Showing posts with label Pets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pets. Show all posts

50 Clever Uses For Common Household Items

Monday, January 24, 2011













Money is tight for most right now while a shift to more natural products around the house is also abounding. How can you find the best of both of these worlds? It's actually very simple. It's all a matter of learning a few tricks and doing it yourself. Here are 50 helpful tips to make products around home more natural, yourself a little more self-reliable and of course all while saving you some cash.

1.)
Toothpaste: Buff a CD/DVD

Apply toothpaste to a cotton ball and wipe the disc. Wash with water afterwards and you've got an lost brand new disc!

2.) Cornstarch: Untangle Knots

Sprinkling cornstarch into tough knots, such as shoe laces can helps loosen them.

3.) Walnut: Buff Dings Out of Wooden Furniture

Get rid of unsightly scratches and dings on wooden furniture by rubbing a walnut on the areas. The blemishes will vanish quickly and your furniture and money will be saved.

4.) Club Soda: Make Your Breads Fluffier

When baking, where recipes call for water, add club soda instead of water to make pancakes, waffles and any other breads fluffier.

5.) Salt: Keep Windows Frost Free

Pour a cup of salt into a liter of water. The, sponge the liquid onto the inside of window to prevent frost from forming during the winter months.

6.) Rubbing Alcohol: Remove Permanent Marker

Dab the surface with permanent marker on it with a cloth or cotton ball covered in rubbing alcohol to make it disappear quickly.

7.) Chapstick: Stops Bleeding When Nicked Shaving

Cut yourself shaving? Just swipe chapstick over the cut to stop that constant bleeding. No more tissue squares!

8.) Apple Juice: Removes Dandruff

Don't ask me how it works, but it does! Instead of buying a special shampoo, just wash your hair in apple juice to rid your scalp of pesky dandruff.

9.) Aspirin: Get Rid of Armpit Stains on T-Shirts

Mash up an aspirin tablet or two, then make a paste out of it using water, lemon or vinegar. Spread the paste on the stained area an let sit for an hour before washing.

10.) Olive Oil: Make Pets' Coat Shinier

Add a bad of olive oil to your pet's food to give them a healthier, shinier coat of fur.

11.) Newspapers: Clean Windows and Mirrors

Instead of using a spray and a streaky cloth, use only newspaper clean off your mirrors and windows for a streak-free finish. No wonder homeless guys use it ;-)

12.) Baking Soda: Remove Bugs From Windshield

Mix baking soda with warm water to make a paste. Spread the paste over your windshield for fifteen minutes. Then wipe off or spray off with a hose.

13.) Bleach: Extend Life of Flowers in Vase

Add a few drops of bleach to vase water to prevent the build up of the slime caused by bacteria. It works just like chlorine in a swimming pool.

14.) Kitchen Dish Soap: Flea-Killing Dog Shampoo

Kitchen dish soap (not dish detergent) can double as dog shampoo for its flea killing abilities.

15.) Coke: Remove Blood Stains From Clothing

Soak the stain in coke until the stain is dissolved, then wash the clothing as usual. Wash before the coke dries, though.

16.) Honey: Remove Blemish Overnight

Have a blemish you need to get rid of by tomorrow? Put a dab of honey on the blemish and cover it up (it's best to use a bandaid) and the honey's natural antibacterial properties will clean out the bacteria by the morning.

17.) Wax Paper: Clean Can Opener Gears

Run a few small strips of of wax paper through the can opener to clean out of the bits and pieces that have built up in the gears through out the year. The wax will also rub off on the gears to protect for future use as well.

18.) WD-40: Remove Crayons From Walls

Use the lubricant and a cloth to remove stubborn crayon marks from the walls just by spraying the wall and wiping with a cloth.

19.) Chalk: Keep Ants and Slugs Out of the House

Ants and Slugs Won't Touch Chalk. So, simply draw a line in front of your doorway where you are having problems with these pesky critters and they won't cross it, meaning they won't be able to get into your house.

20.) Vinegar: Kills Weeds and Helps Flowers Grow

Vinegar is a magic wonder when it comes to gardening. It not only kills weeds but they help flowers grow as well. Douse vinegar all around your garden to prevent weeds from popping up and to help your flowers to grow healthy and strong.

21.) Mayonnaise: Remove Bumper Sticker

Spread mayonnaise on the bumper sticker and let sit for at least thirty minutes. Then, rub the sticker off with a towel, leaving a clean bumper!

22.) Tin Foil Ball: Replace Dryer Sheets Permanently

Instead of using a dryer sheet, ball up one or a few sheets of tin foil and toss it in the dryer. It removes the static electricity from your clothes and one can last up to a year.

23.) Banana Peel: Polish Leather Shoes

Use the inside of a banana peel to give shoes a professional and natural shine that will last for quite some time.

24.) Mouthwash: Cure Athlete's Foot

Pour mouthwash on cotton balls and then swab your feet. The alcohol will disinfect the bacteria completely if you continue this for a week or so.

25.) Baking Soda: Clean BBQ Grill

Mix a cup of baking soda with half a cup water to make a paste. Dip your brush into the paste and scrub the grill. The caked on pieces and black residue will come off much quicker, and using baking soda is much safer and cheaper than using cleaning chemicals.

26.) Coffee Grounds: Fertilizer

Coffee is full of nutrients and vitamins that are very beneficial to soil. That's why some people include it in compost piles. If you want to get the most out of your coffee, pour the grounds on areas where you want more grass or flowers.

27.) Olive Oil: Shaving Cream

The smoothness of the oil can replace the need for shaving cream, and it also provides great moisture.

28. ) Dryer Sheets: Gets Rid of Static Electricity

Use dryer sheets to remove static electricity from things such as clothing, TV screens or your own hair. Tame fly away strands by running a dryer sheet over them.

29.) Freezer: Freeze Candles to Make Them Last Longer

For at least 2 hours before using, put candles in the freezer. Once you burn them, the wax will melt at a much slower pace, making them last much longer!

30.) Two glasses of water: Cure Headache

Water is the cure to most common headaches. To make the headache go away quickly, drink two cups of water very quickly.

31.) Lemons: Deodorize Garbage Disposal

Toss whole slices of lemon into the garbage disposal, then run it. The acidity of the lemon will rid your sink of all odors and leave a fresh scent that usually lasts for a few months.

32.) Alka Seltzer: Remove Burnt-On Grease and Food Stains

When letting your pots and pans soak, throw in one or two Alka Seltzer tablets and the caked on residue from cooking will come off easily when you scrub/wash.

33.) Apple Cider Vinegar: Relieve Diarrhea

Mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into eight ounces of water to soothe your stomach. The taste may not be the greatest, but the antibacterial properties of the vinegar will end the unpleasantness of the bowel problems.

34.) Toothpaste: Remove Scratches From Glass

Apply toothpaste to scratch, then rub with a cloth until the scratch is gone. Make sure the glass is clean beforehand.

35.) Cheerios: Relieve Pain From Poison Ivy, Chickenpox and Sunburns

Pound one to four cups of Cheerios into a powder and add to your bath to soothe your skin while you soak. You may not feel relief while in the tub, but you will soon after.

36.) Buttons: Sort Earrings

Organize your earrings and prevent them from becoming entangled by using spare buttons as holders for each pair.

37.) Corn Oil: Prevent Hairballs for Pets

Add a few drops of corn oil to your pets' food to prevent hairballs from forming. The thick oil helps the fur pass through the animal's system much quicker and easily.

38.) Whipped Cream: Remove Gum From Hair

There are many remedies for removing gum from hair, but this is a lesser known one. Give it a try rather than peanut butter the next time you're in need.

39.) Coke: Remove Oil Stains From the Driveway

Oil stains are very difficult to remove pavement, but one method guaranteed to work is Coke. The highly acidic drink will eat away at the oil until clean.

40.) Brown Sugar: Facial Scrub

I use this one all time. A scrub is good to do about once a month to remove dead skin and bacteria built up in pores and remove excess oil from the skin. Brown sugar does just as well as expensive products and will definitely result in a clearer and smoother complexion.

41.) Dryer Sheet: Lint Brush

You know dryer sheets remove lint in the dryer. Well, it can do the same thing out of the dryer, too. When you're in a fix, use a dryer sheet. It works just as well as a lint brush, and if you like the scent, it's an added bonus.

42.) Newspaper: Deodorize food containers and Food Drawers in the Refrigerator

For that stinky tupperware or smelly refrigerator drawer that is too much to deal with, toss in a sheet of newspaper overnight before yo deal with it. The paper will absorb the smell greatly reducing it or eliminating it completely.

43.) Olive Oil: Unstick a Zipper

The oil will help help the zipper slide more easily, fixing the problem!

44.) Salt: Cool Something Quickly

You know that feeling when you're having a BBQ and someone asks for a drink and you realize that no one has put them in the cooler? There's nothing worse than a warm drink on a hot day. Chill a drink quickly, by adding salt and water to your ice. The drinks will be cold in a matter of minutes, saving your party and making you look smart all at once.

45.) Scotch Tape: Prevent Wall From Chipping When Nailing

The wall can leave unsightly chips when hammering in a nail. Prevent this by simple placing a piece of scotch tape over the area you're going to nail. The wall will be held tighter, preventing chips from occurring.

46.) Alka Seltzer: Soothe Insect Bites

Dissolve two tablets into a glass of water. Then use a cloth or cotton ball to apply it to the effected area. The red will go down and most importantly, the itchiness will vanish usually in fifteen minutes.

47.) Lemon: Whitens Whites

Add about half a cup of lemon juice to your load of whites to makes them extra white. You can use lemon juice with bleach or detergent, so don't worry about mixing chemicals withe the acidic lemon.

48.) Banana Peel: Whiten Teeth

This may sound a little odd, but rub the inside of a banana peel on your teeth twice a day for two weeks and you will receive the same effect from a teeth-whitening kit. Plus, you'll save yourself money and the hassle of using chemicals.

49.) Hair Dryer: Free Photos Stuck on Pages

If you have a photo stuck on a page that you can't get free, try using a blow dryer on the back of the page. It will loosen the photo from the page and the adhesive holding it there.

50.) Banana Peel: Heal Most Skin Problems

Bananas are the magical fruit, because they heal many common problems on the skin. By rubbing the peel on your skin, you can heal bruises and cuts and eliminate rashes, itching and warts. Basically if you have a common skin problem, it can be cured by this fruit.


Hope you can put these to good use to save money and make your home more natural. There are many more clever uses for common household items like these. Do you have any?

How Bolt Comes to My Rescue

Thursday, January 13, 2011

I have a little guy named Bolt. He is a jack russell/boston terrier mix and I don't know what shape I would be in without him. I have always loved dogs, but never had one in my home until I was in high school. The dog my parents brought home was a wonderful addition and I love him to this day, but his existence didn't chance my life at all. My Dad also had a few dogs come and go over the years, though not seeing him all that often just made them cuddly playmates. However Bolt.... well he means so much to me and my husband.


Being a new year, I have started thinking about 2010 and how it was exceptionally difficult. There were many times I wanted to just give up on everything. When I felt worthless in life. When my husband and I would argue or feel down right depressed. As I've been looking back, I realized that there were so many instances where Bolt came to our rescue. No, I wasn't Little Timmy stuck in a long dark pit, but my emotions might as well have been. And Bolt knew just what to do! He licked me incessantly until I realized he was trying to give me kisses. He cuddled up and made me feel warm and loved when I all I really felt was alone. He brought me his favorite toy to squeak and throw so that I could have some fun playing. And he just plain did silly things that made me laugh out loud, even when I had been crying. There were many times his constant positive nature paired next to his contentment with simplicity caused me to look at life in different ways.

I know some of you may be thinking "it's just a dog; a pet." And I'm inclined to agree with you. However, I believe God has used my little pet this past year to help me cope with seemingly hopeless situations. My husband and I had wanted a dog for a very long time but we didn't feel the time was right until just before things began their downward spiral. We have always trusted in God to provide for us in ways we can't provide for ourselves. And during this past year that we have had Bolt, God has provided a way to endure this wilderness we are in. I hope your pet can be the same for you.


Don't have a dog or some other pet? I recommend a trip to your local pound. Though it may make you feel a little sad at first - for you can't take all those sad faces home with you - you just may find one you can. And it has already made you feel better! Now you have a companion and just think.... you saved it's life. Doesn't that feel good?

Dog's and The Right Kind of "Training"

Monday, September 6, 2010


I am lucky enough to have a cute little dog that I love. His name is Bolt because he looks like the little dog from the movie "Bolt". He is a Jack Russell/Boston Terrier that is a year and a half so he has a lot of energy and needs a lot of attention. My husband and I have had him for about 6months and have been successful with house training, the "sit" command and not pulling on a walk. But there are other habits he has that we just can't work out of him. So what do you do?

I have read a lot of Caesar Millan's (The Dog Whisperer) books and watched his show. I love watching him take a dog he has never met and transforming it into an incredibly well behaved dog within minutes. His secret is treating a dog as a dog: giving it a lot of exercise, feeding it only after it has earned the food as well as giving it rules, boundaries and limitations. But his biggest rule is that us (the human beings) must be strong pack leaders for our dogs. Now, I agree with a lot of his approaches on how dogs should be treated and that we need to be calm and assertive in order to get our dog to "listen" to us. But after applying a few techniques over the past few months, nothing seems to have changed. All I know is that I am more frustrated and Bolt still licks too much.

Of course, being Christians as well as just good people, we would never hit our dog. But when your dog - during playtime - runs as fast as he can, jumping right at your face with his mouth wide open and cuts your nose with his fangs, what are you suppose to do? He didn't bite down on your nose, he just came at you so fast with his hard sharp teeth that you are now bleeding. You say "No!", but he doesn't get it. You give him a "time-out" for lunging at your face, but all he knows is that he was playing, you got upset and now he is stuck in the bathroom again. My husband also likes to play video games in order to help him relax. Bolt seems to always want to nibble on him and yelp at him when he does. In order to allow my husband his time alone, I try my best to tell Bolt "No" and move him out of the way, but he just goes right back to his old tricks. My husband pushes him away a little and then of course Bolt thinks it's playtime. We try to be strong "pack leaders" so that he will listen to us but nothing seems to work. We too often find ourselves saying, "He's a wonderful dog, but....."

I know a lot of people have these same problems and have tried numerous ways of dealing with it all. If I was the Dog Whisperer, then perhaps my God given talent of speaking to dog's through my energy would get the job done. But unfortunately, that is not a gift I posses. Though I do agree with Millan's philosophies that dog's are not humans and we should not treat them in the same manner. They are wired differently than we are. But at the same time, I don't believe that every single dog in the world should be treated exactly the same. They are each different from each other. So where do we turn? I turn to my dog. I've decided to try a technique for a week or so and see how he reacts. If he seems to respond, I continue. If he doesn't respond well, I move on to something else. Plus, sometimes you just have to know what your dog is trying to say; like a baby. When they cry, it means they need one of many things and you just have to figure out which problem to fix. Bolt only barks when he needs to go outside, is out of water and food or my brother-in-laws run after him like a big bear. I'm learning who he is. If you're having the same problems, it's best to just be observant and adjust to what you discover.

Now for some rather Pretty Dogs!