Household Tips

Razor blade dullness stems more from oxidation and microscopic rusting, rather than actually shaving whiskers. Water that sits on blades between shaves causes the oxidation. Corrosion can cause metal on the blade to flake off and the edge to become blunted and jagged. By blotting your razor on a towel after use, you can extend the use of a blade. Or you can also rinse the razor, shake off excess water, dip it in alcohol, give it a good swirl, shake out and prop it in its holder.

Use jars for storage. You don't have to buy them. As you use items that come in glass jars, then recycle them by removing the labels and washing. You can use them to hold leftovers such as soup, beans, etc. They can hold office supplies. Baby food jars are great for holding paper clips, tacks, etc. Use one in the laundry or bedroom to hold your loose change. They will hold nails and screws. You can attach them to a shelf by screwing the lid to the bottom of a shelf. Then you screw the jar onto the lid so that it hangs from the bottom of a shelf. I use jars in my pantry for storing dry goods like beans, rice, popcorn.

Paper towel holders can also be used to hold spools of ribbon.

Organizing Tips

I think this is a good idea for your children's artwork and special schoolwork. Each child has a binder for each year. You can use pockets and page protectors and just slip those special things in. If the art is too big for a binder, then consider taking a photo of it and putting the photo in the notebook.

Storing China, Crystal and Silver

I love dishes! I have sets of china for all the seasons in a year: Winter, Christmas, Spring, Summer, Fall and then some. I have crystal and silver too. I have 4 large china cabinets and a buffet in my dining room and they are all full. So I have plenty of display for my collection. But if you need to store china (vs. display) then you want to store it carefully.

If you stack china then put something between each piece so nothing gets scratched. I use coffee filters. You could also use paper plates, paper doilies, etc.

You can use special china storage containers like these that I found at Organize.com.



















For silver you can store them in these silver cloth bags.




For more information about silver, silver storage and cleaning check out my post on Stainless and Silver Flatware.

Household Tips

George Foreman Grills: After removing the cooked food from the grill, place a paper towel soaked in water on each of the 2 cooking surfaces. Unplug the appliance, allow it to sit for 5-30 minutes (while you eat), then use the paper towels to effortlessly wipe out the grease and food particles.

Household Tips

This is a different option for a recipe binder... a binder that works as an easel.

Household Tips

OK, I want one of these! I have a cart for my dirty clothes so I don't have to lift laundry baskets but I like this one for taking my folded clothes and hanging clothes back to the bedroom from the laundry room.

Household Tips

This is a good organizer for your batteries. I have something similar but it fits a drawer. I like keeping all my batteries in one place. Stan always knows where to go to get one.

Organizing Tips

This is a great idea for a sewer! Notice the top is a pin cushion and the pockets make for great and convenient storage of scissors, tape measure, spools of thread and bobbins. I love this idea!

Organizing Tips

Here is a use for old paint cans! Clean them up, paint the inside, cover the outside with pretty scrapbooking paper and stack! Pretty cool!

Organizing Tips

Here is a neat idea! Just hang this little organizer on a doorknob so you don't forget all those little things you need as you rush out the door.

Household Tips

Here are a few frugal and thrifty ways to save some money. These things will not change your life at all so it's easy pennies saved! "A penny saved is a penny earned." -Benjamin Franklin

It's recommended that you use a quarter size dollop of shampoo to wash your hair. If you have short hair then a nickel size dollop will do ya! So using too much shampoo is a waste!

A pea size bit of toothpaste on your toothbrush is all you need. You will never notice the difference.

Each box of laundry detergent or bottle of liquid laundry detergent comes with a measuring lid or cup. Use them and measure it, don't just dump! And remember that those measures are determined by the laundry detergent company who benefits from overusage so try a little less than they suggest.

When you go to boil water, use your lid. It makes the water heat faster and saves power.
Thanks for the ideas Frugal For Life!

My idea: When you get ready to put automatic dishwasher soap in, use less than you think. You don't have to fill the cup.

Making Your Own Children's Books

I got a wonderful email from a reader of my blog and her question was how to make a family book for her small daughter:

"I wanted to make her a small booklet or something similar...even something like pictures on a keychain, that would be waterproof and somewhat durable for little hands to play with. I want to have pictures of every member of our family in it... Do you have any idea where I would find something of this nature?"

Thank you for reading my blog and for taking the time to ask this question. For those who are deeply into scrapbooking, we know about the chipboard books you can buy and then decorate as you want. You can find these at scrapbook stores or craft stores that have a good scrapbooking section. You can also do a Google search on "chipboard books" to find a place online to order from.

I actually did this for my grand nephew. His father is in the Air Force and got transferred way up to Illinois so our niece and grand nephew are about a 16 hour drive from us. It was very hard for us because we are a close family. I was afraid he would forget us and so I made him a family book. I took a few pictures of each of our family and did a book that included his grandparents to his great grandparents and all his aunts, uncles and cousins. So I can attest to these chipboard books. Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of my book so I can't show it to you.

Chipboard is a stiff cardboard made from the same stuff that they make puzzle pieces with. So it's stiff enough for children to handle and play with. If you buy the kind that is held together with D rings or key rings, then you could laminate it. It wouldn't be completely waterproof but should last through sticky fingers.




If you laminate them you will need to keep it simple with no 3D embellishments. But photos, stickers, fun scrapbook papers should be slim enough to be laminated.


These chipboard books can be mini scrapbook albums but if you are creative, you could even make personalized children's books. For instance, if you want to teach your toddler to count you could take photos of things around your own house and then create a counting hard page book. So little Junior is learning to count with things he knows from around the house. For instance I have 5 dogs and I could use small photos of our 5 dogs for the number "5". Same with alphabet books. You can get real creative by making your own hardboard books. But remember they are being made for children who WON'T treat them like heirlooms. So don't overdo because they could be accidentally dropped in the bathtub, spit up on, or have things peeled off by little fingers. And don't put anything on it that could be choked on like buttons and little ribbons and such. It's pretty for us but don't tempt fate with children.



Another idea for my reader is a smaller regular photo album. You can buy one and fill with your photos. You can also have them made just like a picture book at most photo development places. You can order them online too where you can select your photos and arrange their placement and then order the book and it's very reasonable.

Or you can buy a regular photo album and place the photos in yourself. So it can be as simple or fancy as you like.

After placing family photos in the photo album then use it for bedtime stories. For instance one or two pages devoted to each family member so that when you turn to that place in the book it has all photos of brother (or other family member). This book would be used only under supervision and you could tell family stories with each photo. It's small enough to bring to the bed and for the child to handle (under supervision). For instance a photo of Grandpa and tell the story of Grandpa building his own tree house or a photo of Aunt Sue and tell the story of how Aunt Sue met Uncle Ben. This not only makes your child sleepy but gives them faces of the family and cements it with family stories. Soon they should be able to name the people in the album and even tell the stories. And I know you know different stories for each family member so it won't get boring.


I hope I've given you some ideas and thank you, again, for your kind comments and your question.

Organizing Purses

How do you organize pocketbooks? First I want to look at how you store and organize purses and second how you organize the inside of your purse.

I'm one of those that chooses a brown or black purse and then I just carry it until it needs to be replaced. I don't change my pocketbooks to match outfits or shoes. But a lot of women collect purses and change them to match their outfit or their shoes. For some it's a matter of choosing their black purse to wear when they wear black shoes, a brown purse for brown shoes and a taupe purse for light colored shoes. For some it's a matter of matching the outfit such as carrying a red purse to match their red outfit. And then there are those who literally collect purses and carry a purse based on their mood or the event. So a sassy purse for those days you feel flirty and a beaded bag for the nightclub.

I'm thinking that there are a few rules for storing your purses:
* Protecting them from dust and losing their shape
* Easy to see for choosing, so you don't forget what you have
* Neat, organized

I did some Google searches and found some ideas for you. I looked for ideas that range from cheap to expensive, from a few purses to a purse collection! I appreciate all the great ideas that people shared on the Internet!

This photo shows someone has set aside a perfect corner to store her bags. Some are hanging from hangers which should help them retain their shape and the ones on the shelves are able to stand alone to retain their shape. So these are neat, organized, stored, their shape is protected. The only beat missing is protection from dust.



This lady has used a higher closet shelf so she used clear plastic storage bins as drawers so she can pull a bunch of pocketbooks at a time. I also use clear plastic storage bins but I do leave my tops on to protect from dust. Being clear makes your purses easier to see. So this idea is neat, organized and viewable but there isn't protection from dust.








I like this closet purse organizer! If I had a lot of pocketbooks, I wouldn't mind having this. I think I would like it if it had a see through curtain on the front, maybe zippered. If I bought this I would add a gauze curtain to the front to help with dust.





This would hold their shape and is viewable but doesn't protect from dust.



This purse closet is a trick!







Using a cabinet is an idea, sort of a wardrobe for pocketbooks!



Now this is the closet that most women would die for! I love the glass doors for easy to see viewing and to keep them dust free.





Now let's talk about organizing the inside of your purse. Some people just use it like a big grocery bag. Everything is thrown in it - from a reciept to pieces of gum; from your wallet to your cigarettes; from your latest book to your leftover sandwich from lunch. My Mother, since she has 3 daughters, 3 grandchildren and now 2 greats, tends to carry around the kitchen sink in her bags. She usually takes 2 bags full of stuff everywhere she goes. One is her normal pocketbook and one has all kinds of OTC medicines, wipes, extra glasses, her epinephrine shot for emergencies, etc. My thoughts are that a purse isn't suppose to be your kitchen cabinet, bathroom cabinet or desk drawer. I have a desk drawer so I don't want to carry it with me in my purse. I have a bathroom cabinet and don't need to carry it in my purse. But, having said that, I do have to carry some things like that. For instance, I do have to have meds on me at all times but I don't carry a whole box of Alka Seltzer in my purse. I keep 1 pack of Alka Seltzer in my medicine box for my purse. When I use it, then I remind myself to put a new pack in. I don't carry a whole bottle of Aspirins but I carry about 4 in my medicine box and replace them from my bathroom cabinet when I use them.

Here is what I carry in my purse:
1 small medicine box with the meds that I have to have such as Aspirin, Arthritis Strength Pain Reliever, Alka Seltzer, Benadryl, etc. This little compartmentalized box is about the size of a bar of soap. I have each compartment labelled so there is no guessing.

Lip balm

Toothpick

1 can of Ensure (I have Severe Hypoglycemia that comes on within a couple of minutes so this is necessary for me.)

Wallet that holds my cash/checks/cards, and an additional small wallet that only carries my extra cards (like discount cards, gift cards, points cards, etc)

1 pen

Small tape measure

Sunglasses

Cellphone (which is taken out as soon as I get home)

Camera (small Cybershot)

I like to have a pocket for receipts

These are the things I generally keep in my purse at all times. Of course there comes a time when I stick a handful off coupons in as I go to the grocery store or my leftover cookie from lunch. But those things don't stay in my purse. As soon as I get home I take out anything extra I shoved in there during the day. I don't wear makeup so I don't carry any makeup. I have a handy pocket on my truck door to keep a small makeup bag that has a brush, lip balm, and fingernail clippers. This way I have them but don't have to carry them every where.

Each woman is different. So what you carry in your purse is different than what I would have. I think we all carry a wallet, our cellphone and a pen but beyond that, we will carry different things. But here are some incentives to cleaning out your pocketbook and getting it manageable.

Another thought is for those who change purses frequently. Using a bag within a bag. That way you just lift the inner bag or purse organizer out of one bag and place it in the next bag. Here are some of those including inner organizers that fit different size bags, small to larger. I prefer light/bright colored purse interiors or light/bright colored inner bags so that you can see inside more easily.















I think this is a great idea for keeping your shopping lists and receipts/coupons/gift cards!