Last to the Party

image found on the web - original source unknown

Those who know me will not be surprised to learn that I only discovered Pinterest a couple of weeks ago. Was I living under a rock? Am I a Luddite? Am I a technophobe? Either way, I'm last to the Pinterest party.

The truth is that I opened an account well over a year ago, but I couldn't dream of what to use it for. I forgot the password and then forgot about it. Determination drove me back. I wanted to have a great place for photos of my naughty fabulous cat Nuala. I almost forgot about it again, but then I needed to find a recipe for a cocktail I'd invented for my sister Sharon. When I wasted 2 hours looking for it and found it (only to learn days later that her mother-in-law had my recipe), I created a visual recipe for it on a drink board. Then I indulged my obsession of courtyard cafes and bistros... oh crap... I lost literally an 8-hour day wandering through sigh-inducing photos!

I'd much rather be curled up at a bistro or cafe with a coffee in hand than doing any form of housework!

It's a given that I just had to look at housekeeping tricks now that I've started this blog of hard-earned wisdom. Wow - there is SO much out there... from decor (always an obsession with me but that is a story for another time), to organizing (which is like catnip!), to cleaning solutions. After losing about 4 hours in this rabbit's warren of links and articles I started to realize that a good deal of what was posted was crap, some bad advice, lots of useless time-wasters, and some genius bits.

Of course I created a board - and named it after this blog. I'm going to put things on there that I either a) know to be true or b) am willing to test and try in my own home.

I might test a few Pinterest solutions I find intriguing and post my findings here. Anyone Pinterested in that?? 

Do you use Pinterest? What do you think of the housekeeping info on Pinterest? Is it only as good as the pinner? Is a good part of it nonsense? Do you lose hours and days lost in articles and images there?

Liquid Gold

If you want to make your crystallized honey liquid again, put the glass bottle into a heat-safe container where you can submerge it to the top of the honey. Add very hot water and walk away letting it cool naturally. You may need to repeat the process, to return the bottle fully to liquid.

Avoid crystallization by using only a perfectly clean and dry spoon in the honey each time.

Mattress Tango

One of the best investments you can make is a good mattress. Get the best mattress you can afford - that doesn't mean the most money, it means you do the research and get a mattress that is right for you and your back. You spend 1/3 of your life in bed and you only get one spine... you're worth the time and money!

When you get that good mattress, make sure it sticks around for a long time and stays healthy too. Flip your mattress to balance the wear!

If your mattress is the same on the top side as the underside, then there are 4 possible positions:

1. The way it is right now
2. Turning your toes to where your head is
3. Flipping the mattress over to the underside
4. Turning the head to the toe position on the underside

If this describes your mattress, flip your mattress every 3 months (seasonally). To keep it sane, grab a permanent marker and write Jan-Mar, Apr-June, July-Sept, and Oct-Dec - one on each of the sides described above. This will take you about 20 minutes and lots of effort (2 mattress flips) - but it will save you lots of time, mental energy and hassle in the future. Every time you change the sheets you will be reminded that the current month should be written where your head is.

If you are like me and have a pillow-top mattress, there are only 2 possible positions because you can't flip your mattress over. I'd suggest writing on the top and bottom (since it's a great no-brainer visual reminder) Jan-Mar and July-Sept on the top and  Apr-June and Oct-Dec on the bottom. You will be turning your mattress every 3 months.

Picked up this wisdom working in a 5* hotel.

Lazy Housekeeper Advanced - If it's viable when the weather is below 0C, take your mattress outside and let it air. Freezing temperatures and sunlight both kill dust mites in about a half hour. If this is not possible, then steam your mattress at 120F (50C) to minimize the vile critters.

Get Crackin'

Quiche, omelets, pies, cakes, french toast... it's very easy to go through eggs!

Hang onto those egg shells because they are gold for gardeners. You can put spent eggshells in a brown paper bag in a ventilated area (I have mine in the mudroom) and they will never mold or smell. You can smash up the eggshells and use them to compost calcium-loving shrubs and plants.

They can also be used to create a crushed eggshell ring around plants that are slug/snail prone since they don't like to crawl over the sharp eggshells to get to the tender plants shoots.

Don't you love it when frugal wisdom you learned from your parents really works?!

The Lazy fun is grabbing the hammer and smashing them up in their paper bag before I take them out to the garden. Great way to take out your frustration and it only takes a few minutes!