Cheap, easy, chemical free cleaner plus so much more!

By now you are settling into your dorm room or apartment.  You have taken my advice from my previous post (hint, hint) and have organized your space.  You've probably had a nice, quiet gathering ;) to celebrate your new space and now you are left with the after mess.  Don't clutter up your space with multiple chemical cleaners!  Go to the store and get.....white vinegar.  Yes...that's right....white vinegar.

1 - Place vinegar in a small bowl and place it on a counter to reduce cigarette smell, etc.

2 - Mix 1 tsp of vinegar with 1 tsp of liquid detergent to remove stains from carpet.  Blot the mixture on the stain with a towel and gently rub.  Rinse the spot with clean water.  Repeat until stain is gone.  Dry using a fan or hair dryer.

3 - Remove the sticky gunk (that's a technical term, BTW) after a label is peeled off by soaking a cloth in full strength vinegar and then placing the cloth over the gunk for several minutes.

4 - Use vinegar and water to clean your shower, bathroom fixtures, etc. to kill germs and just generally de-nasty it.  For stubborn stains, add blue Dawn dish detergent in a spray bottle.  Spray on the surface and let sit for 30 minutes before rinsing.

5 - Run vinegar through your coffee maker to get rid of little nasties.

6 - Deodorize your kitchen (or bathroom) sink.  Pour 1 cup of vinegar down drain.  Let sit for 30 minutes and then rinse cold water down the drain.

7 - Speaking of drains....if you have a clogged drain, pour baking SODA into the drain and then add white vinegar.  Let it bubble and do its thing.  Then flush with hot water.

8 - Use equal parts of vinegar and water to clean your fridge.  

9 - Put 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 cup water into a microwave safe bowl.  Put the bowl into the microwave and run for approximately 2-3 minutes (or until water is steaming).  This will loosen the nasties in your microwave so you can wipe them out.

10 - Get clothing cleaner and deodorized.  Add 1 cup of vinegar to each load of laundry when putting it into the washing machine.

11 - Remove underarm perspiration stains by using 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water solution.  Blot directly on stain and then rinse.

12 - Cold weather is coming, so store this somewhere you will remember.  Coat your windshield with a solution of 3 parts vinegar and 1 part water at night.  This will keep your windshield free of frost in the morning.

13 - You've been putting off laundry for 2 weeks now, your roommate burned some popcorn, and your room/apartment just has a funk about it.  Take an empty spray bottle, fill it almost to the top with white vinegar and then add 10 drops or so of ESSENTIAL oil.  Use this as you would any odor neutralizing spray.

14 - If you have a dishwasher and it gets a case of the nasties....put a cup of white vinegar in a dishwasher safe glass and then place this into an empty dishwasher.  Run this through a normal cycle.  This will wash away the grease, gunk, odors, etc.  

Dorm room or small apartment storage

So you've now moved into your dorm room or your apartment.  Your loved ones and friends have hauled your stuff up numerous steps and plopped it just inside your door.  Now, you are starting to wonder "where am I going to put all this stuff?"

Here are several ideas to help you organize your stuff for a very minimal amount of money.

Dollar Store finds....

1 - You can double your closet space by adding a second bar to hang clothing.  You can find adjustable spring loaded shower rods at the Dollar Store.  Add this about halfway between the floor of the closet and the existing bar.

2 - If you purchase nothing else, get yourself some adhesive back storage hooks.  These can be found at the Dollar Store, or if you want to splurge, go to a department store and purchase the Command brand.

     a - let's say your cable hookup is far away from where your TV "fits."           A few well placed storage hooks with the extension cable

          threaded through them works like a charm.  The same can be 

          said for extension cords.

     b- Hang one on the back of your closet door as a place to put

          wet towels after your shower.  

     c - put a few on the wall and hang colorful storage totes or baskets               to keep track of remotes, electronics, etc.  Get creative!

3 - Get yourself a shower caddy.  Keep all your shower needs in here. 

      Just pick up the entire caddy and take it with you.  Will force your 

      keep only what's necessary and will save you tons of storage space.

a - This can also be used to keep pens, pencils, scissors, etc.

4 - wire key hooks - These wire key hooks can be used inside your closet to hold necklaces, bracelets, etc. 

Other inexpensive storage ideas...

1 - bed risers - get your bed a little further off the ground, and you gain instant storage space.  This can be

      used for out of season clothing you just HAD to bring with you.  Could also be used for shoes.  Flat 

      storage containers can be purchased to keep like things together.  If you want to splurge, get some bed 

      risers with electrical outlets in them (check out Bed, Bath and Beyond).

2 - over the door shoe organizer - instead of using this for shoes, hang

      it on the wall (with your hooks from above) and store your snacks.        Microwave popcorn, granola bars, etc will fit perfectly into each   

      compartment.

3 - hanging sweater organizer - It's not sweater time yet, at least for most of the country.  You can still use 

     this to organize and store your T-shirts, camisoles, etc.  Each compartment can hold 10+ T-shirts!

4 - hanging shoe organizer - use this for shoes (flip flops can be doubled in each compartment) now.  In a 

     few weeks from now, this can be used to organize and store your scarves, gloves, etc.  

5 - cascading hangers - instead of taking up a foot of hanger space in your closet, you can hang the same amount of clothing using a fraction of the space.  

These are just a few ideas to get your dorm room or apartment to work with you, not against you.  Feel free to comment and share any additional ideas you may have!!

Buy in bulk...cook for one

I remember when I first got married and started cooking for only 2 people.  I was used to helping prepare meals for 7 people.  Cooking for one or two people is harder than you would think.

It may seem illogical to buy in bulk when you are only cooking for one or two.  However, it makes perfect sense once you learn how to separate the bulk food and freeze it for future use.

Example #1:  my grocery store was having a sale on onions.  I bought 2 huge onions, brought them home, chopped them up and separated them in snack sized plastic bags. This is roughly the amount I need when I cook.  From there, I put the snack sized plastic bags into freezer bags.  Two onions gave me about 10 bags (and therefore 10 meals) for about $2.00.  This can also be done with bell peppers and other vegetables.  Note: when placing the food into the plastic bags (Zip-Loc) keep it as flat as possible.  This will allow you to stack your freezer bags in your freezer and maximize space.

Example #2:  corn on the cob...this is the same basic concept.  However, you boil the corn, allow to cool enough to be handled.  Stand corn cob on its end in a bowl or on a plate.  Use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cob.  Once finished, proceed with putting the kernels into the plastic bags.  For this, I use a sandwich size bag.  Place in freezer bags and store in freezer.

Example #3:  meat...I just did this today so I took some pictures.  My store had some pretty good sales on chicken breast.  

There are 3 of us in the family now.  Even with a husband and a teenage son, we do not need this much chicken.  If you are cooking for one or two people, this could be 3 meals for you....for around $7 for all three.  You will need some plastic wrap (cling wrap, Saran Wrap, press and seal, etc).  Take a piece of the plastic wrap and place 1 chicken breast in it.  Use a meat mallet or the bottom of a sturdy glass to flatten the chicken breast.  This will ensure you get even cooking when it's time.  

Start at the thin end and work your way to the thick end.  Not sure why, but that seems to work better for me.  Tuck all the plastic wrap under the chicken breast.  Once you have them all wrapped in the plastic, put them in the freezer bag.  Make sure to mark your freezer bag with the contents and date prior to filling.  Again, be sure the contents are flat so you can stack them in your freezer.

Final example:  complete freezer meals.   When you are comfortable buying in bulk and packaging for individual meals, give packaging the entire meal together a try.  Go to this website for a huge list of freezer meal options...http://fabulesslyfrugal.com/freezer-meal-recipes-master-list/

Time for more didja know...

It has been a long time since I have posted anything.  Bad Mimi.  My previous "didja know" piece seemed to be pretty popular, so I thought I would do another one.

DIDJA KNOW...

...  you can use a coffee filter to dust computer monitors and TV screens?  This will leave less dust behind.

...  if you put newspaper in the veggie drawer of fridge, it will absorb odor?

...  you can use the tines of a fork to fluff up dents in plush carpeting?

...  if you use orange or lemon peels in the garbage disposal, it will eliminate odor?

...  a dryer sheet will remove soap scum from glass shower doors?

...  you can put scotch tape between computer keys to clean them?

...  baking soda made into a paste can be used to remove a splinter?  Make a paste, cover with a bandage
     overnight and then remove in the morning.


I hope you find these useful.  I am always looking for more!

Decorating your room 101

If you are able to paint your walls...PAINT.  Do not settle for plain, white walls!

First thing to do is set your color palette.  An easy way to do this is to find a picture or painting you like.

 This is hanging on the wall with the vaulted ceiling in our family room.  We keep this room very casual because it's where we live.  We watch TV, go out to the pool, etc.  Note the possibilities here in the painting.  Lots of red, peach, yellow, cream, etc.  Our family room has 2 sky lights, French doors and 2 huge windows so we get a lot of light.  Using the of the painting, we chose something very light and sunny for the wall color. You may not be able to see it from the picture, but it is like the inside of a peach.

Next, pick your furniture.  You don't have to go out and buy new furniture.  Furniture covers are not as tacky as they used to be.  You can get a furniture to cover just about any type of sofa or chair.  If you can't find one in a store, you can make one!  We selected dark brown sofa and love seat (which later proved to not be such a wise choice with a white dog).

We have not yet gotten all of our throw pillows.  The brown ones are what came with the sofa.  Not a particular fan of them, but they will do until I find some I like.  Here is where you can really play with color.  You can choose any of the colors from the painting.  You can also mix and match textures and fabrics.  The only caution is to not have a bold pattern against another bold pattern.  Play with bold and subtle patterns and stay within your pallete.

We have a recliner that closely resembles and feels like a marshmallow.  It's one of the most comfortable chairs I have sat in.  Anyway, it is a muted green but it still goes in the whole color scheme.  You can see that the color in the chair is similar to the color in the flower stems on the painting.  We tied the chair in with the furniture with a throw pillow.  

There ya go...not so bad, right?  A lot of stores like Lowe's and Home Depot have computer programs where you can look at the color on a wall before you buy the paint.  If you are still not sure, bring home a small amount, paint it on a wall and live with it for a few days.  If you love it, you know that's the one.  If not, you have not totally committed to a horrible color...and you are not a huge expense!

How to make an egg sandwich

My son does not like scrambled eggs very much.  He does, however, LOVE egg sandwiches.  In an effort to teach him how to make them himself (he is 1 month shy of 18), I had him take pictures of each step while I made the sandwiches.  I thought I would share them with all of you...

Step 1 (and this is the most important)...get everything you need to make the sandwiches.  This is true anytime you will be cooking, baking, etc.  If you watch cooking shows, they call it mise en place (everything in it's place).  You don't want your egg to burn while you are looking for the cheese.

 Step 2:  Put a frying pan over medium heat.  Then, add some butter or margarine of your choice.  You do not need very much...just enough to cover the pan.

Step 3:  Place buns of your choosing into the melted butter and allow the buns to toast (insert 17-year-old snickers about toasted buns).

 Step 4:  Once the buns are toasted, place them on a plate or napkin.  Since my son loves cheese as much as I love peanut butter (which is a borderline intervention-worthy problem), I add a slice of cheese to the bottom part of the bun now.  The heat from the toasting will help to melt the cheese a bit.

Step 5:  Now, you are ready to tackle the egg.  Don't panic!  It's easy.  Keep your pan over the medium heat.  You don't want your egg to burn.  Add a touch more butter/margarine.

Step 6:  Crack the egg and put it right in the middle of the butter puddle.  Let the egg cook until it's firm on the bottom and then use your butter knife to open the yolk.

Step 7:  Time to flip the egg.  Take your spatula and quickly slide it under the egg.  Lift the spatula and flip the egg.  It's OK if it's not perfect, it's going inside the bun.  Allow the egg to cook until the yolk is firm to your preference.  Add a slice of cheese to the top and allow to melt.

 

Step 8:  With the spatula, lift the egg/cheese combo onto your toasted buns and ENJOY!

More crock pot cooking...who doesn't love Mac N Cheese?

Well...I don't like cheese, so I guess I can answer ME..  My son, on the other hand, considers cheese a necessary item for life.  I have to admit I do wish I liked macaroni and cheese. Nothing quite says comfort food and memories of home like it.

That being said, I found a recipe for macaroni and cheese in the crock pot.  No boiling the noodles and mixing...just throw everything into the crock pot and let it work it's magic.

 Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese
Don't forget your crock pot liner!!!

1 box/bag of pasta - your choice (elbows, spirals, penne)

3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

3 cups whole milk 

2 eggs

½-1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

Mix all ingredients except 1/2 cup cheese in a slow cooker, then sprinkle

the remaining cheese on top.  Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.  

So now just imagine yourself coming home after a rough day full of classes or a stressful day of work.  You're tired, you're hungry.  The last thing you want to do is cook something; but wait, you don't have to cook.  The crock pot has done it for you!  Just dig into creamy cheesy goodness and forget about your cares for a while.