Some More Tips and Tricks!

Hi lovelies! You know the drill, if I can find the original author click the picture or link and it will take you right to that person!

 

1. A lovey lady- Kelly- said that in the summer months to take regular Listerine and put it in a spray bottle and spray the perimeter of your patio or any area that you are in and it keeps the mosquitoes away. I will DEFINITELY be using this one considering the mosquitoes are horrendous this year.

 

2. For the people who have cats but hate the look of the litter box use this tip from This Old House:

Remove the cabinet door's panel and add a tension rod installed in the cabinet to hide the litter.

 

 

3.  This one is all over Pinterest- and it works. Cinnamon in the sandbox keeps the bugs away. You've got to use a cup to a cup and a half of cinnamon and mix it into the sand, but it works quite well.

 

 

4. I've seen this on Pinterest in various places- bathing your little ones in a laundry basket in the tub to keep them from slipping. It confines them but gives them some room to splash. Now while this may not be the best option for home- it might work really well on vacation. You cant always take the tub with you, but most rental houses have a laundry basket available for you to use.

 

5. Found this on The Storage Geek- fix towel bars to the back of the closet to store blankets.

 

 

6. This one came from My Life and Kids - and if you haven't gone over to read some of the hilariousness that Anna has on there, you are missing out. Use toothpaste to remove permanent marker from wood floors or tables- works like a charm!

 

7. Mayonnaise will remove water stains from wood. Water marks come when the wood actually gets dried out. Simply slather on a nice thick layer of Mayo and the oils will recondition the wood. Make sure to let it set awhile, it doesn't work instantly!

 

8. Did you know you could freeze buttermilk and heavy cream? I certainly didn't until I stumbled upon this pin from Homestead Revival who told me I could.  Think of all of those recipes that only call for a little bit, and the stores that sell it in pints. Perfect solution!

 

 

9. Village Voices on Kidspot gives us 30 out of the ordinary beauty tricks- my favorite one being the fact that you can use a bit of baking soda on the oily areas of your hair as a dry shampoo, if you don’t have time to wash with regular shampoo. Comb the baking soda through your hair gently to avoid clumps, and then blow-dry with cool air for several seconds.

 

10. For those cloth diaper users, there is a pretty great storage idea I saw on Pinterest. Use a shoe organizer to hold all of them bad boys on the back of a door. Frees up drawer space and keeps the fluff off of the floor.

11. This one came from my uncle that is a manager of a detail shop at a large car lot. People always come in with horrible bumper stickers on cars and they need them removed. Obviously they have tried many different ways to remove them, but he swears one of the best is just a thick layer of mayonnaise. Slather it over the sticker and let it sit, and the oils will lift the sticky residue right up.

12. Chap stick will stop bleeding from shaving nicks. Just swipe it over the nick and voila!

13. I cant find the original link this came from- so if its you, let me know and Ill link to you!!  Until then, Ill just link to the pin I got it from. Pinner said: "I was in Ulta today and a sales lady dropped nail polish. They immediately began pouring sugar on it. Did you know sugar makes nail polish clump up and you can sweep it right off the floor? I watched them. No scrubbing at all!"

 

14. This one comes from a reader of Thrifty Fun and its one that I desperately need for summer- how to make those mosquito bites stop itching! Pixie from Alliance, OH uses Orajel or any toothache gel medicine and it works! It stops the itching instantly and will not itch again. The best part is its not sticky or greasy and the tube is small enough to fit right in your pocket.

 

 

15. Sarah sent me this tip via email and she swears it works like a charm! If you get some dandruff, you don't need to go buy expensive shampoo just wash your hair with apple juice to get rid of the flakes.

 

16.  This pin lead me to the blog LaLa- and I love this super simple pacifier storage idea.  Just pop them into a basic souffle cup with a lid, and then feel free to store them in a drawer, purse or diaper bag until needed!

 

 

17. Amy over at Then She Made shared her tutorial for rotating can storage- and its one of those why the heck did I not think of that moments. She re-used the fridge cardboard pop boxes and it works like a charm! Simply add a hole at the top of the box and save yourself big bucks over the expensive plastic kind they sell in stores. Brilliant and easy- that's my kind of DIY project!

 

 

18. A friend who works in the floral industry swears that a few drops of bleach in a vase of water will extend the life of your cut flowers. It prevents the growth of the nasty smelling slime and keeps the flowers looking beautiful.

19. My grandma used to swear that a line of chalk will keep ants out of your house. I found a bunch of those critters in my bathroom so I'll be heading outside to draw a chalk outline of my house. If it doesn't keep the ants out, at least it will show where my house stood before I lysoled it to death!

20. Snapguide has a solution on how to hang a sweater so you don't get the crazy shoulder bumps from the hanger. Considering I usually end up re-washing to get rid of them I had to give this one a try!

 

21. The Family Handyman has a list of 10 Easy Holiday Storage tips- and they are all pure brilliance. One of my favorites is how to store gift wrap. We have one of those wrapping storage containers for Christmas wrap, but this would work well for all types of wrapping paper. Install a simple wire shelf on the side of the closet, and it will keep the paper neat and out of the way.

 

 

22. To cool drinks quickly, add some salt and water to the ice. It allows drinks to cool much quicker, which works well when you want something nice and cold and there is nothing in the fridge!

 

23. From the blog Sweet Caroline- use Woolite Foam Carpet Cleaner to clean your grout. It comes out in a nice steady stream, so its easy to spray and works like a charm. Simply spray, let set several minutes, brush and wipe away!

 

 

24. For anyone who has ever been pinched by the springs on a trampoline- this pin is for you- cover the springs with foam pool noodles! I couldn't find the original author on this one either, so if its you please let me know!

 

25.  Another one that makes no sense why I didn't think of this on my own- and unfortunately another one that I cant find the original author for. I found this pin for a easy storage solution for plastic sandwich bags and its pure brilliance.

 

 

26.  Another brilliant pin I stumbled across this time was the answer to my bib storage prayers.

Use a command hook and attach it to the back of the highchair, giving you the perfect place to store bibs. Ive also seen the command hook inside the cabinet door where the baby's food is kept, also brilliant.

 

 

27.  Save all of the travel sized toiletries we swipe from hotels or buy for trips and toss them in a pretty glass jar in the spare bathroom for guests to use. Makes people feel at home and makes you look like a terrific hostess :)

 

 

28. I can not find the original author of this pin- but I want to kiss them (if its you, please tell me!). They provided me with a solution to a horrible problem in the K household.  The scene- I put clothes into the washer knowing that my nice sweater and dress pants don't go into the dryer. Hubs decides to "help" and throws the whole pile into the dryer. Sixty minutes later Barbie can wear my sweater and my pants have more fuzzies on them than my dog. Been there? Then try this- use a dry erase marker with a magnet to write a note on the lid of the washer as to what can not go into the dryer.

 

 

29. Want the look of two curtain panels without having to replace your drapery hardware? The people over at I love decorating share how to hang a second panel behind the existing curtain with the help of a thin bungee cord available in the hardware section of most stores!

 

 

30.  From the people over at snapguide- a fast acting pimple clearing tip! Get an Advil Liqui-Gels. Use a pin to poke a hole in the pill and then apply the liquid to pimple. You will notice the redness and pain goes away almost immediately! Side note- do not use the pin to poke the pimple. Rather, once the hole is poked squeeze it right from the liquid gel onto the skin.

 

 

 

 

That's all for today lovelies- keep sharing your tips and tricks with me :)

 

 

 

 

 

15 More Tips and Tricks

Its been awhile since I did a big post on Tips and Tricks- so here goes nothing!

As always, click the picture to go to the original source for the idea :)

 

 

1.  Via Lifehacker , use a paper clip to help clasp bracelets. Perfect for when the hubs isn't home!

 

 

2. This one comes from Susan Branch Place your pillows in the dryer with a few tennis balls to kill any nasty germs/molds inside of the pillow and return them to their original "fluff" state.

 

 

 I received a wonderful list from one of my lovelies, Brittany, on all of the amazing uses for coffee filters.

 

3. Use a coffee filter for individual popcorn servings- soaks up the grease and makes a perfect portion size!

 

4. Want to keep your fine china chip free? A well placed coffee filter between plates will keep it looking pristine and is a cheap and perfect way to ensure you can pass it down from generation to generation.

 

5. Use a coffee filter to make individual shoe deodorizers. Simply put some baking soda in the center of a filter, make a bundle and secure with a rubber band. They are small enough to fit anywhere and should take the smell out of your favorite tennies!

 

6. Use a piece of coffee filter to blot excess oil from your face- instead of buying the expensive blotting papers!

 

7. Use a coffee filter to help little hands hold tacos together while eating. Ive seen this done in the Mexican restaurant by our house, they simply give the kiddo their taco wrapped in the filter, then you can peel it back as you eat.

 

8. Possibly the best idea EVER- changing diapers is bad enough, but potty training kids on a potty is equally messy. Line the potty with a coffee filter so you can just lift out the number two and deposit in the toilet.

 

9. ZPanda emailed me how she keeps her plastic storage containers looking like new after 20 years. No more spaghetti stains! Rinse your plastic container in cool water and shake water off, then pour sauce in container and cover. You can freeze these if you like. Take frozen sauce out of plastic and place into a glass bowl to heat.

 

10. Real Simple had a tip that saves tons of time when trying to clean your box grater. Coat your Grater w Cooking Spray BEFORE using. Easier to use on food because the food doesn't stick in the inside!

 

 

11. I found this on Pinterest- but the link is blocked- so if its yours let me know! Use a window squeegee to remove pet hair from the carpet and furniture.

 

 

12. Use a whisk to help little hands dye Easter eggs- no colored fingers!

13. To remove a stuck on band-aid, use a few drops of shampoo to loosen the adhesive before you attempt to peel it off.  It should come off clean and easy.

14. This one is all over the pinterest world and I've always done it.  You can pay for the paint pan liners, but lining your paint pan with aluminium foil makes for cheap and easy clean up for a fraction of the cost of the plastic liners.

15. Erin from over at Domestic Adventure shared an amazing tip for when you want to re-paint your baseboards or need to paint them after they are installed. Simply use a large Spackle knife and you wont need to tape anything off!  You need to head over to her blog and look at her large collection of tips and tricks- you won't be disappointed! I'm off to the store now to find a microfiber shower curtain liner, as I didn't even know they existed!!
 

 

 

 

 

Tips and Tricks- Getting Rid of the Bathroom Nasties.

Okay, first rule- no judging. Agree?  Okay, read on.

 

I clean my bathroom fairly religiously, because I'm always leery of Grayson playing in the tub and it being full of germs. However, the one area that I could never get clean no matter how hard I scrubbed is the grout joint between the tub and the tile. The hubs says its because water got behind the tiles and they need replaced.  Now one would think with a husband who does that for a living that it would happen quickly...but since we only have one bathroom in the house it makes it a little tough to give up our only tub for 3-5 days for a remodel.

 

So here it is- the nasty bathroom issue in all its embarrassing glory. (Remember- I said no judgies!)

 

 

Now the best part- I figured out how to fix it.

 

All you need is a bag of the cotton used for perms (you know, the cotton rope), rubber gloves and some Clorox Bleach.

 

 

I took the cotton rope and plunked it into a Solo cup full of bleach and allowed it to get nice and sopping wet. Then, wearing rubber gloves, I took it out of the bleach and smushed the sopping cotton into the grout joint. Really push it so its right up against the grout. Then you can pour the extra bleach over the cotton to re-saturate it.

 

 

I let it set for about 5 hours, but you can leave it on there as long as you need.

When I pulled it off it looked like this-

 

 

No more bathroom nasties!!

(But there is some lovely tub crayon artwork courtesy of the Grayson-Boy!)

 

It really works, and for the $1.59 it cost me for the cotton I believe it was well worth it. I'm not embarrassed to have people shower in my bathroom anymore! Woo hoo!

 

 

 

 

 



Tips and Tricks- July!

Its summer, so we can all use a few things to make life easier! So here we go...

1. A back to school tip from a pro, remember, I do go back to 9th grade every year. Backpacks with wheels are awesome- I get it, however, lockers are small and schools have steps so they are not always practical. Before school starts, get your child's schedule and email the teachers on it. Ask them if their textbook is available online, if they have a set of classroom textbooks or if your son/daughter will have to lug a big book back and forth each day. Then when you head out to buy that backpack you know if they need a bag they themselves could fit in, or just a few folders. I always end up with a few 'wheelies' stored in the back of my classroom those first few days because they won't fit in the 12 inches of locker space the kiddos are given. 

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2. I saw this one floating around facebook and thought it was amazing.  Whenever your taking your kids out to a fair, amusement park or really any crazy crowded area whip out your cell phone and take a picture of each child individually.  That way if, God forbid, something bad happens and the child gets lost- you have an up to date photo with what the child looks like that day in the outfit they are wearing.  Makes it quick and easy and you don't have to worry about forgetting anything in a blind panic.

3. When working on all of those DIY projects, take this tip from my hubs.  Anytime he is doing something that makes alot of dust, he takes a simple box fan and sticks a cheap-o furnace filter on the back (the side that sucks in).  Then he cranks the fan on full blast and does his dirty work behind the fan.  It pulls all of the dust in, but the filter holds in all of the mess.  He's pretty smart sometimes, I must admit!

4. A friend of mine recently commented on how clean my window blinds are- every window has em, and they are all white. She asked me how I cleaned them and was amazed when I told her I put them in the bathtub.  I simply fill the tub up with some clorox and hot water then put the blinds in and pull them out a couple of times.  The bleach helps to whiten the cords and gets rid of all of the dirt and grime.  Then I hang them back up on the window to drip dry (with a white towel below them to catch drips).  Once dry I run over them with a dryer sheet to repel dust and thats pretty much all she wrote.  Ive only once had to use a brush to scrub them, and that was after we bought the house and they were already dirty.

5.  If you hate cleaning the plastic shower curtain in the bathtub- the clear one that lazy people like me just replace rather than scrubbing the heck out of it- but don't want to replace it every few months do what my aunt does; toss it in the washing machine. Every few weeks when she washes her bathroom linens (you know, the ones that are just for show and we all know were not allowed to touch) she simply tosses it in the wash on a quick wash cycle on delicate with some bleach.  Kills all the germs, gets rid of the soap scum and comes out fresh and clean.  Obviously, don't put it in the dryer, just hang it back up to dry completely!

6. To fill a room with fragrance without having those ugly air fresheners everywhere, put a few drops of your favorite perfume or essential oil on a cold light bulb.  Then, once the light is on and warms up it will spread the scent throughout the room. 

7. Now that Grayson is attached to his lovey like there is no tomorrow, it needs a good wash every now and then.  We all know there is no trauma like a kids favorite stuffed animal falling apart in the washer.  I have a bear that I have had since birth, and hes been washed a zillion times without a problem.  We simply toss him in a pillow case with a zipper before he goes in the wash to add a little protection.

8. Stainless steel silverware is pretty much a staple in every home, and after awhile it can become a little dull looking. You can shine it up by rubbing them with a micro-fiber cloth with some vinegar on it. They polish up and look good as new!

9. Another one from the hubs- to get stains off of concrete pour a can of Coke onto the stain and scrub with a brush.  The coke will break up the stain and allow it to come clean.  (As a girl who consumes Coke like its going out of style, my innards must hate me.)

10. If you have a squeak in your hardwood floor, sprinkle some baby powder onto the floor and use a broom to sweep it into the cracks. Then wipe up the excess on the surface and you wont hear a thing!

11.  When you need to chill drinks down in a hurry simply place them in a pot and cover with ice. Then toss 2 cups of salt on top of the ice and fill the rest of the pot with water. The salt causes a chemical reaction that basically makes the temp drop way down, resulting in some nice icy cold drinks in a matter of minutes. Thats why ice cream makers require salt, because it can drop the temperature down to -21 degrees Celsius.

12. If you have a large amount of condiments in your fridge, why not put a lazy susan in there so you have easy access to everything?  It takes up roughly the same space, but you have less chance of something stuck in the back going bad because with a quick spin you can see what you have.

Source: Fridge Butler

13. Via Pinterest- keep a sponge with the soap compartment attached in the shower filled with a mixture of half vinegar and half Dawn dish soap. Use it to wipe down the shower while you are in there and your shower will always be clean. Plus, you wont be spraying harsh chemicals in an in closed space- good for the lungs and eyes as well!

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14.  These two tips came from DPS Show, but they are probably sourced from somewhere else.  The first is how to store beer in a fridge to save space- but it could equally work in those pesky mini fridges that arent tall enough to let bottles stand up. Simply use a binder clip on the shelf to create a mini-beer pyramid. Take the beer from the top, and refill as needed!

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15. Also on the DPS Show list was a simple solution for evenly coating food with hot sauce, or any similar thin sauce for that matter.  Simply attach a spray bottle top and you have instant ease of application. If you bottle cant attach to a spray top, just head on out to the dollar store and buy a spray bottle and fill the bottle up with your condiment of choice.

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16. When traveling, arrange your clothes on hanging shelves and compress and place into suitcase. When you arrive at your hotel, pull them out and hang them up- each outfit is on its own shelf. This could be great for kids traveling with grandparents or dads alone- clothes will always match!

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17. Found on Pinterest- you can use a can opener to open sealed plastic packaging.  Where have you been my entire life?

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18. A great way to recycle and keep your sandwich from getting crushed- store a bagel sandwich in an empty cd case. Its silly, but it works perfectly!

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19. Store plastic bags in an empty tissue box thumb tacked to the inside of a cabinet. Keeps them handy but out of sight, sounds wonderful to me!

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20. Use a soda pop tab to hang two hangers together. Great for hanging matching outfits together, or getting more closet space. However, a downside is you have to have thin hangers to fit through the holes of the tab.

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21. I found out that you can get professional tile and grout cleaning results at home using your own rug scrubber. My floor has never been so happy clean, I might even let my kid eat off of it. Just kidding.

22. Heidi over at The Castro Family is my organizational role model. Just look at her trunk. How'd she do it? The shower caddies you can hang from your shower head that she purchased at Dollar Tree. Brilliance- since we ALWAYS forget stuff at home. Not anymore!! Check out her blog for tons of more great ideas!

Source: The Castro Family

23. Need to hide an ironing board? Hang up two robe hooks behind the door and it has a home.


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24. To free up a cabinet from cleaning supplies, get a shoe organizer and fill it up with cleaning products and hang on the back of a closet door. You can also cut these down and hang them inside of cabinet doors or fill them with things like snacks. 


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25.  A DIY heating pad that is fairly cheap is to take a sock and fill it with rice. Not instant or minute rice, but the real white stuff. Tie up the sock, and pop into the microwave for a minute.  You can add in dried rosemary or lavender for a nice scent if you like, otherwise it will just smell like cooked rice. If you sew, you can make a bag in any shape or size and you can reuse it over and over.


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26. Shari over at Turnstyle Vogue gives us a cheap garbage disposal cleaner/deodorizer. Slice lemons, put in ice cube trays and cover with vinegar. Pop them into the freezer, then once solid pop them out and store in a zip lock bag in the freezer. Pop one of these little cubes in the garbage disposal and grind away!


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27. If your paper punches are starting to get dull, simply punch a few sheets of aluminium foil a few times to sharpen and revive the punch.

28. To make your whole home smell delish take a tip from the super cute blog One More Moore. Fill  a stockpot 2/3 of the way with water. Slice up one lemon, add a few sprigs of rosemary, and 1-2 tsp of vanilla and let simmer on the stove all day, adding water as needed. You can use it for up to two days before it starts getting stinky.


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29. You can add a pinch of salt to your laundry to keep colors vibrant for super cheap. Almost every laundry detergent on the market makes claims to keep colors bright for a long time, but the easiest trick is to add a tablespoon of salt to the load.  Science nerd moment- its the chloride in salt helps keeps clothes bright by sealing in the color across repeated washings.


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30. Use an empty wipes container to hold crayons. Doesn't take up tons of room, and you can even fold paper into the other side to keep kids busy anywhere. Plus, if you are a Momma, you have a few of these lying around everywhere.


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Make sure you check out the other editions of Tips and Tricks!

Professional Tile and Grout Cleaning- For Free!

The tile in my kitchen is a PIA to keep clean.  Usually once a week I was scrubbing it on my hands and knees with a scrub brush Granny style and it still had dirt on it. I had been watching Groupon for a tile and grout cleaning deal (because to clean my kitchen and pantry the quote I received was $225- a total hell no), but nothing good was coming.  So I started to think about what I could do to get it cleaner; then I had an flash of cheap girl brilliance. The tile and grout cleaner people use a machine with a scrub brush, then a vacuum to sucks up the water. They don't put dirty water back on the floor and then they usually steam clean the floor. 

I can do that, easy peasy. 

How you ask? With one of these bad boys.

That's right, my rug scrubber. It has the rotating brush, it sucks up the water, and it only puts clean water on the floor.  Sure it doesn't steam, but I have a Shark Steam Mop that can work for that.

I simply filled it up with hot water and a little Mr. Clean, and scrubbed away. Then after I had cleaned the whole floor I went back and ran it again with just hot water. The end result- the water that was sucked up came out of the machine clean- woo hoo!  Then just to sanitize I ran the steam mop over the floors and called it a day. The whole process took about an hour and a half, only a little longer than if I were to scrub it granny style.

The best part- that $225 never left my wallet. Score one for the cheap girl. 



10 Tips and Tricks for Summer!

Ahhh, summer. How I love thee.  Warm days, cool nights and three glorious months off.  Here's a list of Tips and Tricks that can help this summer- or anytime you need em!

1. Emergency Contact Information Stickers for Car Seats.  I pin alot of stuff- hey a girls got to do SOMETHING during nap time- with the intention of getting to it.  This I did right away. With summer coming, I know we'll be traveling quite a bit and in case something happens where I cant communicate I want them to know how to get ahold of family ASAP so someone can come take care of Grayson.  Its pretty simple, print out all of the important info (name, birthday, address, phone number, allergies, etc) on a piece of paper and use a nice piece of packing tape to adhere it to the car seat. This idea came curteosy of the super funny blog Dont Pat the Belly.  Momma G keeps me in stitches with the posts $#*! My Three Year Old Says.  If you need a good laugh, check her out!

Image Via Dont Pat The Belly

2. Sparkler Shield! Hello, genius!! Shauna from over at Love 2 Dream, Do You came up with the perfect solution for little ones who love to hold sparklers. The answer- a simple Red Solo Cup. Simply poke a hole through the bottom and feed the sparkler through-no burns! You can bend the wire if you're worried about little ones pulling the sparkler through. And dont worry, Shauna tested the cup and as long as the lit sparkler is not placed inside the cup it will not melt!

Via Love 2 Dream Do You

3. Gwen from over at Gwenny Penny gave me an idea for Grayson Boy's birthday party- and one that we can all use all summer long. Reuse a laundry detergent container for that handy dandy bubble refill station. No having to go out and buy a new container and it keeps the bubbles going all summer long!

Via Gwenny Penny

4. Kim over at All Things Simple shares some valuable info for traveling with kiddos. One of the best things on the list is for packing their clothes. Pack one complete outfit, clothes, socks, undies, hat, hair accessories, etc. in a zip lock baggie. Then when you get to your destination you can put them in a drawer and pull one out per day- no more rummaging around in a suitcase!  This would work well whenever kids are going anywhere- esp if you are not going to be with them and they need everything in one place to get ready quickly!

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5.  If you remember back to my post on Fathers Day I said we went hiking. Well I used all of the bug spray on the boys and missed a leg- biiggg mistake because my right leg came home COVERED in red, itchy bug bites.  Michelle over at One Ordinary Day said to try rubbing a bar of dried soap on them- and that worked great! The pharmacist I talked to also said to try some Preparation H on them.  Apparently whatever is in there works wonders and kept those babies itch free all night long.  If you dont want to be seen buying hemorrhoid cream, Id try the soap first.  Lucky for me, I got a tube in my hospital goodie bag and it was just hanging out in the bathroom cabinet.

6.  Summer is the time to clean out the closets around our house- and this year I will definitely be using Erica's tip from her home design blog Tart House. I tend to have alot of purses...like a whole lot. Its bad.  Currently my purses are all in their cloth bags sitting on some shelves in my closet- but as of next week they will all be hanging up nice and pretty with shower hooks!  (PS- how amazing is that shoe organization as well? I only wish my closet looked this nice!)

via Tart House

7. One of my fave things to bring back from any trip is booze. A good bottle of wine, a bottle of tequila from Mexico, delish new vodka- Im really not biased. However I do want to avoid looking like a raging alcoholic on an air plane by having it break in my suitcase and having to do the walk of shame through Pgh International smelling like hooch. So when I saw this from Real Simple I was super excited- wrap bottles or breakable objects with kiddos inflatable pool floaties!

via Real Simple

8. Another summer travel must is the umbrella stroller. Sometimes its just not practical to drag the Travel System somewhere, and that lightweight little stroller is just what the doctor ordered.  However, the absolute worst is the fact that the stroller is so light that if you try to hang your diaper bag on the back without the baby weight in it- it falls right over.  Well, not anymore. Courtesy of Real Simple- wrap those ankle weights we all have lying around to the front bars right above the wheels.

 Source: Real Simple

9.  If you're like me, sometimes your hair gets greasy in the summer. Its lovely mix of sweat, sun screen, bug spray and salt in the air that gives me this pretty sheen- which is not always as attractive on me as it is on the Victoria's Secret Model 'beach' hair ads. Whatev. Before I dare to spend 10 bucks plus on some dry shampoo I reach for my $3 bottle of baby powder. Sprinkle a little on your roots and brush through and woosh- good as new.  Also good for those new Mommas who can't remember the last time they showered, but still want to appear as if they have it together when unexpected company shows up. Hey, we've all been there!

10. This one is everywhere on-line, but I can tell you from personal recent experience- it works like mad.  When your cell phone decides its too hot and needs a dip in the swimming pool (or your sweet little boy chucks it into the toilet like mine did), fill a container with some dry white rice. Remove the SIM card and place the phone into the rice for 24-48 hours.  Hopefully this will do the trick and save you big bucks at the Verizon store!

Happy Summer, Lovelies!