Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Tip of the Day #194: All in one!

Create a shaker consisting of 75 percent salt and 25 percent pepper for an all-in-one flavour!

Tip of the Day #193: Kitchen Solutions

Build a tray stand to hold your kitchen necessities--purchase a candle stand and a cake plate or tray from your local dollar store and hot glue them together. This will keep items dry and out of the way while working in the kitchen!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Tip of the Day #192: Organizing Games & Puzzles

In my home, it is inevitable that game boxes get torn and broken, and pieces of these games or puzzles always go missing. That is until I thought of this idea--I purchased multiple zippered pouches from my local dollar store, labeled each one along with a picture of the game/puzzle, and placed all contents inside. These pouches now stay up HIGH until the kids want to play with them lol. It has definitely helped in salvaging the kids nice things! :)

Tip of the Day #191: Trapping Wasps

Wasps can really be a nuisance! Add a mixture of vinegar(1 cup), sugar( 1tbsp) and salt(1tbsp) in a dish or use the bottom half of a 2L pop bottle and place around your yard. The wasps are attracted to the sweet and sour scent. Bees will be safe as they don’t seem to be attracted by this sour mixture.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Tip of the Day # 190: Dusting Lamps

When dusting, I insist on using a lint roller on my lamp shades. After completion, they always look brand new!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Tip of the Day #189: Vacuuming Tips





1. To find something on the floor: place a stocking over the vacuum cleaner nozzle and vacuum the area




2. Add a paper towel or wrapping paper tube to the end of your vacuum hose to act as an 'extender' to get under tough to reach areas like your refrigerator, stove or couches.

Tip of the Day #188: Natural Oven Cleaner

Looking to clean the inside of your oven and even the door??? Sprinkle baking soda over the entire surface then pour lemon juice over top. It should fizz, then allow to sit for approximately one hour. All debris should wipe away very easily! Repeat if necessary, but you can swap lemon juice for vinegar!

Friday, January 25, 2013

Tip of the Day #187: Traction in the Snow

Keep a small bucket or tub of kitty litter in your trunk during the winter months--when your car is stuck in snow, sprinkle the litter around your tires and you will be out in no time!
This actually works drastically better than using sand :)

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Tip of the Day #186: Vehicle Fresheners



1. Put a sheet of fabric softener underneath each seat in the car to make it smell nice.

2. For bad odours in cars, put some new ground up coffee beans in area where odor is. Leave for a few days if possible and vacuum it up. The odour should be gone and the car will smell 100 times better!

Tip of the Day # 185: Dealing with Ants



1. If you have a problem with ants coming in your door,  take a piece of white chalk and draw a line. The ants will not cross the line!

OR

2. Buy Corn Meal and sprinkle lightly around wherever the ants have built their colonies. They will flock to the the pile immediately, eat them, and the corn meal will make the ants implode and destroy them.

OR

3. Ants don't like cayenne pepper sprinkled around their anthills, or cucumber peelings.

Tip of the Day # 184: REMOVAL OF ADHESIVE STICKERS


For stickers on glass, use vegetable oil--soak the item in oil for a couple minutes to remove the sticker easily.

For plastic, use WD-40--let it soak on the item for a couple minutes to remove easily.

For metal, use nail polish remover on a cotton ball and let soak in for a couple minutes

For wood, use vegetable oil and let it soak in for thirty minutes. Scrape off sticker with a Teflon scraper.

Tip of the Day # 183: REVIVE OLD MARKERS

Acetone nail polish remover will revive an old marker pen when it becomes dried up. Simply dip the tip part in the acetone & recap. Within a couple of hours, you will be able to re-use it.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Craft Ideas--Valentines Day Inspiration

Why spend your money on expensive crafts when you can make lovely art with items already in your home?!
Your children will have a blast dipping paint in various objects to see what design each makes!
Here are two examples of household things you can use:

1. Save the end of a stalk of celery--when dipped in paint, the stamp makes a ROSE impression.

2. Save toilet paper tubes--they can easily turn into a HEART stamp! If need be, tape the heart tube in place while in use :)

HAVE FUN!!!

Tip of the Day #182: Spice Organization

If you are like me, you have countless small packets of random spices you have only used once or twice--and everytime you go looking for something else in your pantry, you have to sort through their scattered mess. Well today ends that frustration--buy a small box or tin with a lid, place all packets inside (you can even paperclip or bulldog clip the top of any that are open) and label the box.
I say a box with a LID because I had placed all my packages in a small plastic tray, and they STILL managed to be everywhere they werent supposed to!
Hope this tip helpw many of you!

Monday, January 21, 2013

Tip of the Day #181: Repairing Scratches on Glass

If you have thin surface scratches on glass, rub a little toothpaste over the surface. Finishing by polishing off with a soft cloth.

Tip of the Day #180: Ironing Time-Saver

Cut your ironing time by putting a piece of aluminum foil under the ironing board cover. The foil will reflect heat so you're actually ironing from both sides at once. 

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Tip of the Day # 181: Removing Chewing Gum

To remove chewing gum from clothing, upholstery or carpets, heat some white vinegar in a pan and apply it to the gum. This is quicker and more effective than the normal method of freezing with ice cubes.

Tip of the Day # 180: Drying Wet Shoes

Dry wet shoes more quickly by putting crumpled balls of newspaper inside them. This will also absorb any odors that would normally linger inside the shoe from dampness.

Tip of the Day # 179: Prevent Fine Dishes from Breaking

Before washing fine china, crystal, or anything fragile, place a towel or rubber mat on the bottom of the sink to act as a cushion.

Tip of the Day # 178: Homemade Pedialyte

Mix 4 cups of water, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 2 tbsps of sugar. Add a 1/2 tsp of Jell-O powder or Kool-Aid to give it flavour if you choose.

Tip of the Day # 177: Stains in Coffee Mugs

Remove coffee or tea stains from the bottom of a mug by swishing white vinegar around it.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Tip of the Day # 176: Tub & Shower Cleaner

REPOST: BEST TUB & SHOWER CLEANER EVER!




Heat 1 cup of vinegar for 90 seconds in the microwave then pour into a spray bottle and add 1/2 cup of dish soap. Let sit for about 15 minutes then wipe away effortlessly! That's it! :)
Better than anything, even a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser!


UPDATE: If you find that there are too many 'suds' when wiping clean, rinse with COLD water

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Tip of the Day # 175: Freezer Efficiency

Freezers run more efficiently when 3/4 full--if you find yours on the empty side, fill jugs with water & place inside.

Tip of the Day # 174: Removing Musty Smell from Basement

Does your basement have a permanent musty smell? Take an onion and cut in half--place both halves on a plate and sit on the floor of your basement--they will absorb any odor that may be lingering.

Tip of the Day # 173: Easy Clean up with Glad Press n Seal

Use Glad Press 'n Seal saran wrap to line your refrigerator shelves. When dirty, just peel off and re-line!

Tip of the Day # 172: Beautiful Feet w Apple Cider Vinegar


Did you know soaking your feet in vinegar (especially apple cider vinegar) soothes and cleans tired, sore and dry feet...and even rids them of fungus! If you DO have nail fungus, applying Vicks Vaporub to the affected nails twice daily has also been proven to work.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Tip of the Day # 171: Freshen rooms with Cinnamon

Freshen up a room by putting a cinnamon stick or two in your vacuum bag.  

Tip of the Day # 170: Remove static from TV

Stop static electricity on your TV by dusting with a dryer sheet. 

Tip of the Day # 169: Benefits of Banana Peels

Use a banana skin to dust plants - the dust clings to the skin and the juice nourishes the leaves.
Banana peels are also excellent for polishing shoes!

Tip of the Day # 168: Cleaning Vases

Clean the inside of a dirty vase or narrow object by filling it with vinegar and a handful of dry rice. Give it a good swirl around then rinse.

Tip of the Day # 167: Reminder Tips for Cleaning

When cleaning, start with jobs that need 'dry' cleaning, such as dusting and sweeping. Then move on to 'wet' cleaning such as using glass cleaner and polish. This ensures that less dirt will float around in the air and then cling to the wet surfaces.
Also, cleaning from the top to the bottom can be a great timesaver because if you’re cleaning a ceiling fan or cobwebs up in the corner, you won’t have to worry about knocking dust onto a freshly dusted table or vacuumed carpet.

Tip of the Day # 166: Shiny Sinks

Supplies

Vinegar in spray bottle
Baking Soda
Boiling Water
Olive Oil
Sponge
Paper Towels

Directions

1. Spray entire sink down with vinegar.
2. Sprinkle baking soda over entire surface
3. Let sit for 10-15 mins
4. Boil hot water while letting vinegar/baking soda sit. 
5. Rinse sink with boiling water.
6. Repeat spraying vinegar over sink and scrub.
7. Wipe sink down with paper towel.
8. Pour olive oil onto a paper towel and "buff" your sink--this is what gives it that ultimate SHINE!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Kid Snack Ideas

Here are a few quick snack recipes that your kids are sure to love!

1. Rice Krispie Sushi--spread a banana with peanut butter, slice into bite size pieces, roll in rice krispie cereal

2. Banana Popsicles--cut bananas in half, stick popsicle stick in one end, roll in greek yogurt then crushed almonds & cinnamon. Freeze then serve.

Tip of the Day # 165: Preserve Fresh Herbs

Have a few fresh herbs sitting around that you won't get to using before they turn? Sure, you canfreeze them in water or dry them out, but if you know you'll use them relatively quickly, you can add a few weeks to their life without damaging their potency by freezing them in oil instead.
Drop your herbs in an ice cube tray, filling up the cubes with olive oil (or any other oil of your choice, as long as it freezes nicely), and popping them in the freezer. When you're ready to fry some potatoes, for example, pop out a couple of rosemary oil cubes—you'll need the oil for the pan anyway, and the rosemary will be right at home. Need some oil in a baking dish or crock pot for a few chicken breasts? Grab a frozen sage oil cube. The sky's the limit!

Tip of the Day # 164: Independence for Childrem

Aid in teaching your children independence at a young age! A great idea is to invest in a hanging clothes organizer for your child's room---then label each pocket with the days of the week (this can be done with construction paper or sticky labels for example).Help your child pick an outfit for each day. When morning arrives, they are able to dress themselves by going to the day of the week!

Friday, January 11, 2013

Tip of the Day # 163: Stain Remedies

Dealing with stains?

Most stains can easily be removed with hydrogen peroxide! This includes blood and underarm stains as well. Leave on for about 10 minutes, scrub and wash as normal.

For human oil marks on collared shirts, using a normal shampoo works great!

For grease, cooking oil and butter stains, there are two methods that work well--one being Blue Dawn dish soap and the other is baking soda. With the baking soda, sprinkle over stain..you will begin to see it 'ball' as it absorbs the grease. Repeat as necessary until no more 'balling' occurs. Wash as normal. THIS EVEN WORKS AFTER YOUR GARMENTS HAVE BEEN WASHED AND DRIED!

Tip of the Day # 162: Easy Grease Clean-Up

When dealing with leftover grease after cooking, line a bowl with aluminum foil and pour grease in. Once dry, just pitch it! Such easy clean up!

Tip of the Day # 161: Flea Remedies

Dealing with fleas on your pets?

Don't waste your money on expensive shampoos and treatments! All you need to do is wash your pet in Blue Dawn dish soap as normal.
For your home, simply sprinkle small piles of Borax in discreet places around your house--ie. in corners of the room, under beds and couches, etc.

Tip of the Day # 160: Permanent Marker Removal

How to Remove Permanent Marker from Various Surfaces

This definitely comes in handy at my house where my kids always seem to find my Sharpies no matter where I hide them! It has saved my couch cushions, dining room chairs, floor and various articles of clothing! Haha

Clothes –hand sanitizer
Walls –toothpaste or hairspray
Carpet  –white vinegar
Wood   –rubbing alcohol

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Tip of the Day # 159: Purse Organization

Organizing Your Purse

1. First clean out clutter. Such as Gum Wrappers, old receipts, candy, etc. Its best to clean out all of the junk before it either makes a purse smell horrible, or drives you bonkers sifting threw your junk like sand at the beach. A good habit to get into is never storing food items in your purse! From having kids, I know first-hand how easily cookie or candy packages can bust open--creating a scavenger hunt for you...except not in a fun way!

2. Invest in a wallet made with so many pockets you don't know what to do with. Chances are you'll find something to do with them. In your wallet have any paper items, pictures, money, loose change. It's hard to imagine a purse without the jingling change that sounds like reindeer on Christmas but you'll learn to live with out it. For this, make it a habit to put cards and change in their proper place RIGHT AWAY when given them back. Ive definitely had a few panic attacks in line at a store searching for my debit card!

3. Get some makeup bags. You know those tiny little make-up bags that's used for eye pencils? Yes, invest in one of those. Put all your little misfit items in it such as hand sanitizer, lip stick, deodorant, tampons, etc.

4. Think about buying a new purse that has some pockets for, say your cell phone. Plus who doesn't deserve a new purse every once in a while. It will also encourage you to empty your old change and empty the junk.

5. Take a few moments out of everyday to look in your purse and un-clutter a little--remove all items that should not be in there and put away immediately!

Tip of the Day # 158: Natural Toilet Bowl Cleaner

DIY Toilet Bowl Cleaner

½ cup baking soda
10 drops tea-tree essential oil
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS
Pour baking soda directly into the toilet bowl, add oil, then vinegar—in that order. Let water effervesce for several minutes, then scrub bowl with brush. Flush.

Tip of the Day # 157: Yarn Organization

Do you have bits of yarn lying around that you refuse to get rid of? To keep them organized and free of knots, wrap around a clothes peg and close off with the end! I love this trick!

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Tip of the Day # 156: Decluttering a Bathroom

I really dislike a cluttered bathroom, especially in drawers and on the counter. So I had to find a solution as to where I was going to put all these items!
I was actually able to find a hanging organizer at Walmart that I hang in a closet! Included are many of my beauty supplies like nail polish, clippers, nail files, bobby pins, wipes--you can really include anything that will fit!
Now, I never have to worry about searching around for that certain nail polish! ;)

Tip of the Day # 155: Organizing Junk Drawers

Organizing your Junk Drawer

Everyone has one...or two of these types of drawers, full of old batteries, cords, pens, loose papers, etc. I dread opening this drawer in our home because it makes me cringe every time attempting to find that one small item I need!
Although it may take you a little while to go through it the initial time, it is definitely worth organizing for the future!
First, remove EVERY item from the drawer and wipe down the inside thoroughly. Next, grab about 3-4 small plastic containers (or re-use margarine,yogurt, or any others lying around). Begin categorizing all items; batteries in one container, loose change in another (a plastic water bottle is a nice alternative because it has a tight lid). Label all manuals and place in a pile flat on the bottom of the drawer. Test out all pens and throw away any defectives ones. Label all cords (bread tabs are great for this) and place them all together--if you have a strap of any kind, it is great to tie it around your group of cords.
Once your improved drawer is complete, take a sigh of relief and maintain its organization to make life just a little more simple! :)

Tip of the Day # 154: Get a handle on Kids Toys

Organize your children's smaller toys or dolls in a shoe organizer on the back of a door. Teach them to go there for the items, and always return them to the pockets as well!
This is great for little boys Hot Wheel cars too!

Monday, January 7, 2013

Tip of the Day # 153: Hair Spray removal from walls

How to Remove Hairspray from Walls & Mirrors




1. Pour rubbing alcohol into a small bowl. Dip either a cotton ball (most effective) or small soft cloth into the alcohol and wring excess out.

2. Wipe down wall/mirror with solution.

3. Once complete, finish the job by wiping the wall down again with a hot, soapy cloth.

THAT'S IT! :)

Tip of the Day # 152: Keeping the bugs out of sandboxes

 Sprinkle cinnamon into you child's sandbox--it helps in keeping the bugs away!