homemaker barbi

First, a hilarious, short, but practical reminder from Mr. T:

Picking up the doggy doo is a very practical pet cleaning tip anywhere you might be with a dog (or kitty poo if you have a cat). If you’re out walking your dog, make sure to bring a baggy, as Mr. T advised. Most parks won’t take too kindly at a Hansel and Gretel trail of dog poop your beloved pooch could leave behind.

In short, I pity the foo’ who can’t pick up the dog doo!

But seriously, before getting a pet, you must remember to prepare your home for it, no matter what kind of pet you’re getting.You don’t want to end up pinching your nose all the time and side-stepping “booby traps” while muttering darkly under your breath, right? While your kitten or puppy are wee little things, it’s best to toilet-train them ASAP. This way, they can pick up the habit at an early age and you won’t have to deal with picking up their “leavings” on a daily basis and being known in the neighborhood as the deranged dog-owner with a baggy in one hand and a paper towel in the other.

But let’s assume you’re in that interesting in-between phase when the cute little ball of fluff is still learning where and how to go to the toilet properly. If you’re thinking of getting industrial-grade house cleansers, stop right now. Your pantry holds a lot of potential pet cleaning stuff which will cost you no additional expenses and will keep the environment safe from harsh chemicals.

For starters, always be ready with a bundle of rags (cut-up old clothes and towels would do nicely) or old newspapers. Your pet could have an overactive bladder and spray everywhere. This is especially true of un-neutered male cats and dogs as a way of marking territory. To get the urine smell out, make a mixture of one part vinegar with two parts water in a spray bottle, and spray the spot they urinated on. The smell will prevent them from using that spot as a toilet in the future.

But if the aroma of eau vinaigrette isn’t your thing, better be prepared to wipe up immediately after they’ve gone to the toilet. For less of the icky feeling, wrap your hand in plastic, and then “swipe” the mess with one fluid motion. Flush the paper in the toilet (not the plastic or rag, mind), or throw in a covered bin to avoid bad smells.

If it is a particularly pungent smell they leave behind, you can wet a rag, treat it with a few undiluted drops of bleach, and wipe the spot. Leave it on for a few seconds before wiping the spot again. You can opt to use some lemon juice to add a fresh scent, but make sure the surface is made of tile or stone, not wood, as bleach and citrus acid can ruin its looks.

Many “green” products are out in the market today promising to keep your home squeaky clean and shiny while keeping the environment safe…but at what cost? More often than not, these eco-friendly cleaning agents end up being a lot more expensive than the ones we’ve gotten used to. So what do you do to keep your house spic-and-span, yet stick to your grocery budget while keeping nature happy and healthy?

Raid your pantry, garage, or medicine cabinet for DIY cleaning ingredients, that’s what!

Image borrowed from http://tusb.stanford.edu/2007/06/eco-friendly_cleaning_part_ii_-_in_which_i_start_to_wash_my_hair_with_baking_soda.html

A lot of people like to throw old newspapers, empty bottles, and other seemingly useless things away, thinking they can no longer be of any use to anyone. However, old crumpled newspapers with a bit of water sprayed on them are the still the best DIY tools to clean glass and mirrors with. You don’t have to keep stacks of newspapers around just for this purpose, but keep a few old issues handy for whenever you see specks and grime on your glass, and you’re good to go.

When it comes to cleaning silver and aluminum utensils (even jewelry!), forgo the pricey silver cleaner. Turn to your trusty box of baking soda, instead. About a tablespoon of baking soda for every liter of water is all you’ll need to make even the most tarnished silverware shiny and looking new! You will need a saucepan big enough to hold all the utensils in. Place them in the baking soda and water solution, then slowly bring to a boil. You can fish out the hot silverware using a pair of tongs, then polish them to a dazzling shine with a dishrag.

If greasy counter and stove tops are the bane of your existence, fret not. You’ll just need some vinegar and your box of baking soda (again!). You’ll also need a spray bottle and some rags to wipe the surfaces with. Pour a small amount of undiluted white vinegar into the spray bottle and spray it on especially sticky stove tops (make sure the gas is off or the stove is unplugged when you do this). Leave it for a few minutes before wiping off the grease with a rag. Don’t mind the vinegary smell, it will soon evaporate into the air and disappear.

Greasy kitchen counters are to be expected especially after you prepare a meal. Again, baking soda can remedy this minus the harsh chemical smell and toxic fumes. Simply pour a bit of baking soda on a damp sponge or rag, then wipe all the greasy surfaces with it. You will see the grime and grease come off. Wipe again with a dry rag so you can get rid of the powdery residue.

Another awesome and unexpected DIY tool for cleaning is…chalk! It’s especially handy for laundry stains. Just rub the stains on a fabric with a chalk (lipstick, ketchup, industrial-grade grease…it doesn’t matter what kind of stain it is) before putting it in the machine with laundry soap. The chalk helps absorb the grease and aids the detergent to remove it faster.

If you like fudge, you’re in for a treat today. This recipe will show you how easy it is to make (and devour!) without having to sweat over a hot oven. It’s practically idiot-proof!

Step 1: Line an 8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Coat it with butter or cooking spray to prevent the fudge from sticking. Set it aside.

Step 2: Combine a small bowl of sugar, cocoa, about two teaspoons of salt, a quart of milk, and 2 tablespoons of corn syrup in a two-quart saucepan. Bring all the ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat while constantly stirring to combine them using a wooden spoon.

Step 3: Keep stirring to dissolve all the crystalline ingredients, but make sure to do it gently so as not to get the fudge batter onto the sides of the pan. If some of the crystals stick to the sides, wet a pastry brush with warm water and gently wash the crystals so they dissolve.

Step 4: When the fudge is beginning to boil, insert a candy thermometer at the side of the pan.

Step 5: Keep the fudge boiling until the thermometer reaches 234 degrees. This means it has reached the soft-ball stage.

Step 6: Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Step 7: Add a pat of butter to the fudge mixture. Let the butter melt into it without stirring.

Step 8: Let the mixture cool for ten minutes.

Step 9: Stir in a tablespoon of vanilla essence.

Step 10: Transfer the fudge mixture to a glass bowl. Avoid scraping the sides of the pan as you do this to prevent the mixture from becoming grainy.

Step 11: Beat with an electric mixer at medium-low speed for about 3 minutes, or until you see the mixture becoming less glossy and noticeably thicker.

Step 12: Quickly pour the fudge into the prepared aluminum-lined pan. Let the mixture cool completely.

Step 13: When the fudge has cooled and become firm, lift the foil out of the pan. It is not yet ready when the aluminum foil has not taken the shape of the pan! If this is the case, let the fudge cool some more.

Step 14: Place the foil on a cutting board and fold back its edges.

Step 15: Cut the fudge into one-inch pieces.

Step 16: Serve immediately on their own, or pour chocolate syrup on top. You can cut them into smaller pieces to serve with ice cream and hot syrup for a delicious and sinful hot fudge sundae.

Step 17: Devour!

13 DIY Kitchen Projects from Our Favorite Bloggers is an iVillage article discussing a baker’s dozen (pun unintended) of great homemaking ideas on a shoestring budget. The ideas range from making more affordable versions of great recipes and drinks, to redecorating cabinets and recycling things to make into something both decorative and useful.

One of the best beginner-level projects described in the article is highly recommended for those who are still renting a home. Most apartment-dwellers are caught in that limbo between wanting to create a cozy home, and feeling apprehensive because they know they will move out any time. But if your kitchen cabinets look decrepit, you have to do something about it, especially if it has become an eyesore.

It’s also a great way to add character to your home, rented or otherwise. You can stencil some pretty images of flowers or birds onto the wood of your kitchen cabinet to cover up minor scratches and cracks. Or you can paint a “frame” on the cabinets (see image above) to lend an interesting visual punch to an otherwise drab paint job. If you are not confident about handling paint and a brush, consider gluing wallpaper border on the cabinet doors, instead.

If you need a bit of organization and a reminder to stay organized, why not come up with a creative project that does both at once? Part of a wooden wall in the kitchen can serve as your daily reminder board as to which pantry items you are running low on, and be an organizing board to hang things on, as well. You can simply drill hooks onto the the wood (make sure they’re in a row at just the right height so you can reach for kitchen things easily) so you can hang ladles and measuring cups and chopping boards and small pots on them. Then you can use some blackboard paint below the hooks and buy a box of dustless chalk for you to write the day’s menu, and what needs to be on the grocery list.

As for food, you may have gone through the vexing situation of having produce spoil because of different reasons. Greens and bread are some of the grocery items with the shortest shelf life. In the case of spring onions (which are sold in a bunch and have to be used right away or they will wilt), you can chop them up into tiny pieces and put them in a sealed plastic jar or bottle, then refrigerate it. This way, you can simply reach for the jar whenever your dish needs spicing up, and the spring onion bits will stay fresher for longer. Bread can keep longer by refrigerating the loaf, especially if the weather is humid.