Work At Home Musings

If you home is overflowing with papers, maybe a central command center would help tame the paper tiger. The Container Store has Wall Pockets that hook onto one another. They come in packs of two - make sure you buy enough for each family member.

The Wall Pockets can be used to:

1. Deliver phone and mail messages.
3. School notices to be signed and items to be completed.
4. Items that are referred to regularly, such as school menus or schedules.

When mail comes in the house, sort and put in the boxes and then toss the rest! Plan a day for each person to go through their box and complete any necessary items and toss unneeded items.

I just subscribed to a free e-book course called Holiday Countdown that gives you weekly hints on how to prepare for the upcoming holidays. The course started October 1st, but you can still sign up. It is offered by The Household Helper and includes:

Shopping tips and coupon codes
Decorating tips
Snacks and meal ideas
Party planning tips

Very helpful for planning your holiday schedule!

I am always happy to pass along useful information that I find on the web. Recently, I found a nice list of uses for everyday items. The list includes great ideas for using lemons, newspapers, coffee filters, olive oil, dryer sheets, baking soda, vinegar, ziploc bags, velcro and salt. Read the entire list here, plus I am listing my favorite from each category below!

Lemon - Rub a wedge of lemon on your fingernails to whiten them.
Newspaper - Your shoes will dry faster if you stick a waded up piece of newspaper in them overnight.
Coffee Filters - Makes a great cover for food when heating in the microwave. No mess!
Olive Oil - Use olive oil to remove eye make. Just a little will go a long way.
Dryer Sheets - Keep a dryer sheet in your gym bag. It will smell a lot fresher.
Baking Soda - Baking Soda can be used to remove scuff marks, crayon, pencil and ink from walls. Place a little on a damp sponge and clean.
Vinegar - Clean your dishwasher every month by running a cup of vinegar through a cycle (empty the dishwasher first).
Ziploc Bags - Put frosting in a ziploc bag and cut off a small corner. Great for cake decorating.
Velcro - Use velcro to attach the remote to your tv. No more lost remote!
Salt - Add a pinch of salt to water when boiling eggs. It will keep them from cracking.

I read this tip in a magazine last year. If you want to get the most out of your toothpaste tube, try submerging the tube in hot water for one minute. This will expand the tube and loosen the toothpaste so that you will be able to get the very last bit out!

Are you tired of your kitchen, but can’t afford new cabinets and flooring? Update your kitchen look by installing new cabinet knobs. There are so many styles, colors and finishes to choose from that you might have a hard time deciding which one you like best. Since I have white cabinets and a black countertop, I thought that these knobs would look beautiful!

My daughter loves to where flats like these:

(BTW you can find a bunch of flats on sale at Payless Shoe Store)

Unfortunately, she likes to wear them without socks and in this hot weather that causes a bad case of stinky feet! However, I have found a solution. Add 1/4 cup Listerine to a lukewarm water foot bath and soak your feet for 5 minutes. Listerine has an ingredient called thymol that kills odor-causing bacteria. I have even heard that some wipe the inside of their shoes with Listerine as well (let dry before you where them though)!

If you have wood floors, then you don’t want to mop them with soap and water. The wood floors need to be protected and cared for or they will show early signs of wear and deterioration. An easy way to mop a wood floor is to use the new microfiber mop. The mop is very simple and you can attach different microfiber pads. One pad is used for wet mopping the other for dry. When using the wet mop make sure that you use the appropriate cleaner for your wood floor and try not to get the floor too wet.

I would love to get a new vacuum, but I am awaiting the death of my old one. I just can’t see going out and buying a new one when this vacuum works relatively well still. There are two different vacuums that I am looking at. Both have unique qualities and both can be a little pricey. Miele vacuums have great hepa filters and reduce allergens. The canister is cool looking too!

The new Dyson Ball looks like it would be easy to work with. I have heard great things about the Dyson as well!