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.

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

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.

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!

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!

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.