I Got Some Help On These....

Below are a bunch of solutions that were sent to me for blog by my fans and supporters, basically my family. Or really, just my family. 

*Pack boxes with old plastic bags

You've probably got a stash of plastic bags somewhere in your house. Use them to cushion items your mailing or to fill in empty space in boxes. It's an free alternative to pricey bubble-wrap—just don't try this with fragile items.

*Remove crayon marks with WD-40

The next time your little one goes wild writing on your walls, don't stress! Instead pull out WD-40. This household product, that you usually use to stop squeaky hinges, also works brilliantly in removing crayon marks from most surfaces. Simple spray and wipe crayon right off. (You may also want to wipe surface with a soapy rag to remove any oil residue.)

*Clean your toilet with Alka Seltzer

So you're having friends for dinner in 20 minutes, and you've just noticed your grimy toilet? No worries, drop in a couple of tablets Alka Seltzer, leave for ten minutes then easily wipe scum away! The fizzing action of Alka Seltzer works as a powerful cleaning agent, so you don't have to get your hands dirty.

Alka Seltzer

*Use dryer sheets to freshen stinky shoes

Good News: You're making good on your promise to hit the gym every day. Bad news: You're running shoes and gym bag smell to high heaven!

Until you can give them a good wash this weekend, air out those bad boys by stuffing dryer sheets in them and leaving over night. The sheets will absorb the odor so you can hit the gym tomorrow, odor free!

Just in time for the holidays! 

Now all the tubes I save have another purpose....
My roommates hate this

I usually colored my keys with permanent marker
but after a while it would rub off, so this was a
long term solution.

Don't know about this one, but it's worth a shot.

YES YES YES
This completely and totally works!  My nails always get
destroyed trying to open the ring, so I was very excited about
this one!

The Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

 

 Happy Holidays to all! 

The season is upon us, and has actually been staying quiet warm.  I made someone promise me that we would go cut down a real Christmas Tree this year, and so did some research on real tree etiquette and impacts of real vs. artificial trees and lived to tell the tale via blog. 

The basic ideas of keeping a tree nice and healthy while in your house is to:
1. Water it.
2. Water it some more.
3. Do not keep it by any major source of heat like a vent or tv.
4. Before putting it into the stand make a fresh cut from the trunk so it is willing and able to drink.
5. Light and decorate.

Here are some of the websites that helped/is helping me with the care of my lovely Balsam fur.

>Handy Watering Tricks. 

>This one was to make a homemade tree stand consisting of a bucket, sand, and water which I was not brave enough to do, but for those are possibly could be, here you go!

>I had also heard that vodka in your stand is a great way to preserve it, and make it live a little bit longer for the holiday season, but after doing some googling, that is actually the opposite of what it does. An e-how about that. 

>Lastly, this was a neat watering system if you were willing to do a little DIY, and hate bending over to fill it with water.  http://www.ehow.com/how_7228542_diy_-christmas-tree-watering-system.html

 Real Vs. Fake

One of the biggest struggles that I had was whether it was good to go cut down a tree every year, or to use the artificial tree we already had. What to do! So I went to the internet again and found out that yes, cutting down a tree is taking away a tree from the environment, but the plastic that artificial trees are made from are not great either. Don't get me wrong, I also have a fake tree, but here was a great article explaining it.  The plastic is basically non-biodegradable and non-recyclable and will therefore sit in a landfill for a VERY long time. 

The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer Is To Sing It Loud For All To Hear!