I’M JUST CURIOUS: Busy with First magazine

by Debbie Walker

If you have pennies, I am giving you ‘uses’ (they are not just for the piggy bank anymore). I have no idea who wrote these, but I knew it was time to pass them on to you, too.

Let’s say your little bird house has developed a leak in the roof. Use some strong glue to attach the pennies needed to keep your birds dry. (Not a fix I would have ever thought of.)

I make rice bags for my family and friends. A sock filled with rice, sew it closed and you have a rice bag. Put it in the freezer and when needed you have a comfortable cold pack. My great-granddaughter, Addi (3 years old now), calls Her’s a Cold, and I believe we are on or third or fourth generation now. They can develop a hole now and then.

In the First magazine, they mentioned putting pennies in a sock (in place of rice). Put a generous number of coins in a sock. The coins get very cold and will not melt and drip water. No mess.

Do you have fresh flowers, an arrangement brightens up most any room. Drop a penny dated before 1982 in the vase. Copper from the older coins kills wilt-causing bacteria, flowers stay healthy.

You might need to tighten a screw someday and not have a screwdriver handy. Insert a penny into the slot on top of the screw. It will fit into the slots of medium and a large flathead screw.

Do you get slugs in your garden? Place a circle of pennies (again before 1982) on the soil around the plant. The copper in the coins create a tiny electric shock on contact, so the critters will move along.

Rubbing alcohol uses:

If you overdid it spraying your new perfume you can dip a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and rub it over the area you sprayed. The alcohol will evaporate some of the fragrance oils.

How about some fire starters? These will help with campfires. Fill an empty glass jar with alcohol, drop a few wine corks inside then seal and store (away from fireplace). When you are ready toss a cork under the kindling and light as usual.

Suffer from motion sickness? Fortunately, I don’t but I read this in another First magazine. Keep a bottle of rubbing alcohol handy and as soon as you get feeling queasy, open the bottle, hold it close to your nose, then take a deep breathe. I was thinking maybe those little alcohol pads (at Walmart, Walgreens, etc.) would do the trick and take up less space.

Others:

Make your own Wipes – Layer coffee filters in a sealable container, pour in enough multi-surface cleaner to coat the filters then seal, Filters last longer than regular paper.

The janitors in the Corinna school I worked at knew when I had been in. I did most of the art/crafts and that usually meant some work done with colorful sprinkles! Kids loved it, janitors not so much. Then I introduced a new activity. I used those lint removers that are rolls of sticky, just peel off when it’s not picking up. Works like a charm and the kids loved dong it.

I’m just curious what you might like to share. I will be right here waiting for your ideas. Any ideas or questions or comments to DebbieWalker@townline.org. Have a great week.