Let me apologize to my readers of "Uncommon Uses for Common Household Products" for that brief little hiatus I had over the holidays. But I am back and ready to go. In my last post, I said I would start with J, but there are no Js. So onto the Ls.
L
LADDER:
(Everyone knows it is supposed to be bad luck to walk under a ladder. This superstition probably originated when criminals had to walk under a ladder on their way to the hangman's noose, while the hangman himself stepped around the ladder.)
*Create a rustic trellis--a rickety old ladder isn't safe for climbing, but it can make an interesting trellis for climbing roses or other vines.
*Hang pots and pans--suspend a ladder from your kitchen ceiling with rope or wire, and you have an unusual hanger for your pots, pans, and utensils.
(I don't really like any of these, but I needed to put something in for ladder.)
LEMONS:
*Clean out your microwave--if you've got hardened food on the inside of your microwave, don't scratch the finish with hard cleansers. Instead, mix three tablespoons of lemon juice into one and a half cups of water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 10 minutes at the most. Then just wipe off the softened food with a dish rag.
*Freshen your garbage disposal--your garbage disposal can develop some interesting smells. Eliminate those odors by putting some ice cubes and lemon rinds into the disposal and turning it on. It will come out smelling lemon fresh.
*Dry up blemishes--instead of spending money on astringents or acne medications, try dabbing blemishes several times a day with lemon juice. (I've never done this with lemon juice, but I have used toothpaste and Listerine. The Listerine really works.)
*Bleach thyself--if your fingernails or toenails are looking a little yellow, or the skin on your feet is a funny color, go for the produce. Cut up a lemon, and rub the juices into the areas that are discolored.
*Make fluffy rice every time--add a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to the water first thing, and your rice will never be sticky again.
M
MAGNETS:
*Handy storage for your broom--attach a magnet to your broom with a screw, about halfway down the handle. Then you can store it attached to the side of your refrigerator, between the refrigerator and the wall.
MARSHMALLOWS:
*Frosting that's easy as...cake--out of frosting for your cupcakes? Don't worry. Plop a marshmallow on top of each one a minute or so before they're due to come out of the oven. Instant gooey frosting.
MATCHES:
*Unfreeze a lock--when you're dealing with a frozen lock, why not try a burning key? Heat your trunk or car door key with a match, then quickly put it in the lock and turn.
MAYONNAISE:
*Remove water stains--to get water marks off your wood furniture, rub in mayonnaise. Let it sit all night, then wipe it off.
*Make a hair conditioner--even if you hate mayonnaise on you sandwiches, you might like what it can do for your hair. For deep conditioning, massage mayonnaise in, let it sit for about five minutes, and wash as usual. Or you can blend together one-fourth cup of mayonnaise and half of an avocado. Use the mixture just as your would a commercial conditioner, leaving it on your hair for about five to 10 minutes. Rinse out and enjoy your shiny hair. (They also mention that you can use mayonnaise as a facial mask for dry skin...this grosses me out so much that I couldn't really put it in this post.)
MILK:
*Restore body to permanent press clothes--if permanent press items have gotten limp, add a cup of powdered milk to the final wash and wear rinse cycle.
*Thaw fish with added freshness--if you thaw frozen fish in milk, it will taste fresher. And maybe you can convince your family that you just pulled it out of the lake instead of your freezer.
MOTHBALLS:
(They sound disgusting, but can be helpful)
*Repel pests--scatter mothballs around your garden and flower beds to keep rodents and even cats away.
*No more rusty tools--place a few mothballs in your toolbox to prevent rust.
*Keep more than moths away--tucked away in drawers and closets, mothballs will absorb moisture and keep things dry, preventing mildew as well as moths.
Don't worry, friends, I'll try to keep up with this better now.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Logan Love
Yesterday I moved back to Logan. And it is just as cold as I remembered! I am so excited to be back and even more excited for school to start tomorrow...hopefully my brain still remembers how to think! It has had such a long break that I hope it doesn't overload!
My apartment is SO small. It is definitely not what I have been used to. At all. I mean, even my dorm was bigger than this place! There is only 1 shower. For 5 1/2 girls. Kill me. My roommates (the ones I have met) seem pretty cool. They are all super super young though...freshman young. I don't know if my old soul can keep up with their all night partying! From what I hear, my room-roommate is never around. So it is almost like I have my own room, except I can't use the other half of the space.
School should be pretty good this semester. I'm taking a bunch of general classes because all of the ones I needed were full or Fall-only classes. So hopefully it should be a pretty easy semester.
Basketball game tomorrow...can't wait for my return to the Spectrum. Oh how I have missed thee, my old friend!
For those of you who did read my "Uncommon uses for Common Household Products", fear not...I just took a little break for the holiday. I will soon be returning, starting with letter J.
My apartment is SO small. It is definitely not what I have been used to. At all. I mean, even my dorm was bigger than this place! There is only 1 shower. For 5 1/2 girls. Kill me. My roommates (the ones I have met) seem pretty cool. They are all super super young though...freshman young. I don't know if my old soul can keep up with their all night partying! From what I hear, my room-roommate is never around. So it is almost like I have my own room, except I can't use the other half of the space.
School should be pretty good this semester. I'm taking a bunch of general classes because all of the ones I needed were full or Fall-only classes. So hopefully it should be a pretty easy semester.
Basketball game tomorrow...can't wait for my return to the Spectrum. Oh how I have missed thee, my old friend!
For those of you who did read my "Uncommon uses for Common Household Products", fear not...I just took a little break for the holiday. I will soon be returning, starting with letter J.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Superiority of Mind
Sometimes, as I lay awake desperately trying to sleep, I reminisce about things that have happened in my life. I have a really great memory...I can recall the exact conversation I had with someone in the 2nd grade and experiences from preschool (It is neat, don't get me wrong, but it can be a curse...I always remember the stupid, mean, petty, or embarrassing things I said or did to people). Tonight as I was trying to drift off into dreamland, I thought a lot about high school and the reasons why I loved and hated it. One topic got stuck in my mind--people who think they are superior to others.
What makes someone think that they are better than someone else? I'm sure it has happened to everyone at some point and on both ends--everyone has felt like they are better than some other person, and everyone has felt inferior to another. I'm guilty of it. I can recall a lot of times where I genuinely thought I was a better person than somebody else. I can also remember so many horrible times when I felt inferior to someone else.
In Pride & Prejudice, my favorite book, there is a line during a conversation between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Darcy says "Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride-where there is real superiority of mind-pride will always be under good regulation." This line always kind of bothered me. What is a "REAL" superiority of mind? Don't most people think they are superior because of pride?
I honestly think it all comes down to intolerance. People in this world are so willing to judge others because they don't look or act the same or because they believe something different. Look at all of the religious intolerance on this Earth. There are still people suffering from religious persecution in countries all over the world. I see so much judgement here in my glorious little state of Utah. I am LDS and proud to be. And I have been blessed with very tolerant and non-judgemental parents. My best friend in elementary school was not a member, and that didn't matter to us. But I had so many friends who couldn't play with others because they weren't members. It goes on the other end too...how many members out there have been judged because they are LDS? There have been times in college where I have felt judged by someone who wasn't of my same faith just because I am LDS.
On a daily basis, I feel like I am looked down upon by people because of my weight. I am not a size 2. I am proud to say that I am a 14. I'm not ashamed of it. And neither should the majority of the women in America because they are the "Average Size". I don't look my nose down on girls who are skinny...why do they think they can look down on me for not being skinny?
I think the majority of the problems in this world are caused by intolerance. Think of how much happier the whole world would be if we all just joined hands, sang Kumbaya, and drank hot chocolate together. Sounds good to me...
What makes someone think that they are better than someone else? I'm sure it has happened to everyone at some point and on both ends--everyone has felt like they are better than some other person, and everyone has felt inferior to another. I'm guilty of it. I can recall a lot of times where I genuinely thought I was a better person than somebody else. I can also remember so many horrible times when I felt inferior to someone else.
In Pride & Prejudice, my favorite book, there is a line during a conversation between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Darcy says "Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride-where there is real superiority of mind-pride will always be under good regulation." This line always kind of bothered me. What is a "REAL" superiority of mind? Don't most people think they are superior because of pride?
I honestly think it all comes down to intolerance. People in this world are so willing to judge others because they don't look or act the same or because they believe something different. Look at all of the religious intolerance on this Earth. There are still people suffering from religious persecution in countries all over the world. I see so much judgement here in my glorious little state of Utah. I am LDS and proud to be. And I have been blessed with very tolerant and non-judgemental parents. My best friend in elementary school was not a member, and that didn't matter to us. But I had so many friends who couldn't play with others because they weren't members. It goes on the other end too...how many members out there have been judged because they are LDS? There have been times in college where I have felt judged by someone who wasn't of my same faith just because I am LDS.
On a daily basis, I feel like I am looked down upon by people because of my weight. I am not a size 2. I am proud to say that I am a 14. I'm not ashamed of it. And neither should the majority of the women in America because they are the "Average Size". I don't look my nose down on girls who are skinny...why do they think they can look down on me for not being skinny?
I think the majority of the problems in this world are caused by intolerance. Think of how much happier the whole world would be if we all just joined hands, sang Kumbaya, and drank hot chocolate together. Sounds good to me...
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