Archive for the ‘Household Tips’ Category

My apartment has a lot of BIG, BLANK, WHITE walls. You know the kind, you look at them and wonder, “What in the world am I going to put there?”. Not only do I lack creativity in the decorating department but I also needed something that I could actually afford. Items big enough that I have looked at were easily a few hundred dollars.

With a combination of inspiration and ingenuity, Modern Wall Graphics was established, and with it a new way of thinking about home decor. They are about spreading the love…love of design…and making great designs available to everyone, regardless of age or artistic or technical ability. They hope you enjoy their product and with it, find the designer within yourself. They are here to serve you and your style needs, and they value your opinion.

I have used a similar product in the past from another company and while I was happy with the product, putting it up was really difficult. As you can see below, putting up my Wall Slick was so easy that Royal helped! The Neu Tree wall decal sticker that I selected came out just gorgeous on my wall. The light style wall decal adds natural depth and detail to the once plain white wall.

It comes in a few sections. I thought it was going to be one giant deal which would be a real pain. You can see from the images how each section shows up. It is also virtually seamless looking. You can not tell unless you put your face right up to the wall where each additional add-on piece is. All of their proprietary wall decal styles are 100% removable adhesive vinyl wall stickers, with a peel and stick application, and customizable for a unique look all your own. Most styles of graphics are available in many sizes, pack sizes, and up to 40 different colors.

Check it out….

RULES: For Bonus Entries, if you do not leave the link to your Facebook profile so I can verify you “liked” I will not count your entry. Twitter entries must include a link to your Tweet. Tweets must be spaced no less than 60 mins apart. I need to be able to verify all entries! When blogging, giveaway must be listed in a NEW blog post for the day of your entry, not added to an old one.

These are just a few things that I have come across that I found helpful and had to pass along!

1. Kill bacteria on the inside of unfinished wooden toys by putting them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

2. Wooden toys can be wiped with a damp sponge but dry them immediately to avoid damage. Don’t soak them!

3. Clearing out clutter is a non-toxic way to prevent pest, dust mite & mold problems.

4. Bath toys are a breeding ground for bacteria & mold, especially those with holes in the bottom! (I HATE THESE!) Once a week throw bath toys in the dishwasher or submerge them for a few minutes in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts hot water.

5. To reduce mosquito breeding around your house, plant scented geraniums, lemon thyme, marigold, tansy, citrosa plants, sweet basil and/or sassafras. We have bad mosquitos in our yard so this is a great tip!

6. Relieve the itch from those pesky bug bites with an onion! Who knew that the sulfur in onions neutralizes the chemicals that cause the itch. Slice a yellow onion in half and rub one of the cut sides on the bite. The itching should stop immediately.

Guest post by Neil Street, marketing consultant for Sara Glove Company

We’ve all experienced something like this. Just when you least expect it, the lights go off, the heat goes out, the stove shuts off, the computer screen goes blank. It’s happened again. The power has gone out. And the worst part? You have no idea when it will come back on.

I don’t know how many power outages occur every year in the United States, but it must be in the tens of thousands. Here in my New England town, we have lost power 3 or 4 times already this year, and it’s only July. During the worst outage, resulting from a storm in March, some people were without power for 5 days. This is not fun. This is a serious inconvenience, and depending on the situation, sometimes downright dangerous.

It seems that natural disasters are occurring more frequently. Every year, thousands of families are impacted by weather-related events, ranging from wintery blizzards that trap people in their cars or homes, to spring flooding that can fill basements and living areas, to summer thunderstorms and tornadoes that bring down power lines and sometimes wipe out entire communities. When you have small children at home, the problems associated with natural disasters can be even more inconvenient or dangerous.

There are several steps you can take to protect yourself and your family in the event of a power outage or worse. One of the most basic steps is to put together an Emergency Preparedness Kit.

The kit can be modified to fit your own situation. You may also want to keep smaller versions of the kit at your workplace and in your auto.

- Food and water. FEMA recommends storing enough for 3 days for each person. The water can be kept in store-bought containers. Store non-perishable foods. Good choices include canned goods with high liquid content, whole grain cereals, and salf-free crackers. Do not store salty food that can make you thirsty.

- First aid kit. Be familiar with the contents, and how to use them.
- Paper plates and plastic cutlery. Water for washing dishes may be scarce.
- Several flashlights, with extra batteries.
- Battery-operated radio.
- Several days supply of any necessary medications.
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items
- Cell phone with car charger
- Small amount of extra cash
- List of emergency and family contact numbers
- Emergency blankets
- Back up eyeglasses if used
- Manual can opener
- A whistle
- Towels
- Sleeping bags
- Stuff for the kids. Feeding supplies for babies, and some games and books to keep small children occupied
- Extreme weather gear. Hats, scarves, gloves,  rain ponchos, boots, jackets. Store clothing consistent with your climate.
- Any other items specific to your family needs.

Check and maintain your emergency preparedness kit every year, removing food items that are past their sell-by date, and making sure to have age-appropriate food for growing kids.

I received this in an email this morning and thought I would share! Coffee filters… who knew! And you can buy 1,000 at the dollar store!

• Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.

• Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters are lint-free so they’ll leave windows sparkling.

• Protect China . Separate your good dishes by putting a coffee filter between each dish.

• Filter broken cork from wine.  If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

• Protect a cast-iron skillet.  Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

• Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

• Recycle frying oil.  After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

• Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

• Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

• Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent. The soil from going through the drainage holes.

• Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

• Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows?  Use strips of coffee filters.

• Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. Soaks out all the grease.

• Keep in the bathroom. They make great “razor nick fixers.”