Clever Tricks for Getting and Keeping Your Home Liveable

Notice I didn't say clean in the title? I'm a firm believer that if your house is always absolutely perfect, then you probably are missing the important things in your life, like spending time with your family, and that kids are missing out on being kids. I'm not a perfect housekeeper, and there are days when my daughter makes a mess of the whole living room with her toys or days when my coupons take over the table. I try to only do laundry once or twice a week. How do I do that? We have enough whites and colors to last two weeks, and we rewear our jeans and khakis (they're meant to be worn that way). Also, by waiting to have full loads of laundry, we cut back on the energy and water used to wash them. I try to keep the main living area (kitchen, family room, and dining room) presentable, but worry less about bedrooms and the office because not too many people go in there, ya know?

First, here's a resource for getting your house to a maintainable level and being able to keep it. It is called Fly Lady. She can really help you to develop habits that you can then keep.

Second, the best way to avoid total chaos is to organize your house in the first place. If everything has a home, it's a lot easier to put it away. That also means purging anything you don't want or need from your life.

Third, try to follow the touch it once rule. For example, when you get the mail from the mail box immediately sort the junk into the recycling, the bills where you pay bills, file the things you need to file, and anything you need to do put in your to-do pile. This keeps the mail from piling up all over the place.

Fourth, try never to leave a room empty handed. Chances are there is something in the room you are in that belongs in the room you are going to, so you might as well take it with you.

Fifth, decide how often things need to be done around the house based on your family's needs and situations. If you have kids, you may need to do things more often. Perhaps you only need to run the dishwasher every few days instead of everyday. Maybe you're really good at eating your leftovers, so cleaning out the fridge only needs to be done occasionally.

Finally, come up with your own housekeeping plan based on that. It doesn't have to be fancy or even day specific. Perhaps you just need a list of things that need to be done every week, and you choose one to do whenever you have a chance, or you like to have specific things to do each day. Remember, what works best is what works for you, and that you will keep up with.

Remember to keep it simple. Your home is your home, not a museum, it's supposed to look like people live there. There will be dust, there will be dirt, there will be fingerprints, and there will be clutter at times. Like I said before, I'd rather spend time with my family or spend some time for myself then making sure my house looks immaculate, besides if anybody puts a white glove to your house, you probably shouldn't be friends with them. LOL.

Clever Tricks from Readers for Greening Your Life

Recently I did a giveaway, and one of the entries was to share a green tip. I loved them so much I thought I would share with you some of the tips that were left.

• When you're waiting for the water to heat up, don't let the water go down the drain. We collect it and use it to water our garden. -Elizabeth
• Try to save all the food you would normally throw into the garbage! Instead, compost it and use it to feed your garden! This not only nourishes the garden, but helps send less to the landfill! -Lindsey
• Use cloth faux paper towels and napkins. Cuts on waste and we just throw them in the wash with our clothes. -Tristan
• Use canvas bags when shopping! Leave the plastic behind and if you do use them - recycle them at Publix or Walmart or wherever they have plastic bag recycle bins. -Mary
• I love my cloth diapers and I wash them in my high efficiency machine and then dry them on a drying rack so that I use less energy by not drying them AND the sun naturally bleaches out any stains! What a great bonus! -Samantha
• Clean with vinegar whenever possible, instead of a bunch of chemicals. You can use it to clean almost anything! -Kelli
• Re-usuable snack bags! We used to go through soo many ziploc bags! -Sarah
• My favorite "green" tip is use less and recycle more! -Bethany
• Your green tip here! Comment below and I will add it to the list.

Here's my green tip for today: Reuse things as much as possible, almost everything has a second life after it's first use. :-)

Clever Tricks for Dealing with Weeds

The other day I saw this wonderful article on my homepage, and thought it would be great to share with you. Since it's warm out now, it's time to work on our lawns and gardens, and one of the most tricky things is dealing with weeds. Check-out the article for a list of 10 homemade ways to deal with weeds. I'm all for the natural ways to deal with things, as I just don't like the idea of using tons of chemicals in the places where my daughter plays. I also love the last idea about just living with it. Some weeds it's worth it to get rid of, but I see plenty of ground cover weeds that I actually think look pretty as they have pretty little flowers on them, and they seem to grow where our grass just does not want to.

Does anyone else have any tips for dealing with weeds or gardens in general? I'd love to hear them! Comment below and I may use them in a future post.

Kids Stuff New Uses

A few friends of mine posted this wonderful link on Facebook, and I loved so many of the ideas on there that I'd thought I'd share. We've discussed some of these ideas before like the baby food jars as touch-up paint jars, egg cartons as paint palette, and plastic eggs as snack containers, but there are tons of other creative ideas on there.

My favorites:

• Bean bag animals as ice packs
• Lemonade Kool-aid as dishwasher cleaner
• Paper tubes as Lincoln logs
• Dishrack as art supply organizer
• Changing table as potting bench (The opposite is true as well...)

What did you see that you liked? Do you have ideas on turning kids stuff into everyday stuff or everyday stuff into kids stuff? Share it below!

New Uses for Dryer Lint

While searching for new items for this segment, I came across this great list of ways to reuse dryer lint. I've personally done the fire starters before, but there are a bunch of ideas there.

Check it out here.

Just goes to show pretty much everything can have a second use.

New Uses for Business Cards

With the digital age we are in, business cards aren't as necessary as they used to be. Or perhaps you ordered a large box, only to end up changing positions. So what can you do with all those business cards? Here's a few ideas to get you thinking.

• Use them as bookmarks. I'm always losing my bookmarks...
• Use them for crafts
• Build card houses and castles out of them. (Like playing cards)
• Use them to level wobbly furniture
• Use them to make labels for various things (like making tabs for hanging folders...)
• Use them to clean tiny crevices
• Use them to get organized.
• Make confetti out of them.
• Noisemakers for bike wheels.
• Scrap paper for lists, notes, reminders, etc.
• Create a game using the clean side, or play memory with them by trying to match like businesses.
• Use them to make flashcards for kids

Do you have any uses for old business cards? Share them below, and I'll add them to the list.

New Uses for Toiletries

I stumbled across this post, while searching for ideas for this weeks post. Instead of reinventing the wheel, I just figured I'd share it with you. :-)

One of my favorites is the hair conditioner as shaving cream. I've done this for years and it works great, and even if you buy the cheap kind it's usually cheaper than shaving cream.

I've done a whole post on clear nail polish in the past, so you can check that out here if you want to know more about it.

Check-out the article for ideas ranging from lip balm to eye shadow and everything in between.

New Uses for Plastic Margarine/Butter/Yogurt Containers

A lot of food we eat comes in plastic containers. Just think about it. Spreadable butter, margarines, sour cream, cream cheese, dips, yogurt, hummus, and even some cheeses like feta or cheese spreads. That's a lot of plastic. Here's some handy tips on what you can do with it.

• Sorting and organizing. Many of these tubs are great for storing the pieces to a board game or keeping the puzzle pieces you just sorted seperate, or for storing all sorts of things like paper clips, beads, etc.
• Use it for painting. We used them for the edging in portion of painting rooms, or you can use them for small painting projects, or for painting with the kids.
• Make it into a piggy bank. Decorate, cut a slit in the top, and voila a fun way to save money.
• Pet food storage. Great for traveling with pet, and you can also use them as a water bowl on the go. I also use a large container for storing pet food in my 72-hour kit.
• Seed starters. These little containers are great for starting some seeds, just be sure to drill some holes in the bottom first.
• Paint them and use them as gift baskets for various holidays. Great for giving to your kids friends with candy inside or some other yummy treat.
• Use them in bathroom drawers to keep like things together and clean (like cotton balls).
• Create a travel sewing, first aid, or other kit in them. They can fit easily in glove boxes, diaper bags, or under a seat.
• Turn them into scoops. You can use them in the big bag of cat food or they can be lots of fun in a kiddy pool or sandbox (or even the beach, they'd be great for castles!)
• Donate them. Lot's of schools, day cares, churches, etc. use them for arts and crafts projects.
• Recycle them. Not all cities do, but a lot do recycle them.

That's just some of the many uses for them! If you have an idea for a use, please share below, and I will add it to the list.

And a word of warning, which you can follow or not, the type of plastic that these containers are made out is not meant to be heated, in fact microwaving them can leach chemicals from the plastic into the food. So while it may seem like a good idea to make them into your personal tupperware collection, it's really not that wise of an idea. Besides you can get plastic containers fairly cheap, and it's sooo much easier when you can see your leftovers in your container. ;-)

New Uses for Wire Hangers

You're not supposed to use wire hangers for clothes because they can damage them (I'll admit it, I still use them), but sometimes you end up with many more than you actually need. So what do you do with them? Check-out the list below for some ideas.

• Cut it into pieces with a wire cutter, and use it to "staple" a soaker hose into place in the garden
• Untwist it and use it to adjust angles on the air vent or use it to retrieve items that have fallen under or behind the refridgerator or other heavy objects (like those socks that fell behind the dryer).
• Make it into a giant bubble wand.
• Use it to remove static cling. Just rub the long straight side over your skirt to remove static.
• Turn it into a shoe hanger by turning the two ends up.
• Unlock the door on an older car. (This won't work on most newer cars)
• Unclog drains. Untwist the hanger and go fishing around in the drain to pull out an ubstruction.
• Make a mobile for a baby's room. (Could be a fun project for an older sibling.)
• Use it to make a plate hanger.
• Use to make a hanging basket for plants.
• Use it to unlock bedrooms doors. (If you have the push lock kind)
• Use them for roasting marshmallows or hotdogs over a camp fire or fire pit.
• Build a kite with them
• Use them to make plant markers for your garden
• Lots of arts and crafts including wire Christmas trees and wreaths.

Do you have a use for wire hangers? Share below, and I will add it to the list.

New Uses for Junk Mail

We all get junk mail, whether we solicited it or not. Check out the list below for a list of things you can do with it.

• Read it. LOL. No, but seriously there are sometimes good coupons in junk mail. Yes even the valpaks and such. Take 5 seconds to scan it.
• Use it for animals. Works just like newspaper a lot of the time. Line a cat box, shred for a hamster cage, etc.
• Use it to ship something. Larger things can wrap valuables, smaller to fill in extra space.
• Scrap paper. The white letter paper (from a realtor or local business) can be turned over to print coupons on. :-)
• Make new paper from it. There's tons of advice on how to do this, just do a google search to find it.
• Use the envelopes to write your shopping list on (and then you can store the coupons inside)
• Let your toddler or small child color or paint on it. They generally don't care that there's already something written on it.
• Use catalogs and ads for kids projects or educational games.
• Use the mail to let your kids play post office with.
• Crafting. This website has a ton of stuff you can purchase, but they also have diy section.
• And of course, if all else fails recycle it.

Do you have idea for junk mail? Share below and I will add it to the list!

New Uses for Old Jeans

While jeans are pretty sturdy in nature, sometimes they wear out, we rip them, or we grow out of them. Here's a list of things you can do with those old jeans.

• Make potholders
• Make a quilt
• Save them to patch other jeans
• Use them for a scarecrow.
• Protect your cell phone, iphone, or ipod. 
• Make book covers or a fun photo album.
• Photo Frame
• Make a tote bag.
• Make an apron.
• Turn pants into capris or shorts.
• Make rice bags by cutting off part of the leg and sewing the two open ends.
• Sew pockets to a piece of fabric to make a wall organizer
• Make dog toys.
• Insulate your home.
• Use as a cleaning cloth.
• Here are a bunch of ideas for the home.

Do you have an idea for old jeans, share them below, and I will add to the list!

New Uses for Plastic Easter Eggs

With Easter just happening this past Sunday, you probably have a few plastic Easter eggs around. Bet you didn't guess they have tons of other uses. Here's a list of things you can do with those eggs, after eating the candy of course.

• Store pantyhose.
• Store necklaces to keep them from tangling together, would be great for travel as well.
• Make a duck. Or really there are tons of crafts out there to use them. Or you can just decorate them to make fancy eggs for next year.
• Use them to store homemade play-doh
• Fill with potpourri  and poke holes in it to use as an air freshener.
• Use it to make garland, that you can use to decorate next year.
• Store beads in them for crafting, for extra organization match the color on the outside to the beads on the inside.
• Use them for kids to learn counting, colors, etc.
• Instead of messy eggs during an egg race (where you hold the egg on the spoon) or egg toss, use plastic eggs. If they drop it they are out.
• Use half an egg to scoop sand at the beach.
• Store spare buttons in them.
• Pack some thread, needle, and a button in there for a travel sewing kit.
• Make rice krispie eggs
• Store snacks in them for the lunch box or diaper bag.
• Make egg shakers. Just fill them with rice, beans, or beads and use them as a musical instrument. (You can hot glue gun the pieces together, to make it more permanent).
• Donate them. Many churches and community groups put on Easter egg hunts, and would gladly accept donations of your eggs.
• Save them for next year. Don't waste money buying eggs year after year, just save them.

If you have any ideas for Easter Eggs, share below and I will add it to the list.

New Uses for Cooking Spray

Cooking spray is a wonderful thing that makes for less work in cleaning up, but also has less calories than butter, oil, or shortening that you could use. However, that cooking spray can also be a handy helper in other ways. Check out the list below for more helpful ideas.

• Grating Cheese. It takes less work to grate (and makes the grater easier to clean) if you spray it with cooking oil first.
• Preventing tomato stains on your tupperware. Spray the container first to prevent stains.
• Debugging your car. Spray the grille with cooking spray and wipe.
• Lubricate a bicycle chain.
• Lubricate the hinge on a door.
• Remove paint and grease from your hands by coating it with cooking spray and then work it in. Wash again with soap and water.
• Dry nail polish. Spray the nail polish with cooking oil.
• Moisturize your hands. Oil (not just cooking spray) is a great moisturizer for your hands (and body)!
• Spray fishing line so the line will cast easier.
• Spray the underside of your mower to keep grass from sticking.
• Spray your shovel before shoveling snow.
• Spray your car wheels after cleaning them to prevent build-up of brake dust and debris from the road.
• Spray it on keys to make them enter the lock better.
• Spray cleats before a game so grass and mud doesn't stick.
• Spray the bottom of a sled or inner tube for a faster slide in the snow.
• Coat measuring cups and spoons to help sticky foods (like honey or peanut butter) come out easier.
• Spray your satellite dish to keep snow from piling on it.

Do you have any new uses for cooking oil? Comment below and I will add them to the list!

New Uses for Dental Floss

Dental floss has a lot of surprising uses because it is quite durable! Of course the best use for dental floss is cleaning those pearly whites, and avoiding huge expenses at the dentist. Since it is one of those things that goes on sale often, and you can get it free, I figured I'd give you a few uses for it!

• Cutting cheese or cakes (or cheesecakes). Works like a charm, just make sure it isn't flavored!
• Secure a button. Great substitute for thread. Also great if you have a button that is always breaking because floss is stronger than thread.
• Lift cookies off a tray. Hold it taut, and slide it under the cookies.
• Remove a ring stuck on your finger. Wrap your finger in dental floss from the ring to the nail, then slide the ring off over it.
• Separate photos. Photos sometimes get stuck together, so instead of ruining them ripping them apart, try working floss between them.
• Hang pictures with it.
• Wrap the ends of ropes with floss to keep them from fraying.
• Use the mint kind to tie back garland at Christmas,
• Clean tools, works well in the small crevices.
• Make parachutes for army men with papertowels and floss.
• Replacement strand for a necklace.
• String popcorn for garland
• Make a clothesline in the bathroom for swimsuits.

If you have any ideas, share them below and I will add them to the list!

New Uses for Berry Baskets

Spring is right around the corner, and already Strawberries are in season! With those yummy berries comes a bunch of berry baskets. Here are some creative uses for those baskets.

• Use it as a sink strainer
• Use it as a container to hold sponges and scouring pads on the sink ledger
• Use it as a colander to wash fruits and veggies, or other small items.
• Use it as a basket for small items in the dishwasher (top rack only!)
• Use it as a basket to organize medication bottles or make-up. 
• Protect seedlings by placing a basket over them.
• Use it as a yarn or string dispenser
• Cut it to make a bubble wand.
• Use it to wrangle all your handheld electronic devices
• Use them to make small easter baskets (or large if you buy the large containers)
• Store golf balls in them
• Use them to organize the sock and underwear drawer
• Use them to hold cotton balls.

Do you have any ideas for an alternative use for berry baskets? Share them below and I will add them to the list!

New Uses for Used Water

I know you just read the title and thought, "Is she crazy?" I'd probably think the same thing, but let me explain. We use a lot of water in our daily activities. Washing dishes and clothes, bathing, cooking, and yes using the toilet, and I bet most of that water just goes right down the drain. While reading a book, the author mentioned reusing some of these "dirty" waters in other ways. I thought to myself, "well why not?" Check-out some of these tips to see where you could cut back on water usage.

• Do you have a fish tank? Have you ever changed the water in it and just dumped it down the drain? If you have a garden or just landscaping, pour it there, plants love the minerals from fish waste, and you save on watering and fertilizer.
• Did you just boil potatoes? Typically you just pour it down the drain, but did you know that potato water can be a great silver polish? More ideas for potato water here. Many of these work for pasta too!
• Did you steam some veggies? You can use the water from that in other components of your dish to add those nutrients to it.
• Washing money down the drain during a shower? You could fit your house with a system that uses that water to fill your toilet. Sounds kind of cool because honestly who needs fresh tap water to pee in?
• Just had a sink of dish water from washing dishes. Put some in a spray bottle and spray plants in your garden. Bugs hate dish soap.
• Rain water. I live in Florida, and we are about to hit rainy season really soon. A rain barrel can be a great way to water your plants and lawn when it isn't raining. They also come in lots of decorative options that blend in with your landscaping.
• Water left in your water bottle at the end of the day? I tend to put this in the dogs dish. Why pour it down the drain when it is still good? I just want to clean the container, and they need water. For what it's worth if I drop ice on the ground when getting some I also put that in their dish.

There are tons of safe ways to reuse water. You just have to use your imagination. I might add these tips are also useful in case of an emergency when water may be scarce.

Have an idea? Share it below and I will add it to the list!

Clever Tricks- A Great Book for Cleaning

I checked out a book from the library a couple weeks ago, and I got to say it's kind of a fun book. It's a book full of cleanign tips and tricks for I swear everything in the house.

It's also a great book for learning how to clean in a more green way, or even just if you are looking for less-toxic materials to use. The book also contains lots of little tips for saving money, cute stories from raising her kids (she had 9!), and some of her house rules.

You might also recognize the name from a line of cleaning products, it is the same person, but the cleaning products are made by her daughter who was inspired by her mom.

You can get it on Amazon right now for about $8, which isn't bad for a book. I think I might even pick this one up, as it would be a handy little reference to have around.

New Uses for Baby Food Jars

While some baby food companies have made the switch to plastic companies, many still use glass. Keep in mind that a lot of these tricks also work for full size jars like the kind some pasta sauces come in. Here's a list of things you can do with baby food jars.

• Organize! Small craft items like beads, sequins, and glitter. Or for office supplies like rubber bands, paper clips, and push pins. Or use them in the work bench for screws, nails, nuts, and washers. Want to make it even simpler? Glue the lid to an overhanging cabinet, and screw the container into it to keep it neatly organized.
• Snack Container! Great for taking small portions of snacks like Cheerios with you. Or you can use it to take salad dressing for your salad at lunch.
• Candles. Most are big enough to hold a tealight. You can decorate the outside to make them look pretty too.
• Make homemade butter in them, can take awhile, but a fun thing for an active child to do.
• Make gifts in them. This past Christmas I made homemade bath salts and put them in an old baby food container.
• Make a pin cushion and sewing kit.
• Spice storage. Especially if you grow and dry your own spices.
• Store homemade baby food in them. A lot of people use homemade and store-bought food, so why not store the homemade in a perfect size container?
• Crafting. These containers are great for putting paints in to use with kids.
• Donate them. A lot of places will take these jars for the very purpose listed above. Try preschools, schools, churches, and senior centers.
• Use them for homemade jams.
• Make a homemade snow globe in them.
• Sand art.
• Touch-up paint. You can store a small amount of paint for touch up jobs around the house (much better than pulling out the whole can...)
• A bug jar for a little kid. (Make sure to punch holes in the top!)
• Fill with beads or beans for a fun shaker for a small kid.

I'm sure there are tons more out there, and if you have one of them please share below, and I will add it to the list!

New Uses for Leftover Rice

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like every time I make rice there is always some leftover. It doesn't matter if I made it for a side dish or part of a meal there is always some left. I then try to figure out how to use it when I don't really want to eat just regular rice. Here's a few ideas if you have the same perdicament as me.

• Fried Rice. There are tons of recipes out there for it and leftover rice works perfectly in it.
• Rice Salad. A nice mix of rice, veggies, and other ingredients.
• Burritos. Yum.
• Stuffed Peppers.
• Soup. There are countless soups you can add rice to instead of pasta.
• Rice Pudding.
• Rice Patty Pancakes. Mix egg and rice, pour into pan.
• Casseroles
• Beans and Rice,
• Rice Frittata
• Mix with milk and sugar (or honey, brown sugar) and heat it in the microwave for a dessert or even breakfast.
• Freeze it. Rice freezes pretty well.

Do you have a suggestion? Leave a comment below, and I will add it to the list.

Creative New Uses

I came across this website when I was researching for future posts, and I got to say these are some pretty creative uses for old things! I a lot of them are old computer stuff (floppy disk, mouse, etc.), but it's definitely creative. Some is artwork, some is functional. You should definitely check it out for a little inspiration.

One of my favorites:

Enjoy!