Sunday, May 19, 2013

Tip of the Day #322: Lightweight Pot Filler

To conserve soil when planting up large containers, consider how much soil your plants really need, then fill the bottom of the container with lighter-weight materials. An upended plastic nursery pot does a fine job of taking up space; fill in alongside it with Styrofoam peanuts.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Tip of the Day #321: Removing a Splinter

NEVER initially squeeze or use tweezers on a splinter as you can do more damage than good.

1. Instead, add water to about 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to make a thick paste. 

2. Spread the baking soda paste onto a bandage, then apply the bandage to the affected area and leave for 24 hours.

3. At this time, the splinter may be sticking out of the skin. If it's visible, pick it off with tweezers, and rinse the skin gently. If the splinter is sticking out but not visible, this may wash it away without further complications.

4. Repeat the method with new paste and another bandage every 24 hours until the splinter is gone.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Tip of the Day #320: Cleaning Pots & Pans

Every metal has different properties and requires special care. Stainless steel is prone to stains from heat and hard water. To remove them, apply white vinegar with a soft cloth and rub. Always dry thoroughly after washing to prevent a film from forming. Never soak stainless steel cookware; this will result in pitted surfaces.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Tip of the Day #319: Easy Furniture moving

To avoid scuffed floors when rearranging heavy pieces of furniture, fold two clean towels (dirty ones can scratch floors), place one under each end, and slide the piece across the floor.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

PERFECT THREADS INC. REVIEW

      I recently had the privilege of reviewing products from the company, Perfect Threads. If you are unaware of the business, they are an online consignment store that sell both infant & children's clothing, from newborn up to size 14.
What I personally love about the idea of an online consignment store is:
1) CONVENIENCE--you do not even need to leave the comfort of your home--my kind of shopping! ;)
2) SAVINGS--as many of you parents know, clothing is one of the largest expenses while raising children, and why pay full price when you do not need to!
When I was initially contacted by Perfect Threads, I quickly jumped on the website and was pleasantly surprised. Not only was the website very easy to navigate, but the selection of clothing was above par! What I admired MOST was to see that proceeds from donated clothing goes straight to charities listed on the site--what a "feel good" moment! Nothing warms my heart more than to see a business assist in helping out the lives of others that are less fortunate.
  
   
     Perfect Threads' main mission is to initiate and aid parents in making that first step to "clean out and de-clutter the kids closets!" What music to my ears! If you have been following my blog for awhile, you will know how ORGANIZATION and de-cluttering are essential parts of my life. I had recently spent an entire Saturday clearing my two children's dressers and closets of winter clothing, and swapping with their spring & summer items. Therefore, I was left with over 3 bags of pants and shirts that were either too small or I knew my son would outgrow by this time next year--so Perfect Threads was introduced to me at the absolute perfect moment! On their website, you can choose either to send in and SELL your gently used items, which are then applied as a 'credit' to your account for future purchases OR have the option to have your items considered "donations" and all proceeds from the sales go straight to charity--I chose the latter :) One concern I had though was "would this cost me a large chunk of money to ship my children's used items to their head office?" Well, as I searched online, I was pleased and impressed to see that clothing can be shipped for FREE! How it works is, a large bag is sent to your home--you fill the bag(s)--click "pick up my bags" on the website and UPS is there within little time to take your items. Talk about efficiency!
     So I ordered my items late Thursday evening and they arrived by Tuesday morning. Needless to say, I was eager to see each item in full view. (The attached photo shows the items I purchased for my son). Side Note: since Perfect Threads does not accept returns or exchanges, I highly recommend viewing each item you plan on buying in full view by zooming in to inspect!
   I cannot complain at all about the quality of the clothing--both pairs of shorts and the button-up short sleeve shirt were in mint condition to the point I questioned if they were ever even used!
I also cannot speak negatively in regards to the company's customer service. I had a few questions before ordering and received a response within less than an hour with all the answers. Not to mention, the speedy delivery service was fantastic!
    To be honest, the only negative I can point out is that although I did not have a problem, a 'return policy' would be beneficial to anyone that may run into issues with the clothing, and not list items as final sale. As I previously said, to avoid disappointment, just make sure to look over the items online thoroughly :)

Here are a few questions I asked Perfect Threads:

 1. What do you believe sets you above other 'like' companies?

 A: Unlike other companies that sell gently-used kids clothing on-line, we are a social enterprise and are focused on supporting a social, as well as business agenda:

a.       We take the risk out of buying gently-used clothing with our 100% satisfaction policy.  If any customer is not happy with any item they have purchased, they simply have to let us know and we will make it right
b.      Donations to charity are integral to our business model, not an afterthought.  Our patrons can use their payouts to right-size their kids clothes, or, they can donate that money or their clothes to charity.  Any monetary donations above $20 are eligible for a tax receipt.
c.       We ensure that no article of kids clothing goes unused and are not needlessly discarded into landfills.  We fully support recycling and re-use of kids clothes.

 2. Do you accept items/donations for all seasons, or are there times that a certain season is accepted?

 A: All items are accepted during all seasons.

 3. Will you ever consider buying/selling junior sizes?

 A: We currently accept and sell sizes Newborn to Size 14.  Whether we move into Junior sizes will be determined by market demand.  If the market demands it, we will supply it.  Currently the market seems to focused on smaller children’s sizes.

 4. Do you currently have any sales you would like readers to know about?

 A: We will be having our Summer promotion in June  where our newsletter subscribers will be receiving great discounts.  Only newsletter subscriber will get these great deals and anyone can become a subscriber by entering their  e-mail address in the Newsletter Signup box at the bottom of our web page.
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 If you have children or grandchildren, I do highly suggest visiting Perfect Threads website and browsing their inventory. Great quality, great prices & convenience--how can you say no to that?!

Also, you can *like* on Facebook here.

KALE CHIPS RECIPE

I am absolutely in LOVE with Kale chips! Not only are they super tasty, but they are HEALTHY too!

Try them today:

Ingredients

1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and garlic powder for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, garlic and salt. Bake until crisp, turning the leaves halfway through, about 20 minutes.

Tip of the Day #318: 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 1.5 hours, then wipe away!