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Household

Ways to Use Cornstarch Around The House

Cornstarch is popular for making gravies and sauces, but you can do a lot of other things with it as well. Using cornstarch is a great alternative to using more expensive, potentially toxic products. Check out some of the ideas below:

1. Sprinkle some cornstarch onto the knots in your shoelaces and it will make it easier for you to untangle them.

2. Get rid of grease spots on your kitchen walls by sprinkling cornstarch onto a cloth and rubbing the spot gently. It will soon disappear. You can also use cornstarch to remove grease spots from leather (shoes, sofas, etc.) by sprinkling the starch directly onto the spot and letting it sit overnight.

3. Freshen up your carpets by sprinkling cornstarch onto your carpet and letting it sit for about half an hour. Then vacuum as normal.

4. Give your dog a bath without water by rubbing cornstarch into your dog’s coat and then brushing it out.

5. Cornstarch can be used in lots of different ways to inexpensively entertain kids:

A. Mix it with water to make a paste to make glue. A great alternative to white glue and all natural!

B. Mix it with water and let your kids put their hands in it. It is a gooey mixture that is a lot of fun to play with. Put in some food coloring to add to the fun.

C. Make finger paint by boiling a quarter cup of cornstarch in two cups of water and then mixing in some food coloring.

D. Make face paint by mixing 2 parts cornstarch with one part vegetable shortening and add some food coloring. It’s nontoxic and works great for Halloween!

May 9, 2009

Household

5 Creative Ways To Use Chalk

While reading Reader’s Digest’s Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things, I found some neat ways you can use chalk to solve problems around your home. Chalk is yet another example of an inexpensive product that has so many practical uses!

1. You can cover up watermarks or scuff marks on your ceiling as a temporary fix until you have time to do a proper repair job.

2. Put a few pieces of chalk in your toolbox and it will get rid of moisture, preventing your tools from rusting.

3. Rub chalk on nasty grease stains on your clothing and the chalk will absorb the oil. Sometimes you have to rub it on more than once for the stain to be removed.

4. If you have ants in your home or garden, crush up some chalk and sprinkle it around your plants and around the entry points into your home. Ants don’t like calcium carbonate so they will stay away.

5. You can help prevent tarnishing of your silverware and jewelry by putting a few pieces of chalk into your drawer and jewelry box.

April 24, 2009

Household

How to be “Green” on a budget!

Earth day is now over and many people are moving on to the next forseeable holiday forgetting that Earth Day -is everyday! Living Green is a definite needed lifestyle but how do you do that on a budget? Well my husband and I have been “Living cleanly” over the last year and a half and when I first told him he sighed and said “Can we afford this?” I said “Of course!” and now he will tell you “Living “Green” is cheaper!” Here are some tips on how to start. One of the first areas of major concern that can cause a negative impact on the environment is cleaning products! Remember what goes down the drain comes out in your cup! (Yes I will definitely write more on CLEAN drinking water!)

Use Green Cleaners!
Yes, green products are more expensive- a price some people are willing to pay for the cause but I have found some amazing recipes for all purpose cleaners using simple cheap ingredients such as: Essential oils- Lavender, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, &; Tree Tea Oil. All of these essentials can be mixed according to a recipe separate or together with some H2O and provide cost effective “clean” cleaners for every room in your home! These essential oil solutions clean and disinfect wonderfully as well as they smell great! Eucalyptus, Peppermint and Tea tree Oil have amazing antibacterial properties! I use a mix on my kitchen counters and to clean the bathrooms and also it is great for when I want to freshen up our furniture or mattress to get rid of unwelcome dust mites!

These ingredients are also great solutions to make sure surfaces are germ free and they are so easy to prepare and have mutiple uses besides cleaning such as Aromatherapy and healing! Just buy a cheap spray bottle, google and find your favourite recipes, buy at least 3 types of essential oils and presto you have enough supplies for up to a year!
Use the stand bys: Vinegar and Baking Soda (Not together because they neutralize each other- just add hot water to Baking Soda, vinegar is just as powerful on its own and a great antibacterial- add Lavender to cut the smell!) to scrub away grime!

Don’t forget the great combo of cooking oil and citrus (squeezed lemon or orange) to polish furniture. Google “Do it yourself natural cleaners” and you will find tons of recipes using these basic ingredients- so cheap and I haven’t had to replenish my supplies in over 6 months! * Please note you need to find a recipe when using essential oils as they are VERY potent and can be harmful if misused! Also Borax can be toxic so be wary of recipes calling for it! I hear the famous “Duggar clan” have a “do it yourself” Laundry Soap recipe I am hoping to find (with 17+ kids and all those hand me downs looking so clean- it must work!) I will post it when I find it! So there you go, live clean and sorry Kermit (The Frog) but “It is easy being green!”

April 23, 2009

Household

Home Renovations That Increase Your Home’s Value

When my husband and I moved into our home we didn’t have to do very much to it, except clean. The people we bought it from had “flipped” the house: they bought it a low price and then did a lot of renovating, and then sold it to us for a profit. Our basement is unfinished, however, and we only have one bathroom, so I decided to research what types of renovations would be worthwhile for us to do. We don’t plan to stay in our current home for a long period of time so there is no point for us to make any major improvements unless they will increase the home’s value.

While skimming through Jonathan D. Pond’s book Grow Your Money, I came across some renovation projects that he suggests should recoup about 80% of the costs, but he also mentions that regional and other variations will affect the percentage:

April 18, 2009

Household

12 Ways To Save Money on Groceries

Everyone needs to eat, and groceries can be expensive. Try the tips below when you go grocery shopping and you will be surprised at how much you will save each month.

1. Shop at a store that has a reputation for being inexpensive. There are a lot of grocery stores to choose from and they all charge different prices, so choose the least expensive one.

2. Before going shopping check out the flyer and see what is on sale. Make your list according to the sales so you will know what to be watching for. Cut out coupons that you plan to use.

3. If you are really organized, plan your meals for the week ahead of time so that you only buy what you will need for your menu. If you are like me, and just can’t fathom planning a whole week’s menu ahead of time, just be sure to buy foods that you are sure you will be able to eat before they go bad.

4. Now that you know what is on sale and you have your list and coupons in hand, it’s time to go shopping. Many stores now reward people for bringing their own bags by giving discounts or reward points, so don’t forget to bring along your reusable bags.

April 15, 2009

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