Tuesday, August 23, 2011

100 Tips in 100 Days - Day 20

HAIRSPRAY! No, not the musical. Hairspray comes in at # 20 on the 100 tips list. Almost everybody has at least one can of hairspray in their home. This common hair styling product isn't just for maintaining a coiffure, it can be used for everything from removing glue to preserving recipe cards. Check out these great uses for hairspray posted by Anna Sattler on diylife.com.



photo virginmedia.com/bing images

Uncommon uses for hairspray

  • Preserve kiddies drawings and keep them from fading by coating with hairspray.
  • Use hairspray to remove ink marks from walls.
  • Use hairspray to remove ink stains from fabric by spraying the item before you wash it.
  • Stop pantyhose from a continuous run by spraying with hairspray; if that doesn't work, and the pantyhose can't be worn anymore, here are some tips on reusing those pantyhose.
  • The next time you have to wrap a present with newspaper, give the paper a nice sheen by spraying with hairspray.
  • Preserve leaves in your flower arrangements and the color in autumn leaves with a spritz of hairspray.
  • Spray over chalk artwork to keep the chalk from coming off.
  • Spray polished metals like brass and copper so they keep their shine longer and are more resistant to fingerprints.
  • Easily remove glue by spraying liberally with hairspray.
  • Spray a zipper that wants to fall down with hairspray. It will stay in place. When it comes time to get the zipper down, use baby oil to get it unstuck.
  • Pet hair removal is easily accomplished if you spray a tissue with hairspray and wipe the furniture. The pet hair sticks to the tissue.
  • Kill flying insects with a shot of hairspray. I like to do this if a bee or wasp gets into the house, as it is less toxic than using bug spray.
  • Save your recipe cards from food stains by spraying them with hairspray to keep them clean. Just wipe off when you are done using the recipe card.
  • Straighten ruffled curtains by holding the folds in the curtain and spraying with hairspray to keep the folds in place.
  • Remove lipstick stains by spraying the stain and letting sit for a few minutes before wiping away the lipstick.
  • After you are done polishing your shoes with a banana, spray them with hairspray to keep them shiny.
  • Maureen Carter has a great post about making rub-on transfers: one of the necessary items to make the transfers is hairspray.

Friday, August 19, 2011

100 Tips in 100 DAYS - Day 19

Whew! The heat here is killer! How many of you like cooking in a hot kitchen? Me neither. Most of us  pull out and dust off our crock pots in the fall when the temperatures cool down but this little cooking tool can be a real time saver, even in the summer. Now you 're probably asking yourself why I would suggest using a crock pot in the middle of summer because, like an oven, crock pots do put off some heat. I have a friend who has the nickname "Suzy Homemaker" and it fits as her name really is Suzy. We were talking one hot afternoon and I was basically whining about doing dinner because it was just so warm that day. She kinda giggled and said, "Use your crock pot next time". Before I could say a word, she then stated,"I know it's warm but I have been known to put my crock pot on the porch or even in the garage." Can you say genius? This was probably one of the BEST tips I have ever received. I tried it and it worked beautifully. There are also tons of crock pot recipes available. I found the following article on momswhothink.com along with a ton of healthy and yummy crock pot recipes.

Click on the link below. You will be glad you did!
http://www.momswhothink.com/crock-pot-recipes/crock-pot-recipes-for-the-crockpot-and-slow-cooker.html

Recipes for the Crockpot and Slow Cooker

Over 1000 Crock Pot Recipes!
Crock pot recipes are perfect for busy cooks. Cooking dinner after a long day is something a lot of people don't look forward to, so they end up eating unhealthy take out food or they throw something in the microwave just to get dinner over and done with. A great slow cooker recipes stash and a crock pot will solve the dinner dilemma.

There are an incredible amount of recipes for tasty main dishes, side dishes and desserts that are easy to make. You can get everything ready in the crock pot in the morning, and then walk in the door in the evening to a wonderful home cooked meal.

We gathered over a thousand crock pot recipes with a great selection of different ingredients and meal types. There are main dishes with beef, ground beef, pork, chicken and turkey; plus desserts, and vegetables. You're sure to find the perfect crock pot recipe to help you create a great tasting meal that is easy to make.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

100 Tips in 100 Days - Day 18

When the local weather forecast shows excessive heat with no rain over an extended period of time it can make a lawn lover a little nervous. My husband and I both love to work in our yard. This is a favorite way for us to spend time together especially in the spring and fall. This summer has proved to be just the opposite due to a heat wave we have experienced here in the Dallas/ Fort Worth area.Temperatures have consistently stayed well over 100 degrees during the day and hovered between 79 - 82 for a low with almost no rain during this entire summer.  Frustrating. When I was sharing with my husband how concerned I was over the whole situation while looking out at an entire neighborhood that is beginning to resemble a hay field one evening, he had a great point. He said, " Yeah, this is bad , but you can bet one thing is for sure, the yards and plants that do make it through this rough year will be stronger than ever." Way to keep the glass half full!  I want to this opportunity to strongly encourage each of you to conserve water as much as possible by watering late in the evening or early in the morning no more than three times a week. I found the following article on about.com by Colleen Vanderlinden which has some helpful tips how to relieve some stress from your garden and lawn during these dry, hot days.


photo rueters.com/bing images


Heat stress in garden plants is a real problem during July and August in much of the country. Extended periods of high heat (particularly when the heat index roars over the 100 degree mark) can take a real toll on your garden.
Here are a few tips for helping different plants in your garden through a hot, dry spell and keep them healthy and productive.
Vegetable Gardens
Vegetables need a reliable, steady water supply to stay productive. However, even with careful watering, your veggies may suffer from heat stress. The most common signs of heat stress in vegetables are sunburned foliage and fruits (usually yellow and crisp to the touch), blossom and fruit drop, and wilting. There are a few things you can do to help your vegetable garden through a prolonged hot spell:
  • Water regularly and deeply.
  • Mulch the soil with at least three inches of organic mulch to reduce moisture loss and help regulate soil temperature.
  • Shade certain crops, such as leafy greens and lettuces, to slow bolting. They will bolt, no matter what, during periods of intense heat. However, giving them some shade may buy you a couple of days before plant quality is diminished.
Lawns
Many lawns, including bluegrass, fescues, and ryegrass, naturally go dormant (turn brown and stop growing) during periods of high heat and drought. The easiest thing to do is just let nature take its course. Once temperatures return to normal, and the lawn starts getting adequate moisture, it will green up again.
However, if this is not an option (due to homeowner association bylaws or other issues) you can keep your lawn green by providing at least an inch (up to two inches during high heat) of water, delivered slowly and steadily, per week. Don't just throw the sprinkler out there for an hour -- if the soil is very dry, chances are likely that most of the water you apply will simply run off. Give the lawn a slow, short watering first to let the moisture soak into the soil. Then, later on or the next day, give it a long, deep watering. If you start seeing water running off onto your sidewalks, STOP -- you're just wasting water at that point.
It would also help to avoid cutting the lawn (it's not growing much in the heat anyway) so that you don't stress it further.
Trees and Shrubs
Newly-planted trees and shrubs (less than two years since planting) can be hit particularly hard by heat and drought. To keep them alive and healthy:
  • Give them between two and four inches of water per week during very high temperatures (heat index above 100 degrees) and drought.
  • To water, a long, slow trickle is best. This will allow the water to soak deep into the soil without running off, ensuring that the water is going to the root zone where it is needed.
  • Shrubs can be misted several times per day to increase the ambient moisture -- this will prevent the foliage from drying out too much.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

100 Tips in 100 Days - Day 17

I just LOVE the smell of fabric softener. My husband once heard a joke how fabric softener is the way we gals 'mark our territory'. Funny how this might be true for many of us. Smell is probably our most powerful sense linked to emotion and memory so why not make it a good one? Along with enhancing your life with great aroma, fabric softener has some other clever uses as I discovered in the following article by T. Barber on www.rd.com.

 photo from bing images

I will add my own tip this time. If you have a difficult time getting your clothes to dry due to humidity, use softener every other time you wash. This will speed up your drying time and save you some money.

Fabulous Uses for Fabric Softener

Remove old wallpaperRemoving old wallpaper is a snap with fabric softener. Just stir 1 cap-full liquid softener into 1 quart (1 liter) water and sponge the solution onto the wallpaper. Let it soak in for 20 minutes, then scrape the paper from the wall. If the wallpaper has a water-resistant coating, score it with a wire-bristle brush before treating with the fabric softener solution.

Abolish carpet shockTo eliminate static shock when you walk across your carpet, spray the carpet with a fabric softener solution. Dilute 1 cup softener with 2 1/2 quarts (2.5 liters) water; fill a spray bottle and lightly spritz the carpet. Take care not to saturate it and damage the carpet backing. Spray in the evening and let the carpet dry overnight before walking on it. The effect should last for several weeks.
Remove hair-spray residueDried-on overspray from hair spray can be tough to remove from walls and vanities, but even a buildup of residue is no match for a solution of 1 part liquid fabric softener to 2 parts water. Stir to blend, pour into a spray bottle, spritz the surface, and polish it with a dry cloth.
Clean now, not laterClean glass tables, shower doors, and other hard surfaces, and repel dust with liquid fabric softener. Mix 1 part softener into 4 parts water and store in a squirt bottle, such as an empty dishwashing liquid bottle. Apply a little solution to a clean cloth, wipe the surface, and then polish with a dry cloth.
Float away baked-on grimeForget scrubbing. Instead, soak burned-on foods from casseroles with liquid fabric softener. Fill the casserole with water, add a squirt of liquid fabric softener, and soak for an hour, or until residue wipes easily away.
Keep paintbrushes pliableAfter using a paintbrush, clean the bristles thoroughly and rinse them in a coffee can full of water with a drop of liquid fabric softener mixed in. After rinsing, wipe the bristles dry and store the brush as usual.
Remove hard-water stainsHard-water stains on windows can be difficult to remove. To speed up the process, dab full-strength liquid fabric softener onto the stains and let it soak for 10 minutes. Then wipe the softener and stain off the glass with a damp cloth and rinse.
Make your own fabric softener sheetsFabric softener sheets are convenient to use, but they’re no bargain when compared to the price of liquid softeners. You can make your own dryer sheets and save money. Just moisten an old wash-cloth with 1 teaspoon liquid softener and toss it into the dryer with your next load.

Monday, August 15, 2011

RELAUNCH!

                A set back is an opportunity for a come back.-(Bishop T.D. Jakes)

The above statement was recently posted on a friend's facebook page and I had to display it as I am relaunching my site. After a few 'set backs' I was able to re- group and line up an array of wonderful ideas to pass along. I cannot wait to share share more tips, photos, stories, recipes and links to remarkable products and deals with you, along with a peek at some truly incredible homes. I sincerely appreciate all of you and your interest in my site. Please continue to follow 'My Southern Haven'. I know you will enjoy it.


-Melissa Tennery

100 Tips in 100 Days - Day 16

I love to ustilize natural cleaning producets. Harsh fumes can really be irritating.  I found the following article on http://lifehackery.com/2008/07/22/home-4/. As usual, they had lots of great tips for working baking soda into everyday cleaning along with other household and personal uses. I can't wait to fluff my omlette!


Baking soda is a chemical compound that appears as a fine powder. It releases bubbles of carbon dioxide when it interacts with an acid and a liquid. It’s most commonly used in baking, where it acts as a leavening agent. The following are 75 other uses for baking soda aside from making muffins soft and fluffy.
Health Uses
1. Use it as an antacid.
2. Use it as underarm deodorant by applying it with a powder puff.

deodorant
3. Mix half a teaspoon with peroxide paste and use it as toothpaste.
4. Use it as a face and body scrub.
5. Add a cup to bathwater to soften your skin.
6. Relieve skin itch from insect bites and pain from sunburn.
7. Remove strong odors from your hands by rubbing them with baking soda and water.
8. Put two tablespoons in your baby’s bathwater to help relieve diaper rash.
9. Apply it on rashes, insect bites, and poison ivy irritations.
10. Take a baking soda bath to relieve skin irritations.
11. Heartburn? Take a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one-half glass of water.
12. Freshen your mouth by gargling half a teaspoon of baking soda mixed water.
gargling
13. Relieve canker sore pain by using it as mouthwash.
14. Use it to relieve bee stings.
15. Use it to relieve windburns.
16. Apply it on jellyfish sting to draw out the venom.
17. Unblock stuffy nose by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to your vaporizer.
In the Home
flower vase
18. Keep cut flowers fresh longer by adding a teaspoon to the water in the vase.
19. Put out small fires on rugs, upholstery, clothing, and wood.
20. Put an open container of baking soda in the fridge to absorb the odors.
21. Sprinkle it on your ashtrays to reduce bad odor and prevent smoldering.
22. Sprinkle it on your slippers, boots, shoes, and socks to eliminate foul odor.
23. Turn baking soda into modeling clay by combining it with one and 1/4 cups of water and one cup of cornstarch.
24. After feeding your baby, wipe his shirt with a moist cloth sprinkled with baking soda to remove the odor.
25. Wipe your windshield with it to repel rain.
26. Improve the smell of dishrags by soaking them in baking soda and water.
27. Suck it in with your vacuum cleaner to remove the odor.
28. Freshen the air by mixing baking soda with your favorite perfumed bath salts. Put the mixture in small sachet bags.
29. Restore stiff brushes by boiling them in a solution of 1/2 gallon of water, 1/4 cup of vinegar, and a cup of baking soda.
30. Put it under sinks and along basement windows to repel cockroaches and ants.
31. Scatter baking soda around flowerbeds to prevent rabbits from eating your veggies.
32. Sweeten your tomatoes by sprinkling baking soda on the soil around your tomato plants.
33. Sprinkle it onto your cat’s litter box to absorb the bad odor.
34. Sprinkle it on your pet’s comb or brush to deodorize their fur and skin.
In Cooking
35. Use it as a substitute for baking powder by mixing with it with cream of tartar or vinegar.
36. Wash fruits and vegetables with it.
washing vegetables
37. When boiling a chicken, add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water. Feathers will come off easier, and the flesh will be clean and white.
38. Soak dried beans to a baking soda solution to make them more digestible.
39. Remove the distinctive taste of wild game by soaking it in a baking soda solution.
40. Make a sports drink by mixing it with boiled water, salt, and Kool-Aid.
41. Remove the fishy smell from your fillets by soaking the raw fish in a baking soda solution for an hour inside the fridge.
42. Make fluffier omelets by adding half a teaspoon of baking soda for every three eggs used.
omelet
43. Reduce the acid content of your tomato-based recipes by sprinkling them with a pinch of baking soda.
Cleaning Purposes
44. Add a cup to the toilet, leave it for an hour, and then flush. It will clean the toilet and absorb the odor.
flushing toilet
45. Use it to scrub sinks, showers, plastic and porcelain tubs
46. Spray it on walls, mirrors, and countertops.
47. Add a spoonful to your dishwasher to make scrubbing dishes easier.
48. Remove grease from pots and pans.
49. Dry clean carpets and upholstered furniture by sprinkling baking soda over the fabric and gently brushing it. Leave it for an hour or overnight, then vacuum.
50. Boost your laundry detergent’s cleaning power by sprinkling a handful on dirty clothes.
51. Combine it with water to make a paste for polishing stainless steel and chrome.
52. Remove scratches and crayon marks from vinyl floors and walls.
53. Clean your shoes with it.
cleaning shoes
54. Clean garbage cans with it.
55. Use it to wash diapers.
56. Clean the fridge with it.
57. Soak brushes and combs in a baking soda solution.
58. Mix it with water to wash food and drink containers.
59. Put three tablespoons of baking soda to a quart of warm water, then use the mixture to wash marble-topped furniture.
60. Absorb it with a damp sponge, then clean Formica countertops with the sponge.
61. Use it to get rid of stale odors from cooling containers and thermos bottles.
62. Run your coffee maker with a baking soda solution, then rinse.
63. Combine with hot water to clean baby bottles.
64. Sprinkle it on barbecue grills, then rinse it off.
65. Scatter it on your greasy garage floor, scrub the floor, and rinse.
66. Remove burned-on food from a pan by soaking it in a baking soda solution for 10 minutes before washing.
67. Clean your ashtrays with a baking soda solution.
68. Keep your drains clean by putting four tablespoons of baking soda in them each week. Flush it down with hot water.
69. Clean your shower curtains by soaking them in baking soda and water.
70. Put it on a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean.
71. Use it to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from a toaster. Sprinkle baking soda on a damp rug, then use the rug to clean the toaster.
72. Use it to clean your retainers and dentures.
cleaning dentures
73. Make a thick paste of baking soda and water, and used it to scrub enameled cast iron and stainless steel.
74. Mix four tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of warm water, and use it to clean the inside part of an oven.
75. Use it to unclog gas stoves.
The most amazing thing about baking soda is that it’s very cheap. You can do all these things for a very small cost. Baking soda is truly a miracle product, whether it’s used for baking or not.