Household Tips

Uses for Everyday Items

Reuse old plastic soap bottles as ice blocks. Fill to an inch from top, freeze. As ice melts, squirt out of the bottle for washing hands, and rinsing. Use to keep your groceries cool.

Measure dry ingredients over a clean sheet of waxed paper. Spoon onto a measuring cup, and level the top with a straight edge (or butter knife), sweeping excess onto the paper.

Once you’ve measured, pick up the paper and funnel the excess back into the canister. Save the paper for the next time. If you like, you can use it to line a cake pan.

• Store backing sheets and cookie pans in a file rack.

• A heavy gauge spring can serve as a horizontal file to keep your papers upright.

• File Folder Labels - identify cables.

• Napkin Holder - bill organizer.
• Track you energy levels - record them from 1- 10 each hour.
• Binder clips - attach two 3/4 inch clips to the bottom of your photograph for a stand up exhibit.
• Dental Floss
• Use to slice a cake in half.
• Tie up plants
• Mend an umbrella
• Bind roast chicken (use unflavoured and unwaxed)
• Gifts - photocopy music and use it as wrapping paper.
• Spirograph designs on an 11 x 17” paper.
• Group photographs in framed and matted in complementary materials. Make a tight cluster (no more than 2 inches apart).
• Nonstick measuring - run spoons and cups under hot water to prevent sticking to syrups and oils.
• Handheld graters - squeeze citrus fruits over a grater to keep seeds and flesh out of juice.
• Adhesive stickers - a few drops of oil and a dab of toothpaste with remove stickers from purchases. Rub with a soft cloth and rinse.
• Glue a metal ruler to your bulletin board - now you have a place to put magnetized items.
• Ketchup Bottle
• use it to dispense pancake mix into the frying pan.
• Wrap Aluminum Foil around door knobs when painting.
• To wipe crud off a baking rack or a glass pan, use a scrunched up ball of foil.
• Ice Cubes
• Drop a clean mint leaf, a strawberry, raspberry, grape, or twist of lemon peel or even a peppermint candy.
• Filing Cabinet - use a citrus based stripper and a metal brush to remove the enamel paint.
• Water Hyacinth is infiltrating Lake Victoria so look for products made from it.
• Storage - use a shoe changer for barbie dolls. Plastic jars to store puzzle pieces.
• Rubber Bands - use as dividers on a glass jar for storing pens, etc.
• Put your iPhone and iPod in a bowl, the concave shape amplifies the music.
• Baby powder gets sand off your skin easily.
• Use wire to  make a space to store gift wrap rolls against the ceiling, rather than clutter up the floor
• Bread tags make the perfect cord labels.
• Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty shoes rubbing on your clothes.

Colour & Mood

Calm  - stone, sand, wood -> watery blues, lavender

Cheerful - yellow, orange, pink, blue and green (vibrant and punchy).

Dramatic - saturated tones - red, espresso brown, burnt umber, gold, black.

Nostalgic - blue, green, ochre, wood browns. Warm, enduring colours. Gold, silver, nickel, and brass.

Food Tips

• Stop cut apples browning in your child's lunch box by securing with a rubber band.
• Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid.
• Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown bag. Much healthier and cheaper.
• Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones, so much more fun and easier to kid to eat.
• Freeze Aloe vera in ice-cube trays for soothing sunburn relief.
• Use egg cartons to separate and store your Christmas decorations.
• Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila, you have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream.

Printable Household Notebook Pages - I like the assortment of choices.

The best alternative to dryer sheets is to use dryer balls. I love mine.

-Warts: put duct tape on for 6days at a time for up to 2 months. Better than cryotherapy.

-Splinters: soak hand in basin of warm water and some antibacterial soap. The soap will clean the wound as the water softens the skin, allowing for easy removal of the splinter.

-Sunburn Relief: Freeze aloa vera gel in an ice cube tray. It will help ease pain, add moisture and provide cooling relief.

-Brown Bread: look for at least 3g of fiber per slice of bread and 5g or more per serving of cerea; ook for 'whole' grain.

-What shape is your face?

    To find out, look in a mirror and use lipstick to mark the outside points of your browline, cheekbones and jawline, along with the top of your forehead and the bottom of your chin.

    Connect the dots with curved lines.

-Pick out sunglasses: contrast with your face. if your face is angular, choose round styles, if your face is round, choose angular styles.