home tips & tricks: part 2

i am in spring cleaning mode, so of course i turn to pinterest

for home ideas and get addicted to all the amazing tips & tricks!

i did a part 1 post of favorite household tricks here, now here's part two! 

when you buy berries, come home and soak them in this vinegar combination...

1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. rinse them off, and refrigerate them.

it will keep them from getting moldy, and doesn't affect taste at all!

my berries last so much longer and stay fresher now that i do this!

can't get the onion or garlic smell off your hands 

after cooking? wash them with toothpaste.

add a 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the wash cycle to brighten up those fading whites.

stash a few marshmallows in a box of brown sugar or the sugar bowl 

to prevent the sugar from hardening or clumping.

store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. 

it will stay fresh much longer and not mold! 

peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. 

peppers with 4 bumps are firmer and better for cooking.

the only SPOT REMOVER you may ever need ~ mix one part dawn dish 

washing liquid with two parts hydrogen peroxide; pour or spray it directly 

on the stain, and watch it disappear like MAGIC.

natural spider killer or preventer... take one cup of vinegar, one cup of pepper, a teaspoon of oil and liquid soap. put it into a spray bottle and spray along the outside of your outside door and along windows; refresh after it rains..

1 c vinegar + 1 c hot water + 10 min microwave = steam clean microwave...wipe out. one of my favorite tricks!

make cake mix with easier/healthier substitutes using this link:

{applesauce, greek yogurt, diet coke, pumpkin puree etc}

 instead of baking powder, you use cornstarch in your cookie dough. the dough itself ends up looking exactly like ice cream and the texture is out of this world.add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. it will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking. 


heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. this keeps the crust crispy. no soggy microwave pizza. i saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.


reheating refrigerated bread: to warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. the increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

goodbye fruit flies: to get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with apple cider vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. you will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!  

get rid of ants: put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. they eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. it may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed! 

cleaning your oven doesn't have to be a pain. just mix baking soda and water, rub it on your oven door, wait a few minutes and voila!! all that gunk will wipe right off. 

you can freeze buttermilk! no more wasting a whole carton every time a recipe calls for it.

have company on their way over and you forgot to put drinks in the fridge? place your drinks in a large pot and cover with ice. sprinkle 2 cups of salt on top of the ice and then fill the rest of the pot with water. your drinks will be ice cold within 2 to 3 minutes.

need to light a hard to reach candle but don't have any long matches? 
use a piece of uncooked spaghetti.

too many clothes in your closet? turn all of your hangers backwards. once you wear a piece of clothing, hang it back up with the hanger facing forward. at the end of the year, toss any item that are still on hangers facing backwards. if you haven't worn it in a year you probably wont miss it. {love this trick!}

use an apple slicer to cut your potatoes.
perfect for the next time you want homemade french fries!

shred chicken in seconds with your mixer.

never buy celery again! just chop off the bottom stalk and plant it

in your garden, or keep it in a pot outdoors. unlimited celery!!

keep kitchen sponges bacteria free - to keep bacteria from taking up permanent residence in your kitchen sponges, rinse them with water at the end of each day, squeeze, then put in the microwave for three minutes. let cool before touching. do the same with your cutting boards, if they are microwaveable. you can also soak sponge in 1 part vinegar, 
3 parts water overnight and then squeeze out in the morning.

get rid of scuff marks -  use a new tennis ball to wipe scuff marks 
off tile, vinyl, woodwork—even painted walls. It won’t harm the surface.

what are your favorite tips and tricks around the house?
xo