Tip of the Day

Help for Home Improvement

With the arrival of Spring, many feel the need to spruce things up a bit. Here is one helpful hint that I overheard during some "home improvement" show from a PROFESSIONAL so don't just take my word for it.

If you are patching your walls or perhaps filling in some old paneling with drywall compound you know what comes next--ugh, the dreaded sanding. Anyone who has ever done some serious wall sanding knows that it sucks, but if you have to do, you have to cowboy (or cowgirl) up to the task at hand. Instead of using regular sandpaper with your sanding pole, try fine-mesh HARDWARE SCREEN cut and attached to the pole--it doesn't wear out like sandpaper and provides the same smooth finish. Now if only you didn't have to deal with flying dust for days on end!

Tip of the Day

The All-In-One "Beauty" Product

Those of you who have offspring probably already have it in your bathrooms, but for those who aren't in the know I'll let you in on a little secret. There is one product that supersedes all others...drum roll please...........BABY SHAMPOO. Yep, that yellow, "no-tears" variety can be a godsend in the bathroom. Here are the many uses for this unassuming product:

• shampoo (duh!)
• body wash--especially for those with sensitive skin
• makeup remover
• facial cleanser
• delicate laundry wash (hand washables)
• makeup brush cleaner
• hairbrush cleaner
• foot soak

Let me elaborate just briefly on a couple of hints. I learned about this being a great makeup remover (especially mascara) from an interview with Ann Curry (of NBC) who was told this secret by her makeup artist. You just dip a cotton swab into the shampoo and rub on eyelashes and wipe away.

To make an even better facial wash/body scrub simple add equal parts baking soda to provide some exfoliating umph. I keep a small body of already mixed baking soda/shampoo in the shower. Trust me if you always keep a bottle of baby shampoo in the shower you'll never panic when you hit the shower and discover you are out of "soap"!

HELP FOR THE SCATTERED & CRAZY BUSY!

Being the ADHD Diva that I am, I need help--sometimes a LOT of help. I spend quite a bit of time on the web looking for "help" that I wouldn't know about otherwise.

I have discovered an absolute godsend! I have a new PERSONAL ASSISTANT, her name is SANDY and she is FREE!

Did that get your attention? It takes a little bit of work on your end, but no more than making five "to-do" lists per day and there is a slight learning curve but totally worth it IMO. Sandy emails me when I tell her to and since I have a Blackberry I get these immediately--it is like having my own secretary! Check her out!

www.iwantsandy.com

Tip of the Day

The Brew of the GODS---COFFEE

Julie and I are both coffee fiends. I may be a little more on the manic side due to living in the Pacific Northwest for two year and being in grad school for many, many, many years where there was always a coffee cart close by.

With rising fuel costs everyone can stand to save a buck. Here are some of my favorite ways to indulge my habit for a fraction of the price.

Iced Coffee Options
I generally brew 4 "cups" (24 ounces) in the morning but sometimes I brew 6 knowing that I will only drink my usual 4--but I never throw the rest away. Why not? Because when I come home in the afternoon I pour it over ice and enjoy an iced cafe au lait. You can also use your left over coffee to make coffee ice cubes that can be used to ice your drinks or to use in the blender to make something frostier. These cubes can also be used in recipes when coffee flavor or instant coffee is called for as an ingredient.

Become your Own Barista
Eight years ago I received a Melitta espresso maker. I had never used this type of machine before (I had used an Italian burner percolator for cafe cubano) and was intimidated at first. Melitta supplied a short video on how to use the machine and the steam frother and a barista was "born". I learned how to make the variations by watching how my own orders were prepared. My coffee pantry has syrups, sprinkles, and 16 ounce to go cups complete with lids. I have tried other espresso makers, but I love my little Melitta (it was purchased at Target) and would recommend it to anyone. Over eight years it has made hundreds of lattes, capuchinos, americanos, cafe au laits, macchiatos, and a mochachino or two.

Coffee Flavor
Do you love flavored coffees but often make regular brew? Here is a trick I learned years ago--drop a life saver or two into your cup and wait for it to melt. Butter Rum is my favorite flavor addition.

Tip of the Day

HOW TO GET RID OF THE DULL

Scissors and blades that is... I can't help you in your personal life if you fall into the hum-drums.

Here are some easy tricks to fixing dull scissors, cut into folded layers of aluminium foil--it really does work. This is a great thing for specialty scissors like pinking shears or scrapbooking . You can also feed some foil through your paper shredder to sharpen the cutting surfaces. I would also recommend following your foil cuts with a similar technique using wax paper which helps to lubricate the surface after sharpening.

Do you find your coffee grinder not doing the job? Put in uncooked rice (any kind will do, but long grain seems to be best) and give it a few seconds in the chopper. You can also use this trick for your blender and your food processor to hone those blades and clean them simultaneously!

So, get to it... CHOP CHOP!

Tip of the Day

Sorry y'all that we've been absent for a week or so. Lots of personal change, family events, and of course the spring holidays have kepts us BUSY!! Believe it or not, Julie and Rebecca volunteered at a local "Easter Egg Hunt" that had 13,000 - 15,000 people in attendance! Rebecca has also gotten a job offer, but more to come on that later when it is in the bag (so to speak).

Okay, on to business....

OIL, OIL, and MORE OIL

Not Texas Tea or the "sweet crude" that costs more than an arm and leg these days, but BABY OIL or BATH OIL. Here are a few uses that you may or may not know that can really make a huge difference in your life.

1. Use a drop or two for your hair--believe it or not this works GREAT for straightening hair! But you have to be very careful to not get too much or you look like you never washed your hair
2. Use a few drops on your stainless sink (or appliances) to shine and fill in any scratches
3. Put a few drops on a clean rag and shine your shoes
4. Spray on tires for an instant shine
5. You can even use it as furniture polish and to help lubricate sticking drawers
6. Use a drop on zippers that stick or seem to get caught

Most baby/bath oils are a mix of natural/mineral oils so these are eco-friendly and work wonders on many items!

Tip of the Day

A Sweet Treat!

Strawberries are hitting their peak here in sunny Floriday and we LOVE our strawberries! We even have a weekend festival devoted to the red juicies (Plant City Strawberry Festival--check it out). Here is an easy way to enjoy your berries with no prep required!

This "recipe" was shared with me by a dear friend from Oklahoma who has fond childhood memories of eating them this way.

After washing strawberries, dip them in sour cream and then brown sugar. Pop them in your mouth and enjoy the taste dichotomy. When I serve this treat everyone gets individual dipping bowls of sour cream and brown sugar.