 I'm a big fan of the Jello cups but I like to
make my own. Whenever you buy the store made Jello instant cups, wash the cups real good
and save them. Fill them with your own Jello!
Spray containers with cooking spray before putting spaghetti or any tomato sauce in them
to prevent staining.
Royce's grandma (73 yrs) taught me to put a apple slice in your bag of brown sugar to
soften it again. You know that stuff hardens in no time!
She also has taught me this is good with potatoes. Place a slice of apple in the bag and
they won't sprout!
For those odors that don't seem to go away when washing your clothes, pour a 1/2 cup of
vinegar in when you wash them next time.
You can almost always remove lipstick stains on clothing if you rub the stain first with
Vaseline then wash.
Thank goodness we don't have mosquito's or fire ants here but we used to have them real
bad in Texas. I would wash the bites with soap and water, then make a paste of baking soda
and water to rub on bites. Instant relief and doesn't itch as much.
 If you only need part of
a can of tomato paste, spoon the remainder onto a baking sheet in 1 tablespoon amounts.
Freeze until solid and put in a locking plastic freezer bag for adding to sauces and
soups.
Use old nylon stockings to buff up the shine on your candles.
Fill a votive container with an inch of water to help keep the wax from spilling into the
bottom of the container and sticking. Spilled wax will float on the surface of the water
instead.
To save your clothes and maybe even your life, do NOT lean over a burning candle.
 Retired Dryer Fabric
Softener Sheets
* Once you have used the pesky little sheet, a good tip is too use it to clean off the
lint filter in the dryer before you toss it. Here are some other uses:
* If you have a casserole or pan with burned on food, fill with hot water, toss in a
softener sheet for several hours (overnight is fine), and the burned on food will slide
right out.
* Run a needle and thread through the sheet to prevent static from tangling the thread.
* Wipe the television screen, venetian blinds, or any other surface that attracts dust
with a used sheet to reduce the static electricity that attracts dust.
* Place a dryer sheet in a coat pocket to avoid the shock you get when getting in and out
of the car in winter.
* Place a used sheet in luggage, drawers, closets, trash cans, under car seats, and in
your laundry bag or hamper to provide a fresh scent.
* Tuck a used sheet into shoes before placing them in your luggage. Shoes will smell fresh
and you can use the dryer softener sheet to buff shoes and remove dust after wearing.
* Polish chrome to a brilliant shine after cleaning.
* Use it to wrap Christmas ornaments or other fragile things before boxing for storage.
The dryer sheet will protect and you can wipe Christmas ornaments prior to hanging them on
the tree to reduce static electricity and repel dust.
* Wipe car dashboards with a used sheet to shine and repel dust.
* Retired dryer fabric softener sheets have plenty of uses left, so don't waste them. AND
don't use new softener sheets for any of these above purposes.
* Put your RETIRED sheets into an empty tissue box in the laundry room. This way they are
always handy.
*** Making your own fabric sofener sheet ...
Simply take an old washcloth, mist it with 1 part of your favorite fabric softener and 2
parts water, then then toss it in the dryer with the cloths. Re-mist for each new load of
cloths and occasionally launder it when doing towels to remove any softener buildup and
soften the towels at the same time. Keep a little spray bottle handy to use for this
purpose in the laudry room.
 House Hold Hints
According to Mom
One chore every woman hates but must do on Tuesday, is ironing. (Or course you've washed
and line-dried on Monday...) You're going to need a couple of tools to do a proper
ironing. One is an empty 5 cent pop bottle and the other is a little device from the
hardware store that is a cork base with a sprinkler head on it that fits the pop bottle
opening. You fill the bottle with water, insert the sprinkler and you're ready to begin
the first step in ironing, which is to "sprinkle". You sprinkle on the kitchen
table. Spread out those cotton or linen tea towels, table cloths and napkins, hubbie's
shirts, and your house dresses, aprons and lace trimmed hankies, etc and give them all a
light "wetting" with your sprinkler bottle. As you finish sprinkling each piece,
fold it until you have a long narrow shape and then tightly roll it, as you would a
homemade jelly roll cake. Place all those rolled items inside a clean towel or plastic bag
and put them in the "ice box" (that's !
what Grandma called the Frigidare) until you are ready to iron them. (We usually reserved
the bottom shelf for clothes in ours.) Now set up your ironing board and plug in the iron
to pre-heat. You'll know when the iron is hot enough by spitting on your finger and
touching it quickly to the surface of the iron. If it sizzles, and you get a minor burn,
the iron is probably hot enough. You may then begin slaving away over the hot ironing
board, removing one item at a time from the stash in the fridge. Sprinkled clothes can be
kept for several days if properly refrigerated and occasionally given a little extra
sprinkle to keep them fresh and moist, but the conscientious housekeeper makes every
effort to complete her ironing chores on Tuesday, so that she can devote Wednesday to
mopping and waxing the linoleum. This saves neither time nor money, but is just the way
it's done. Oh, and of course you must be sure to schedule your house work so that you have
time to shower, chan!
ge and apply fresh powder and lipstick before hubby comes home and you serve his carefully
prepared dinner!
 Here are a few of my
household hints. I hope they will help you.
1. Put rice in your salt shaker to keep the salt from getting hard.
2. Windex will clean some stains on carpet. Just make sure to test it in an hidden spot.
Windex is also great for getting the sticky residue left by some price tags on frames.
Just spray and let sit a minute.
3. When hubby's shoes smell bad I put a fabric softener in them over night. It actually
works.
4. To make your kitchen sink shine use vinegar. I learned this one from Martha Stewart.
5. For a smelly garbage disposal add a teaspoon of vanilla.
6. Use hairspray on an ink spot.
7. Make a deal with your hubby, I cook...you clean up! When it is your night to clean up,
eat dinner out. :) I know I have more to share, but can't remember them. Guess that's it
for now.
 My household hint:
To reduce the sweetness of prepared frosting and
increase the amount, I blend an 8oz package of Cream
Cheese into a 16oz can of prepared frosting. It enhances
any flavor.
OTHER HINTS
A half a Lemon dipped in Salt will clean copper.
To keep cut flowers fresh longer, add 2T vinegar and 3T
sugar to a quart of warm water.
 After you've boiled
potatoes or eggs, save the water it's nutrient rich. When it's cool use it to water your
house plants!
Sponge your kitchen counters with vinegar to keep the ants away!
Use a dryer softener sheet to wipe your television and computer screens to remove static
electricity!
 I had to do my homework
on this one but let me tell you, this is the topic that I most needed now that I am among
the employed. Here are some ideas that I have found! Hope they help you and me save both
money and time!!
*Start with one week and write down a list of meals and what is going on as far as sports
and other activities.
*Try using "once a month cooking" to stock up your freezer with ready made
meals. That way on those busier nights, you"ll know what you'll really have time to
cook. Once a month cooking, or "oamc" is a wonderful tool you can use and modify
to suit your needs. It is a simple idea, really, of cooking ahead and then preserving your
food using a variety of strategies: freezing, canning, drying, refrigerating.
(I found the following money-saving and time-saving tips and thought they were quite
interesting.)
The Top 10 Relatively Painless Ways to Save Money
1. Forgo one double tall skinny latte each workday.
$2.10 x 197 workdays...$413.70
2. Carpool to work, split monthly parking and gas costs.
$50 x 9 months, plus $1.25 x 197....$696.25
3. Empty your pocket or purse change daily into a jar.
$.40 x 273 days...$109.2
4. Quit smoking 5 packs a week.
$2.95 x 5packs x 39 weeks...$575.25
5. Brown bag one lunch to work a week.
$5 x 39 weeks....$195.00
6. Disconnect cable television.
$20 x 9 months....$180.00
7. Give up extraneous telephone services.
$6.50 caller ID, $2.50 call forwarding x 9 months....$81.00
8. Mow your own lawn.
$50 x 7 months....$350.00
9. Eat one fewer dinner out a month.
$40 for two x 9 months....$360.00
10. Lower/raise furnace/air settings at night, conserve water and electricity.
$.50 x 6 months...$45.00.
Items 1 through 10 add up to $3,005.40
 First some from my mom:
When changing your ironing board cover, use aluminum foil under the pad and cover; it will
reflect the heat and reduce ironing time.
Keep a few trash bags in the bottom of your trash can for replacing when you take out the
trash.
Highlight all numbers that you use from the phone book. It will be easier to find them the
next time you call.
Now, a few of mine:
If you live in a multi-level home, store a set of cleaning supplies on each floor (Windex,
Pledge, etc.) This saves you from transporting these from floor to floor!
To help save time going through your mail, have yourself unlisted from the junk mail
lists. Write to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 9008,
Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008.
 These are the things that
have helped me the most over the years:
1. Keeping a pair of scissors in every room
2. In a kitchen drawer I keep 3 screwdrivers (big, little
and phillips)
hammer & picture hanging brackets (& brads) and a
pair of pliers (for cutting stems on silk flowers &
lots of other things);-)
3. Coat hangers are kept in the laundry room on a
scissor type coat rack. Hanging clothes as they
are taken from the dryer (such as no-wrinkle Dockers)
helps them get to the closet in nicer condition.
4. Simple Green! A terrific bio-degradable cleaner is
the best product! A tablespoon or two in a gallon
of water will clean most anything. It is the only
product that would remove grass & red clay stains on the
boys white baseball uniforms. The other moms always
wanted to know how I got them white again! This is
the product used to clean up the damage done by the
Exxon Valdez; it was even used to remove oil from
the seagulls so they could fly again. ;-)
5. A dryer fabric softener sheet works wonders for dusting
your TV screen and mini-blinds.
Hope these hints are helpful!
 An Oldie but Goodie....
Use peanut butter OR toothpaste to remove gum from the following:
Hair
Furniture
Carpet
409 Cleaner will remove overspray of Hair spray from the following:
Wood Floors
Doors
Counter tops
That's all I can think of right now. Janet
 Try using a small piece
of pine tree to get rid of ants in your house.
A spoonful of sugar will get rid of the hiccups.
 Breakfast Fun for Kids or
Grands
Make smiley face pancakes using the all time kids favorite ... hotdogs. Slice the rounds
to design face & place in batter on grill. The salty taste is yummy with the cake
& syrup & puts an extra smile on kids of all ages.
Cookie Decorative Glaze ~ Best Ever!
1 cup sifted confectioner sugar
2 tsp. milk (adjust to suit)
2 tsp. light corn syrup
A drop or two of cinnamon oil or mint oil
Color if you like
This makes a beautiful glaze on its own or to add decorations to. Becomes firm but not
hard. Again that contrast in taste from the oil is a surprise taste that everyone loves.
(Works great too in frosting for a white cake... my signature when I would do a cake for
someone.)
My Favorite Brown Sugar
Add 1/4 cup molasses to each cup of granulated sugar.
Mix well with fork & wisk. This has such a robust flavor ... way better than
"store bought"!
An admonition from my Grandma ~
It doesn't matter how much goop you put on your face ...Best to be clean & pretty from
the inside!
 Tips from Mom!
Actually, my mom didn't want me in the kitchen when I was living at home...
apparently, I had no skills in there!
But, after my marriage and children, we became close...she shared recipes with
me...but...(and since I didn't have to help clean the house), I knew nothing! It was my
mom that told me about vinegar in water for washing windows...and using old Curity Diapers
for dustcloths! (Now, that's going back a few years!)
 For scratches on table,
take nuts (walnuts, pecans) and break in half and rub their oil into the scratches. Let
sit for about an hour and wipe with a soft cloth..
White water marks on a table? Use mayonaise rub it into the rin let sit for about an hour
and wipe clean with a soft cloth..
Have copper bottom pans that are discolored? Take plain white vinegar pour on the bottom
of the pot and then sprinkle with table salt, needs no rubbing just wash and rinse clean..
Ladies use your fine china and silver ware during the week..... what are you saving it for
use it and enjoy it. I do and am not sorry, every day is a special day in our
house..
House Cleaning Tip:Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in
tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.
House Cleaning Tip:
Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka-Seltzer tablets down the drain
followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar - Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.
Much cheaper than Drano!
here is My Household hint For Dusting:
1/4 Cup Vineger & 1/2 Teaspoon of Olive Oil & Water
The Vinegar pulls out the Dirt just Great & The Olive Oil replaces the Oil in The
Wood.
 Great Window
Cleaning Solution!
My mom didn't give me this recipe, but an older friend did, years ago. It is
wonderful for washing windows with a squeegie - I make it all the time.
Mix together - 2 Gallons of water, small bottle rubbing alcohol, 1/4 cup ammonia,
and a couple drops of dish soap (be sure to add last, as you don't want to create foam).
|
