helpful tips

Freeze juice in ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer to a large zip lock bag and you have tablespoon size cubes ready to use later. I have lemon and orange trees and freeze juice every year for cooking with later.

If something gets spilled on the carpet, don't touch it. Pour salt (heavily) over it and let it sit for an hour or two. The salt will absorb the liquid. Sweep the salt up once it has absorbed the spill. Once completely dry, vaccuum the area. If it is a stain from a pet soiling the carpet, use odor treatment after you vaccuum. This has saved my carpet from a lot of stains.

 If a crayon goes through the dryer it can seem to ruin clothes. To remove melted crayon from clothes, cover spot with a paper towel and iron over with a warm iron. The iron remelts the crayon wax and the paper towel absorbs it.

Solar paths lights are a beautiful addition to the landscape. They are also handy in the event of a power outage, especially an extended one such as after a hurricane. They stand up nicely in most bud vases and are much safer than candles to leave sitting around the house. The kids will enjoy having their own "torch" to carry around. For extended outages, recharge outside daily.

Baking soda is a wonderful cleaning agent. It is abrasive enough to clean surfaces, but won't scratch. As it cleans it absorbs the dirt. To clean with baking soda, add enough water to a small amount of baking soda make a thick paste. Put a small amount of the paste on a clean cloth and rub over the soiled area. When done, wet a clean cloth in water that you have added a little vinegar to. The vinegar will liquefy the baking soda and it will wipe right up. I use this on my gas stove top and on pots, pans and casserole dishes that have "baked on" stains. Works every time!