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Rain
bonnet. Don’t have umbrella handy? Bubble
pack kerchief will keep your hair dry. You do
carry a supply with you, don’t you?
Cooler. Want
to keep the ice cream from being milk shake by
the time you arrive home from the store? Wrap
the carton with bubble pack.
Insulation.
Now your dog will love this one. For warmth in
the dog house on chilly nights, glue bubble
pack to the inside walls of the dog house. Be
sure to explain to Spot or Miss Spot that the
bubble pack is not something for them to
entertain themselves with by tearing it off
the walls.
Picnic table
cushion. Stretch a length of bubble pack
along the benches.
Worry beads. Stressed? Nerves
tensed? Pop the bubbles to reliever tension.
Ok, here are some
suggestions that only us really country folks
will appreciate.
Got a knothole in
your wooden floor? Take a can lid and
nail over the hole to plug the knothole and
thwart rodent entry.
Save different
size cans to be used when camping. They
will nestle together, taking less space when
packing, and can provide cheap, disposable
pans when cooking. Use pliers to handle when
cans/pans are hot.
Coffee cans.
Set a few coffee cans around the garden. Following a rain
you can gauge the amount of moisture you
received. A 1-inch accumulation means an inch
of water fell on the soil.
Disposable
diapers. If your roof has sprung a leak,
put disposable diapers under it; they are an
absorbent and quiet alternative to pans. Or
put on in a pan; it will absorb the sound
while the pan holds the excess water.
Potatoes. This
versatile vegetable is not just for eating. If
your badly scuffed shoes do not take polish,
rub them with a raw potato, then polish.
So
a button pops off and you are away from
home or you are in too much of a hurry to sew
it back on. Not to worry; a safety pin
can be hidden under the buttonhole until you
can reattach the button.
Use
a pretty brooch or pin to cover the
missing button
And
I like this one. Head for the kitchen; locate
a twist tie and use the wire
from it to tack the button back on
temporarily.
Want your
canned vegetables to taste more like fresh
ones? After opening the can, drain off all
the liquid and rinse the veggies with tap
water. Add just a little water to them
along with a tablespoon or two of olive
oil. Cook for a few minutes. Salt to
taste, if necessary.
When making
iced tea, after steeping the tea, pour
into pitcher. While tea is still warm add
the sugar to sweeten. Sugar dissolves
better in warm tea.
Speaking of
tea bags. Did you know that placing a
fresh teabag on an open wound will help
decrease the bleeding? This is especially
useful following a tooth extraction.
You live miles
from the store. You discover there is not
one coffee filter to be found in the
kitchen. Don’t despair….use a paper towel
in the place of the filter.
For
convenience when shopping for groceries
and household supplies, prepare your list
in the order of where the items are
located in the store. To really be
efficient, prepare and print out several
blank lists…..post them on a cabinet door
in the kitchen. A string can be tied to a
pencil which in turn can be attached next
to the grocery lists. When you use the
last of something, or are getting low,
mark the list so you will not
forget. Family members can be helpful in
this endeavor.
VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE
With the
beginning of summer, or at least the end
of the school year, thoughts turn to
vacation trips. Hopefully your automobile
will be as excited about travel plans as
you are. It will be if you have been
conscientious about the care of your
vehicle. Every month you need to test the
lights; check battery fluid level; inspect
ground under the car for fluid leaks and
check the tires for cuts, wear and
pressure. It goes without saying check
the oil level on a regular basis. My sweet
father-in-law gave me this advice: don’t
worry about the level of gas nearly as
much as the oil level. If you run out of
gas, you can always walk to the gas
station; you run out of oil….well just
call a wrecker and open your purse to
shell out big bucks for major repairs. I
always remembered that advice.
Always follow
the manufacturer’s instruction (you know
the little booklet that the salesman hands
you as you leave the dealership?) In
addition, be alert for abnormal
vibrations, steering wheel pull, brake
pedal softness or hardness, unusual noise
or odors and abnormal reading son gauges
or warning lights.
Whenever you
fill the gas tank, make a habit of
checking the levels of oil, coolant and
windshield washer fluid.
Other things
you need to keep an eye on include having
the engine oil and filter changed
regularly; clean battery terminals, and
cables; inspect the exhaust system for
leaks; remove debris from front of
radiator and check vacuum hoses and drive
belts.
More things to
check…..fluid levels for power steering,
brakes, transmission and rear axle. Check
shock absorbers and wheel
alignment. Remember wheels out of
alignment cause unnecessary wear on your
tires, among other things.
Most of these
suggestions were taken from my trusty Reader’s
Digest Practical Problem Solver. Every
home should have one.
BATH
TIME RECYCLE HINTS
Today let’s think of some bath
time helps. Want to pamper yourself in
the bath and do a little recycling at
the same time? The next time you get a
package with those packing peanuts in
it, hold on to them. Take a large
freezer bag and pour in about 3 cups
of those peanuts. Before sealing the
bag, squeeze out most of the air, but
not all. You now have a bath
pillow!! When you are ready for a
soothing bath in the tub, place the
pillow under your neck and relax.
For
those who like to dress things up and
make the pillow a little more
comfortable, take a towel, sew the
pillow up the towel. Remember to put
some Velcro or snaps on one edge so
you may change out the peanuts as
needed.
**************
Ever
wonder how you can recycle those
little soap slivers? Grab an old
cotton sock, drop the slivers
in. Using a ribbon or piece of string,
tie the open end of the sock. You have
just made yourself a body scrubber.
****************
Not
fancy, but still useful, is the bath
mitt made from a white athletic
sock. First you will want to launder
an old mismatched sock, turn it inside
out, The inside of those socks are
usually more nubby. Now you have a
good bath mitt that will be more
efficient in exfoliating dead
skin. And again you are recycling.
Credit
goes to Yankee Magazine’s Vinegar,
Duct Tape, Milk Jugs & More.
Liquid Starch – piñata
Make a
piñata. Choose a large balloon; fill
with air; cover with strips of
newspaper that has been soaked in
liquid starch. Strips work better if
torn rather than cut with scissors.
Liquid Starch - needle threader
Having
trouble threading needle? Either a
hand sewing needle or the needle on
the machine…..fret not. Dampen the end
of the thread with a small amount of
liquid starch (undulated). Then thread
the needle. This is excellent for the
sewing machine.
Liquid Starch – doilies
After
laundering doilies, soak a few minutes
in full strength liquid starch. Drip
dry before ironing.
************************
Film
Canister Uses
Use to
hold change for telephones, buses,
tools, parking meters or laundry.
Can be
used as a candle mold. Using a strong
twine or cord, cut an appropriate
length for the candle wick. Tape one
end to the bottom of a film canister;
tie the other end to a toothpick
across the top of the canister. Fill
with hot paraffin. Let harden
overnight. Gently remove your new
candle. Remove toothpick from wick.
Packing
for a trip? Into an empty canister,
place two needles, black and white
thread wrapped around a toothpick; a
couple buttons and several safety
pins. You now are ready for emergency
repairs.
Make a
decorative paperweight by filling
canister with sand, secure the lid
with glue and decorate.
When on
camping and or boating trips, keep
your paper money dry by placing in a
film canister. (It will float if
dropped overboard.
DAY
TRIPS OR VACATION TRAVEL
You are on
the road; car radiator needs to be
checked. To keep from burning your
hands on the hot radiator cap, reach
into your travel bag. Grab a thick
sock or two; slip over your hand and
you have an instant glove.
The screw
pops out of your eyeglasses. Take a
short piece of dental floss and tie
your glasses back together. OR strip
the paper from a twist tie and use
that to mend the eyeglasses until you
can get home. Carefully wrap the ends
of the wire around the frame to keep
them out of the way. Not pretty, but
it will work.
So you got
a tear in your soft-sided luggage
while on your trip. Using the dental
floss you have with you as thread,
stitch the tear. You could even color
the floss with a magic marker or
crayon that is the same color as the
suitcase so it is not as noticeable.
One of the
most pleasant parts of a vacation is
stopping off at a picnic table for an
outdoor lunch or supper. One of the
least pleasant parts is discovering
that a flock of birds found the table
first. Before you toss your plastic
shower curtain liner, wash it with
hot, soapy water or a solution of
household bleach and water. When it is
completely dry, roll it up and keep in
trunk of car. The liner becomes an
instant tablecloth.
You are at
the summer cottage you rented and now
discover you did not buy extra
bowls. Not to sweat. Each time you
finish a two-liter bottle of soda or
water, cut the bottom off, keeping the
edges as straight as possible. These
make great bowls.
Credit
Yankee Magazine’s Vinegar, Duct
Tape, Milk Jugs & More
Newspaper
Weeds Away
Start putting
in your plants; work the nutrients in your
soil. Wet newspapers; put layers around
the plants overlapping as you go; cover
with mulch and forget the weeds. Wills can
get through some gardening plastic; they
will not get through the wet newspapers.
Squirrel
Away!
To keep
squirrels from eating your plants,
sprinkle your plants with cayenne
pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn’t hurt
the plant and the squirrels won’t come
near it.
No More
Mosquitoes
Place a dryer
sheet in your pocket. It will keep the
mosquitoes away.
Get Rid of
Ants
Put small
piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They
eat it, take it “home”, and can’t digest
it so it kills them. It may take a week or
so, especially if it rains, but it works
and you don’t have the worry about pets or
small children being harmed.
Take Baby
Powder to the Beach
Keep a small
bottle of baby powder in your beach
bag. When you’re ready to leave the beach,
sprinkle yourself and kids with the
powder. The sand will slide right off your
skin.
Foggy
Windshield?
Hate foggy
windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and
keep it in the glove box of your car. When
the windows fog, rub with the
eraser! Works better than a cloth!
Broken
Glass
Use dry cotton
ball to pick up little broken glass pieces
of glass…..the fibers catch the ones you
can’t see.
Flexible
Vacuum
To get
something out of a heat register or under
the fridge, add an empty paper towel roll
or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It
can be bent or flattened to get
into narrow openings.
Reducing
Static Cling
Pin a small
safety pin to the seam of your slip and
you will not have clingy skirt or
dress. Same thing works with slacks that
cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin
in seam of slacks and - viola’ – static is
gone.
DAY TRIPS OR VACATION
TRAVEL
You are on the road; car radiator
needs to be checked. To keep from burning
your hands on the hot radiator cap, reach
into your travel bag. Grab a thick sock or
two; slip over your hand and you have an
instant glove.
The screw pops out of your
eyeglasses. Take a short piece of dental
floss and tie your glasses back
together. OR strip the paper from a twist
tie and use that to mend the eyeglasses
until you can get home. Carefully wrap the
ends of the wire around the frame to keep
them out of the way. Not pretty, but it
will work.
So you got a tear in your soft-sided
luggage while on your trip. Using the
dental floss you have with you as thread,
stitch the tear. You could even color the
floss with a magic marker or crayon that
is the same color as the suitcase so it is
not as noticeable.
One of the most pleasant parts of a
vacation is stopping off at a picnic table
for an outdoor lunch or supper. One of the
least pleasant parts is discovering that a
flock of birds found the table
first. Before you toss your plastic shower
curtain liner, wash it with hot, soapy
water or a solution of household bleach
and water. When it is completely dry, roll
it up and keep in trunk of car. The liner
becomes an instant tablecloth.
You are at the summer cottage you
rented and now discover you did not buy
extra bowls. Not to sweat. Each time you
finish a two-liter bottle of soda or
water, cut the bottom off, keeping the
edges as straight as possible. These make
great bowls.
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
With the beginning of summer, or
at least the end of the school year,
thoughts turn to vacation
trips. Hopefully your automobile will
be as excited about travel plans as
you are. It will be if you have been
conscientious about the care of your
vehicle. Every month you need to test
the lights; check battery fluid level;
inspect ground under the car for fluid
leaks and check the tires for cuts,
wear and pressure. It goes without
saying check the oil level on a
regular basis. My sweet father-in-law
gave me this advice: don’t worry about
the level of gas nearly as much as the
oil level. If you run out of gas, you
can always walk to the gas
station; you run out of oil….well just
call a wrecker and open your purse to
shell out big bucks for major
repairs. I always remembered that
advice.
Always follow the manufacturer’s
instruction (you know the little
booklet that the salesman hands you as
you leave the dealership?) In
addition, be alert for abnormal
vibrations, steering wheel pull, brake
pedal softness or hardness, unusual
noise or odors and abnormal reading
son gauges or warning lights.
Whenever you fill the gas tank,
make a habit of checking the levels of
oil, coolant and windshield washer
fluid.
Other things you need to keep an
eye on include having the engine oil
and filter changed regularly; clean
battery terminals, and cables; inspect
the exhaust system for leaks; remove
debris from front of radiator and
check vacuum hoses and drive belts.
More things to check…..fluid
levels for power steering, brakes,
transmission and rear axle. Check
shock absorbers and wheel
alignment. Remember wheels out of
alignment cause unnecessary wear on
your tires, among other things.
Most of these suggestions were
taken from my trusty Reader’s
Digest Practical Problem Solver. Every
home should have one.
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