There seems to be no limit to what you can do with old socks. My good friend Karen came up with a way to use them with the Swiffer.

As a pet owner, I love the Swiffer for keeping the hard floors clean. If you aren’t aware, you can also use it as a wet mop.

A greener option to the wet pads is using socks.

Take 2 worn out white socks and turn them inside-out. Run them under hot water with a few drops of dish soap and wring it out.

Stretch one over each end of a standard Swiffer sweeper. Make sure the rougher side is the part you will be using on the floor.

This cleans the floor better than the wet pads do because of the texture, and they are completely FREE.

Best of all, you can launder and reuse them!

I tried it out and it worked great. You can even replace the socks with dry ones to run back over the floor to dry it.

See more uses for your old socks.

Due to having to reformat my computer, I’ve been a bit lax on the posts. I’m back in business now and wanted to share a few cool things I found while waiting for software to install.

How to save some money

“9 Top Ways We Waste Money” is a great reminder of how making a few simple changes can add up to more money in the wallet.

Halloween fun

I want to serve Eyeball Sushi to my kids and see the reaction. This site includes a list of some crazy food I didn’t know about.

Family Fun magazine’s Halloween section always has some great kid-friendly ideas for costumes, crafts, and recipes.

Amazing Mom’s spooky recipes are sure to delight some children in the house.

After you’ve eaten all the Halloween candy..

Set up a walking plan with Prevention Magazine’s handy walking calendar.

Just funny

I love the website Geeks Are Sexy. She’s always finding great videos. See Fox News making fun of social media. It is hysterically funny…especially to anyone who is on Twitter or Facebook. Start out your weekend with a good laugh. Confession: I think I’ve watched it 5 times.

Happy Friday!

Make your own spa products

Natural You has a video showing how you can make your own spa-quality natural body scrubs in minutes.

Making better food choices

On a quest to eat healthier? Anne On Life suggests ways you can make your favorite foods healthier.

Recycling items to new uses

Global Recycle Products is full of creative ideas on how to recycle your everyday trash into something you can use. I love the turning toilet paper cores and plastic bottles into curlers idea.

Cute Firetruck Birthday Party

Creating a cute little boy’s birthday party can be challenging. Check out this adorable firetruck themed party idea that is sure to be a hit. Eat-Drink-Pretty is full of beautiful, fun party ideas.

Party Games

What a great game to play (especially for teens which are hard to entertain). Find out how to play Catch the Dragon Tail by Cecile Cinco from Cinco Online. She even has a video of the game in action.

Financial Advice

Looking for advice for growing your money or stretching the dollar? Find a wealth (ha ha no pun intended) of financial tips at Money and Risk.

Gardening Blog

I desperately need some gardening advice, and Stephanie Suesan Smith’s blog is an every growing resource of gardening tips.

Dedicated to those moments when we drop our brain on the floor

This made me laugh so hard…because I’ve done that. What you ask? You have to go read for yourself. This is My Brain On Kids

Organizing things that tend to spread out through the house

1. Loose change

Designate a cup or jar to collect loose change around the house. I call it my tip jar since I seem to find money in the laundry and in the couch.

2. Store coupons

Use a mailing envelope to hold all your store coupons and keep them in your car’s glove compartment or in your purse. If you make an unplanned stop somewhere, you can quickly see if you have any coupons and take advantage of the extra savings.

3. Batteries

Keep all your batteries in one spot in the house so you aren’t rummaging through drawers and closets looking for what you need.

4. Charger cords

Store chargers for phones, cameras, etc in an assigned drawer or container. Labeling the cords saves time looking for the one you need. See Cord Identification for more details.

5. Nail polish/clippers

Store nail polish, clippers, emery boards, etc. in a small container so everything you need is in one location. Have small kids? Store it up high in a closet. It only takes one spilled nail polish experience to realize the importance of keeping these items safely out of the reach of curious little children.

Handmade gift idea

Bake some delicious cookies and present them in a beautiful gift package created from a Pringles can.

This is a great idea for a back-to-school gift for your child’s new teacher. Add a tag saying “Have a great year!” to the front.

Find the recipe and package creation instructions at The Paper Pony. Print this easy gift idea and keep it in your Custom Cookbook in a tab called “gift ideas”.

Endless cooking advice and recipes

Ever realized you are missing an ingredient and wish you know what you could use as a substitution?

Check out Chef Tom’s recipe forum at Recipesnoop.com. It is full of recipes, tips, definitions, and advice. I don’t think there is a cooking question that doesn’t have an answer in this extensive collection of cooking information.

You can get his free cookbooks, too. I have been trying out his recipes 2-3 nights a week for awhile, and they are easy and delicious.

Quarterly room clean out

I periodically go through the kids’ rooms and clear out the junk, but I like the idea of scheduling it on a quarterly basis. Find out more at PenelopeLovesLists.com.

Cheap decorating idea for a small kid’s room

Check out how cute little dresses hanging on a clothesline looks in a little girl’s room at Momspark.net. You could use sports-type shirts and baseball hats to create a boy version.

Shameless self promotion

Check out my new blog at Finding The Humor. My favorite post is “What I could have done with $900″.

Did you discover any cool finds this week?

Book Mooch

Bookmooch.com has an interesting concept in trading around books with other readers. You earn points to borrow other books when you lend yours.

You can even donate your extra points to a couple of charities so they can purchase needed books. I’m going to try it out soon.

(Available in the US, France, and UK) If anyone has used this before, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Facebook Fun

The funny facebook video on my friend Jenny’s wonderful blog called NEWRU is hysterical because in some ways it is so true. Hey, I think I know this guy.

Wear your seatbelt

Sorry..a second video, but this was a very creative moving reminder that you should always wear your seatbelt.

Let’s make this world a better place

I was moved to tears at the stories by “How to treat others in 5 lessons”. The five stories have an amazing message that is sure to make you think. Warning: have a tissue in hand.

Going along with that concept, I thought the article “72 ways to make someone’s day” has some wonderful ideas.

Make a difference in someone’s day today

Make your own frappuccino and save $$$

14 coffee recipes and 7 other ways to use leftover coffee. I’m sipping on a homemade frappuccino as I write this. Delicious!

A free cookbook from a fabulous chef

I enjoy cooking more when I’m trying out a new recipe. Chef Tom has a wonderful blog full of recipes at ChefTomCooks. Join his mailing list for a free cookbook.

10 Awesome USB Thumb Drives

Need a gift for the person that has everything? Check out these unique thumb drives. They are just cool! I want a transformer.Thanks, James at Evolutionary Designs, for sharing that find.

Plastic spoon puppets

It’s raining outside, and your toddler needs a project to stay busy. Grab some scraps of fabric, felt, or even paper and create a plastic spoon family. Find the details along with other creative projects at Mommy Mayhem Survival Guide

Decorating with balloons and other party ideas

EmbracingHome.com has great tips on decorating with balloons, party ideas, and even a “Princess and the Frog” baby shower guide.

20 Junk Foods that are OK to eat

This caught my eye on Twitter, and I had to check out the list of Junk Food at MensFitness.com. Wow! A Twinkie is a better choice than a doughnut or cake.

Did you discover any cool finds this week?

I can’t pass up a good deal

Have you ever bought something you didn’t need just because it was a great deal?

What leads us to purchase a bread maker that is on clearance at 75% off, knowing it will sit unused on the counter? Why does the thrill of a bargain get us so excited?

My local grocery store had the store brand microwavable macaroni packets on sale “buy one get one free”. The word “FREE” always get my heart pumping, and the items end up in my cart. One is free! Can you get any better than that? Now I have twice as many! Only a fool would pass on free stuff, right?

It turns out the store brand was not a hit at my house, so now two boxes sit unused in the pantry. The kids would rather starve than eat what they describe as “hot cardboard with sauce”. Did I save any money with my bargain? No, not if they are not going to eat it.

Unused items = clutter

The excitement of a bargain can lead to irrational purchases. I’m guilty of purchasing items for the house while being fully aware I have no place to put them. Garage sales finds often fit this category. I remember the kids coming home with an electronic basketball game that took up 1/3 of my son’s room. The thrill of the find trumped the idea it might not fit anywhere.

Unnecessary items just become clutter in the house. Combat this rationale by making a conscious decision to stop and question each bargain purchase. Am I really going to use this?

Are impulsive buys causing clutter in your home?

The next time you pass the “tableclothes $1.99 each” bin, resist the urge to stock up on ten of them just because they are cheap. Do you really need ten? Who needs ten tablecloths? Wouldn’t one or two be just fine?

Predictably irrational

I just finished reading Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely, and I have to say it was one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. He is a Professor of Psychology and Behavioral Economics, and this book is filled with examples of how we make irrational decisions on a daily basis.

Here is an entertaining talk Dan Ariely did which gives you a taste of what is in the book. Grab a cup of coffee and take a few minutes to enjoy it. He is delightful speaker, and it is time well spent.

Knowledge is power

After reading “Predictable Irrational” I feel more informed, and I am able to see decision-making in a new light. Is it possible that I will avoid some shopping traps that I couldn’t in the past? I think so. I will attempt overcome the irrational, impulsive decision to purchase things I won’t use and avoid marketing gimmicks.

I’m currently reading Dan’s most recent book The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home now, and it is just as interesting as the first book.

What was your most irrational purchase?

Is your bookcase constantly overflowing?

Do you like to read the latest best sellers, but never re-read them again?

Whether you are buying books or want to sell them, check out eBay’s lesser known sister company Half.com. I am always surprised to find out that many people aren’t aware of this part of eBay.

You can find used books for about half the regular price. You can sell your books, too! This site uses your ebay account if you already have one.

Sell your books

To list a book you want to sell, search for it and click the “Sell my copy” on the right hand side. Fill out the condition information, and it will suggest a price. There is a standard per book shipping fee you can’t control added to every book to help you recover your shipping costs when selling. Books are always shipped “book rate”.

Worth noting: Your listed book stays in your inventory until it is sold or you decide to cancel the listing. It is not auction style like eBay.

I have used half.com for over 5 years for both buying and selling books, DVDs, music CDs, and video games.

It’s a great deal for both buyers and sellers.

Time to see if you can turn some of those dusty books you will never read again into some cash.