It’s Sunday evening and the family just left from their weekend visit.  We had a little incident yesterday that put me into Mom Crisis mode to find a quick cleanup solution.

In the process of trying to solve our cleaning dilemna, I came across this list of helpful household cleaning tips and organizational ideas.  Thought I’d share them here so if you ever have that little cleaning emergency like we did yesterday, maybe you’ll find your answer here.

Some of these are also some great money saving ideas, and with these tough economic times who doesn’t want to know how to save  a buck or two here and there.

Oh, and I no longer have links to where I got these tips from.  Some of them are my own, and others were stolen from the web.

If you have a tip you’d like to share, please leave it in the comment section below.  Have a nice weekend everyone (or what’s left of it).

A sealed envelope – Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a Knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed. ( I’m not going to say how to use this technique or why you may need to, but I’ll leave it up to your imagination).
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Use empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls to store appliance cords. It keeps them Neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to. (We all keep those extra cords around that we aren’t using right away, and then when we go to find them we can’t remember which cord belongs to which applicance).
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For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won’t Refreeze. (wish I had known this for the Last 30 years!)
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To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for A few hours. Then take the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The Wax will fall out.
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Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped In baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!).
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Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
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Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair of Scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted, unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. Now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get “sharpened” this way!
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Blood stains on Clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little Hydrogen Peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time!
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Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows.This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don’t wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
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Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on.
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Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen.
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Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.
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To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!
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To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top.
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Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before pouring In tomato based sauces and there won’t be any stains.
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Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks..
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When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn’s natural sweetness.
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Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
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Don’t throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.
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To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.
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Ants, ants, ants everywhere … Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
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Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
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When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
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Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer…….. Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes,! Brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China .
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Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water And drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.
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Polish Jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the Jewelry for two minutes.
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Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
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Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, and then run the hot water.

I just got this e-mailed to me from a friend and had to share it.  Actually, it was one of my guy friends so I’m not sure where he got it (or what the heck he’s doing sending it around)…but I did appreciate it!

If you’ve ever felt any of these things, then you’re definitely a real mom.

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don’t eat quiche;
They don’t have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils
Are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors,
Filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough
Doesn’t come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don’t want to know what
The vacuum just sucked up.

Real Mothers sometimes ask ‘Why me?’
And get their answer when a little
Voice says, ‘Because I love you best.’

Real Mothers know that a child’s growth
Is not measured by height or years or grade…
It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother…

The Images of Mother

4 YEARS OF AGE – My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE – My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE – My Mother doesn’t really know quite everything.

14 YEARS OF AGE – Naturally, Mother doesn’t know that, either.

16 YEARS OF AGE – Mother? She’s hopelessly old-fashioned.

18 YEARS OF AGE – That old woman? She’s way out of date!

25 YEARS OF AGE – Well, she might know a little bit about it!

35 YEARS OF AGE – Before we decide, let’s get Mom’s opinion.

45 YEARS OF AGE – Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 YEARS OF AGE – Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes,
Because that is the doorway to her heart,
The place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole,
But true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.
It is the caring g that she lovingly gives, the passion that she
Shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

Please send this to 5 Moms today.

If you don’t, nothing bad will happen,
But if you do, something good Will…….
You’ll boost a Mother’s spirits.