Sunday, December 30, 2012
Tip of the Day # 139: Fixing your Eye Glasses
Prevent Wasting Food
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! :)
Saturday, December 29, 2012
How to Keep Trash at a Minimum
- Eliminate all but essential single-use items. Instead use real dishes, napkins, reusable containers and water bottles.
- Buy food in bulk, making sure to select options that contain more food than packaging. Ex: One jug with a gallon of juice is way better than juice boxes that have 6 ounces of juice in each box OR buy a Family Pack of meat products, instead of a few pieces per package.
- Before buying durable goods new, consider whether you can find it pre-owned. Shop second hand stores, search Craigslist and Kijiji, etc, or ask friends and neighbours for the item first.
- Consider donations or swaps for items you might otherwise throw away. That old toaster, laptop or bin of kids’ clothes can have a second life with another family or host a Garage Sale!
- Look for quality products that will last longer than cheaply made alternatives--you WILL save money in the long run.
- Cook at home from fresh ingredients, cutting down on pre-packaged meals and take-out food in packed containers and bags---however, if you do order in every once in awhile, use the take out containers to store foods for lunches at work.
- Bring reusable bags to every store, they’re not just for the supermarket anymore! Some stores will even give you a bag discount.
- Set up an easy-to-use sorting system for recycling, compost and garbage, and keep it in place during parties and gatherings.
- Skip the junk mail. Let unwanted magazine subscriptions run out, and opt out of catalogs and other junk mail so you don’t have to throw it away. Let's face it, once you read a magazine, it generally will just sit, collecting dust somewhere for quite awhile!
Tip of the Day # 138: Easy Cleaning Wipes
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Tip of the Day # 137: Cleaning Makeup Brushes
Tip of the Day # 136: No more Pet Accidents!
Ingredients-
Eucalyptus or Cinnamon essential oil
Cayenne pepper
Water
Combine 2 cups of water with a tablespoon of essential oil and a tablespoon of cayenne pepper.
Clean the area that has been soiled. Avoid using ammonia based products to clean dog urine. Dog urine has ammonia in it and he/she may be encouraged to go in the same area. Remember, your dog’s sense of smell is a hundred times better than yours.
Now spray this oil infused mixture onto the spot. The Eucalyptus/Cinnamon smell is too overwhelming to a dog and he/she will be deterred from using that spot as his/her bathroom. Make sure to respray the area every 24 hours until the dog completely loses interest in that area.
The Cayenne pepper is added as an additional precaution just in case your pet decides to lick the spray, not only will his/her nose be bothered but his/her tongue will be as well.
**WARNING--This spray is geared more towards DOG accidents as opposed to cats--that is because cats cannot tolerate essential oils (their livers do not have the enzymes that dogs & humans do to break down the components of essential oils so they can be harmlessly expelled!**
Tip of the Day # 135: DIY Furniture Polish
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Tip of the Day # 134: Sandal Organization
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! :)
Tip of the Day # 133: Fight Flu Symptoms
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!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Tip of the Day # 132: Headache Relief
Did you know that drinking 2 glasses of Gatorade can almost immediately relieve headache pain without the nasty side effects caused by traditional pain relievers? From one headache sufferer to another, I can tell you it really does work!
MAKE YOUR OWN BROWN SUGAR AT HOME!
Homemade Brown Sugar Recipe |
- Mix the two ingredients together.
- Takes about 2 minutes.
- Use and store like normal brown sugar.
- Enjoy
Organizing Your Car
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.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Tip of the Day # 131: Knife Safety
Tip of the Day # 130: Dicing Onions Properly
Many people have a problem when it comes to properly dicing or cutting certain vegetables, and the following technique will assist you in cutting veggies, such as an onion, more efficiently!
This tutorial may seem lengthy, but when completely in reality, you will be able to cut like a pro!
1. Get your onion. Peel it, and trim the root end flush but don’t carve it out. The stem will help hold the onion layers together as you cut.
2. Cut your onion in half. We’ll dice one-half at a time. Note the stem, still holding together most of the onion layers.
3. We’re going to cut radial slices around the onion half without cutting through the stem. Picture the spokes of a bicycle tire. Now picture it’s just half a tire, with all the spokes radiating outward from the center. If you can imagine cutting along imaginary spokes as you slice your onion, this technique will be a cinch.
The first cut will be at a very shallow angle.
4. The next will be slightly less shallow as you slice your way towards the top of the onion.
5. Remember not to to cut through the stem – stop your slices 1/2-inch or so shy of the root end.
6. By the time you are slicing down through the center (apex) of the onion, your knife should be vertical.
7. Slice your way down the other side of the onion, making increasingly shallow cuts as you approach the cutting board on the other side.
8. Now, turn your onion 90-degrees so that you can hold the root end firmly in your left (or non-knife) hand while slicing down and perpendicular to the radial slices you just made.
9. As you slice down, tidy little diced onion pieces will fall from your knife.
The onion will try to splay apart as you cut down. You have to use your non-knife hand to hold the onion together. My thumb and fingers spread out a bit down the sides of the onion to hold all the layers together.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Tip of the Day # 126: Shining Glassware
Tips of the Day # 128: The writings on the Mirror!
Tips of the Day # 127: Toilet Leaks
Tips of the Day # 125: Cleaning Stuffed Animals
GUEST POST: Organization at its Best
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Effective Meal Planning
Monday, December 10, 2012
Tip of the Day #124: Repairing Scratched Wood
For watermarks - Many of you may have heard how a blow dryer or smearing mayonnaise may work to remove these spots, however, I find the following recipe to be the most effective! Give it a try!
Mix a thick paste of olive oil and salt and rub onto the wood - leave it for about 30 minutes. The salt draws out the moisture and the oil feeds the wood. Used this many, many times!
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Tip of the Day # 123: Effective Bathroom Cleaning
Tip of the Day # 122: Keeping Pop 'Fizzy'
Also, never lay pop on its side in the refridgerator as this leads to it becoming flat drastically quicker!
Friday, December 7, 2012
Tip of the Day # 121: Stainless Steel Cleaning
1 Tablespoon of Cream of Tartar with a couple drops of water. Rub and scrub. Then rinse.
DIY PROJECT--XMAS ORNAMENTS
DIY MOSAIC ORNAMENTS
Supplies:
CDs
Glue
Clear plastic or glass ornaments (available at the dollar store)
Glitter (optional)
1. Cut old or scratched cds into small pieces of different sizes & shapes
2. Adhere to your clear ornaments--glue pieces as close or wide together as you would like--continue to entire surface of bulb is covered
3. Remove top of bulb and pour in glitter of your choice
These ornaments really do look beautiful hung from your Christmas!
Tip of the Day # 120: Cleaning Dryers
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
SO MANY USES FOR COFFEE BEANS!
- 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.
Tip of the Day # 118: Fireplace Cleanup
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Tip of the Day # 117: 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!
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!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Tip of the Day # 115: Mmmm Mashed Potatoes
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
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!