Freshen up a room by putting a cinnamon stick or two in your vacuum bag.
Stop static electricity on your TV by dusting with a dryer sheet.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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.
How to Remove Permanent Marker from Various Surfaces
This definitely comes in handy at my house where my kids always seem to find my Sharpies no matter where I hide them! It has saved my couch cushions, dining room chairs, floor and various articles of clothing! Haha
Clothes –hand sanitizer
Walls –toothpaste or hairspray
Carpet –white vinegar
Wood –rubbing alcohol
Organizing Your Purse
1. First clean out clutter. Such as Gum Wrappers, old receipts, candy, etc. Its best to clean out all of the junk before it either makes a purse smell horrible, or drives you bonkers sifting threw your junk like sand at the beach. A good habit to get into is never storing food items in your purse! From having kids, I know first-hand how easily cookie or candy packages can bust open--creating a scavenger hunt for you...except not in a fun way!
2. Invest in a wallet made with so many pockets you don't know what to do with. Chances are you'll find something to do with them. In your wallet have any paper items, pictures, money, loose change. It's hard to imagine a purse without the jingling change that sounds like reindeer on Christmas but you'll learn to live with out it. For this, make it a habit to put cards and change in their proper place RIGHT AWAY when given them back. Ive definitely had a few panic attacks in line at a store searching for my debit card!
3. Get some makeup bags. You know those tiny little make-up bags that's used for eye pencils? Yes, invest in one of those. Put all your little misfit items in it such as hand sanitizer, lip stick, deodorant, tampons, etc.
4. Think about buying a new purse that has some pockets for, say your cell phone. Plus who doesn't deserve a new purse every once in a while. It will also encourage you to empty your old change and empty the junk.
5. Take a few moments out of everyday to look in your purse and un-clutter a little--remove all items that should not be in there and put away immediately!
DIY Toilet Bowl Cleaner
½ cup baking soda
10 drops tea-tree essential oil
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour baking soda directly into the toilet bowl, add oil, then vinegar—in that order. Let water effervesce for several minutes, then scrub bowl with brush. Flush.
Do you have bits of yarn lying around that you refuse to get rid of? To keep them organized and free of knots, wrap around a clothes peg and close off with the end! I love this trick!
I really dislike a cluttered bathroom, especially in drawers and on the counter. So I had to find a solution as to where I was going to put all these items!
I was actually able to find a hanging organizer at Walmart that I hang in a closet! Included are many of my beauty supplies like nail polish, clippers, nail files, bobby pins, wipes--you can really include anything that will fit!
Now, I never have to worry about searching around for that certain nail polish! ;)
Organizing your Junk Drawer
Everyone has one...or two of these types of drawers, full of old batteries, cords, pens, loose papers, etc. I dread opening this drawer in our home because it makes me cringe every time attempting to find that one small item I need!
Although it may take you a little while to go through it the initial time, it is definitely worth organizing for the future!
First, remove EVERY item from the drawer and wipe down the inside thoroughly. Next, grab about 3-4 small plastic containers (or re-use margarine,yogurt, or any others lying around). Begin categorizing all items; batteries in one container, loose change in another (a plastic water bottle is a nice alternative because it has a tight lid). Label all manuals and place in a pile flat on the bottom of the drawer. Test out all pens and throw away any defectives ones. Label all cords (bread tabs are great for this) and place them all together--if you have a strap of any kind, it is great to tie it around your group of cords.
Once your improved drawer is complete, take a sigh of relief and maintain its organization to make life just a little more simple! :)
Organize your children's smaller toys or dolls in a shoe organizer on the back of a door. Teach them to go there for the items, and always return them to the pockets as well!
This is great for little boys Hot Wheel cars too!
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! :)
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!
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! :)
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!
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.
If you love to garden, you will definitely appreciate this post!
Follow the easy step-by-step guide below to make your own seedling trays!
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! :)
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! :)
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!
| Homemade Brown Sugar Recipe |
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.
