Tip of the Day 5/31/11

Summertime was officially launched with our celebrations yesterday and with it came half the dirt from the backyard and sand from the beach inside the house.  A good habit to get into at the very start of the season is cleaning your rugs every week.  Gather all rugs from the house and take them outside.  Our Grandmas and Moms had it right when they would take their rugs outside and shake the dirt out of them.  Washing and vacuuming does a good job, but the old fashioned method of shaking them out first will get them really clean, save on the wear and tear and is a great upper arm work out.  If the rugs are washable run through the washer after.  By shaking them out first you eliminate dirt and sand that can harm your washer and dryer.  Vacuum any non-washables and be sure to vacuum the floor before putting them back down.  If you have a floor sized rug (not wall-to-wall carpet) turn the rug back and vacuum underneath.  This rug should be taken outside at the beginning of summer and cleaned as well.  Hang over a fence or clothesline and do the old fashioned method of beating it with a broom.  It really does work and will extend the life of the rug.  Maintaining clean rugs will help eliminate allergens from the house and extend the life of your floor coverings.

Tip of the Day 5/27/11

Summertime is finally here

That old ballpark, man, is back in gear

Out on 49

Man I can see the lights

School's out and the nights roll in

Man, just like a long lost friend

You ain't seen in a while

And can't help but smile

And it's two bare feet on the dashboard

Young love and an old Ford

Cheap shades and a tattoo

And a Yoo-Hoo bottle on the floorboard

Yes, it's here, are you ready?  If you have been following my tips all week you should be geared up to get the summer off to a great start this weekend.  Today let's finish it up by making sure all the lawn furniture is cleaned and in good condition.  Wash the covers if needed and dust away the cobwebs.  Make it a great Holiday weekend as we kick off a great summer.  Enjoy family and friends and celebrate this awesome country we live in. 

Tip of the Day 5/26/11

One of the first things that comes to mind when we think of Memorial Day and the first "Summer Holiday Weekend" is a cookout.  It may be raining where you are today, like it is here in Michigan's Great Southwest, but the sun is supposed to be shining all weekend and the temperature is supposed to climb to perfect.  So, let's get out that shopping list and plan a menu for the weekend.  Hamburgers, hotdogs, steaks, ribs, brats, potato salad, baked beans, chips, sodas, brownies, cakes, and s'mores, and the lists go on and on.  In January we did a check of the condiments in the fridge and this is the perfect time to check them again.  No one wants to pick up a bottle of mustard this weekend to discover it expired in March or only has enough in the bottle for one hot dog.  Make sure you are well stocked for the summer with all the regularly used condiments.  They are on sale this week because of the holiday, so it is the perfect time to stock up.  Buy several of each and you will always be ready to serve a great cookout.  Don't forget the briquets, lighter fluid, and a lighter stick or matches.  Check the tiki torches for the yard and see if you need fluid.  How about the citrinella candles, do you need new ones?  Stock up on napkins and paper products as well.  Make sure your table cloth is clean.  Last, but most importantly, make sure your flag is in good condition and ready to be flown.  Let's get ready to celebrate our heroes that have fought to give us the freedom to live the lives we enjoy in this awesome country.         

Tip of the Day 5/25/11

Suits are ready, the bag full of ointments and sunblock is ready, now let's get the towels, hats, toys, and beach chairs ready.  Pull out all of your beach towels, blankets, and hats and wash them today.  If you don't already own one purchase a large washable bag and pack all of the towels and blankets in the bag so you can just grab it, throw in the small bag you filled yesterday and head to the beach or pool.  This is also a good place to keep flip flops specifically for the beach.  If you have it all in the bag you won't waste time searching for the items you need to take with.  A secondary bag should hold all of the beach toys the kids love to play with.  Give them a good washing today as well if you didn't at the end of last summer (the toys not the kids :) ).   Dust or wash the beach chairs.  Put all of these items in a central location ready to grab at a moments notice.  The day will start out on a happy note without the frustration of having to hunt for the items you only use for this purpose and you will have more time for fun in the sun. 

Tip of the Day 5/24/11

Sunburn and Bug bites are 2 of the hazards we face during the summer. Put together a bag that can easily be taken with for those trips to the beach or backyard. The bag should contain different #'s of SPF, bug bite prevention (wipes, spray, etc.) after bite analgesic, antiseptic, bandaids, chapstick, and wipes. Outdoor time will be much less stressful if you are prepared.

Tip of the Day 5/23/11

The first official holiday of summer is just a week from today, Memorial Day.  So, let's take this week to get geared up for summer.  Let's start with bathing suits--I know many of you are saying, "Ugh, I don't even want to think about a bathing suit."  But this week is a good time to pull them out, try them on, IN PRIVATE, and get rid of the worn, ugly, ill-fitting, just plain wrong suits you have been hanging on to.  Have the kids and hubby try theirs on as well.  Their are lots of good sales this week on new suits, so buy some that look good on everyone.  Do yourself and the world a favor, no Speedos or other inappropriate suits this summer.  We would all like to enjoy the view at The Lake or the pool. 

Tip of the Day 5/18/11

Day 3 of Dirty Jobs-The Garage:  This tip is for people who actually park their cars in the garage instead of using them as a storage facility.  The garage gets very dusty and filled with cobwebs around the ceiling and floor.  First clear out the junk that has accumulated through the winter months.  Some of us live in cold climates where we don't go into the garage for several months except to get in and out of the car.  We put things out there thinking we will get to them in the Spring.  Well, it is Spring so time to face the music.  Throw out the trash, straighten the shelves, get rid of broken and unused items.  Now you are ready to clean.  Just like you would inside the house start at the top and work your way down.  Using a long handled Swiffer or broom sweep across the ceiling and then down the walls and door.  Sweep the floor paying attention to corners where dirt and cobwebs accumulate.  Lastly clean the windows.  Now you have a clean "room" so if it rains on Memorial Day weekend you can move the grill under the overhang, set up tables and have a semi-outdoor cookout.  Of course your cars will thank you for a nice clean place to park as well.  As for those of you that use the garage as a storage locker--in the words of Bob Newhart "STOP IT!!!"