Tip of the Day # 149: Removing Scratches from Leather surfaces

How to remove scratches from leather!

Leather furniture sure is beautiful, but over time, it can really take a beating from your pets, kids or just overall, use!

There is a simple trick to remove those pesky scratches that appear--OLIVE OIL! That's all you need!

Use a soft cloth to rub the olive oil into the leather in circles--the key is really rubbing it in.  Follow up with a paper towel and buff a bit.  If you are worried about oil residue on the leather, the paper towel buffing really takes care of that, ensuring there is no oil left on surface of leather. 

Tell me about your results! :)

Tip of the Day # 148: Growing Garlic at Home

GROW YOUR OWN GARLIC

Did you know that one clove or bulb of garlic, when planted, can produce up to an additional twenty cloves? So instead of tossing out your garlic that's started to sprout, plant it instead!

1. Simply plant garlic cloves individually. If they've started to sprout, even better! Otherwise plant them with the pointy end up. Make sure they are in a sunny location and soil isn't too damp. You can plant multiple cloves four inches apart either in your yard or in a pot. It will fair well even if planted among other flowers or vegetables.

2. Then just sit back and wait for your garlic to grow. If it's potted, water it occasionally but don't drown it. As your garlic grows, it will sprout leaves. Once the leaves turn brown and die, it's time to harvest your garlic. (Don't harvest any earlier or your cloves will be too small!)

3. Once you harvest your garlic, hang the bulbs in a cool, dry location to dry them and prevent rot. Your garlic should dry in about a week, at which time you can simply brush off the dirt and start cooking with the cloves or plant some more!

Tip of the Day # 147: Corkboards for Kitchen Cabinets

Adhere cork boards (available at the dollar store) to the inside of a kitchen cupboard door to keep important notices from being lost. This way, they are out of sight and prevents from cluttering your fridge or counters--helping you maintain a tidy kitchen! :)

Tip of the Day # 146: Painting Tips

Protect doorknobs and hardware in the kitchen and bathroom when you're painting by wrapping foil around them to catch dribbles. The foil molds to the shape of whatever it's covering and stays firmly in place until the job is complete!

Tip of the Day # 145: Sinus Relief

Easy Sinus Relief

All you need is:

1 1/2- 2 cups uncooked white long grain rice (DO NOT use instant rice. It will catch fire/burn when being heated.)

An old cotton sock

Optional: A few drops of eucalyptus essential oil
Note: If you want to use this for headache relief, add peppermint essential oil instead of the eucalyptus.

Instructions:

Just pour the rice into the sock (and essential oil if you are using it) and tie closed. Next time you are in need of sinus relief, just heat it in the microwave for approximately 45 seconds (depending), and place wherever you are in pain.

***WARNING: BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN HEATING--IF YOU ARE UNAWARE OF HOW 'POWERFUL' YOUR MICROWAVE IS, BEGIN WITH 30 SECONDS AND REHEAT IN 10 SECOND INCREMENTS TO BE SAFE.

Tip of the Day # 144: Cleaning your Coffee Grinder

Rice as Coffee Grinder Cleaner

 Mill a handful of grains in your grinder and the fine particles will absorb stale odors and clean out residual grounds and oil.  Discard the rice and wipe clean.

Tip of the Day # 143: De-icing your Steps

HOW TO PREVENT ICY STEPS IN THE WINTER

Mix 1 tsp dish soap ( I use Dawn for this), 1 tbsp rubbing alcohol & 1/2 gallon of HOT water--then pour over steps!