Random tips and thoughts:
1. Pure peppermint oil makes a great breath freshener and lasts far longer than gum or mints! It also stops a headache cold if you rub a few drops on your temples, across the hairline of your forehead and behind your neck near the back hairline. For a stomach ache, drop a few drops in your hand and rub on your stomach. For kids or sensitive skin, dilute in a TBS of olive or another oil you like
2. A melon ball scoop is a super tomato seed remover that doesn’t crush your tomato.
3. A mesh tea ball strainer is excellent for dusting cookies and lemon bars, etc., with powdered sugar.
4. Is your dog lunging at other dogs on the leash? If you want to stop this, Stop immediately when it happens, tell your dog NO firmly and flip your dog on to it’s back with your hand on it’s belly and say “NO NO.” Your dog will look SO embarrassed in front of the other dog!! I fought for two years to break my sweet girl of this behavior. It only took flipping her belly up three times and knock on wood…no more. It’s important to do it regardless of how small the lunge seems to be…you want to nip it in the bud. Now I can have her off leash and there are no worries.
5. Men love this one! Dryer eating your socks? Buy some large safety pins and pin your socks together before throwing them in the dirty clothes. Throw them in the washer pinned together and then the dryer still pinned. Watch out though, when they are done drying, those pins are HOT. (But then again, you probably don’t fold your laundry immediately do you?) 🙂
6. Kids struggling with allergies? Buy an air purifier. They really do work. My favorite is the ozone and ionic purifiers by Nature’s Air. At one time I had three cats and one dog and not one friend with allergies was bothered in my home. The most toxic air is found often in our homes. Mold, mildew, outgassing of cleaning products, furniture, etc….think about it! Especially in the cold months when our windows aren’t open often.
7. Muscles feeling sore? Instead of reaching for a pain reliever, reach for some liquid minerals. The creamy kind you can pour in a shot glass and take. Minerals are natural relaxers…I take extra shots when I’m stressed too. It’s like a sip of wine…instantly will sooth you. It’s crazy but it works. One of my favorites is by GHT. You can Google it.
8. Need to measure out honey for a recipe? Dip your spoon in olive oil first. Let it drain out and then dip in the honey. You’ll be surprise at how the honey slides right off the spoon giving you consistent measurements.
9. Want an effective face treatment without spending a lot of money? Buy some aloe vera gel, the kind that comes in the big bottle to be taken internally. Fill a 2 oz bottle and add 5-10 drops of lavender oil. Shake well before each use. Lavender is so wonderful for your skin and aloe soaks right in nourishing your skin and helping the regeneration process. Lavender helps scars, acne, fine lines and burns. It’s just a wonderful oil.
10. Orange oil will remove the sticky residue left behind after price tags are removed. I love this trick for glasses and plates. I can never seem to get those off and they end up baking on in the dishwasher. Orange oil takes it right off.
11. Recycle your potted spring flowers once they die. I’ve had some beautiful Hyacinth flowers for the last few weeks and they are fading fast. Rather than throw the bulbs away, stick the pot outside or in your garage and wait for the green leaves to completely die away. (The nutrition is going back into the bulb, so don’t cut them off.) Once the leaves are truly dead and dry, pop the bulb in a paper bag and stick it in the freezer. This fall when you’re planting bulbs for the spring, replant this one. There is no need to waste the bulb, it will bloom again next year for you.
xo
Image Courtesy of Suat Eman from freedigitalphotos.net