Tip of the Day # 102: Storing Containers

When storing empty airtight containers, throw in a pinch of salt to keep them from getting stinky.

Tip of the Day # 101: What produce to NOT put in Fridge

Never put CITRUS FRUITS or TOMATOES in the fridge. The low temperatures degrade the aroma and flavor!

Tip of the Day # 100: Preserve your Potatoes

(Photo curteousy of did-you-know-tumblr.com)
I had posted this tip a VERY long time ago and was reminded to post it again!! You can also place an apple in your bag of potatoes to do the same thing :)

Tip of the day # 99: Organize your Scarves

I have a slight scarf obsession and always found it difficult to keep them organized in my closet; that is until I thought of using shower rings on a hanger!

Tip of the Day # 98: Home Improvements

Very useful tip when doing improvements around the house!

Tip of the Day # 97: Winter Ice Tips for Cars

TRICK TO PREVENTING ICE ON YOUR WINDOWS--Just fill a spray bottle with three parts vinegar to one part water and spray on your car windows at night. In the morning, they should be clear of the icy mess. IF you already have icy windows in the morning, spraying the mixture on all windows will melt the ice immediately!
ALSO, spray cooking spray on the rubber seals around car doors and rub it in with

a paper towel to prevent doors from being frozen shut.
De-icing your car locks is as easy as putting some hand sanitizer gel on the key and the lock to solve the problem. Why does this work? Because hand sanitizers contain alcohol, the main ingredient in most commercial de-icers. Just make sure to use a hand sanitizer that’s 60% alcohol (anything less will not work.)

DIY Holiday Decoration

Why pay expensive prices for decorations when you can easily make them yourself! Here is a Christmas decoration I designed for my mantle. The first photo just shows the texture I applied to the canvas with plain Elmer's glue! I then painted a layer of brown paint on the canvas, followed by the cream/white colour. Lastly, I took an emery board and rubbed it over certain areas to give it that "vintage look." You can make any word by purchasing the wooden letters at your local craft store and painting them a colour that matches your home decor. Hot glue gun ribbon to the back of each letter and then adhere to the back of the canvas as well. It's that simple!

Tip of the Day # 96: Removing Stains from Suede

To remove small stains from suede shoes, gently rub a file (either side) across the problem area a few times to get rid of the splotch and they will look like new! Great for those winter months with boots! :)

Tip of the Day #95: DIY Microfiber Couch Cleaner

Last night, I took the time the time to clean my entire microfiber couch because it was looking a little worn and stained my from kiddos! So what did I use?? RUBBING ALCOHOL & A SCRUB BRUSH! Just pour the bottle of rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle and spray generously over your entire cushion surface (doing one cushion at a time), then scrub with the brush. It takes a bit of elbow grease, but definitely worth it! Feel free to repeat on spots that are worse than others :)

Tip of the Day #94: Make your Home smell Heavenly

Make your home smell heavenly by adding two capfuls of vanilla extract to a ceramic mug and placing in the oven at 300degrees F for one hour :)

Tip of the Day #93: Preventing Spiders

Another excellent way to rid and prevent your home from the invasion of spiders is to pour peppermint oil into a squirt bottle with a tiny bit of water and squirt around door frames and windows.

Tip of the Day #92: Mold Killer

Best Mold-Killer: Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar, and add about 3-4 drops of tea tree oil (a little goes a long way) Spray on all areas, let sit for approx 30 mins, then wipe away!

Tip of the Day #91: Brighten Leather

To brighten leather use the white of an egg and rub with a soft dry cloth.

Tip of the Day #90: Mailing Fragile Parcels

When mailing a parcel and it is fragile, soak wet newspaper (many sheets) and wrap it round the container of the article. When it dries it will have formed a hard shell that will with stand a great deal of rough treatment. To make the string around a parcel really tight, wet it first. It’ll shrink as it dries.

Tip of the Day #89: Maintain Fresh Smelling Linen

Keep your bed linen smelling fresh at all times by pouring a few drops of essential oil on folded up pieces of paper towel OR dryer sheets and placing under your fitted sheet :)

Tip of the Day #88: Cleaning Paintbrushes

If you have ever ruined paintbrushes because of painting (dried on paint, bent bristles, etc.) just soak in Murphy's oil from 24-48 hours and the brushes will look brand new--guaranteed!

Tip of the Day #87: Place Keys in Bedroom

RE-POST: Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.

Tip of the Day #86: Taking care of Head Lice

If you have school-age children, you know how bad and frequent cases of head lice occur. An effective way of preventing your child from getting them is to add about 10-12 drops of tea tree oil to the bottle of shampoo or squirting shampoo into your palm and adding a few drops directly to it. IF your child DOES come into contact with lice, massaging tea tree or coconut oil into hair every day will help in killing the eggs.

Tip of the Day #85: DIY Car Upholstery Cleaner

A great recipe for cleaning car upholstery: Combine 6 tablespoons soap flakes (from a bar of Fels Naptha or Linda's soap found in the laundry aisle) with 2 tablespoons Borax--add 1 pint boiling water until ingredients dissolve. Let cool, then whip until a 'foam' is created. You can then brush it directly onto the fabric and wipe away with a damp sponge or cloth.

Tip of the Day #84: Closet Organization

Organize your closet by using shower curtain hooks/rings to hang items like purses or necklaces :)

Tip of the Day #83: Room Freshener

To make a room smell consistently nice, spray a fragrance you like onto a light bulb.When you turn on the light, it will let off the smell with the heat! Make sure you only apply the scent when the bulb is COLD.

Tip of the Day #82: Organizing Files & Manuals

I was forever losing manuals and warranty information around the home, so I added page protectors to a binder to store all of my user manuals in. Go through your binder at least once a year and toss any manuals for item you no longer have!

Tip of the Day #81: Stripped Screw Remedy

If you are ever dealing with a stripped screw, all you need to do is place an elastic band over it and you will still be able to turn the screw. Works every time! :)

Tip of the Day #80: The 100 Item Challenge

Yesterday, my family made a drastic change in our household--we took what I named the "100 Item Challenge"--being that each member in our home is now limited to 100 personal belongings each! This ranges from clothes to perfume to crafts--EV

ERYTHING! The only items that were not considered were appliances & other necessities that our family share on a daily basis (toilet paper, towels, toothpaste, etc). Obviously, we helped our 2 small children with the task, but my 6 year old still was able to choose most of her favourite items. After completion, I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. I DARE YOU ALL to take the challenge in your home! :)

Tip of the Day #78: DIY Carpet Cleaner

If you are looking for a 'natural' carpet cleaner to remove dirt from your ENTIRE carpet through a machine--all you need is equal parts WHITE VINEGAR & WATER!
But if you are only looking to spot clean, mix white vinegar and baking soda together to form a paste. Then, work the paste into the carpet stain with an old toothbrush, or something similar. Allow the paste to dry; then vacuum up the baking soda, and the stain should be gone--if not, you can apply hydrogen peroxide to the affected areas.

Tip of the Day #77: Removing Oil Stains from Driveway

Did you know kitty litter (non-clumping) is actually the BEST in removing oil stains from your driveway? Just pour over the stains and let sit overnight. Sweep up the next day then use Dawn dish soap--pour overtop, scrub, leave for 5 minutes then rinse. If the stains have been there for awhile you may have to repeat the process a few times but they WILL come out!

Tip of the Day #76: Red Wine Stains

If you spill red wine the best way to remove it is by pouring WHITE wine over the stain! If need be, sprinkle salt over the area as well, then blot almost immediately.

Tip of the Day #75: Alternate Toothbrush Storage

Rather than placing your family's toothbrushes in a holder on your counter (which leads to so much bacteria), place each toothbrush separately in the slots of a cutlery holder inside a bathroom drawer!

Tip of the Day #74: Coke as a Toilet Cleaner

Do you ever have leftover Coke lying around in cans? It's actually excellent in cleaning your toilet! :)

Tip of the Day #73: Battery Tips!

If you are ever in a pinch for AA batteries and may only have AAA, you can actually use them with a bit of tin foil! Wrap up a ball of foil and stuff it into the case of your device where the battery's negative terminal connects.

Tip of the Day #72: Grout Cleaner

Having trouble cleaning grout in your home? Use this recipe: 7 cups water, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/3 cup ammonia (or lemon juice) and 1/4 cup vinegar. Spray on grout, leave for about 1 hour, then scrub vigorously with a scrub brush.

Tip of the Day #71: Buy Meat in Bulk

Save money AND space by purchasing ground meat in bulk. Take the meat out of the package and put it in a plastic freezer bag, then flatten it out with a rolling pin. Plus, the flattened-out meat will thaw quicker.

Tip of the Day #70: Migraine Relief with Salt

Suffer from horrible headaches? A glass of lemonade or fresh lime juice with high concentration of salt can cure severe headache almost instantly. Intake of salt is not generally recommended, but in case of headache, it acts like magic! Also, taking a lime and rubbing half across your forehead has been known to work very well too.

Tip of the Day #69: Ironing Tips

IRONING TIPS: If you have a hair straightener/flat iron, this is the BEST way to iron between buttons on shirts since it can be so difficult at times!
Also, if you are in a hurry and notice a few wrinkles on your clothes, use a straightener as well to iron out the problems! :)

Tip of the Day #68: Microfiber Mops

Invest in a microfiber mop! Vacuums and brooms just move debris and dust around. Not only are the cloths washable and reusable, but they pick up even the smallest particles and can fit under tables and dressers. They are especially amazing for pet hair!

Tip of the Day #67: Summer Months w Kids

With the summer months upon us, it is especially important that children continue to stretch their minds and learn. Make a 'Summer Challenge' calendar with a different activity each day for your kiddos to do--they do not have to be difficult, but it allows for your child to think and be proud of their accomplishments! Once they complete the task, have them put a stick over the activity! As you can see, my daughter likes to do more than one a day! Lol

Tip of the Day #66: Fresh Bathrooms!

Fill your bathroom with an everlasting, fresh aroma! Simply place a few drops of essential oil (I use Lemongrass scent) onto the cardboard tube of your toilet paper roll--your bathroom will smell amazing until the roll is complete and you begin again! :)

Tip of the Day #65: Hair Conditioner as Shaving Cream

Have you ever purchased a bottle of conditioner you did not care for? Instead of wasting it, use it in place of shaving cream. It works even better and will last a lot longer than shaving cream as you only need a little bit at a time! :)

Tip of the Day #64: Fixing Dull Leather

Brighten dulled leather chairs by rubbing with half a lemon or stale beer then polish with a dry cloth.

Tip of the Day #63: Preventing clothes from Bleeding

To prevent new or coloured clothes from 'bleeding,' soak in salty water for half an hour. The salty water helps the dye "set," which keeps it on your clothes instead of in the wash water. Also, soften your water with white vinegar. Hard water transfers colors in the wash more easily, but it is easy to soften the water with 1/2 cup of vinegar every time you wash.

Tip of the Day #62: Egg Substitution in Baking

Did you know you can substitute eggs in a cake mix recipe for a CAN OF SODA?! They are even more moist and delicious than the original recipe! :) Make sure to match the colour of the pop with the batter--ie. coke for chocolate, gingerale for white, etc.

Tip of the Day #61: DIY Air Freshner Refills

Save money by refilling your plug-in air freshners! Simply take the 'wick' part (hard sponge-like stopper) and fill halfway with your favourite essential oil, then fill the rest with water.

Tip of the Day #60: Paint Can Tip

Planning on renovating? Here's a tip when painting: Wrap a rubber band over the top of the open can and down under the bottom to secure it--this way, when there is excess paint on the brush, just rub it against the rubber band instead of making a big mess on the paint can!

Talk about RE-USING a product!!

I LOVE this and just had to share on my blog! Could be used for so many different things!

Tip of the Day #59: REPAIRING SCRATCHED DVDS & CDS

Scratched dvds and cds lying around your house? The best solution to repairing them is CHILDREN'S TOOTHPASTE! Normal toothpaste is too abrasive. Simply dab a few spots on, spread it to cover the entire area, then with your finger, rub in circular motions around the whole disc. Wipe off with a dry rag in circular motions again. This works on even the worst of scratches!

Tip of the Day #58: Mold Remover

Mold creeping up inside your home? Dip a scrubber sponge/brush in a bucket filled with a solution of 1/2 cup chlorine bleach, 1/2 cup powder laundry detergent and 1 gallon of water--then scrub the affected areas. Remember to rinse well afterwards with fresh water :)

Tip of the Day #56: Freshen Towels

Wash your towels with 1 cup vinegar in your washing machine, then run another cycle with 1/2 cup baking soda. They will smell 10 times better as over time, towels take on permanent musty scent. Try for yourself and notice the difference! :)

Tip of the Day #55: Cleaning Pillows

Every so often, place your pillows in the dryer with 2-3 tennis balls to return them to their original 'fluff state.' The high heat will also rid them of all germs.

Tip of the Day #54: Spider Prevention

Do you have spiders roaming your house? To prevent them, combine one cup vinegar, one cup pepper, a teaspoon of oil (like vegetable, olive, etc) and a teaspoon of dish soap. Pour into a spray bottle and spray along the outside frames of your door and windows. Remember to always refresh when it rains.

Tip of the Day #53: DIY Watering Can

Why not turn an old detergent or fabric softener jug into a watering can by poking small holes in the lid!