Travel Tip

Here's a great tip which I have adopted. When traveling take along a pop up hamper. They fold flat and don't take up room in the suitcase, but will help keep the hotel room tidy and all the dirty clothes in one place.

Wrapping Paper Cardboard Tubes and Boots

I should have posted this one right after Christmas. The fat long cardboard tubes from Christmas wrapping paper are great to save if you have tall leather boots. I have a pair of black boots and brown boots I love to wear in the winter with skirts and dresses. When I am not wearing them I put one cardboard tube in each boot, cut to size. Then the boots stay standing upright in the closet and the leather doesn't get creases in it. You can use other things like rolled up newspaper as another option if you don't have the cardboard.

Article on new cleaning uses for common items

Check out this fun article on new uses for common items in your house. My favorite one I want to use is to put coasters in the pantry under sticky items like the honey jar or my bottle of oil. No more messy clean up! Love it!

Weird things to save

I love saving the rubberbands that come on broccoli and celery. For some reason I think those are the best rubberbands ever! They come in handy all the time because they are so thick and stretchy and don't break. I keep them in a little container in the kitchen drawer (see article on baby food containers). Does anyone else do this or think they are great?

House Rules

Here is my version of the House Rules poem. I kind of mixed a few versions together.

If you sleep on it...make it up.
If you wear it...hang it up.
If you drop it...pick it up.
If you eat out of it...wash it up.
If you step on it...wipe it up.
If you open it...close it.
If you empty it...fill it up.
If you fill it up...empty it.
If you spill it...wipe it up.
If you turn it on...turn it off.
If you make it dirty...wash it.
If you have garbage...trash it.
If it whines...feed it.
If it cries...love it.

Earth Day Prize

Email 3 people you know this blog website and then let me know. You will be entered to win a fabulous Earth Day prize worth up to dollars. Post a comment or email me by May 1st.

Refinishing furniture for a great change

I worked on this project about a year ago. This dresser was a piece of furniture Ken had as a child. It was still in very good condition and was solid wood. I just didn't like how it looked in our home. First I removed the wood handles from each drawer and wardrobe portion. The screw holes had to be filled with some wood putty. Second I had to sand the dresser to remove the finish. This is the step that takes the longest. Luckily I have a small electric sander. Then I cleaned and dusted everything off so I could paint the piece. I applied three coats of white paint. Lastly, I attached new hardware to each drawer and the wardrobe.

Refinishing furniture is a fun project. I would recommend starting with something small like an end table or nightstand. Find something at a thrift store or something you have been storing away. This is a good project to do in the garage or outside if it is warm enough.

Ideas for old or mismatched socks

Here are some ideas of things to do with your old socks. Several of the ideas I found on urbanhomemaker.com.

1. Dusting. Old gym socks are great for dusting. Turn them inside out and slip on your hands. They are especially good for dusting the blinds, fan blades, furniture, etc.
2. Shining shoes (this works great and then you can toss the sock after using it a couple of times).
3. Sock puppets (lots of fun for kids).
4. Bean bags.
5. Heated rice bag. Fill a long sock with some rice. Sew the end shut. Then heat the sock in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds. This is great on sore muscles or around the neck as a portable heating pad.
6. Protect breakables when moving.
7. Cut the end off a pair of old socks. When painting, cover your shoes with the socks.
8. Cut off the end of a pair of old socks. When pruning roses or bushes with thorns, cover your arms with the socks. This will keep the thorns from scratching your arms. (Okay, I don't know if I actually would do this. It sounds like a fun idea if you like to look a little odd when doing yard work.)
9. Cleaning gross stuff. One good thing about old socks is if it gets really dirty from cleaning you can just throw it away. Using a sock on anything greasy or grimy (like stuff in the garage) is a good idea.
10. Hanging soap when camping. I've seen this when camping and it works really well. First, take an old pair of nylons and cut off one leg (or use a knee high stocking). Then put a bar of soap in the stocking. The stocking can be tied near the water spigot at the campground which makes it easy to clean your hands when camping. Plus you don't drop the soap on the dirty ground!

If you have any other good ideas for old socks, let me know! I'd like to try it out.

Save zipper bags when you buy new sheets

I like to save the heavy plastic bags that sheets or curtains come in. They have a nice zipper and structured base. These bags are great for traveling. I like to put my conditioner, gel, hairspray, etc. in these bags as they can stand upright on the bathroom counter and will keep any spills away from your clothing. They are also good to keep wet clothing in when traveling.

Another use for hair conditioner

Have you ever bought some conditioner that you tried a couple of times but you just don't like? I read this tip and thought it sounded like a great idea. You can use conditioner to shave you legs when you don't have shaving cream. The added bonus is that it leaves the legs really soft.

Okay, I am all about reusing things, but I also hate clutter. If you have some conditioner that is more than a year or two old, just throw it out. Cosmetics, shampoos, lotions and other toiletries don't last forever. In addition, even if you shave several times a week, it would take years to use up the 10 half used bottles of conditioner you have kept over the years.