Tips for Better Living

Declutter

How long should you let magazines, newspapers, outgrown kids clothes clutter up your house? Decide how long you want to keep it and when you reach that point, recycle, donate, or toss.

Define a room’s purpose and don’t let foreign objects creep in. If your bedroom isn’t the official laundry room, move all laundry related items, including laundry baskets out.

Declutter often. When you first notice clutter, remove it and put it in its rightful place.

Don’t buy containers until you clean and sort everything out. You will want to buy the right sized container and you don’t want to wind up with more containers than you need. Often times you find you don’t need any at all and they contribute to the clutter.

Keep your counters neat and clean at all times. Messy counters are psychologically draining and make preparing a meal more difficult.

Make it Clean

Drop a couple of denture tablets in the toilet before you go to bed. In the morning brush and flush, or pour 1/2 cup vinegar in the bowl and let it soak overnight, then flush.

Make your white sinks shine by pouring 1/4 cup hydrogen peroxide on a dish towel in the bottom of the sink. Let stand for 1/2 hour and rinse. Or a good scrub in soda will do the same.

To make your home smell better simmer a small amount of water on the stove with orange or lemon peel, or an apple with cinnamon You can eat the apple. And of course nothing smells better than cookies baking.

Dampen your dust rags to make them pick up more dust rather than pushing it around.

Use WD-40 to clean your stainless steel stove, refrigerator, and appliances.

Kitchen Help

Stock up on broth or make your own by cleaning and cooking the leaves and ends of fresh vegetables. Use it for cooking noodles, spaghetti, rice, macaroni, and as a base for soups or gravy. It will add more nutrition to your food and will taste delicious. It will also save you money.

With a box of cake mix, cream cheese, and confectioner’s sugar you will always have a desert that is quick and easy to make for any emergency. Just follow instructions on the cake mix, mix your topping of confectioners sugar and a little milk, mix in the cream cheese. Put the icing on the cake and there you have it.

Whatever you do, do not buy bottled water. Water that comes from the tap is as good if not better and you pay for it anyway.

Look Younger

Take care of your hands. Slather them with SPF 30. Put it on your arms and face too.

After brushing your teeth gently brush your lips in a circular motion. Be sure to apply cream.

Try bangs, a flattering layering around the face is more youthful.

Use cream blush. It goes on smoother and “no more clown cheeks.”

Pencil your eyebrows in with a slightly darker pencil if they are sparse.