Site Meter Household Tips

Gas Price Rise 10c Per Gallon Weekly

by LiRa

imagesHow have you been managing the rise of gas week per week?

According to a new survey done by Lundberg, the price of gas has been climbing to almost 10c an average in the past few weeks citing the reason for its steady rise is because of environmental causes.

This, and the fact that the country is in recession, is definitely not something consumers welcome as good news.

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Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Home: No-Nonsense Advice that Will Inspire You to CLEAN like the DICKENS

by LiRa

Mrs-Meyer-Clean-Home

Here’s a book recommendation for homemakers: Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Home: No-Nonsense Advice that Will Inspire You to CLEAN like the DICKENS for $13.59.

It contains several common sense tips that are usually ignored or forgotten. It also includes tips you may probably have not heard of yet. This book is a super-useful guide to keeping your home clean and efficient.

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Planning on Retirement? Focus on Time, Not Money Survey Says

by LiRa

According to a survey by PNC Wealth Management, many wealthy Americans are said to be giving more focus on time instead of their assets and money once they retire and at least one third of the survey respondents have admitted to having no concrete retirement goals.

retirement

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China-Made Drywall Home Health Hazard

by LiRa

images Florida regulators from the Consumer Product Safety Commission are investigating reports on toxins found in China-made drywalls, said to be emitting unpleasant sulfur gases. The effects of this emission results in sickness and  physical damages that many homeowners must be made aware of such a problem.

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Educational Craft Kits Recalled by FloraCraft

by LiRa

From time to time, I think we need to feature product recall advisories from the CPSC. This is  to help raise awareness and reach parents and homeowners alike. These product recalls are good measures of preventing untoward incidents that may lead to serious accidents at home.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of product: Solar System Kits and DNA Kits
Units: About 930,000
Manufacturer: FloraCraft Corp., of Ludington, Mich.
Hazard: The surface coating on the educational kit’s wires can contain excessive levels of lead, violating the federal lead paint standard.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

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Children’s Flip Flops Recalled by Alpargatas

by LiRa

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From time to time, I think we need to feature product recall advisories from the CPSC. This is to help raise awareness and reach parents and homeowners alike. These product recalls are good measures of preventing untoward incidents that may lead to serious accidents at home.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of product: Children’s flip flops
Units: About 210,000
Manufacturer: Alpargatas USA Inc., of New York, N.Y.
Hazard: Decorative paint on the sole of the flip flops can contain levels of lead in excess of the federal standard. Incidents/Injuries: None reported

Description: Flip flops of the Havaianas brand containing decorative paint were sold under the following model names: Baby Estampas, Baby Pets, Kids Apple, Kids Fairy, Kids Flores, Kids Lighthouse, Kids Monsters, Kids Surf, Baby Letrinhas, Kids Sports, Kids Candies, Kids Fun, Kids Love, Kids Sereias, Kids Speed, Kids Lucky Bug, Kids Pets, Kids Rock, Kids Slim, Kids Wonder Woman, Kids Small Flowers and Kids Tropical w/Kit. A photo of a representative flip flop is provided below. Havaianas flip flops without decorative paint are not being recalled.

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US household wealth drops 18 percent in 2008

by LiRa

Recession has hit every US household in 2008…

The net worth of US households fell by nearly 18 percent or 11.2 trillion dollars in 2008 as the world’s biggest economy grappled with a prolonged recession, the Federal Reserve said Thursday.

Household net worth — the difference between the value of assets and liabilities — was an estimated 51.47 trillion dollars at the end of the fourth quarter of 2008, down 5.1 trillion dollars from the images preceding quarter, the US central bank said.

For 2008 as a whole, household net worth fell 11.2 trillion dollars from 62.68 trillion dollars in the previous year, according to the Fed’s latest “Flow of Funds Accounts” quarterly report.

The 2008 figure is the lowest since 2004, when household wealth was at 51.87 trillion dollars, the report said.

The United States is facing its worst recession since the Great Depression after a home mortgage meltdown triggered financial turmoil that slammed the brakes on growth.

The recession began in December 2007 and based on the most recent government estimate, US gross domestic product contracted at an eye-popping 6.2 percent annual pace in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Some analysts say the downturn may be even worse in the first quarter of 2009.

The Fed also said that at the end of 2008, the level of outstanding domestic nonfinancial debt was 33.5 trillion dollars, including household debt valued at 13.8 trillion dollars and total government debt of 8.6 trillion dollars.

Household debt contracted at an annual rate of two percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, following two quarters of very weak growth, the report said.

Source: MSNBC

Home Items from Eden & Eden

by LiRa

The items sold at Eden&Eden are carefully chosen authentic materials known for their contemporary aesthetics. They’re ultra-feminine but also imbibes that rich European culture.

Here are just some of the things you can score from Eden&Eden:

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Teapot & Cosy - Pink
$70.00

Classic Brown Betty small teapot with hand knitted wool cosy.

Made in England

PWANP_red_teatowel
Architectural Tea Towel - Red
$20.00

From People Will Always Need Plates. Cotton dish cloth featuring Trellick Tower, London illustration.

Made in England

WC_flute_black


Champagne Flutes - Black
$68.00

Pair of black glass vintage inspired champagne flutes. 8.25″

Made in England

DW_doily_turq


Felt Doily - Turquoise
$38.00

From designer Donna Wilson.
100% wool laser cut doily. 12″

Made in Scotland

Aside from kitchen items, the store also has home fixtures, home decorations, jewelry, accessories, clothes and purses. The choices are a little bit quirky but tasteful.

Eden&Eden is located in San Francisco, California.

Check the website here.

Beaba Babycook

by LiRa

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This is truly a great Mommy Kitchen helper. It’s so easy to use for parents with weaning babies. You can steam veggies, meat and fruits with it, even as the vitamins and flavors are retained. You can also use this to reheat or defrost baby’s food…

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The Amana Jot Refrigerator

by LiRa

Amana_Jot_Refrigerator

For households who love to leave notes on the fridge a lot, the Amana Jot Refrigerator should be one of the most important kitchen appliance you’ll ever need. Instead of living stick it notes (which could actually get lost), one can simply just write the note on the fridge’s surface and yes, use that as the notepad.

The fridge has the following features:

  • 17.6 Cu. Ft. of Capacity
  • Dry-Erase Door Finish
  • Contoured Doors
  • Up-Front Temperature Control System
  • Interior Light
  • 2 Full-Width Adjustable Spillsaver™ Glass Shelves
  • 2 Garden Fresh™ Crisper Drawers
  • 2 Fixed, Full-Width Door Shelves
  • Gallon Door Storage
  • Deli Drawer
  • Dairy Center
  • Wire Freezer Shelf
  • 2 Fixed, Full-Width Freezer Door Shelves
  • Factory-Installed Ice Maker

An 18 cu ft beauty will set you back at around $749 via Amana.

Paper Towel Helper

by LiRa

images

Oh, hail the paper towel! I use this a lot in the kitchen. In fact, it’s one of the things I buy often at the grocery. Paper towels were a result of an error, according to this book on household tips I’m reading. They didn’t use to come in perforated form and was slightly bigger. But the error turned out to be a blessing as it is how we have our paper towels today.

Paper towels make excellent coffee filter, in case you run out of these. There’s no reason to panic if you can’t have your cup of coffee. As long as you have a paper towel, caffeine is still good to go!

For green thumbs who keep cast iron pots at home, stacked, put paper towels in between the pots so that you keep away the rust and chipping away of the texture.

If you’re a bacon-loving family, but hate the fat, dab the bacon strips on a paper towel first before serving this to your family. The paper towel will absorb all the fat and you’d also have crispier bacon strips to serve. I do the same for any other fried food like pork chops, luncheon meat and the likes.

Bread that has been kept inside the refrigerator will turn soggy once it is out of it. Keep them dry and fresh by putting a paper towel in the bag.

Keep vegetables fresh inside the vegetable bin by lining the sides and bottom with paper towel. It will also make cleaning up this bin easier.

Use paper towel to clean the can opener. Over time, its use get a little bit rusty and grungy. Scrub this with a toothbrush first, and then wipe it clean with paper towel. You’d have a sharper can opener after that.

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Coffee-ing it Up!

by LiRa

coffee Coffee is a great drink to perk up your day and keep you energized through out a grueling and stressful schedule. But do you know that coffee is also good for repairing and restoring things around the house?

  • For wood furniture with small nicks, hide this away by mixing coffee and water (a few drops only, paste like consistency). With a soft cloth, dab this on the scratch of your table or chair or any wood in your house. Use beeswax or paste wax for long lasting effect.
  • Are your brown and black cotton clothes losing their luster? When doing the laundry, add two cups of coffee to the water before rinsing. It will help the bland colors from getting to their right shade again.
  • Coffee is a natural fertilizer. Sprinkle this in your garden as they are richer in nitrogen. However, this is not recommended for potted, indoor plants as it is too strong a fertilizer.
  • Before you store those kitchen appliances, why not make sure you keep them fresh smelling even while they are kept in cabinets?  Use a pantyhose and put freshly ground coffee in it and then tie this inside the box. This will make sure your things are going to smell okay the next time you pull them out from storage.
  • Coffee may be use as hair highlight, if you don’t like to use an actual hair dye.
  • Coffee beans are fresh breatheners which can get rid of the garlicky and onion odor after eating that slice of pizza.
  • Used coffee grounds can be reused as hand moisturizer.
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30% off On Elfa at The Container Store

by LiRa

Everything

Elfa Products are going on sale at The Container Store.  It’s the best selling brand of the site, specializing in compact and convenient storage solutions for the home. Below are just some of what you can get from the ongoing sale….

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Petroleum Jelly Frenzy

by LiRa

images We know that petroleum jelly is typically used for health and beauty purposes, such as softening up cracked lips or relieving a baby’s bum from diaper rush. But it can also be used in many other number of ways totally unrelated to health and beauty. Below are just some suggestions:

  • Petroleum jelly is a little plumber’s helper. Rubbing this on the ring of a plunger before putting it back will allow it to become better sealed and stable.
  • Car batteries should be free of any corrosion with the help of petroleum jelly. Sure, clean the batteries with this once in a while to maintain your batteries’ quality in shape.
  • Water marks on wood furniture are sometimes hard to remove. But not with petroleum jelly. Let this sit overnight and the next morning, when you have wiped the furniture clean, you’ll see that the marks are also gone.
  • Rings stuck in one’s finger are easier to pull with petroleum jelly and not with sopa and water.
  • Keep your china plates all shiny and looking brand new by rubbing and polishing this with PJ and soft cloth.
  • Before the baby takes a bath, rub a little petroleum jelly around her eyes. This should keep shampoo from lathering towards it, irritating her.
  • Use the same jelly to keep leather shoes spunky and shiny.
  • Doors that are irritatingly squeaky should be taken off the hinges. Coat PJ on it, put it back, and you’ll see that there is no more sound to drive you crazy.
  • Dog’s feet can also benefit from petroleum jelly, it’s just not for humans! Dogs have cracked and dried feet, if you notice. Soften and heal this up with it.
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Nail Polish Fixes

by LiRa

images I’ve a growing number of nail polish collection that is slowly becoming clutter in my room. I hardly used some of it for my nails, so I’m gonna use them for something else. Here are a few tips as to where you can apply nail polish —-

  • Tighten knobs — are you drawer knobs turning loose no matter how you screw it back? Coat the screws with nail polish first before you try to put them back in. It will make it stick very well, you won’t have to worry about loose screws anymore.
  • Nick fix — if you have varnished wood floors that is prone to scratches and nicks, a clear nail polish will help hide away those and it will not be noticeable. It’s the same thing for chipped pieces. Except don’t use nail polish on precious antique items as you will ruin it rather than fix it.
  • Fancy jewelry shine — this is a tip I got from my mother very early on. Fancy jewelry or costume jewelry can grow dull and discolor easily. If you’d like for these to keep their shine and luster for a longer time, brush clear nail polish first before you wear it.
  • Button safe — to keep buttons from falling off blouses and shirts, dab a little nail polish on top of it, particularly on the thread area. It will keep if from unravelling.
  • X-ing poison — use red nail polish to put an X on household items you don’t want kids to mess with, such as disinfectant (poisonous). Kids should know early on, these are products that should not be played with.
  • Lace repair — nail polish is a quick fix for laces with a slight tear or run in them as it helps in stopping the run.
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About Household Tips

Household Tips is full of creative and unique household hints, remedies and shortcuts to keep your active family healthy and on-the-go. It will provide you with Martha Stewart-like do-it-yourself centerpieces with the ease and lightheartedness of a 30-Minute Meals show. Think, Dear Abby meet Hints from Heloise, disguised as a work-at-home-mom with stains on all her shirts.

Household Tips Author(s)

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