Tip of the Day # 140: Natural & Gluten-free Pancakes

THE EASIEST PANCAKE RECIPE--AND 100% NATURAL!
That's right, Gluten-free, flourless & low calorie!

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana
2 whole eggs

That's it! Mix in bowl, ensuring that banana is fully mashed. Spray your pan and pour a small amount in pan and flip after about 30 seconds. Serve & Enjoy!

hat’s it. Just mix in a bowl and make sure the banana is all mashed. Then spray your pan with some PAM, EVO), or coconut oil on low to medium heat, scoop some of the batter on there, give it about 20-30 sec, flip, and done! Serve and eat! - See more at: http://www.blogilates.com/recipe-index/100-natural-pancakes-recipe-gluten-free-flourless-low-calorie#sthash.jzJpcnE4.dpuf

- 1 ripe banana
- 2 whole eggs
Bam!!! That’s it. Just mix in a bowl and make sure the banana is all mashed. Then spray your pan with some PAM, EVO), or coconut oil on low to medium heat, scoop some of the batter on there, give it about 20-30 sec, flip, and done! Serve and eat!
- See more at: http://www.blogilates.com/recipe-index/100-natural-pancakes-recipe-gluten-free-flourless-low-calorie#sthash.jzJpcnE4.dpuf

- 1 ripe banana
- 2 whole eggs
Bam!!! That’s it. Just mix in a bowl and make sure the banana is all mashed. Then spray your pan with some PAM, EVO), or coconut oil on low to medium heat, scoop some of the batter on there, give it about 20-30 sec, flip, and done! Serve and eat!
- See more at: http://www.blogilates.com/recipe-index/100-natural-pancakes-recipe-gluten-free-flourless-low-calorie#sthash.jzJpcnE4.dpuf

Tip of the Day # 139: Fixing your Eye Glasses

BEND YOUR GLASSES BACK INTO SHAPE!

Custom fit your plastic frame glasses--simply heat up the ends and mold them to fit our head.

When you purchase a new pair of frames or need them adjusted, the specialist heats up the ends before forming  to your face anyway, so this is a great DIY trick!

Prevent Wasting Food

The amount of food we used to waste was embarrassing to say the least. That is, until I implemented a system that would stop the madness!
When arriving home after the grocery store, as I was placing items in the refridgerator, I would take a Sharpie marker and write the expiry dates on the lids of the products (you can also do this once an item is opened for the first time--ex: spaghetti sauce, etc). This gave a clear picture of what needs to be eaten and when, while meal planning.
To make the idea even more efficient, I have a basket in my fridge with items that are coming close to their expiration as 'food that must be eaten FIRST!' This can be snacks like yogurt to veggies to full meal ideas.
Try the system out for yourself and see how much food you can save! :)

How to Keep Trash at a Minimum

Limit the Amount of Trash Leaving your Home

Keep in the habit especially during birthday parties, dinner gatherings, or family camping trips!

• Eliminate all but essential single-use items. Instead use real dishes, napkins, reusable containers and water bottles.
• Buy food in bulk, making sure to select options that contain more food than packaging. Ex: One jug with a gallon of juice is way better than juice boxes that have 6 ounces of juice in each box OR buy a Family Pack of meat products, instead of a few pieces per package.
• Before buying durable goods new, consider whether you can find it pre-owned. Shop second hand stores, search Craigslist and Kijiji, etc, or ask friends and neighbours for the item first.
• Consider donations or swaps for items you might otherwise throw away. That old toaster, laptop or bin of kids’ clothes can have a second life with another family or host a Garage Sale!
• Look for quality products that will last longer than cheaply made alternatives--you WILL save money in the long run.
• Cook at home from fresh ingredients, cutting down on pre-packaged meals and take-out food in packed containers and bags---however, if you do order in every once in awhile, use the take out containers to store foods for lunches at work.
• Bring reusable bags to every store, they’re not just for the supermarket anymore! Some stores will even give you a bag discount.
• Set up an easy-to-use sorting system for recycling, compost and garbage, and keep it in place during parties and gatherings.
• Skip the junk mail. Let unwanted magazine subscriptions run out, and opt out of catalogs and other junk mail so you don’t have to throw it away. Let's face it, once you read a magazine, it generally will just sit, collecting dust somewhere for quite awhile!

Tip of the Day # 138: Easy Cleaning Wipes

CLEANING BATHROOM COUNTER TOPS

For a quick wipe down of the bathroom counter, I use a box of baby wipes (any brand) and add some rubbing alcohol to the box. I store the box in the bathroom (under the sink) and when the area needs a quick wipe down, pull a baby wipe and wipe everything down--I generally do this on a daily basis!

Tip of the Day # 137: Cleaning Makeup Brushes

How to Properly Remove Makeup from your Brushes

--1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a cup of hot water

--Soak for 20 minutes

--Follow by rinsing with very hot water, then cold

--Pat dry

Disinfects, dissolves grease/makeup, leaves no film, and VERY inexpensive!

Tip of the Day # 136: No more Pet Accidents!

STOP YOUR PETS FROM HAVING ACCIDENTS IN YOUR HOME

When I realized my dog was marking in the same spot over and over… I researched the internet for reasons behind this behavior. Fact is, dogs have an incredible sense a smell, so even though I would clean the area thoroughly and could no longer smell his urine (he could). She would continue to go in the same spot over and over and I would continue to clean over and over… Until I made this spray!

Ingredients-
Eucalyptus or Cinnamon essential oil
Cayenne pepper
Water

Combine 2 cups of water with a tablespoon of essential oil and a tablespoon of cayenne pepper.

Clean the area that has been soiled. Avoid using ammonia based products to clean dog urine. Dog urine has ammonia in it and he/she may be encouraged to go in the same area.  Remember, your dog’s sense of smell is a hundred times better than yours.

Now spray this oil infused mixture onto the spot. The Eucalyptus/Cinnamon smell is too overwhelming to a dog and he/she will be deterred from using that spot as his/her bathroom. Make sure to respray the area every 24 hours until the dog completely loses interest in that area.

The Cayenne pepper is added as an additional precaution just in case your pet decides to lick the spray, not only will his/her nose be bothered but his/her tongue will be as well.

**WARNING--This spray is geared more towards DOG accidents as opposed to cats--that is because cats cannot tolerate essential oils (their livers do not have the enzymes that dogs & humans do to break down the components of essential oils so they can be harmlessly expelled!** 

Tip of the Day # 135: DIY Furniture Polish

DIY FURNITURE POLISH (PLEDGE)

Why pay full price for products if you can easily make them at home..AND they're 'natural' as opposed to being FULL of harsh chemicals!

Try this one:

2 tsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Lemon Essential Oil (avail at health stores)

1/4 cup White Vinegar

1 3/4 cups of water

Mix together in a spray bottle--it's that simple!

Tip of the Day # 134: Sandal Organization

If you are like me, you have just about every style of flip flop on the market..in every single colour! Organize and save space by placing in letter carriers or magazine holders! :)

Tip of the Day # 133: Fight Flu Symptoms

The flu can bring on such sore and achy muscles--to combat this, combine 1 tbsp of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil, let sit for 30 minutes, then apply as a massage oil. Within a few minutes, you will feel relief!

Tip of the Day # 132: Headache Relief

Did you know that drinking 2 glasses of Gatorade can almost immediately relieve headache pain without the nasty side effects caused by traditional pain relievers? From one headache sufferer to another, I can tell you it really does work!

MAKE YOUR OWN BROWN SUGAR AT HOME!

Homemade Brown Sugar Recipe

 

The perks to making your own is you can control how much you make, which means added freshness and you won't have to worry about the sugar hardening!

 

Serves: 1 cup

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 Cup of Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of Molasses

Instructions

1. Mix the two ingredients together.
2. Takes about 2 minutes.
3. Use and store like normal brown sugar.
4. Enjoy

Organizing Your Car

Cluttered car syndrome is a common plague affecting many different types of people. Commuters, soccer moms, students, even people who just drive to the post office and pharmacy can have a disorganized car interior. Overtime, the inside of your car can get filled with important things and junk alike – ranging from bank statements to leftover McDonald’s from the last time you hit the drive-thru. Setting aside an hour or so, (depending on the severity of the clutter) to tackle the cluttered car can make easily decrease stress while driving, and make for more passenger and cargo room.

Follow these steps:

1. Park your car in a well-lit spot-- make sure you have plenty of light to see into all the nooks and crannies of your car. If you have tinted privacy windows, roll them down to allow light in.

2. Gather 3 boxes in total--depending on how much clutter you have in the car, you may need small shoebox-size boxes, or boxes larger than a standard suitcase. Label one “Keep in Car”, another “Keep in House”, and finally one “Trash”. Optionally, you can line the trash box with a garbage bag to make tossing out easier. Bring out the recycle bin if you think you’ll have a lot of papers, bottles, or boxes to recycle.

3. Remove everything from the car. Start wherever you want, keeping in mind that the trunk is a very common hotspot for clutter, as well as pouches on the back of seats, the glove compartment, and center consoles and door slots. Clear everything out, sorting items into the appropriate boxes.

4. Take the opportunity of having a car free of items to clean the interior well. Vacuum the seats and floors, shake the floor mats, and wipe down surfaces such as the steering wheel and door handles. You can also spray air freshener, or add a hanging air freshener to your car to rid it of any unwanted odors that can accumulate over time. If your car has an ash tray, filling it with baking soda also helps to prevent further smells from lingering.

5. Place everything that belongs in the car, in the car. Make homes for things that should remain in the car--placing tools, etc in one bin in your trunk is a great start. Ensure that you have all important vehicle information, such as registration and insurance papers, in an easy-to-reach location. Put things where they will make the most sense to you, and arrange them neatly.

Always have a bag or container on hand for trash--a plastic cereal container is a great alternative as well!

If you have children, cutting a yoga mat (generally close to the colour of your upholstery) to size and laying over the backseat prevents any permament stains, and crumbs can be easily swept off!

6. Set rules for your family or anyone that may be riding on a regular basis and STICK TO THEM! If you say 'no eating in the car,' be persistent.
Stick to a regular car decluttering schedule to avoid buildup of clutter.

Tip of the Day # 131: Knife Safety

BASIC KNIFE SAFETY

Keep the finger tips of your non-knife hand tucked firmly back and firmly against the food. The knife should be guided by the flat part of your fingers between the second and third knuckles of the non-knife hand. Yes, that’s right – the safest way to use a knife actually involves letting it rest against your other hand. See how my thumb is sticking out in this picture? It’s that way because it’s squeezing the onion layers together, but that positioning is not ideal. A moment of inattention and that thumb could creep forward and could slice the tip of your thumb off!

Tip of the Day # 130: Dicing Onions Properly

 How to Properly Dice an Onion--and quickly!!!

Many people have a problem when it comes to properly dicing or cutting certain vegetables, and the following technique will assist you in cutting veggies, such as an onion, more efficiently!
This tutorial may seem lengthy, but when completely in reality, you will be able to cut like a pro!

1. Get your onion. Peel it, and trim the root end flush but don’t carve it out. The stem will help hold the onion layers together as you cut.

2. Cut your onion in half. We’ll dice one-half at a time. Note the stem, still holding together most of the onion layers.

3.  We’re going to cut radial slices around the onion half without cutting through the stem. Picture the spokes of a bicycle tire. Now picture it’s just half a tire, with all the spokes radiating outward from the center. If you can imagine cutting along imaginary spokes as you slice your onion, this technique will be a cinch.

The first cut will be at a very shallow angle.

4.  The next will be slightly less shallow as you slice your way towards the top of the onion.

5.   Remember not to to cut through the stem – stop your slices 1/2-inch or so shy of the root end.

6.  By the time you are slicing down through the center (apex) of the onion, your knife should be vertical.

7.  Slice your way down the other side of the onion, making increasingly shallow cuts as you approach the cutting board on the other side.

8.  Now, turn your onion 90-degrees so that you can hold the root end firmly in your left (or non-knife) hand while slicing down and perpendicular to the radial slices you just made.

9.  As you slice down, tidy little diced onion pieces will fall from your knife.
The onion will try to splay apart as you cut down. You have to use your non-knife hand to hold the onion together. My thumb and fingers spread out a bit down the sides of the onion to hold all the layers together.

Tip of the Day # 129: Hanging Bath Mats

Hang your bath mat on a pants hanger to prevent stinky mildew.

Tip of the Day # 126: Shining Glassware

To shine glassware, pour 1 cup of white vinegar into your dishwater. Let items sit for 20 minutes, scrub clean, then wipe dry with a soft cloth.

Tips of the Day # 128: The writings on the Mirror!

Don't our best ideas or reminders come to us while in the shower or getting ready for the day?? Keep a dry erase marker in the medicine cabinet so you can write reminder notes or your To-Do list on the mirror!

Tips of the Day # 127: Toilet Leaks

Did you know that a leaky toilet can waste 50 gallons of water a day? To check for leaks, put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank, and see if it seeps into the bowl. Use a bold color, because using yellow might make matters confusing...

Tips of the Day # 125: Cleaning Stuffed Animals

If you have children, you know how dirty and musty stuffed animals can become. To freshen, place in a sealable bag with 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch, shake for 30 seconds, remove animals and brush or beat stuffed animals until all cornstarch is removed!