Tip of the Day # 119: Removing Scuff Marks from Floors

WD-40: the magic ingredient to removing tough scuff marks from the floor.

SO MANY USES FOR COFFEE BEANS!

Not only do they taste good, but coffee beans have so many other useful purposes as well around your home!

• Coffee beans can be used to get rid of food preparation smells from your hands. Just put them in your hand and rub the palms together, for a few seconds.
• If your refrigerator smells too much of the food kept in there, place a bowl, filled with some coffee beans, inside it.
• In absence of a mouth freshener, simply suck on a coffee bean. It will make your breath fresh and clean, in a matter of minutes.
• Coffee beans can be used for dying paper. Put some coffee beans in a cup of hot water. After a few seconds, use the water to dye paper.
• Coarsely grind coffee beans. Now, wet your face and use the grounds to scrub your face. Ground coffee is good for exfoliating purposes.
• You can add ground coffee beans to the plant pots in your house. It will help keep flies and other mites at bay and also improve the quality of the soil. However, do not use in excess.
• Coarsely ground coffee beans have been found to be very effective for cleaning greasy pans.
• To keep your kitty away from your garden, sprinkle coffee grounds, mixed with orange peels, around the plants.
• Tossing wet coffee grounds over the ashes in the fireplace can help keep the ash dust under control. Thereafter, you can proceed to clean the fireplace.

Have YOU come across any other uses?? FEEL FREE TO SHARE! :)

Tip of the Day # 118: Fireplace Cleanup

Fireplace dust is always a big obstacle for someone who cleans the fireplace. Large dust formations can sting your eyes and irritate your sinuses. They can also make the surrounding areas dirty. To properly regulate dust, you can toss a handful of wet coffee grounds in your fireplace after operation. The wet grounds will hold the dust in place, lessening the appearance of dust clouds when cleaning the fireplace.

Tip of the Day # 117: How to clean your Iron

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR IRON:

1. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt onto your ironing board
2. Turn your iron to the highest setting, ensuring that the steam option is set to OFF
3. When heated, iron over the salt--what happens is that the dirt sticks to the salt, leaving nothing but a wonderfully, shiny iron!

It is good to do this every so often to prevent debris or dirt from your iron melting or sticking to your articles of clothing!

Tip of the Day # 116: Better Grilled Cheese!

Try slathering mayonnaise on the outer sides of the bread instead of butter when making grilled cheese sandwiches. Makes a nice and crispy sandwich as well as tastes delicious--and not to mention, it prevents your bread from burning!

Another favorite addition of mine is chopped green onions melted in the sandwich with the cheese. Sweet, at least the green onions are healthy! If you have a favorite twist to Grilled Cheese sandwiches, please share and add them below!

Tip of the Day # 115: Mmmm Mashed Potatoes

Add one teaspoon baking powder to mashed potatoes to make them fluffy. Also, substituting sour cream for milk is another nice touch!

Is there ever enough stove top space when preparing large meals? TRY THIS DURING THE HOLIDAYS WHEN HOSTING LARGE PARTIES: Prepare your mashed potatoes an hour or two before serving the meal and store them in the slow cooker (on low heat). Serve with the rest of the meal and they’re still hot and tasty!!!

CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY DECOR TIPS

The following are a list of tips to follow when storing, decorating and organizing during the Holiday Season that won't break the bank from common items around your house!

1. Use plastic cups or egg cartons to store delicate ornaments or xmas bulbs

2. Hang a thick piece of ribbon on a wall or from a door frame and pin holiday cards to it with clothes pins!

3. Use a small shoe box (or an aluminum foil or saran wrap box for smaller rolls) and poke holes to thread ribbon through to keep them from unravelling or getting knotted.

4. Use toilet paper rolls or paper clips to prevent wrapping paper from unravelling--and this will ensure there are no indents left to ruin the paper!

5. Wrap Christmas lights around a hanger or large piece of cardboard to prevent tangling. This way you can also easily find the end of the string of lights!

6. A dry-cleaning garment bag will stop your wreath getting dusty and mangled. Hook the wreath over the neck of the coathanger, wrap it up and then hang it in a cupboard, on the back of a door or on a wall with a small, adhesive Dollar Store hook next season!