* "The first time we painted the walls in our house, one of us had stepped in some paint while wearing socks and, not realizing it, had tracked some paint on the carpet. Since then, we always go barefoot when painting, since we can feel it if we step in paint and can clean it off before it gets tracked around the house." -- M.M. in Florida
* "If you have leftover bits of fabric that is pretty or still useful, save it in a box or bag for other projects. You can use fun fabric scraps to patch kids' clothes or for doll clothing. They also can be used to make sachets or for gift decoration. Quilters might appreciate these scraps for their projects." -- E.D. in Massachusetts
* "When threading a needle, spray the end of the thread with hairspray to make it stiffer and to hold the fibers together." -- O.A. in New Mexico
* It's important to clean your exterior windows and screens at least yearly, and many people do this in the spring. Here's a good way to make putting those clean screens back up a little easier.
* Plastic shower curtains make a wonderful dropcloth for under a highchair. If your little darling is into flinging food, it's especially helpful for cleanup.
* "Did you overdo it on credit? Give yourself a 'cool-off' period by freezing your charge cards into a block of ice. Now, when you want to buy something on credit, you will have to go home to your freezer to get the card and wait for it to thaw, buying you time to really make the right decision. It won't affect the card at all." -- A.L. in Georgia
* "If you get crayon on wallpaper, try this trick: Hold a paper towel or white cloth up to the crayon and iron over it on the low setting. Or heat the crayon marks with a hair dryer, then wipe off the wax." -- V.R. in Minnesota
* Puzzles are a great activity for sick children, since it's quiet and not physically taxing. To make a moveable workspace right on the bed, use a large piece of cardboard. Wrap a piece of fabric around it and pin or duct tape it to make it tight. The puzzle pieces will stay put on the fabric.
* "To keep my shower curtain from blowing around at the bottom, I used clear packing tape to attach a few large washers along the bottom edge. They weigh down the plastic so it hangs straight." -- T.V. in Maryland
* To make a temporary draft buster for a drafty door or windowsill, roll a small bath towel and secure with safety pins or tuck it into the leg of a pair of pantyhose or tights. Then lay it along the crack at the door or on the windowsill. Install proper weatherstripping as soon as you can.
* "If you like chunk cheese, use this tip to keep it from molding: Wrap it very tightly in plastic wrap, then cover with aluminum foil. No light and no air!" -- a Reader, via e-mail
* Finally found: A fantastic cure for foggy windows. Get a chalkboard eraser, which can be found at an office-supply store, and keep it in your car. When windows fog up and you can't wait for the defroster, use the chalkboard eraser. It works better than a cloth and is easy to hold in your hand.
* "When cutting Christmas wrapping paper, I open my adjustable dining-room table just a crack so a paring knife fits in. Then lay the paper flat, and by following the crack, you can cut a straight line, and it is so quick to do." -- H.H. in Minnesota
* "To substitute for sprinkles on cupcakes at Christmastime, we freeze gumdrops and shred them on a fine shredder. They are so pretty, and really festive." -- B., via e-mail
* "We let the kids decorate our holiday storage tubs last year with a mass of stickers and permanent markers. It seemed like decoration overkill at the time (they were 3 and 5), but there was no mistaking those tubs when we went to get them from the attic this year. They stood WAY out!" -- T.C. in Tennessee
* You can get baskets and containers year-round at second-hand stores. And while you're at it, clean and save glass jars. Get yourself a nice bread, cookie or brownie recipe, and create a recipe gift for a personal touch. Stick a few utensils and perhaps canned ingredients in the basket, and you're ready to give the gift of yummy.
* "Crumpled foil makes an excellent pot scrubber. It works in both metal dishes and in glass casserole dishes. Just wad it up and use it as you would a scrubbie." -- J.H. in Oregon
* To freshen a musty dishwasher, add a quarter-cup of lemon juice to the soap dispenser and run it empty on the hottest cycle. To ensure the hottest water, run water at the kitchen tap until hot just before you start the dishwasher.
* "If you go camping with kids, here's a fun way to identify your campsite: Bring several brightly colored helium-filled balloons with you and attach them to the top of the tent. It will be easier to find your tent when coming back from the facilities or hikes." -- P.L. in Louisiana
* "My digital camera eats up batteries, so I always have a spare pair. Did you know that some breath-mint containers are the perfect size to hold two AA batteries?
* "To save water when hand-washing dishes, I clean silverware together, all at one time. I toss it into a colander as I scrub. Then, I rinse the whole lot at the same time. This saves quite a bit of water." -- P.E. in New York
* " When using metal vegetable/soup cans for storage: File the rim to get off any sharp burrs, and then dip the rim in melted wax for a protected surface. No metal "paper cuts." You can even hot-glue multiple cans of various sizes together for a mail sorter!
* If you have to work on one of your pipes, and you need it to be dry so you can solder, use a piece of bread to plug up the pipe. Take the center of a slice of white bread, and ball it up. Stick it up the pipe and make your repair. Join the pipes together and then let the water run briefly. The bread breaks down fairly quickly and washes away.
* "I keep a pants hanger (the type with two clips) in the bathtub to hang up my bathmat. I can turn the hook portion of the hanger so that it's going over the towel rack, and the mat drips dry.
* "If you are making cookies with raisins, do yourself a favor and
soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes prior to using. I had
never done this before, and my sister-in-law suggested it. It makes
such a difference. The raisins get plump and juicy." -- A Reader, via
e-mail from Minnesota
* "I'm always looking for ways to
jazz up recipes for chicken, since we eat it so much. I like to bread
chicken cutlets in different things, and a suggestion from a friend
that I recently tried was delicious! To add flavor to chicken
breading, use a tablespoon of a dry seasoning packet, such as one for
making Italian or ranch dressing. They have a lot of flavor and really
change the taste of fried chicken." -- R.L. in Tennessee
*
"While tooling about the neighborhood with the little ones in their
wagon one evening, we decided that the wagon needed some taillights.
We made a loop out of duct tape, plucked a couple of our solar-powered
landscape lights and stuck them in the loops. Now if we go out in the
evening, we just grab a couple of the landscape lights and put them in
the loops. We are adding additional loops for trick-or-treating." --
A.C.M. in Florida
* If you've moved, you might have a
mountain of now-outdated address labels. You can use them to close
freezer paper for storing meat packages -- just use them like
stickers. Also, you can use a thick permanent marker to write a date
on them for other packages in the freezer.
* To make a great place for face cloths and even books in your bathroom, install a window box on the inside. Find a window box that will fit on the ledge and secure it in place. Bathroom windows usually are small, and it's a great place to stash stuff and keep it out of the way.
* "Some restaurants have really durable kid cups that come with a kids' meal. We tend to save these, like most parents. I have several in the car, washed and stacked with their lids. I've also stashed some individually wrapped straws with them. Whenever we go to the park, we can pull them out and fill them at the water fountain. It's really convenient, and we don't feel bad if they need to get trashed or we lose track of them." -- T.C. in Texas
* To protect a boo-boo that's on an awkward spot on your finger, cut the finger off a rubber glove and wear it. It can help to keep a slipping bandage in place, and if you secure it with waterproof tape, you can keep your wound dry.
* Do you have drawers that stick? If they're made of wood, just grab a candle and rub the side over the tops of both rails. The wax provides just the right amount of lubrication to keep those drawers sliding in and out without a fight!
* "To cover the blades of our kids' ice skates when we transport them in the car, my husband cut a section of garden hose that is a little longer than the blade. Then he slit it down the side. We just slip one on each skate, and it protects the blade, as well as anything the blade might run into in the trunk." -- I.L. in Minnesota
* S.L. in Illinois writes: "Here is my tip. When closing a plastic bag, use a clip-type wooden clothespin with a metal frame. It holds much better than a twisty, and takes less time and effort to use."
* To get rid of mascara on clothing, try this trick: Use the dull side of a knife to flake any dried bits away. Moisten stained area and rub it with a bar of soap. Rub the area between your fingers and rinse. Repeat until stain is gone.
* Go Green Tip: Even I am guilty of loving the big box stores, but for a nice gift alternative, check out your local farmers' market. Stalls are popping up with locally made treasures and handcrafts. Avoid the long lines and pick up something special while supporting your local craftspeople.
* Keep those special chains and necklaces untangled. Slip them through a drinking straw and then fasten the clasp. The chain will stay straight, and you can store many together this way.
* "Have you forgotten what you gave your friends or relatives on birthdays/Christmas/holidays? Simply use your calendar on the appropriate day, making a note of what and to whom you gave a gift. Where Easter/Christmas has a long list, there is usually space at the top or bottom of the page of the month." -- P.B. in British Colombia, Canada
* M.S. in Missouri writes: "If you are short a serving tray, use a large enough piece of cardboard and wrap it up in aluminum foil. You also can use holiday boxes lined with a coordinating-color tea towel to serve breads."
* "I love to cut coupons that might look like a good deal. Sometimes, when I get to the store, I find that I would do better with the store brand. However, some people love certain brands, so I always leave the coupon with the item if I know I'm not going to use it. I'm always happy to share!" -- A.J. in Missouri
* "You can create new Christmas postcards from last year's holiday cards. Print out a postcard template on adhesive paper and cut out matching-size pieces from the fronts of cards you received in the past. Write your message (or add it to the template before you print it), address and go. The biggest bonus is the price difference between first-class mail and postcards." -- P.C. in Minnesota
* "When making your favorite holiday cookie recipe, try this trick (if you can): Drop dough by spoonfuls on a small broiler sheet (or a plate covered with aluminum foil), then freeze. When frozen, the balls can be broken up and stored in a freezer-safe bag. To make a few cookies at a time, you can take them out and cook from frozen. It's magic." -- C.B. in Indiana
* - High on my list of household aggravators is a pile of junk mail. Get a good-quality shredder and utilize it right away. Piles of paper invite dust to form. Don't let junk mail in, and it will never overstay its welcome.
* - After you've given your shower a good cleaning, apply some car wax to the shower walls. It will repel water and keep mildew at bay. Also, give a nice coating of petroleum jelly to door tracks. It will keep them in tiptip sliding shape.
* - "Use a clothespin to clip a milk carton closed. This works on small containers of cream and orange juice as well. It will help keep the milk from absorbing any odors from items stored near it. This has worked for me for years. I use lactose-free milk, and it only comes in a carton." -- E.M. in Oregon
* - Here's another clip tip: Try using a chip clip to hang a mesh bag in the shower for bath toys. If you find a clip that has a hole in one part of the handle, you can attach it to a curtain ring. The chip clip has better coverage, since it's wider than a standard clothespin.
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* "Save some Halloween candy for making cookies or decorating pies
throughout the holidays. Put it in the freezer. Small candy bars are
great for adding to brownies. Caramels and chocolate chews can be
melted to add to cookies as well. It's better than the kids eating it
all in one go, and they can anticipate the holidays to come." -- I.S.
in Illinois
* Cabbage leaves go limp in the freezer, making
them easier to roll. This tip is especially good to know if you are
making cabbage rolls or stuffed cabbage.
* "Defog your
bathroom mirror with shaving cream. If you are constantly wiping the
steam away from the mirror to shave, try this old trick. Rub a healthy
amount of shaving cream on the mirror surface, then wipe away with a
towel. You can rub it with newspaper to get the cream off, but don't
clean it with glass cleaner. The next time you shower or shave at the
sink, the fog just won't accumulate!" -- B.G. in Idaho
* To keep moisture in a cake that has been cut, secure a slice of
bread to the cut sides with toothpicks. This will eliminate the need
to slice off a bit of the cake to get rid of the dried-out portion. It
works well for most types of cakes.
* Pick up an old spice
rack at a garage sale and use it to store art supplies. The ones that
spin are really cool and can hold many different items.
*
"If you're thinking about sewing a Halloween costume, start looking
through the remnant section of your fabric store for good deals. This
is especially true if you have little ones to sew for. You can find
small but valuable pieces of good, fun fabrics at a great price cut."
-- W.E. in Missouri
* Here's another tip from M.W. in
Saskatchewan, Canada: "Moth balls repel bees and wasps, cats, mice,
skunks, raccoons and deer." Too true!
* "My son loves to
bring his little cars with him, but he has a habit of mixing them with
other kids' cars. We used a bright color of nail polish to make a mark
on the underside of each of his cars. Now there's no argument -- he
knows which are his." -- P.L. in Connecticut
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