Things You Didn't Know...

2009-05-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

GROWING UP IN THE SOUTH, WE ALL HEARD THE SAYING

“Use It Up,

Wear It Out,

Make It Do,

Do Without!”

AND OUR GRANDMA WHITE WAS THE QUEEN OF THAT SAYING.

SHE DIDN'T THROW ANYTHING AWAY IF THERE WAS ANY POSSIBLE WAY SHE COULD MAKE SOMETHING NEW WITH IT.

OUR GRANDPARENTS LIVED DURING RECESSION TIMES WHILE TRYING TO RAISE A FAMILY ON VERY LITTLE AND KNEW WHAT THE TRUE VALUE OF A DOLLAR WAS.

THEREFORE, GRANDMA USED ALL THE OLD HOME REMEDIES AND MADE THE OLD NEW AGAIN.

HERE YOU WILL FIND IDEAS THAT I SAW MY GRANDMA DO WHILE WE WERE GROWING UP AND OTHER THINGS I KNOW GRANDMA WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY TO CRAFT HERSELF OR TO MAKE LIFE EASIER BY UPCYCLING THOSE USED UP ITEMS.

~~~~~~~~~~

A cheerful heart is good medicine (Prov. 17:22)

Of course, the bottom line to cure almost any ailment is a little laughter and a good positive attitude.

This collection of Home Remedies all started from me hearing about drinking warm Jell-O to cure diarrhea. It really works! And the best thing is that children will drink it 'cause you fix whatever flavor they like best. This got me to thinking, "How many other home remedies are out there that really works, but some of us folks haven't heard of, yet?"

I started asking around and I got some answers. This is full of home remedies from way back when to now. Please, keep in mind that these are only remedies that have been handed down and around and may not suit everyone. Kindly check with your physician before trying out any of these tips.

While looking for home remedies, I also started looking for home made gift ideas that are very low in cost but means alot. Seems people enjoy things more when you make it personally for them.

I hope you will enjoy these remedies and home made gift ideas. Thanks to everyone who took part in getting home remedies to me so that I might share them with you.

ABOUT BORAX

2009-05-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

Borax is one of those things that can be environmentally friendly but there is also some cautions when using it. Borax is a natural mineral compound that is used for many purposes. But borax can also be toxic to children and pets if consumed, it can also kill plants in high doses and can cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation. So if you feel you need a boost to your natural and green laundry regiment borax can be a good choice but if you have children and pets please be very careful........ if in doubt don't use it. For more specific information read on.

What Is Borax?
Borax (also known as sodium borate decahydrate; sodium pyroborate; birax; sodium tetraborate decahydrate; sodium biborate) is a natural mineral compound (Na2B4O7 • 10H2O). It was discovered over 4000 years ago. Borax is usually found deep within the ground, although it has been mined near the surface in Death Valley, California since the 1800s. Although it has numerous industrial uses, in the home borax is used as a natural laundry booster, multipurpose cleaner, fungicide, preservative, insecticide, herbicide, disinfectant, dessicant, and ingredient in making 'slime'. Borax crystals are odorless, whitish (can have various color impurities), and alkaline. Borax is not flammable and is not reactive. It can be mixed with most other cleaning agents.

How Does Borax Clean?
Borax has many chemical properties that contribute to its cleaning power. Borax and other borates clean and bleach by converting some water molecules to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). This reaction is more favorable in hotter water. The pH of borax is about 9.5, so it produces a basic solution in water, thereby increasing the effectiveness of bleach and other cleaners. In other chemical reactions, borax acts as a buffer, maintaining a stable pH needed to maintain cleansing chemical reactions. The boron, salt, and/or oxygen of boron inhibit the metabolic processes of many organisms. This characteristic allows borax to disinfect and kill unwanted pests. Borates bonds with other particles to keep ingredients dispersed evenly in a mixture, which maximizes the surface area of active particles to enhance cleaning power.

Risks Associated with Borax
Borax is natural, but that does not mean it is automatically safer for you or for 'the environment' than man-made chemicals. Although plants need boron, too much of it will kill them, so borax can be used as an herbicide. Borax may also be used to kill roaches, ants, and fleas. In fact, it is also toxic to people. Signs of chronic toxic exposure include red and peeling skin, seizures, and kidney failure. The estimated lethal dose (ingested) for adults is 15-20 grams; less than 5 grams can kill a child or pet. For this reason, borax should not be used around food. More commonly, borax is associated with skin, eye, or respiratory irritation. It is also important to point out that exposure to borax may impair fertility or cause damage to an unborn child. Now, none of these risks mean that you shouldn't use borax. If you do a bit of research, you will find risks associated with all cleaning products, natural or man-made. However, you do need to be aware of product risks so that you can use those products properly. Don't use borax around food, keep it out of reach of children and pets, and make sure you rinse borax out of clothes and off of surfaces before use.

~~~~~~~~~

Clear a Clogged Drain

Before you reach for a caustic drain cleaner to unclog the kitchen or bathroom drain, try this much gentler approach. Use a funnel to insert a ½ cup of borax into the drain, then slowly pour in two cups of boiling water. Let the mixture sit for 15 minutes, then flush with hot water. Repeat for stubborn clogs.

Rub Out Sink Stains

Get rid of those stubborn stains—even rust—in your stainless-steel or porcelain sink. Make a paste of one cup of borax and ¼ cup of lemon juice. Put some of the paste on a cloth or sponge and rub it into the stain, then rinse with running warm water. The stain should wash away with the paste.

Clean Windows and Mirrors

To get windows and mirrors spotless and streakless, just wash them with a clean sponge dipped in two tablespoons of borax dissolved in three cups of water.

Rub Out Rug Stains

Remove stubborn stains from rugs and carpets by thoroughly dampening the area, then rubbing in some borax. Let the area dry, then vacuum or blot it with a solution of equal parts of vinegar and soapy water and allow to dry. Repeat if necessary. Don’t forget to first test the procedure on an inconspicuous corner of the rug or on a carpet scrap before applying it to the stain.

Remove Mildew From Fabric

To remove mildew from upholstery and other fabrics, soak a sponge in a solution of a ½ cup of borax dissolved in two cups of hot water and rub it into the affected areas. Let it soak in for several hours until the stain disappears, then rinse well.To remove mildew from clothing, soak it in a solution of two cups of borax in two litres of water.

Fast Furniture Fixes

2009-05-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

Mask wood furniture scratches
Furniture refinishers would prefer to have your business, but you can save hundreds of dollars by hiding scratches using one of several inexpensive methods. Drop by the hardware store, and pick up a putty pencil or scratch polish. Make sure it matches the colour of your wood finish. Apply as directed, and presto! The scratch disappears, not your money.

Follow the antique furniture golden rule
Do as little as possible to change the original construction and finish of your antiques. By stripping a finish and putting on a new finish, you can drastically reduce the value of antique furniture. If a chair is a little loose and creaky or a table’s lacquer top is cracking, that’s okay.

Protect fussy antiques without the fuss
Contrary to what the makers of those lemon-fresh, spray-on furniture polishes claim, you don’t need fancy chemicals to clean and protect wooden chests, desks, tables, and chairs, even if they are your prized possessions. In fact, those products can do more harm than good.

A simple regimen of preventive care and cleaning for your wood furniture:
1. Protect the wood from moisture. Use coasters, wipe up spills, and avoid cleaning with water.
2. Dust regularly with a soft, dry white cloth.
3. Wax once a year with a furniture wax—but only if the wood’s finish is intact.
The paste wax, which protects the finish without penetrating the wood, keeps dust from binding with the surface the way car wax makes water bead. Pick a wax that matches the colour of the wood (for instance, a lighter wax for maple and a darker one for walnut). If the wood finish is cracked or rubbed away, skip the paste.

Steam out a dent
A dent on a wooden surface can often be fixed by swelling the compressed wood fibers back to their normal size using moisture and heat. Prick the varnish finish of the dented area several times with a fine pin so that moisture can penetrate into the wood. Then cover the dent with a pad of wet cloth, put a metal bottle cap on top of the pad to spread the heat, and apply a clothing iron on a high setting for a few minutes. Be careful not to scorch the finish. Afterward, when the wood is completely dry, fill the pinholes with a thin coat of fresh varnish.

Home, Sweet-Smelling Home

2009-05-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Make Your Own Air Freshener
Fill a spray bottle with water and add ten drops of an essential oil—try rosemary, eucalyptus, pine, lavender or citrus.

Simple Smell Solutions
Remove unwanted odours from inside the microwave by heating up a slice of lemon in a bowl of water or a baking soda solution.

Clear Smells with Lemon
Remove fishy or garlic smells from a wooden chopping board by rubbing the board with a wedge of lemon. Put citrus peel down the garbage disposer to clear smells.

Scent of Cloves
Simmer cloves in water for a delicious smell that is welcoming in winter.

Fragrant Baths
Drop about eight drops of a relaxing essential oil such as neroli or sandalwood into your bath.

Absorb Odours
Place a bowl of vinegar next to the stove to absorb strong odours.

Freshen Up as You Vacuum
When you do the vacuuming, put a couple of drops of essential oil into the dust bag and the scent will be dispersed around the house.

Add the Scent of Baking Bread
Warm brown sugar and cinnamon on the stove to fill your home with the delicious smell of fresh baking. Take care that the mixture doesn’t burn.

Free the Fridge of Smells
Put a bowl filled with clean cat litter in a fridge that is going to be switched off for any length of time to absorb smells.

Lavender Sachets
If you grow your own lavender, snip the heads off the stalks, let them dry, then make your own sachets using scraps of muslin or thin cotton.

Sweet Pomanders
Keep closets smelling sweet with homemade pomanders. Stud oranges, lemons or limes with whole cloves, then hang from a piece of string.

To Do with Bananas

2009-05-28T11:33:00.000-07:00

Make a face mask
Who needs Botox when you have bananas? That's right: You can use a banana as an all-natural face mask that moisturizes your skin and leaves it looking and feeling softer. Mash up a medium-sized ripe banana into a smooth paste, then gently apply it to your face and neck. Let it set for 10-20 minutes, then rinse it off with cold water. Another popular mask recipe calls for 1/4 cup plain yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1 medium banana.

Eat a frozen "banana-sicle"
As a summer treat for friends and family, peel and cut four ripe bananas in half (across the middle). Stick a wooden ice-cream stick into the flat end of each piece. Place them all on a piece of wax paper, and then put it in the freezer. A few hours later, serve them up as simply yummy frozen banana-sicles. If you want to go all-out, quickly dip your frozen bananas in 6 ounces (170 grams) melted butterscotch or chocolate morsels (chopped nuts or shredded coconut are optional), then refreeze.

Tenderize a roast
Banana leaves are commonly used in many Asian countries to wrap meat as it's cooking to make it more tender. Some folks in these areas say the banana itself also has this ability. So the next time you fear the roast you're cooking will turn tough on you, try softening it up by adding a ripe, peeled banana to the pan.

Polish silverware and leather shoes
It may sound a bit like a lark, but using a banana peel is actually a great way to put the shine back into your silverware and leather shoes. First, remove any of the leftover stringy material from the inside of the peel, then just start rubbing the inside of the peel on your shoes or silver. When you're done, buff up the object with a paper towel or soft cloth. You might even want to use this technique to restore your leather furniture. Test it on a small section first before you take on the whole chair.

Brighten up houseplants
Are the leaves on your houseplants looking dingy or dusty? Don't bother misting them with water -- that just spreads the dirt around. Rather, wipe down each leaf with the inside of a banana peel. It'll remove all the gunk on the surface and replace it with a lustrous shine.

Deter aphids
Are aphids attacking your rosebushes or other plants? Bury dried or cut-up banana peels an inch or two deep around the base of the aphid-prone plants, and soon the little suckers will pack up and leave. Don't use whole peels or the bananas themselves, though; they tend to be viewed as tasty treats by raccoons, squirrels, gophers, rabbits, and other animals, who will just dig them up.

Use as fertilizer or mulch
Banana peels, like the fruit itself, are rich in potassium -- an important nutrient for both you and your garden. Dry out banana peels on screens during the winter months. In early spring, grind them up in a food processor or blender and use it as a mulch to give new plants and seedlings a healthy start. Many cultivars of roses and other plants, like staghorn ferns, also benefit from the nutrients found in banana peels; simply cut up some peels and use them as plant food around your established plants.

Add to compost pile
With their high content of potassium and phosphorus, whole bananas and peels are welcome additions to any compost pile -- particularly in so-called compost tea recipes. The fruit breaks down especially fast in hot temperatures. But don't forget to remove any glued-on tags from the peels, and be sure to bury bananas deep within your pile -- otherwise they may simply turn out to be a meal for a four-legged visitor.

Attract butterflies and birds
Bring more butterflies and various bird species to your backyard by putting out overripe bananas (as well as other fruits such as mangos, oranges, and papayas) on a raised platform. Punch a few holes in the bananas to make the fruit more accessible to the butterflies. Some enthusiasts swear by adding a drop of Gatorade to further mush things up. The fruit is also likely to attract more bees and wasps as well, so make sure that the plat-form is well above head level and not centrally located. Moreover, you'll probably want to clear it off before sunset, to discourage visits from raccoons and other nocturnal creatures.

To Do with Gloves

2009-05-28T11:30:00.000-07:00

Adorable Snow Folks

Create a group of carolers or a sleighful of happy winter friends with your mismatched children's mittens, wooden balls, and lots of imagination. The sky is the limit!

You will need

children's mittens

rice

cotton batting

1 1/4" diameter wooden balls

buttons

mismatched infant or children's socks

small pom poms

scrap material for scarves

silk florals (holiday springs, berries, flowers, etc.)

sleigh or basket

tiny black plastic eyes or black acrylic paint

rosey lipstick

black marker

What you do Basic Snow Person:

Fill the hand portion of a child's mitten with one or two handfuls of rice, fill the rest of the way with cotton batting, be sure to fill thumb as well.

Cut a scrap piece of material for scarf and gently tie around the mitten where the ribbing of the cuff meets the plain material of the mitten (end of the cuff). (When tying scarf, point the scarf material away from the thumb to make it appear as if the scarf is covering the person's other arm.)

Fold down cuff to cover scarf and form a turtle neck.

Hot glue on wooden ball to top of turned down cuff.

Glue on tiny plastic eyes or paint on with black acrylic paint.

Use black marker for mouth.

Gently dot on lipstick for cheeks by applying first to your finger and then dotting onto face.

Glue 2 or 3 buttons to tummy area.

Glue a stem of holiday florals or greenery tucked into the arm (thumb), and glue arm to the mitten body.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Remove Cat Hair
Here's a quick and easy way to remove cat hair from upholstery. Put on a rubber glove and wet it. When you rub it against fabric, the cat hair will stick to the glove. If you are worried about getting the upholstery slightly damp, test it in an inconspicuous area first.

Use Latex Gloves for Extra Insulation
If you've got a good pair of gloves or mittens, but your hands still get cold while shoveling snow or doing other outdoor activities in cold weather, try slipping on a pair of latex surgical gloves underneath your usual mittens or gloves. The rubber is a fantastic insulator, so your hands will stay warm, and dry too.

Clean Your Knick-Knacks
Need to dust that collection of glass animals and other delicate items? Put on some fabric gloves- the softer the better- to clean your knick-knacks thoroughly.

Dust a Chandelier
If your chandelier has become a haven for spiders and dust, try this sure-fire dusting tip. Soak some old fabric gloves in window cleaner. Slip them on and wipe off the lighting fixture. You'll beam at the results.

Grip a Stubborn Jar Lid
It's very annoying when you can't open a jar of pasta sauce or olives. If the lid just won't come loose, put on some rubber gloves- you'll get a better grip to unscrew the top.

To Do with Aspirin

2009-05-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Control dandruff
If your dandruff problem is getting you down, keep it in check by crushing 2 aspirins into a fine powder and adding it to the normal amount of shampoo you usually use. Leave the mixture on for 1 to 2 minutes, then rinse well and wash again with plain shampoo.

Dry up pimples
Even those of us who are well past adolescence can get the occasional pimple. Put the kibosh on those annoying blemishes by crushing an aspirin and moistening it with a bit of water. Apply the paste to the pimple and let it sit for a couple of minutes before washing it off with soap and water. The aspirin paste will reduce the redness and soothe the sting. If the pimple persists, repeat the procedure as needed until it’s gone.

Revive dead car batteries
If you get behind the wheel only to discover that your car’s battery has given up the ghost—and there’s no one around to give you a jump—you may be able to get your vehicle started by dropping 2 aspirin tablets into the battery itself. The aspirin’s acetylsalicylic acid will combine with the battery’s sulphuric acid to produce one last charge. Just make sure that you then drive to your nearest service station to find a longer-term solution.

Remove perspiration stains
Before you give up all hope of ever getting that perspiration stain out of your good white dress shirt, try this: crush 2 aspirins and mix the powder in 1⁄2 cup of warm water. Soak the stained part of the garment in the solution for around 2 to 3 hours.

Treat hard calluses
Soften hard calluses on your feet by grinding 5 or 6 aspirins into a powder. Make a paste by adding 1⁄2 teaspoon each of lemon juice and water. Apply the mixture to the affected areas, then wrap your foot in a warm towel and cover it with a plastic bag. After staying off your feet for at least 10 minutes, remove the bag and towel and file down the softened callus with a pumice stone.

~~~~~~~~

Aspirin or acetylsalicylic acid, is a derivative of salicylic acid that is a mild, nonnarcotic analgesic useful in the relief of headache and muscle and joint aches. The drug works by inhibiting the production of prostaglandins, body chemicals that are necessary for blood clotting and which also sensitize nerve endings to pain.
The father of modern medicine was Hippocrates, who lived sometime between 460 B.C and 377 B.C. Hippocrates was left historical records of pain relief treatments, including the use of powder made from the bark and leaves of the willow tree to help heal headaches, pains and fevers.
By 1829, scientists discovered that it was the compound called salicin in willow plants which gave you the pain relief.
The folks at Bayer came up with the name Aspirin, it comes from the 'A" in acetyl chloride, the "spir" in spiraea ulmaria (the plant they derived the salicylic acid from) and the 'in' was a then familiar name ending for medicines.
Aspirin was first sold as a powder. In 1915, the first Aspirin tablets were made. Interestingly, Aspirin ® and Heroin ® were once trademarks belonging to Bayer. After Germany lost World War I, Bayer was forced to give up both trademarks as part of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

To Do with Lip Balm

2009-05-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

If you want to make your own lip balm, all you have to do is look around the house. Most of the do-it-yourself recipes for the item are things you could find in your bathroom or kitchen cupboards. Lip balm is a great gift because it keeps your lips smooth. This makes your lips look that much healthier and keeps them from drying out. Lip balm is an excellent product to make not only for yourself but also to give away as gifts or to sell. The following includes an easy to follow recipe for making your own flavored lip balm.

Favorite Flavored Lip Balm Recipe
Ingredients You Will Need:
1 teaspoon beeswax
1 teaspoon apricot kernel oil
1 teaspoon calendula oil
1/4 teaspoon almond oil
1/4 teaspoon honey
3 drops lemon essential oil

Melt the beeswax and add in apricot, calendula and almond oils. Mix together and add honey. Stir the mixture at a consistent rate until all of the ingredients are fully blended. Remove the mixture from the heat while stirring. Allow the mixture to cool for about 30 minutes and then add in the lemon essential oils. Place the mixture into a glass pot or jar and allow to cool.

You can store your flavored lip balm in a variety of containers: some folks buy new jars from craft stores whereas others like to reuse lip balm tubes. Make sure that if you are using an old container that you fully wash it out: you don't want to contaminate your new batch of lip balm. To speed up your process, once the lip balm mixture is in the jars, feel free to place it in the freezer. This will give the balm a smoother finish.

Finally, once you have practiced the basic recipe above, feel free to experiment with fruit juices and food coloring. This can enhance the flavor and color of your lip balm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remove a Stuck Ring
No need to pull and tug on your poor, beleaguered finger to try to remove that stuck ring. Simply coat the finger with lip balm and gently wriggle the ring loose.

Tame Wild Eyebrows
You can use lip balm as a styling wax to groom unruly moustaches, eyebrows, or other hairs that may need taming.

Zap Bleeding from Shaving Cuts
Ouch! You just cut yourself shaving and you don’t have any time to spare. Just dab a bit of lip balm directly onto the nick and the bleeding from most shaving cuts will quickly stop.

Lubricate a Zipper
Rub a small amount of inexpensive lip balm up and down the teeth of a sticky or stuck zipper. Then zip and unzip it a few times. The balm will act as a lubricant to make the zipper work smoothly.

Make Sliding Simple
Apply inexpensive lip balm to the tracks of drawers and windows, or to the ridges on a medicine cabinet, for easier opening and shutting.

To Do with Lemons

2009-05-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

Keep Insects Out of the Kitchen
You don’t need insecticides or ant traps to ant-proof your kitchen. Just give it the lemon treatment. First squirt some lemon juice on door thresholds and window-sills. Then squeeze lemon juice into any holes or cracks where the ants are getting in. Finally, scatter small slices of lemon peel around the outdoor entrance. The ants will get the message that they aren’t welcome. Lemons are also effective against cockroaches and fleas. Simply mix four lemons (along with rinds) with 2 litres of water and wash your floors with it; then watch the fleas and cockroaches flee. They hate the smell.

Brighten Clothes
Ordinary bleach can cause the iron in water to precipitate out into fabrics, leaving additional stains. For a mild, stain-free bleach, soak your delicates in a mixture of lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda for at least half an hour before washing.
Diluted or straight, lemon juice is a safe and effective fabric whitener when added to your machine-washing water. Your clothes will also come out smelling lemony fresh.
To remove those yellowing stains from shirts and blouses, simply by scrub them with a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and water.

Freshen Your Breath
Make an impromptu mouth wash using lemon juice straight from the bottle. Rinse with the juice and then swallow it for longer-lasting fresh breath. The citric acid in the juice alters the pH level in your mouth, killing the bacteria that cause bad breath. Rinse after a few minutes, because long-term exposure to the acid in the juice can erode tooth enamel.

Prevent Potatoes from Turning Brown
Potatoes and cauliflower tend to turn brown when boiling, especially when you’re having friends for dinner. You can make sure the white vegetables stay white by squeezing a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice into the cooking water.

Brighten Dull Aluminum
Make those dull pots and pans sparkle, inside and out. All you need to do is rub the cut side of half a lemon all over them and buff with a soft cloth.

Sanitize Cooking Surfaces

Slice a lemon and scrub it over the surface of a plastic or wood cutting boards or wood counter to disinfect. You can also squeeze the juice over the cutting board to remove stains from the surface. Squeeze the juice over the stain, rub the stain, and let it sit for 10-20 minutes then rinse the cutting board with water.

Clean and Sanitize the Garbage Disposal

Peel the rind off the lemon, drop it into the garbage disposal, and run the disposal for a few minutes. Limonene is a chemical in the peel, which will help dissolve bits of food and remove odors from the disposal. If you don’t have lemon handy, you can also use oranges or limes.

Make a Centerpiece

Take a glass or ceramic bowl and fill it with 10-12 lemons to make a bright, cheery and inexpensive centerpiece. Or use a combination of lemons and votive candles alternating down the center of your dining table for a romantic, candle lit dinner.

Polish Furniture

Take equal parts vinegar and lemon juice in a bowl or into a spray bottle, mix thoroughly or shake the bottle to mix the ingredients. Using a cloth, spray your wood furniture with small amounts of the lemon juice mixture, then wipe with another cloth. This is an inexpensive and environmentally-friendly way to polish furniture.

Strengthen Your Fingernails

Combine the juice from one lemon and warm water in a bowl. Soak your fingers in the bowl for 10-20 minutes each day. Soaking your fingernails in lemon juice will help absorb much needed vitamin C, which helps to strengthen nails and brighten your nails.

~If you just need a few drops of lemon juice from a lemon, just puncture it, squeeze out what you want and refrigerate it again.

~Add a tablespoon of lemon juice when cooking red cabbage to prevent it from turning purple.

~Add a slice of lemon to cabbage when cooking to stop the cabbage smell.

~To get lots more juice from a lemon, place in hot water for a few minutes before squeezing.

~The juiciest lemons are those with smooth skins and points at each end.

~A piece of lemon rind added to a bouquet garni adds a special flavor to poultry or meat dishes.

~1 medium lemon will yield 2-3 tablespoons of juice and 1-2 teaspoons grated rind.

~To freeze lemon juice: squeeze the juice from lemons, fill ice cube tray then freeze.

~To freeze the rind, just peel the lemon and place in a small bag in the freezer.

~To substitute from 1 medium lemon; use 1 tsp. Frozen grated rinds plus 2 Tbs. frozen lemon juice.

Laundry Stain Solutions

2009-05-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

My Pen Stained My Pocket
How many shirts have been ruined by leaking pens? You can’t hear it, and you can’t smell it. But you sure can see it—that horrifying blue or black ink stain at the base of your shirt pocket. Can you rescue the shirt? Yes, with the help of rubbing alcohol. Put three paper towels, one on top of the other and folded in half, on a flat surface, such as a kitchen counter. Put the shirt pocket over the paper towels and pour rubbing alcohol onto the ink—just enough to cover the area. The paper towels will absorb the alcohol and draw the ink away from the fabric. Replace the paper towels when they become saturated. Repeat the process after about two minutes. The alcohol will loosen up the ink. Rinse by pouring water on the stained area, again changing the paper towels. If there is still a slight ink stain, apply nail polish remover (acetone) to a cloth and rub it on the stained shirt. Rinse with water; then presoak with a stain remover such as Shout and let it soak for 15 to 20 minutes before laundering.

I Spilled Coffee On My Shirt
Use cold water, and then pre-treat. If you drink your coffee black, the stain will be easier to remove than if you put milk in it, because the protein in milk works against you. Either way you take your coffee, however, the solution is the same: Hold the garment under a faucet, stain side down, and run cold water through it for a couple of minutes. Next, rub laundry detergent or a prewash product into the stain and let it stand for five minutes. Then launder as usual.

My Favourite Garment Has a Mildew Stain
You tossed your soaked sweatshirt into the trunk of your car and promptly forgot it. When you finally pulled it out again, the sweatshirt had developed a mildew stain. If the shirt is white and all cotton, and the stain is relatively new, you’re in luck. Mix 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of chlorine bleach with 1⁄3 cup of water and pour it on the stain. Then launder. The bleach should kill the spores that caused the mildew.
For colored clothing and items made of synthetic fabrics, washing with an all-fabric bleach should do the trick. Remember, however, that the older a mildew stain is, the more difficult it will be to remove. Be sure to treat mildew stains as soon as possible.

The Underarms of My Blouse are Stained
Your favourite clothes are being ruined by what appear to be sweat stains, which can show up as a yellow blotch. You can tell whether it’s actually caused by perspiration by feeling the fabric. Sweat may stain, but it will leave the cloth feeling normal. Stains from antiperspirant will feel either oily or stiff. For cotton and linen, launder the garment with chlorine bleach, according to the package directions. Use oxygen (all-fabric) bleach on synthetic fabric. These methods should work whether the stain is caused by antiperspirant or sweat. Take a silk or wool garment to a dry cleaner.

My Lipstick Has Left Its Mark
Lipstick can easily stain clothing. Removing it is tricky because not all lipsticks are made of the same ingredients. First, try rubbing a lipstick stain with liquid detergent before laundering. If that doesn’t work and the clothing is white, you can use acetone-based nail polish remover to remove the spot. Acetone can harm colored clothing, so be careful. And even with white items, test it on an inconspicuous spot before you go after the lipstick stain.

I’ve Got Grass Stains On My Pants
Grass stains can mar a perfectly good pair of pants in an instant. The sooner you treat such stains, the better. Rub laundry detergent on the fabric; then rinse with hot water. If that doesn’t remove the stain, rub more detergent on the stain and wash the garment, adding an enzyme laundry product, such as Amaze or Spray ’n Wash In-Wash Laundry Stain Remover, that will help remove the protein in the stain.

There’s a Ring Around My Collar
The insides of shirt collars pick up oil and dirt from our skin, which leave a dirty ring on the cloth. Shampoo is the solution. Put a little bit of shampoo on the collar and gently rub it in with an old toothbrush. Then wash as usual.

To Do with Flip-flops

2009-05-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

Old flip-flops + towel = slippers
Fair warning: Before attempting this project, please see step #21 below.*

Supplies:
old flip-flops, thongs, zoris, sandals (whatever you call them)
old cotton terry cloth towel
1/4 yard polyester batting
1/4 yard faux leather
coordinating thread

Tools:
sewing machine
fabric scissors
kitchen shears
upholstery straight pins
water-soluble fabric marker
pencil
tape measure
needle

1. Cut off the thong part of the flip-flop. My kitchen shears were the only scissors I had that were strong enough. With a pencil, trace each sandal onto the back of the faux leather, which will be the sole of the slipper.

2. Measure 5/8-inch around the outside and mark with dots. Connect the dots. This is the seam allowance.

3. Cut out the faux leather along the outer line.

4. Trace the leather cutout onto towel with fabric marker. Cut them out.

5. Do the same thing with the batting.

6. Measure around the outside edge to determine the length of the side pieces.

7. Measure the height of the thickest point of the sandal to determine the width of the side pieces.

8. For the side pieces, cut two strips of towel. They should be about two inches longer than the circumference of the sandal and 1-1/4 inches wider than the height of the sandal (height + 5/8-inch seam + 5/8-inch seam). I also cut the same size strips in the batting, but ended up not using them because of thickness problems. You’ll see.

9. This is where some guesswork comes in. For the top pieces, draw around the outside of the leather pattern, flaring out a bit toward the heal, which will accomodate your foot. Then draw another line 5/8 inch outside of that line (for the seam) and cut out.

10. Cut four top pieces. You can use the same pattern for all of them because the towel is reversible.

11. Cut out two pieces of batting the same size.

12. Trim off about 5/8 inch from the bottom so they’ll fit inside better.

13. All the pieces you need are now cut. (I discarded the thin strips of batting in this photo.)

14. Sew the bottom edges of the top pieces (5/8-inch seam allowance). Turn right side out and insert batting.

15. Sew the top edges together with the batting inside (1/2-inch seam allowance).

16. Sew the footbed pieces to the batting (1/2-inch seam allowance).

17. Starting at the heel, sew the thin strips of towel to the outside edge of the faux leather sole (1/2-inch seam allowance).

18. Make sure you start with the short edge folded back in the correct direction, then overlap the other short edge at the end. Hand sew the two ends together. I used a whip stitch.

19. Snip out triangles from the seam of the sole. This will help it bend correctly when it’s turned right-side-out.

20. The layers were too thick for straight pins, so I used large binder clips to attach the top piece to the foot bed. Place the sole upside down on top of the other two pieces.

21. Sew all three pieces (six layers) together in one seam (1/2-inch seam allowance)—leaving the heal open large enough to insert the flip-flop.
* My sewing machine was unable to handle the bulk of the fabric for this last seam, If you're good with the needle, you may possibly be able to hand sew this part.

22. Turn right side out and insert the flip-flop.

23. Hand-sew the heel portion closed. You can use a hidden stitch or whip stitch. The whip stitch is easier in this case, and it’s nearly invisible against the terry cloth anyway.

~~~~~~~~

Remove Pet Hair
Slip a rubber flip-flop onto your hand and rub carpets and rugs in the direction of the pile. Pet hair will form into balls that can then be vacuumed up. This works well on upholstery, too, including car seats.

Stop That Banging Door
Cut a wedge of rubbers from an old thong and use it to keep a door in the open position on a breezy day.

Prevent Rattling Windows
Can’t sleep whenever the wind blows? If your older-style windows rattle in their frames whenever it’s windy, cut slivers of rubber from an old thong and wedge them between the window and the frame.

Keep Furniture Steady
Stop the wobbles in a wonky table by cutting a piece of old thong to shape and gluing it beneath the offending leg.

Preserve Your Pedicure
Take a pair of flip-flops along to the esthetician next time you go to get your toes done. Slip them on post-pedicure so you can walk around without smudging the nail polish.

To Do with Dental Floss

2009-05-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

Slice Cake and Cheese
Use dental floss to cut cakes, especially delicate and sticky ones that tend to adhere to a knife. Just hold a length of floss taut over the cake and them slice away, moving it slightly side to side as you cut through the cake. You can also use dental floss to cut small blocks of cheese cleanly.

Secure a Button Permanently
Did that button fall off again? This time, sew it back on with dental floss –it’s much stronger than thread, which makes it perfect for reinstalling buttons on coats, jackets, and heavy shirts

Extra-Strong String for Hanging Things
Considering how thin it is, dental floss is strong stuff. Use it instead of string or wire to securely hang pictures, sun catchers, or wind chimes. Use it with a thread to needle together papers you want to attach or display, in clothes-line fashion.

Remove a Stuck Ring
Here’s a simple way to slip off a ring that’s stuck on your finger. Wrap the length of your finger from the ring to the nail tightly with dental floss. (the flat, tape side works well). Then slide the ring off over the floss ‘carpet’.

Lift Cookies Off a Baking Tray
Ever fought with a freshly baked cookie that wouldn’t come off the baking tray? Crumbled cookies may taste just as good as those in one piece, but they definitely don’t look as nice on the serving plate. Use dental floss to easily remove cookies from the baking tray.

~~~~~~~~~~

Recieve Free Dental Care and Get Paid

Things You'll Need:
A cavity or deep plaque
A local university with a dental program
4-5 hours of time
Patience
Internet access (optional)

Step 1
Visit your local university and find out if they have a dental program and when certification exams happen. Target the date and inquire into the qualification criteria for potential patient candidate. Post a flyer of availability with your contact email (phone number) on their student board.As the exam dates near, some students will begin looking for patients within their network of friends, family, or school. Because the requirements for a patient may be narrow in category, they may start posting ads online with compensation offers. The closer the exam dates, the better the compensation, if offered, tend to be.
Step 2
Check periodically on Craigslist's "Free" section to see if there are any students looking for patients. Respond to the ads immediately with the appropriate information they need. Arrange a meeting to be screened as soon as they call and make yourself available to their convenience if needed. Free dental cleanings can save you at least $50 (without insurance) and $100 and up for fillings. Treat it like you are earning it.
Step 3
Develop rapport with your student dentist. Find out as much information as you can during your screening and ask if you can get copies of your x-ray (free) when completed. If you qualify, you will be called in for the exam times. Negotiate everything and make sure a full understanding is in place before making a final agreement, on paper if needed, before shaking hands on it. Make sure that you are positive about the situation and have a complete understanding of what will take place, how long it will take, and what you will get out of it.
Step 4
Show up on time and prepare to have the day spent under a light with an embarrassing dental dam strapped on your face (see picture above) for at least two hours as the student dentist examinee and judges poke and prod at your mouth. Maintain a calm and positive attitude to reliever the student dentist, and yourself, of any stress to better assure a passing job.Students taking their certification exams tend to do a better job than most dentists, in my opinion, because their career hangs on it. Make sure to be patient with them and relax as much as you can during the whole procedure. In the end, you would've received free dental care saving you an important bit of money. If you're lucky, you would have also negotiated for some pay for your time (depending on the student). Make sure to thank the student after the exam and avoid bad dental habits from that day forward, if possible. It's better to prevent the problem than to wear than dental dam thing for sure!

To Do with Flowerpots

2009-05-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

Clay Pot Mosaic Birdbath or Table

Supplies:

2 Clay Pots (choice of size)

Clay Saucer as large as or larger than your largest Pot

Clay Feet (optional)

Stained Glass or any glass pieces of choice

Household Goop or E6000 Glue

Tile Grout

Patio Paint, colours of choice

Crumble Resistant Sponge

Paint brush

Grout Sealer (optional)

Instructions:

This project also makes for a wonderful Occasional Table and you can make the matching coasters too!

Glue your pots together and your saucer as shown in the photo. Allow the glue to dry completely, undisturbed for at least two days. Paint your pots and saucer (do not paint the bottom inside of the saucer, where you will lay your mosaics). Allow the paint to dry completely before proceeding to the next step.

Lay your stained glass along the inside bottom of the large saucer, to cover the entire surface (you can begin without first placing your pieces, but if you're new at this, lay them out first).

Now that you're happy with your pattern, begin to glue your pieces of glass in place. You don't need a lot of glue on each piece; use just enough glue to hold the piece in place. Once you have finished gluing all your pieces in place, prepare the grout mixture as instructed on package. If you are using ready mixed grout, add a little water (drops at a time) to make spreading the grout easier.

Once the pieces are secure and no longer move (this takes less than hour) spread grout over the entire top of the glass and gently press it into all the seams, making sure there are no air pockets below the grout. Allow this to sit for about ten minutes, but do not wait longer or you will have a much more difficult time removing the excess grout.

With a damp sponge, gently wipe away any excess grout from the surface, rinsing your sponge constantly. Be sure to wipe away any grout that has made its way onto the painted surface (you may need to touch up the painted edge a little once the grout has dried. Wipe all grout from glass now, as you will have a terrible trying to remove it later.

Allow your grout to dry overnight without disturbing it. To help protect your grout from staining use a grout sealer (available at home improvement centers), following manufacturer's instructions. If you would like a little extra protection for your paint surface, coat with an exterior non-yellowing varnish.

~~~~~~~~~~

Create an Aquarium Fish Cave
Some fish love to lurk in shadowy corners of their home aquariums, keeping themselves safe from imagined predators. Place a mini flowerpot on its side on the aquarium to create a cave for lurking fish.

Container for Baking Bread
Take a new, clean, medium-sized terracotta flowerpot, soak it in water for about 20 minutes and then lightly grease the inside with butter. Place your bread dough, prepared as usual, in the pot and bake. The terracotta pot will give your bread a crusty outside and keep the inside moist.

Kill Bull Ants
If bull ants are plaguing your garden or patio and you’re tired of getting stung by the tiny attackers, a flowerpot can help you solve the problem. Place the flowerpot upside down over the anthill. Pour boiling water through the drain hole and you’ll be burning down their house

Unwind Wool without Knotting
Knitting a sweater will take ages to finish if you’re constantly stopping to untangle the wool. To prevent this, place your ball of wool under and upturned flowerpot and thread the end through the drain hole.

Keep Soil in a Flowerpot
Soil from your houseplant won’t slip-slide away if you place broken terracotta flowerpot shards in the bottom of the pot before replanting. When watering your plants, you’ll find that the water drains out, but not the soil.

To Do with Hairspray

2009-05-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Protect Children’s Artwork
Picture this: your preschooler has just returned home with a priceless work of art demanding that it find a place on the refrigerator door. Before you stick it up, preserve the creation with hairspray, to help it last longer. This works especially well on chalk pictures, keeping them from being smudged so easily.

Exterminate Houseflies
When an annoying housefly outstays its welcome make it bite the dust with a squirt of hairspray. Take aim and fire, then watch the fly drop. But make sure the hair spray is water soluble so that if any spray hits the wall, you’ll be able to wipe it clean. Works on bees and wasps, too.

Preserve Your Shoes’ Shine
After you’ve lovingly polished your shoes to give them the just-bought look, lightly spray them with hairspray. The shoe polish won’t rub off so easily with this protective coating.

Extend the Life of Cut Flowers
A bouquet of cut flowers is such a beautiful thing, you want to do whatever you can to postpone wilting. Just as it preserves your hairstyle, a spritz of hairspray can preserve your cut flowers. Stand about 30 centimetres away from the bouquet and give them a quick spray, just on the undersides of the leaves and petals.

Keep Curtains Dirt-Free
Did you just buy new curtains or have your old ones cleaned? Want to keep that like-new look for a while? The trick is to apply several coats of hairspray, letting each coat dry thoroughly before the next one.

To Do with Gum

2009-05-28T11:02:00.001-07:00

Retrieve Valuables
Oops, you just lost an earring or other small valuable down the drain. Try retrieving it with a freshly chewed piece of chewing gum stuck to the bottom of a fishing weight. Dangle it from a string tied to the weight let it take hold, then reel the earring back up the drain.

Lure a Crab
You’ll be eating plenty of crab cakes if you try this trick. Briefly chew a piece of gum so that it’s soft but hasn’t lost its flavour, then attach it to a crab line. Lower the line and wait for the crabs to go for the gum.

Treat Flatulence and Heart Burn
Settle stomach gases and relieve heartburn after chewing a stick of spearmint gum. The oils in the spearmint act as an antiflatulent. Chewing stimulates the production of saliva, which neutralizes stomach acid and corrects the flow of digestive juices. Spearmint also acts as a digestive aid.

Repair Glasses
When your glasses suddenly have a lens loose, put a small piece of chewed gum in the corner of the lens to hold it in place until you can get the glasses properly repaired.

Fill Cracks
Fill a crack in a clay flowerpot or a dog bowl with a piece of well chewed chewing gum.

To Do with Chalk

2009-05-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Homemade Chalk

Just gather some toilet-tissue tubes, plaster of Paris, powdered tempera paints, and a few craft supplies.

Then, follow these steps.

1. Make a mold by covering one end of the tissue tube with duct tape. Loosely roll up a piece of waxed paper and slip it into the tube. This lining will keep the plaster from sticking to the mold.

2. Measure 3/4 cup of warm water into a disposable plastic container. Sprinkle in plaster a little at a time, until the powder no longer dissolves (about twice as much plaster as water). Stir slowly and thoroughly with a spoon. Then, mix in 2 or 3 tablespoons of tempera paint. For pastel shades, combine white tempera with a primary hue. Rinse the spoon under an outdoor faucet or in a jar filled with water to avoid clogging sink drains.

3. Place the mold sealed-end down on a level surface and pour in the wet plaster. Lightly tap the sides of the tube to release air bubbles in the plaster. Let the chalk harden for a couple of days. Then, remove the tape and slide the marking stick out of the mold.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Keep Silver from Tarnishing
You love serving friends with your fine silver, but polishing it before each use is another story. Put one or two pieces of chalk in the drawer with your good silver; it will absorb moisture and slow tarnishing. Put some in your jewelry box to delay tarnishing there, too.

Remove Grease Spots
Rub chalk on a grease spot on clothing or table linen and let it absorb the oil before you brush it off. If the stain lingers, rub chalk into it again before laundering. To get rid of ring-around-the-collar stains, mark the stains heavily with chalk before laundering. The chalk will absorb the oils that hold dirt in.

Polish Metal and Marble
To make metal shine like new, put some chalk on a damp cloth and wipe. (You can make chalk dust by pulverizing pieces of chalk.) Buff with a soft cloth for an even shinier finish. Wipe marble with a damp, soft cloth dipped in powdered chalk. Rinse with clear water and dry thoroughly.

Keep Tools Rust-Free
You can eliminate moisture and prevent rust from invading your tool box by simple putting a few pieces of chalk in the box. Your tools will be rust-free and so will the toolbox.

Reduce Wardrobe Dampness
Tie a dozen pieces of chalk together and hang them up in a damp wardrobe. The chalk will absorb moisture and help prevent mildew, but remember to replace the chalk with a new bundle every few months.

To Do with Toothpaste

2009-05-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

-Whether you’re woodworking or going skiing or scuba diving, nothing is more frustrating (and sometimes dangerous) than fogged goggles. Prevent the problem by coating the goggles with toothpaste and then wiping them off.

-Has tickling the ivories left them a bit dingy? Clean them up with toothpaste and a toothbrush, and then wipe them down with a damp cloth. Makes sense since ivory is essentially elephant teeth. However, toothpaste will work just as well on modern pianos that usually have keys covered with plastic rather than real ivory.

-Well-used baby bottles inevitable pick up a sour-milk smell. However, toothpaste will remove the odour in a jiffy. Just put some on your bottle brush and scrub away. Make sure you rinse off the toothpaste thoroughly.

-A little toothpaste does an amazing job of removing scuffs from leather shoes. Just squirt a quick dab on the scuffed area and rub with a soft cloth, then wipe clean with a damp cloth. The leather will look like new.

-When your teenager moans about a prominent pimple, have him or her dab a bit of non-gel, non-whitening toothpaste on the offending spot, and it should be dried up by morning. The toothpaste dehydrates the pimple and absorbs the oil. This pimple-clearing remedy works best on spots that have come to a head. WARNING: This remedy may be irritating to sensitive skin. Try it on a small area of skin first.

-Did you know that toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.

-My favorite off-the-cuff use for toothpaste is as a freshener for my hands after I've handled onions or any other odiferous item in the kitchen. Simply smear some toothpaste in your hands, rub vigorously and rinse. Your hands will be minty clean!

-In a pinch, dab a bit of mint flavored toothpaste on a itchy welt from a bug bite. You should feel relief from the bug bite fairly quickly. Toothpaste will also soothe light burns such as a sunburn.

-Use the paste type toothpaste (NOT the gel type) to plug up holes left by nails in a wall. It will harden up and act just like any other hole filler.

To Do with Nail Polish

2009-05-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Waterproof Address Labels
When you’re sending a parcel on a rainy day, a little clear polish brushed over the address information will make sure your package goes to the right place.

Get Rid of a Wart
Warts are unattractive, embarrassing and infectious. In order to get rid of warts and prevent spreading the virus to others, cover them with nail polish. The wart should be gone or greatly diminished within a week.

Stop Pantyhose Runs
Pantyhose runs are a real pain. Happily, you can stop them in their tracks and prolong the life of your hose with a dab of clear nail polish. Simply apply the polish to each end of the run (no need to remove the pantyhose) and let it dry. The invisible fix stops runs and lasts through many hand-washings.

Stop a Windshield Crack From Spreading
If you’ve developed a small crack in your windshield, stop it cold with some clear polish. Working I the shade, brush the crack on both sides of the glass with polish to fill it well. Move the car into the sun and allow it to dry. You will eventually need to repair your windshield, but this will give you the time to shop around.

Tighten Loose Screws
You may not be rough with your drawers and cupboards, but you may well find yourself tightening certain pull screws once too often. Keep them in place by brushing a little clear polish on the screw threads, insert the screws and allow to dry before using again. This is also a great solution for loose pot handles.

To Do with Cat Litter

2009-05-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

1. Damp Remover
Put some cat litter in old pantyhose or socks and tie them up. Put them into your tent bags, sleeping bags or even your handbags which are not in used to keep them dry and free of mold.

2. Absorb Fresh Spills
Spread a quarter-inch deep of cat litter onto fresh spills. Since it soaks up the spills successfully, it makes your job much easier to clean up.

3. Drying Agent
Put some cat litter into an air tight container and put some fresh flowers that you want to preserve into the said container. Leave them and change the cat litter regularly for a couple of days until the flowers become dry up.

4. Clean Up Oil, Gasoline or Paint Spills & Stains
It is said that a 5 kg pack of litter can absorb more than 2 liters of liquid. Usually, it is used by mechanics to clean up grease or oil spills in the garage. This can be done by pouring a generous amount of cat litter onto the spills. For best result, use the clumping type of cat litter. To remove old stains, pour some solvent liquid like paint thinner onto the stain before tossing on the cat litter. Wait overnight and then clean up the spot.

5. Absorb Leaky Trash Cans
Pour some cat litter at the bottom of your trash can. You can also pour some into the plastic liner of your kitchen disposal. This is an excellent way to absorb the leaky and smelly garbage in the trash can.

6. Use As Ash Trays
Just pour some cat litter in the ash tray. It absorbs the cigarette odors and quickly puts out the cigarette.

7. Deodorize Refrigerator and Closets
An alternative to baking soda, just pour some cat litter (preferably the scented ones) in an open-top container. Put the said container in the fridge or closets and leave it in there for several days until the odor is removed. However, don't forget to change the cat litter regularly.

8. Deodorize Garbage or Trash Cans
Pour some cat litter into the plastic liner of your kitchen disposal before you throw rubbish in it. This is an excellent way to deodorize the smell of garbage.

9. Deodorize Smelly Shoes and Freshen Old Books
Put some cat litter in old pantyhose or socks and tie them up. Put them inside your shoes and leave them for several days to get rid of the odor.
You can also put the bundled cat litter together with your old stacks of books and place them into a sealed chest, trunk or box. Leave them for a couple of days to freshen up the old smell of your books.

10. Get Rid of the Rodents
You can't use the fresh cat litter for this. Put a little bit of some "used cat litter" near the holes, nest or drainage. This is a good way to get rid of rodents because they hate the smell of cat's urine.

11. Algae Control
For koi (fish) pond owners, this method works wonderfully to get rid of algae in koi ponds. Use about one pound of cat litter for 2000 gallons of circulating pond water. It is said that the water may turn muddy at first but it will clear up in 24 hours. The type of clay called "bentonite" (an ingredient in most cat litter) is the main source in clearing up the pond algae.

12. Facial Mask
For some people this sounds gross and might think that this tip is fit for frugal. However, facial treatments are always expensive. Get the natural clay non-scented cat litter for this purpose. Just mix some cat litter with a little warm water to make some paste. Put it on your face and leave it for 15 minutes until it hardens. Then, clean it up. Just like any other clay mask, it cleanses and rejuvenates your pores, living your skin supple and healthy.

13. Preserve Flowers
The fragrance and beauty of fresh flowers is such a fleeting thing. You can’t save the smell but you can preserve their beauty by drying your flowers on a bed of clay-based cat litter in an air-tight container for 7 to 10 days.

About useful items that will last you a lifetime.

2009-05-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

Cast-Iron Pan
Look for: A new cast-iron pan with the surface that is uniformly dull gray inside and out and uniformly rough in texture with small grains or “pores.”
Avoid: Pans with seams, cracks, or uneven or sharp edges. Buy a cast-iron pan that is all of a piece—not one with a wooden handle. Avoid a ridged bottom; a flat surface conducts heat best.

Chef’s Knife
Look for: A good-quality chef’s knife that you feel comfortable handling. Pick up a knife and see how it feels in your hand. Also buy a steel and use it regularly to keep your knife honed. If you buy a good chef’s knife and care for it properly, you should never have to replace it.
Avoid: Knives that have a serrated cutting edge or those that claim to “never need sharpening.” Good knives do need sharpening.

Hand Tools
Look for: Forged metal, and plastic, fiberglass, or metal handles. A typical basic set includes a 16-ounce claw hammer, a few sizes of screwdrivers (regular flat tip, together with Phillips or Robertsons), an adjustable (Crescent) wrench, slotted pliers, a wide 25-foot tape measure, a retractable utility knife and an 8-point crosscut saw. Good-quality hand tools should last not just one lifetime, but for a couple of generations.
Avoid: Cheaply made cast-iron tools and tools with wooden handles.

Scrapbook or Photo Album
Look for: A baby book, photo album, or scrapbook with pages made from dye-free, pH-balanced archival paper. Affix your photos and memorabilia with picture corners or small mounting squares. Check your local crafts store for the latest materials—the scrapbook craft industry is making improvements all the time.
Avoid: Plastic sheets and sticky-backed pages, and don’t use regular tape.

Leather Handbag or Briefcase
Look for: Small tight stitches made with heavy thread. Make sure clamps, hinges or locks are nicely machined and work smoothly. The most durable bags are made of top-grain leather. Leather described as full grain won’t necessarily last longer. A top-quality leather handbag or briefcase is actually inexpensive—if you amortize it over the lifetime of use.Avoid: Trendy designs. Buy a classic style that will endure for a lifetime.

To Do with Corks

2009-05-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

Wine Cork Trivet Gift Set

Supplies Needed:
Approx 50 Wine Corks (you can purchase them here)
2' x 2' Sheet Of Poplar Or Oak 1/4" Plywood
6' piece of 3/4" Wood Trim
Wood Stain
1 Yard Of Satin Ribbon
Gorilla Glue
Saw & Wood Clamps

Here's how to make this wine cork wreath:
Step 1: Cut 4 pieces of 3/4" wood trim so that the outside edge of the pieces are 8 1/2" in length.
Cut the pieces on a 45 degree angle to make the outer frame of the trivet.
The inside edge should be 7" after the cut is made.
Step 2: Cut your 1/4" plywood into an 8 1/2" perfect square. This will be used as the foundation of your trivet so you have something to glue the corks onto.
Step 3: Using a strong glue (we used Gorilla Glue), attach the 4 moldings onto the plywood square.
Be sure the edges of the frame are flush with the plywood base to give a smooth finish. You may want to use some wood clamps to hold the wood in place while the glue sets.
Your trivet should look like the one to the left.
Step 4: Once the glue dries, you can stain the frame to match your cabinet color in your kitchen or use your choice of stain colors and/or paints.
Step 5: Using the same Gorilla Glue, begin attaching the wine corks to the base. Gorilla glue works well because it "foams" up a bit and wraps around the corks nicely.
We used an alternating pattern to give a unique appearance.
Step 6: Here is how your trivet will look once all the corks have been glued on.
Step 7: Next, you can make a smaller trivet using the exact same steps as explained in steps 1 through 6 above.
The only different is the size of the frame edge and base plywood. We used a 6 3/4" perfect square piece of plywood on the bottom and the wood trim was cut on a 45 degree angle measuing 6 3/4" on the outside.
Step 8: Once the glue on the second cork trivet dries, you can stack it on top of the larger trivet you made earlier.
Step 9: Tie a nice bow around the two trivets and present your wine cork trivet gift to someone you care about!

~~~~~~

Fasten Earrings
Earring backs always get lost, and you can’t always find a perfect-sized stand-in when you need it. Instead, use a snippet of cork as a temporary substitute. Slice a small piece about the size of the backing and push it on.

Prevent Pottery Scratches
Your beautiful pottery can make ugly scratches on furniture. To save scratching table tops, cut thin slices of cork and glue them to the bottom of your ceramic objects.

Block Sun Glare
In the good old days of football and baseball, players would burn cork and rub it under their eyes to reduce glare from the sun and stadium lights. These days, they use commercial products to do the same, but you can still use cork to get the job done.

Make an Impromptu Pincushion
If you’re looking for a place to store pins while sewing, save wine-bottle corks- they make great pin cushions!

Picture-Perfect Frames
If you’re always straightening picture frames on the wall, cut some flat, pieces of cork, all the same thickness, and glue them to the back of the frame. The cork will grip the wall and stop it from sliding. It will also prevent the frame from marring the wall.

To Do with Mayonnaise

2009-05-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

Give Yourself a Facial
Why waste money on expensive creams when you can treat yourself to a soothing facial with whole-egg mayonnaise from your own refrigerator? Gently spread the mayonnaise over your face and leave it on for about 20 minutes. Then wipe it off and rinse with cool water. Your face will feel clean and smooth.

Condition Your Hair
Hold the mayo, and massage it into your hair and scalp instead, just as you would any conditioner! Cover your head with a shower cap, wait several minutes and then shampoo. The mayonnaise will moisturize your hair and give it a lustrous sheen.

Make Plant Leaves Shiny
Professional florists use this trick to keep house-plant leaves shiny and clean. You can do just the same thing at home. Just rub a bit of mayonnaise on the leaves with a paper towel and they will stay bright for weeks and weeks at a time.

Clean Piano Keys
If the keys on your piano are starting to yellow, just wipe the ivories with a bit of mayonnaise applied with a soft cloth. Wait a few minutes, wipe with a damp cloth and buff. The piano keys will look like new.

Get Tar Off Your Car
To get road tar or plant sap off your couch easily and without damaging the paintjob, slather some mayonnaise over the affected area, let it sit for several minutes and wipe it away with a clean, soft rag.

To Do with Socks

2009-05-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

WE ALL REMEMBER

SOCK MONKEYS

Click on the picture for details on how Grandma White made hers

~~~~~~~~~~~~

-If you want to protect a precious vase or your bobble head collection, wrap it up! Slip the item into a sock to help protect from breaking or chipping.

-When kids insist on bringing along their favourite old sneakers on holiday, cover each one with an adult-sized sock before throwing them in the luggage, to protect the rest of the clothing from dirty smells.

-Protect your precious delicates in the washing machine by first slipping them into a sock and tying the ends.

-A large, old, soft sock makes a perfect hand mitt for buffing or waxing your car.

-Does your child’s favourite stuffed fuzzy need a bath? Slip small stuffed animals into a sock and tie the end to prevent buttons, eyes, and other decorative items from coming loose.

-Slip the old sock on your hand and use it to dust around your home or polish your shoes. Dusting with a clean, used sock allows you to get into tight corners and places that you might not ordinarily be able to get to. You can also slip an old sock onto a yardstick to clean under the refrigerator.

-Fill a sock with uncooked rice and sew shut to use for heat therapy. Make sure that the sock doesn't have any holes in it. Simply pop the sock in the microwave for as long as it takes to warm up the rice and place the sock over aching muscles or places that you want relaxed.

-Make sock puppets for the kids to play with. You can glue or paint on facial features or anything else that you want included. Get creative by making alien puppets or animals. Kids will love getting to create their own puppet and it makes a good rainy day project.

-Put catnip in the toe area of the used sock, sew it up and give it to your cat to play with. You'll want to roll the sock back over itself several times so that your cat won't put a hole in it right away. Add a ribbon or string to the balled sock to give your cat a little extra something to play with.

-Place a bar of soap in the sock and tie it to an outdoors faucet for easy clean-up. This makes it easy to wash your hands and feet outside before tracking dirt and mud inside.

-Tie several socks together with large knots for a cheap dog toy or stuff some socks and sew them in a circular pattern to make a dog bed. These are particularly useful for dogs that go through toys and beds quickly.

-Cut off the toes and put the socks around the knees of crawling babies. This will help protect those delicate knees from hard surfaces and carpet burns.

To Do with Buttons

2009-05-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

Button Man

Supplies:

24 gauge craft wire or thread
Buttons of all sizes

Instructions:
"I used 24 gauge craft wire to string these. I started with two equal lengths (and so had four ends - two in each leg) and made two legs, working from the bottom up. I combined the four strands (two in each bundle) to begin building the body, then split two of the strands out to make the arms. The remaining two strands were used to make the rest of the body and the head while the arms were built and then the strands were fed back through the buttons and wound around the central wire of the body. The result is really sturdy but still a little flexible. I'm sure you could use thread for a very bendy button man."

So don't turn any clothes with buttons into polishing cloths or other projects before you start a button collection

~~~~~~~~

Use as Game Pieces or Poker Chips
Don’t let lost pieces stop you from playing games like backgammon, bingo, or Ludo. You can substitute buttons for lost pieces and keep playing to your heart’s content. For an impromptu game of poker, use buttons as chips, with each colour representing a different value.

Beanbag Filler
Use up all of those ‘extra’ small buttons that are floating about the next time you make beanbags, and save the dried beans for the soup.

Keep Tape Unstuck
You’re trying to wrap a present and can’t find the end of a tape roll. Instead of scratching in frustration trying to find that elusive end every time you use the tape, stick a button on the end of the tape. As you use the tape, keep moving the button.

Make a Bracelet
String attractive buttons onto 3mm-wide leather thronging (available at craft shops), or make a ‘cuff’ bracelet simply by sewing buttons onto wide elastic. You can make an attractive design by alternating large and small buttons of various colours.

Decorate a Doll’s House
If your children are older, you can use buttons to decorate a doll's house. Paste the buttons up as lights, or use them as plates and wall hangings inside the house. The more variety, the better.

To Do with Crayons

2009-05-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

Create Colourful Candles
Buy plain white candles (like Shabbat candles). Heat up a bit of wax and some crayon stubs in a tin can. Fill an old pan with cold water. Grab a white candle (use tongs to hold the candle so you don’t get burned!), and dip it first into the hot crayon and wax mixture, then into the cold water. Repeat this process until you’ve got enough colour on your candle. Use this strategy to create pretty holiday decorations. For example, try blending shades of orange for a festive Halloween look.

Fill Furniture Scratches
Do your pets sometimes treat your furniture like a scratching post? Don’t despair. Use a crayon to cover scratches on wooden furniture. Choose the colour most like the wood finish. Soften the crayon with a hair dryer or in a microwave on the defrost setting. Colour the scratches, then buff your repair job with a clean rag to restore the lustre.

Colourful Decoration
Here’s a fun project to do with the kids. Make a multicoloured sun catcher by shaving crayons onto a 10- or 12-centimetre sheet of non-stick baking paper. Use a potato peeler or a grater for this task. Place another sheet of baking paper over the top and press it with a hot iron until the shavings melt together. Poke a hole near the top through the layers of wax and crayon while still warm. Once your ornament cools, peel away the papers and thread a ribbon through the sun catcher and hang it against a windowpane.

Use as a Floor Filler
Crayons make great fill material for small gouges or holes in resilient flooring. Get your crayon box and select a colour that closely matches the floor. Melt the crayon in the microwave over wax paper on medium power, a minute at a time, until you have a pliant glob of colour. Now, with a plastic knife, or a putty knife fill the hole. Smooth it over with a rolling pin, a book or some flat object. You’ll find the crayon cools down quickly. Now wax the floor, to provide a clear protective coating over your new fill.

Make New Crayons
Don’t know what to with crayons stubs? Make old crayons into new. Peel off the wrappers from any old or broken crayons. Sort them by colour or mix everything together. Take a muffin tin and cover the bottom with non-stick baking spray or use foil muffin cups. Fill the tin halfway and place in an oven heated to 93 degrees Celsius (200 Fahrenheit). Take them out of the oven when they have fully melted—usually 10 minutes or so. Let the cool and then pop out them out. You’ll have a brand new, fat crayon perfect for little hands. Add some sparkles to the mix for some extra magic.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Crayon Candles
Instructions to make a candle out of crayons and a milk carton

Materials Needed:
Crayons
Candle Wicks
2 Pint Milk Carton
Ice
Instructions:Candlemaking can be both fun and dangerous. You should never try any projects that use heat and fire without an adults help, and always follow candle safety rules.
Cut off the top of the milk carton so that you have a "box" with one end open. Next, Melt crayons over medium heat (there are plastic bags available that you can place the wax or crayons in so that you then just place that bag into boiling water to melt). The crayons can be broken and different colors, but the washable type do NOT work well. You can use the wax for candle crafts found at the discount stores and add just a few crayons of the desired color to tint it. Place wick into the milk carton and fill carton will ice. Be sure that the wick is fairly centered and running the entire length of the carton. Now, pour melted wax/crayon mixture into the carton filling to the top. Let sit until hardened and ice has melted, then carefully cut and peel away the carton from the candle.
You will now have a beautiful candle. The ice in the carton caused the wax to quickly harden around the cubes. The result is a "swiss cheese" looking candle. Each one looks a little different! These must be handled carefully after finished as the swiss cheese nature of the candle make it fragile.

To Do with Blow-Dryers

2009-05-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

Get Wax Off Wood Furniture
It may have been a romantic evening, but that hardened candle wax on your wooden table or bureau is not the sort of lingering memory you had in mind. Melt it with a blow-dryer on its slowest, hottest setting. Remove the softened wax with a paper towel, then wipe the area with a cloth dipped in equal parts vinegar and water. Repeat if necessary. You can also remove wax from silver candlestick holders with a blow-dryer: Use the blow-dryer to soften the wax, then just peel it off.

Clean Off Radiators
Are those dusty cast-iron radiators around your house becoming something of an eyesore? To clean them, hang a large, damp cloth behind each radiator. Then use your blow-dryer on its highest, coolest setting to blow dust and hidden dirt onto the cloth.

Remove Bumper Stickers
Want to remove those cutesy stickers your kids used to decorate your car bumper to “surprise” you? Use a blow-dryer on its hottest setting to soften the adhesive. Move the dryer slowly back and forth for several minutes, then use your fingernail or credit card to lift up a corner and slowly peel off.

Dust Off Silk Flowers and Artificial Plants
They may require less care than their living counterparts, but silk flowers and artificial houseplants are apt to collect dust and dirt. Use your blow-dryer on its highest, coolest setting for a quick, efficient way to clean them off. Since this will blow the dust onto the furniture surfaces and floor around the plant, do this just before you vacuum those areas.

Dry Your Dog After a Bath
Blow dryers are important grooming tools for thick or long-coated breeds such as the Shih Tzu and Yorkshire Terrier. You don’t want your best friend to catch a cold. Just be sure not to use the blow dryer around their face.

Stain Removal 101

2009-05-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Act fast! The more quickly you treat a stain, the better your chances are of removing it completely. Blot the stain with a paper towel or a clean cloth to remove as much of the stain as possible.Don’t let stains dry out. If you can’t treat a stain right away, sponge it with cold water (hot water sets many stains, making them more difficult to remove), spray it with soda water or cover it with a damp towel.

If a stain dries out, rub it with vegetable glycerine before trying to remove it.

Soda water or a soapy solution is often all that’s needed to remove a stain.

Move from the outside in so you don’t leave a ring.

Don’t scrub! You’ll damage the fabric. Instead, place an absorbent clean cloth on the stain itself and apply the solution that you’re using from the “wrong” side. Change the pad as often as needed.

If a cleaner isn’t working, simply rinse it away and try something else.

Be sure to check clothes carefully when you take them out of the wash. If a stain is still there, re-treat and rewash. Don’t put clothes in the dryer until the stain is completely gone as the heat will set the stain.

Set-in stains will often come out in the wash after being pre-treated with a solution of 3 Tbsp white vinegar and 2 Tbsp dishwashing liquid in 1 L of warm water. Rub the solution into the stain, then blot it dry before washing.

To Do with Apples

2009-05-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

Roast a Juicy Chicken
If your roasted chicken tends to emerge from the oven as dry as a gumboot on a summer’s day, don’t fret. The next time you roast a chicken, stuff an apple inside the bird before placing it in the roasting dish. When it’s finished cooking, toss the used fruit in the garbage and get ready to sit down to a delicious—and juicy—main course.

Keep Cakes Fresh
Want a simple and effective way to extend the shelf life of your homemade or shop-bought cakes? Store them with a half an apple. It helps the cake maintain its moisture considerably longer than merely popping it in the fridge.

Ripen Green Tomatoes
If someone in your family just ‘helped’ by harvesting a few green tomatoes off the vine for you, don’t sweat. You can quickly ripen them up by placing them—along with an already ripe apple—in a paper bag for a couple of days. For the best results, maintain a ratio of about five or six tomatoes per apple.

Fluff Up Hardened Brown Sugar
Brown sugar has the irritating habit of hardening up when exposed to humidity. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much to make this a temporary condition. Simply place an apple wedge in a resealable plastic bag with the chunk of hardened brown sugar. Tightly seal the bag and put it in a dry place for a day or two. Your sugar will once again be soft enough to use.

Absorb Salt in Soups and Casseroles
Salting to taste is one thing, but it is possible to overdo it. When you find yourself getting heavy-handed with the salt, simply drop a few apple wedges into the pot. After cooking for another 10 minutes or so, remove the wedges—along with the excess salt.

~~~CRAFTS~~~

APPLE PRINTS
Find a nicely-shaped apple and slice it in half. Pour some paint into a paper plate. Press the sliced edge into the paint, then use the apple as a stamp to make apple prints. For even coatings, press the apple back into the paint after every print. If the paint is thick, try blotting the apple on a paper towel or bag before stamping it.
You can make apple prints on single sheets of paper, then frame and hang them when they are dry. Stamped sporadically on large rolls of brown paper, they make lovely autumn gift wrapping. Stamp apple prints along the wall for a great border, or use to embellish kitchen containers or planters.

APPLE ANIMALS
Use these little creatures to decorate your holiday dining tables. Children particularly love to make these. Take a piece of card board or poster board paper and draw the head, feet (paws), arms (wings), and tail of your favorite animal. Cut each piece out, leaving a ½" tab at the edge of each piece. Color the body parts on both sides.
Take an apple and decide where the body parts would go if the apple were the body of the animal. Make small slits in the skin with a knife in those areas. Insert the tabs for the body part into the slits. These apples will only last a few hours, but they make a cute table embellishment. Try making Halloween apple bats and cats, Thanksgiving apple turkeys, and Easter apple bunnies.

DRIED APPLE WREATH
Dried apples look beautiful, last for years, and are easy to make. Take an apple and slice it into pieces that are approximately 1/8 inch thick. Lay the pieces on a baking pan and put them into an oven at a low temperature (approximately 150 degrees). Let them bake for several hours until dry, occasionally flipping them with a spatula. If the edges begin to harden and crisp before the centers are done, leave the oven door ajar as the heating process finishes.
Once dry, you can leave the dried apple slices as they are, or spray them with an acrylic sealing spray for a shiny, fresh look. Using a hot glue gun, adhere the apples to a grapevine wreath as embellishments between leaves or flowers. String them in garland for decorating trees. Hot glue them to the front of plain vases or flowerpots as an embellishment. Hot glue a slice to a magnet to display on the fridge. Poke a hole in a slice and hang it from a hook, then decorate the holiday tree with it.

APPLE CANDLE HOLDERS
Take some perfect-looking, Red Delicious apples and a soft, cotton cloth. Polish them up to a perfect shine. Core the apple and set it on a heat-proof plate. Place either taper candles or votive candles into the center hole. Decorate your dinner table with these candle holders.
If you like, you can add some fresh lemon leaves or herbs in the hole; just make sure they are hanging over the edge of the apple and out of the direct flame. Do not use dried herbs, as they will catch on fire easily.

APPLE POMANDERS
Take an apple and a jar of cloves. Stud the apple with cloves by pushing the stems into the apple skin. You can simply cover the entire fruit with cloves spaced closely together, or you can make stripes, spirals, or any other type of design that your imagination can dream up.
Take a bowl and put about a quarter cup of your favorite smelling dried, ground spices into it. Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, orris root, ginger and rosemary make nice choices. Place the apple in the bowl and roll it around in the spices. Leave it in a warm, dry, dark place for two to three weeks– an oven, when not in use, makes a great storehouse, but make sure to remove the apple before cooking and not put it back until it has cooled. Two or three times per day, roll the apple around in the spices and turn it so that it dries and shrivels evenly, without warping or flattening on one side.
When the apple is completely dry, tie a ribbon around it and suspend it in a room or closet to create a wonderful scent.

To Do with Butter

2009-05-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

EASY HOMEMADE BUTTER

2 cups (1 pint) heavy whipping cream, chilled

Pinch salt
2-quart jar with a tight lid
a marble
a strainer
a 2-quart bowl
a measuring cup
a wooden spoon

Chill the jar and the marble in the refrigerator for at least one hour to help the butter form more quickly. Place the strainer over the bowl and set them aside. Pour the cream into the jar, drop in the marble, and fasten the lid tight. Shake the jar. At first you will hear the marble moving. After about 15 minutes, the cream will get so thick that you won't hear or feel the marble. The sides of the jar will be coated with thick cream. Continue shaking the jar. After another 15 to 30 minutes, butter will begin to form.

First you will hear the marble moving again, then the coating of cream will disappear from the sides of the jar and you will see lumps of butter in a milky liquid. The liquid is buttermilk.

Open the jar and pour the butter and the buttermilk into the strainer. The buttermilk will flow into the bowl, and the butter will stay in the strainer. Pour the buttermilk from the bowl into a covered container and store in the refrigerator. You can drink the buttermilk or use it in another recipe. Rinse the bowl with cold water to remove all of the buttermilk. Turn the butter out of the strainer and into the bowl. Cover the butter with cold water and then pour the water off through the strainer. Do not save this milky water. Keep washing the butter this way until the water you pour off is clear. You are washing out the buttermilk -- buttermilk that is not washed out will turn the butter sour.

Use a clean wooden spoon to stir and press the butter against the side of the bowl. Continue pressing the butter against the side of the bowl to work out any liquid that is left in the butter. Pour the liquid off. You may add the salt, if desired. Chill butter for 1 hour before serving. Makes about 6 ounces.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Get Rid of a Fishy Smell
Your fishing trip may have been a big success, but now your hands reek of fish. What to do? Just rub some butter on your hands, wash them with warm water and soap, and your hands will smell clean and fresh again.

Emergency Shaving Cream
If you run out of shaving cream, try slathering some butter onto your wet skin for a smooth, close shave.

Fix Ink Stains on a Doll’s Face
Many a favourite doll has been given an ink-pen makeover by an over-zealous beautician. You can undo the handy work by rubbing butter on the pen stains and leaving the doll face up in the sun for a few days. Then wash it off with soap and water.

Soothe Aching Feet
To soothe tired feet, massage them with butter, wrap in a damp, hot towel, then sit back and relax for 10 minutes. Your feet will feel revitalized- and they’ll smell like popcorn too.

Make the Cat Feel at Home
Is the family feline freaked out by your move to a new home? Moving is often traumatic for pets. Here’s a good way to help an adult cat adjust to a new house or apartment. Spread a bit of butter on the top of one its front paws. Cats love the taste of butter so much they’ll keep coming back for more.

To Do with Sugar

2009-05-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

Keep Cut Flowers Fresh
Make your own preservative to keep cut flowers fresh longer. Dissolve 3 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar per litre of warm water. When you fill the vase, make sure the cut stems are covered by 7-10 centimetres of the prepared water. The sugar nourishes the plants, while the vinegar inhibits bacterial growth. You'll be surprised how long the arrangement stays fresh!

Rid the Garden of Nematodes
If your outdoor plants look unhealthy, with ugly knots at the roots, chances are they've been a victims of an attack of the nematodes! The nematode worm, nemesis of many an otherwise healthy garden, is a microscopic parasite that pierces the roots of plants and causes knots. You can prevent nematode attacks by using sugar to create an inhospitable environment for the tiny worms. Apply 2 kilograms of of sugar for every 25 square metres of garden. Micro-organisms feeding on the sugar will increase the organic matter in the soil, thereby eliminating those nasty nematodes.

Clean Greasy, Grimy Hands
To clean filthy hands of grease, grime or pain easily and thorougly, pour equal amounts of olive oil and sugar into the cupped palm of one hand and then gently rub your hands together for several minutes. Rinse thorougly and dry. The grit of the sugar acts as an abrasive to help the oil remove grease, paint and grime. Your hands will look and feel clean, soft and moisturised.

Make a Non-Toxic Fly Trap
Keep your kitchen free of flies with a homemade fly trap that uses no toxic chemicals. In a small saucepan, simmer 2 cups of milk, 115 grams of raw sugar and 60 grams of ground pepper for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into shallow dishes or bowls and set them around the kitchen, patio or anywhere the flies are a problem. The insects will flock to the bowls and drown!

Exterminate Roaches
If you hate smelly, noxious pesticides as much as you loathe cockroaches, don't call an exterminator. Instead, when you have a roach infestation, scatter a mixture of equal parts sugar and borax powder over the infested area. The sugar will attract the roaches and the borax will kill them. Replace it frequently with a fresh mixture to prevent future infestations.

To Do with Baking Soda

2009-05-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

Clean an automatic coffee maker
Properly caring for your automatic coffee maker means never having to worry about bitter or weak coffee. Every two weeks or so, brew a pot of 1 litre of water mixed with 1⁄4 cup of baking soda, followed by a pot of clean water.

Clean your hair
Remove built-up gel, hair spray or conditioner from hair When it comes to personal grooming, too much of a good thing can spell bad news for your hair. But a thorough cleansing with bicarbonate of soda at least once a week will wash all of the gunk out of your hair. Simply add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to your hair while shampooing. In addition to removing all the chemicals you put in your hair, it will wash away water impurities and may actually lighten your hair

Wash wallpaper
Wallpaper that’s starting to look a bit dingy can be brightened up by wiping it with a rag or sponge moistened in a solution of 2 tablespoons of baking of soda in 1 litre of water. To remove grease stains from wallpaper, make a paste of 1 tablespoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of water. Rub it on the stain, let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then rub off with a damp sponge.

Remove musty odour from books
If books that have just been taken out of storage have a musty smell, place each one in a brown paper bag with 2 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda. Don’t shake the bag, just tie it up and let it sit in a dry place for about one week. When you open the bag, shake remaining powder off the books and the smell should be gone.

Clear a clogged drain
Most kitchen drains can be unclogged by pouring in 1 cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup of hot vinegar (heat it in the microwave for 1 minute). Give it several minutes to work, then add 1 litre of boiling water. Repeat if necessary. If you know your drain is clogged with grease, use 1⁄2 cup each of baking soda and salt followed by 1 cup of boiling water. Let the mixture work overnight, then repeat if necessary.

Kitchen
- A bowl of baking soda in your fridge will help remove excess moisture and absorb odors.
- Sprinkle some in your veggies crisper and cover with a cloth or paper towel for crisper veggies that last longer.
- Sprinkle baking soda onto a damp sponge for cleaning out your refrigerator and benchtops without scratching.
- Dissolve a couple of tablespoons of baking soda in water in a microwave safe bowl, then bring to the boil in your microwave. Allow to sit for a minute or two, then you should easily be able to wipe out any baked on stains, plus your oven will microwave will smell fresher too.
- Sprinkling baking soda in the bottom of rubbish bags will help to control odors as you add trash.
- To give your dishwasher a good clean, run it through a cycle and use baking soda instead of detergent.
- Baking soda can be thrown on stove fires to extinguish the flames. The carbon dioxide generated when the powder burns starves the fire of oxygen.
- Wash chemicals and pesticides off fruits and vegetables in a pot filled with water and 3 - 4 tablespoons of baking soda added.
- Baking soda is sometimes used when boiling vegetables to preserve their color. That practice is not recommended as it destroys the vitamin C content of vegetables.
- Anywhere that moisture is a problem, such as cupboards under sinks, place a bowl of baking soda to help control humidity. You'll need to occasionally stir the powder for maximum effective life.
- Crayon or texta marks on walls? Try applying baking soda/water paste on an old toothbrush and lightly brush the affected area.
- Water stains on wooden floors can be removed with a sponge dampened in a solution of baking soda dissolved in water.
- Sprinkle some baking soda into your vacuum bag to help reduce musty/pet smells being spread throughout your house when vacuuming.
- Sprinkle baking soda on rugs and carpets before vacuuming as a deodorising treatment. Most carpet powders you buy are baking soda based! Just a brief note on this - not recommended for areas that are very humid as the baking soda may stay in the carpet.
- Mops can really stink out areas where they are stored. If your mop is getting on the nose, don't throw it out, try soaking it in a mixture of 4 tablespoons baking soda and a gallon of water for a while.
- Stains on porcelain sinks, toilets and plastics can be removed by applying a layer of baking soda and then using a damp sponge . I found this to work particularly well on a water stain in a sink that couldn't be shifted otherwise without the use of heavy duty chemicals and scratching the surface.

Plumbing
- As an alternative to caustic soda for clearing blocked drains, throw a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a couple of jugs of boiling water.Garden
- Baking soda can deter ants - pour a solid line in areas of activity and they won't cross it.
- Mix a tablespoon of baking soda, a teaspoon of (earth friendly) dish detergentent and a gallon of water to make a spray for treating roses against black spot fungus.

Laundry
- Work a baking soda and water paste onto stains prior to washing to help remove them from the fabric
- Half a cup of baking soda added to a full load of washing will help brighten your wash and remove odors.
Workshop/auto
- Mix a paste of baking soda and vinegar and apply with a pot scourer to remove light rusting
- A baking-soda/water paste applied to chrome surfaces, allowed to dry then buffed off will leave chrome shining!
- Baking soda applied to fresh grease and oil spills on your garage floor will draw away the oil, which can then be scraped off.

Pets
- Baking soda lightly sprinkled and mixed into cat litter will help control odor.
- Eliminate odor after you've cleaned up pet accidents by sprinkling over the dampened area with baking soda; allow to dry and then vacuum.

Personal
- Whoofy shoes getting you down? Get a couple of old socks, fill up the toe secitions with baking soda, place into the offending shoes and leave overnight to help remove odors.
- A thick paste of baking soda and water applied to bug bites can provide relief.
- A half teaspoon of baking soda mixed into a glass of water can act as mouthwash.
- Sprinkle baking soda onto regular toothpaste to create a whitening toothpaste
Miscellaneous
- To clean jewelry, use a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, apply the mixture the piece, allow to sit for a couple of minutes, rinse off and then polish with a soft cloth.
- Sprinkle your Christmas tree with baking soda to mimick snow - a much more environmentally friendly alternative to some of those chemical snow sprays!

With so many uses you'll likely use a lot and buying baking soda in small boxes probably won't be too economical. Have a chat to your local baker who may be able to supply you with larger quantities or try contacting a bakery supplies company as some sell direct to the public.

You can also save money on baking soda by re-using it. For example, once it has served its purpose as a fridge deodoriser you can put it down your sink to help keep your drains clear.

To Do with Shaving Cream

2009-05-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

Clean Your Hands
The next time your hands get dirty on a camping trip, save that hard-lugged water for cooking and drinking. Squirt a little on shaving cream into your hands and rub as hard as you would liquid soap. Then wipe your hands off with a towel.

Prevent Bathroom Mirror Fog-Up
Before you shower, wipe some shaving cream onto your bathroom mirror. It will stop it from fogging up so you won't waste time waiting for the mirror to clear up to start shaving, or have trouble peering through wipe streaks created by your towel.

Remove Stains from Carpeting
If juice gets spilled on your carpet, put some shaving cream on the spot. Blot the stain, pat it with a wet sponge, squirt some shaving cream on it and then wipe clean with a damp sponge. Use the same technique on your clothes for small stains; shaving cream can remove that spot of breakfast you discovered you're wearing during your once-over in the bathroom.

Silence a Squeaky Door Hinge
A squeaky door hinge can be incredibly annoying. With its ability to seep into nooks and crannies, a little shaving cream on the hinge will cure the problem.

Clean Brushes and Combs
Skin oils can build up on your combs and brushes faster than you realize. And if you're tucking them into your purse or pocket, they're accumulating dust and dirt as well. First, comb any loose hair out of the brush, then rub a little shampoo around the bristles or along the teeth of the comb. Put a small squirt of shampoo in a tall glass of water, let the comb and brush sit for a few minutes, swish and rinse clean thoroughly.

How To Cold-Proof Your Home

2009-05-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

It’s Too Cold Outside to Clean Windows
Don’t despair. There is a way to wash your home’s windows even when the temperature is below freezing. Use automobile windshield washing fluid, which won’t freeze. Fill a bucket with the fluid. Wearing rubber gloves, wash the windows with a sponge or rag. Use a small squeegee to wipe away the solution. Keep a clean, dry rag in your back pocket for wiping spills and sills. Use this same no-freeze solution to clean metal, plastic, and other outdoor surfaces in cold weather.

Snow Sticks to My Shovel
To keep wet snow from gluing itself to a shovel, spray the shovel with cooking spray (like Pam), silicone spray, or a household lubricant (such as WD-40) before you use it. Snow slides easily off a lubricated shovel, sparing your back from the excess weight. And store your shovel outside or in a cold shed or garage—never inside the house. Snow won’t stick as much to a cold shovel.

My Snow Shovel is Wrecking My Porch
To save wooden porches or decks—not to mention your back—from the ravages of a snow shovel, use a janitor’s push broom to clear light snowfalls. A broom is lighter and easier to maneuver than a shovel, and it won’t chip paint on a deck or porch the way a shovel will.

My Downspouts are Frozen Solid
If you live in an area with cold, snowy winters, it’s hard to avoid ice dams. Warm air in the attic causes the snow on the rooftop to melt, but the runoff freezes again when it reaches the gutter line, where the air is colder. The ice is usually thickest at the tops of the downspouts, which is bad, because when the gutter ice does melt, the thick plugs block the runoff. Here’s a quick solution: Cut the legs off a pair of old panty hose. Fill each hose leg with calcium chloride pellets or flakes, the “salt” used to melt sidewalk ice and sold at home improvement centers. Tie the leg ends and lay these homemade ice-melting devices over the frozen downspouts—or any other section of gutter that is especially thick with ice. Remove once the ice has melted.

My Gutters are Frozen and Water is Trickling In
If you see water trickling down your interior walls, you need to stop it—now! Here’s how: Take a box fan or two into the attic and set them up near a window or louvered gable vent. Turn them on high to suck cold air into the attic. The water on the roof will quickly freeze, stopping it from trickling into the house. The reason that cooling the attic solves the problem is that you have what is known as an ice dam. Warm air in your attic melts rooftop snow, and the runoff freezes again near the roof’s edge, where the air is cooler. The ice that forms acts like a dam, pooling water behind it and causing it to creep under the roof shingles, run down the rafters, and eventually trickle down your interior walls.

To Do with CDs

2009-05-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

Cover With Felt and Use as Coasters
CDs can help to prevent those unsightly stains from cups left on the table. Simply cut a round piece of felt to fit over the CD and glue it onto the label side of the CD so that the shiny side will face up when you use the coaster.

Catch Candle Drips
You should always use a candle holder specifically designed to catch melting wax. However, if one is not available, a CD is great in a pinch. Make sure it’s a short candle that can stand on its own with a flat bottom. It should also be slightly larger than the CD hole. Place the candleholder on a stable, heat-resistant surface and keep a watchful eye on it.

Make Artistic Bowls
Looking for a funky, decorative bowl? Place a CD in the oven on low heat over a metal bowl until the CD is soft. Wearing protective gloves, gently bend the CD into the shape desired. Seal the hole by gluing the bottom edge to another surface such as a flat dish using epoxy or PVC glue. Don’t use the bowl for food.

Use as Sidewalk or Driveway Reflectors
Forget those ugly orange reflectors. Instead, drill small holes in a CD and screw it onto your mailbox post or onto a wood stake and push it into the ground. Install several of them to light a nighttime path to your front door

Kids' Stuff
Use an old CD to make a picture frame for someone you love. You need a CD, a picture of you that is larger than the CD hole, a large bead, ribbon, and glue. Glue the picture in the middle of the CD on the shiny side. If you wish, decorate the CD with markers or stickers. Use hot-melt glue to attach the bead at the top of the CD, let dry, and thread ribbon through the bead.

~~~CRAFTS~~~

Recycled CD Chalkboard Bunny

Supplies:

any unwanted CD disk

black acrylic paint or chalkboard paint

black, white and pink felt

1 large white pompom

6 tiny pink pompoms and 1 small pink pompom

goggle eyes

whiskers or black embroidery floss

chalk

sponge

magnet

Printed Recycled CD Bunny Template

Instructions:

1. Trace the CD onto the black felt.

2. Paint the CD black - this may take three coats for total coverage. Set aside to dry.

3. Trace the rest of the pattern pieces onto the felt colors that are shown in the photo. I forgot to draw on the paper the pink in the ears, so just cut out two pink pieces, slightly smaller than the white ear shapes, and glue in place as the inner ears.

4. Glue the ears to the back of the upside down heart face.

5. Glue the whiskers to the point of the heart, and glue the pink pompom on for the nose. Add the goggle eyes close to the nose.

6. For the feet, glue the palm in the center and glue the tiny pink pompoms for the toes.

7. Constructing your black CD:First glue the black felt circle to the back of the CD then glue on the magnet near the top. Turning to the painted side, glue your large white pompom to the bottom of the CD, and then glue the feet at an angle touching the pompom.

Put a line of glue on the bottom of the heart shaped head, and glue this to the top of the CD. Glue the outside of the paws to the edge of the CD and glue the paw tips in, so that you can put in the chalk and the tiny piece of sponge.

Put your sponge and chalk in the bunny's paws.

Now you have a cute recycled CD Easter bunny chalkboard for memos and messages.

To Do with Coffee Grounds

2009-05-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

-Before you clean the ashes out of your fireplace, sprinkle them with wet coffee grounds. They’ll be easier to remove, and the ash and dust won’t pollute the atmosphere of the room.

-Get rid of the smell of spoiled food after a freezer failure. Fill a couple of bowls with used or fresh coffee grounds and place them in the freezer overnight. For a flavoured-coffee scent, add a couple of drops of vanilla to the grounds.

-Don’t throw out those old coffee grounds. They’re chock-full o’ nutrients that your acidic-loving plants crave. Save them to fertilize rosebushes, azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreens, and camellias. It’s better to use grounds from a drip coffeemaker than the boiled grounds from a percolator. The drip grounds are richer in nitrogen.

-Kitty won’t think of your garden as a latrine anymore if you spread a pungent mixture of orange peels and used coffee grounds around your plants. The mix acts as great fertilizer too.

-The secret ingredient in high-priced cellulite cream is coffee. So save money and make your own. Mix 1/4 cup warm, used coffee grounds with 1 tablespoon of oil (olive, almond, walnut or massage oil will due). Stand on newspaper in the bathtub and apply the mixture over your cellulite zones. Then wrap yourself in plastic wrap and leave on for up to five minutes. Unwind the plastic wrap, then brush off the loose grounds. Remove the newspaper and take a warm shower using a exfoliating brush. Repeat twice a week.

-Used coffee grounds add an array of nutrients to the soil, and will help repel snails and slugs from your garden beds. Before planting your next crop, work into the soil all the used coffee grounds you've been saving for the last week or so. This works well on plants that thrive in acidic soil.Some say coffee grounds will increase your carrot or radish harvest by mixing dry grounds with the seeds prior to planting. Roses also benefit from used coffee grounds.

-Coffee filter sachets are great for freezers, ice chests, and other places that tend to smell musty or fishy. If you have access to a sewing machine, try this fast and easy recycling craft: Take two 8-12 cup basket style coffee filters, flatten into circles,lay one on top of the other and sew them together (leaving a 2- inch hole at the top to create a pocket.) Now fill the filter "sachet" halfway with dry coffee grounds, and sew it shut. These easy sachets can be thrown into the freezer or ice chests to help remove strong odors, or can be hung on the wall in a closet, basement, or attic.

-To prevent cats from using your flower beds as a litter box, sprinkle coffee grounds throughout the beds, taking care not to dump the grounds on the actual flowers.

-Keep your bait worms alive till your next fishing trip by putting them in a container filled with coffee grounds and soil.

-Recycled coffee grounds can also be used to repel fleas from your dog's coat. After shampooing your dog, rub in the grounds and let dry. This works great on outdoor dogs, but I would caution using coffee grounds on dogs that are going to be indoors immediately after their bath, as the grounds can get into your carpet and furniture.

~~~~~~~~~

It's amazing that people fuss over what kind of hot or cold cereal to eat for breakfast when some of the most powerful nutrients on Earth can be found in that coffee pot you seldom use.

~
The big secret is not in your brewed cup of coffee, but in the coffee berry itself. Yep! It's the bright red fruit that covers up the coffee bean that does the trick; although the bean carries the load of goodies.Fact is, that little berry has more health-protecting, age-reversing nutrients than blueberries, raspberries,

green tea and broccoli combined.
It protects your heart, brain and your immune system.
~
Until recently, no one thought the coffee bean was anything special, in fact, coffee growers were throwing tons of it in the garbage. They found out in a hurry that the bean has been proven to: help maintain healthy glucose levels; help keep the bad cholesterol (LDL) at a healthy level; help protect your colon and liver.
~

Pour yourself several cups for morning breakfast, and have a couple more later on.

To Do with Pantyhose

2009-05-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

If you have a wet-and-dry vacuum, you can change the water in your fish tank without disturbing the gravel and tank accessories. (You’ll still have to relocate the fish, of course.) Just pull the foot of old pair of nylon pantyhose over the end of the vacuum’s nozzle and secure it with a rubber band, and you are ready to suck out the water.

As any seasoned traveller knows, you can squeeze more of your belongings into any piece of luggage by rolling up your clothes. Stop bulkier rolls from unwrapping by covering them with the legs from a pair of old pantyhose. Snip off the foot sections and start packing. Happy travels!

Keep your onions fresh by hanging them in nylon holders that provide good air circulation. Place the onions one at a time into the leg of a clean pair of pantyhose. Work the first one down to the foot section, then tie a knot above it and add the next one. Repeat until done. Cut off the remaining hose and then hang the onions in a cool, dry area of your kitchen. To remove an onion, snip off a knot, starting from the bottom.

Have you ever spent hours on your hands and knees searching through a carpet for a lost gemstone, contact lens or some other tiny, precious item? Try this solution: Cut a leg off an old pair of pantyhose—keeping the toe section intact—and pull it up over the nozzle of your vacuum cleaner hose. Secure it to the hose with a rubber band. Turn on the vacuum, carefully move the nozzle over the carpet and you’ll soon find your lost valuable attached to the pantyhose filter.

Is your kid’s teddy bear or doll losing its stuffing? Get out a needle and thread and prepare the patient for an emergency "stuffing transplant." Replace the lost filler with narrow strips of clean, worn-out pantyhose (ball them up, if possible). Stitch the hole well and a complete recovery is guaranteed. This works well with throw pillows and seat cushions, too.

Use the leg of a pair of pantyhose to store flower bulbs out of season. Cut off the leg, drop in the bulbs, knot the end and add an i.d. tag with masking tape. Hang in a cool, dry, ventilated area until replanting time.

Repel deer with bundles of human or pet hair. Collect hair clippings from the local salon or dog grooming parlor. Fill the foot sections of old pantry hose with the human hair, tie the end and hang the "hair sachets" where the deer like to snack. Replace the hair every week as it tends to lose the repellent scent.

Stake new plants and young trees with strips of pantyhose. Eliminate possible damage from string and wire as the plants mature.

Wash up after gardening without getting dirt on the bathroom faucets. Drop leftover slivers of soap into the foot of a pair of pantyhose and tie it shut. Hang it next to the outdoor faucet for a quick wash before going inside.

Make a firefly jar for a child. Fit a square of nylon pantyhose with a rubber band over the top of a plastic peanut butter jar.

Pot plants with a piece of pantyhose in the bottom of the pot. Prevent soil from leaking while water drains freely.

Create protective sleeves for melons to keep them up off the ground. Slide the new melons into the foot section of a leg of pantyhose. Tie it to a stake so that the melon isn't touching the ground. Eliminate ground rot, mold and invasion by insects.

To Do with Vanilla Extract

2009-05-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

Freshen Up The Fridge
Having trouble getting rid of that bad odor in your refrigerator, even after scrubbing it out? Wipe down the inside of the fridge with vanilla extract. To prolong the fresh vanilla scent, soak a cotton ball or a piece of sponge with vanilla extract and leave it in the refrigerator.

Deodorize Your Microwave
Is the odor of fish, or some other strong smell, lingering in your microwave? Pour a little vanilla extract in a bowl and microwave on High for one minute. Now, that’s better.

Neutralize The Smell Of Fresh Paint
If you would rather not have the unpleasant smell of fresh paint in your house, mix 1 tablespoon vanilla extract into the paint can when you open it. The house will smell delicious!

Use As Perfume
Try it! Just put a dab of vanilla extract on each wrist. You’ll smell delicious, and many people find the scent of vanilla to be very relaxing.

Relieve Minor Burns
Yee-oow! You accidentally grabbed a hot pot or got splattered with grease in the kitchen. Grab the vanilla extract for quick pain relief. The evaporation of the alcohol in the vanilla extract cools the burn.

To Do with Oranges

2009-05-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Use for Kindling
Dried orange and lemon peels are a far superior choice for use as kindling than newspaper. Not only do they smell better and produce less creosote than newspaper, but the flammable oils found inside the peels enable them to burn much longer than paper.

Make a Pomander
Pomanders have been used for centuries to fill small spaces with a delightful fragrance as well as to combat moths. They are also incredibly easy to make. Take a bunch of cloves and stick them into an orange, covering the whole surface. Now suspend your pomander using a piece of string, wool or monofilament fishing line inside a wardrobe or cupboard, and it will keep the space smelling fresh for years

Simmer for Stovetop Potpourri
Fill your abode with a refreshing citrus scent by simmering several orange and/or lemon peels in 1–2 cups of water in an aluminium saucepan for a few hours. Add water as needed during the simmering. This process freshens up the pot as well as the air in your home.

Keep Cats Off Your Lawn
Are the neighbour’s cats still mistaking your lawn for their litter tray? Gently point them elsewhere by making a mixture of orange peels and coffee grounds and distributing it around the cats’ ‘old haunts.’ If they don’t take the hint, lay down a second batch and try moistening it with a bit of water.

Show Ants the Door
Get rid of the ants in your garden, on your patio and along the foundations of your home. In a blender, make a smooth puree of a few orange peels in 1 cup of warm water. Slowly pour the solution over and into anthills to send the little pests packing. Repeat the process if they return.

To Do with Weather Stripping

2009-05-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Keep appliances in place
Affixing small pieces of weather stripping to the bottom of telephones, electric can openers, PC speakers, and similar items will help keep them from sliding off counters or desktops.

Add traction to boots
Some rubber boots may be great at keeping out moisture, but don’t prevent you from slipping on ice-, snow-, or slush-covered surfaces. But you can usually improve the traction of your waterproof footwear by gluing a few strips of flat weather stripping onto the toe, middle, and heel sections.

Get a grip on tools
Wrapping the handles of tools such as hammers, axes, and wrenches with flat weather stripping will not only give you a better and more comfortable grip on them, but it might even prevent wooden handles from getting damaged. Spiral the weather stripping around the handle, overlapping it half a width.

Fix leaky car windows
Use small slivers of household weather stripping to patch up the dented weather stripping around car windows to prevent wind and water from getting inside your car. You can also use it to firm up sagging rubber gaskets around your car’s trunk or doors.

Seal off fireplace dampers
Don’t let your heat go up in smoke. When not using your fireplace seal off the damper using weather stripping to prevent leakage. You’ll save energy (and money) by stopping your heat from going up in smoke and letting cold air in through chimney.

To Do with Envelopes

2009-05-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

Turn a boring old envelope into a great gift bag!

Supplies needed:
Manila envelope (any size)
Straight edge cutter
Scoring blade
Paint, ink or chalk
Adhesive
Fibers

Step 1: Seal the envelope and cut the top flap off.

Step 2: Paint, ink or chalk in desired colors. Be creative! Use stamps, stickers, whatever you want to. If you use brads, be sure to only do them on one side of the envelope, by putting your mat inside the envelope. I don’t recommend using eyelets, as you can’t get inside the envelope to set them.
The envelope can be as plain or as decorated as you like!

Step 3: Score 1 inch in from each side edge, being sure to go all the way from top to bottom.

Step 4: Score 1 inch up from the bottom of the envelope, being sure to go all the way across

Step 5: Pop the envelope open, forming a box along the creases. You’ll end up with 2 triangles at the bottom, one on each side.

Step 6: Put adhesive on the inside of each triangle,

Step 7: then push them into the bottom of the bag.

Step 8: Fold the top down and fasten as you like. Another option would be to cut the top of the bag with decorative scissors and use paper cording to create handles.

You can make different size bags by changing how far in you score the bottom and sides-just keep in mind that all 3 sides need to stay the same number. So if you score 2 inches in on each side, you must also score 2 inches in from the bottom.

~~~~~~~~~~

Shred Old Receipts Faster
The best way to get rid of receipts that may have your credit card number or other personal information in them is to shred them. But feeding tiny receipts into a shredder is tedious. Instead, place all the old receipts into a few used envelopes, then shred the envelopes.

Make a Small Funnel
You save money by buying your spices in bulk and you want to transfer them to smaller, handier bottles for use in the kitchen, but you don’t have a small funnel to do the job. Make a couple of disposable funnels from an envelope. Seal the envelope, cut it in half diagonally and snip off one corner on each half. Now you have two funnels for pouring spices into your smaller jars.

Sort and Store Sandpaper
You know how sheets of sandpaper love to curl themselves up into useless tubes? Prevent that problem and keep your sandpaper sheets organized by storing them in standard letter-size cardboard mailing envelopes. Use one envelope for each sheet of sandpaper. Record the grit on the envelope.

Make Bookmarks
Recycle envelopes by making them into handy bookmarks of different sizes. Cut off the gummed flap and one end of the envelope, then slip the remainder over the corner of the page where you stopped reading for a quick place-holder that doesn’t damage your book. They are a great homemade addition to a book given as a present.

Make File Folders
Don’t let papers get disorganized just because you run out of file folders. Cut the short ends off a light cardboard mailing envelope. Turn it inside out so you have blank cardboard on the outside. Cut a 2-centimetre-wide strip lengthwise off the top of one side. The other edge becomes the place where you label your file.

To Do with Mouthwash

2009-05-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

Clean computer monitor screen
Out of glass cleaner? A strong, alcohol-based mouthwash will work as well as, or better than, glass cleaner on your computer monitor or TV screen. Apply with a damp, soft cloth and buff dry. Remember to use only on glass screens, not liquid crystal displays! The alcohol can damage the material used in LCDs.

Clean your toilet
All out of your regular toilet bowl cleaner? Try pouring 1/4 cup alcohol-based mouthwash into the bowl. Let it stand in the water for 1/2 hour, then swish with a toilet brush before flushing. The mouthwash will disinfect germs as it leaves your toilet bowl sparkling and clean.

Cure underarm odour
Regular deodorants mask unpleasant underarm odours with a heavy perfume smell but do little to attack the cause of the problem. To get rid of the bacteria that cause perspiration odour, dampen a cotton ball with a sugarless, alcohol-based mouthwash and swab your armpits. If you’ve just shaved your armpits, it’s best to wait for another day to try this.

Add to wash water
Smelly gym socks are often full of bacteria and fungi that may not all come out in the wash—unless you add a cup of alcohol-based, sugarless mouthwash during the regular wash cycle.

Get rid of dandruff
To treat a bad case of dandruff, wash your hair with your regular shampoo; then rinse with an alcohol-based mouthwash. You can follow with your regular conditioner.

Toenail fungus

Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.

To Do with Ice Scrapers

2009-05-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

Remove Splattered Paint
If you just painted your bathroom and have gotten paint splatters all over your acrylic bathtub, use an ice scraper to remove them without scratching the tub surface. Use ice scrapers to remove paint specks from any other nonmetallic surfaces.

Smooth Wood Filler
Do you have small gouges in your wood floors? Want to use wood filler to make them smooth again? An ice scraper can help you do the job right. Once you’ve packed wood filler into a hole, the ice scraper is the perfect tool to smooth and level it.

Remove Wax From Skis
Every experienced skier knows that old wax buildup on skis can slow you down. An ice scraper can swiftly and neatly take off that old wax and prepare your plows for the next coat.

Scrape Out Your Freezer
Your windshield isn’t the only place ice and frost build up. If the frost is building up in your freezer and you want to delay the defrosting chore for a while, head out to the car and borrow the scraper.

Clean Up Bread Dough
No matter how much flour you put on your work surface, some of that sticky bread dough always seems to stick to it. A clean ice scraper is just the tool for skimming the sticky stuff off the work surface. In a pinch, a plastic scraper can also substitute for a spatula for nonstick pans.

To Do with Shoeboxes

2009-05-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

Make a Pony Bead Loom

You need:

Shoe Box Lid

Heavy ThreadTape

Instructions for Using Your Loom

Choose A Pattern:

Instructions:
Using a ruler, mark 1/4" increments on both ends of shoe box lid as shown. Ask an adult to cut a small notch at each mark with a serrated knife.
Tape the end of heavy thread to the back of the lid and wrap it around to the front pushing it down into an end notch. Continue wrapping and push it down into the notch on the opposite end. Then around bottom and up to the next notch. Continue until you have one more thread than the number of rows in your pattern.

~~~~~~~~~~

Make a Gift Ribbon Dispenser
You’ll be grateful for this when you need ribbon. Take a piece of garden stake or anything you can use as a small dowel, and cut it a little longer than the length of the shoe box. Cut two holes in the box, high enough that the ribbon spool will be able to spin in the box. Slip your ribbon spools onto the dowel as you poke it from one end of the shoebox through to the other. Duct tape over both ends to keep the dowl in place. Now you’re ready to wrap!

Use for Play Bricks
Kids can get creative using a collection of shoeboxes as building bricks. Tape the lids on for them. You can even let the little ones colour the “bricks” with poster paint.

Get Your Stuff Organized
There are lots of ways shoeboxes can help you get organized besides collecting old photos and receipts. Label the boxes and use them to store keepsakes, cancelled checks, bills to be paid, and other items you want to keep track of. For a neater appearance, cover the boxes with contact paper or any other decorative self-adhesive paper.

Pack Yummy Gifts
Shoeboxes are the perfect size for loaves of homemade bread, but of course, you can also pack cookies in them.

Use as Temporary Bed for Pets
Shoeboxes make perfect homes for baby kittens or puppies. If the babies are being born at home you can make a whelping box and reduce the risk of the mother rolling onto a newborn. Place one or several puppies or kittens in a towel-lined shoe box while the others are being born.

To Do with Marshmallows

2009-05-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

Separate toes when applying polish
Get the comfort of a salon treatment when giving yourself a home pedicure. Just place marshmallows between your toes to separate them before you apply the nail polish.

Keep brown sugar soft
Ever notice how brown sugar seems to harden overnight once you’ve opened the bag? Next time you open a bag of brown sugar, add a few marshmallows to the bag before closing it. The marshmallows will add enough moisture to keep the sugar soft for weeks.

Stop ice-cream drips
Here’s an easy way to keep a leaky ice-cream cone from staining your clothes. Just place a large marshmallow in the bottom of the cone before you add the ice cream

Keep wax off birthday cakes
If one of your birthday wishes is to keep candle wax off the frosting on the cake, try this trick: Push each candle into a marshmallow and set the marshmallow atop the frosting. The wax will melt onto the marshmallow, which you can discard. Meanwhile, the marshmallows will add a festive look to the cake.

Impromptu cupcake frosting
You’re already mixing the batter for the cupcakes when you realize you’re out of frosting. No problem—if you happen to have some marshmallows on hand. Just pop a marshmallow on top of each cupcake about a minute or so before they come out of the oven. It will make a delicious, instant gooey frosting.

To Do with Yogourt

2009-05-28T08:08:00.000-07:00

-Wouldn’t it be nice to simply paint some moss between the cracks of your stone walkway, on the sides of flowerpots or anywhere else you want it to grow? Well, you can. Just dump a cup of plain active-culture yogourt into your blender along with a handful of common lawn moss and about a cup of water. Blend for about 30 seconds. Use a paintbrush to spread the mixture wherever you want moss to grow—as long as the spot is cool and shady. Mist the moss occasionally until it gets established.

-You don’t have to go to a spa to give your face a quick assist. To cleanse your skin and tighten the pores, slather some plain yogourt on your face and let it sit for about 20 minutes. For a revitalizing facial mask, mix 1 teaspoon plain yogourt with the juice from 1/4 slice of orange, some of the orange pulp and 1 teaspoon aloe. Leave the mixture on your face for at least five minutes before rinsing it off.

-For quick, temporary relief of mild sunburn, apply cold plain yogurt. The yogourt adds much needed moisture while its coolness soothes. Rinse with cool water.

-Ready for some messy rainy-day fun? Mix food colouring with yogourt to make finger paints and let the little ones go wild. You can even turn it into a lesson about primary and secondary colours. For example, have the kids put a few drops of yellow food colouring and a few drops of blue in the yogourt to make green finger paint. Or mix red and blue to produce purple.

-If Bowser has been a bit odoriferous lately, the problem may be a lack of the friendly digestive bacteria that prevents gas and diarrhea. The active culture in plain yogourt can help restore the helpful bacteria. Add 2 teaspoons yogourt to the food for cats or small dogs weighing up to 14 lbs (6 kg). Add 1 tablespoon for medium-sized dogs weighing 15-34 lbs (7-15 kg). Add 2 tablespoons for large dogs weighing 35-84 lbs (16-38 kg). Add 3 tablespoons for dogs larger than that.

-Eat a serving of yogurt every day to help lower cholesterol. Studies have shown that the active live cultures in yogurt inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the blood.

-Use yogurt as a home remedy for fungal infections. Eating yogurt daily can help to treat candidacies, or internal fungal infections. Gauze soaked in yogurt and placed over fungal skin infections destroys the fungus, soothes itch and discomfort, and cools irritated skin. Yogurt is a common home remedy for vaginal yeast infections as well, and can be applied by using a yogurt-soaked tampon, replacing four or five times daily, and used until the infection passes.

-Transform any fruit into a healing face mask by blending it with yogurt. Yogurt is a gentle moisturizer, and contains lactic acids which helps to exfoliate dead skin cells and reduce fine lines. The active cultures in yogurt also help to cleanse the skin and kill bacteria which cause acne.

-Rub yogurt on the lips and eat 1/4 cup, four times daily for its antibacterial effect, which can help to prevent and heal canker sores.

-Eat yogurt during and after a round of antibiotics to replenish the healthy bacteria in the body which are destroyed by antibiotic medication. It is best to eat yogurt at least 2 hours before or after taking your medication and daily for 2 to 4 weeks after finishing your medication. Yogurt eaten during a round of antibiotics also helps to prevent diarrhea, a common side effect of the medication.

To Do with Egg Cartons

2009-05-28T08:04:00.000-07:00

Egg Carton Wreath

Supplies
Egg Cartons
Scissors
Colored Poster Board
Glue
Green and Purple Construction Paper
String or Yarn

Click here for printables

Instructions
Cut apart egg carton sections. Trim evenly. Make slits in the sections and bend away from the center. Trace around a plate on a piece of poster board to make a circle. Trace around a slightly bigger plate to make a ring around your first circle. Cut out. Glue flower sections to wreath. Cut leaves out of construction paper to glue to wreath. Cut or punch out small circles to make flower centers. Glue in place. Make a loop out of yarn. Glue on back for a hanger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-Making a bunch of ice for a picnic or party? Use the bottom halves of clean polystyrene egg cartons as auxiliary ice trays.

-You pull the plastic trash bag out of the kitchen trash container and gunk drips out. Next time, put an opened empty egg carton at the bottom of the trash bag to prevent tears and punctures.

-Use a four-section piece of an egg carton to sort change as you take it out of your pocket. You can drop pennies into a larger container or a piggy bank since they add up so quickly.

-Organize buttons, safety pins, bobbins, snaps, closures and other small items on your sewing table. Remove the lid from the egg carton so you can quickly see what you need. Do the same on your workbench with washers, tacks, small nuts and bolts and screws.

-Keep tiny Christmas ornaments from being damaged by storing each one in a separate compartment of an egg carton. Wrap each one in a bit of tissue to keep it snug in its compartment.

-Create a shipping container for homemade goodies for a college student, soldier or faraway friend. Cover the egg carton with bright paper or fabric and line the individual compartments with coconut or candy wrappers, and then fill with homemade treats. Include the carton in your next care package.

-Reinforce a trash bag by putting an open egg carton in the bottom of the new bag. The egg carton will prevent tears and punctures, so there will be no more goop leaking out when you remove the bag.

-Start seedlings in a paper egg carton (not the polystyrene type). Fill each compartment with soil and a few seeds. Once the seeds have sprouted, divide the carton into the individual cells and plant them – carton and all – in the ground.

-Make a fire-starter by filling a cardboard egg carton with charcoal briquettes and placing it in the grill. Add a little leftover candle wax. Light the carton. You can also fill a cardboard egg carton with kindling and use it to start a fire in the fireplace.

To Do with Coins

2009-05-28T08:01:00.000-07:00

Give Your Carpet a Lift
When you move a chair, couch, table or bed, you can’t help noticing the deep indentations in your carpet made by the legs. To fluff the carpet up again, simply hold a coin on its edge and scrape it against the flattened pile. If that doesn’t pop it back up, hold a steam iron about five centimetres above the affected spot. When the area is damp, try fluffing again with the coin.

Keep Cut Flowers Fresh
Your posies and other cut flowers will stay fresh longer if you add an old copper penny and a cube of sugar to the vase water.

Test Tire Tread
Let the head tell you if it’s time to replace the tires on your car. Insert a five-cent piece into the tread. If you can’t cover the top of the head inside the tread, it’s time to head for the tire shop. Check your tires regularly and you will avoid the danger and inconvenience of a flat tire on a busy road.

Hang Doors Perfectly
Next time you hang an entry door, five-and-ten it to ensure proper clearance between the outside of the door and the inside of the frame. When the door is closed, the gap at the top should be the thickness of a five-cent piece, and the gap at the sides should be that of a 10-cent piece. If you do it properly, you will keep the door from binding and it won’t let in draughts.

To Do with Foam Food Trays

2009-05-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

Release Your Innersoles
If your tired feet need a little padding, grab a couple of clean meat trays and cut them to fit inside the sole of your shoes or boots. You’ll have happy feet and some extra cushioning for free.

Produce a Disposable Serving Dish
Wash a disposable foam food tray with soap and water, cover it entirely with foil and load it up with food. Use these serving dishes to deliver goodies to the school cake stall or a sick neighbour. You’ll have no worries about losing your own platters.

Provide an Art Palette
Create a paint palette for your budding Picasso. A thoroughly cleaned and dried food tray is the perfect place for kids to squirt their tempera or oil paints. Are they experimenting with watercolours? Use two trays. Put the paint in one and water in the other. At the end of the art session, you can just throw them away.

Protect Photographs in the Mail
Why buy expensive padded envelopes to send photographs to loved ones? Cut foam trays slightly smaller than your mailing envelope. Insert your photographs between the trays, place in the envelope and mail. The photos will arrive without creases or bends.

Make Knee Pads for Gardening
If you find gardening is a pain in the knees, tape a couple of foam food trays to them. Or attach them to your legs using the top halves of old tube socks. The trays give you extra padding while you pull out weeds and fertilize your plants.

~~~~CRAFT~~~~

SHRINK ART

Materials Needed:
Styrofoam Meat Trays

Instructions:

Cut shapes and color a picture on the bottom of a styrofoam meat tray. Put them on a cookie sheet and in the oven for a few minutes on about 350 degrees. You will see them curl and shrink; then they are ready to take out.
You can make your shrink art into jewelry by following the directions above. Just punch a hole before putting into oven. Thread onto yarn or colored string. Make necklaces and bracelets.
Make your shrink art into a key chain. Cut out a large oblong or any shape, color with a permanent marker, punch a hole in the top, and shrink in the oven. They make a cute keychain.

To Do with Fabric Softener

2009-05-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

Clean Glass Surfaces
Clean glass tables, shower doors and other hard surfaces, and repel dust with liquid fabric softener. Mix 1 part softener into 4 parts water and store in a spray bottle, such as an empty dishwashing liquid bottle. Apply a little solution to a clean cloth, wipe the surface and then polish with a dry cloth.

Pick Up Pet Hair
Pet hair can get a pretty tenacious grip on furniture and clothing. But a used fabric-softener sheet will suck that fur right off the fabric with a couple of swipes. Just toss the fuzzy wipe into the garbage.

Repel Dust from Electrical Appliances
Because television and PC screens are electrically charged, they actually attract dust, making dusting them a never-ending chore, but not if you dust them with used fabric-softener sheets. These sheets are designed to reduce static cling, so they remove the dust and keep it from resettling for several days.

A Safe Mosquito Repellent
For a safe mosquito repellent, look no further than the laundry. Save used dryer fabric-softener sheets and pin or tie one to your clothing when you go outdoors to help repel mosquitoes.

Walk Away from Static Cling
You’ll never be embarrassed by static cling again if you keep a used fabric-softener sheet in your purse or dressing table drawer. When faced with static, dampen the sheet and rub it over your pantyhose to put an end to clinging skirts.

what potatoes can do outside of the pot.

2009-05-27T17:15:00.000-07:00

Remove Stains From Your Hands
Your family’s favourite carrot soup is simmering on the stove, and you’ve got the orange hands to show for it. Otherwise hard-to-remove stains on hands from peeling carrots or handling pumpkin come right off if you rub your hands with a raw, cut potato.

Make a Hot or Cold Compress
Potatoes retain heat and cold well. The next time you need a hot compress, boil a potato, wrap it in a tea towel and apply to the area. Refrigerate the boiled potato if you need a cold compress.

Remove Tarnish from Silverware
High tea is being served at your house later today, and you’re out of silver polish. Grab a bunch of potatoes and boil them up. Remove them from the water and save them for another use. Place your silverware in the remaining water and let it sit for an hour. Then remove the silverware and wash. The tarnish should have disappeared.

End Puffy Eyes
We all hate waking up in the morning and looking at our mug in the mirror. What are those puffy spots on your face? Oh yeah, those are your eyes. A little TLC is what you need. Apply slices of raw, cold potatoes to your eyes to make the puffiness go away.

Restore Beaten-Up Shoes
Try as you might, your old shoes are just too scuffed to take a shine anymore. They don’t have holes, and they are so nice and comfy that you hate to throw them away. Before you give them the brush-off, cut a potato in half and rub those old shoes with the raw potato. After that, polish them; they should come out nice and shiny.

how a quick spray can remove stains, make your home quieter and mowing the lawn easier.

2009-05-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

Prevent Sauce Stains
To prevent tomato sauce from staining your plastic containers, apply a light coating of non-stick cooking spray on the inside of a container before you pour in a tomato-based sauce.

Keep Car Wheels Clean
You know that fine black stuff that collects on the wheels of your car and is so hard to clean off? That’s brake dust—it’s produced every time you apply your brakes and the pads wear against the brake discs or cylinders. The next time you invest the elbow grease to get your wheels shiny, give them a light coating of cooking spray. The brake dust will wipe right off.

Cure Door Squeak
Heard that door squeak just one time too many? Hit the hinge with some non-stick cooking spray. Just make sure that you have paper towels handy to wipe up the drips.

Remove Paint and Grease
Forget smelly solvents to remove paint and grease from your hands. Instead, use cooking spray to do the job. Work it in well and rinse. Wash again with soap and water.

Prevent Grass from Sticking
Mowing the lawn should be easy, but cleaning stuck grass from the mower is tedious. Prevent grass from sticking on mower blades and the underside of the cover by spraying them with cooking oil before you begin mowing.

Snow Sticks to My Shovel
To keep wet snow from gluing itself to a shovel, spray the shovel with cooking spray (like Pam), silicone spray, or a household lubricant (such as WD-40) before you use it. Snow slides easily off a lubricated shovel, sparing your back from the excess weight. And store your shovel outside or in a cold shed or garage—never inside the house. Snow won’t stick as much to a cold shovel.

To Do with Paper Bags

2009-05-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

Dust Off Your Mops
Dust balls and pet hair don’t stand a chance against a dust mop. But how do you get all that stuff off your mop?Place a large paper bag over the mop head; use a piece of string or a rubber band to keep it from slipping off. Now give it several good shakes (a few gentle bumps wouldn’t hurt either). Lay the mop on its side for a few minutes to let the dust in the bag settle. Then carefully remove the bag for easy disposal of your dusty and dirt.

Ripen Fruit
Many fruits—avocados, bananas, pears, peaches and tomatoes—will ripen better when placed in a paper bag. To hasten the ripening process of any fruit, place an already ripe apple or banana peel in the same bag and store it at room temperature. To ripen green bananas, wrap them in a damp dishtowel before placing them in the bag. Once your fruits have adequately ripened, you can halt the process by putting them in the refrigerator.

Reshape Knits After Washing
Put the shape back into your sweaters and other knits by tracing the contours of each item on a paper bag before you wash it. Then use your outline to stretch the item back to its original shape after washing it.

Move Snow Off Your Windshield
If you’re tired of having to constantly scrape ice and snow off your car’s windshield during the winter months, keep some paper bags on hand. When there’s snow in the forecast, go out to your car and turn on the wipers. Then, shut off the engine with the wipers positioned near the middle of your windshield. Now, split open a couple of paper bags and use your car’s wipers to hold them in place. After the last snowflake falls, pull off the paper to instantly clear your windshield. Note: To prevent damaging your car’s wipers, do not turn on the ignition until you’ve removed the snow and paper from the windshield.

Start a Fire
Looking for an easy way to get a fire going in your fireplace? Simply fill a paper bag with some balled-up newspaper and perhaps some bits of candle wax. Stick the bag under your logs, light it, then sit back and enjoy your roaring fire.

how to transform your wasteful abode into a lean, green eco-machine without breaking the bank.

2009-05-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

Start with the simple things—the ones that may be lacking the glamour of big-ticket items such as solar-power generation or geothermal heating, but that are equally effective. According to Helen Goodland, Executive Director of the Light House Sustainable Building Centre in Vancouver, greening your home doesn’t have to be expensive. “You can do a lot for $100, especially if it’s an old, leaky home. It could be as simple as going around with a draft-proofing caulking gun.”Here, then, are some helpful hints on greening your home, no matter how tight your budget.

Spend $50 or less
$50 can go a surprisingly long way at a hardware store, since many of the most effective green improvements are in the $5-$15 range. Assuming you’ve already switched your old light bulbs over to compact fluorescents ($2 and up per bulb) or LEDs ($10 per bulb), the best things to spend a $50 bill on are:
Self-adhering weatherstripping foam tape to seal around windows and doors ($5);
Outdoor clothesline ($13 and up) to give your energy-munching dryer a rest.
0.5 gallon per minute faucet aerator ($3) for your bathroom and kitchen taps.
Draft-stopper gaskets ($4) to stop air infiltration behind your light switches and outlets.

Non-toxic household cleaner ($5 and up) to eliminate the adverse effects most standard cleaners have on your health.
1.5 gallon per minute showerhead ($25) to save water and water-heating energy by reducing flow by 40 percent over standard low-flow showerheads.

Spend $100 or less
There’s no reason you can’t spend your $100 on even more $5-$15 items, but here are a few more expensive ones that are well worth the extra money:
Hot water tank insulator jacket ($25-$40) to reduce your tank heat loss by 25-40 percent.

Water Eco-Kit ($50 and up) to save water and water-heating energy in a wide variety of ways.

Zero-VOC paint ($18 and up per quart) to make your indoor air a little healthier when you next paint a room.

Spend up to $500
Probably the best use of your $500 would be to buy everything listed in the $50 and $100 categories, and then splurge on a couple of bigger-ticket items with your remaining $350:

Living Wall System ($60, not including plants and soil) to improve indoor air quality and create a lush, plant-filled wall in any room in your house.
Toaster oven ($50-$200) for all your smaller meals—uses up to 50 percent less energy than a larger oven.

Programmable thermostat ($50 and up) to cut down on heating and cooling costs when you’re away or asleep.

Indoor clothes-drying rack ($50-$150) to reduce dryer use.

Spend $1000 and over
The most important thing to remember here is that spending $500 on a single item does not mean that it’s 100 times greener than a $5 item. You should only really go out and buy more expensive gizmos once you have already bought most of the inexpensive ones. With that in mind, here are some green ideas for the fatter wallet:

Power-Pipe ($375 and up, plus installation): saves up to 60 percent of the wasted heat running down your drains, transferring it to the cold water flowing into your hot water tank.

Increase attic insulation to R40 ($600-$800 per 1000 sq. ft., plus installation) to reduce heating and cooling needs.

Tankless water heater ($900 and up) to reduce your water-heating energy consumption by as much as 10 to 35 percent (homes that use a lot of hot water save less).

Remember: Greening your home is a gradual process, so start with what you can afford and work up from there.

TO DO WITH EGGS

2009-05-27T16:59:00.000-07:00

Materials & tools:
- Newspapers- Eggshells, dyed or natural
- Ice-cube or muffin tray
- Picture Frame

- X-acto knife, and varnish (optional)

(materials are available at arts, crafts stores)

Cover your work area with newspapers. Make sure the eggshells are rinsed and completely dried. Depending on how many colors you want your project to include, separate each eggshell color in sections of an ice-cube or muffin tray.

You can either pre-crack the eggshells in desired sizes with your fingers, or place bigger eggshell pieces directly onto your project and crack them as you press them firmly into place.

To create eggshell mosaic frames,(on a pre-painted wooden frame) simply apply

Mod-podge or any medium of your choice.

Place eggshell pieces onto the medium in a specific pattern (or randomly) using assorted colors by pressing them firmly into place. It truly is like making a mosaic creation. If your pieces are tiny you can use an X-acto knife to move them into place. Repeat until the whole project is covered.

Wait two hours than with your palms go over your project and press over the entire item surface, securing all pieces. Doing this step will also let the air out from under some of the eggshell pieces to avoid bubbles.

These multi-colored frames and other eggshell mosaic projects such as lampshades, mirror borders and boxes make great décor accents for children’s bedrooms.

Cleaning, simply wipe with a damp cloth occasionally.

Tips: You can use standard food coloring, or colored tissue paper to dye the eggshells. Painted, waxed or marbleized eggshells can also be used to create unique eggshell mosaics.

~~~~~~~~~

~Out of glue? Egg whites can act as a glue substitute when gluing paper or light cardboard together.
~After boiling eggs, don't pour the water down the drain. Instead, let it cool and water your houseplants with the nutrient-filled water.
~Plant seeds in eggshells. Place the eggshell halves in the carton, fill each with soil and press seeds inside. The seeds will draw extra nutrients from the eggshells. Once the seedlings are about three inches (7.5 cm) tall, they are ready to be transplanted into your garden. Remove them from the shell before you put them in the ground. Then crush the eggshells and put them in your compost or plant them in your garden.
~Who has the time or money to spend at the spa, for someone to tell you how awful your skin looks? For a little pampering, head to the refrigerator and grab an egg. If you have dry skin that needs moisturizing, separate the egg and beat the yolk. Oily skin takes the egg white, to which a bit of lemon or honey can be added. For normal skin, use the entire egg. Apply the beaten egg, relax and wait 30 minutes, then rinse. You'll love your new fresh face.

~Improve your compost. Include the eggshells in your compost heap. They are all-natural with no oils or grease and will add valuable minerals to the resulting fertile soil.
~Deter slugs and snails. Crush the eggshells and spread them around the base of your delicate plants.
~Fertilize. Mix ground eggshells with your garden soil for added calcium, potassium, phosphorus and sulfur that help make plants strong and healthy.
~Feed the birds with calcium. Wash the eggshells and let them dry. Crush them into fine pieces and mix some with the seeds you feed the chickens and wild birds. Eggshells have calcium that is good for birds. Also, the shell pieces act as grit, much like the sand and pebbles that they swallow and keep in their gizzards to help grind their food.
~Make a mosaic. Crush or snap cleaned and dried eggshells into small pieces. Dip or soak them in food coloring, then arrange them into decorative designs to be glued onto picture frames, trinket boxes, centerpiece bowls and other craft items.

~Make chalk. Grind half a dozen cleaned and dried eggshells into a fine powder. Mix with a teaspoon of hot water and a teaspoon of flour. Roll the paste mixture into a stick shape and wrap in paper towel. Let it dry completely over a few days, then unwrap and you'll have homemade chalk that you can use on the sidewalk or driveway.
~Make textured paint. Crush or grind cleaned and dried eggshells and mix a small amount with paint to add texture and 3D effect to a piece of artwork.

~To easily slice deviled eggs, dip the knife in water first. The slice will be smooth and no yolk will stick to the blade.

~For light, fluffy scrambled eggs, add a little water while beating the eggs.

~For long term storage, crack open the eggs and add individually to an ice cube tray. When completely frozen, put the egg cubes in a sealed freezer bag and use as needed.

~Can't remember if an egg is fresh or hard boiled? Just spin the egg. If it wobbles it's raw. If it spins easily, it's hard boiled.

~Add 1 Tbs. of water per egg white to increase the quantity of beaten egg white when making meringue.

~Fresh eggs have a rough and chalky shell. Old eggs are smooth and shiny.

~Having eggs at room temperature is an important step when using them for baking. Take the egg out of the refrigerator about 2 hour before using or if you have forgotten to take them out, put them in slightly warm water for about 10 minutes.

~Poke an egg with a small sewing needle before hard-boiling, and the egg will peel with ease. And hold that needle in place with a magnet refrigerator clip!

~To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.

~When starting your garden seedling indoors, plant the seeds in egg shell halves. Simply crack the shells around the roots of your plants and transplant them outdoors - the shell is a natural fertilizer.

~To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh - if it rises to the surface, throw it away.

How your oven mitts help you keep your furniture spotless, tend your garden and fix your car.

2009-05-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

A Beverage Cosy or Egg Warmer
Keep that mug of coffee or tea from getting cold when you’re called away by placing an oven mitt over it. The mitt’s insulation will keep it warm until you get back. You can also use an oven mitt to keep boiled eggs warm for up to half an hour. Conversely, an oven mitt will help keep a cold drink colder longer.

Dust and Polish
Although oven mitts are typically confined to kitchen duty, they’re actually great for dusting and polishing around your house. Use one side of the mitt to apply wax or polish to your furniture and the other side to buff it up. It’s a great way to use clean, old mitts or all those extra ones you’ve collected.

Protect Your Hands When Pruning
Oven mitts are too awkward to use for weeding or planting seedlings, but they can come in handy when pruning trees, hedges and bushes—particularly thorny ones, such as holly, bougainvillea and rosebushes.

Remove Hot Engine Parts
Keeping an oven mitt in your car’s glove box or boot can make life a lot easier when you need to handle hot radiator caps and the like during an on-the-road emergency.

Change a Hot Light Bulb
When the light bulb on your reading lamp blows out, don’t scorch your fingers when replacing it. Once you’ve removed the lampshade, put on an oven mitt, remove the dead bulb from the socket and toss it into the garbage bin. That way, you won’t still be blowing on your fingertips when screwing in the new bulb.

about how you can keep your clothes in great shape and even accessorize with your leftover reading material

2009-05-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

Paper Beads

-Cut paper into strips, choosing the length and width that you desire.

-Brush a small amount of glue onto one end of your paper strip. Roll paper onto the paint brush handle, at least one inch from tip. Continue rolling and gluing until you reach the other end of paper strip.

-Gently remove bead and allow to dry for at least 30 minutes.

-Return beads to paint brush tips and apply 2 coats of clear nail polish, allowing the first coat to dry completely.

-Repeat Step 4 on inside of beads.

-String with ribbon or fine elastic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No-Cost Gift Wrap
Cut out pages with colorful magazine advertisements and use them to make lovely gift wrap for small gifts.

Shape Up Wet Boots
Roll up a couple of old magazines and use them as boot trees inside a pair of damp boots. The magazines will help the boots maintain their shape as they dry.

Arts and Crafts
Save up your old magazines for use in rainy-day craft projects with the kids. Let them go through the magazines to find pictures and words to use in collages. Suggest themes for the collages if you like.

Line Drawers
Pages from large magazines with heavy coated paper make wonderful liners for small dresser and desk drawers. Look for advertisements with especially colorful designs or pictures. Clip the page, place inside the drawer and press around the edges to define where to trim with scissors.

SWAP WITH A FRIEND!

Trading magazines is a good way to save money! You each get a different subscription and when you are done reading just swap!

DONATE TO A LIBRARY!

Many libraries will take all kinds of magazines. Ask you local library if they want your used magazines!

BRING THEM TO A NURSING HOME!

Many elderly people would love a magazine to read. And while you are there, how about reading an article to someone! I'll bet they'd love the visit!

USE FOR CRAFTS!

Let your kids cut up the pages and make a collage. Or use the pages to make paper airplanes or oragmi crafts! Shiny, colorful magazine pages are great for all kinds of crafts!

SHREAD THEM!

This is great if you have a hamster or other small caged pet. They love shreaded paper.

SELL THEM!

Magazines are a great yard sale item! Mark them all 10 cents each or 25 cents for more expensive ones like Oprah's O magazine and your piggy bank will grow!

GIVE THEM AWAY!

Just give them to anyone who will take them! If they don't want to read them tell them about all the fun things they can do with them... especially if they have kids!

ABOUT MOUSE PADS

2009-05-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

Cushion Your Chairs
Make non-skid cushions for wooden benches or under seat cushion pads for dining chairs. The rubber on the back will guarantee they don't slide around and they will last longer than the foam padding cushions since they don't bunch up as much.

Comfort Your Knees
Old computer mouse pads are just the right size to cushion your knees when you’re working in the garden. Kneel on them or attach them directly to your pant legs with duct tape.

Pad Your Table Legs
When you get a new mouse pad for your computer, don’t throw out the old one. Use it to make pads for table legs and chairs to prevent them from scratching wood and other hard-surface floors. Just cut the foam-and-cloth pad into small pieces and superglue each piece to the bottom of a table or chair leg.

Protect Floors
Keep pot-plant containers from scratching or damaging your hard floors by placing the pot on top of an old mouse pad and your floor will remain scratch-free. Use four pads for large pots.

Make a Hot Pad
Protect your table from hot casseroles, coffeepots and serving dishes by using old computer mouse pads as hot pads. The cloth-topped foam mouse pad is the perfect size to hold most hot containers you bring to the table.

TO DO WITH CAR WAX

2009-05-27T16:28:00.000-07:00

Make Natural Car Wax

Dump 1 cup of linseed oil, 4 tbsp. of carnauba wax, 2 tbsp. of beeswax and 1/2 cup of vinegar into the top half of a double boiler or saucepan.

Heat slowly, on low, until wax has melted.

Stir, and pour into a heat-resistant container.

Allow wax to solidify for about an hour or more.

Apply wax with a sponge or lint-free towel onto the car, and rub to a deep shine.

~~~~~~~~

Rub Out CD Scratches
Don’t throw out that scratched compact disc. Try fixing it first with a small dab of car wax. Spread a cloth on a flat surface and place the CD on it, damaged side up. Then, holding the disc with one hand, use the other to wipe the polish into the affected area with a soft cloth. Wait for it to dry and buff using short, brisk strokes along the scratch, not across it. A cloth sold to wipe glasses or camera lenses will work well. When you can no longer see the scratch, wash the disc with water and let it dry before playing.

Keep Bathroom Mirrors Fog-Free
To prevent your bathroom mirror from steaming up after your next hot shower, apply a small amount of car paste wax to the mirror, let it dry, then buff it off with a soft cloth. Next time you step out of the shower, you’ll be able to see your face in the mirror immediately.You can also rub the wax on bathroom fixtures to prevent water spots.

Eradicate Furniture Stains
If there’s an ugly white ring on the dining room table and your regular furniture polish doesn’t work, try using a dab of car wax. Trace the ring with your finger to apply the wax and allow it to dry, then buff with a soft cloth.

Eliminate Bathroom Mildew
To chase grime and mildew from your shower, follow these two simple steps. First, clean the soap and water residue off the tiles or shower wall. Then rub on a layer of car paste wax and buff with a clean, dry cloth. You’ll only need to reapply the wax about once a year. But don’t wax the bathtub—it will become very slippery.

No-Stick Snow
When it’s time to clear the driveway after a snowstorm, you don’t want snow sticking to your shovel. Apply two thick coats of car paste wax to the work surface of the shovel before you begin shovelling. The snow won’t stick and there will be less wear and tear on your cardiovascular system.

How to Control Garden Pests

2009-05-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

No Groundhog Day in Your Yard
A groundhog (woodchuck) has taken up residence and the pest control company wants a couple hundred dollars to remove him. What the pest control company won’t tell you is that it’s easy to stink a groundhog out of his home—for zero cost. Each day when you scoop out the cat boxes in your house, dump that foul-smelling debris down Mr. Groundhog’s hole instead of throwing it into the trash can. After a few days of this treatment, the groundhog will pack up and move. Once he’s gone, pour rocks into all of the entrances to the burrow so no other animals will decide to move in.
*
Keep Bambi Out
Yes, they are cute but a family of deer can wreck havoc on your yard. What to do? Put the shotguns away. Save your money by saying no to high-tech gadgets like strobe lights and noisemakers, expensive repellents, and tall, ugly fences. Instead, arm yourself with eggs. Deer hate the taste and smell of raw eggs, which is why many popular commercial repellents feature stinky egg solids as the main ingredient.
*
Deer Repellent Recipe:
Crack half a dozen eggs into 2 quarts (2 litres) water.
Mix well, until all the yolks are broken and blended with the water.
Sprinkle the raw-egg mixture on the leaves of the plants you want to protect.
The mixture should remain effective until the next rain. Reapply after that.
*
Other odours that deer don’t like:
Try hanging cheesecloth bags of stinky socks, deodorant soap, or human hair in the garden.
Choose plants to keep deer away. Deer also don’t like to brush against certain aromatic plants. So try planting artemisia, lavender, and Russian sage as a natural fence line.
Plants deer dislike: begonias, cosmos, daffodils, foxgloves, irises, marigolds, peonies, snapdragons, and zinnias, along with shrubs and trees such as boxwood, holly, juniper, lilac, pine, and spruce.
*
Tell Thumper to Hit the Road
Numerous sprays and powders are sold to deter rabbits from the garden, but many of these are not safe for use on garden vegetables. A rabbit-proof fence is the best protection for your vegetable garden. Use chicken wire, and make sure the fence’s bottom is buried by at least 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm), otherwise the rabbits will tunnel underneath it. The fence needs to extend at least 30 inches (76 cm) above the ground.Try These Other Rabbit Deterrents:
Remove brush piles and other hiding places for rabbits. Clean up spilled birdseed from feeders.
Post realistic-looking rubber models of snakes or owls in the garden, or cut an old hose into snakelike lengths and coil them among your plants.
Hang dog hair in cheesecloth bags or distribute it among the plants to frighten away rabbits. Strong-smelling soaps are also said to deter rabbits.
You can buy coyote or fox urine to spread among plants, fooling rabbits into thinking a predator is nearby.
Remember, rabbits aren’t dumb. Eventually they will figure out they’re safe from each of these deterrents, so you’ll have to mix up.

Avoid Weak Plants - Find a local planting calendar by doing an internet search on the county in questions name and the words “planting calendar”. Make sure to only plant annuals during their proper planting season. This will help to assure healthy plants that can better combat minor infestation. Remove plants that clearly are doing poorly; they may already be infected. If not, they will attract pests. Pull the weak plants and dispose of them away from the garden area, and do not attempt to compost them.
*
Build Healthy, Organic Soil - Natural composting methods, mulching and top-dressing your soil with compost or natural fertilizer is the best way to develop strong, vigorous plants. Get an inexpensive soil testing kit and follow the instructions to amend soil pH and other problems as necessary.

Use Seaweed and Fish Fertilizer - Seaweed contains trace elements such as iron, zinc, barium, calcium, sulfur and magnesium, and fish emulsion contains primary nutrients which promote healthy development in plants. Seaweed and Fish fertilizer are a great organic alternative and will enhance growth and give plants the strength to better withstand disease.

Use Clean Gardening Practices - Clean the garden area of debris and weeds which are breeding places for insects. Buy quality mulch and keep a thin layer on top of the soil. The mulch will discourage weeds, keep plant leaves out of the soil and hold in moisture.

Interplant and Rotate Crops - Insect pests are often plant specific. When plantings are mixed, pests are less likely to spread throughout a crop. It also helps to plant aromatic flowers like marigolds between vegetables to discourage insects and inhibit their spread. Rotating crops each year is a common method to avoid re-infestation of pests which have over-wintered in the ground. In some cases where soil bound pests are abundant it may be necessary to undertake off-season soil sterilization procedures.
*
Keep Foliage Dry - Water early so foliage will be dry for most of the day. Wet foliage encourages insect and fungal damage. Trim lower leaves so they are not on the ground and keep mulch around the base of all plants.
*
Keep Tools Clean - It is a good idea to clean tools before moving from one garden area to another. This will reduce the speed of invading insects. Clean tools with warm soapy water every couple weeks during the growing season.

Attract Beneficial Insects - Diligent application of these clean gardening practices is the first line of defense. Another beneficial practice for natural pest control is the planting of host plants to attract beneficial insects. Beneficial insects are insects which can be attracted to the garden, or bought from catalogues, which prey on harmful insects or their larvae. These are the most common: Nematodes; Ladybugs; Lacewings; Hover-Flies; Praying Mantis; Brachonids; Chalcids; and Ichneumon Wasps. The following are plants that can be helpful in attracting beneficial insects: Carrots; Celery; Parsley; Caraway; Queen Anne's lace; Daisies; Tansy; Yarrow; Goldenrod; Black-Eyed Susans; and Asters.

*
Investigate Homemade Sprays - When beneficial insects are being used to combat pests in the garden, even natural pesticides should be used sparingly and only on infected plants because they will have an adverse impact on the beneficial insects as well as the unwanted ones. Many natural sprays for a variety of pest problems can be made at home and complete lists of various recipes for different problems can be found online.

To Do with Rubber Bands

2009-05-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

-Wind a thick rubber band around a water leak in a garden hose, or thin pipe, to make a temporary repair. Stretch it as tightly as possible. The rubber will plug the gap and its waterproof.

-Wind around a candle to stop wax dripping down onto a surface, or put it at the top and stop waxing running down the candle. This makes it last longer.

-Fasten pigtails, or pony tails.

-Secure glasses or protective goggles to your face and stop them sliding off while you are working.

-Use to make a book. Fold your paper in half and use the rubber band to make a spine.

-Wind a rubber band around each end of a chopping board to prevent slipping. The rubber grips the surface.

-Wind around the handles of knives to stop them sliding around in your hand as you chop food, especially if they are wet.

-Wind around screw tops on bottles to help you get a better grip when twisting them off.

-Expand the waist band on your pants, or skirt. Loop the rubber band through the button hole and fasten to the button. This can give you an extra inch.

-For kids and the elderly who may find it hard to grip a drinking class, especially when it is cold and slippery, wind rubber bands around to give a grip: Good for anyone with arthritis

-To protect your fine furniture from scratches and nicks, wrap a wide rubber band around both ends of the television remote control. You’ll be protecting that remote, too – it will be less likely to slide off the table and be damaged.

-Having trouble breathing? Maybe that shirt top is too tight. Stick a small rubber band through the buttonhole, then hoop then ends over the button. Put on your tie, relax and enjoy your ability to breathe easily.

-Every time you dip your paintbrush, you wipe the excess against the side of the can. Before you know it, paint is dripping off the side of the can and the little groove around the rim is so full of paint that it splatters everywhere when you go to hammer the lid back on. Avoiding all this mess is easy. Just wrap a rubber band around the can from top to bottom, going across the middle of the can opening. Now, when you fill your brush, you can just tap it against the rubber band and the excess paint will fall back into the can.

-Ouch! The tops on most beer bottles these days are supposed to be twist-off, but for some reason they still have those sharp little crimps on the crown seal from the bottle-opener days. And those little crimps can really dig into your hand. Wrap the top in a rubber band to save the pain. The same trick works well for smooth, tough-to-grip soft-drink bottle tops, too.

-No need to toss out that broom because the bristles have become splayed with use. Wrap a rubber band around the broom a few centimetres from the bottom. Leave it for a day or so to get the bristles back in line.

To Do with Tennis Balls

2009-05-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

~Cut an X in the top of each ball and put them on the bottoms of chair legs to cut down on noise and floor scuffs. If you don’t have scuffable floors (or all of your chair legs are already covered) check with your local school. Many schools take donations for just this purpose.

~Donate them to a local nursing home for use on residents’ walkers. They make the walkers easier to push around for people who aren’t strong enough to lift them.

~Hang one on string from the garage roof to help you park without running into things. When it touches the windshield or rear window (depending on which way the car is pointing), you know it’s time to stop.

~Keep certain types of gnats or flies away from you when you are outdoors. Just cover a tennis ball in Vaseline and hang it from a tree or bush.

~Tennis balls with holes drilled in them as protective homes for pet mice or hamsters!

~When packing something for shipping in a box that’s too large, use tennis balls as shock-absorbing cushions that will hold the item steady in the box.

~Use them to remove scuffs on floors. Many janitors use this trick by placing a tennis ball on the end of a broom so it’s always handy.

~Throw a few tennis balls into the dryer when you are drying comforters, fluffy coats, pillows, or anything else that could use a good fluffing.

~Tennis balls can also help any laundry load dry faster - just throw two or three in the dryer and your clothes will be done quicker.

~Speaking of laundry, put a tennis ball into your washing machine along with your shower curtain and 1/2 cup of vinegar, then wash with hot water. The vinegar will kill the mildew and the tennis ball will help to scrub the mildew off.

~If you or your partner (or, if you’re really unlucky, the guy in the next apartment) snore, attach a pocket to the back of the snorer’s pajamas and secure a tennis ball inside. This will ensure that the snorer sleeps on his/her side - most people snore only when sleeping on their backs.

~Make a very cute pencil/mail/phone holder.

~Cut a slit in one and use it to cover the trailer hitch on your truck.

~Hide stuff in them. Make a slit in a tennis ball, then squeeze either side of the slit to open it up. Place money or other objects inside, and release to close the opening.

~Use the same concept as above to pass notes or other items over long distances.

~Cut a portion of the ball off so that it will fit over the sharp corner of your coffee table. Repeat for the other corners to baby-proof a room. Use this for all furniture with sharp or protruding bits to protect little foreheads.

~Slit a tennis ball open, insert some beans or jingle bells, and seal closed with glue or rubber cement. Give it to a toddler as a musical instrument.

~When you are seated, put a tennis ball (or two or three) under each foot and roll your feet around on them. They make wonderful massagers.

~Put two tennis balls into a large sock. Tie the sock securely, then use the contraption as a back massager. This is a great tool to have in your hospital bag when you have a baby since concentrated back pressure can help to relieve a great deal of labor pain.

~Use tennis balls to anchor clusters of helium balloons at parties. Knot together a group of ribbons attached to balloons. Cut a small X in the top of a ball and insert the knot. Fill the ball with sand if you want extra security.

~Put tennis balls on the tops of poles to mark the edges of your driveway or drainage ditch. The bright yellow balls will be visible in the dark and help you avoid driving into the ditch or over the grass in the dark.

~Put a tennis ball on the end of a broomstick and use it to clean cobwebs from the ceiling.

~Wrap a piece of sandpaper around a tennis ball. It’s easy on your hands and can be used to sand curves on furniture or woodworking projects.

~Prevent your bike’s kick stand from sinking into soft dirt by cutting a small slit in a tennis ball and sliding it over the kick stand.

`If you find that the legs of your lawn chairs get stuck between the slats of your deck, put tennis balls on the bottoms to keep them where you want them.

~Keep the yuckiness out of your pool by floating some tennis balls in the water. Supposedly, the balls will absorb body oils from people who swim in the water - but you need to replace them every few weeks to keep them fresh.

~Cut a tennis ball in half and use it to get a better grip when opening jars. Just place the ball half over the lid, and the rubber on the inside grips the lid to help you rotate it easier.

~You can apply the same concept to screwdrivers to give you a better grip. Simply cut a slit in the tennis ball and slide it over the screwdriver handle to give you a better grip.

~Ham radio enthusiasts with gigantic antennae on their cars can use a strategically placed tennis ball to keep the antennae from ruining the paint on the cars.

~To keep a door knob from smashing into and damaging an interior wall, cut a large slit in a tennis ball and slide it over the knob. This trick also works great to keep curious toddlers out of off-limits rooms…until they figure out how to squeeze as they turn.

~Squeeze a tennis ball in your hand whenever you have an extra few minutes to increase your hand strength.

~If you want to leave your car door open but don’t want the interior lights to run down the battery, just wedge a tennis ball into the door frame to keep the light switch depressed.

~When fueling up your car, use a tennis ball to keep the handle of the gas nozzle pushed in to avoid painful hand cramping.

~Make a pretty awesome pocket tripod for your small camera.

~Put tennis balls under the windshield wipers of vehicles that will be stored for long periods. This will help the blades last longer.

~Use the time-tested method for finding your car in a crowded parking lot: put a tennis ball on the end of the antenna.

2008-08-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

Wasps should be thought of as beneficial insects. They prey mainly on other insects, many of which are pests. In general, they avoid human activity and should only be considered a nuisance when nesting near homes or high traffic areas.

The best way to prevent unpleasant encounters with social wasps is to avoid them. If you know where they are, try not to go near their nesting places. Wasps can become very defensive when their nest is disturbed.

Using pesticides to control wasps (yellowjackets) can be effective, but these chemicals are harmful to the environment. Careless use of pesticides can also pose risks to the person applying the chemicals.Before reaching for the pesticide, see if these safer, natural methods help to alleviate the problem.

Prevention

Seal entry points.
Solitary wasps in the home can be a nuisance; daily sightings of wasps in the home may indicate inside nest building, and more attention to the problem is required. Searching for and sealing off their point of entry is the best line of defense. Check your house for unsealed vents, torn screens, cracks around windows and door frames and open dampers. Observe the flight path of a wasp, especially in the morning, which may reveal the entry/exit point.

Remove food sources.
In spring and early summer, wasps are attracted to protein foods. Any food left outdoors, such as pet food, picnic scraps, open garbage containers or uncovered compost piles should be removed or covered. Wasps imprint food sources, and will continue to search an area for some time after the food has been removed.In late summer and early fall, the wasp food preference turns to the sweet. Their behavior is also more aggressive. Open cans of pop, fruit juice, fallen apples beneath fruit trees and other sweet food sources will attract wasps. Be sure to cover drinks and open food containers, keep a lid on the compost and avoid walking barefoot near fruit trees. Remove any fallen fruit rotting on the ground.

Avoid swatting.
Swatting and squashing wasps is counterproductive. When a wasp is squashed, a chemical (pheromone) is released which attracts and incites other nearby wasps. It's best to walk away from a hovering wasp.

Avoid wearing bright colours or floral patterns.
If you look like a big flower, you may be attracting the curious wasp looking for nectar.

Minimize use of perfumes and other strong scents.
In the later part of the summer, wasps are attracted to sweet smells.

Wasps building nests in your bird house?
This common problem can be minimized by lining the under-roof area with aluminum foil. Use a staple gun to attach. Another option is to rub the under-roof area liberally with bar soap - ordinary soap like Ivory soap will do. One application can last through an annual wasp season.

Traps
There are varying opinions on the effectiveness of using traps to reduce the wasp population in specific areas. This is partly due to the distance wasps will travel when foraging. Wasps have been known to fly from 300 to 1000 yards (meters) from their nest in search of food. Traps are more likely to be useful in small areas.
Setting out traps in the early spring, when only a few wasps may be evident, can be most effective. This is because these early season wasps are usually queens, and it's estimated that each trapped queen represents several thousand worker wasps in the late summer. You can buy wasp traps or make your own.

Make a simple Water Trap
Use a razor knife to cut the top from a 2-liter plastic pop bottle. Cut just above the shoulder of the bottle. Discard the screw top. Fill with water about halfway. Coat the neck with jam, invert it and set back on the bottle. Use two small piecesof tape to hold it in place.
Wasps will go down the funnel to get the jam, but will find it difficult to get out. Most will drop into the water and drown.
A few drops of dish soap in the water will make it hard for the wasps to tread water, and will hasten their demise. (You can also add a 1/4 cup of vinegar to the water to discourage honeybees from entering the trap in search of water.)Note: In the spring and early summer, wasps are attracted to protein-based baits; use jam or other sweet baits in later summer and into fall.
Empty the trap daily! As more wasps are caught, they create a raft on which other wasps can survive for a considerable time. Some of these wasps then find purchase on the plastic of the bottle and eventually crawl out. The longer the trap is untended, the more wasps will manage to escape, which may result in swarming.The trap will be most effective if set about 4' above ground.

Nest Destruction
You may be able to locate the nest by observing the flight patterns of the wasps: if they are flying in a straight line, they're likely on a flight path to or from the nest. Wasps flying directly in and out of a single location may be entering and leaving their nest.

Before approaching the nest, be sure to wear protective clothing that covers the whole body, including gloves and a veil which covers the face, ears and neck.
Wear several layers of shirts and pants. Tape clothing cuffs at wrists and ankles close to your body. Check carefully to ensure there are no exposed parts of the body; wasps may target even the smallest exposed areas.

Wait until well after dark before removing the nest. Wasps are drowsy and slower to react during the night, but you should still exercise caution during the nest removal process. Use a headlamp if you have one, otherwise have a helper to hold a flashlight for you. You'll need both hands free. Filter the flashlight by wrapping the lens with red cellophane or thin red cloth, as wasps are attracted by yellow light. Step lightly and try not to talk when approaching the nest; wasps are sensitive to vibrations.

Aerial nests
Place a cloth bag over the entire nest and quickly tie it off at the top; as you draw in the tie, pull the nest free. The bag should be well sealed. Set the bag in a pail of water; drop a rock on the bag to keep it fully submerged.

Ground nests
If the entrance to the nest is easy to see, it can be blocked using a large, clear bowl. Use caution as there may be more than one entrance to underground nests. Set the bowl over the nest entrance and work it into the ground a bit so there are no exit routes for the wasps. This will confuse the wasps, but they won't try to dig a new entrance. The bowl should remain in place for several weeks.

Underground or inside wall nests
Nests in wall voids or underground are more difficult to remove, and should be left to the professional. (If you detect a wasp nest in the wall, do not try to eradicate it from the outside. This will force them further into the house.) When hiring a professional to treat wasp problems in the home, ask what methods will be used. A non-toxic alternative to insect sprays and dusts is vacuuming. Some prefessional exterminators are equipped with specially adapted vacuum cleaners to draw out the wasps, which are then sold to pharmaceutical companies who extract the venom for immunotherapy.

Never try to burn an active wasp nest or flood a nest with water, as this will likely make the wasps angry and aggressive.

If you're stung
If stung, the wound should be washed with water which helps remove some of the venom, and treated with an anti-sting product or antihistamine cream which can reduce the pain and spread of the venom.

Another treatment is to apply a poultice of meat tenderizer (for people not allergic to bee stings) or salt to the sting site as soon as possible after the incident. Use about 1/2 teaspoon mixed with enough water to produce a paste. Leave on the sting site for about 30 minutes.

If the sting is in the throat or mouth, or if an allergic reaction occurs, seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms of allergic reaction may include difficulty in breathing, dizziness and nausea. One symptom which should alert people that they may be having a reaction is feeling very tired. If you are stung and you want to go to sleep - get help! Anyone with a history of hypersensitive reactions should have a sting emergency kit available. High-risk persons should wear a medical alert bracelet or other alert item.

Suggestion:
"If you are stung and have an allergic reaction, and you have no antihistamine, a teaspoonful of instant coffee under your tongue will work effectively as a temporary antihistamine, and allow you more time to get medical help.

"Soak a tissue or cotton swab with distilled white vinegar, and apply to site of bite. This will relieve the stinging in a few seconds. Continue apply this to bite site until victim finds the bite no longer is stinging. I have used this many times on my self as well as the young and old."

"Take a bunch of wild plantain -grows prolifically on most lawns - for immediate relief - chew it up and press it onto sting - for more elaborate poultice - add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 tablespoon of vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to chewed plantain in mortar - mix well and apply - works like a charm....

"Make a paste from water and baking soda on a soft cloth or kleenex, apply it firmly to the sting and leave it on for 30 minutes to an hour. It will stop the stinging and itching and draw the venom out -- you will see a yellow spot of venom in the soda when you remove the patch. This works for wasp, yellowjacket and non-poisonous scorpion stings.

"A wasp sting is also releived by cutting an onion in half and rubbing the cut part on the sting site.

"Use of topical antihistamines (as opposed to oral antihistamines) may occasionally lead to skin sensitisation (a form of allergy). It is safer to use topical steroids instead which are just as effective at combating the stinging sensation and itch felt with wasp stings. Additionally though, steroid creams also help fight inflammation and the "tight" feeling from stings.

Allergies to wasps stings are obviously more of a problem. They can occur even if you have never reacted to previous stings. Importantly, adrenaline is required to reverse the potentially life threatening effects of swelling of the throat and constriction of the airways. If you do not have adrenlaine with you then its best to create your own through physical exertion. Do not lie down and rest because this may result in permanent rest!

The other problem with wasp stings is that in many cases they are heavily infested with bacteria picked up by the wasp from faecal matter during hunting. Because the bacteria come from faeces they can cause quite nasty infections and early treatment is recommended with antibiotics to prevent sepsis.Generally if a wasp sting remains hot and inflammed after 8 - 12 hours with no sign of improvement, it's best to get antibiotic treatment. If a sting does become infected then it's best to stop the topical steroid and take oral antihistamines.

Unfortunately, the sedating antihistamines are the ones that work best so driving might then become a problem.

Pest Control - SLUG

2008-08-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

Slugs are in every garden, and cause more damage than most garden invaders. Commercial slug killers are available, but they can be toxic to birds and other wildlife, and are less effective after rain, when slugs are most active. Before reaching for the pesticides, here are a few alternative natural, non-toxic methods of slug control:

• Watering Schedule
Far and away the best course of action against slugs in your garden is a simple adjustment in the watering schedule. Slugs are most active at night and are most efficient in damp conditions. Avoid watering your garden in the evening if you have a slug problem. Water in the morning - the surface soil will be dry by evening. Studies show this can reduce slug damage by 80%.

• Beer
Slugs are attracted to beer. Set a small amount of beer in a shallow wide jar buried in the soil up to its neck. Slugs will crawl in and drown. Take the jar lid and prop it up with a small stick so rain won't dilute the beer. Leave space for slugs to enter the trap.

• Seaweed
If you have access to seaweed, it's well worth the effort to gather. Seaweed is not only a good soil amendment for the garden, it's a natural repellent for slugs. Mulch with seaweed around the base of plants or perimeter of bed. Pile it on 3" to 4" thick - when it dries it will shrink to just an inch or so deep. Seaweed is salty and slugs avoid salt. Push the seaweed away from plant stems so it's not in direct contact. During hot weather, seaweed will dry and become very rough which also deters the slugs.

• Copper
Small strips of copper can be placed around flower pots or raised beds as obstructions for slugs to crawl over. Cut 2" strips of thin copper and wrap around the lower part of flower pots, like a ribbon. Or set the strips in the soil on edge, making a "fence" for the slugs to climb. Check to make sure no vegetation hangs over the copper which might provide a 'bridge' for the slugs. Copper barriers also work well around wood barrels used as planters.

• Diatomaceous Earth
The sharp, jagged skeletal remains of microscopic creatures. It lacerates soft-bodied pests, causing them to dehydrate. A powdery granular material, it can be sprinkled around garden beds or individual plants, and can be mixed with water to make a foliar spray. Diatomaceous earth is less effective when wet, so use during dry weather. Wear protective gear when applying, as it can irritate eyes and lungs. Be sure to buy natural or agricultural grade diatomaceous earth, not pool grade which has smoother edges and is far less effective.

• Lava Rock
Like diatomaceous earth, the abrasive surface of lava rock will be avoided by slugs. Lava rock can be used as a barrier around plantings, but should be left mostly above soil level, otherwise dirt or vegetation soon forms a bridge for slugs to cross.

• Salt
If all else fails, go out at night with the salt shaker and a flashlight. Look at the plants which have been getting the most damage and inspect the leaves, including the undersides. Sprinkle a bit of salt on the slug and it will kill it quickly. Not particularly pleasant, but use as a last resort. (Note: some sources caution the use of salt, as it adds a toxic element to the soil. This has not been our experience, especially as very little salt is used.)

• Overturned Flowerpots, Grapefruit Halves, Board on Ground
Overturned flowerpots, with a stone placed under the rim to tilt it up a bit, will attract slugs. Leave overnight, and you'll find the slugs inside in the morning. Grapefruit halves work the same way, with the added advantage of the scent of the fruit as bait.Another trap method, perhaps the simplest of all, is to set a wide board on the ground by the affected area. Slugs will hide under the board by day. Simply flip the board over during the day to reveal the culprits. Black plastic sheeting also works the same way.

• Garlic-based slug repellents
Laboratory tests at the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne (UK) revealed that a highly refined garlic product (ECOguard produced by ECOspray Ltd, a British company that makes organic pesticides) was an effective slug killer. Look for garlic-based slug deterrents which will be emerging under various brand names, as well as ECOguard.

• Coffee grounds; new caffeine-based slug/snail poisons
Coffee grounds scattered on top of the soil will deter slugs. The horticultural side effects of using strong grounds such as espresso on the garden, however, are less certain. When using coffee grouds, moderation is advised.A study in June 2002 reported in the journal Nature found that slugs and snails are killed when sprayed with a caffeine solution, and that spraying plants with this solution prevents slugs from eating them. The percentage of caffeine required in a spray (1 - 2%) is greater than what is found in a cup of coffee (.05 - 07%), so homemade sprays are not as effective. Look for new commercial sprays which are caffeine-based.

Suggestions:
I twist a thin copper wire around the base of my tomato plants about 2" up from the ground.The ends are crossed over, but only twisted part way, just enough to stay in place. As the plant grows the copper will expand gradually. Sometimes the wire drops to the base, but it's easy to just slide it up and tighten it a bit. I've had very little slug damage to my tomatoes using this method. Glenda, NY
Mix a solution of 70-80% household ammonia with water, put this solution into a spray bottle and set the nozzle to squirt like a water pistol. I wait till it gets dark-when the slugs are most active, then with a flashlight begin squirting. The ammonia is harmless to plants but the slugs die within a couple of seconds. It took me almost two summers of doing this almost every night but now I don't have any slugs exept for a few visitors from under the neighbours fence which do not take much time to get rid of. Dennis, MB

Pest Control - FLIES

2008-08-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Use mint as a fly repellent. Small sachets of crushed mint can be placed around the home to discourage flies.

Bay leaves, cloves and eucalyptus wrapped in small cheesecloth squares can be hung by open windows or doors.

Place a small, open container of sweet basil and clover near pet food or any open food in the house.

A few drops of eucalyptus oil on a scrap of absorbant cloth will deter flies. Leave in areas where flies are a problem.

You can make your own flypaper with this simple recipe: Mix 1/4 cup syrup, 1 tbsp. granulated sugar and 1 tbsp. brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut strips of brown kraft paper and soak in this mixture. Let dry overnight. To hang, poke a small hole at the top of each strip and hang with string or thread.

A light spray of Pine Sol on affected areas will deter flies.

Pest Control - MOSQUITOS

2008-08-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

The first line of defense against mosquitos is to seal their point of entry. Mosquitos are most active in the early morning and early evening. They seek areas of still air because they are hampered by breezes. Close windows and doors on the side of your house which are opposite the breeze. Then try:

The most important measure you can take is to remove standing water sources.

Change birdbaths, wading pools and pet's water bowl twice a week. Keep your eavestroughs clean and well-draining. Remove yard items that collect water.

In a New England Journal of Medicine study, oil of eucalyptus at 30% concentration prevented mosquito bites for 120.1 minutes, while Bite Blocker with 2% soybean oil kept bites away for 96.4 minutes. (the eucalyptus oil must have a minimum of 70% cineole content, the active therapeutic ingredient.)
Citronella, a common alternative to DEET, performed poorly, warding off bugs for only 20 minutes.

If you're using the barbeque, throw a bit of sage or rosemary on the coals to repel mosquitos.

An effective natural bug repellent, mix one part garlic juice with 5 parts water in a small spray bottle. Shake well before using. Spray lightly on exposed body parts for an effective repellent lasting up to 5 - 6 hours. Strips of cotton cloth can also be dipped in this mixture and hung in areas, such as patios, as a localized deterrent.

Neem oil is a natural vegetable oil extracted from the Neem tree in India. The leaves, seeds and seed oil of the Neem tree contain sallanin, a compound which has effective mosquito repelling properties. Neem oil is a natural product and is safe to use. Look for new Neem Oil-based commercial products on the market.

Planting marigolds around your yard works as a natural bug repellent because the flowers give off a fragrance bugs and flying insects do not like.

Campers often report that the very best mosquito repellent is Avon Skin-So-Soft® bath oil mixed half and half with rubbing alcohol.

Thai lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) is a natural and effective mosquito repellent. It contains the natural oil, citronella, which is safe and effective; in fact, lemon grass citronella is considered more effective than true citronella as an insect repellent.

You can buy Thai lemon grass at garden centers and supermarkets, and it grows readily into a clump about 15" across and about 2ft tall. To use as a mosquito repellent, break a stalk off from the clump, peel off the outer leaves, until you find the scallion-like stem at the base. Bend the stem between your fingers, loosening it, then rub it vigorously between your palms - it will soon become a pulpy, juicy mass. Rub this over all exposed skin, covering thoroughly at least once. You can also make a tincture using alcohol, for spray applications.

Plantings around the patio will also help repel mosquitoes

Pest Control - COCKROACHES

2008-08-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

The best defense against cockroaches is a clean kitchen and bathroom. If roaches are a problem in your home or apartment, vacuum well and wash the area with a strong soap. Dispose of the vacuum cleaner bag in a sealed container. Also try:

It is a little known fact that roaches like high places. If you put boric acid on TOP of your kitchen cabinets (not inside), if space allows between ceiling and cabinets, the roaches will take the boric acid to their nests, killing all of them. Boric acid is toxic by mouth - keep away from children and pets.

Diatomaceous earth is a safe alternative which can be sprinkled in areas where roaches congregate, especially hidden areas such a cabinet tops and behind appliances. Harmless to people, the tiny particles cut the waxy exoskeleton and kills the insect within 48 hours. For a week or so after the treatment, the dehydrating insects will search more actively for water. Therefore, do not be surprised if you see roaches more often after the treatment. Most roaches should be killed within two weeks of application.

Catnip is a natural repellent to cockroaches. The active ingredient is nepetalactone, which is non-toxic to humans and pets. Small sachets of catnip can be left in areas of cockroach activity. Catnip can also be simmered in a small amount of water to make a "catnip tea" which can be used as a spray to apply around baseboards and behind counters. This natural repellent should only be used in homes without cats!

Keep a spray bottle of soapy water on hand. Spraying roaches directly with soapy water will kill them.

In an empty one pound coffee can, place 1 or 2 pieces of bread which have been soaked thoroughly with beer. Place in areas known to have roach infestations.
Leave bay leaves, cucumber slices or garlic in the affected area as deterrents.

The fruit of the Osage orange tree, the hedgeapple, is a natural roach repellent. Leave one hedgeapple per room for effective deterrence up to two months. You can learn more about hedgeapples for pest control at hedgeapple.com.

Non-toxic roach traps are commercially available.

Pest Control - DUST MITES

2008-08-08T12:41:00.000-07:00

Microscopic dust mites are everywhere in the home - in our beds, clothing, furniture, book shelves and stuffed animals. For people with allergies or asthma, dust mites are a problem. Here's how to reduce the dust mite population in your home:

Vacuum mattresses and pillows. For people with sensitivities to dust mite allergens, dust mite bedding is available with zippered, allergen-impermeable encasings designed to block dust mites.

Wash bedding at 55 degrees Celsius (130F) or higher. Detergents and commercial laundry products have no effect on mites unless the water temperature is high.

Keep books, stuffed animals, throw rugs and laundry hampers out of the bedroom of allergy sufferers. Wash stuffed animals occasionally in hot water.

Tannic acid neutralizes the allergens in dust mite and animal dander. Dust problem areas with tannic acid powder, available at health food stores and pet centers.

Cover mattress and pillows with laminated covers which prevent penetration by dust mites. Avoid fabric-covered headboards.

Cover heating ducts with a filter which can trap tiny dust particles smaller than 10 microns.

Avoid using humidifiers. Dust mites thrive on warmth and humidity.

Pest Control - ANT

2008-08-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

The first line of defense is to remove the attractants: keep counters free of crumbs and sticky spots. Cover the sugar and put the honey jar in a plastic baggie. Cut off water sources such as drips or dishes left soaking overnight.

If the ant invaders persist, try these simple measures:

Keep a small spray bottle handy, and spray the ants with a bit of soapy water.

Set out cucumber peels or slices in the kitchen or at the ants' point of entry.

Many ants have a natural aversion to cucumber. Bitter cucumbers work best.

Leave a few tea bags of mint tea near areas where the ants seem most active.

Dry, crushed mint leaves or cloves also work as ant deterrents.

Trace the ant column back to their point of entry. Set any of the following items at the entry area in a small line, which ants will not cross: cayenne pepper, citrus oil (can be soaked into a piece of string), lemon juice, cinnamon or coffee grounds.

Mix a half teaspoon each of honey, borox, and aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet, etc.), in small bottles. Place bottles on their sides, with lids off, in areas of most ant activity. Ants will carry the bait back to their colonies. Important: use indoors only; must be kept away from pets and children.

Leave a small, low wattage night light on for a few nights in the area of most ant activity. The change in light can disrupt and discourage their foraging patterns.
Ants on the deck? Slip a few cut up cloves of garlic between the cracks.

Clove oil-based commercial ant deterrents are available online.

How to Make Your Own Hygiene Products

2008-07-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

The array of hygiene products available for purchase is enormous -- almost overwhelming. You can avoid the related costs and take pleasure in customizing your own products if you make them yourself. This describes how to make your own deodorant, tooth paste, skin balm, after-shave, and foot bath.

Powder Deodorant
There are two types of preparations sold as deodorants -- those that reduce the flow of perspiration, and those that eliminate the odor. This inexpensive powder does both.

Ingredients:
Baking soda
Boric acid
Zinc oxide powder (Buy zinc oxide powder at a pharmacy.)
Talcum powder
Perfume as desired

Yield: About 3/4 cup

Combine 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1/4 cup of boric acid; then add 2 tablespoons of zinc oxide powder and 2 tablespoons of talcum powder. Mix well. If desired, add a few drops of perfume and mix thoroughly. Pour the thoroughly mixed powder into an empty shaker container and tighten the lid.

Toothpaste
Tired of the taste of your toothpaste? This peppermint-flavored version is both easily made and economical.

Ingredients:
Precipitated chalk
Soap flakes
Glycerin
Liquid saccharin
Peppermint extract

Note: Buy chalk and glycerin at a pharmacy.
Yield: About 4 ounces

Measure 1/4 cup of precipitated chalk and 1/4 cup of soap flakes into a mixing bowl. Add enough glycerin to form a thick paste. Add a few drops of liquid saccharin and a few drops of peppermint extract; stir to blend well. Blend the ingredients thoroughly to a smooth paste. Transfer the paste to a small jar and cover tightly.

Healing Skin Balm
This simple balm is ideal for chapped hands or windburned skin.

Ingredients:
Water
Powdered laundry starch
Glycerin
Bay rum
Cologne

Yield: About 1/2 cup

Measure 1/4 cup of cold water into the top of a double boiler; add 2 tablespoons of powdered laundry starch and 1/4 cup of glycerin and mix well. Heat over low heat, stirring continually, until slightly thickened; be careful not to let the mixture lump. Let cool slightly; then add 2 teaspoons of bay rum and 3 to 4 drops of your favorite cologne. Pour the mixture into a small jar and cover it tightly. Apply as needed.

After-Shave Lotion
There's an amazing array of aftershaves available, and most of them are expensive. This one, besides being cheap and easy to make, is an excellent preparation for closing the pores.

Ingredients:
Boric acid
Glycerin
Rubbing alcohol
Witch hazel
Water
Cologne as desired

Yield: 1 gallon

Measure 1 tablespoonful of boric acid into a large mixing bowl and add 1/2 cup of glycerin; mix thoroughly, being careful to get all the lumps out. Stirring constantly, add 1 pint of rubbing alcohol and 1 pint of witch hazel. Let stand 1 hour.

Pour the mixture into a clean gallon jar through a funnel lined with a clean coffee filter; add water to the jar to fill it completely. If desired, add a few drops of your favorite cologne.

Foot Bath
Mix this foot bath to relieve tired, aching feet in short order.

Ingredients:
Alum
Borax
Epsom salts
Colloidal oatmeal

Note: Buy the ingredients at a pharmacy.

Yield: About 11/2 to 2 pounds

Measure 1/4 cup of alum, 1/8 cup of borax, and 1 cup of Epsom salts into a mixing bowl; mix the ingredients thoroughly. Add 1 cup of colloidal oatmeal and mix well again. Pour the mixture into a clean, 2-pound coffee can or a large jar, and cover it tightly.

To use the preparation, stir 1/2 tablespoon of this mixture into a basin of warm water.

How to Make Your Own Hand and Nail Care Products

2008-07-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

Keeping your hands beautiful can take lots of work. But you don't necessarily need to invest in a supply of manufactured cosmetics. Instead, you can make your own products at home and get beautiful results.

Fingernail Hardener
Nails, like hair, often need conditioning. Use this simple nail hardener recipe to keep your nails from splitting or cracking.

Equipment:
Measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Mixing spoon
Small jar with cover
Ingredients:
Water
Witch hazel
Glycerin
Green food coloring
Alum
Yield: About 1/2 cup

To 1/4 cup of water in a measuring cup, add 1/4 cup of witch hazel, 2 tablespoons of glycerin, and a drop of green food coloring -- the coloring is just for identification. Add 2 teaspoons of alum and stir to mix well. Pour into a small jar and cover tightly.

Apply the solution nightly for several nights; dip your nails into the solution and let them dry. Repeat as necessary until your nails are hard, as desired. If you wear nail polish, remove the polish and don't reapply it until your nails have hardened as desired.

Heavy-Duty Hand Lotion
For winter-cracked hands, try this lotion. Glycerin and rose water are a classic combination, and this version has the added benefit of witch hazel.

Equipment:
Mixing bowl
Measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Mixing spoon
Small jar with cover

Ingredients:
Glycerin
Bay rum
Witch hazel
Rose water

Note: Buy the ingredients at a pharmacy.
Yield: About 1/2 cup

Measure 1/4 cup of glycerin into a mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of bay rum, 2 tablespoons of witch hazel, and 2 tablespoons of rose water; stir the mixture thoroughly. Pour into a small jar and cover tightly.
Shake the lotion thoroughly before using.

Nail Bleach
Blotchy or mottled fingernails aren't pretty, but they're easily dealt with. Mix this fragrant lotion to correct the problem.

Equipment:
Measuring spoons
Measuring cup
Funnel
8-ounce bottle with cap

Ingredients:
Glycerin
Hydrogen peroxide (3 percent solution)
Orange flower water

Note: Buy glycerin and orange flower water at a pharmacy.
Yield: 8 ounces

Measure 2 tablespoons of glycerin and 5 ounces -- 5/8 cup -- of 3 percent solution hydrogen peroxide into an 8-ounce bottle; fill the bottle with orange flower water. Cap the bottle and shake it well.

To use the bleach, soak your nails in this mixture for about 15 minutes. Repeat as needed.

Nail Softener
If your nails are too tough to cut or shape, try this effective softener.

Equipment:
Double boiler
Measuring spoons
Mixing spoon
Small jar with cover

Ingredients:
Hydrous lanolin (containing water)
Soap flakes
Glycerin
Vegetable oil
Perfume or cologne

Note: Buy lanolin at a pharmacy.
Yield: About 3 ounces

Empty a 2-ounce tube of hydrous lanolin into the top of a double boiler and melt the lanolin over low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of soap flakes, 2 teaspoons of glycerin, and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil; stir well. If desired, add a few drops of your favorite perfume or cologne.

Remove the mixture from the heat and stir to dissolve the soap flakes. Pour the mixture into a small jar and cover it tightly.
Apply the softener to the nails daily, until the nails are as soft as desired.

Nail Whitener
There's no need to go out and buy expensive nail whiteners; it's easy to make your own:

Equipment:
Double boiler
Measuring spoons
Mixing spoon
Small jar with cover

Ingredients:
Hydrous lanolin (containing water)
Zinc oxide powder
Talcum powder
Almond oil or heavy mineral oil
Glycerin

Note: Buy the ingredients at a pharmacy.
Yield: About 41/2 ounces

Empty a 2-ounce tube of hydrous lanolin into the top of a double boiler and melt the lanolin over low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of zinc oxide powder and 2 tablespoons of talcum powder and stir the mixture to form a smooth, creamy paste. Then add 1/4 teaspoon of glycerin and 1 tablespoon of almond oil or heavy mineral oil, mixing them thoroughly into the paste.

Caution: Almond oil vapors are toxic.

Transfer the paste to a small jar and cover it tightly.

To use the whitener, apply the paste under the nails with an orange stick.

Make Your Own FACIAL SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

2008-07-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

Put your best face forward with these natural facial care products you can make yourself. For some of the recipes, you'll already have all the ingredients in your kitchen. For others, you can find everything at the grocery store or your pharmacy.

Natural Facial Masks
To restore moisture and deep-cleanse your face, use a facial mask regularly. These home-blended masks are designed for the three common skin types.

Normal-Skin Mask: Use this mask for normal or combination skin types.

Ingredients:
Egg
Honey
Brewers' yeast or cider vinegar

Yield: Enough for one application

Beat an egg in a small bowl, using a wire whisk to blend yolk and white thoroughly. Add 1 teaspoon of honey and 1/4 teaspoon of brewers' yeast -- or, if you don't have brewers' yeast, 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar. Whisk again to blend. Apply the mask to your face, being careful not to get it in your eyes or on your hair. Let it dry for about 20 minutes, and then rinse it off thoroughly with warm water. Splash your face with cool water and blot it dry.

Dry-Skin Mask: Enjoy the scent of this natural mask while moisturizing your skin.
Ingredients:
Banana
Honey

Yield: Enough for one application

Wash a banana thoroughly. Slice the banana and half of its peel into the container of a blender; add 1 tablespoon of honey and blend to a liquid. Apply the mask to your face, being careful not to get it in your eyes or on your hair. Let it dry for about 20 minutes, and then rinse it off thoroughly with warm water. Splash your face with cool water and blot it dry.

Oily-Skin Mask: Get a deep cleansing with this fresh, natural mask recipe.

Ingredients:
Cucumber
Yogurt

Yield: Enough for one application

Wash a cucumber thoroughly. If the cucumber skin is waxed, remove it; if possible, however, leave the cucumber unpeeled. Slice the cucumber into the container of a blender; add 1 tablespoon of plain unsweetened yogurt and blend to a liquid. Apply the mask to your face, being careful not to get it in your eyes or on your hair. Let it dry for about 20 minutes, and then rinse it off thoroughly with warm water. Splash your face with cool water and blot it dry.

Clay Facial Mask
To absorb dirt, oil, and impurities from your skin, mix this soothing clay.

Ingredients:
Beeswax
Anhydrous lanolin
Borax
Rose water or water
Fuller's earth

Note: Buy the ingredients at a pharmacy.

Yield: Enough for one application

Measure 1/4 ounce of beeswax -- about 11/2 teaspoons -- into the top of a double boiler; add 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) of anhydrous lanolin. Stir to blend. Measure 1/2 cup of rose water or plain water; add 1 tablespoon of borax and stir to dissolve. Slowly pour the borax-water mixture into the melted wax and lanolin, stirring constantly until the water is completely absorbed. Remove the mixture from the heat.

Add 1/2 pound of fuller's earth to the blended wax and water, stirring to a smooth paste. Let the mixture cool before using it.

Apply the facial pack liberally to your skin, being careful not to get it in your eyes or on your hair. Let it dry completely, about 1/2 hour, and rinse with warm water to remove all traces of the clay. Finally, splash your face with cool water and blot it dry.

Skin Softener
Many beauty experts recommend cucumbers as an effective skin softener and nourisher. This softener is especially good for oily skin.

Ingredients:
Fresh cucumbers
Rubbing alcohol
Benzoic acid (Buy benzoic acid at a pharmacy.)

Yield: About 21/2 to 3 cups

Thinly peel 2 or 3 large cucumbers and cut them into small pieces; place in a blender and puree to a fine pulp. Turn the pulp into a saucepan and heat to boiling; let cool. Stir in 1 pint of rubbing alcohol and 1/4 cup of benzoic acid; this keeps the cucumber juice from spoiling. Stir to mix thoroughly.

Pour the mixture into a quart jar and cover it tightly; refrigerate it for 2 weeks. Strain it into a clean jar through a funnel lined with a coffee filter; cover tightly. Apply to skin as desired.

Lip Cream
If you spend a lot of time outside, you've probably suffered from dry, chapped lips due to cold, sun, or wind. This simple cream both soothes and heals.

Ingredients:
Beeswax
Castor oil
Anhydrous lanolin
Spirits of camphor

Note: Buy the ingredients at a pharmacy.

Yield: About 21/2 ounces

Melt 1 ounce -- about 2 tablespoons -- of beeswax in a double boiler; add 2 tablespoons of castor oil and 1 tablespoon of anhydrous lanolin, and stir thoroughly. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool. When cool, add 1 teaspoon of spirits of camphor and mix thoroughly. Spoon the mixture into a small jar and cover it tightly.

Apply the cream to the lips as needed.

Skin Whiteners
Honest-to-goodness freckles are a permanent fixture, but discolorations and dark spots are easy to remove.

Lemon-Vinegar Skin Whitener: This recipe is simple super to make and to use.

Ingredients:
Lemons
Wine vinegar
Rubbing alcohol
Water
Perfume

Yield: About 11/2 pints

Cut 2 or 3 lemons into small pieces. Liquefy the pieces of lemon in a blender. Add a pint of inexpensive wine vinegar, 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 cup of water, and blend for a few seconds.

Pour the mixture into a quart jar and cover; refrigerate it for 3 days. Add a few drops of your favorite perfume until the mixture smells good to you. Strain the mixture into another quart jar through a funnel lined with a clean coffee filter, and cover it tightly.

To use the skin whitener, spread it between two pieces of muslin. Set this poultice on your skin for as long as convenient, preferably overnight.

Natural Face Bleach: This bleach is good for repeated use and gentle enough for the delicate skin on your face.

Ingredients:
Colloidal oatmeal
Hydrogen peroxide (3 percent solution)
Lemon juice
Tincture of benzoin

Yield: About 1-1/2 cups

Measure 1/4 cup of colloidal oatmeal into a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup of 3 percent solution hydrogen peroxide and stir well; be sure the peroxide is fresh and at full strength. Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of tincture of benzoin to the mixture. Stir to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a pint jar and cover it tightly.Apply the bleach weekly; let it dry before rinsing.

~~~~~~~~~~~

How to Get Rid of Wrinkles

Wrinkles are a result of aging, and most of us would like to get rid of them, but a surgical face-lift is pretty drastic. Short of surgery, there are some other ways to help eliminate and hide wrinkles.

Prevention
Wrinkles are caused by loss of flexibility in the collagen fibers, the mesh-like cells that give skin its form and shape. As we age, the collagen fibers lose their ability to withstand normal facial motions; at the same time, we lose facial fat. The result is wrinkles.

If you work to eliminate wrinkles before they form, you have a good chance of staving them off. Don't drink alcohol in excessive amounts; it robs your body of moisture. Don't smoke. Avoid excessive sun, and protect your face with sun-blocking creams and lotions. Restore moisture to your skin by splashing your face with cool water, giving yourself a facial, drinking lots of water and juice, and using plenty of moisturizers.

Exercise
If you already have wrinkles, you can take steps to hide and eliminate wrinkles. Exercise at least once a day to firm your skin and muscles; thoroughly moisturize your face and neck before you exercise.

To correct a droopy chin, a weak jaw, or a wrinkled neck, place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth as far back as it will go; your chin, jaw, throat, and neck will tighten automatically. Repeat several times.

To firm your chin, neck, and throat, stretch your chin up high and thrust it forward, hard; at the same time, pull your head back as far as you can. Repeat this forward and backward motion several times. For a firming exercise you can do anywhere, turn your head to the left, touch your chin to your shoulder, turn your head back to center, and repeat the process to the right. Repeat several times.

To help eliminate a double chin, point your chin toward the ceiling. With your mouth closed, stick out your lower jaw as far as possible until you can feel the tendons in your neck stretch. Hold this position for a slow count of 10; repeat three times. This exercise also smooths out neck wrinkles and strengthens a weak jaw.

Face Creams and Masks
Many products claim to remove wrinkles, and many of them actually work for some people. Albumin or collagen protein creams or lotions contain collagen, the albuminoid substance that gives skin its shape. Creams and lotions that contain collagen act to fatten up and reshape cells that have lost elasticity. They can and do help smooth wrinkles, but they do not cause a drastic improvement. For a less expensive treatment, apply fresh egg white to your face; because it's rich in albumin, it will contract the skin and temporarily improve disfiguring lines. Let the egg white dry for about 20 minutes, rinse it off with warm water, and then splash your face with cool water.

Facial masks -- commercial or homemade -- that contain collagen or albumin are also effective; these include egg-based or milk masks and many other natural masks. Use the masks regularly, as directed.

Hormone creams contain estrogen, progesterone, or steroids. These creams are very controversial, but many claim fantastic results. If you want to try a hormone cream, use it as directed for a month or two -- don't expect overnight results. If you see no results, stop using the cream. If you do see an improvement after a month or two, stop using the cream for two or three months to see what happens. After this time, if you want to use it again, go ahead; follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Instant Face-Lift
Tools:
Mirror
Scissors
Needle

Materials:
Isometric beauty band, or gauze or adhesive tape
Thin elastic tape
Thread
Cosmetic adhesive
Time: 5 minutes to 1/2 hour

At least two products available provide an instant facelift. One is an isometric beauty band to lift and smooth sagging facial skin; this is a handy version of a standard theatrical makeup trick, and can be purchased from most cosmetic supply houses. The second is called an instant face-lift; buy it at any shop that sells theatrical makeup, or make your own.

The instant face-lift consists of two bands over your head, to lift the skin of our cheeks, chin, and jaw. These two bands are the ear lift and the chin lift.
To make the ear lift, cut two 1-inch-long triangles of gauze. Sew one end of an 8-inch piece of thin elastic tape to one corner of each piece. Using a cosmetic adhesive, glue a piece of gauze close to your hairline and directly in front of one ear with the elastic strip aimed at the top of your head; repeat to attach the other piece of gauze in front of your other ear. Pull the elastic strips up and tie them tightly together at the back of your head.

To make the chin lift, cut triangles of gauze and sew elastic strips to them as above. Attach one triangle just below and behind each earlobe. Pull the strips up, tighten them, and tie them.

Two elastic strips, one in front of the ears and one over the jaw, lift sagging skin to smooth out wrinkles.

Cut off excess elastic. Arrange your hair to cover both the gauze wedges and the strips of elastic.

For the best results with an instant face-lift, you must use a cosmetic adhesive -- ask a theatrical makeup supplier or a cosmetologist. Or try cutting the triangles out of adhesive tape instead of gauze. Practice as necessary to achieve the results you want.

Wrinkle Cream
Wrinkle creams are expensive, and the more elegant, the higher the price. This recipe is a little unusual, but it works.

Ingredients:
Alum
Orange flower water
Gelatin
Glycerin
Anhydrous lanolin
Spirits of camphor
Tincture of benzoin

Note: Buy the ingredients at a pharmacy.
Yield: About 11/2 cups

In a small dish, dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of alum in 2 teaspoons of orange flower water; add 1 teaspoon of gelatin and soak until the gelatin is softened. Add 1/4 cup of glycerin and pour into the top of a double boiler; heat over low heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Add 8 ounces of lanolin to the mixture and stir it together slowly. Add 1/4 teaspoon of spirits of camphor and 1/4 teaspoon of tincture of benzoin; stir to blend. Remove from heat. Beat the warm mixture with an electric mixer at medium speed until the cream is cool and fluffy. Spoon into a clean jar and cover tightly.

Apply to the skin at night; massage the cream in well for 5 to 10 minutes.
In addition to treating wrinkles, you can provide extra nourishment and pampering for your skin that will make it look healthier. See the next page to learn how to make additional skin creams, toners, and facial hair bleaches.

Facial Hair Bleach
This effective cream hair bleach is both inexpensive and easy to prepare.

Ingredients:
Hydrogen peroxide (3 percent solution)
Ammonia
White henna

Yield: Enough for one application

Measure 2 tablespoons of 3 percent solution hydrogen peroxide into a mixing bowl; make sure the peroxide is fresh and at full strength. Add 10 drops of ammonia and stir in enough white henna to produce a smooth paste, not too thick or too runny.

Apply the bleach to the hair and leave it on for about 15 minutes, or until the desired shade is achieved. Rinse off the bleach thoroughly. Complete the treatment by washing thoroughly.

Skin Food Cream
If you want to replenish your skin's beneficial oils and supply it with nutrients, there's no need to buy expensive cosmetics. This gentle cream is as rich as they come.

Ingredients:
Beeswax
Coconut oil
Anhydrous lanolin
Almond oil or heavy mineral oil
Tincture of benzoin
Orange flower water

Note: Buy the ingredients at a pharmacy.
Yield: About 51/2 ounces

Melt 1/2 ounce -- about 1 tablespoon -- of beeswax in a double boiler; add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of anhydrous lanolin, and stir to blend thoroughly. Stir in 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of almond oil or heavy mineral oil, 2 or 3 drops of tincture of benzoin, and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of orange flower water.

Caution: Almond oil vapors are toxic.

Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and beat it with a wire whisk or an egg beater until it's creamy. Spoon the cream into a small jar and cover it tightly.
To use, rub the cream into the skin and massage vigorously.

Tissue-Toning Cream
Tissue-toning creams add moisture to dry skin and improve its texture. This cream preparation is easy and inexpensive to make.

Ingredients:
Beeswax
Anhydrous lanolin
Almond oil or heavy mineral oil
Witch hazel
Rose water
Borax

Note: You can buy these ingredients at a pharmacy.
Yield: About 10 ounces

Melt 1 ounce of beeswax -- about 2 tablespoons -- in the top of a double boiler; add 1/4 cup (2 ounces) of anhydrous lanolin. Warm 5 ounces of almond oil or heavy mineral oil in a small saucepan and add it to the lanolin-and-wax mixture; stir to blend.

Caution: Almond oil vapors are toxic.

In another small pan, heat 2 tablespoons of witch hazel and 2 tablespoons of rose water; dissolve a pinch of borax in this solution. Add to the lanolin-and-wax mixture and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a pint jar and cover it tightly.

Apply the cream sparingly and rub it into your skin gently.Don't forget your hands and feet when you're pampering yourself. See the next page to learn how to make your own hand and nail care products using easy instructions and ingredients available at the grocery and pharmacy