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Easy Home Life Hacks

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Managing your life is multi-faceted. There are so many things you have to take care of in the course of a day. On top of that, you also have to keep your home in order, so any tips for how to keep things simple will help. Here are a few easy home life hacks that will help you keep things in order, clean, organized, and well maintained.

Kitchen Stuff

Bowl Covers

You can find simple bowl covers at your local dollar store that will help preserve your food and leftovers more efficiently than trying to cover it up with a piece of plastic or Reynolds wrap. They are usually divided up in different sizes.

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Quick Tip: Avoid Using Bleach Tablets in a Toilet Tank

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Click Gel for Toilet Bowls

On a whim one day, I decided to throw a pack of $1 bleach tablets in my shopping basket at the Dollar Tree. I didn’t think much of it when I dropped both of the tabs in my toilet tank.

A few weeks later, the chain in the toilet tank broke. I didn’t put two and two together until recently. The bleach degraded the original chain, causing it to break, and eventually led to other annoying issues. No wonder those bleach tabs are only $1 — don’t use them in your toilet tank!

Instead, use these products to keep your toilet continuously clean:

Lysol Click Gel Toilet Bowl Cleaning Gels

These easily stick to the inside of the toilet bowl and clean with every flush.

 

Lysol Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaners

These hang from the inside of the toilet bowl, cleaning it continuously.

 

Clorox Toilet Wand System

This gets much better reviews over standard toilet brushes, and is pretty affordable.

 

Quick Tip Posted by Jade

 

Images courtesy of Amazon
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10 Things You Should Clean with a Lysol Disinfecting Wipe Every Now and Then

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I am a big fan of disinfecting wipes because they are easily accessible and a replacement for paper towels/spray bottles. They also make things feel and look clean. Here is a list of 10 items in your home, car, and office that you should definitely clean with a Lysol Disinfecting Wipe on a fairly regular basis.

1. Your Car Keys and Supermarket Cards

I’m sure I’m not the only one who still carries a set of keys full of supermarket cards. Cashiers handle money from so many different people throughout their whole shifts, so every time they grab your card keys, germs get transferred. Wipe them and your keys down with a Lysol wipe at least once a week.

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How to Protect Your Pretty Nails When Cleaning

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I love to get my nails done at the salon or to do them at home using press on nail kits. My favorite thing is a pretty french manicure. But the problem with using at-home nail kits is that when you wash your hands, wash the dishes, or take a shower, the nail glue starts to loosen and the nails eventually fall off. The kit I buy (shown to the right) lasts for about a week before the nails start popping off one by one, which can be an embarrassing situation in public! So what can be done to protect your pretty nails when you’re cleaning or washing up?

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Create a Cozy and Comfortable Dining Area in 5 Easy Steps

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Create a Cozy and Comfortable Dining Area in 5 Easy Steps1 (Small)

The dining area of a house is often a neglected area of the home, even when cleaning your home. It is so simple to arrange that you barely think about it when planning the home’s decor. After all, what does it really need? A table and a few chairs. Sounds simple enough, so that’s why many people don’t spare a second thought when organising it.

Here you’ll find a few simple tips for creating a cozy and comfortable dining area. These changes might not seem like they’re making a big difference at first, but when you and your family or your guests sit down for a nice dinner in your dining room you’ll notice that it feels much homier and more inviting.

  1. Use lighting to set the mood.

Lighting helps sets the mood for a good dinner. For instance, if you’re having a nice family dinner, you want standard room lighting (about 60 watts incandescent, and 13 watts for an energy efficient fluorescent bulb), but if you are having a romantic dinner, you’ll need a dimmer incandescent bulb of about 25 watts. If you’re having a dinner party gathering with friends, go for a brighter light to help keep the room energetic. (Tip: you might want to hire someone to clean your carpet before inviting guests over under a really bright light!)

  1. Add cushions.

Don’t immediately assume that your chairs are comfortable for everyone. Add a sitting cushion to every chair. You might even buy a seat cushion that has both a back and bottom for the ultimate comfort.

  1. Experiment with tableware.

The tableware you use in your dining room can really make your dining area look inviting and attractive. Buy a few different table sets and take out new pieces for every special dinner. Mix and match your tableware (including utensils, plates and napkins) to create interesting combinations.

  1. Make a few quirky changes.

Add decorations to your dining area that will add to the mood. Try a heavily scented seasonal candle, or a flower pot with an exotic flower as the centerpiece on your table. Make thematic changes in the décor when you are inviting friends in and make use of all the décor-related gifts you have ever received from them. The items you add to your dining room will probably be conversation starters.

  1. Experiment with different table covers.

Your table covering is like a canvas for your dining area. Choose table cloths of varying styles, designs and colors to complement the room’s décor. Choose your table coverings depending on the holiday or time of year—for instance, for Thanksgiving you might get a tablecloth designed with leaves or cornucopias.

The next time you get your home and carpet cleaned, use these five easy tips to re-organize your dining area in time for your next big dinner with family or friends.

Guest Post by Heather Roberts
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Tips for Organizing Your Refrigerator

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refrigerator for filling

At times it may seem as if your refrigerator has a mind of its own… Before you know it’s in complete disarray, stuffed and disorganized. Keeping your refrigerator organized not only looks much more welcoming when you open the door each morning, it also helps you cut down on the amount of food that is wasted by spoilage. A lot of food spoils simply because you can’t see it! Here are some easy tips for organizing your refrigerator.

1) Keep all milk and cold drink products on the first (top) shelf. This is actually the coldest part of the refrigerator where you’re meant to to store these highly perishable beverages. Make sure to arrange these items from smallest to tallest. This will help you see the entire first shelf from front to back. You might also put the beverages with upcoming expiration dates at the front.

2) Place all of your leftovers in tupperware with secure lids and put it onto the middle or second shelf. It will help you tremendously if you label each container with the date that is was refrigerated. This will let you know that the food in the container is safe to consume.

3) Typically, the third shelf is the last and least visible shelf. This is the shelf where you want to store items that you don’t need to access that often. You might put some bagged apples and hardy vegetables there (like carrots, celery and cabbage), extra food that has an extended shelf life (like eggs) or wet cat food.

In the bottom there are typically two bins. In one (sometimes called the “crisper” drawer), store soft vegetables that get bruised easy. Soft vegetables include tomatoes, fresh cilantro, fresh dill and avocados. The other bin is where you organize the meats you plan to eat that week. Excess meats should be packed in airtight bags in the freezer. Every Sunday morning, take your meat for the week out of cold storage and refill your meat bin.

4) Lastly, place all your condiments, like pickles and sauces, on the side door. Try to arrange your condiments by placing the most used ones on the middle shelf for easy access. For example, put all salad dressing, mayo, ketchup and mustard on the second shelf. Organize the other shelves according to your daily needs.

We hope these tips for organizing your refrigerator will help you to get your fridge in order!

Posted by Ev

Photo credits: Flickr/kelly taylor, Flickr/Cheryl DeWolfe
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