About a year ago, a lady by the name of Nora Fuller posted this list of handy tips on the Goatslite list. She has kindly consented to my filching the ideas for a "Tip of the Month". Thanks Nora!! So here goes:

1. Flies or bees bothering you? Spray them with hairspray and they will take a quick dive.
2. Sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed. (hmmm...)
3. Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.
4. For icy doorsteps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze.
5. Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is)!
6. Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE)! Rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
7. Whenever I purchase a box of SOS Pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. And now a box of SOS pads lasts me indefinitely! In fact,I have noticed that the scissors get sharpened this way!
8. Opening brand new jars can be a feat in itself. Well, I have found a way to make it the easiest thing to do. Instead of banging a jar of jam, pickles, etc., with a knife until it loosens up, I simply reach into the drawer and pull out the handy nutcracker. It adjusts to the size of the jar and I simply give it a good twist and off pops the lid!
9. Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time!
10. Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
11. Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on. Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen.
12. Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.
13. To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!
14. To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stovetop.
15. Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.
16. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.
17. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
18. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.
19. Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
20. Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.
21. To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief. Better yet, place a BOUNCE sheet in your belt loop while outside... mosquitos HATE it and won't bite.
22. Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
23. Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
24. When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.

Surely we can each find a helpful nugget within these tidbits. I particularly liked the one about relief from the mosquitoes. The dad-gummed pests drive me crazy (admitedly a short drive) every summer. And nowadays, they're downright dangerous. Have a great month and we'll try to have another helpful Tip next month.

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