Carpet Fluff & Stuff

Kim & Steve are getting new carpeting today! Since we recarpeted this summer, I will tell you that it is a huge task - and we didn't even move our own furniture or pull up our own carpeting like they did. Anyway, it will be great when it is done and they have moved everything back in. One thing that I would suggest is to thoroughly vacuum before you do move things back. Also, take the hose and go down in the vents to get any loose pieces that may have gotten down there. As Lynn & Dustin found out after their remodeling, the vents and furnace filter can get clogged and interfere with the airflow. It probably won't be like theirs because you didn't have so much drywall dust blowing around. But it might be a good idea to clean the vents and change the filter. Enjoy it all - in about a week!

You Missed Me!

Well, at least Kim wrote that she missed reading my handy dandy hints! I just got lazy and took a few days off but I here I go again!
David & Jan were here with Brian on Sunday night on their way to Michigan from Emily's in Minnesota. They spent the night and I was showing them my blog.
David mentioned that he uses spray wax to coat his shower walls. (Of course, they have to be clean and dry when you do this.) He says it works like a charm but you have to be careful and not spray on the floor or it may be slippery. I think I will try that next time. He says you just buy it in the automotive section of WalMart, etc.
I was making rolls today for our big feast on Sunday for our last meal together with the YSA. I remembered that I wanted to tell you that I always take off my rings for kneading the dough and put them in the same place each time. I put them on the paper towel holder - there is a dowel that sticks up where you can tear the towls off and I put them on it. I try to always put things in one certain place because I know I will be searching forever if I don't.
Yesterday, I took out my recommend at the temple from the pocket where I always keep it. But I put it back behind my driver's license. When I went to check to make sure it was in the right place, it wasn't there!! I knew I had just used it and he had given it back to me. I ended cleaning out my whole purse with about 10 pockets to finally find it!
I always keep my keys in one pocket too. I learned the hard way not to leave them around. I have searched for them too many times. Once at church, a little guy took his mom's keys and put them in the baby seat under Jill! I had to drive the mom home. I found them later when I took Jill out of the seat.
I also have learned from David that FedEx is a good way to send packages. I have been using the postal service but he told me that when they went to send things home from their mission, he had checked and Fedex was cheaper and faster. So I used them this week. I do believe it was cheaper and it only took 3 days to get them to Utah!!! I just checked on them (tracking is free- you pay extra for tracking with the postal service) and it looks like they are all to be delivered today. I sent them on Tues. I sent two packages by mail on the 19th to Kim and they are just arriving today (the 30th). David said that FedEx is cheaper than UPS or any of the other delivery systems. Chris may know better since they send a lot of packages. Let us know if there is a better way. I checked to see if I needed to get an account. David said if you print your own labels it was cheaper but I guess they don't do that any more for ground transportation.
Well, that is the extent of my wisdom today. Love, Mom

Freezer Secrets

I was talking with Lynn today about Thanksgiving preparations. I mentioned a secret that I have used for years and thought I would share it with all of you. She asked if she should throw away the gizzard, neck, etc. from the turkey. I told her to put them in a plastic bag and freeze it until the next garbage day and then throw it away. I also told her to do the same with the turkey carcass (unless you boil it down and make soup like I do. Then I freeze the bones, skin, etc. for disposal on garbage day.) I do this with melon
rinds, fish bones & skin - anything that is smelly. It is especially good to do this in the summer when it is so hot and smells in the garbage can get awful. You have to have a special place in the freezer for this purpose - otherwise, you might try to take something out for dinner and be surprised when you open it!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. We will be thinking about all of you.

The Kitchen Sink

Here is another thing that has helped me to keep our stainless steel sink clean. I sprinkle just a little bit of dish washing granules in the sink and then use a damp paper towel ( I always keep towels that aren't very dirty and use them again as Lynn has told you) to wipe around the bottom and sides of the sink. You will be surprised at how much grime you see on the paper towel. I even go in back of the faucet and underneath it and down into the garbage disposal. You may have to use a couple of towels. Rinse thoroughly with the sprayer and dry with another towel.
Also, dish washing granules made into a paste can be used for scrubbing out stains in clothes - probably not colored ones as there is bleach in it. This also works well for scubbing the stubborn stains on the bottom of the bathtub. Just rub gently so that you don't scratch the surface.

Hairy Situations .

As I was washing my hair in the tub this morning, I thought of another tip to pass along. Buy two or three hair traps (they fit over the drain hole) - use them wherever hair is washed. All you do is place it over the hole as the water is draining and it catches all that hair that would normally go down and clog the drain pipe. When the water is gone, use your trusty cheap tissue to remove the hair from the trap and then dispose of hair and tissue together. Believe me, I am thinking of giving these traps as wedding gifts. They would save a lot of plumbing bills and aggravation. Of course, you still need to use Draino once in a while. If you have slow running drains right now, here is another tip. Get a crochet hook - a metal one with a fairly small hook (not too small or it will break off more easily). Grasp it on the flat part and put the hook down in the drain and pull up - you may be surprised to see the gunk that comes up. Just don't drop the hook down the drain! If your plug will come out, you can use an old tootbrush to get the gunk out.
Another use for your tissue is to use it to pull the hair from your brush. Yes, you need to do this!!!! If you have ever had a lice problem, you will want to keep your combs and brushes as clean as possible. Once in a while, soak the brushes in hot soapy water and use an old toothbrush to clean the old hairspray, gel, etc. out. Rinse in hot water and let dry on an old towel.
If these are the only "hairy situations" you have to worry about, you will be blessed indeed!!

Winterizing

Well, it is nearly Thanksgiving and we KNOW that the snow is going to come and winter will be here for a few months.
Yesterday I blew the leaves to the street for pickup. I have been mowing them, but our big tree dumped all at once and it was too much for the mower. Usually, the leaf pickup ends the week of Thanksgiving so I hope they get them. I have seen people have piles of leaves on their curb all winter and it kills the lawns and the snowplows don't appreciate them.
I also have pulled up all the annuals by the roots, the tomato vines, and brought in the geraniums that I will baby over the winter. I have coiled up the hoses (after getting the gutters cleaned last week - by a handyman) and brought them to the basement. Leaving them out with water still in them is not a good idea as the water can freeze and break the faucets.
I have made sure that the outside lights are working - don't want to change them in the winter.
I have made sure that all outdoor furniture is brought inside to the basement or covered. I haven't covered the air conditioner but some people do. Any tools or equipment have been brought in and the garage is ready for the cars so we don't have to scrape windshields. The snowblower has been checked out and we will see if it lasts another winter. We have the snowshovels and some salt for sprinkling on the walk.
The car has a blanket, boots, & first aid kit in the trunk. We make sure that we don't let the gas get below 1/4 tank in the winter. We have checked the tires and had the oil changed. I also had each car waxed and made sure the windshield wiper fluid was filled and that we have more on hand.
When we come for Christmas, we will leave a drip from a faucet going in the basement so the pipes won't freeze. We will make sure not to leave the heat too low, cancel newspapers, make sure the neighbors (who have our key) know we are going, stop the mail and get our hometeacher to drive in and out of the driveway a few times if it snows so it looks like someone is here. We also have lights that are on a timer so that the house isn't always dark. (Last year, we had a spotlight on the house and it was on the timer - it blew a fuse and we lost the food in our freezer as it was on the same circuit.)
We have a house humidifier on the furnace and we have changed the filter. The furnace filter needs to be changed. Dad usually drains a bucket of water from the waterheater to get the sediment out. (There is a little faucet at the bottom of the heater.)
If you don't have a whole house humidifier, you need some portable ones in the bedrooms with clean filters (have to wash them out very often to get the scum off them). When you do the dishwasher, open and let the moisture out into the room instead of letting the dishes dry all the way. They will air dry quickly and you will get extra moisture in the air. If you have a lot of static electricity, you need more humidity in the air. You can even boil some water on the stove (make sure you don't let it boil dry) to get more moisture in the air.
Of course, the beds need to have more blankets on so that you can turn down the heat at night. This will help so the air doesn't dry out as quickly and save on heating costs. Get out the flannel pj's, slippers, sweaters, boots, mittens, scarves, hats and coats and make sure they are clean and have all the buttons/zippers (that work). Plan on meals that use the oven, bake lots of cookies and cakes, have hot cocoa on hand and lots of mini marshmallows. Maker sure you have candles, matches, flashlights & batteries, extra food, manual can opener - all the necessities in case the power goes out. Always keep the phones charged and have a charger that you can use in the car too so that you have a way to charge it if there is no power.
"if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear"... It is good to know that you have done all that you can to prepare for emergencies. Happy Winter!

Lunch Helps

I just finished making Dad's lunch (yes, I have done it most days now for 42 years). I have had it easy because he likes the same thing every day. I have learned a few hints that I will pass on as most of you have years of lunchmaking ahead of you.
My most wonderful discoverey (sometime last year) was that after you make the sandwich, don't cut it until you slide it halfway into the baggie. Then you can cut it in half and slide it in so much more easily. I must buy the cheap bags because they are all barely big enough and this really helps so I don't crush the sandwich trying to get it into the bag. I always buy the fold down type instead of the ziplock kind because they are cheaper and they get thrown away anyway. I save the ziplock ones for things that I store in the fridge so they stay fresher longer.
I have a drawer in the fridge devoted just to lunchmeat, cheese, carrots, apples, etc. That way I can pull everything out at once.
While you have everything out, you may as well make up a few sandwiches for later in the day. It is a lot more effficient to just get things out once. Then, when noon arrives, you have lunch all made and don't have to get things out again.
Try to put things back in the fridge before you leave the kitchen. I don't like to walk back in and still see things on the counter.
Write little love notes on the napkin or on the sack. Dad & I have been doing little poems that go back and forth each day. It is just another way to say that you are thinking of them.
Have fun while making lunches - listen to the radio or hum a tune. Remember, you are nourishing someone you love (and saving money so they don't have to buy their lunch). Love you all!

New Use for Car Wax

Well, you will never stop me now! Here is another bit of wisdom learned over the years.
Buy a can of car wax. Open and use the sponge applicator to wipe a small amount of wax on your clean counters, table top, bath tile (not floor tile - too slippery and not cupboard doors as the wax gets in all the crevices and is hard to remove). Let wax dry then buff with an old towel or soft cloth. Your surfaces will shine and it will be easier to wipe off water spots. You don't have to do this very often but it really makes the surfaces shine. Repeat if you see that it has worn off or things are looking dull again.

Speaking of which (water spots), the bathroom counter tops usually have this problem especially where you lay down your toothbrush, cup, etc. Buy a cheap box of tissues (doesn't matter if they are soft for this use). Keep on your counter. Then, if you see scum in your sink, water spots, hair, toothpaste leavings, etc., wet a tissue slightly and go over the area. Then before throwing it away, lean down and rub a clean side over the edge of your floor and in the corners and baseboard. You will be amazed at how much hair and dust you can collect with one tissue! I do this several times a day as I think I am shedding. I can't see the dust or hair on the floor but it is there!!

Trying to Blog

Well, I am trying to blog tonight at the suggestion of Paige. She thought she would be interested in some of my " mom wisdom" and so I am going to try to write a little of what I know after all these years. Of course, I can't write it all in one blog (or maybe I could) so I will spread it out and you can take what is valuable to you.
So here is the hint of the day - buy some of the clay type caulking in the color of the frames of your windows (usually cream or wood colored). Pull off pieces (it is in a coil like a rope) and press them into the cracks where air leaks through. If you have big cracks, use a lot! This will save you on heating bills and also air conditioning bills. Of course, the caulk can get brittle when it gets too cold so you may have to warm it up (roll it in your hands like you are making a clay snake) and repress it in or use a fresh piece.
I guess one thing I can tell you tonight is that this communication is so vital. I am thankful for e-mail and blogging. I learn from you!