THE QUEEN OF EVERYTHING ELSE

As found on  Mother Nature Network   We find them everywhere, popping out of all sorts of packaging, lurking like an ugly bug in vitamin bottles and new shoes. Working freight at my store, I touch dozens of silica packets each day and often ask what I can do to recycle them. Couldn't we collect them and send them off to a manufacturer for reuse? Silica gel is a desiccant, a substance that absorbs moisture. Despite its misleading name, the silicate is actually a very porous mineral with a natural attraction to water molecules. Manufacturers utilize the gel to keep goods from spoiling, molding or degrading due to humidity. The gel itself is nontoxic, but can have a moisture indicator added (cobalt chloride) which is a known toxin that turns pink when hydrated and is otherwise blue in its dry form. Most silica found in our food and household purchases looks like tapioca beads and is benign unless combined with certain chemicals.  Altho...

Egg Freshness Test I eat too many eggs for them to ever go bad, but this sure is good to know. I got so excited when I saw this, I dug into my fridge to test it for myself. My eggs seemed to be 4-6 days old — good enough! You’re probably wondering how this works, and yes, there is some science behind it. Eggshells are porous, allowing air to slowly get in over time. As more air enters the egg, it gets lighter and lighter, which explains why it will eventually float.   Store Ice Cream In A Bag A plastic freezer bag keeps the cold air from making your ice cream rock hard. If you like straight spoons and soft ice cream, this trick is worth the extra step! Try to push out as much air out of the bag as you can before putting it in the freezer. Rolling Citrus Fruit  If you roll while applying a bit of pressure to your citrus fruits (lemons, limes, oranges, etc.), you will get so much more of that yummy juice. Coat Cups With Non-Stick Spray When...

Yield: 24 Cookies Ingredients: COOKIE: 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 cup vegetable shortening 3 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt FROSTING: 3 cups confectioners' sugar 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon lemon extract Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. For cookies, cream together sugar and shortening. Add eggs and lemon extract and beat well. Add flour, baking powder and salt; Mix well. The dough should be soft and sticky. With a small cookie scoop, drop dough onto a slightly greased cookie sheet or baking stone, spacing them about 2-inches apart. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until firm and lightly brown. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and allow to cool completely on wire racks. For frosting, combine confectioners' sugar, water and lemon extract and mix until smooth. Frost the tops of each cookie with a metal spatula. Allow cookies to dry before stacking. Store in an a...

This is such a great tutorial from DIY Diva's   I just had to share it.  Wish I had found this years ago.  This is so easy to do.  Instead of leaving that extra chunk of fabric rolled up and tacked down on the inside of the jean, you just cut it off.  For the full tutorial on how to hem your jeans yourself click on the link below. HEM JEANS FAST Here are some more tips on Hemming your pants yourself  

Spring is here and it's time to get your home in order so that you can enjoy the summer. Easier said than done right?  Yea, I feel the same way.  Here are some great tips to help organize your stuff and make use of space around your home.  I know I need at least a full week to get my home finally organized.   I am determined.   Happy Organizing!!! 

One of the reasons I started this Blog was to be able to put all the things I've made in one place.  I am constantly searching for tutorials, even if I know how I want to make something, just to see how others have make it.  Today I am sharing with you how I refinished these great chairs my cousin gave me.  Some tutorials I share will be my own and some will contain links to tutorials I have used!   For these great chairs  I found some really pretty fabric I liked and it really gave them a great new look.  I love doing this.  It such a great idea when you just need a change. To start,  I removed the seat cushions from the chairs and prepared my space outside in a well ventilated area.  I do not recommend you doing any spray painting indoors.  I wear gloves, a mask and depending on the wind I will wear goggles.   This is important especially with the primer because it is oil based.  I learned the hard way, protect...

How to clean your Keurig   So every morning I wake up and immediately turn on the Keurig to make a cup of coffee.  This morning I noticed the cup didn't fill as up as it usually does.  I knew I had to clean the machine again.  Last time I cleaned it I used a cleaner I got from the store. This time I wanted to try the good ole vinegar trick.  I put about a cup of vinegar in the machine and added water about half way and waited about 10 mins then started to run the water mixture through the machine till it was gone.  I then filled it again with water to the top and ran that through till gone.  I did this 2 times to make sure the vinegar was all out.  I then made myself another cup and problem was fixed.  The coffee tasted much better too!!   You should clean your Keurig every 2-3 months.