Wrap Banana Stems in Plastic
I have found individual green bananas ripen slower than bananas in bunches. Store in plastic bag or leave on counter.
Catching Fruit Flies In The Kitchen
I find balsamic vinegar in a clear condiment cup works best. The flies are attracted to the sweet and tangy smell. I put a lid on the cup and punch a small hole in the lid. Once inside, they drown from trying to drink or sheer exhaustion from trying to fly...
Keeping a Flashlight Close
I keep solar lights from Dollar Tree sitting, ground spikes removed, in cups near all my lamps and two apartment window sources. If the power fails, there is adequate lighting to get me safely through my apartment. It is a good idea to check their batteries...
Watching My Christmas Cactus Grow
Beautiful! Ive never had much luck with Christmas cacti. I did keep one that bloomed for every holiday for about 2 years. Then I change its location and it was all downhill afterwards.
Procrastinator
If you belong to Facebook do a search for antique tractors and post the image there. I am sure there are other antique tractor websites as well.
Snow White Squirrel (UK)
This isnt the typical reply one would make to this post but I had to share my story. My husband had a from love to hate relationship with squirrels raiding our bird feeders. He would trap them and drive them miles away to release them. Husband passed on and...
Using a Can to Fill Zipper Bags
I love this idea! I cook a few days and freeze in small portions for me but I have an issue keeping the zipper clean. My can opener removes the entire lid without leaving sharp edges, thus less skin cuts. Plus your way could use various sized cans depending...
Cans to Stabilize Condiments in Fridge
I use the little white baskets from the dollar store or empty potato salad containers from the market. Also a few unused coffee cups for some items. The first two choices work wonders for beverage bottles with the pointy bottoms. You can space them apart to...
DIY Nasal Breathing Insert
I use a product from WoodyNose.com. It works but often slips out from one of the nostrils. Ill have to find some of your tubing and give it a try as I wear the nasal dilator during the day, mostly.
Using Bird Feeders for Houseplants
I LOVE this idea! I recently moved to an apartment building where bird feeding is not allowed, and I do so miss my birds, feeders, wildlife and hanging baskets. What a great way to give me the feeling of feeding birds and having wildlife attracting plants without...
Saving on Lotion (Hubby Style)
I cut away the majority of bottles and tubes and combine all leftovers together in a container for skin care. Based on the product I use, my usage habits, and the containers, I am recovering maybe 10-15% of the contents of each container. I also often use a...
Dry Shampoo Recipe
To clean the gunk from hair brushes, I use hot water, Dawn dish detergent and oxyclean, either powdered or liquid. I put the cleaning ingredients in a quart jar, fill almost to the top with hot water from the sink, add the brushes and combs and let soak until...
Pork & Beans Upgrade
I make something similar, but I add in a cubed potato or two while browning the meats and onions. Late hubby used to ask for this dish after he was brave enough to take the first bite.
No Wasting Lotion
I do this with all my lotion bottles. There should be a better design to get the end of the product. Most bottles I cut have a good fourth to a fifth of product left in the bottom of the bottle or tube. I keep a large cream container and often scrape the unreachable...
Shower Rod for Towel Rack
We had two over our tub. Both offered a little bit of touch security when taking showers. Plus we hung the bath mat and the suction cupped mat to dry after showering. The other one, right behind the shower curtain hid the wash cloths and wipe down cloths as...
Hold Bra Straps Together with Paper Clips
I discovered, after trying strings, chains of paper clips and safety pins to keep those straps in place, that simply rubbing lotion on the areas where the bra straps rest on the shoulder area solved this issue for me. I lotion the areas on most days when I...
Increase your Vocabulary
Highlight the word in question, right click on the highlighted area, select search whatever browser for the word and a new tab will open with a link to many sites definition of the word. Practice on a word in my post and you will see what I am talking about...
Unplug Electrical Devices When Not in Use
I have put many of my always on appliances and devices on power strips. One strip has my computer, my printer, my monitor, my speakers and an as-needed extension cord for charging devices. When I am done with the computer I shut down the tower and then turn...
Beat the Heat
I place a portable fan about a foot away from a wall with the fan facing the wall. The air from the fan travels in every possible direction you can imagine. The air coming at your body hits all parts of the body, resulting in a general all over cool feeling...
Safely Store Hearing Aid in a Jewelry Box
I keep my two hearing aids in a little treasure box along with some silica packs to help draw out the moisture the aids pick up from my body. My audiologist said most homeowners insurance policies will cover full replacement cost of a lost aid for what I would...
Developing a Frugal Lifestyle
I recently lost my hubby who held on to everything and now I find myself downsizing to an apartment and not my 1500 square foot home of 36 years. I could not believe the things I bought with plans to use in the future. Being the queen of procrastination, most...
Choose Printer with Fewer Ink Cartridges
I rarely print in color as stores will take coupons in black ink only. I keep my print setting set to grayscale or draft, if your printer has that selection. Such a setting will use a bit of color but I find my Brother 5 cart printer uses much less ink than...
Using Vinegar from a Pickle Jar
For a new taste treat, I added the brine from sweet pickles to my Polish dill pickles and used the brine from the dills on the sweet pickles. Each jars pickles had a new and refreshing taste. Hubby ate them almost as fast as I could make them. I would let them...
Keeping Bees Away from Hummingbird Feeders?
I use mint flavoring found in the spice sections of any grocery store. I use a cotton swab to smear the flavoring around the ports and any sections where the bottle connects to the feeder or where the bottom of the feeder snaps together. I do this each and...
What Is This Houseplant?
I dont know the Latin name but know it as a Nepthytis variety. Some call it the arrowhead plant. Although it does not show when planted in a dish garden or basket, this plant is a trailing vine of sorts.
Identifying a Houseplant?
I believe this is the Goldfish plant. I am sorry, but I dont know the Latin name.
Check Your Receipt for Incorrect Prices
Yes, Donna is correct. The cashier is not at fault if the scan system is being used in stores. Maybe for entering the wrong PLU on fruits, veggies, and in-store water machine items. Everything else is loading into the store computers from the main office and...
What Is This Houseplant?
This is a Hoya Carnosa Compacta, aka, Hindu Rope. It also grows in a variegated form where the cream color turns to pink in full sun.
Storing Cuties in Their Bag
That is a handy tip, but I have an aversion to all the little red pieces of plastic every where in the kitchen. I now have a store employee put my cuties in a plastic bag and include the upc scan code in the bag facing out. They have the tiny litter and I have...
Big Family on The Farm
Your article touched a part of my heart where family and working together resides. God Bless all of you for reminding what life and love is all about.
Cleaning a Hummingbird Feeder
I use a regular bottle brush to clean the container. I just crammed it up there, twisted it a few times, and Voila!, a clean container. I use a toothbrush for the base and a clean eyelash brush for the holes. I clean using vinegar and water, saving the soapy...
Protecting Hummingbird Feeders
I have kept bees and wasps away from the hummer feeders for years by applying mint extract from the cooking section at the local grocer. I dip a Qtip in the flavoring and dab it around the feeder ports bottoms, when the feeder comes apart for cleaning and on...
Keeping Ants out of Hummingbird Feeder
I learned the hard way not to use any sticky tapes on any feeders of any sorts. I once found a chickadee stuck to some tape and luckily I was able to remove it from the tape before any major damage was done. A hummingbird wasnt so lucky when I innocently tried...
Piercing Cartons for Easy Pouring
This does work, but, remember to cover those holes when shaking the contents. I learned the hard way.
Keep an Extra Ketchup Bottle Lid
I do a similar thing with dish soap caps. I always keep a spare and when the in use cap is gross, I just toss that cap into the dish water and put the clean cap on the bottle.
Splitting Pills without Crumbling
I half an oval pill for Parkinsons Disease. I have found a small pair of very sharp scissors work best for me. I hold pill between thumb and index finger then cut. My pill is not scored so getting exact dosage is difficult. I often match larger cutting with...
Getting Rid of Yellow Jackets and Ants on Hummingbird Feeders
I have successfully used the mint flavorings found in the baking section of my grocery store for several years now. Simply dip a Q-tip in the flavoring, run a trail of the mint on the feeder flower ports, under the ports, where the bottle joins the base and...
Use Mint Extract to Deter Wasps from Feeder
Any kind of mint extract can be used. I used peppermint extract at first but had to purchase mint when peppermint was no longer available. BTW, this deters bees, wasps, and yellow jackets.
Use Mint Extract to Deter Wasps from Feeder
I apply the mint extract on the petals of the fake flowers, around the fake flowers, and where the bottle and lower halves of the feeding base joins. The extract has dried well before I fill and hang the feeders. I do not see how the hummers can ingest the...
Stretching Your Retirement Dollars
It makes me very sad to hear of seniors who do not take advantage of their local senior centers and other programs. I teach beginning computers at my two local centers and one of the learnings I stress is finding things for free online. Visiting web sites of...
Restocking My Pantry
Thank you!! I buy with coupons and when things are at great sale prices. Most items go into my pantry(s) but they are simply placed anywhere on the shelf. Since Hubby recently organized the goods into sub groups I should be able to rotate, do inventory, and...
Scenery: My Backyard (Chesterfield, VA)
Color me green with envy, Willie. You have the garden I long for but cannot bring to fruition. Beautiful, simply beautiful. Thank you for allowing me to peek in.
Download Books From Library
Amazon.com has apps for downloading the Kindle reader app to your computer and other mobile devices, too. Once youve created an Amazon account, downloaded and installed the app, you can search for free ebooks to buy. The books will go either to the device or...
Show Photos of Garden in Bloom To Home Buyers
This is a truly awesome idea. Most people seem to look for houses during the winter months when trees are bare, plants are gone, and the grounds are covered with snow. This is not the best time to see hidden issues in the foundation or on the roof, but this...
Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Containers?
We have successfully grown cherry tomatoes in 5 gallon pickle pails. I also add bone meal to the soil as all plants seem to do well on bone meal. My concern, if you RV a lot, is you will likely be moving this plant on and off from your RV. You might consider...
How Do I Get Rid of Scale Insects on House Plants?
Years ago, I read in a plant care book, to dab the scale with a q-tip dipped in alcohol. I believe I did use the alcohol successfully on one of my plants. There are also systemic treatments which will kill these types of invasions, but I would not use them...
Keeping Bees Away from a Hummingbird Feeder?
I use mint extract, purchased from the baking aisle of my local grocery. I dip a Q-tip into the extract, then paint the ports, both top and bottom, with the extract. I also smear it randomly on the feeder as well as where the bottle attaches to the base. The...
Create Stick Sculptures to Attract Birds
I do something similar, only I stick various broken branches in the gardens dirt throughout the garden. Then around our dinner time in the summer months, I turn on a sprinkler for about an hour. The birds love to land on the natural shapes to take a shower...
Keeping Woodpeckers Out of Hummingbird Feeder?
I have had luck keeping territorially aggressive robins from chasing my orioles away from their jelly feeders by shooting AT them with my garden hose. This had stopped the robins from claiming their jelly stations. I am sure a squirt gun filled with water would...
Cleaning a Birdbath?
I was told to use one of the laundry spot removers like Oxyclean or something similar. This product is mostly hydrogen peroxide and will not harm the birds if used properly. Add the oxyclean and water to the bath, let it set for a few minutes, making sure no...
Garden: Iris
Beautiful flowers, Linda. I have to agree with you. People should share their gardens bounties with others. I have given away flowering quince runners, a couple quince bushes, some Menardo Humming bird plants, and Speedwell, another hummer magnet. A widow on...
Broken Pumpkin Plant Stems?
I have successfully used plain old scotch tape on semi-broken garden and house plants. One fuschia I managed to overwinter two years in a row is still going strong and the scotch tape is still holding three broken stems. Good luck :-)
Computer Monitor Does Not Display Image?
Did you make sure your connections on the monitor cable, both to and from the units are tightly screwed in? I switched monitors when checking out a newly purchased used PC and the monitor didnt show an image the next morning. It turns out my connections were...
Backing Up Your Data in Windows XP?
I use this internet tutorial when teaching computers to senior citizens. The method also applies to using CDs or DVDs. Using a USB Flashdrive. Introduction: Flash drives are meant as a way to get files to and from multiple computers. They are NOT for backups...
Check Receipt Before Leaving Store
Walmart is notorious in our town for double scanning an item. They blame it on the system but the system would have a hard time scanning the item for the second time once it is bagged. In Michigan there is a scan law which returns the price of the overcharge...
Freezing Individual Portions of Soup or Stew
I put the serving in the dish I will use for reheating, then slide the bowl into the mouth of the freezer bag allowing the portion to go into the bag. I seal the bag after flattening the soup and freeze flat. It takes less time to thaw the soup for heating...
