Clever Hubby Trick: Bowling Tip

Hubby started bowling again a couple months ago after taking twelve years off from the sport.  His fingers look a bit chewed up since he is now bowling four or five days a week and doesn't have the callouses he once did from bowling every day.

The pro shop sells a "skin patch" kit for $3 which is basically a super glue like substance and some tiny gauze pieces which you use to patch up broken skin.  It works really well and keeps the skin from getting more tore up but for what you get, the price is pretty high (there are about 15 tiny gauze pieces and a tiny bit of glue).  So hubby decided to experiment and make his own.  He bought clear nail polish from the $1 store and a box of gauze pads for $1 which he cut up into tiny pieces (he only used one of the five gauze pads and this gave him more than 50 pieces!).  He tried this new patch out the last time he bowled and reported that it worked better than the stuff actually made for patching the skin.  So for a total of $2 he now has enough skin patch stuff to last for the rest of the bowling season (see photo above; the commercial product is on the bottom and the product he made is on top).

Daily update:

• Walk: 6 miles (I did another volksmarch while hubby played poker. 954 miles to go)
• No spend: We spent $56.79 ($45.45 on gas; $3.34 on a Baskin Robbins Blast; $3 tip for breakfast--the meal was free with hubby's comps; $2 tip for coffee in the poker room; $3 tip for dinner--the meal was free with hubby's comps)
• Update this blog: yep
• Update client's blog: yep
• Photo: yep
• Client work: 1 hour
• Genealogy: a bit using Family Search to find info on some distant ancestors
• Writing: three pages written on my tablet while hubby played poker

Clever Hubby Trick: Bathroom Decor

When we first moved into our house, our bathroom showers did not have doors.  So we ran to Walmart to get a shower curtain bar then we ran to the $1 store to get a plastic shower curtain.  Eventually we picked up a $5 colorful shower curtain (the nylon curtain that goes on the outside of the shower) for some added decor.

Eventually we bought and installed shower doors but they looked pretty plain so hubby cut the nylon shower curtain and made a valance for the shower which added a bit of color to the room.  A week ago I told him that we should get some sort of curtain for the window in the bathroom (there are blinds but they are plain looking) and while hubby was cleaning in the garage he found the part of the nylon curtain that he had cut off months ago (he tends to keep everything!).  So yesterday we bought a curtain rod and hubby got busy with the scissors and hemming tape and made a valance for the window that matches the valance on the shower!  Total for the curtain rod, window valance, shower rod, and shower valance...less than $10!

Daily update

• Walk:  7 miles (I did a volksmarch this morning. 973 miles to go).
• No spend:  $0! (We did have a wonderful, expensive lunch at Fogo de Chao but it was a gift from the SIL for Christmas and included tip so we didn't spend anything today.  My volksmarch was also free since I bought a sheet of discount walk coupons in December).
• Update this blog: yep
• Update client's blog: yep
• Photo: yep
• Client work: 3 hours (yeah more work!)
• Genealogy: added a few more ancestors from the late 1700s (still need to get to the genealogy library!)
• Writing:  another four pages today...I'm starting to get a callous on my Swype finger!

I Was Going to Tell You About Another Clever Hubby Trick...

Well, I'll tell you anyway...
Yesterday I told hubby I needed a cover for my new tablet, something either very padded or very stiff so it woundn't get squished in my bag.  So with a bit of cardboard and a bit of duct tape (it's a guy thing I guess), he made me this...

Which was perfect.  Until last night when I found that my new tablet wouldn't turn on.  It had a little issue when I first got it--it took forever to charge--so I did a soft reset and that seemed to take care of the problem.  Then last night it wouldn't turn on at all.  I Googled the problem and it came back with 700,000+ results which means A LOT of people have had the same problem.  So I charged it fully then held down the power and volume buttons and it came back to life.  Then it wouldn't shut off!  So I returned it to the store today.  On the positive side, I now have an extra $380.  On the negative side, I don't have a tablet anymore.  Hubby asked if I was going to exchange it but there seems to be quite a few problems with the tablet according to people's online reports.  So I will wait and maybe invest more money for a better product...some time in March after our no spend months.

Daily Update:

• Walk: 6 miles (we did a nice volksmarch downtown this morning.  988 more miles to go!
• No spend: fail.  We spent a total of $47.80. $7 valet and tips at a restaurant (meal was free with comps), $30 hubby's annual ABT bowling membership, $10.80 cable to connect sound bar to TV.
• Update this blog: yep
• Update client's blog: yep
• Put photo on Instagram: yep
• Client work: 1 hour
• Paleo: not really.  Still no wheat or dairy but rice.  I think I will be doing well with this if I keep wheat and dairy out of my diet for the foreseeable future.
• Genealogy: reorganized up to generation 5
• Non fiction book: one section done
• Fiction book: one tiny section done

Clever Hubby Trick #6 Walking Stick

Today we went for our weekly hike which was great fun (and great weather! finally!).  Last week we borrowed the BIL's walking sticks which many people swear by (they are supposed to be better for your knees and ankles than hiking without them).  I would love to get a pair of these but as you can see, they are pretty expensive.
So hubby's answer to getting a walking stick was to pick up a golf club for $2 at the Goodwill, cut the head off of it, and "ta da", instant walking stick!