve these dishes to Friday or Saturday nights. But they are well worth it and there are usually plenty of leftovers to freeze and have for quicker meals during the week. Some of our favs, black bean soup, French onion soup, pork loin, and “The perfect Belgian waffle.”

Their cooking inspiration!

“Eating Well, 500 Calorie Dinners” – This cookbook has lots of delicious healthy meals. We have found one big flop (Shrimp lime soup) that I actually ripped the page out of the book so I never attempt that recipe again. But all the other recipes that have come out of this book are part of our healthy staples.

“Shape” Magazine – I have had a subscription to this popular magazine for a long time. A lot of the recipes they provide are healthier twists on traditional meals like burgers and tacos. It is a bit of a gamble with these recipes, some of them are real flops like the chickpea burgers I made last week. But we have also gotten some of our favorite staples from this magazine like black bean burgers and bulgur burgers with cucumber, feta and bulgur salad.

We often refer to Foodnetwork.com for recipes that we see made on our favorite cooking shows like Alton Brown’s “Good Eats” (overnight cinnamon rolls to die for!). We also find good stuff on Cooks.com. But on that site there are often several versions of a single recipe and you need to read the reviews to see if it is any good or not.

This weekly practice has made our home a more content place. However, soon we will face the challenge of incorporating meals for a little one into the mix. We’ll see how our routine changes when our baby arrives this summer.

Thanks Jen for this fabulous plan.  Its saves on time and stress! 

PS:  check out your local library—remember they often sell old magazines for less than a quarter.  Better yet, check out a new cookbook for FREE!

DOUBLE-HEADER FRIDAY: LIBRARY—A THRIFTY PARADISE!

Posted by Lori and guest Reagen~ 

My very good friend Reagen just happens to be a librarian.  Reagen spends Tuesdays with Mur-Man and would bring him to story hour.  I had no idea what the library had to offer until Reagen clued me in.  No need to buy videos or rent videos for your kids—the library has a huge selection!  No need to buy a cookbook—you can try it out first at the library, and so much more!  And so, Ethne and I asked Reagen (our expert librarian) to write a guest post for the blog!  Because—the library SCREAMS THE WORD FREE!  Enjoy!

Librarian Reagen--LOOKIN' HOT!

The library.  Name me one other place that you can think of where you can walk in, stay for a few minutes or a few hours, and take anything home with you for free.  That’s right, I said FREE.   Go on; think about it….I’ll wait.  Having a hard time coming up with any other places?   I would too.  The public library can be the thrifty gal or guy’s best friend if you know what it has to offer.

Just a sample of the cookbooks at my little city, ND library

Many folks (including myself not too long ago) just assume that your local library carries books; the popular novels and beach reads.  But believe me when I say there’s so much more!  Yes, you can pick up the latest James Patterson or Charlaine Harris but you can also discover great new authors or finally get around to delving into those classics that you’ve been meaning to read forever.  But what about all those other things you’ve wanted to discover?

Finishing out your basement?  You should head over to the home improvement section to find everything from basic décor to a total gut and remodel.  Curious about cuisine?  The cookery area will provide you with hundreds of options from Slow Cooker meals to Thai Fusion. 



Notice:  A fav of Ethne and I, Deceptively Delicious



Medical questions?  That section hooks you up with anything from your basic medical dictionary to how to cope with an illness of a loved one.  Starting a business?  From building a brand to website design to incorporation can be found on the shelves.  Planning your next big trip?  A whole plethora of ideas from Bangkok to Little Rock await you in the travel area.  Run out of crafting ideas?  Have no fear; your library carries books on everything from jewelry making to refurbishing furniture to knitting and crocheting techniques, and so much more.  Wondering about world affairs?  There are local and national papers available to peruse, plus popular and scientific magazines galore.  No matter what the question or curiosity, the library can help you discover it.

Don’t forget that in today’s technological age, the library is certainly more than your physical books too.  Most carry Books on Tape or CD, and VHS tapes and DVDs to check out (remember that this is all for free!) 

WORKOUT VIDEOS:  PERFECT FOR MISSION QUANTUM LEAP!

I’m a recent audiobook convert, having discovered just how quickly that long road trip goes by when having that Book on CD coming at me over my car stereo.  Also, those of you with e-readers don’t despair!  Many libraries now have online components that allow you to check out e-books directly to your e-reader!  There’s even some where you can download music and audiobooks directly to your iPod or other MP3 player.  In addition to this, you’ll more than likely have online access to multiple databases that can provide relevant information for almost all of your research needs.  

Your local library is also a great place to discover the past.  Many have local history collections as well as genealogy sections.  These collections can have items written by local authors and historians which can give you a great insight into the area you’re residing.  And many libraries will have some, if not all of the copies of the local paper on microfilm/fiche or digitized on a computer.  Looking through those can be quite amusing especially seeing an ad where a loaf of bread costs 5¢.  My how times have changed!

LOOK:  used magazines on sale for little or nothing!

Parents will discover a wealth of items to help them out from even before their kids are born: books on decorating a baby’s room, the expectant mother, what new dad’s can look forward to, etc.  And then as they get older there are books on making your own baby food, creating outfits and toys, and much more.  Don’t forget that there’s an entire section in the library dedicated to kids!  The Children’s area of your local library will house items for all ages, usually divided into the specific ages too; board books for those tiny ones, easy readers for those just discovering reading, and so on.  There are the popular authors in the fiction section like Judy Blume and Dr. Seuss but there’s also a dedicated kids nonfiction area where they can learn about everything from building kites to what medieval knights wore to how to keep their pet tarantula alive.

There you will also find DVDs or VHS tapes dedicate to kids, plus audiobooks and music CDs – again great for those long trips.  In addition to this you may also find great resources for any homeschooling.  Items to help your kids with their math or reading skills, language tapes and videos to encourage bilingualism, puzzles to help with shape recognition and dexterity.  And don’t forget the summer reading programs or the dedicated weekly storytime that the librarians provide.  The list just goes on and on.

Libraries have also recognized the need to provide a space for tween’s and teen’s and so have dedicated YA (Young Adult) areas.  In some libraries there may even be a lounge type space where they can kick back and read the next Hunger Games installment or the latest Manga or other Graphic Novel.  There are even libraries that have video games and/or consoles available to be checked out.  Plus, many of them have developed Teen Councils, where teens can get involved in various programs provided and help guide what the YA area should be collecting.  And once your teen turns 16 the library is also a great place for a first job – far away from the greasiness that comes from working in a fast food chain (I wish I’d known about this when I was younger!)

I know what you’re thinking.  There can’t possibly be more, can there?  Well, there is.  Libraries also provide free internet time for those without a computer and there’s usually Wi-Fi capability as well.  This works great for those who are job hunting (‘cause almost all applications are done online now) but because of budgetary reasons can’t get internet access at home.  And some libraries even provide free classes to the public on topics like job hunting in the digital age, basic computing skills, genealogy, blogging, web research, etc.

And if you can’t find it at your library, then just ask the librarian if he/she can get it for you.  If the item you want is currently checked out to someone else, they can place you on the Reserve list so that when the item comes back in you’ll be in line to get it right away, or if the library doesn’t own the item you can request it through ILL (Interlibrary Loan) which means they’ll send off to another library for the item or you can even recommend that your local library purchase an item you’d like for its permanent collection.

Libraries can also come in handy when you’re housecleaning or moving!  If you’ve got books/tapes/magazines/CDs/DVDs you’re looking to get rid of but don’t have the heart to throw them away, then the library is another place you can look to for donating items.  Just call up your library to see if they’ll take them.  Anything deemed in great shape that fits with the library’s collection will go on the shelves and all other items will go in the Book Sale area.  This is a great place to pick up secondhand books, etc., as most will be available for less than $1.  That’s right…less than ONE DOLLAR!  And all the money goes right back to the library so that it can continue to provide great service to your community.

I’ve talked mostly about what your local public library can provide, but keep in mind that libraries are found most everywhere: hospitals, schools, law firms, government facilities, military bases, museums, universities…I even know of a few zoo’s that have libraries!  Each place provides a great FREE service to the community in which they’re based.  Lawyers use them to consult on precedents before trials, doctors have access to the latest articles on treatments and diseases through the hospital library, and your local School Media Center helps to teach kids about information literacy which allows them to not only know the proper way to research but what’s valid or not.

And let’s not forget the people involved in all of this.  I may be a little bit biased, but I’m pretty sure librarians are some of the most awesome people you’ll meet.  They have an innate curiosity and relish the opportunity to help you find what you most desire without judgment or prejudice.  They can answer your questions face-to-face, via e-mail, phone, chat, or even in some places via text.  If you need an answer, from the names of the original cast of Dukes of Hazzard to the batting average of Babe Ruth to the history of the Crimean War, they’re the people to talk to.  Librarians are also big on creative innovations, adding unique collections to their space for the public to check out, such as acoustic guitars so that music lovers can learn to play or practice to their hearts delight or a variety of baking pans so that you can create that awesome Cookie Monster birthday cake your kid really wants.  I’ve even heard of libraries partnering with local gardening groups or centers to provide a Seed library so that people can create their own flower and/or vegetable garden at home.  The possibilities are endless!

The library can be whatever you want it to be: research vessel, kid’s entertainment, culinary school, etc.  But no matter what you use it for, the most important thing to remember for the thrifty mindset is that it’s free!  So do your wallet a favor and check out your local library today.

Thanks Reagen for your library expertise!  WOMS—it’s like shopping for free!  CHECK IT OUT!