A Striking Idea (with Guest Blogger Lea)

 Out of the blue this week, I got an email from my childhood friend, Lea (who you might remember from this post or this post), with a couple of pretty great ideas for blog posts (with even the photos included!) that she just whipped up 'cause she felt like it. I have been busybusybusy (so what else is new?) and this little unexpected surprise arrived in the nick of time. Check out yesterday's post for the best method for cleaning waxy, smokey, dirty old glass votive holders. And read on today to see some of the unexpected ways Lea has used them around the house.  Candle holders: They aren't just for holding candles anymore. Thanks, Lea!

I hate throwing things away and, just like my mother, I have nightmares of landfills filling up. So, instead of trashing the old votive candle holders I collected for my wedding, I cleaned them and repurposed them. I even turned a hexagonal votive into a great matchstick holder and striker- just the thing to accompany all those candles. Here's how to do it: 

 

Step 1: Cut the striking strip off a box of all-purpose strike anywhere wood matches.

Step 2: Use an all-purpose glue stick to adhere the strips to the side of a glass holder. 

Step 3: Wait until glue dries,  then fill the votive with matches. Much cuter than a matchbox, you can keep this match holder close at hand for whenever you need a light. It's one way to really strike a bargain.

And even if you aren't feeling quite so crafty, you can find a million uses for glass votive holders all over the house. Votives are so pretty, match with any decor, and are very useful for holding all sorts of things. They make great bud vases, cotton swab holders, toothpick holders, mini bins for office, sewing, or art supplies, and whatever else you can think of (the possibilities are endless).

Rock the Votive (with Guest Blogger Lea)

Out of the blue this week, I got an email from my childhood friend, Lea (who you might remember from this post or this post), with a pretty great blog post that she just whipped up 'cause she felt like it. I have been busybusybusy (so what else is new?) and this little unexpected surprise arrived in the nick of time. Plus, we're only a couple weeks away from Valentine's Day, and who couldn't use a little cheap, romantic candlelight in their lives? So bust out those gross, burnt, waxy, old glass votive candle holders you were going to throw away (or pick some used ones up for next-to-nothing at a thrift shop- they look great mixed and matched en masse), and give them a new lease on light (see what I did there?) PLUS: check in tomorrow to see a few unexpected uses Lea has found for her votives (including one brilliant craft project I wish I'd thought of).  It'll be all the candle you can handle.  Thanks, Lea!

 Every year, before the holidays, starting from when I was a child, I have made it my job to clean all of the votive candle holders in the house and get them looking fresh and new and ready for the season. I've always liked this job because it's a big mess/project/production and I get to experiment with different ways to remove candle wax. And when I was finished I loved the atmosphere that candles brought to the house.

I tried many different approaches: Melting off the wax in hot water on the stove (what a mess...), putting the candle holders in the freezer and then picking off the wax (works OK for big pieces of wax but does not leave a clean look), scraping the wax off with a butter knife or fingernails (ouch!) or razor blades, or using hot water from the faucet to soften the wax. All of these approaches were difficult, time consuming, and always left me with a terrible waxy mess to clean up afterward.

 I was married a little over a year ago and I wanted to have a candlelit dinner as part of the celebration. Lil (a.k.a A Charmed Wife)'s mom had 50+ glass votives left over from Lil's brother's wedding that she said I could have. I was up for the challenge of cleaning them, but I knew I needed a better method.

What I came up with put all of my previous years of work to shame! It is very simple and effective (at least for glass votives) and best of all... it leaves no mess! Here's what you do.

Step 1: Put the oven on VERY low (100 to 150 degrees F) because you don't want an oven fire, and place all of your votives on an old baking sheet. (note: I did once cause an oven fire in my mother's oven when I was trying to make new candles from old ones and beeswax crayons... The oven was on WAY to high but luckily there was a fire extinguisher nearby... what a mess... sorry mom, you were so patient with me, I love you).

Step 2: Once they are warm and you can see some melted wax, remove only one of the votives from the oven with an old oven mitt or pot-holder (take care not to burn yourself) and pour the melted wax into an open paper bag that you have already set in the trash. 

Step 3: Next use paper towels or cut up old t-shirts or paper napkins (I hold on to unused takeout napkins and keep them in a drawer -just like my mother does- so I can use them for dirty jobs such as this) to wipe away the left over wax and any soot or dirt and !VOILA! you are done!

4) Repeat for all of your votives, throwing away your wiper into your paper bag when it gets to much wax on it. If any wax got on your baking sheet you can also just wipe it of:) Don't forget to turn off the oven, something I always need to remind myself to do, or else my husband reminds me with a worried look in his eye.

5) After this process, your votives will be very clean and ready for new candles. If you want them extra sparkly or if you want to repurpose them (check in tomorrow for some novel ideas), just wash them like dishes.  I hope this gives you a motive for cleaning your votives!

Rubber Match

In case you have been in a coma, or had your arm stuck in between two boulders since September (welcome back, by the way!), or something, you probably have noticed that this has been a pretty crumby winter in New York City, weather-wise. It's been really snowy and cold and slushy and mucky and generally awful. Which usually I don't mind, because it gives me a good excuse not to wear heels when I leave the house (almost never), and to instead wear my black rubber Hunter wellington boots.  I happen to love these boots because, whenever I put them on, they make me feel like the lady of an English manor going out to oversee the grooming of my horses, even when I'm really just going to CVS to buy toilet paper.
However, lately, my charming ladylike rubber boots have started to look a little worse for wear, what with the mud caked on them, and the water spots, and the rubber "blooming" some weird white powder at the seams. I still feel like I'm in an English manor when I wear them, but now I'm more like the disheveled old squatter who mucks out the rabbit cages.
So, I started to wonder about cleaning my boots. What, pray tell, I asked myself, shall I use to spiff up my wellies? (obviously, I was speaking in a British accent when I said this).

AND THEN inspiration hit me like a ton of rabbit pellets in the face- what else is made out of rubber and gets mucky and muddy and needs to be cleaned? That's right- tires! I hopped right out and bought some Mothers Tire Shine (That's just what they had at my store- I am sure other brands, like Armorall, would work just as well). Spray the polish onto a clean soft rag and rub it into the boots. Let them sit for 10 minutes, and then use a dry part of the towel to buff them to a bright shine. You'll be back to feeling like your royal self again, in no time, your ladyship.

Power Play

Have you ever noticed how, wherever your wall outlets happen to be located, they are always in the wrong place? Like, on the end of the room where you would never put your TV. Or just a little too far down the wall to allow for you to vacuum the whole room.
Most notably, in almost every apartment I have lived in, the bedroom outlet seems to be located exactly behind where you would put a nightstand.  Which isn't so bad for plugging in a bedside lamp, but is a real pain in the posterior for plugging in anything else. Especially if you use your phone as an alarm clock (I also use mine as a calendar, watch, notebook, and flashlight), and want to have it close at hand in the morning - moving your nightstand to plug in each night just isn't an option.   Which is why I devised a clever (if I do say so myself) solution to this problem. I bought a simple extension cord with two outlets, and ran it from the outlet behind the nightstand. Using zip ties, I attached it to our bed frame, hiding the cord behind the nightstand (if you don't have something to hide the cord behind, you can use a staple gun to discreetly attach it to the wall along the floor). Now I have two plugs easily at hand, exactly where I want them for charging my phone and my Kindle.  I'll put in a plug for this current idea you can really get a charge out of.

Wow, that was corny.

Sew Smart

Last weekend, at my brother- and sister-in-laws' beautiful wedding reception, the dance floor was wildly, awesomely fun and crowded from practically the band's first note (particularly when the mother of the bride took to the stage to play the cowbell). In this merry fracas, however, some reveler (who shall remain unnamed) accidentally snagged an appendage on Ali's (the bride) gorgeous lace wedding gown, tearing a large hole in the cap sleeve, only midway through the evening.  Where, oh where, was the torn and tattered bride to turn? Well, if you have me for a sister-in-law, the answer should be obvious: to me and my bottomless bag of tricks. Did you really think I would agree to be a bridesmaid and not bring my trusty sewing kit? Oh, ye of little faith.
Okay, fine, I have no idea how to sew lace (I'm pretty sure most people in this country stopped learning "tatting" once the TV was invented). And after one (or three) too many celebratory drinks I probably would have poked lovely Ali twenty times with a needle had I given it a shot (speaking of shots...). But, luckily, I had my other secret weapon with me there, as well: My Mom. Quick as a bunny, she patched up Ali's dress good as new, without drawing blood, and sent her back to shake it on the dance floor before she missed another song. Sure, my mom is the real hero in this story, but the point is that her heroics were only made possible with the use of MY sewing kit. Which is why I am taking 50% credit.  Mama didn't raise no fool.
Here's how to make your own perfect on-the-go emergency sewing kit, to help you save the day (okay, and sometimes help you help save the day) wherever you go. Forget those pre-made sewing kits they give away in hotel rooms or sell in drugstores- the boxes are alway flimsy and break, and there is always a ton of stuff you don't need (A measuring tape! Purple thread! Tiny, dull scissors!) and not enough of the stuff you do. But feel free to poach the useful items from those kits. Get a little creative, get the essentials, and you'll be prepared for anything. Mama says.

What you will need:
An Altoids or other sturdy metal candy tin
or
A sturdy cardboard jewelry giftbox with a lid
A rubber band to hold closed

Put inside:
*Sharp scissors with rounded tips (so they won't get confiscated at the airport).
*1 bobbin each of black, white, and a mid-tone gray thread. One of these will work in almost every situation.
*Assorted sharp needles.
*A needle-threader (especially if you have poor eyesight or shaky hands).
*Assorted safety pins.
*Assorted straight pins.
*Assorted buttons.
*A seam-ripper.
*Toupee tape. (It's super sticky, and will fix anything from a droopy hem to a cleavage-revealing neckline).

Go forth and save the day. And call me if you need my mom.

photo credit: Craft stylish

Egg-cellent Advice

I love eggs. From my head down to my legs. And, also, my stomach. I like them every single way there is to cook them- poached, hard-boiled, scrambled, sunny-side-up, in an omelet, and soft-boiled in one of these cute little egg cups, which everyone should have. ("But, Lil, I don't have space for things that useless!", you might be thinking, but actually, in addition to being cute and not taking up much space at all, they are quite useful, if you think outside the ovoid - ours double as salt cellars, mini bud-vases and shot glasses, since I got rid of most of our college-era drinking paraphernalia in our last move). But I digress.
The only bad thing I can say about eggs is that I frequently buy them, and hard-boil a whole dozen of them to keep in my fridge for easy lunches or snacks (Did I mention I love eggs? It's kind of a miracle  my cholesterol isn't at Lipitor levels), and then I buy more just because I'm at the grocery store, and before I know it, I have five dozen eggs in my fridge, and I can't remember which ones are cooked, which ones are raw, and which ones are old and stale (and if you've ever had an encounter with a truly rotten egg, it's not something you want to line up to do again- but even a moldy, stenchy shell full of slime couldn't deter my unwavering affection for eggs). Let's just say, I put all my eggs in one refrigerator.
Here are two tricks I use all the time to tell my eggs apart.


Old Eggs vs. New Eggs

If you can't tell if an egg is fresh, put it in a bowl of water. A fresh egg will sink to the bottom. An egg that sort of stands up on one end, but stays underwater is still safe to eat, but if it bobs to the surface it's old and should be discarded (this is because eggs take on air as they age). It's the easiest way to tell which eggs came first.


Raw Eggs vs. Hard-Boiled Eggs

If you don't remember if an egg is hard-boiled or fresh, spin it on it's end on a flat surface.  A fresh egg will wobble, because the yolk is moving around on the inside, while a boiled egg will spin smoothly, because the yolk is fixed.

Use these tricks, and you'll never end up with egg on your face. Unless you want to.

Money Bags

Plastic grocery bags are so money, and you don't even know it. Not that I agree with non-biodegradable bags being produced in the first place and collecting in landfills and into that huge garbage island in the Pacific, and yada yada yada.  But, being that the world is a flawed place, and plastic bags do exist (and seem to spawn in my pantry during the night), the least we can do is use them, preferably more than once, to the full extent of their capabilities.
No, I'm not going to suggest that you tie a bunch of them together to make a wind sock, nor film one floating in the wind while expounding on the beauty of the universe (wow- two nineties movie references in one post- I am on fire, today).  Here are just some of the ways you can use your plastic grocery bags (other than carrying groceries- that one seemed kind of obvious)- they'll save you money, and make you feel a little better about your carbon footprint and whatnot. Show me the money.

15 Alternative Uses for Plastic Grocery Bags

PACKING
Plastic bags can be your best friend on a trip. Just throw a bunch in your suitcase and watch all the ways you'll end up using them. Best of all, they are super-lightweight, and take up hardly any space in your bag. And did I mention they're free?

1. Undies: The grossest thing about living out of a suitcase is when your clean unmentionables get mixed up with your dirty ones, and you aren't sure what's what. The solution to this vexing problem is to bring along some (lightweight, take-up-no-space) plastic bags. Once you wear a pair of socks or undies, throw them in the bag, and you'll never have to do the sniff test again.
2. Wet Bathing Suits: This one's obvious- double-bag your wet bathing suits and beach clothes to keep the rest of your stuff from getting mildewy or sandy (especially if you took your vacation on the Trash Island).
3. Shoes: My husband wraps each of his shoes in a plastic bag before he puts it in his suitcase. It keeps them from getting scuffed by zippers, etc, and keeps the rest of his stuff from getting dirty.
4. Toiletries: Even if you use my fancy "vacuum" trick, liquids sometimes have an uncontrollable urge to leak all over your suitcase. Rein them in with double plastic bags.

IN THE CAR:
I don't even have a car, and I can still imagine all the wonderful ways plastic bags can help you on the road.

5. The Glovebox: Keep all your important car documents, maps, and other papers together and dry by tying them up in a grocery bag.
6. In The Trunk: Keep your emergency kit safe, clean and and together in a bag. Also, any greasy or wet car products (is it obvious I don't have a car?) like oil or wiper fluid can be wrapped up to prevent leaking.
7. Trash: When you finish that breakfast burrito on the road, wouldn't it be nice to have somewhere to put the wrapper without getting refried beans all over your upholstery? Voila- a grocery bag.
8. Car-sickness: It's always a good idea to have a disposable receptacle available should someone start turning green in the backseat. I'd double-bag.

FOR PETS:
 Your dog doesn't care about status symbols. You could wrap your dog in plastic bags instead of that fancy raincoat, and she wouldn't care (I'm not counting that as an idea, but it's not a bad one). That's the best thing about dogs.

9. Walks: If you live in a city, where you are required by law to, ahem, pick up after your pet, then you should have no problem using up those grocery bags. Just put it over your hand like a glove, hold your breath, and go for it.
10. Toys: Within a few minutes of entering our house, new dog toys are covered in slobber, caked in dog hair and filthy/gross/disgusting. When our dog is not playing with them, I wrap the toys in plastic grocery bags and stow them out of sight and mind.

IN THE HOME:

11. Garbage Liners: I use old grocery bags to line to small garbage cans under the sinks in our bathrooms. No one sees them anyway, unless they are throwing something away, and that way I don't have to see their garbage up close when I empty it. So everyone wins.
12. Packing Material: I wrap delicate Christmas ornaments and other tchotchkes in plastic bags before storing them, and stuff extra bags in between. Much cheaper than bubble-wrap (although admittedly less fun).
13. Garbage Bowl: When I am doing something gross, like removing the narsty bits from inside a whole chicken, or trimming fat off a steak, and line my garbage bowl with a plastic bag. That way I don't have to touch the nastiness twice (when cleaning out the bowl), and it keeps the bowl from getting too much bacteria on it.
14. Fridge Clean-Out: When I steel up my courage and clean out the random leftovers and tupperwares in my fridge, I always dump the smelly, rotting food into a plastic grocery bag first, and then the garbage. It helps prevent your kitchen from smelling like someone died there, until you take the trash out.

OR JUST:
15: Recycle: At the very least, if you aren't reusing your grocery bags, you should recycle them. Most major grocery and drug stores have receptacles to collect them.  If your store doesn't have one- ask a manager to get one. That way, your grocery bags really can spawn more grocery bags for me to use.

Soda Damn Good: 7 Unexpected Uses for Baking Soda

In this topsy-turvy world, one thing you can count on is that there will always be scores of new cleaning and beauty products released to the market each year.  And most of those are overpriced and so full of chemicals and additives that they are secretly poisoning you and the environment while they do their job (which is fine if they actually work - I mean, I'll do just about anything for very white sheets). But, meanwhile, little did you know that there is a completely non-toxic, inexpensive cleaning and beauty product that has been in the market for years, and that you probably already have in your pantry: Baking Soda.  Your grandparents knew that there isn't much this miracle powder can't do around the house (but somehow they forget to pass that info on to you). Here's just a sampling of what it's good for- it's versatility will blow your mind. Oh, and it's good for baking stuff, too.


7 Unexpected Uses for Baking Soda

1. Smell You Later: For some scientific reason I don't entirely understand, baking soda absorbs odors. I explored it's incredible ability to de-stinkify my husband's boat shoes in a post last summer, and it also works to keep your fridge and freezer from smelling too foody (just open the lid of a box and place it on the shelf), can make your pet smell more bearable (just sprinkle it directly on them and brush it through their fur). Or use it to deoderize your garbage can, gym bag, or laundry hamper (just sprinkle directly in there, and wipe out a few hours later), or throw a layer down onto your rugs (then vacuum it up) to make them fresher. Basically, if something stinks, the answer is baking soda.

2. Don't Get Burned: When you accidentally overcook something, and it leaves a burnt-on crusty residue on your pans, you can either spend hours developing carpel tunnel syndrome scouring it off by hand, or you can leave the job to your new friend, baking soda. Simply sprinkle baking soda on the pan, fill it with water, put it on the stove and bring to a boil. The gunk will come right off. This method also works for the rack on your grill (no need to boil, just soak overnight). How does it work? I don't know! Stop questioning the baking soda!

3. Silver Metal: Baking soda works as a gentle silver polish, too. Just mix six tablespoons of baking soda with two tablespoons of water to form a paste. Rub the paste onto the silver with a soft rag, and then rinse. Oooh, shiny!

4. I Feel Pretty: If your hair feels weighed-down with product or artificial color, add a few tablespoons of baking soda to your shampoo to revitalize it. You can also pat some under your arms as a deodorant, use it as toothpaste, use it as a facial scrub, add it to your bathwater to soften your skin, or mix it with water and use it as a mouthwash.  Who knew one product could look so good?

5. The Best Medicine: Would you believe me if I told you baking soda can also work medicinally to cure what ails you? Well, it can. Mix a teaspoon of baking soda with water and drink it to relieve heartburn or indigestion, or make a paste with water and rub it on burns and bug bites to take out the sting or the itch. It will also dry out rashes from diapers or poison oak or ivy.

6. You're Fired. I know what you're thinking- "What else can baking soda do for me?" Don't worry, I'm going to tell you. You can use baking soda to put out small fires from grease, ashes, or candles. Just dump the powder on the flames to extinguish them (using water or trying to smother the fire with a towel might spread the flames).

7. Arrest Pests: Despite how awesome it is, not everyone likes baking soda. Sprinkle it on your window sills or near door jams to repel ants and other bugs. Sprinkle it around your garden plants to repel rabbits and other animals from eating them. Amazing!

Take the Plunge

I've been contemplating writing this post for months, but keep managing to delay its publication. Why? Because I like writing about pretty, pleasant things, and this is decidedly not that. But, on further evaluation, I have decided that this is a skill that every self-reliant person must have in his or her arsenal. It's happened to almost everyone (and probably will again) - you are at a restaurant or a friend's house, you put a little too much of something down the toilet, and suddenly you are trapped in a small bathroom with a rapidly filling toilet and a party waiting for you outside the door. Handled incorrectly, this nastiness can result an extremely embarrassing and, ahem, crappy situation. But handled correctly, you'll be back at the cocktail party in no time, with no one the wiser.

How To Unclog A Toilet

1. Don't Panic. Stop jiggling the handle and trying to flush- you'll only cause more water to fill the bowl and potentially overflow it. Resist the urge to climb out the window and run home. If the water level is still rising, look on the wall behind the toilet for a knob and turn it all the way to the right. This will turn off the water flowing to the toilet. Lift any rugs, mats or linens off the bathroom floor and hang them over a rod or hook, just in case things get messy.

2. Start Bailing. If the water level is full to the top of the bowl, you will need to remove some of it. This is super gross, but find a cup, dish or bowl in the bathroom to use as a bailing tool, and remove enough water bring the water level down a few inches.

3. Plunge In. Grab a plunger. You will want to use the flange kind (as opposed to the cup kind, which is for sinks). If you are at someone else's house, pray that they are well-prepared and that your karma is in order, so that there is already a plunger in the bathroom. Otherwise, use your cell phone to call your husband or closest friend at the party, and have them discreetly ask the hosts for one (I am literally blushing as I type this, I feel so sorry for you, and it isn't even happening for real). Put the suction cup end into the toilet, covering the hole forming as good a seal as you can. Vigorously plunge the handle up and down several times, as hard as you can. Really put some muscle into it. (You may want to run water in the sink while you are doing this to mask the sound). Repeat until the water starts to drain from the toilet (Congrats- that means the clog has cleared).

4. Clean and Clear. Turn the water back on, and flush the toilet until the bowl is clean and cleared out. Use toilet paper to wipe up any spilled water (ugh), return the mats to the floor, and then thoroughly wash and scrub your hands and arms up to your elbows. Take a deep breath, reapply your lipstick, and then walk out of the bathroom like nothing happened.

Extend Yourself

You know how, when you need a little extra length on your laptop cord, or your power drill, or your Christmas tree lights, you have to plug them into an extension cord? And that's all well and good, until you actually try to put your laptop on your lap, or drill something, or string the lights onto the tree, and the dang thing immediately comes unplugged. And, god forbid you have to string several extension cords together, because then the real thing you are extending is your own frustration and misery.
But here's a simple trick to keep those extension cords from coming undone: When you attach them, twist them together in a half-knot before you plug them in. That way, when you tug on one end, it won't cause the connection to come undone. Look, I can't make that spreadsheet create itself, or that carpentry project turn out right, or keep that tree from scratching up your arms while you hang your lights, but at least this will help you keep on plugging away.

I'm The Firestarter

One of the nice things about the chill of fall is that we are able to make use of the two lovely fireplaces we have in our apartment (yes, that was me bragging just now). Hauling firewood up four flights of stairs is sort of ridiculous, but worth it once you get that warm, glowing fire burning.
My husband, JM, considers himself a bit of a fire-making expert. (And I usually have the good taste to bite my tongue about the Great Valentine's Day Smoke-Out of 2003. Hey, everybody makes mistakes.)
JM has his own special method that consistently (except that one time) works like a charm in creating a long-lasting, beautiful-looking fire that lights right up. I made him teach me how he does it, since I'm such a know-it-all and not the kind of girl who likes to sit back and have things done for me. (Why am I not that kind of girl? My life would be so much easier...) And now I teach it to you, so you, too, can be a pyro-maestro. But lest you start feeling sorry for my husband, what with me edging him out of his favorite job, and blabbing his secret techniques on the Internet, don't worry -- I still let him carry the wood.

How to Light a Fire in a Fireplace

1. Start by taking a sheet of newspaper and rolling it loosely on the diagonal into a long strip and then tying it in a knot. Make 3 or 4 of these newspaper knots, and then stuff them under the fireplace grate (something about the way they are rolled makes them burn much longer and better than wadded up newspaper, which, JM asserts, is for amateurs).

2. If you have some, place some kindling, like small sticks or pine cones on top of the grate. JM insists you do not need kindling, as long as your wood is dry enough, but I always use a little, just in case.

3. Arrange your logs on top of the kindling. JM says the best arrangement is with three logs to start. Place the first two logs parallel to one another and about 2 inches apart. Place the third one on top of the first two, at a diagonal angle. This arrangement is compact enough that the fire will spread from log to log, but leaves enough air around each log to keep the fire fed.

4. Make sure the flue is open (look up the chimney, and you will see a little lever which opens and closes a hatch. The hatch must be open, or you will flood the whole room in smoke, which is decidedly unromantic). You also have to make sure that the chimney is drawing (a downdraft in the chimney will also make the smoke move in the wrong direction). To do this, take another piece of newspaper, roll it up and light the end on fire. Hold the flame up to the chimney, and warm the air there, until you see the smoke being pulled up the chimney.

5. Use the piece of burning newspaper to ignite the newspaper knots in the fireplace. Sit back, relax and enjoy your roaring fire.


photo credit: www.ukhomeideas.co.uk

Extraordinary Measures

In the process of renovating and decorating our apartment this past year, I have always tried to remember to carry a measuring tape with me whenever I go out on apartment-related errands. But sometimes, my memory not being what it used to be, I simply forget to bring one along, or, while out for entirely unrelated purposes, I unexpectedly stumble upon a rug store that requires browsing. Luckily, I've learned that there are makeshift measuring tools all around us (and on us), if you only know where to look. So next time you just happen to see a gorgeous armoire in a thrift store window that you aren't sure will fit through your front door, or an antique silver picture frame at a flea market, but can't tell what size photo it will hold, use one of these handy tricks for sizing them up.

The length of your arms: Unless you are crazily disproportionate (I'm talking about you, Michael Phelps), fingertip to fingertip, the length of your arms across your chest is almost exactly the same as your height. For instance, I am 5'9" tall and my arms are, too (we really are well-designed creatures -- I think that is what Da Vinci was trying to get across in this little doodle). This comes in handy when trying to figure out the height of a curtain rod, the length of a vintage tablecloth, and a million other things.
The length of your foot: Measure the bottom of your shoe and remember the length. I wear a women's size 8.5 shoe, which is almost exactly 11" long. Walking, heel-to-toe with about one inch between them, I can fairly accurately measure out the length of something, in feet (literally!). I have used this trick to measure the square-footage of a room or the size of a carpet. Incidentally, if you are measuring something you can't walk on, this measurement should be the same as the distance from your elbow to your wrist.
The length of your stride: My natural stride is about 2'. To measure yours, take a few natural steps, then freeze. Use chalk to mark the tip of the toe of your back foot and the tip of the toe of your front foot and measure the distance between them.
Pocket change: The diameter of a quarter is exactly one inch. The circumference is exactly 3" (starting with Washington's nose pointed straight down, roll the edge along a surface until he faces down again). A penny is exactly 1/16" thick. That means that a stack of pennies can be used for precise measurements of less than an inch.
A dollar bill: A US dollar bill is 2.5" x 6". It can also be wrapped around things that are round or curved to measure them.
A credit card: A credit card is almost exactly 2" x 3.5". The distance from the top edge to the bottom of the magnetic strip is .5".
For the truly committed: I've never gotten this intense, and I don't wear a belt everyday, but for those who do, you can also mark off inches on the inside of your everyday belt. Although, that might be depressing for those with expanding waistlines.

Try to remember these simple tips, and you'll always know how you (and that lovely garage sale lamp) measure up.

The Big Chill

While we're on the subject of wine...
It's Friday night, and hopefully that means that you have some fun social plans. Maybe social plans that involve drinking cold white wine, say. (How did you like that segue?)

But what happens if you have people coming over any minute, and you suddenly realize that because you live in New York City, where kitchens are required by law to be ridiculously tiny, you didn't have space in the fridge for the food, and the wine, and now you have no cold white wine to serve your guests? Not that I've ever had that happen... You could pop that wine in the freezer, wait 45 minutes or so for it to chill, and hope you don't forget it's in there in the meantime. Or, you could try this trick which chills your wine much more quickly (think 15-20 minutes), looks festive, and doesn't require you to use a screwdriver to hack all the ancient bags of frozen peas out of your miniscule freezer.
So take a deep breath and remember to chill.

1. Grab a pretty ice bucket, or any bucket you have lying around. If you don't have a bucket you can use a mixing bowl, but you should probably think about getting an ice bucket, dude. Fill the bucket half way with ice. Pour cold water over the ice, up to the same level.
2. Throw in a couple handfuls of salt. This makes the ice melt faster, and actually gets the temperature of the water lower than that of ice. It's science, see?
3. Submerge the wine bottle in the bucket for 15 or so minutes. Enjoy!

Behind-the-Door Storage

If you live in a space that is just big enough to contain your stuff and yourselves, like we do, organization can be a major issue (I swear, when we moved in, we were barely able to get all the boxes inside- I panicked at the thought of what it would look like once everything got loose). It's one thing to be able to get everything in the closet and close the door, and another thing entirely to be able to find anything, once it's in there. Sometimes you have to see organizing potential in unexpected places- like the back of the closet door. Every closet door in our apartment is outfitted on the inside with hanging canvas shoe organizers. I hang them on the inside of the door using picture hooks, instead of the over-the-door hardware that shows on the other side (and sometimes interferes with the way the door closes). The shoe-size pockets are the perfect size for holding all kinds of loose items, in every room.
Bathroom: Brushes, combs, hairdryers, curling irons, clips and rubber bands, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, hairspray, extra makeup, medications.
Linen closet: Pairs of pillowcases, washcloths, hand towels, linen spray, and don't forget to stash a few bars of soap in there to make everything smell extra sweet.
Craft supplies: yarn, thread, needles, fabric bits, painting supplies...
Hardware: tools, screws and nails, extension cords, twine, wire, gardening supplies, packing tape, light bulbs, cleaning supplies.
Clothing: socks, nylons, bras, lingerie, jewelry, belts, scarves, gloves, oh yeah, and shoes, too.

The possibilities are limitless. Unlike your closet space.

Shine On

It seems like I'm always telling you guys to go out and buy this and that specific household cleaning product, until it seems inevitable that soon you won't be able to close the cabinet doors under your kitchen sink anymore, and you'll indignantly cry out, "A hex upon you, Charmed Wife!"
In an effort to prevent that from happening (or at least delay it), today I am going to tell you about a household product you don't have to buy: Silver Polish. Unless you were lucky enough to inherit your Great Aunt Tilly's silver tea service, chances are you probably only have a few silver items around your house- a little box, candlesticks, a few pieces of jewelry...
Instead of spending money on a specific product to shine them, use something you already have around: toothpaste. That's right- plain old Crest or Colgate works just as well as fancy silver polishes to gently remove tarnish and get your silver items shining again.
Just squeeze the toothpaste onto your finger or a very soft cloth and rub the silver items all over. Allow the paste to sit on the item for a few minutes and then rinse with water. It's the perfect solution for when you're in a tight squeeze.

But remember: This is not a two-way street. I'm pretty sure you shouldn't try brushing your teeth with silver polish.

Photo credit: Weekly Green Tip

Hanky Panky

Of all of the "outdated" items that are making a comeback these days, the last one you might expect is the handkerchief. Mention the idea of a hanky to a lot of people, and it will inspire disgusted memories of infrequently-washed loogie-filled rags carried around in a great-uncle's pocket. But with the trend towards green living, suddenly new, attractive hankies are showing up everywhere. And if you can look past the "snot factor," they are actually really useful and functional objects. I carry hankies around in my purse all the time- not for nose-blowing (I have tissues for that), but because they are great for a million other uses, from cleaning up spills to wiping off my sunglasses or camera lens to drying my hands in public restrooms. Once you put one in your pocket, you'll be amazed at all the ways you find yourself using it. So get hip to the hanky.

For cute hankies, check out these sites:
Atishoo
Hank and Cheef
Elegant Linens
Giftwagon
Ebay (for pretty vintage ones!)
Happy Hanky

P.S. Sorry I missed last Friday's post- now it can be told that we were on vacation last week. Haha- I outsmarted you, Twitter-and-blog-reading house-robbers!

Not Just for Flaming Jagerbombs Anymore

In an effort to get more "green" and also to reduce the amount of "toxic" "chemicals" I have floating around in our house, I am trying to cut back on noxious cleaning products that we use. Leave it to my mom (the party animal) to point out a great alternative that was hiding in my liquor cabinet all along: Everclear alcohol. You probably think of it as the last thing you remember seeing before you woke up with a screaming headache and a new scalp tattoo, but it actually also works wonders as a sterilizer (pour some on your kitchen sponges to keep them from getting moldy or mildewy, or dilute it and use it to wipe off the counters). You can also pour it over a cut to clean and disinfect it. And it's totally non-toxic, so it won't make you sick. Unless, of course, you drink it.

Shoe, Meet Arm (& Hammer)

There are plenty of wonderful things about being married to a preppy guy: He can take you sailing. He knows how to tie his own bow tie. He looks good in pink... However, there is one big negative that arises every summer- the dreaded smell of boat shoes worn sans socks. Sure, they look cute, with their ankle-grazing khakis and popped collars, but the second that one preppy foot slides out of that one preppy shoe, flowers wilt for miles around, and bloodhounds start jumping off of bridges.

But one need not suffer in pearl-bedecked silence. There is a miraculous solution that works for all smelly shoes- be they running shoes, pumps, high-tops, over-the-knee stripper boots, snorkeling flippers or Rollerblades. Allow me to reacquaint you to a product that needs no introduction, your friend and mine: Baking Soda. Simply pour half a cup of the white powder directly onto the insoles of each of the shoes (you may need to wear a clothespin on your nose to get that close), and let sit overnight. In the morning, pour the baking soda out and wipe the inside of the shoe with a paper towel. Like some kind of miracle, the baking soda will have absorbed all of the odor - kind of like it does in your fridge, only more... footy.

Picky Picky: 9 Unexpected Uses for Toothpicks

Sometimes I enjoy finding alternative uses for ordinary household items more than I enjoy using the item for the purpose that nature intended. I feel that way about toothpicks- maybe I have weird teeth or something, but they don't actually seem to do much in terms of dislodging food particles after a big meal at a restaurant, and I always feel gross using them in public. Here's a tip, restaurants: If you're handing out freebies, I'd rather get one of those swirly mints. Plus, ever since I heard a horror story (admittedly, it does sound like an urban legend) about someone who swallowed a toothpick, which then punctured their intestines, I am always very cautious when attacking my molars. Luckily, there are plenty of wonderful MacGyver-like things you can use toothpicks for that carry little-to-no risk of intestinal puncture. Read on.


9 Unexpected Uses for Toothpicks

1. Bring Home the Bakin': This one's obvious, but bears mentioning. Insert a clean toothpick into cakes and breads as they bake to test whether they are cooked through- if the toothpick comes out doughy and wet, leave it in the oven longer.
2. Stick With It: Use a toothpick to apply glue or paint, when a delicate touch is required (like building one of those model airplanes you've been wanting to try, or applying sequins to your Halloween costume). The wood makes a surprisingly good little "brush".
3. Be Fasten-ated: When sewing a button back on, place a toothpick between the cloth and the button. This will prevent you from sewing it on too tightly (which makes it hard to get through the button-hole).
4. Put the Icing on... the Icing on the Cake: Use a toothpick to "sketch out" the design on a frosted cake before you write or decorate it with icing. Alternatively, attach pretty personalized paper flags to one end of the picks and plant them on top of cupcakes- it's a super-easy way to make store-bought, generic-looking cupcakes seem personalized.
5. Let Your Light Shine: When lighting candles, use a match to light the tip of a toothpick on fire- it will burn slower and longer, saving you from using up all your matches and singeing your fingertips.
6. Get a Clean Cell: Dip the tip of a toothpick in cleaning solution to gently clean between the keys on your cell phone or computer keyboard, and to efficiently clean out the little cracks and crevices (and those little speaker holes).
7. Boil Better: To prevent that pasta pot from boiling over and making a hot mess (literally!) of your cook top, stick a toothpick between the pot and its lid. This will allow just enough of the steam to escape from the pot.
8. Get on a Roll: Next time you finish using the packing tape, fold the end around a toothpick. Then next time you'll save yourself the frustration and agony of searching for that illusive end.
9: Simplify Your Spuds: When you microwave a potato or yam, use four toothpicks to create "legs" for the tater, elevating it from the bottom of the microwave. This will allow it to cook from all directions, and it will be ready faster. It makes me kind of sad to think of any of you at home microwaving a single potato, but I decided to include this tip, nevertheless.

Sometimes it pays to be picky.

photo credit: www.aboutmyplanet.com

Foiled Again: 6 Unexpected Uses for Aluminum Foil

Since I've already revealed how I use aluminum foil to steam delicious fish and sharpen dull scissors, it should come as no surprise to you that this miracle material has a ton of other wonderful uses around the house (beyond  just, you know, cooking baked potatoes, or whatever), and I am pleased to have the opportunity to share just a few of them with you. 

1. Tough Scrubber- a wadded up ball of foil actually makes a better scrubber than some of those scrunges that they sell specifically for that purpose. To clean baked-on gunk off of your lasagna pan or casserole dish, just go at it with a foil ball and some dishwashing fluid.  I also use a nice big ball of foil to clean the greasy, burnt grossness off of my grill before and after use- it works just as well as the tools designed for the job, and you can just throw it away when you're done. 

2. Spill Protector: Line the bottom of your oven in foil and it will save you from having to clean it of burnt-on food spills- in the event that something does bubble over (usually some kind of cheese in my house), just pull out the foil and replace it (wait until after your oven cools, genius).  You can also like cookie sheets and pans in foil when baking, so you can spend your time eating the warm cookies, instead of washing dishes. 

3. Paint Mask- If you're painting a wall or piece of furniture that has features you want to stay unpainted (doorknobs, drawer-pulls,etc), just wrap them in (you guessed it) foil! The foil is malleable enough to mold directly to the object and is easy to pull off once the job is done. 

4. Impromptu Gadget- in a pinch, foil can be used to sub for other things around the kitchen- fashion a (double-layer) into a cone to use as a funnel or a piping bag.  Use it to cover pie crust or roasted turkey in the oven to prevent it from burning before fully cooked. 

5. Ironing Aid- if you need pressed clothes in a hurry, cover your ironing board with some aluminum foil. The heat from the iron will reflect back up, ironing both sides of the fabric at the same time.  This works equally well when steaming clothes that can't be ironed. 

Or, use it to fashion an awesome last-minute robot or knight Halloween costume. As far as what aluminum foil can do, these ideas are just the tip of the aluminum-covered cardboard sword. Er, iceberg. 

Related: Brighten Up: 10 Unexpected Uses for Lemons

photo credit: Real Simple