February---Tip-a-Day Calendar: Hints and tricks to make life easier

[Texasmujer]

1: Save energy: close doors and turn down the heat in unused rooms.

2: If the sidewalk is covered with a light sprinkling of snow, sweep it with a broom instead of lifting it with a shovel.

3: When handwashing a sweater, don't wring, rub or pull it. Lat it on a towel, roll it up and gently squeeze.

4: Check exhaust vents to make sure they're clean and free or debris and bird nests.

5: Hold a candle or light piece of thread near windows and doors on a windy day to determine where drafts are.

6: Send a "thinking of you" care package too a child living away form home or at school

7: Save energy: turn off lights when you leave a room, and adjust curtains and blinds to let in light during the day

8: Use cheap paperplates to hold prepped ingredients such as shredded cheee and chopped onions instead of dirtying a bunch of bowls

9: If the temperature drops, open cabinet doors to let heat get to uninsulated pipes under sinks and appliances near exxterior walls

10: Remove salt stains from leather shoes by wiping with a clean cloth dipped in a solution of 1 tablespoon white vinegar to 1 cup water

11: To prevent freezing of padlocks onoutdoor sheds and buildings put a piece of tape over the keyhole and cover with a plastic bag

12: Cut off a sleeve from an old sweatshirt, stuff with padding and sew the ends together to make a draft protector for the bottom of a door.

13: Frame a picture of you and your child and place it next to her bed.

14: Happy Valentine's Day! Write a love note on pretty stationery and sliip it into your mate's lunchbbox or briefcase.

15: Save energy: Shut off at the dry cycle, pull the racks out slightly and allow dishes to air-dry with the door partially open.

16: Before you work on your TV, VCR, or DVD player, take a picture of the cord arrangement in the back as a guide.

17: Store extra comforters on the top shelf of the closet so they don't get squashed underneath heavy items

18: Keep appliances manuals in a central place with the receipts stapled to the front page. If you run into a problem, you'll be able to find them easily.

19: Save energy: Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as needed

20: Visit a house of worship at an off time when there is no service. The quiet will help you to think things through and put problems in perspective.

21: Attach a tape measure to the side of your sewing table with hook-and-loop tape. It will be easy to find when you need it.
22: Save energy: Lower the thermostat on your water heater; 115degrees Farenheit (sorry, I don't know the Celcius equivalent!) is comfortable for most uses

23: If your car gets stuck inb the snow, carefully slide one of the floor mats under the stuck tire for traction.

24: When you restring bead on a broken necklace, keep trhem in proper order by laying them on the sticky side of a long piece of tape.


25: Chop parsley and other herbs by putting them in a
narrow juice glass and snipping with scissors.

26. If you don't have time to put photos in an album, file them in a shoebax or card file. Make dividers and label by year and season.

27: Offer to take care of a neighbor's children so she can
spend some time doing whatever she wants.

28: Save energy: Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when you have a full load. Use warm or cold water cycles for laundry when you can.









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