I can’t think of a better day than today to reach into the mailbag and pull out a few great tips submitted by—you guessed it—my great (loyal, faithful, awesome) readers!
PET-FRIENDLY BEDSPREAD
As the owner of two cats, I finally found a wonderful solution to the problem of finding a bedspread fabric durable enough to withstand the constant removal of fur and chafing of paws. Outdoor Living Tablecloths makes custom outdoor tablecloths using Sunbrella® material. Following their directions for taking measurements, I ordered a custom “tablecloth” bedspread for my queen size bed and have been using it now for seven months. It has held up beautifully, cleans like a dream and for sheer hardwearing, long-lasting quality, I think the price is a great deal. ~ Robin
Previously: Best Inexpensive Stick Vacuum—Finally!
SAVING THE DISHWASHER
I never used a rinse aid in my dishwasher, because we live in an area that doesn’t have particularly hard water that results in water spots left on glassware. I learned the hard way that rinse aids (like Finish Jet-Dry) have another more important use—they help to keep the dishwasher’s drain line running clean. Found this out from the repairman when our dishwasher wasn’t draining. The line was completely clogged—Yuck! ~ Elizabeth
Must read: Know Thy Dishwasher
In a recent post, I asked readers to share their worst barbecue/grilling experiences that could have been spared if they’d had a decent instant-read thermometer.
Photo credit: ThermoWorks
I loved reading your comments, some of which are so funny you had me laughing out loud. But more than that, I learned that most of our grilling disasters involve chicken.
Grilled chicken should be delicious, moist, tender, and full of flavor. But all too often it turns out bloody raw in the middle or bone-dry and tough as shoe leather.
Here it is: Simple Secrets for Grilling Cheap Cuts of Meat
If you are or have ever been, plagued by credit-card debt, I can nearly guarantee that revolving expenses related to Christmas have contributed greatly to that miserable situation. The problem? Procrastination.
Face it, when it comes to Christmas, the longer you wait, the more you’ll spend. The opposite is also true: The sooner you get started the less you’ll spend.
Everyone procrastinates in some area. And some people procrastinate about everything. Why do we do it?
We feel overwhelmed. The holiday expectations we place on ourselves plus those that come from our families, the community, even the church can be so great we feel paralyzed. So we do nothing until the only choice we have is to spend as much money as it takes to get by.
We overestimate how much time we have. From where we sit here in July, Christmas seems so far away. We tell ourselves we have “plenty of time!”
We have to do it perfectly. Experts tell us that at the root of procrastination is perfectionism. Because we feel we have to do everything perfectly—and fear that we might not—we do nothing rather than run the risk of failing.
We say we work better under pressure. Waiting until the last minute can provide quite an adrenaline rush. Procrastinators believe they cannot operate without that creative surge, so they sit back and wait for it to happen.
The way to deal with procrastination is to identify why you do it. Ask yourself: What price have I paid in the past for the delay? Do I really want to pay that price, or even more, again this year?
If the answer to the last question is yes, you have lots of time; you don’t need to be thinking about the holidays yet.
If on the other hand, you are not willing to go into debt to measure up to others’ expectations, get started. Do something now even if all you do is stash $25 a week for Christmas shopping in December. Once you are in motion it will be easier to keep going.
1. FAMILY PHOTO
Whether it’s for your family Christmas card or to frame for a gift to friends and family, get that picture taken now. Then shop around for the best price on high-quality prints.
Costco. It’s hard to beat Costco’s prices and service, but you need to be a member. However, right now it doesn’t appear you can order holiday photo cards—if you want to go this route. You’ll have to check back in a few months to see if their holiday templates are available.
Snapfish. You can get 5×7-inch photo cards printed for as little as $1 each when you order a package of 20—and the price goes down if you order more. Even though it’s July, Snapfish has its holiday templates available for you to order and print.
Vista Print. A great source for a postcard with your photos, plus many other options. VistaPrint has frequent specials and sales throughout the summer, so check back to see if you can get a deal at VistaPrint.com. Caution: You will be hounded throughout the order process to buy all kinds of “add-ons.” Don’t waste your money. Buy only what you came to buy.
It was shocking if not surreal. The email message was from a woman I’d never met and whose name I recognized only because a few months earlier she mailed me a book she’d written.
The message announced that she and her family were planning a cross-country road trip to Disneyland and would just love to stay with us since (at the time) we lived nearby and oh wouldn’t that be so much fun. She gave a tentative date they would be arriving.
Everything I know about what not to do as a house guest, I learned from that experience, from the moment they drove up to the time they finally departed—far too many days hence.
House Guests Cousin Eddie and Family from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
In the interest of full disclosure, because I have friends and relatives who read these posts, be it known that all other house guests we have ever had in all of our lives have been wonderful. Exemplary. Do not worry. This is not about you.
INVITATION
It need not be engraved on parchment, but you do need some kind of indication that you are invited to be a guest in another’s home. Do not send a cryptic message (“Looks like we will be in your area in a couple of weeks!”), hoping that will wrangle an invitation. And for goodness sake, don’t just show up. That would forever designate you as either an interloper or freeloader.
SPECIFIC DATES
Nail down the dates of your visit and then stick to them. When your host does not offer specific dates, trust me that does not mean to say as long as you like. Listen for subtle clues (“We’ll be super busy toward the end of July”). You may need to split your time with someone else or find other accommodations for half of your trip.
DO NOT BE VAGUE
If the two of you plan to arrive with the four children, two dogs, and the new kitten—spell it out. Do not assume your host will just know this intuitively. Be very clear on who will be joining you in this visit.
RESPECT YOUR SPACE
Arriving with 16 suitcases and enough toys, devices, and equipment to keep the children entertained for weeks on end tends to appear that you’ll be taking over the entire house. Bring only what you need and will fit into a guest room and then make sure it all stays there. You’re not staying in a hotel, so don’t treat your friend’s home like one. A good rule of thumb: When you’re not in your room, it should look like it did when you arrived.
I can’t think of a better day than today—7-Eleven’s Free Slurpee Day!—to talk about the heartbreak of white laundry items turning a dingy shade of gray. Or stained. I’m sure someone, somewhere has suffered a nasty stain on a white sofa from a red Slurpee … hmmm, I wonder who? 😜
But not to worry. There is a solution for dingy gray laundry and one that’s quite simple.
So head on over the blog to check that out, plus my recommendation for which size Instant Pot is best for a small household.
And don’t forget to stop by your local 7-Eleven to get a FREE Slurpee!
~ Mary xo
It’s been a number of years since I moved into a college dorm room. My memories of college life are both vivid and precious.
For years, I’d been dreaming about how I would grow up and leave my childhood home and sheltered life to attend college in Los Angeles. I lived in the same dorm room from my first day as a freshman until I graduated four years later (Master’s University). And I loved it. Dorm life was everything I’d imagined and so much more.
Typically, dorm rooms are not spacious. I had a bed, desk, bookshelf, and chair along with a closet that had a built-in dresser and just enough room to hang a few clothes. My roommate had the same configuration on the other side of the room—a typical dorm room layout. Looking back now, I see that we could have done so much more with the tiny space we had to make it more comfortable and efficient.
If you or someone you love will be entering dorm life in a few weeks, I’ve put together a list of dorm room essentials—beyond the basics of a laptop, linens, toiletries, and clothes—that will definitely make the transition easier and college life a lot more enjoyable!
1. MINI FRIDGE. If allowed in your room, you’ll bless the day you arrived with a mini fridge large enough for soft drinks, water, healthy snacks and energizing food items. Something like this 2.7 compact dorm refrigerator will save the day when the cafeteria closes at 6 pm and you’re looking at 10 more hours of cramming for finals. Been there. If only I’d had a fridge. About $70.
Related: The 18 Gifts 2018 Graduates Really Want
2. READING PILLOW. You will bless the day you thought to bring a good reading pillow with you to school. It will serve multiple functions—a place to sit and study that isn’t a stiff desk chair. Or as additional seating. Trust me—a comfortable, useful reading pillow will make all the difference by turning your bed into a very comfortable chair. This shredded foam reading pillow is awesome for reading, studying, watching TV or just hanging out. Well made, it is sturdy but at the same time cozy enough to serve you well all the way through your college career. About $30.
Mosquitoes are nasty creatures. They bite, they transmit terrible diseases to people and pets and from what I read, have no redeeming value in the ecosystem.
Malaria infects some 247 million people worldwide each year, and kills nearly one million. Mosquitoes spread yellow fever, dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis, Rift Valley fever, Chikungunya virus and West Nile virus.
If that’s not reason enough to hate them, they can turn a beautiful backyard, deck or patio into a nightmare area not fit for humans during mosquito season. But it doesn’t have to be that way provided you are diligent to take control of your home and property.
MOSQUITO TRAP
When I discovered we’d be dealing with mosquitoes here in northern Colorado, my research knew no bounds and led to purchasing a Dynatrap.
This insect trap is engineered for 3-way protection. First, a UV fluorescent bulb generates a warm light, attracting insects.
Then a second lure, an exclusive Ti02 titanium dioxide-coated surface, produces harmless CO2, which mosquitoes find irresistible (no wonder they love you so much—you emit CO2, too).
Third, a powerful, whisper-quiet vacuum fan sucks insects into the retaining cage where they dehydrate and die.
Every few weeks I empty my mosquito morgue I mean trap. A full trap is proof-positive that this thing is very effective. Dynatrap is definitely not a bug zapper. No sizzle noises, odors or other annoyances. I give Dynatrap two thumbs up and five stars, too.
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I have loved my Instant Pot since the day it arrived back in 2016. I’ll admit to being slightly intimidated in the first few days but that was short-lived. Thanks to a few tips, tricks, and these ridiculously simple recipes, in no time I was making dinners in 30 minutes or less—start to finish.
Meals from my Instant Pot are as good (often better) than slow-cooked meals that I have to think about early in the day—and only one pot to clean at the end.
While there are plenty of recipes out there for electric pressure cookers, I find myself going back to my tried and true, no-brainer recipes that are as simple and the gadget itself.
All you need to pull this off in your kitchen is an Instant Pot, a few awesome, albeit it simple, recipes plus a general knowledge for how it works. Here are the basic terms:
There’s just nothing like a clogged drain in a tub, sink, or shower to get the day off to a bad start. Ack! Now what? Gallons of caustic drain cleaner? A mad online search for an available plumber? If you’ve got drains it’s a problem just waiting to happen—but one you can prevent with a slickest little $2 gadget you’ve ever seen.
Today, I want to share this fabulous anti-clog gadget plus seven other gadgets that I love and adore because they make my life easier. Besides that, they’re just plain cool!
ZIP-IT
It was a dear reader who introduced me to Zip-It, an ingenious $2 drain cleaning tool that works like a champ. Zip-It is a 20-inch plastic snake with barb-like hooks that when inserted into any drain, twisted and then pulled out, easily removes all the hair, gunk and stuff that builds up to eventually cause a major clog. Zip-It is 100% environmentally safe, involves no toxic fumes. Use it once a month to maintain clean drains in your home and you can say buh-bye to future clogs and expensive housecalls. Totally genius. About $6.00 for 3-pak.
EZ-DUZ-IT CAN OPENER
I’m pretty sure I’ve tried them all—every type of can opener out there. The only one I own is this Ez-Duz-It old school, faithful, tried and true can opener, easy-to-use manual can opener. It’s compact, doesn’t take up counter space and with red handles, I can always find it. (It does come in other colors.) Best of all, Ez-Duz-It works. It really does open cans without any hassles, tricks or annoying fails. About $10.
The email message contained a single-word subject: Help! The sender, I’ll call her Emily, had been asked by her community group leader to give a 15-minute presentation on how to achieve financial freedom. She was honored to have been asked, excited to do it, but also panicked by the thought. She asked if I would help.
My first thought was I can’t even introduce myself in 15 minutes. How could I, Emily or anyone else tackle that subject in just 15 minutes? But then I got to thinking: If money management is, as I believe, not that difficult, why couldn’t she do it? Why couldn’t I do it? I decided to give it a try.
Save
Do not confuse saving money with spending less, as in “I save money when I buy things on sale.” You are not saving at all, you are spending less. Saving money means that you actually put money into a safe place for some future time. Do that. Starting right now and forevermore, make it a rule that you will put some amount of your paycheck into a savings account before you spend any of it. Make it automatic and you won’t miss what you don’t see. Goal: 10-percent of all you receive goes straight into savings.
Give
Give away the same amount as you save. Just give it away—no strings attached—as an act of gratitude for what you have and how you are blessed. Goal: 10 percent of all you receive, give it away.
Live
Rein in your lifestyle so that it fits into 80 percent of your net (take-home) pay. Pare down your lifestyle. Reduce your spending in every area of your life by a small amount, and you will be able to achieve this goal—probably sooner than you ever dreamed.
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