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.

Using coupons to cut your grocery bill...

Coupons aren't just for grandma anymore.  I'm sure you have seen or at least heard of the extreme couponers who hoard stockpile food and supplies.  Seeing those people with all that stuff makes me think of my poor, sweet grandma who was convinced she needed to take refuge in a storm shelter during Y2K, so she stocked it with non-perishable items.  BUT, I digress.  You don't need to be an extreme couponer to make coupons work for you.  I do not go crazy, and I am able to save $50-$100 off my grocery bill each time I go.  The most important thing to remember is to start slowly and do not get frustrated.  There is a lot of information floating around out there, and it's hard to keep track of all of it if it's not your full time job.

OK...here we go.

Some things to do in preparation:
1.  If you don't already have them, get a loyalty/club/rewards card from your local stores.  This will help reduce your grocery bill even if you don't have a coupon.  A lot of stores also offer other rewards in addition to money savings.
2.  Set up a separate email address for your couponing.  You will get a lot of emails for coupons.  You don't want this clogging up your regular inbox.
3.  Order 1 newspaper for each member of your household.  This will give you more coupons to cut.
4.  If you have an Iphone/Ipad or other smart phone, get the following apps.  They were all free!
          a.  Grocery Pal - this app allows you to view items on sale by different stores, make lists of items for
               purchase, compare price among different stores, etc.
          b.  Card Star - this allows you to put all your loyalty cards in one place.  No more carrying all those
               cards on your keychain.  All you need to do is pull this up on your phone and have it scanned.
          c.  Saving Star - this app is like magic.  You routinely open the app and click on the deals you want.
               The app will then link with your loyalty card.  Once you purchase the item you clicked, it will build
                an account for you.  Once your account reaches $5.00, you are eligible to receive a payment in
                the form of a bank deposit, Paypal deposit, Amazon.com gift card, etc.
           d.  Ibotta - This works very similarly to Saving star.  You pick the stores where you shop and the
                ecoupons for the items you plan to purchase.  Once you have purchased those items, you will take
                a picture of your receipt.  Ibotta will then confirm your purchases and create your
                "savings"account.
            e,  Endorse - This app, again, works a lot like Saving Star.  It works in conjunction with Facebook.
                 The offers here do not just apply to groceries.  I recently had an offer for 10% back on any
                 fast food.  Ca ching!
5.  Using your Facebook account, "like" the following pages:
            a.  We Use Coupons
            b.  Frugal Living and Having Fun
            c.  The Krazy Coupon Lady
            d.  Hip2Save
            e.  Stockpiling Moms
             f.  A lot of products have their own Facebook pages and will offer coupons after you "like" their
                 page.
6.  Go to www.lozo.com and sign up.  This website does most of the work for you.  You pick the coupons
      you want and then print them.  The first time I used this site, I got over 100 coupons.  In the interest of
      full disclosure, you will be asked to fill out our name and email address for a lot of these coupons.  This
      is where it will be handy to have your special couponing email address.
7.  Another website to use is coupons.com.


WHEW...time to take a breath!

OK, now that you've gotten yourself ready and started printing your coupons, it's time to start putting it together with sales at the stores.  Since you are getting at least 1 newspaper (BTW...I just get the Sunday paper, not through the week), you will get sales flyers for your local stores along with the national coupons.

Look through your sales flyers to see what things you normally purchase are on sale.  I circle these things with a sharpie.  You can also use your Grocery Pal app with these flyers to put things into a list.

Once you have all of your things circled and your lists made, it's time to tackle your big stack of coupons.

Bear in mind, I do not have the time, energy or patience to be an extreme couponer.  I do not look through all coupons and compare with all sales to see what would make money for me or what I could get for free just by using coupons.  If I know my family will not use it, I do not buy it.  My primary objective for couponing is to save money on my shopping bill.  The picture below is the stack I have accumulated for the past 2 weeks.
If you prefer, you can clip these and organize them as soon as you print them.  Waiting until you get a stack like this will take you a looooong time to cut and sort.

Most grocery stores have a map on their website so you can easily navigate through the store, but you can also use it to organize your coupons by aisle.  You can use whatever method of organization that works for you.  I tried the 3-ring binder with the baseball card clear plastic things.  That really did not work for me.  I now use envelopes, just plain white mailing envelopes with the name on the front (breakfast foods, frozen foods, canned goods, etc).  

This is what my ginormous stack of coupons looked like when I finally finished cutting and sorting.

Time for another breath.....

Now you are ready to tackle the shopping.  A few last things to remember before you do:

1.  Do not rule out places like CVS and Rite Aid for your shopping.  CVS takes coupons and they have ExtraBucks to go towards your next purchase.  RiteAid offers a similar program with their UP rewards.

2.  Pay special attention to Buy One Get One Free deals.  Yesterday, I saw Ballpark Franks were BOGO (buy 1 get 1) at my grocery store.  I had 2 coupons for $1 off Ballpark franks.  SOOO...I received 4 packs of hot dogs for $2 less than the price of 2 packs!  It's not quite grilling season where I live yet, so they will go in the freezer for the next few weeks.  

3.  Don't forget about your Ibotta and Endorse.  One of my Ibotta offers this week was for Ballpark franks, so on top of my huge savings listed in #2, I will now get money added to my Ibotta account for later withdrawal!  

That is a lot to take in...I know.  Take it 1 step at a time and you will be fine.  However, don't hesitate to ask any questions you may have along the way!  I'm here to help!

Why yes, that is a toilet paper roll...thanks for asking!

  Everyone seems to be talking about recycling, upcycling, bicycling these days.  We make all kinds of things from all kinds of things.  This little ditty is nothing short of wow.  

Take an ordinary toilet paper roll after you've finished using the paper.  Now, find something you need to organize....like all those USB cords, chargers, etc.  Stick the cord inside the roll, label the roll and store in a box of your choice!

See....I told you it was a wow!

Time for some didja know....

Didja know (did you know) is a technical term for helpful hint.  Below I have listed some that have recently come to mind.


DIDJA KNOW...

**  toothpaste can be used to buff out small scratches on your DVDs?

**  if you put a rubber band over a screw that has been stripped, you will be able to remove it?

**  a rubber band (or a hair tie) can be used to give you a little more room in your pants?  Face it, we all have days where we need a little more room...after dinner, when the dryer "shrinks your pants," etc.  Just hook one end of the band to your button, feed the other end through the button hole and then attach the second end over your button too.

**  a dryer sheet placed in your gym bag can keep the stink out?  Put one in each shoe or just one in the bag.

**  if you have a baking pan with baked on yuck, put a dryer sheet in it, add water and let sit for a few hours?  The yuck will wash right out!

**  while I'm stuck on dryer sheets....a dryer sheet rubbed lightly over your hair or clothing will eliminate static cling?

**  you can use a hair dryer to blow the dust out of a corner?

**  sandwich zip-lock bags can be used to pack your jewelry when you travel?  I plan each day's jewelry selection and put it in a bag.  I then place each individual bag into a pocket in my suitcase.  As each day goes by, just pull out your jewelry for the day!

**  drinking a little apple cider vinegar can help with nausea and heartburn?

**  apple cider vinegar dabbed on a pimple will make it less red and go away sooner?

**  making a paste with baking soda and water can help tame a canker sore?

**  putting a wooden spoon across a pot of boiling liquid will keep is from boiling over?

I think that's about it for now.  I will make another list and post more at a later time!

Crock pot cooking....let's get started.

So, if you are recently married or recently moved into your own place, you may have received a crock pot (slow cooker).  If not, you should make a trip to Target, Wal-Mart, or wherever you can find one.  Mine looks similar to this....http://www.target.com/p/crock-pot-6-qt-slow-cooker-red/-/A-14207121#prodSlot=medium_1_4&term=crock+pot.

But what if I can't cook?  It's OK!  Using a crock pot to cook is like not really cooking at all.  You just put your ingredients in the crock pot, turn it on and VOILA...Dinner.  You can do this in the morning before work and you have dinner when you get home.  This is also good for those "when are you going to have us over for dinner" occasions.

SO...I tried this recipe last night to make sure it was good before I posted it.  I'm glad I did.  It was delicious!  It is for barbecued chicken.  Mouth watering yet?

You will need to assemble the following ingredients:

crock pot
crock pot liners (see below)
chicken (I used just breast meat)
liquid measuring cup
solid measuring cup
measuring spoon

ketchup
vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
Worcestershire sauce
brown sugar
salt
mustard

Now--run to the store...I'll be here when you get back.

OK...now that you're back.  I never, and I mean never, use my crock pot without a liner.  This will save so much time in cleanup!

Once you have your liner in the crock pot, add your chicken.  Mine were frozen boneless, skinless breasts.  I happened to have a pack of Perdue in the freezer.  I tossed them in while they were still frozen.

Now you want to add your barbecue sauce ingredients.  Here's the recipe:

1 cup of ketchup

1/3 cup of vinegar

1/3 cup of Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of mustard

Again, I just dumped the ingredients on top of the chicken and put on the lid.  If you are doing this before work, turn the crock pot on low.  I, of course, did not think of that in the morning, so I did mine on high for about 2-3 hours and then turned it down.  

This chicken fell apart as I stirred it.  It was soooooo good.  

I made some rice (instant) and some frozen vegetables to go with it.  BAM!  15 minutes and dinner is ready.

I wanted to take some pictures of the finished product, but my boys jumped in too soon and ate it all before I got the chance.

Don't be scared, it's only a needle...and thread

  Where are the little gremlins who come in the middle of the night and chew holes in your shirts?  I am telling you...it has to be gremlins.  How else would they get there?

So, now what to do.  Don't throw away all your shirts.  Sewing the holes is not a difficult thing to do once you get the "hang" of it.  

First, you will need a sewing kit.  You don't need every sewing gadget known to mankind.  You just need the basics.  I think I got this one at the Dollar Store.

You will need a needle, thread and some scissors.  Normally, you would choose a thread color to match your shirt.  For the purposes of this post, I used a contrasting color so you could see what I was trying to accomplish.  Cut a piece of thread.  Take one end of the thread and "thread" it into the hole in the needle (what else would you do with thread?).  Anyway, once you have the needle threaded, match both ends of the thread so that the needle kind of splits the thread in half.  Tie the 2 ends of thread together and make a knot.  This will keep your thread from pulling through the hole.

                                                                                

Now, pick up whatever you are going to sew.  Pinch the edges of the hole together.  Insert the needle a little bit below the hole.  Push the needle through the other side of the hole and pull the needle until the knot stops you.  This will be the first stitch.  Now...go back to where you started.  Insert the needle just above the spot where you made your first stitch (remembering to keep it below the hole).  

Push it through the other side of the hole.  (sorry about the picture quality...trying to hold the shirt and take the picture with the other hand did not work out so well).  STOP BEFORE YOU PULL THE THREAD TIGHT on the second stitch.  At this point, you want to push the needle through the loop you created on top of the material...DO NOT MAKE ANOTHER STITCH IN THE MATERIAL YET.  

Now is when you want to pull the thread tight.  Pushing the needle under that loop and then pulling the thread tight helps to lock the stitch in and make it more secure. You will now continue on with the same process inserting the needle through both sides of the hole and then under the loop, pulling tight, etc. until you have completely stitched closed the hole.  Once you have done that, you need to tie off the end of your thread.  To do that, you make a loop of thread without pushing it through the material and then feeding the needle through that loop.  Keep the loop close to the material.  Pull the thread tight to make a knot and then cut the thread above the knot.  

OK...that sounds pretty confusing when you read it.  Here are 2 little videos to help you....

sewing 1.htm

Emergency candles.....

Crisco...it's not for baking and frying anymore.  A Crisco 48 oz tub is about $5 where I live.  Well worth the money.  If the power goes off and you have no candles handy, pull out your Crisco.  Stick in some toothpicks or something else to serve as a wick and light.  It will burn like a candle for short periods of time.

When the power comes back...bake yourself some cookies!

Start your savings account....without the bank

I got this idea, as I do many of my brilliant ideas, from Pinterest.  It's so easy.  Get an empty jar, can or whatever you prefer.  Every time you have a $5 bill in your possession, put it in the jar.  Now, here comes the hard part...forget it's there unless you are adding money to it.  It's very easy to see something you want and dip into the jar.  Only do this for life-or-death emergencies.  I am currently working on my stash for our summer vacation.

Organize your bills and keep them paid on time...

It is very easy to get overwhelmed by monthly bills.  I have finally figured out a way to keep myself organized and my bills paid on time.

This is my best friend when it comes to bill paying.  It has tabs for every day of the month.  I got mine at Staples a few years ago.

  You can see it gets used a lot.

This is how it works for me.  You take your unpaid bills and look at the "pay by" date.

Count back 7 days and place the bill in the tab corresponding to that day.  In this case, it would go in the 19 tab.

Now...every Monday (or whatever day you choose), sit down with your best friend and go through the next 7 days' worth of tabs.  Pay your bills in your normal manner.  Even if you write checks, this is plenty of time to get them sent in.  I happen to pay 99% of my bills online through my bank.  If gives me a list of payees and the date of the last payment.  I use this list to double-check against my tabbed book to make sure all recurring bills are accounted for.

I hope you find this helpful.  Feel free to comment to let me know how I'm doing with these helpful tips!

Oops...forgot to tell you.  It's also a great idea to get an accounting program for your computer like Microsoft Money.  Keep your transactions up to date.  This will be helpful when it comes time for tax season.

Solving the mystery and taking the pain out of laundry...

There it is...like the creature from the black, or in this case, green lagoon.  It's the overflowing laundry hamper.

This will hopefully take some of the pain out of doing laundry.  Something you should know is that I am not naturally OCD.  However, my husband has a pretty modest case of it.  Therefore, I suffer from "if you can't beat them, join them."  What I have found is that sometimes the OCD actually makes life a little easier.

1.  Sort the laundry.  In my house, we sort by color.  That's right, we sort by color. The only exception to that is towels.  Do not sort your towels in with your clothing.  The towel will beat up your clothing in the washer and dryer and shorten the life of your clothing.  If you are single, this may not work for you unless you only do laundry once a month.  Anyway, there are 3 of us here, so it works.

This is the hard part.  Now is when you will empty pockets, turn all clothing right side out, make sure sleeves are unrolled, etc.  Take the time to do it now and the rest of your process will be much easier.  Make sure you are checking the labels on the clothing for special washing instructions.  My husband, bless his heart, tried to help me with laundry one day.  He didn't realize my new wool sweater was not to go in the wash.  Well, needless to say, my new wool sweater was given to my 4-year-old granddaughter.

2.  Gather your supplies:  After you have your laundry sorted, gather the things you will need to do the laundry.  From left to right below:  Stain fighter, laundry detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, color catcher (useful if you have to blend colors) and clothes hangers.  Be careful when stain fighting.  The stain fighter will bleach the dark clothes if left on too long.  

3.  Load the washer:  Put the clothing in the washer tub.  I am fortunate enough to have a high efficiency front load washer.  Follow the manufacturer's instructions for adding detergent, etc for your machine.  My machine has bins to put in the detergent, fabric softener, pretreater, etc.  When you are adding the detergent, use the minimum amount advised by the bottle.  More detergent does not make cleaner clothing.  

  From there, select your wash cycle.  Most washers have a regular cycle and/or a permanent press cycle.  These are basically the only 2 cycles you really need.  You may also need the gentle cycle for your delicates.  

This is my washer button panel.  It's pretty scary the first time you look at it.  Let's take one row of buttons at a time.  Starting at the left with the big button...This is my cycle select.  This is where I select "normal" or "permanent press."  Permanent press is for your nicer clothing.  The basket agitates and spins more gently and will preserve your clothing more than the normal cycle.  The next row over is the display screen and the start button.  The next row is the temperature selection row.  Basic formula to remember, the darker the color, the colder the water.  I wash whites in hot water, lights in warm and darks in cold water. For towels and sheets, you want to wash in the hottest, heavy dutiest cycle you have.  You must kill the dust mites and icky stuff these things accumulate.  I rinse in cold water no matter what the wash temperature.  I have never found a reason to rinse in warm or hot water.  The next row of buttons is for spin speed.  Not all machines have this.  The next row is to select the level of dirt on your clothing.  Now you are ready to start the washer.

4.  Transfer clothing to dryer:  Once the wash cycle has completed, you will transfer the clothing to the dryer.  Pay special attention to clothing that can be machine washed but should be laid flat to dry (from the clothing label).  Separate these clothes now.  When that is finished, add a dryer sheet and then select your dryer settings. 

The dryer button panel has the same basic concept.  At the left, the big button sets your cycle.  I use primarily normal and casual for my every day laundry.  I very rarely use the timed dry.  In the middle is the display screen and the on/off button.  The next row sets the temperature of the air drying your clothes.  If you have more delicate items in the dryer, you might want to lower the heat.  The next row is for the wetness of your clothing.  If your spin cycle practically spins all the water out of your clothing, you can lower the dryness level.  The row on the right is for special functions on my machine.  I can add steam for those times when I fall asleep in the chair and forget about the laundry until the next day.  I run a quick cycle and add steam to the clothing to get out the wrinkles. Something important to note here is to set the bell or alarm on the dryer...especially if you have permanent press clothing.  This will allow you to take the clothing out of the dryer prior to it getting wrinkles.  Empty the lint basket after every load.  Once a month, clean the lint basket so water flows easily through the screen.  This will keep your dryer running at its most efficient level, and possibly prevent a fire.

5.  Hang the dress shirts, etc.:  I have found (through my husband's request) that buttoning the second button down from the top makes men's dress shirts hang better.  This is pure preference, but shirts need to be hung immediately after the cycle ends to avoid wrinkles.  This will save you from ironing everything.

6.  Fold the clothing:  It is no longer OK to just ball up your clothing and stick it in a drawer.  Here are very simple, step-by-step instructions to folding a T-shirt and a pair of pants.   Lay the shirt flat, front side down.  Flatten out any wrinkles.   Fold over lengthwise, matching side seams.  Fold Tshirt sleeves back in on the shirt.

   Fold top over bottom.

Put the pants front side down.

Fold in half lengthwise.  Pull the crotch out so pants lay flat.  Make sure legs have no wrinkles.

   Fold bottom of legs up about 1/3 of the way.
   Fold the waistband over the legs.


Whew...that seems like a lot of work.  It is the first few times.  However, after you do it a few times and get your own system, it will become much easier.

Thanks for hanging in there with me.  I hope you find this helpful.  Let me a comment to know how I'm doing!

The many, many uses of baking soda...

Before you buy all those expensive cleaners and beauty creams, look in your kitchen cupboard!  Baking soda seems like an innocent little box of stuff sitting in your cupboard for no specific purpose other than baking.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  It has wondrous powers in almost all aspects of life itself!

CLEANING:

**  Ceramic stove top:  sprinkle baking soda on your stove top.  Soak a dish cloth in hot water and dish soap (I use Dawn).  Wring out excess water and place the cloth over the baking soda.  Let sit for 15 minutes.  Now scrub the stove top with the cloth.  VOILA!  Clean.  Rinse with clean water.

**  Floor cleaning (except waxed floors):  1/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon dish soap, 2 gallons water as warm as you can stand.  Mix them all together and mop floor.  I did this recently and was appalled at how disgusting the water was.  I thought I cleaned my floor routinely!

**  Bathroom cleaning:  Sprinkle baking soda on bathtub and use a warm wet rag to scrub.  Rinse with clean water.  No more toxic fumes!  Check manufacturer's recommendations before using abrasives of any kind.

HEALTH AND BEAUTY:

**  Canker sores:  1 tsp baking soda in 1 glass of water.  Swish through mouth and spit.

**  Exfoliant:  Rub baking soda on wet skin.  Rinse with warm, wet cloth.  

**  Dental care:  Sprinkle baking soda on regular toothpaste OR make a paste with water and baking soda. This will remove stains and whiten your teeth naturally.

**  Heartburn:  1 teaspoon baking soda in 1 glass of water.  Drink the glass of water.  Warning:  Be prepared to burp.

**  Hair:  Add baking soda to shampoo and work through hair.  This will reduce the product buildup.

**  Dust mites:  sprinkle baking soda into 1 tablespoon of fabric softener of your choice (I use Snuggle) and sprinkle over your mattress.  Let sit 1 hour and vacuum.  Mattress smells fresh and good bye dust mites!

ODOR ELIMINATION:

**  Litter box:  Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of your litter box and then add the litter.  Baking soda will mix with litter when kitty scratches and will get rid of the odor.

**  Trash can:  Intermittently sprinkle baking soda on top of the trash.  This will help eliminate the odor of the trash and keep your house smelling fresh.

**  Clothes hamper:  Make a sachet (any kind of cotton fabric or a clean sock) and fill with baking soda.  Hang in your clothes hamper to get rid of smells.

**  Refrigerator:  Place an open box of baking soda in your fridge to eliminate strong food smells.  Replace about once a month.

MISCELLANEOUS:

**  Kitchen fire:  Throw baking soda on the fire to smother it.  

**  Clogged drain:  Pour baking soda down the drain.  Pour white vinegar down the drain.  This will bubble and fizz.  Let sit for several minutes.  Repeat a few times for bad clogs.

**  Laundry:  Place 1/2 cup baking soda in with your laundry.  It will make your whites whiter, make them smell fresh and remove grease stains.  Make sure to test dark clothes before you add.

**  Carpet spills:  Blot stain to remove as much as possible...don't rub.  Spray water on stain to dilute.  Shake baking soda on stain.  When dry, vacuum.  Stain gone!

**  Stuck-on food:  Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of the dish/pot.  Add hot water and let soak.  

These are just a few of the hundreds of uses for baking soda.  Use this instead of commercial cleaners...less expensive, no harsh chemicals, environmentally friendly, etc., etc.  

Just a side note...

I'm a bit of a baking fiend, so I have created another blog here on blogspot.com called http://kimmicakesbakes.blogspot.com/.  As often as I can, I give cake recipes, cookie recipes, etc., as well as step-by-step instructions.

Feel free to use any of the recipes.  As always, comment away and share away...just keep it clean and respectful.

Let's get down to the ugly first...DOING THE DISHES

I hated it as a kid.  I hate it as an adult.  I tried to fake my way through loving it while teaching my kids.  I failed miserably.  They hate it too.  It's one of those necessary evils in life like taxes and dentists, I guess.



The first step in making this task a little more palatable is to get yourself organized.  Make sure your dishwasher (if you have one) is clean and empty.

Next, you want to organize your dirty dishes...that's right, I said organize your dirty dishes.  You don't want to get to the bottom of your sink and find another glass, right?  Organize before you start loading...

The next step is a controversial one.  I like to put some soapy water in the sink and rinse off any food that may be baked/stuck on.  Why wash the dishes before you wash them in the dishwasher?  Well, you're not really washing them.  You are just removing some of the grosser stuff before you expect your dishwasher to work miracles.



I always prefer to load the top rack first.  There is no rule that says you have to do that, it's a preference.  Make sure all bowls and glasses are upside down.  Do not over load the dishwasher.  If the water cannot move easily through the racks, it will not clean your dishes.



When loading the bottom rack, I like to start with the plates since they stand in a nice, neat row.  After that, add your bowls and pans.  Again, make sure your bowls and pans are upside down and that you have free flow of water by not overloading the rack.  When loading silverware, load bigger items like spatulas and serving spoons first.  Try to load spoons in separate parts of the silverware holder so they don't...well, spoon.

Once you are all loaded, add your detergent of choice and select your wash/rinse/dry cycles.  For most dishes, you can run on the "normal" cycle.  I very rarely heat dry.  Before you run the dishwasher, turn on your water and run until the water becomes warm.  Your dishwasher will have to work less to heat the water.

Money saving tip:  Find out with your electric company if they have peak hours and when they might be.  Run all appliances during the off-peak hours when possible.

Once you are done with all of these steps, don't forget to wipe out the sink(s) with Formula 409 or Fantastik, etc.  Clean the food trap and run the disposal if you have one.  The stink lives in the drain!  

I hope this helps take some of the pain away from doing the dishes.  Tune in soon for more helpful hints to get you through mundane tasks.

Please comment to let me know how I'm doing.  Keep it clean people.  As always, if you have anything in particular you want to see, let me know!