Tune in for tips and tricks...

Welcome to Tuesday, dear reader.  Yep, that’s right, Monday has finally moved on, and we’re one step further into the week.

I was hoping to start teaching some neat crafts this week, but as you can see from Sunday’s blog (because you did read Sunday’s blog, right?) my craft table is currently drowning under a sea of miscellaneous debris.  It became a “catch-all” in the garage, especially after we emptied out our storage unit and brought all that crap home.  “My side” of the garage now contains less than a quarter of the actual square footage in said garage.  But it’s okay, we’re saving money by not having the storage unit, and making money by selling some of the stuff we were keeping in the storage unit (anybody in the market for a brand new electric double oven?  anybody?), so I’ll hang in there and slowly but surely get my crafting area back to its former glory.

So, since I don’t have space to make things, I thought that for today’s Teachin’ Tuesday post, I’d share 25 clever ideas to make life easier.  Some of these you may love and use, some of them may not apply to you.  That’s one reason I’m including so many; everyone can find at least one tip or trick in this list to help in their own lives.  These ideas came from an e-mail I received last year, and most of them sound amazing.

1.  hull strawberries easily using a straw 

 (seriously, so easy!)

2.  rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes

3.  remove crayon from your t.v. or computer monitor with WD-40

(anybody have kids? write this one down...you will need it eventually)

4.  stop apples from browning in a lunch box by securing them with a rubber band

5.  store bed linen sets inside one of their pillowcases so there won’t be any more hunting for a matched set

(I know, right?!  simple, but brilliant!)

6.  amplify the volume of your phone or mp3 player by placing the device in a bowl

7.  re-use a wet wipes or anti-bacterial wipes container to store plastic bags

 (these work GREAT in the car)

8.  use baby powder to get sand off your skin easily

9.  attach a velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys

10.  use wire to store gift wrap rolls up against the ceiling, rather than on the floor

(seriously, another simple yet brilliant space saver)

11.  find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum hose

(no more low-crawling through the house looking for that earring back!)

12.  make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid

13.  pictoral directions on how to fold a fitted sheet!

(finally, someone gives us directions we can follow!! you know you needed this)

14.  use magnetic strips to store bobby pins, tweezers and clippers in the bathroom

15.  put shoes into plastic shower caps before packing to stop dirty soles from rubbing on your clothes

(and these are free at most hotels)

16.  use a muffin pan, plastic cups and magnets to create a craft caddy

(the magnets go inside the cups to keep them in place)

17.  bread tags can be used as cord labels

18.  bake cupcakes directly in ice cream cones for easier eatting

(can't wait to try this one out)

19.  microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper bag

(we use an air popper, but this would work, too)

20.  install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles

21.  turn your muffin pan upside down and bake cookie dough over the top for fun cookie bowls

(cookie bowls! you could fill them with ice cream...yum)

22.  freeze aloe vera in ice cube trays for soothing sunburn relief

23.  create a window-box veggie patch using guttering

(trying to get hubs to let me do this...gutters are super cheap and easy to put up)

24.  use egg cartons to separate and store your Christmas decorations

25.  rinse fresh strawberries with vinegar before you put them in the fridge to keep them from molding

(did this, and my strawberries lasted over 3 weeks in the fridge with zero mold!)

There you have it, dear reader.  25 great tips and tricks to use around the house.  I’ve tried some, and have several more that I can’t wait to have the opportunity to use.  Hopefully these ideas will help you, as well.  And then there will be a purpose for you having visted here today.

Stay tuned, friends…I’ll be posting a chapter of my novel-in-progress tomorrow to see if I get any feedback.  Until then, keep a smile on your face, and another in your heart (bleh, I’ll try to come with something cool to use at the end of my posts.  It just hasn’t come to me yet.).