Kitchen and Cooking Tips
Freeze leftover tomato paste or pesto in ice trays, pop them out and stick them in a freezer bag for later use. Tip from Sarah (Farris) WarrenMake a giant pot of brown rice - like 4-5 cups raw - and freeze meal portions in quart-sized freezer bags and stick in the freezer. On mornings when you know you'll cook a meal with rice, throw a bag in the fridge, and by the time you're home it should by all or mostly thawed. Microwave for the first minute or so with the bag still sealed so that the rice will re-steam! And that's how you have brown rice in a hurry without buying that parboiled stuff with less nutritional contents.
Tip from Sarah (Ferris) Warren
Never underestimate "the power of soak time"... if there is something really stuck on the counter just let the cleaner soak into it instead of scrubbing. It'll save you tons of time!
Tip from Kim Thorburn
Use dryer sheets to scrub dirty pots and pans (use once and then toss).
Magic Eraser does wonders for cleaning a stainless steal sink.
Do one cleaning job around your house a day and it will never be all that dirty.
Tip from Jill (Anderson) Rao
Have you ever used AllRecipes.com feature for entering in the ingredients you have on hand in the house? They generate recipes for you based off what you have! It's pretty great!
Tip from Jen Migonis
Dip blueberries in yogurt and then freeze it... it is so delicious!
Tip submitted from Beyond My Kitchen Window blog
Bathroom Tips
Take 5 minutes every morning to run thru the bathrooms with Mr. Clean in a spray bottle. Wipe sinks and toilets, pick up clothes and toothbrushes. Spray surfaces. Smells great and keeps it fresh between cleanings!
Tip from Annie (Skudera) Barnatt
If you have a gross bathroom floor never under estimate the power of Peel and Stick Tiles from Home Depot or Lowe's. The most expensive ones are around $1 / sq. foot tile. We covered our broken and cracked linoleum bathroom floor with these until we have the money budgeted for a bathroom overhaul.
Tip submitted by Jen Migonis
Jewelry Tips
Never wear your rings or clean them with bleach... a jeweler said that it will weaken the soldering holding the stone(s).Tip submitted from blog reader Denise
Scrub your rings with toothpaste on the toothbrush, she said they come out sparkling!
Tip submitted from blog reader Nancy
Do you sometimes (or all the time...) feel like you need a wardrobe makeover? If you just get some fun new jewelry in bright colors to jazz up your classic staples it will make you feel like the outfit has energy again. If you budget is super limited go to Forever 21 (no matter what your age). They have some great pieces for incredibly inexpensive prices!
Tip submitted by Jen Migonis
Life Tips
Tip submitted by Kim Thorburn
I found that since leaving work in June 2011 I haven't had a planner and just because I am a stay at home mom doesn't mean I don't have a bunch of stuff to keep track of. I just bought a great planner at Target for 2012 - 2013 and I have been bringing it with me wherever I am and leaving it on the counter at home so I can jot random notes in it and grocery items we need. Everything is in one central place again. Finally... it took me long enough. :)
Tip submitted by Jen Migonis
AND LAST... BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST...
Start your day with God! Ask Him to go before you through the day. Ask Him to help you make the right choices and be a blessing to someone else. End the day by thanking Him for everything He took care of during your day and express your love you have for Him.
Tip submitted by Anne Cheney Watson
Happy Friday, Friends! What are your weekend plans?
I love all the tips- thanks for sharing! I read your blog all the time though I am new to commenting. I do have to share a cautionary tale about the stick-on vinyl tiles IF you have little boys in the house who will use that bathroom where the tiles are. We are in the midst of tearing out all our bathroom flooring because when my son was potty-training, the pee went in between the cracks of the tiles and soaked into the old flooring beneath. There was no way to get it cleaned and get rid of the urine smell without tearing two layers of flooring out (the tiles and the original vinyl sheet flooring). I used these in my old bachelorette house and they worked great for just me but just wanted to share the headaches we are going through right now because of those tiles and hope I can help someone else!
ReplyDeleteDo you have a post in the archives about putting peel and stick over gross bathroom tile? If not... do you just place it right on top of the tile and grout itself? My sad little bathroom needs some cheap remedies until we can overhaul it.
ReplyDeleteThank you!!
Great tips and reminders, Jen. Two other uses of dryer sheets: 1) dusting baseboards and window blinds and 2) putting inside sneakers to absorb unpleasant odors . . .
ReplyDeleteNancy M.