A New Look for the Efficient ____.

So, I am trying a new thing on this site, and thought for the sake of efficiency, what if everything was black and white and basic, so the photos popped and the text stood out for its accents and size?

This is what that looks like.  And this ---> is what a photo will look like in the new design.  And this is what my supper the other day looked like.  If you haven't tried to make your own miso soup yet, I highly recommend it.  It is quick, easy, and tasty, and the ingredients aren't much to afford if you go to your local Asian market.  Which I recommend you do for other things as well, if you like saving money.

But I am getting off point.  This is the new design, and I will see how I and anyone else that cares to comment feels about it as I go.

And just to offer options, I may try more black titles in the photos, for comparison.  What do you think?

A New Phone in Yogurtland...

So, this will be my first post written on my new smart phone,

So much for less plastic or 'new' things in my life.

But yeah, D went and bought me a new phone (on sale for $40 bucks at Best Buy, an older model but so much better than what I had.)

I figure a smarter smart phone will let me avoid purchasing a tablet for a while, as my laptop is going fine 3 years later, and the phone should do everything a tablet can on a small screen.




Even better, D took me out to Yogurtland for frozen yogurt afterwards!  It was all a late birthday gift, since I didn't tell him what I wanted in a timely fashion before my birthday (which was 2 months ago.)

I must say, that I was impressed with the overall atmosphere of the Yogurtland place.  It was like so many places on the TV shows where chic people sit and enjoy their dominion over specialty treats.  Bright colors, oodles of options, and everything charged by the ounce.  How much more American can a place get?  The yogurt itself was delicious, and came in flavors as benign as Dutch Chocolate and as intense as Cheesecake and Red Velvet.

 The calories per ounce ranged between 25 an ounce for the "No Sugar Added" variations to 40 an ounce for some of the more 'rich' flavors.  Pretty healthy when compared to the toppings, which ranged from 15-25 for fruit and 140-200 for richer and fattier things like nuts and chocolate.  So, if you stuck with the fruit toppings (instead of, say, the Butterfinger bits) you could keep the yogurt treat down to 60-75 calories per ounce.   I enjoyed some chocolate/strawberry/cheesecake mixed frozen yogurt with strawberries and raspberries.  I ended up with about 4 ounces, so a lot more than a snack, but D and I had salads for lunch and neither of us were hungry enough for supper, so I guess it all balances out.  Overall it was a good day!  Look how happy my D is!  Not happy I was taking his picture with my new phone, but happy, overall!

Public Transport Tried and Skewed

I had a short term job on the campus of the big college (ASU) in Tempe, AZ.  The job didn't pay for or validate any parking, though.  The first week I drove, not knowing much about the public transport.  I woke up, drove 45 minutes to Tempe and paid $8 to park for the day (the cheapest parking I could find), and then walked 1500 steps to the actual job site.  For many reasons, I was not happy with this.

My alternative was public transport.  So for the next week, I went and bought 4 day passes at $4 each.  My new routine develeped.  I woke up, walked just past my community's gate, caught a bus to the light rail, took light rail to campus and walked 2000 steps to the job site.  Thank you Valley Metro Public Transport.  

I didn't mind it.  It was actually kinda comfortable to sit back and just ride after I figured out the schedule.  That is, until the monsoon season reared up and started doing funky things to the weather.  And until I realized that the express buses charged extra (discovered when I was trying to board an express bus.)  But all these are learning experiences.  At least, that is what my inner-cheapskate kept telling me.

Here is an overall breakdown of my experiences with public transport (and AZ weather) from Mesa, AZ to ASU Campus, Tempe, AZ.

::Valley Metro Public Transportation Instead of Driving::

Cons: 

• Schedules pre-determined and set.
• Passes had to be pre-purchased for $4 rate.
• Certain aspects out of your control (late buses, full train cars, etc.)
• Wait times between transit stops spent outdoors- which sucks in the rain.
• Some long walking distances between transit point and final location. 
• Took 30 minutes longer each way than driving same route. 

Pros:

• $6.50 a day not spent to achieve transport (which would be more the farther you have to go.)
• A gallon of gas not burned and no waste/wear to rubber tires, engine, roads, etc.  
• Healthier active lifestyle achieved with walking.  
• Time in transit was more enjoyable as I could read, type, or talk on phone.
• Met friendly people and noticed things not observed while driving.

::Four Days of Public Transit::

Monday:  

Uneventful sunny and warm trip to work.  However, I discovered on the return trip that the new line had just opened and the 'end of the line' was 4 miles closer to my home - which is good.  However, the last stop of the light rail came in right as the bus I needed left.  So I waited for the next bus.  When I boarded the next bus to come by, my pass wouldn't scan.  I realized I was on the Express bus, which only stopped at select intersections for a faster transport.  One of those select intersections wasn't much farther than my bus stop to home, so I rode the bus instead of waiting for another 20 minutes outside in the heat for a local bus,  The bus driver let me get on, even though my pass card gave a read error.  It was only writing this post that I realize my card didn't scan because Express buses cost an extra $2.50 a day.  I say a little thank you to that bus driver, as he could have told me to take a hike, quite literally, but he just let me get home.  

Tuesday:  

I brought my umbrella on Tuesday because it looked like it would storm.  I ended up using it as a shade umbrella walking back to the train because it was unbearably hot and sunny.  I did, while walking, see more sewer squirrels, as noted in this photo from my car window on my first day at work (when I drove).

Wednesday:  

I had to walk double time to get to the station and in the train before the cloud of dust rolled over me.  Dust storms are pretty common this time of year, and I realized how much I took for granted driving my car through these when others are stuck outside waiting for a bus.  I got home before the heavy rains hit.

Thursday:  

I was gonna bring my umbrella, then said, nah, it's another hot and sunny day.  And it was.  Until 3:50pm, 10 minutes before I got off work.  Then the thunder and lightening started going off and the heavens opened up.  I put all my 'keep dry' items in a plastic shopping bag, tied it shut, and got absolutely drenched getting back to the light rail.  The first train that came was so full it wouldn't let anyone else on.  So all of us on the platform shivered and waited another 20 minutes for the next train to arrive.  I stood in the packed train car, slipping on the water that pooled around everyone's feet.  I was cold and wet and not comfortable.

::Over All Experience::

For all my trouble and transport, I saved myself from driving 28 miles every day (which is about a gallon of gas), avoided wear and tear to my vehicle, pocketed $4 a day by not parking, and got my exercise in.  I don't think I could do public transport to any but the obviously easy routes, as my joints and lungs didn't like the longer hikes, but I was definitely glad the public transport system was available to me for the duration of this job.  I didn't have any trouble with the people on the bus and even met some nice folks and shared in some laughs and conversations.  I also got some reading and writing done.  Overall, I enjoyed the experience, but plan to never be caught without my umbrella again.

RePurpose: Desk Organizer = Bathroom Organizer

I had houseguests coming, and I realized I didn't have a damnable thing in the guest bath for them to use.  I dug around and found some hotel shampoos, conditioners, and lotions.  I selected the nicest matching towels from my modest collection.  I then realized I should find some storage item for their things in the bathroom.  I looked around the house, and while I considered using some drink glasses I came across a small desk organizer.  Hmmm...

Perfect!  A place for Q tips, a spare nail clipper, and a place for their razor, toothbrush, small toothpaste and hair brush as well as any small items like hair clips/hair ties.  Goes to show, necessity is the mother of invention.  Now to find those matching bed sheets...

The War On Fruit Flies

Once upon a time, we had fruit flies.  They were IMPOSSIBLE.  Never so many to make you gag, but enough to really, really annoy you in the kitchen.  I think they were breeding somewhere down my kitchen sink, but nothing I poured down there killed them entirely, and nothing else appeared to be attracting them.  So, we started our attack.

Warfare Tactics Tried:

1.  The shot glass with vinegar.

Premise:  Attracted to fermentation, the fruit flies dip down for a sip, and drown in the swill.

Actuality:  Attracted to fermentation, the fruit flies buzzed around the glass, had a drink on me, and one or two fell in.

2.  The vacuum.

Premise: A fruit fly can not fly faster than the force of suction from a Dirt Devil stick vacuum.

Actuality:  A fruit fly can outmaneuver all but the most direct affronts from a vacuum.  However, watching your boyfriend chase fruit flies through the kitchen with a vacuum is PRICELESS.

3.  Spritz and wipe.

Premise: Wet the fruit fly down with spray bottle of vinegar while cleaning, then squish with rag.

Actuallity: Try wet the fruit fly down enough to prevent flying, then attempt to squish with rag while two more flies buzz by your head.



After these tactics failed, we came across the tactic that won the war!

4.  The paper funnel in a jar.

Premise:  Attracted to a bit of fruit or fermenting thing in the jar, the fruit fly travels down the funnel and is unable to find the opening again, so is trapped.

Actually:   Attracted to a bit of fruit or fermenting thing in the jar, the fruit fly cautiously travels down the funnel and is usually unable to find the opening again.  They are trapped, but they are not dead, and releasing them or killing them is a hassle.

How To Assemble Your Own Deadly Fruit Fly Trap- 

Find skinny mouthed, fairly deep jar (I used a spaghetti sauce jar).  Place piece of banana in bottom of jar.  Take a piece of paper, curl into funnel,  and tape the funnel to the lip of the jar's mouth to ensure no escapes.  Wait for the bodies to gather.

And... Getting Rid of the Bodies

I ended up pouring in vinegar, dumping in some baking soda and covering the hole, effectively knocking them out from the CO2 level.  While they were unconscious, I swilled them around in the jar and flushed them down the toilet.  Not the gentlest, no, but it was winter and I wanted them gone quick.  Other ways of disposing them would be to set the whole jar outside (where it won't attract attention) and let them freeze/cook/dehydrate to death, or setting them free (you know who you soft-hearted folks are) far from your house.

I am much more aware of my kitchen and any ripe items in it after having dealt with fruit flies that wouldn't leave. If I see one today, I will stop at nothing to kill it immediately.  

Ever had fruit flies?  How did you stop the infestation?  Let me know!


(Photo of fruit fly on leaf, "Drosophila" by Muhammad Mahdi Karim (www.micro2macro.net) Facebook Youtube - Own work. Licensed under GFDL 1.2 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Drosophila.jpg#/media/File:Drosophila.jpg)

Russians Hunger While Food Is Wasted

Due to Russia's President Putin enforcing the destruction of banned products originating from Europe and the US, 350 tons of food were burned and squished, so no one could use it.

Imagine 350 tons of food.  That is 700,000 pounds of sustenance.  One (hungry) person's average meal weighs about 1.5 pounds.  So, 350 tons of food would roughly equate to 466,666 meals.

 Photo: (Handout)

  

These facts become rather sobering when combined with the additional fact of 22.9 million people living in poverty in Russia.   Alleviating poverty is a serious issue for the administration of President Vladimir Putin, but helping the impoverished eat is apparently not as important as upholding bans on European and US goods.  Those bans were made in retaliation to European and US government sanctions against Russia last year because of Russia's actions regarding Crimia and Ukraine.  So, because our government and their government disagree, almost half a million impoverished Russians lost out on a good meal.  It is sad.  The companies that brought the food in would have been just as punished if they had to hand the 'contraband' over to the food banks without making a profit, rather than the food being publicly destroyed.  And the bans would have been seen to be in effect, allowing the government to continue to thumb its nose at Western sanctions.  But, in this myopic and destructive world, everyone gets to lose.

On a side note, I just hope all the people that were incensed by the obvious waste of those 350 tons of food by Russian government don't look too closely at how US and European countries waste food.  Some statistics have consumers in North America (and Europe) wasting about 209 to 253 pounds of food per person every year.  With the US population of 318 million or so, that would mean about 110,210 tons of food are wasted every day in the US.  Even though it isn't as blatant and punitive as Russia's destruction of 'contraband' food stuffs, waste is waste, and we should all be getting upset by it.  Here is hoping the governments of all the world's countries start worrying about saving food instead of saving face.  

Frugal Furniture Fun: Magazine Rack

The Challenge:

This week's project was found at a rummage sale.  It is a circa 1970's magazine holder, made in Taiwan.  I bought it for a $1.50.  It is made of some solid wood strips and some plywood with veneer.  The  dark stained veneer was worn in places, and the poly coat was crackling in a not-so-pretty distressed fashion.  The plywood bottom had warped a little, separating from the wood center slat that keeps the magazine to the left and right.  One bottom corner of the end piece had some chipping, with little pieces of the center ply missing.

The Plan:

I wanted to make this something for our living room, which is black and brown and modern. I decided to at least give it a coat of glossy black paint.  I am still deciding on how I want to add some copper accents to the piece, but the black paint is enough to make it work well in the house.

The Work:

The simple design is a bit dated to woodworking hobbyists in the '70's, as the wood finials that screwed onto the ends held the entire thing together.  This made for super easy refinishing, though, as 10 finials unscrewed let all of the pieces separate from each other.  The screws were in great condition, no rust.  I took wood putty and filled in the gap of the center piece at the bottom and the bottom end corner that had chipped.  I sanded the putty down once dry, and lightly sanded the entire piece to give the paint something to adhere to.  As I was using spray paint, I didn't work too hard at the sanding, though should have, as one spot I had to sand again and apply a 2nd and 3rd layer of paint, because it had a waxy residue that repelled the spray paint.  So, I have a little 'paint blob' in that area.  Live and learn.  I should have found toothpicks and properly spray painted the finials while they were suspended, but as I plan to 'dress' them up with some copper accents, I didn't worry too much about the even-coatedness.

The Result:

This is the end result of the high gloss black spray paint treatment.

I'll make sure to post if/once I get the copper accents done up!

Gift Giving: "Injured and Immobile" Gift Basket

Complete List of Possible Contents For::  

"Injured and Immobile" Gift Basket

Entertainments:

Magazines of their interest
Books of their interest, or gift card for eBooks if they are an eReader/tablet user
Bookmarks
Puzzle books, either word find/crossword/sudoku
"150 Ways To Play Solitaire" Book, or similar rules/variations book
Deck of cards
Silly Putty, or any tactile toy to fiddle with (Rubrix cube, Slinky, etc)

Comfort:

Back scratch-er
Fuzzy socks w/sticky bottoms - provide warmth, and allowed in hospitals (they need to be sticky.)
Earplugs  - provide something to put them in when not in use if they didn't come with one
Eye mask
Cough drops - coughing after surgery hurts, because it tenses your whole body
Lotion
Chapstick
Any favorite or basic 'snacking' items
Any favorite beverages
Tea bags or coffee, and if you know they are on a couch and move it there, a gallon of water for the brewer.
Soft pillowcase (great for cold weather)
Heating pads
Large water pitcher (though often provided by the hospital)
Ice Packs - (see here to make your own).

Practical:

Notepad w/pens
Eyeglass/Device Screen Cleaner w/microfiber rag - don't let smudges accumulate
Roll of quarters - for them or visitors to hit the candy machine if needed
Lightweight extension cord and/or strip- for keeping their devices within reach while charging
Reading light, like an LED battery lamp

Keeping Clean and Tidy:

Kleenex- pocket sized packs small enough to pocket for the random sniffle/spill/etc.
Hair ties
Handkerchief for hair
Dry Shampoo - good when not showering
Small hair brush
Small mirror
Breath mints
Metal tweezer/clipper/cuticle kit - also practical, as having little 'tools' at hand's reach can prove useful for many reasons.
Hand sanitizer - because you can't get up and wash your hands
Clorox wipes - keeping clean without the sink and suds.

Container Ideas:

Wicker Baskets - if bought used, wash and thoroughly dry
Paper covered cardboard boxes
Plastic bins/baskets
Tin cans
Buckets
Mugs/Coffee cups/water pitchers
Trash can
Paper bags
Any container works, so long as the stuff fits, you can make it clean, and bonus points to you if it is either re-used/re-purposed and reusable!


Did I miss anything?  Have any good ones to add?  Let me know in the comments!

Gift Giving: Three Steps to Make the Perfect Gift Bag

So, my neighbor and good friend went in for knee replacement surgery.  I wanted to get her a care package/gift bag because she is just such a great person and I wanted to make the hospital stay a little less taxing.  Not having a lot of cash on hand, I used this 3 step process to put together a fun yet affordable package to see her through.  Consider these 3 steps whenever you have to put together a gift for someone to reduce consumption, spending, and stress!

1.  Shop the House.

We all end up with 'extras' of things, either items we didn't use from gifts, samples we didn't try, or multiples that we bought and haven't used yet (if we ever will).  These can be used to plump up gifts to others and promote those items to actually get used.  Make sure anything you gift (or re-gift) is sanitary/sanitized (especially for a get-well gift, as they are already having health issues!)  It should also look in mint or near new condition to follow gift-giving custom.  Some items you can simply take out of multi-packs and re-wrap in smaller quantities (like sponges, hair ties, etc.)

2.  Make Your Own.

Many items can be made from household items depending on what the gift bag occasion is.  For example, someone with a sprain may like a homemade gel ice pack, while someone getting eye surgery may enjoy some burned CD's of music or audio pod casts.  I made for my friend a homemade 'dry shampoo' of cornstarch and cocoa powder, since she wouldn't be getting a shower for a little while.  Look online for unique gifts to make as well as ideas for packaging/wrapping of these special creations.

3.  Shop the Rest - Efficiently.  

Whenever spending money, you should make sure you are getting the quality of item you require for an acceptable amount of cash.  For any gift, you should know what the person really values so if you spend a lot of money, you can make sure it is on those things (for example, someone who loves an expensive brand of nail polish would love a new color and probably would not notice other things in the bag not being name brand or brand new.)  Not everything needs to be brand new, but always use common sense.  I ended up at the thrift store and saw the perfect book for someone about to be bed-bound for 2 weeks - "150 Ways To Play Solitaire".  Other items you may find at thrift store that can be properly cleaned up would be containers, special dishes (like coffee thermoses), linens, stuffed animals, or anything easily washable in hot water that looks in good shape.  For many gift baskets, the convenience of an item being disposable is part of the gift, so things like disposable ear plugs, wet wipes, or little bags of Kleenex should find their way in the bag.  For these items, the Dollar Store provides the 'throw away' quality that gets the job done for a reasonable price.  For those high-dollar quality items, like a special lotion or name-brand toy, look for sales, coupons, and do some price comparisons before making the purchase.

And Other Notes:

Following these 3 steps, I put together a very nice gift bag for $10 bucks.  I was going to make it prettier, but when I gathered all the stuff together, there was so much that I ended up just delivering it 'as is', and let her discover things as she dug in.

For whatever the gift bag occasion, look online for ideas of things to include.  I put together the full list of possibilities I considered in my "Injured and Immobile Gift Basket Contents".  I based much of this list on things I'd heard and read people had wished they had in the hospital, as well as things I wish I had had the first week I was laid out with a broken leg.  I'd say include one or two 'big ticket' or expensive items that the person really wants or needs, and think small and practical for the rest.

Also, remember who you are giving it to you and customize it to them.  In some ways, my gift basket was incomplete, like it including hair ties and dry shampoo, but no brushes.  This is because I knew she had plenty of brushes, yet never seemed to have a hair tie on hand.  Consider the person, not just the occasion.  When the gift bag fits the person so uniquely, the person feels unique.

Curious what made it in this bag?  Here's a list:

From the House:
Magazines - all 3 had just arrived in my mail box (see my post, "Getting Free Magazines".)
Earplugs - new in the bag, from a box of 100 I bought when I played in a metal band
Notepad - re-gifted from the voluminous stack my mom sends me every year
Pens - from the pen drawer (please make sure each pen works and has lots of ink)
Hair Ties - from a new pack I just opened, tied up with a scrap of ribbon
Bag of cough drops - the 2nd untouched bag from a BOGO deal
BB&B Lotion- re-gifted Secret Santa item (too strong of scent for me!)
Silly Putty Toy  - re-gifted gag gift that continues to make people smile
Deck of Cards - an extra from a 2 pack that was never opened
Card holder - a travel soap container that works perfect for holding cards

Made It Myself:
Bottle for Ear Plugs - I cleaned out a bottle and labeled it "CR's Ear Plugs", so she had a place to put the ear plugs to stay clean and not get thrown out/lost right away.

Dry Shampoo Powder - just cornstarch and cocoa powder (as she has darker hair), with a little mint essential oil to smell pretty, put in a spice jar with shaker lid/cap.  I warned her she would smell of hot chocolate after its use.

Purchased from the Thrift Store:
"150 Ways To Play Solitaire" Book, 50% off day, cost $0.50.

Purchased from the Dollar Store:
Back scratch-er
Fuzzy socks w/sticky bottoms (hospital requirement)
Eye mask
Eyeglass/Device Screen Cleaner w/microfiber rag
Kleenex-pocket sized
Metal tweezer/clipper/cuticle kit
Hand sanitizer
Clorox wipes
Purple Basket to stuff it all in.

There are a multitude of ways I could have spent even less, such as sewing my own eye mask, making my own hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes, or carving my own back scratcher (gift someone a stick from outside and see what they say, hah!) However, with the time I had, I put together a basket that was happily received.

Remedies:: Homemade Ice Pack

When something hurts, you want to make it stop hurting as quick as possible.  Often, this can be accomplished by an ice pack.  But if the ouch is somewhere, say, rounded, a solid chunk of ice isn't easy to position.  Instead of breaking out the bag of peas, here is a cheap DIY option for a gel pack that won't freeze solid but will provide the cold relief you are looking for - minus the mushy peas. 

Ingredients: 

2 cups water.

1/2 cup rubbing alcohol

2 plastic baggies with zipper tops

Dish towel (or t shirt, any cloth material works)

How to assemble:

Fill one baggie with water and rubbing alcohol.  Zipper it up tight.  Set it inside the second baggie.  Zipper that up tight.  Place in the freezer.  If it still seems to freeze too solid, let it melt, add a little more alcohol, and re-freeze.  If you REALLY want to make sure it doesn't leak, I'd recommend letting the outside dry fully, then running a bead of pure silicone along the zipped up zipper and gently pressing it closed until silicone dries.  A little more cost, but prevents the possible leakage from opening.  If you want to make a good seal but don't have silicone on hand, using a hot knife or wood burner to melt shut the end flaps is another option, but it stinks and won't be as secure.

To Use: 

Wrap the slushy frozen baggie in a towel (so no ice is directly against the skin) and place over aching, sprained, swollen or pained area of body.  If desired, take a bandage wrap and wrap ice pack and towel against the body part to free up hands.  

Finding Music:: Quick and Easy Listening

To relax, work, and play, I rely on music.  I have a terrabyte of music on an external hard drive I've accumulated over years.  However, I have yet to sort through it all and rarely have the hard drive hooked up to the computer, so what I actually can listen to is pretty limited.  So, while I put off the project of sorting my stored music, for any of my day to day music needs, I get by using the following tricks.

Let me just note, being a musician, I don't mind paying for music when I know the proceeds support the musicians.  However, I know many bands that make more money off t-shirt sales than album sales after everyone gets their cut, so I make sure to support the bands I fall in love with as best I can, and enjoy as much music as I can (legally) access.

Online Streaming Music - 

While everyone is familiar with Pandora, most also know it has gotten very commercial (and quite full of commercials).  Grooveshark was a good site, but legalities with how they got their music brought them down.  I myself have moved along to Jango for browser fed streaming music.  With Jango, you enter an example of what you want to hear, and it creates a 'similar' playlist. So far, the visual ads on the page seem to explode on the screen, but there aren't as many audio ads between the songs for Jango (about 1 ad for every 3-5 songs, versus Pandora's 1 ad every 2-3 songs).  Also, there is no sign up, so you just go to the website, enter the artist/title, and let it play.  Even with the irksome ads, it is nice to not have to sort through music on a harddrive, and ads are just the cost of free without legal ramifications.

Also, if I am more in a radio play mode, I will look up online radio stations like National Public Radio (NPR) or 365 Internet Radio.  These have ads too, but often also have some real people playing DJ or discussion leader, which is a nice change from the all-computer-algorithms of most music sites.

When I Need That One Song Downloaded - 

Now, as I said, I pay for music when I know the band benefits, but many times, I don't have time to buy or I simply don't even want to own the song but need it anyway (e.g. learning a song for my band that I don't like listening to.) For these moments, I often use a simple-ish two step process:

1. I go find the song I need on Youtube - checking to make sure it is the version I want.
2. I go to FLVTO, where I enter the share address of that Youtube video, hit 'convert', and the website strips the video and creates a little MP3 audio file.

Remember, this is completely by-passing the artists getting anything for their work (along with their greedy record company execs, producers and managers).  If you do this too often, more and better music becomes even harder to find as less gets produced.  Keep it in mind - support music artists as you can.

To Obtain Full CD's or Collections-

Photo courtesy of
Wikipedia Commons, User: Arbitrarily0

When I want a lot of an artist or a type of music genre, I go to the local library.  Well, libraries in my case - I am a member of 3 different ones in my area (city, county, and metro area.)  They have CD's on location, or you can request almost anything through an Inter-Library Loan from other libraries.  You can put the CD's in your laptop and rip right to your computer as needed.  This is great for trying new stuff, because if you don't like the artist, you aren't out any money.  They also have some good 'mix up' collections and movie soundtracks that have a fun variety of artists on one disc.

Explore New Stuff-

You will encounter new stuff eventually listening to online streaming audio from any of the sites listed above.  However, it is sometimes hard to focus on when the new stuff plays as you usually are doing something else while listening.  So, I also recommend you check out your library's online options for sites where you can download new audio files daily or weekly and listen to things for free.  Or, just pull some of those wacky looking CD cases off the library shelf and give them a listen.

Photo of Smokin Roads, my band!

Don't forget local talent!  Ask your friends or check out the local music and events newspaper in your area to read up on up and coming groups and new sounds.  You can support the bands best by going to their shows, and often can buy their CD's if you like them right from the musical hands that made them - AND get your copy signed!



I also will simply add this site's List of Apps and Stuff to Find New Music.  They did an awesome and in-depth coverage of other tech-based programs and apps that seem really cool.

Happy listening!

DIY Wall Art: $2 Faux-Box Butterflies

Materials Needed:
3D stickers of butterfly ($1 at Dollar Tree)
Thick picture frame ($1 at Dollar Tree, or $1-5 at thrift stores/department stores.)
Glue Runner ($4.50 for 4 pack of glue runners using 50% coupon at Hobby Lobby)
Scrapbook Paper / Cardstock (.10 - 1.20 sheet at craft stores)

Tools Used:
Craft Knife ($3.00 carving set at 99center
Paper Slicer ($5.00 using 50% coupon at Hobby Lobby)

Details for making this project:

I was wandering a Dollar Tree in a different part of town and found the neatest stickers.  These little butterflies had plastic flappy wings and really nice color details, and each of the 8 stickers was completely different from the others.  Bonus: they came in four different colors!  So I bought one of each (the two pictured at left are the ones I haven't framed yet).

I walked the aisles of the Dollar Store and only found one picture frame that had a 'shadow box' design to it, though it said "Congrats".  On getting it home, I had to cut off the "Congrats" with a craft knife (I think I can use the letters on a grad gift or grad card next grad season.)

To make my butterflies fit, I had to enlarge the opening of the paper mat by 1/2" all the way around.  I'll have to take more photos and do a step by step, but the jist of cutting into matting is to:

1) use a paper slicer with sliding blade that is sharp and tall enough to cut through fully,
2) line up the matting to the same measurement line for every side,
3) use a sharp tipped craft knife to touch the corners together, rather than risk over-cutting with the paper slicer.


I found the other picture frame I used at a Goodwill Store (it was on sale half off and cost $1.) After some deliberation, I just used some glue runner from my craft stash to adhere the stickers to the outside of the glass. The result was very 3D, and because the wings are plastic the thing can still be wiped off to keep clean.  I will eventually add a bit of scrapbook paper behind the butterflies and glass once I decide on a color/design.

Other frame ideas for the person not wanting to accumulate picture frames second-hand or modify the cheap Dollar Tree frame:

• IKEA (RIBBA Frame, black 8 1/2" x 11") for $5 each.  Maybe you could even add some spacers of white foamboard to drop the matting back to allow the stickers to be under the glass.

• Walmart has these smaller 5"x7" frames from Better Homes and Gardens.  A four pack is on sale for $15.00. Though these frames are too small to have the butterflies sit inside the 3"x5" matting, just white paper behind the glass and the butterflies in front complete the bug box look. You could also try slicing the matting larger, or buying thinner matting and saving these 5x7 outside mats for other frames/projects.

PINTEREST ALERT:  If you are digging the butterfly look on the wall but can't find the stickers, check out some Pinterest boards with great ideas, such as Butterfly Wall  or All Butterfly Wall Decor.

PREVENT CLUTTER:: make sure you have the wall space picked out before you create these - cheap art is worthless if it doesn't get put up.  With a living room full of nature items on shelves, my framed butterflies will 'flit' right in.  However, if your walls are full, figure out what you'll take down and move out first, so you don't have your pretty pictures accumulate dust in a corner, unseen.

Come and Watch: the Efficient ____.

Welcome to my latest and greatest blog where I will be recording my thoughts, my actions, and my sincere if overly hopeful goals.  All this in an attempt to provide some tidbits that may help you in your life.  I'm going to set this up a bit like cable TV, so I can post on a variety of topics like on different channels, and you can scroll through and just catch the ones that interest you.

the Efficient _____.  

TV GUIDE

101 Home & Garden

                  Everyone wants home to be special, and with shows like "Efficient Home Ops", "Grow It Now", "This Old Room", and more, you can find ways to efficiently and afford-ably make your home what you want!

102 Cooking Real Food 

                  With all the food we have access to everyday, it is crazy to realize the majority can be made from home with basic ingredients.  Tune in to "the Efficient Cook" to find ways to make real food into real good meals real fast.  "Make Your Own Groceries" shows you how to create many of the food items you love, with even better ingredients, without paying what the store charges you.

103 Group Activities

                  Getting out and interacting with people, from a date to a dinner party or board games with friends, is what keeps you connected to the real world.  Check out "Games We Play" for the latest drinking games, back yard party games, children's games, and board and card game fun!   "Whatcha Wanna Wear" is a fashion guide for all the different daily activities we find ourselves in.  "Date Night" offers a buffet of ideas for how to make a special day or night with your someone special.  "Rants, Raves, and Reviews" covers personal opinions on places to go and people to see in the East Valley.

104 In The News

                    With so many things happening across the globe, it is hard to process any of it in a meaningful way.  Whether national headlines or backyard fluff stories, this is a personal response to news that comes across the desk of the Efficient ____. 

105 Zero Waste Initiative

                    A better world is not bought and sold - it is used over and over again, recycled and turned into something new, with nothing wasted and nothing left wanting.  "No More Plastic" goes over how to remove plastic from your daily life (and explains why you might want to).  "6 R's: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Recycle, Rot" explains how to develop a daily schedule that doesn't create trash.  "Minimalism Is In" explains how to develop a style of home where less is truly more.

106 Get Healthy

                  With so many health problems developed by seemingly healthy people in America and elsewhere, the country is in a state of fear - is there ANYTHING we can do to make a difference?  What 'healthy' activities, foods, or lifestyle changes are really beneficial, and which are cashing in American fears?  "Get Up" discusses physical motion and activities that get you moving.  "Chomp Chomp" reviews foods and recipes of foods that are good for you based on their wholesomeness and simplicity.  

107 Travel

         "What's Happening This Cheap" is for local Mesa, AZ, and it is covering events worth a venture at a good price. "Outta Here" is a collection of places visited and why you should or shouldn't go to them yourselves.