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Whoami
Member
08-03-2001
| Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 6:31 am
Who would have thought. Me of all people, not only posting in the Home and Garden folder, but starting a thread of my own? I mean, Martha Stewart I ain't. But, even I have a trick or two up my sleeve. This is a thread to share tips and secrets to get around every day life, or even get around some pesky things in life. My two tips of the day....(since this post got so long, I decided to split up the intro, and each tip by color. Just to sort of break the post up a bit. 1. How many of you (us) have gone to hit the switch over the sink for the light, and have to hesitate and wonder, "now which one is the light, and which is the disposal?" How many of you (us) have hit the disposal by mistake, and had flatware casualties? After a few hundred times of "now which one is the light again" moments, I remember discovering (once again) that the switch on the right was for the light. So now, every time I reach for the switch, its become conditioned in me to think, "Right Light." In fact, it is probably now physically impossible for me not to have the phrase go through my head as I reach for a switch over the sink. Some day, some nursing home attendant may just wonder why this little old lady is standing over the sink mumbling "right light" like it was a mantra or something. Now, I don't know if that's the case with every light/disposal switch plate setup around. But....well....the two or three times I've mentioned this before (on this board and another), someone has always come back and said, "hey wow! It works!" 2. How many of you have cookies that have gone stale? Or how many of you purchase those Toaster Strudels with the little icing packet? The icing packet is in the freezer with the rest of the product. You toast a strudel, and the icing is still a bit too viscous to really apply to the toasted strudel. Cookies of course can sometimes be warmed up, and they may soften up a bit, but it doesn't last long. And if its a decorated cookie, the icing/decorations melt. The remedy? The coffee pot of course! No, not the warming plate. The top of the coffee pot. Its nice and warm, but not too warm. And I think the steam from the pot does something to aid in freshening things up. In the case of the icing packet, just plop the packet on top of the coffee pot as soon as you take it out. Toast the strudel, and by the time its done the icing is nice and thawed out and ready to apply. In the case of a cookie. Put in on a plate (I always use plastic, so I couldn't vouch for a glass/ceramic plate) and plop it on top of the coffee pot. Leave it there for a few minutes, and when you take it off it will be soft and warm almost like you took it fresh out of the oven! I've done this with a gourmet cookie we like to get from a local shop. They sell the cookies by the dozen, and we keep them in the fridge to try and keep them fresh. Of course, if you try and eat them straight out of the fridge, its cold and hard. I just had a cookie yesterday morning that had been in the fridge since May! And yes, when I took it off the coffee pot, it was just like a fresh made cookie. I'm sure this would work with other things that need a gentle warming...where a microwave will ruin the texture of the item, and an oven will dry it out. Oh.....disclaimer.....you need to have actually made a pot of coffee for this to work!
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Skootz
Member
07-23-2003
| Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 7:17 am
Thanks Who for the tip. I have often thought of starting a "tips" thread. I will post some tips when my brain is less tired and of course I can think of some (anyone for a tip to better my memory 
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 7:32 am
I buy extra huge bags of dog and cat food and store them in the garage in big bins. Then I bought smaller bins (actually big pitchers) that fit easily in the cabinet (in kitchen) and I fill those with the food and refill from garage as necessary.
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 8:38 am
Well since we're going to be making coffee, if you put the coffee grounds down the sink afterward, instead of into the garbage, it will help the drain smell fresh.
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Lumbele
Member
07-12-2002
| Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 9:48 am
Coffee grounds are great for compost piles, as well. Apparently worms are java junkies.
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Conejo
Member
08-23-2002
| Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 10:22 am
Coffee grounds are also good to put around your acid loving plants such as azaleas and rhododendrons.
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 10:54 am
Really? Then I'm not wasting them on a fresh-smelling drain, Conejo!
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Whoami
Member
08-03-2001
| Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 1:33 pm
Wow! Who knew coffee grounds could be so versatile! Does anyone know how to keep a donut for more than one day? Mom gets on these glazed donut kicks sometimes. After one day, no matter how I try to store the leftover donuts, they either "sweat" and get all gooey from the glaze, or they just go stale.
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Rosie
Member
11-12-2003
| Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 1:39 pm
Have you tried freezing the donuts WhoMum?
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Whoami
Member
08-03-2001
| Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 1:41 pm
Hmmm, no...haven't tried that. Wouldn't the glaze still get all yucky when I thawed it out? My main complaint is "slimy" glaze. Yuck!
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Rosie
Member
11-12-2003
| Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 1:47 pm
Haven't tried it myself yet for 'glazed' donuts but Littlec suggested that idea to me a while back. Of course, I never got around to freezing them and wound up throwing them out. Have frozen other types tho and they were fine with the freezing.
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Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 3:23 pm
I wonder if you could sprinkle powdered sugar to absorb the moisture as the donut defrosts? (This is NOT a tip, just a wondering.) 
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Carrie92
Member
09-15-2003
| Friday, July 09, 2004 - 8:48 am
I discovered a nice little tip. When I bought a bedroom set, the large mirror that came with it had a big SALE sticker on it. Much to my dismay, it was one of those stickers that don't come off easily, leaving some of the paper and gummy residue. I tried everything: warm washcloth, warm soapy washcloth, spatula, etc. Finally, I gave up, ending up with a big gray sticky patch on my mirror. One day, I was using Vaseline for something, and it hit me. What if the Vaseline absorbed the gummy stuff? So, I dabbed some on, let it sit for about 15 minutes, then wiped it off. It worked!! Then I used it on a sticker spot on DS's highchair, and on his diaper bag, where the masking tape they used at the church nursery to put his name and number on every week had gummed up. So, that's my tip. Use Vaseline on sticky, gummy residue. Let it sit for a while, then rub it off.
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Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Friday, July 09, 2004 - 9:53 am
I'd heard of using peanut butter, Carrie, but vaseline sounds even better. This tip is kind of gross, but while I am thinking about it since "it" just happened...my cat is having some hairball troubles today, need I say more? Anyway, I keep a cheap box of pickling salt on hand for these occasions since pouring salt on the offense allows the mess to wick up easily and sweeping or vacuuming up later is a breeze.
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Lumbele
Member
07-12-2002
| Friday, July 09, 2004 - 10:10 am
Salt on red wine spills works very well, too. Be prepared to really pile it on and allow it to absorb the liquid. Later just vacuum.
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Pcakes2
Member
08-29-2001
| Friday, July 09, 2004 - 10:20 am
Just a few comments about the above posts... Coffee grounds are great for removing odors from all sorts of things (including garbage disposals) I make bath & body products, and one of my biggest selling items is a "Coffee Lemon Kitchen Scrubber". It great for removing odors from hands, knifes, and food processors. To remove garlic smells from your hands...wash you hands with a stainless steel spoon. Avon's Skin So Soft oil, in addition to being a great bug repellant is also good for removing stickers from things. When driving long distances, your vehicle is bound to accumulate tons of dead bugs. These are a pain to get off when washing the vehicle. Before setting off on your trip, spray some non-stick cooking spray on a soft cloth or paper towel and rub on front grill or bumper. The bugs can be wiped off very easily. Poinson ivy/oak, heat rashes & dry skin can be terrible in the summer. Instead of spending an fortune on Aveeno Bath products, head to your local healthfood store and purchase Oat Flour...it's the same thing, yet it costs less than $1 a pound.
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Skootz
Member
07-23-2003
| Friday, July 09, 2004 - 10:31 am
to get stickers off of many items..just spray on WD-40 on them. another way to get garlic smell off your hands is to rub them on the kitchen faucet to keep your nail polish fresh..keep it in the refrigerator film containers (used from 35mm film) I use for spare change..it is great for quarters and for those Canadians...will fit loonies and toonies too.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Friday, July 09, 2004 - 11:07 am
what is a loonie and a toonie?
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Friday, July 09, 2004 - 12:53 pm
Julieboo, a loonie is a one dollar Canadian coin. It has a picture of a loon on it, a waterbird. A toonie is a two dollar Canadian coin.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Friday, July 09, 2004 - 1:55 pm
Thanks! I thought I was a loonie!
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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Friday, July 09, 2004 - 2:07 pm
1. Use hairspray to remove ink. 2. Shipping cookies? Use a pringles can, they won't get smashed. 3. Baby oil is a great eye makeup remover. 4. two drops of butter in a baby's bottle will relieve constipation. 5. Soak, and freeze a washcloth for babies teething. 6. Rub a dryer sheet on your socks, etc. to get rid of static cling.
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Skootz
Member
07-23-2003
| Friday, July 09, 2004 - 3:27 pm
dryer sheets...are also suppose to get rid of mosquitos...I have one in my back pocket when i play baseball..so far...so good
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Lumbele
Member
07-12-2002
| Friday, July 09, 2004 - 3:42 pm
dryer sheets .... are supposed to help with baked on casserole dishes. Place sheet in casserole and soak overnight. It will lift all that stuff right off, or so they say. Since I haven't burnt dinner yet since I learned this trick, no guaranties.
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Friday, July 09, 2004 - 3:51 pm
keep your eye cream/gel in frig...when you put it on in the morning it will help with puffiness as well as soften. Plus it feels good! Freeze eye/lip liners before sharpening.
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Carrie92
Member
09-15-2003
| Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 8:56 am
I echo Pamy's tip on the eye cream in the fridge. It's great after a long, tiring day as well. Feels so good!
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