Loving Our Home | Home Tips, Advice, and Easy Recipes

Simple Home Tips and Solutions

Light, Lovely Smelling Hair Rejuvenating Oil: Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil

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It can be difficult to find just one hair care product that you can go to reliably for consistently lovely results. This light hair oil, with strengthening properties, is one of those products. It adds shine, makes your hair smell great, and is infused with biotin to benefit even the most dry and difficult hair.

If you’re trying to grow your hair, make it feel a bit softer, or want to keep it moisturized, Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil is a good pick. You only need a bit of it, about the size of a nickel or quarter (depending on your hair length). Work it through from the scalp to the ends and put on a heat cap if you’d like. Use it consistently to see the results.

A Convenient and Durable Cat Litter Trapper Mat

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My cats are rambunctious, have been since they were little kittens and not much has changed now that they’re 8 years old. They manage to track litter all over the room where the litter box is, so a mat is a necessity to minimize the need for regular cleanups.

Keep your floors clear from cat litter messes.

This cat litter trapper mat is a great value for the money, considering that you not only have a way to trap litter particles before they can make it to the floor or carpeting, but you also can recycle that litter and pour it back into the box if you choose. The honeycomb holes are the perfect size for litter capture and to allow them to scratch if they feel so inclined. The material is very strong, so you can count on keeping this mat for a year or more.

Help for Dry, Crackly Feet – Dr. Scholl’s Ultra Hydrating Foot Peel Mask

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During the pandemic, I think many of us have started to neglect certain matters of… hygiene. One in particular for me is not getting regular pedicures because of concerns about spending a long time indoors at a public business. So my feet have been struggling a bit, become flaky, dry and crackly.

Hydrating Foot Peel Mask for Dry, Crackly Feet

I decided to try these hydrating foot peel masks, and I’m so glad I did. I followed the directions, leaving the masks wrapped around my feet for a bit longer than suggested. Meanwhile, I kicked my feet up and relaxed, watching something on streaming. When I took them off, I had layers of old skin literally peeling off of my feet. It was kind of disgusted but very satisfying at the same time. The result was the very smooth, supple feet I had in the past. I will purchase them again in the future, 5 stars!

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.

A Slice of Lime Helps Preserve an Open Avocado

You know how an avocado gets really brown and unappetizing when you finally decide to open one and store the rest? You can prevent the browning by placing it in a Ziplock bag with a slice of lime. Be sure to change the slice of lime out every few days.

Put Your Strawberries on Ice

Just about everyone likes strawberries, but they tend to lose their freshness so quickly. One way to revive your strawberries is to add them to a bowl with ice. Put the bowl in the refrigerator until you’re ready to enjoy them. Also, remember that you can always freeze your strawberries and use them in Nutribullet smoothies.

Spritz Your Drain with Antibacterial Spray

They say that besides table tops, the drain is one of the dirtiest places in your household. Keep it disinfected by simply spritzing it every now and again with an antibacterial spray.

Freeze Your Food Trash

I learned this from someone. When you put food in your garbage can, it spoils after a few days and could attract pests. Plus, it smells. Instead, put a bag in your freezer to store food trash before garbage day.

Managing Recyclables

You probably know by now how important it is to properly dispose of recyclables, and many areas offer convenient pick up of recyclables on certain days. During the week, use a separate indoor recycling trash can or a secure trash bag that you can use repeatedly to store items. If the items contain the remnants of food waste, try to find room in your freezer to store them there until recycling day.

Pet Stuff

Invest in a Litter Genie

When I was first introduced to the litter genie, I did not know what its purpose was, and pretty much ignored it. What I really thought I wanted was someone who could just scoop the litter for me! But this simple investment was something I needed all along as a long-time cat owner. It traps the waste in a bag so that you can isolate it and dispose of it easily. You can also use a natural cat spray or bug spray in the trapped waste to keep flies away.

Click here for more tips about managing cats, especially if you have a multiple cat household.

Cats Love to Be Brushed or Combed

If you are a busy person, you might not have too much time to spend playing with your cat. But the time you do spend with them, do something that they will really love. Get a cat brush or comb so that you can give them a gentle massage. They love it. Consider this glove for grooming cats that will make things even easier.

Bathroom Stuff

Bleach It

Even if you are the laziest person when it comes to cleaning up your bathroom, you can cut a lot of corners by simply using bleach. Yes, the bleach cleaners can help. But common regular bleach poured on just about anything will help it get white and clean in a matter of minutes. Then you can spray and scrub the surface down easily.

Mini Washer for Small Laundry Loads

Tired of making runs to the laundromat to get your underwear or t-shirts clean? It’s especially annoying to have to wait around for your load to finish and then dry. Instead, invest in a mini washing machine, which you can keep in your bathroom or bedroom. Add water, and just a bit of detergent (not too much), then let it wash, drain, and spin.

Floor Maintenance

Spin That Mop

If you haven’t already heard of it, put a spinning mop on your to-buy list. A spinning mop allows you to spin the soiled water out of your mop so that you aren’t just transferring dirt around your floor.

Clorox Swiffer

Sometimes you just don’t feel like going through the motions of filling up a mop buckets and cleaning your floor that way. In between moppings, use a Swiffer with Clorox wet mopping cloths to keep things tidy and fully sanitized. It takes about 5 minutes to finish up a room.

Beauty Care

Comb Straightening Iron

If you have a bed of hair that doesn’t want to cooperate, all you want to do is get it to a place where it feels soft and manageable. A straightening comb iron for your hair will help do the job. It works on just about every grade of hair. If you’ve been spending the pandemic not liking the way you look because of haircare issues, isn’t $50 or so worth getting things back into place? Be sure to use a heat protectant spray for hair before using a blow dryer or straightening comb.

Hair Removal Strips

Instead of spending $20 to have your eyebrows waxed or sculpted, spend about $15 and do it yourself week after week. Use facial hair removal strips, which you can purchase at your local pharmacy or online and will probably last for up to a year. Cut each strip into eyebrow shapes, with your desired curvature. Carefully apply them above and below your brows, then pull them off quickly to get the look you want.

Use these easy home life hacks to make your daily tasks easier. You don’t have to spend a lot of time or money to get things in order.

How I’ve Learned to Manage 8 Cats Without Losing It (Too Much LOL)

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After my mother passed recently, I took responsibility for her four cats—even though I already had four of my own. I did so because the other siblings wanted to just throw them in a shelter, even though a couple of the cats were in the family for close to 20 years. Those siblings are not animal lovers and refused to help with any of the cats. (Sometimes I think some humans should be thrown in cages or shelters instead; the ones who just have no compassion.)

In any case, managing eight cats is definitely not easy, especially on my own. They have different personalities, quirks, and annoyances. At first when taking them in, I became discouraged and overwhelmed by it all.

Thankfully I have several bedrooms. So I set them up in their own rooms and made them as comfortable as possible. It took time for me to get used to the idea of managing so many cats on a daily basis. I also had to learn to keep things in the proper perspective so that I could keep my head on straight and continue with a normal semblance of a life.

If you are in a similar situation, caring for multiple cats, here are a few tips for how to manage them while keeping yourself mentally balanced.

1) Put Cat Cleanup Time into Perspective

Recognize that clean-up for cats only takes about 10-15 minutes per day. Then you have the rest of the day to yourself. Close to 24 hours! When you put it in that perspective, it doesn’t seem so stressful. Invest in a long handled litter scooper so that you don’t have to bend over, trust me on this one.

2) Make a Once Per Month Errand Run for Cat Supplies

Get enough supplies (cat food and litter) to last you for the month so that you only have to make one trip each month. Keep everything stacked in one convenient place. I usually get about two and a half bags of food and two packs of litter. I like to buy litter that comes in individual packs so that I can keep small bags in each cat room. They are easier to carry than lugging one 38-40 pound pail around.

3) Don’t Feel Bad About Having to Put the Cats in a Room

I used to allow a bunch of cats to run around my house and they would drive me batty! Constantly meowing at me, running around my feet, begging for my food, and sleeping on top of me. They can be very comfortable in a room as long as you keep them supplied and make sure the room is temperate in the summer and winter. If you feel guilty, consider the fact that cats at shelters have to live in kennels and don’t have much room to move around. A special cat room with towers and toys is like a mansion compared to that, plus it helps them calm down.

4) Invest in Medium to Large Cat Feeders and Waterers

Choose cat feeders and waterers depending on how many cats you have. Ideally, they will provide them with food and water for up to a week before needing a refill. This helps minimize your need to keep filling up bowls each day.

5) Remember that Cats Are Very Self-Sufficient

Know that cats are very self-sufficient and can be fine on their own for three to four days if necessary as long as you leave them plenty of litter in a big box, food, and water. So, if you need to skip a day of cat cleanup for a mental health day, or to take a weekend trip for self-care, do not hesitate to do so.

6) Avoid Spoiling Your Cats

You have to stick to a routine with cats. They are creatures of habit and will eventually adjust to the routine. But if you break it to cater to them, they will start to want things that way all of the time. They can be very demanding and will start to think they are in charge. For example, I allowed one of my cats to sleep on the bed in my room for a few nights and he started to take over my space, waking me up at night. When I finally had to put him back in his space (in this case the living room) he started yowling and scratching at my bedroom door. Hold firm and get them back into their routine—it usually takes a few days for them to readjust. If you have a particularly insistent cat, there are motion activated sprayers that will discourage the behavior.

7) Invest in Litter Genies to Place Next to Each Litter Box

Litter Genies are handy contraptions that trap litter waste so that you can easily dispose of it after a few days. Not only that, it keeps the litter smell under control. I also spray the litter waste with a bit of bug spray before releasing it into the bag. If you don’t want to keep buying the refill bags, you can use old grocery bags or go environmentally friendly with biodegradable pet waste bags.

8) Keep a Supply of Nature’s Care Peppermint Spray

You can spritz your cats’ litter boxes with this peppermint spray every now and again to minimize the smell of cat waste and keep the box clean. It’s also a safe alternative to regular bug spray, so usually okay around pets. Use in moderation until you’re sure. Use it to spray around cat areas and open windows.

9) Give Them a Comfy Place to Curl Up

If you don’t know by now, most cats will tend to find a special spot to relax and sleep. It might be a chair, a mat on the floor, or a cat bed. Make sure you give them options. And in warmer weather, open a window so that they can sun bathe and feel a breeze. You might want to invest in a cat window seat.

10) Indoor, Outdoor Cats

If you decide you want to let your cats roam outside, make sure you treat them with a reliable, safe, flea and tick treatment. Revolution is an option to explore — you can get a box when you take your cat to a Petco (Vetco) or PetSmart veterinary visit on the weekends.

11) Make Sure Your Cats Are All Neutered or Spayed

Unless you want a whole new litter of cats to take care of, make sure that all of your cats are spayed or neutered. There are low cost spay and neuter clinics where you can get this service and shots for about $50 or $60.

12) Define Your Own Sanctuary

Though you have decided to care for a lot of cats, you still have to find time for self-care. Find a place in your home, whether it’s your bedroom or a small home office where there are “no cats allowed.” And be strict with that. This is where you go to get peace, rest, do yoga, or get work done.

13) See if You Qualify for a Small CareCredit Balance

One of the things a lot of pet owners worry about is vet bills. A CareCredit card will allow you to take your cat to most vets for an exam, cover the expenses (including blood tests and meds) up front then pay small installments each month. If you pay the balance within a certain amount of time, sometimes there is no interest.

14) Show Them a Bit of Love When You Can

One of my more demanding older cats has a tendency to follow me around, beg for food, and generally try to coerce me into doing his bidding throughout the day. On occasion, I’ll pick him up and just kiss him on the head. He seems contented for a while and just curls up and goes to sleep. Be patient with them — they just want attention and a little love like you and me.

If you’re in a similar situation as I am, managing multiple cats, hopefully these tips will help you. Know that what you’re doing is admirable and it’s possible to get into a comfortable routine for yourself. Remember YOU matter first, because when you’re doing well, you set a good tone for your home.

Louise

No Air Conditioner?: Ideas for Staying Cool this Summer without A/C

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Also included: tips for keeping your cat or dog extra cool during the summer.

Not everyone has access to an air conditioner, whether it’s because of having windows that aren’t large enough to hold an A/C unit or because the bills will be out of budget. Or maybe you just don’t have the funds to invest at the moment in a good energy efficient air conditioner.

I think this goes without saying, but nothing will cool you quite like an air conditioning unit, BUT there are ways that you can manage 80 to 100-degree (or warmer) summer weather in the absence of one. You just have to get a little creative. If you don’t have an air conditioner, you might want to consider these ideas for keeping cool this summer.

Get a Mini Portable Ice Machine for Your Bedroom or Living Room

Portable Ice Maker Machine

Do you know how good it feels to crunch on fresh cold ice cubelets when it’s a hot, summer day? It’s a bit of heaven. You also have a cold cup to hold onto, or you can use the ice to fill up a plastic baggie and press against your skin. Instead of running to the freezer in your kitchen every 15 minutes, get a portable mini ice machine that you can set up in your bedroom or living room. Most units only take a few minutes to make ice cubes that you can scoop into your cup. Just fill the reservoir with your favorite water and stay ultra-hydrated with cold, fresh ice all day.

Get a Cooling Blanket

It might seem counter-intuitive to buy a blanket to help you stay cool in the summer, but retailers now offer cooling blankets that keep you comfortable in the heat. They’re designed with a cooling technology that absorbs body heat, wicks away moisture, and is breathable to keep air circulating. You can drape it over your shoulders while relaxing in your living room, or cover yourself with it when you’re sleeping.

Floor Fan, Bucket of Ice

There’s a really neat trick offered by The Farmer’s Almanac. Get a good quality floor fan and fill a bucket or large bowl with ice to place behind the fan. The cool air that emanates from the ice will come through the fan, cooling a small room. You might have to switch out the ice every hour or so, but at least you’ll feel some comfort on those hot summer days until you can get an air conditioner. Just make sure you remember to buy a couple of $2 bags of ice from your local convenience store!

For Your Pets: Cooling Pads and Cooling Bowls

Your pets have biological and innate methods of staying cool indoors–even when it’s pretty hot outside. But if you want to give your cat or dog something that will keep them extra-cool throughout the afternoon, give them a pet cooling mat. It’s made of a gel that has a cooling effect, which lasts for hours.

Also, see the cooling pet bowl, which keeps water colder for longer (about 15 hours) without the need for electricity.

Bonus Tip:

If the reason why you’re not using an air conditioner this summer is because your windows are too small for a window unit or you can’t open them wide enough, consider getting a portable A/C instead. It uses a hose that fits in most windows to direct cool air into a room.

Enjoy your summer and stay cool!

Posted by Jade