Helpful Hints ... add yours!

[RICHARD]

During the summer months, it seems like the ice maker runs out of ice at one point or another?

I bought a case of water in plastic bottles, I took a few, opened them and took about 1/4 of the water out. I put the top back on and put them into the freezer.

Now, I had a frozen bottle of water and a problem!

Instead of adding water back into the bottle, I took a pair of kitchen shears and cut the bottle open.
I peel the plastic off - it it still going into the recycle bin - and now I have a bottle sized chunk of ice that I put into a large tumbler or large mouth water bottle.

The hunk of ice lasts longer than smaller ice cubes in your drink.

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If you are doing to drink plain water, you can take that water from a few bottles - adding it to your drink - and freezing those bottles to replenish your bottle stash.

It takes a little work, but once you get a system going, it's pretty easy to keep a few frozen bottles on hand.

[Karen]

This is one I saw online, tried it, and it still working.

Want to keep your potatoes from sprouting "eyes" and getting soft? Throw an apple in the bag with them! The fumes from the apple keep the potatoes from sprouting - I bought three potatoes maybe in either mid-March or early April, and tried it - and as I have not felt compelled to eat potatoes* since then, and they are as good still as the day I bought them!


Amazing, right?

*Paul is only allowed limited potato consumption, so having a whole one at a meal would be bad.

[Catty1]

This one seems like common sense, but I have seen many people do the opposite.

This is spray fragrance - often used in the bathroom. A few years ago I wondered, "Why do people spray all over the airspace? That's not where the smell is coming from."

I tried spraying a couple of shots, or even just one, right in the toilet. Worked like a charm!

[cassiesmom]

Insect bites ... on the advice of two different PTers I tried dabbing rubbing alcohol on some very itchy bites. It worked till I could get home and smear on some calamine lotion. Thank you, friends for the suggestion - it worked great! I've also read that a paste of either baking soda and water or baking soda and vinegar can help. When I was little, baking soda and vinegar was the treatment for bee stings. The "fizz" provided a brief distraction and then the paste helped to soothe the sting.

[pomtzu]

I like the cake mixes that are fruit flavored, such as the lemon or pineapple or orange, but always find them to be just a little short on the actual fruit flavor. The last time I made what I wanted to be a pineapple cake that you could actually taste the pineapple, I substituted the water in the mix with pineapple juice. Tasted good and gave it that little something extra. I'm going to try lightly sweetened lemonade the next time I make a lemon cake, and orange juice for the orange cake.

[Karen]

I like the cake mixes that are fruit flavored, such as the lemon or pineapple or orange, but always find them to be just a little short on the actual fruit flavor. The last time I made what I wanted to be a pineapple cake that you could actually taste the pineapple, I substituted the water in the mix with pineapple juice. Tasted good and gave it that little something extra. I'm going to try lightly sweetened lemonade the next time I make a lemon cake, and orange juice for the orange cake.

Ooh - for the lemon and orange cakes, you can always add some zest, just buy a pice of the fruit and grate it lightly into the batter - I do that with lemon cookies I have made for my nephew who is in the Navy, as most recipes are not strongly lemony enough for his taste!

[pomtzu]

Ooh - for the lemon and orange cakes, you can always add some zest, just buy a pice of the fruit and grate it lightly into the batter - I do that with lemon cookies I have made for my nephew who is in the Navy, as most recipes are not strongly lemony enough for his taste!

I've done that too, and it is good. But I usually don't have the particular fresh fruit in the house when the urge to bake one hits. I almost always have the juice tho.

[Karen]

I've done that too, and it is good. But I usually don't have the particular fresh fruit in the house when the urge to bake one hits. I almost always have the juice tho.

My mother *always* had lemon juice handy - one bottle in the freezer as well as one in the fridge for current use!

[Catty1]

By Good Housekeeping | At Home – 9 hours ago

If you believe baby powder is only for keeping skin smooth and fresh, you're really underestimating its power. Try sprinkling it some on these household woes to unleash its full potential.


1. A knotted necklace
Never waste time desperately tugging at tangled jewelry again. Loosen the knot with a little baby powder and use a pin to pull it apart.


2. Musty furniture
"I like to keep drawers fresh with a sprinkle of baby powder under drawer liners," says Becky at Clean Mama. "This is especially great with antique furniture that has that old smell."


3. Greasy hair
Most dry shampoos are starch-based, so baby powder has a similar effect in a pinch. Sprinkle some on your hands and massage it through your scalp to soak up excess oil.


Related: 9 Cleaners You Can Make Yourself


4. A sweltering summer night
Crawling into a hot, sticky bed is no one's definition of nighttime relaxation. Dust powder between your sheets to help absorb sweat and keep things cool.


5. A stuck-together deck of cards
When poker night gets messy, toss the playing cards into a paper bag with a few tablespoons of powder and give them a good shake. Then wipe them with a paper towel.


6. A family of ants
Keep these intruders out of your kitchen by blocking their path with powder (they're not fans of the scent).


Related: 11 Other Ways to Use Tweezers



7. Oily stains
Don't stress over spilt salad dressing. Dab any oil-based stain with baby powder to absorb the grease before laundering like usual.


8. Dish glove friction
"After washing dishes, I sprinkle a little powder into my rubber gloves," says Victoria at Creative Home Keeper. "It helps keep them fresh while they dry and my hands easily slide through the next time."


9. Squeaky hardwood floors
Pour baby powder onto your wooden floor and sweep it into the cracks to quiet creaking floorboards. Wipe away the excess, and enjoy the sounds of silence.


Related: 6 Things You Didn't Know Nail Polish Could Do


10. Sandy feet
"Pack a travel size bottle of baby powder in your beach bag," says Jamielyn at I Heart Nap Time. "At the end of the day, rub it on your skin and sand will come right off."


11. Wimpy eyelashes
Beauty bloggers swear by this one. In between coats of mascara, use a cotton swab to dust baby powder on your lashes. "I was surprised how much volume it added," says Huda at Huda Beauty.


12. Sweaty feet
Sprinkle the stuff in your shoes to keep odors at bay. And forget socks -- the powder keeps your feet dry so you can go barefoot in flats without worry.


And one place you shouldn't use baby powder: Around babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns against it, since the powder can be dangerous if babies inhale it.
-Nicole Sampedro

[Karen]

Seeing as the stuff makes me sneeze, I bet 99% of the time baking soda would also work!

[cassiesmom]

I am trying to clean out my closet. A friend at church gave me a question to ask myself which has really helped. "If you were at the store today, would you buy this?" She also told me to pull out anything I have not worn in the last 6-12 months. I have way too many old clothes and she gave me good encouragement to keep working on the clean-out.

[RICHARD]

I saw this at a pet resort......

Save the cardboard tube from a roll of toilet paper, then fold up your power cables and feed them thru the center.

No more cables underfoot!

[Karen]

I saw this at a pet resort......

Save the cardboard tube from a roll of toilet paper, then fold up your power cables and feed them thru the center.

No more cables underfoot!

Works to disuse them from nibbling bunnies or kitties, too!

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Yep, Richard that works too. That was what I had to do to keep my computer and tv cords safe from my monsters. The cable guy laughed at me when he had to come put my router in when I got wi fi. But the cords on the old modem were safe and tooth mark free.

Chip had to try it out though and tried to bite one of the tubes. He got his mouth around it but the best he could so was squash the tube a bit not bite the cord. The tubes can always be painted with a non-toxie paint to match your decor if you want. They are cheap and easy to replace when needed too.

[Catty1]

I am trying to clean out my closet. A friend at church gave me a question to ask myself which has really helped. "If you were at the store today, would you buy this?" She also told me to pull out anything I have not worn in the last 6-12 months. I have way too many old clothes and she gave me good encouragement to keep working on the clean-out.

Excellent - thanks!