The Old Days

The “Old Days”

Generations before us used things like Liquid Blacking, Liquid Bluing, Powdered Whiting, Rotten-Stone, coal oil, soda and pearlash for household cleaning.

They made suet pudding, ate with silver off china plates on linen tablecloths while wearing pantyhose or stockings. People boxed their hats, darned their socks and hung their laundry out to dry.

We often feel that life today is so complicated - but my research has helped me to appreciate how simple things are today. The products and terminologies that I have come across have had my fingers scrambling through Wikipedia, without so much as leaving my couch. We have devices smaller than a graham cracker that offer us access to anything known to man with a few slides and taps. Yet we use them to take crappy pictures of our kids and pets, and update our status from “Sleeping” to “Begrudgingly Awake”. I am currently using mine to expand my vocabulary by playing Words With Friends with people that I don’t even know while texting abbreviations like ROTFLMFAO! No, it’s not in the Scrabble dictionary.

But I digress. These hints and tips have come from countless sources, I wish I could formally credit them all. Fact is, I really don’t remember where they all came from. I have read Heloise to Martha Stewart to handwritten notes from my 2nd grade lunch lady to hands-on training by friends and family. If your great-great grandmother once told you the best way to clean wallpaper was with a slice of bread, then God bless her. If your best friend’s uncle’s cousin taught you to polish a tortoise shell with a paste of rotten-stone and linseed oil and finally some rouge - more power to them! I intend no harm and claim no ownership of most of the ideas in here. Most. You’ll know which ones are mine, as I have marked them slyly as *****MINE*****.

I hope you find something useful within these pages, if not, you at least enjoy the read.

~PEACE~

Gina

Let's stay OFF of Hoarders in 2017!

I don't much believe in resolutions - no point setting myself up for failure. But the new year always brings with it the desire to organize my life. Which isn't a complete disaster...I shouldn't be on hoarders or anything, with the exception of my studio/workshop/garage and my clothes. Honestly everything could use a little neatening up. The trick is to start small, with one area, one drawer, one closet, one shelf, whatever works for you. I think the first thing we should do, (ladies, or guys) because we use it/see it every day, is clean out our makeup drawer. This doesn't just apply to the girls, guys have a drawer too.

While you are tossing, fill your sink with luke warm water and a little borax or dawn dish soap, add a little rubbing alcohol or Vodka to sterilize. Throw your makeup brushes in to soak. Sponges too if you use them.

Now to the drawer (or whatever you use to store your makeup)...good things to have on hand, Lysol Wipes (or your preferred brand), a vacuum if your drawer is full of hair and powder, and last but not least a trash bag.

Throw these things away without even thinking about it: Do it! With wild abandon!
1. Anything that hasn't been used in a year
2. Anything that is outdated (recommended life cycles below)

Bad Nail Polish 

• Eyeshadow: Every two years for powder, once a year for cream
• Mascara - every 3 months
• Eyeliner: 3-6 months
• Foundation: Once a year
• Concealer: 12 to 18 months
• Blush & Bronzer: Every two years
• Lipstick: Once a year
• Lip Gloss: 6 months to one year
• Makeup Brushes: One to five years
• Makeup Sponges: At least once a month
• Nail Polish: After one year 
• Time frames borrowed from allyou.com click HERE for full article

3. Anything dried up, broken or unusable in its intended form
4. Anything that doesn't look good on you (I mean come on, really? what's the point?)  
5. After you have everything removed, give your drawer(s) a good wiping (with your wipes of course) Vacuum first if there's a lot of hair and powder. 
7. Put your stuff away, NEATLY.
6. Here's my before and afters! Garbage bag full of crap in the center! I was able to go from 2 drawers to 1! I'm proud of myself! I use my Walgreen Balance Rewards to buy my makeup. So it's usually free! 

GUYS! Throw away the:
Old razors and blades
Half used deodorant
Cologne or aftershave you never wear
Old shaving cream
Old toothbrushes

Everyone! Toss all the toothbrushes! Clean the toothbrush holder, and replenish with fresh clean brushes

Celery - Frosting

Celery - Frosting

Celery: Place soggy celery in a pan of cold water with a sliced potato. Let it stand for a few hours - in the fridge, even better!

 

Cheese: Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer.

Deviled Eggs: Put all ingredients in a zip lock bag. Seal and mash until mixed thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away for easy clean up!

 

 

Frosting: When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

 

How to clean and deodorize some things

How to clean and deodorize some things




Have a grease monkey at home? Help them get their hands really clean with some Borax and Dawn dish soap. Just scrub and rinse.

Let's face it, that blue bottle is good for almost everything! I had some old ice cream stains on my car seats (from my little angels), I mixed Dawn, Vinegar and Club Soda, scrubbed and dabbed and the stains disappeared! In my next batch I'm going to use peroxide instead of club soda. I used baking soda and peroxide on a stain (cat puke) on white carpet, that worked pretty awesome too! The chemical reaction of the two bubbled the stain up and I just dabbed it up.

Have a motor-home? You know that ook that forms on the siding after it's been stored awhile? I don't know if it's mold or what, I just know it's ugly. To clean ours, I mixed Dawn and bleach in a garden sprayer (the kind that goes on the end of a hose), I sprayed one section at a time, let it sit for a minute or two, used a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser - the crap came right off! I love those erasers - only bad thing is they shred pretty easy, especially if you hit a screw or rough spot of some kind. I probably went through 8 of them or so.



Home-made cleaning scrub:  I mix borax and essential oil in an clean Parmesan Cheese container (the kind with holes in the top, for easy sprinkling). Just fill the container half way with Borax (or you can use baking soda if you prefer) add your favorite essential oil, close the lid and shake well. Add more Borax (or baking soda) leaving about an inch of space from the top (to allow space for shaking again). Shake well again. I have a bunch of essential oils from my days of soap making.





 
Clear the air:  I accidentally stumbled upon this solution to stinky rooms. Lay a piece of newspaper on the floor, pour a big pile (half the box) of baking soda on it and let it sit and absorb odors as long as needed. Then just throw it all away (or make some cleaning scrub out of it). Get a big box of baking soda, so you don't have to be stingy with a little one.

Garlic - Onions

Garlic - Onions

 

 

Garlic: Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic, add at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.

 

Ground Beef: Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef.  It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

 

 

When cutting onions, breathe through your mouth and not your nose. 

Refrigerate your onions for a little while before slicing to avoid tears.

***MINE!*** Refrigerate your onions for a little while and breathe through your mouth when slicing & dicing.  Double tear protection!

 

 

Remove the smell of garlic or onions from your hands by using a stainless steel spoon instead of soap. Or use baking soda - it will absorb the odor.

DAILY TIP: The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation, but thought about it. Be aware of the thoughts you are thinking. Separate them from the situation, which is always neutral. It is as it is.