In the spirit of Postcards from Yo Mamma (hi Doree!), I’m introducing a mini-installment of Emails from My Actual Grandma. Warning: The cuteness of what you are about to read may cause permanent damage to your eyeballs. Okay, it may not be baby pic cute (and I do want to get a montage of our Workman baby bonanza eventually–two more imminently on the way!), but pretty darn adorable, especially from my perspective.

Background: My grandmother appears in the book Be Thrifty, in a small but very VIP way. She’s feeling modest or something and didn’t want me to use her name–so for the purposes of this blog she will remain “My Actual Grandma.” (How’s that for a tease? Buy the book and see if you  can figure it out! Muhahahahahahha!)

Anyway, the point is, when her (yes, comp) copy of the book arrived, it started off a slow-building hurricane of thrifty activity. She’s already without a doubt the thriftiest person I know, but the book seems to have given her a newfound enthusiasm for the lifestyle. Basically, she’s pimpin’, thrifty style .

Right now the focus is decidedly on the cleaning section of the Home, Sweet Thrifty Home chapter.

Here she is on June 10th:

Hi, dear,

Am experimenting with soda and vinegar.
Even soda alone works wonders!  Also, the microwaving of lemons.
Love you,
Grandmother

I mean, the poetry of “Also, the microwaving of lemons”? But that’s just the beginning. Witness July 1:

Savannah, dear, I’m cleaning silver, sinks, tub, outside of frig with soda.  It’s so much more fun than using all those sprays.  And I had no idea it would even work on my everyday silver since I have only polished it once in eight years!!  Shame on me!

Love,
Grandmother

Yes, shame. Things are getting shocking. Plus, an addendum!

I want to get into some other chapters, but I really enjoy scrubbing the tub now.  I just look at it and smile!

More breaking news and smiles to come, but FYI, Abby Stokes, my grandma uses WebTV, and it’s really a lovely no-frills way for her to communicate with family (and high-school beaus!). Are you down with that, or opposed? Should she escalate?

Love you Grandma!

P.S. To share your thrifty tips, go here.

If you’ve always thought you need acres of land to grow vegetables, think again.  You don’t have to own a farm to have the satisfaction of producing the freshest vegetables imaginable. Try creating a raised bed for your veggies. A what? It’s a bed of improved soil that’s piled above ground level, about 8-12 inches high. If you’re just starting out, try a single bed measuring two feet by four feet. Just make sure that it gets at least eight hours of sunlight a day. Jenna Woginrich’s Made From Scratch gives helpful, easy-to-follow tips and advice for novice gardeners who want to try out their own raised bed this growing season…

Here are a few pointers to get started:

Rather than spending a lot of time digging up sod, mow the grass down to the nub and cover the space with several layers of newspaper or brown kraft paper.

Treat your raised bed like a giant container and fill with a mixture of half potting mix and half high-quality compost.

If you like, line the edges of your little garden with wooden planks, scrap wood or bricks…anything really (But keep away from pressure-treated wood, which leaches chemicals into the soil).

Plant seedlings that have been acclimated to the outdoors. To do this, take your seedlings outside for a few hours at a time until you can finally leave them out overnight on a sheltered porch. Water them with a gentle, but thorough, sprinkling.  You want the earth to stay moist but never be flooded.

Give plants some extra protection from sun, wind and cold those first few days they’re in the ground. Cover them with old baskets or a thin sheet for a day or two, until they’re used to their new digs.

Make sure your outdoor space is prepared for you to enjoy it! Put up a hammock or bring out some blankets and a book.

Whether you’re starting a new career, part of a new family stretching the dollar, or a recent graduate on an entry-level salary, staying on a budget can be hard. That’s why Be Thrifty by Pia Catton and Califia Suntree focuses on living better with less through countless tips, specific techniques, and learning quick fixes to prevent overpaying for help.  Learn how to save money around the house in the excerpt below.

I’m not one of those people who loves cleaning, although I wish I were! It’s no fun, and it can be confusing and costly to figure out which products to use. I’d already swapped my brand name cleansers for some bleach or ammonia (but never together) diluted with water in a spray bottle, but I kept seeing more and more delicious-smelling, but occasionally pricey, “green” cleaning products on the market, and amazing-sounding new technologies to clean faster and better than ever.

But this is where Be Thrifty swooped in and changed my cleaning style forever with…microfiber. That’s all! You can use it wet or dry, with no other cleaning products, it will disinfect and wipe up like a dream, and it can go straight into the washing machine and come out good as new.

As soon as I read this, I immediately went on a hunt for a microfiber mop, and while I wasn’t able to track one down at my local hardware store, I found a bunch of options online for less than $20. I scored a style with a terrycloth-like texture lime green mop head that I got to put into action this weekend and it was so easy to use, it actually was exciting. Yes, exciting!

I also bought a couple of extra mop heads, but it was extremely easy to rinse the mop head in the sink with a bit of castile soap (another Be Thrifty-inspired purchase) when it was dirty and I didn’t want to wait for the washer.  I also found dirt-cheap packages of microfiber cleaning cloths for other dirty jobs around the house. These were sometimes marketed for washing cars, but it worked wonders on the gross splatters all over my kitchen, picked up dust with ease, and was way more sanitary than the sponges I usually use in the bathroom, with no stinky bleach smell! The novelty of microfiber had me giddily scrubbing away at everything in sight and for the first time in my life I think I’ve run out of things to clean!

For more thrifty cleaning tips, and tons of other cost-saving tips, read our other Be Thrifty blog posts or pick up the book.

Close to a year ago, my colleague Savannah asked me for some help with the home-repair directions in what was then a book-in-progress, now the bona fide book Be Thrifty. My qualifications are not, shall we say, extensive. I can tell a Slotted screwdriver from a Phillips, and I rarely require more than four attempts to strike any given nail. So my edit process involved a trip to Home Depot’s website; some practice hammering; and an inspection of the various doors, windows, and fixtures around the office—what we like to call method editing.

The bonus of method editing (aside from the fact that it gets the job done) is that you truly learn while you edit. The next time I visited my parents’ house, rather than just jiggle the handle on our chronically running toilet, I was actually inspired to take a look inside the tank, diagnose the problem, and replace a faulty shutoff valve. (You’re welcome.)

More recently, I had an opportunity to strut my stuff when my downstairs neighbor, Kate, came up to ask if I could help her install a new doorknob. Step One: Remove the old knob. With no screws in sight, Kate had wedged a Slotted screwdriver between the plate and the door in an attempt to pry the whole thing apart. Poor Kate. Had I not read Be Thrifty, I, too, might have tried to rip the knob in half. But I knew we needed to release the internal spring catch, easily accomplished by pressing any narrow, sturdy tool into the small hole on the stem of the interior knob. I removed and replaced Kate’s doorknob in all of about five minutes, and walked away feeling highly self-satisfied, and yes, a little bit manlier.

P.S. Props to colleague and master editor Ruth Sullivan, the original method editor.

Having recently purchased a cream colored rug, and then promptly spilling a glass of red wine on it, I’m always looking for a quick rundown of stain removal tricks. I can never remember if you’re supposed to use warm or cold water, if vinegar sets stains or lifts, and if an ink spot means your shirt is heading for the trash can.  But, Pia Catton and Califia Suntree’s Be Thrifty gives easy tricks to get out commonly smudged, smeared, and spilled substances. My impractical-colored rug will thank me…

To prevent stains from sticking around for good, you need to be quick and targeted. The following formulas work on clothes, furniture and carpets, though each type of material will respond to different tricks in its own way.

Antiperspirant: Combine half a teaspoon dish detergent (or castile soap), a few drops of white vinegar, and a half-cup water. Press into the stain with a rag. Flush with water and blot.

Blood: Spit on it. It’s true—your own saliva is the best thing for getting your own blood out fast. Next line of defense: Soak the stained item in cold water mixed with a handful of salt, or apply equal parts ammonia and water with a sponge. Weirdly, bleach doesn’t work well on bloodstains.

Chocolate: Rinse the stain thoroughly, from the back if possible, with cold water.

Coffee: With a sponge, apply a mixture of half a teaspoon of white vinegar to 2 cups of cold water.

Gum: Freeze it by applying an ice cube to the gum. The frozen gum should break off.

Hair dye: Use a little shampoo—it gets it off your skin, and it should work on your clothes.

Ink: Gently massage some aerosol hairspray into the stain, then run it under cold water.

Makeup: Regular detergent should do the trick. First pretreat the stain with alcohol or a stain remover. (This should work on any grease.)

Red wine: Apply a little white wine if available. Then sprinkle liberally with salt (it absorbs) and rinse immediately, rubbing the stain out.

Sweat: Apply a mixture of water and baking soda or a few teaspoons of white vinegar. If this doesn’t work, soak in salt water.

Vegetable oil: Use a liquid dish detergent that cuts grease.

Wax: Scrape off what you can. Put a paper towel over the wax and iron until all the wax is absorbed.

When I was in eighth grade I bought an 18 oz. bottle of something called “chocolate crème body wash.” It smelled incredible but washing with it was like soaping up with a Jello-O pudding snack; I abandoned the crème after one vile chocolate-y shower.

My mother, however, despite declaring the stuff  “utterly revolting,” used that body wash until every drop was gone. Why? Because she couldn’t bring herself to pour a nearly full, “perfectly good” bottle of goo down the drain.  Each morning for six months my mother would shower, put on a fancy suit, and leave for work smelling like a stale cupcake.

At the time I thought she was nuts, but 15 years later I find that I truly am my mother’s daughter. April is around the corner and I’ve embarked on some aggressive spring cleaning. For others, that might mean purging, but for me it’s more like shuffling: organizing things I no longer want or need into little shopping bags (which I also hoard) and leaving them by the door to push upon departing visitors like creepy party favors.

My inability to throw out anything that I deem to be “perfectly good” has raised more than a few eyebrows (even as they walk away with a nice wine opener and slightly used dish rack), so imagine my thrill when I read the words of How to Be an Everyday Philanthropist author Nicole Bouchard Boles : “The stuff we’ve crammed into the nooks and crannies of our homes has enormous (unfulfilled) philanthropic potential.”

I knew it! I knew it! I was born for this kind of giving.

Behold the bounty that will be shipped off to benefit the greater good.

Look at all this perfectly good stuff!

Clockwise from left:  A: Electronic odds and ends, mysterious wires, used CDs, power cords to long lost electronics. For the cost of a $6.99 shipping label, GreenDisk will recycle and safely dispose of all your techno-trash.  B: Miscellaneous books. They’re heading off to New York’s Prisoners’ Reading Encouragement Project, a non profit that works in with prison libraries. C: Knitting supplies. I picked up knitting in the spring of 2002 and by the winter of 2003, the love affair was over.  These barely used needles and balls of yarn are going to a woman who mentors a group of girls and wants to teach them how to knit. D: A phone I replaced over three years ago. It’s going to Cell Phones for Soldiers, an organization that sells old phones for parts and uses the money to buy prepaid calling cards for soldiers stationed overseas.

Cleaning up, paring down, passing things along to people who can actually do right by them. It’s about as satisfying as tossing an empty bottle of chocolate crème body wash into the recycling bin.

Happy Spring Cleaning!

–Assistant Editor Maisie Tivnan would like to record her knitting legacy for posterity: one third of a red mitten and a mysterious yellow triangle.

For those with a green thumb and a love of unexpected outdoor decor, try making a “living wall.” A wall-mounted garden is also a great solution for plant-lovers with limited outdoor space.

Learn how to make a wall mounted garden:

It’s the craftsmanship…that patina, the solid wood (laminate? No dice.), the nostalgic fonts, the character, and of course, feeling like you are privy to a little slice of history. There are countless reasons for integrating salvaged items into your home – even the contemporary ones. But how and where to start? Restoring a House in the City by Ingrid Abramovitch offers the following tips to help you choose the cream of the crop and avoid the duds.

• Lighting: Got an old lamp or chandelier that needs some TLC to make it presentable?  Antique lighting specialists can rewire lamps, while chandeliers must be taken apart and each piece scrubbed. Lighting dealers can track down replacement parts.
• Plumbing: The antique toilet and faucet may look cool, but keep in mind that that fixtures and fittings have changed over the years. Make sure pieces will work with your building code, and current bathroom condition. Antique tubs and radiators are a great find, just make sure they’re not cracked.
• Hardware: Keep an eye out for hinges, bolts, switch plates, doorknobs, drawer pulls, house numbers, bell buttons, casement fasteners, etc. The smallest details can make a big difference. If you come across a piece you love, but it’s too rusted, companies like Al Bar Wilmette Platers in Wilmette, IL can clean and polish it to new-like condition.
• Millwork: Antique woodwork, often crafted from old-growth lumber, which is generally harder and long-lasting, can be tracked down through salvage and antique dealers. Look online or in the phone book under antiques, salvage, junk or demolition contractors.
• Reclaimed Stone, Tile and Brick: Not only are recycled construction materials a greener way to build, they have a look that can’t be recreated with modern technology.  Source antique stone, vintage tile and brick for building or landscaping at architectural salvage yards, or check out nonprofits, such as Build It Green! NYC, which provides salvaged materials at low cost.

Barbara Flanagan is the author of Flanagan’s Smart Home: The 98 Essentials for Starting Out, Starting Over, Scaling Back

Purge the clutter. Outfit your home with care: The 34 essential kitchen tools. The 9 essential cleaning and fixing products. The 13, and only 13, things a bedroom needs to make it a haven of rest and privacy. Each item has been field-tested and rated for its environmental, social, and aesthetic impact.

Tell me about the genesis of Flanagan’s Smart Home.
A: When I moved down from three stories of Victorian manse to a little cottage, after a divorce, I spent many days paring down my possessions. At the same time I was moving my mother to a continuing care apartment and my children off to college. What we all had in common, all three generations of us, was the need to live smaller and smarter by limiting our chattel to lovable things that worked well for many reasons. For this book, I decided to narrow down those reasons and seek out the ideal products, doing the homework for people who’ll want to ask the same question I did: What do I really need to live a good, comfortable life? In other words, I wrote the book I wish I could have bought a few years ago.

Can you give me an estimate of how many products and items of furniture you tested that didn’t make the cut?
A: Whoa, lots. I checked out thousands of images, and tested hundreds of products in showrooms, trade shows, stores, and homes of friends. Then I tested the finalists—like the low-voltage electric blanket, kitchen knife, microfiber cleaning products, and many others–over months, under heavy use, at home.

You write about product design, but you’re also a product designer yourself. Can you tell me about some of the products you’ve created?
A: I’ve designed several products for the MoMA Store www.momastore.org (NY’s Museum of Modern Art), and my new company, Flanagan LLC, is launching its first two desktop product this year. www.barbaraflanagan.com The MoMA stores in NYC and Japan will introduce one of them. My favorite product to date, however, is the Shondelier, a custom bathroom chandelier (illuminated remotely) containing a rainhead shower—that looks unnecessarily glamorous and dangerous at the same time.

From where you’re sitting right now, what items from the book can you see? (Are you sitting on one?)
A: Yes, I’m in my studio now, sitting on an excellent, solid maple chair from a 1950s Philadelphia catering hall (I had it painted half black, half not). I like it better than my fancy Aeron chair, actually. If took my laptop in the kitchen/dining room, I’d see the trusty microwave, toaster oven, electric kettle, dining table and dining chairs. Also, one white cat strolling over it all like she owns it.

In retrospect, are there any items you wish you had included?
A: One reviewer was incensed that I’d omitted a toilet plunger. He’s right, but house plumbing works, so I forgot. I should thank him for taking the book to heart.

What are you reading at the moment?
A: The UPS bible of shipping regulations and rates. Surprisingly thick. As an entrepreneur, I need to know lots of numbers and rules.

What’s your favorite snack to eat while writing?
A: No snacking while writing! That’s naughty and bad for the keyboard. I only snack while procrastinating.

What’s your preferred procrastination method?
A: Snacking. On 35-calorie rice cakes. If cheesecake is unavailable.

If you were to write a memoir, what would be its title?
A: If I’m So Smart How Come I’m Not______?

What’s your secret ambition?
A: Having an exhibit of my sculpture and drawings, with an art opening, white wine, and people I don’t know milling around looking at the stuff like it’s art. So this fall I worked really hard, had a show, sold a piece, and it was that dream come true. Actually better! My new secret ambition is to be less ambitious for a couple weeks.