Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Life and helpful tips

We are taking a small break from our preschooling this week because my sister and her fam were in town for the night. Its always hectic with all the kids together, but we all love being together anyway. I know the boys always enjoy playing together, even though they probably fight more than they play, like brothers. It's always a good time.

Even though we're not officially doing any focused learning, we have been reading our Bible story every day and doing our memory verse, and Jude has it down pat. That makes me one proud mama!

On another note, I came across some helpful hints I thought I'd pass along! 
  • Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
  • Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
  • Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking. (and only eat local beef, I'm telling you, there is a HUGE difference in taste.)
  • Broken Glass: Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.(this is especially helpful to me. I break glasses quite often around here)
  • To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it. (I am looking forward to starting my own garden someday, so I will definitely try this!)
  • Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out. (never knew this, interesting!)
  • Goodbye Fruit Flies: To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup an d gone forever! (oh! I am trying this asap. Fruit flies are pesky and so hard to completely get rid of!)
  • Get Rid of Ants: Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed! 
  • Wash your dryer filter: Apparently, dryer sheets cause a film over the mesh on the filter, and that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. Apparently the waxy stuff on the dryer sheet is the stuff that builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! I read that the best way to keep your dryer working for a long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. I read that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! -whether this is true or not, I don't know personally, but I will try this in the next few days!)
Hope these things were helpful to you! I've got something super exciting to share on my next DtD challenge post on Friday. Come back to read and see what it is! 
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2 comments:

  1. Good tips! I'll have to try some of these. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Use vinegar in your washer's rinse cycle and dryer balls and you don't have to worry about cleaning the lint trap.

    Interesting, I just employed some of these tips this week before reading this post.

    ReplyDelete

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