A Potpourri of Helpful Hints

When you get a new jacket or coat, put a drop of clear nail polish on the button thread.  It will keep the thread from unraveling and the button in tact.  This is especially good on children's clothing.

• If you don't sew and need to hem something, use an iron on tape found at fabric and craft stores.  Follow the instructions that come with the tape.   1.)  Turn the garment inside out.  Lay the new pants or skirt on top of one from your closet that is the proper length and fold the hem of the new item to match the other piece of clothing.  Just fold up the hem to the length you want.  2.) Iron the fold of the new hem length to crease it.   3.) Place the tape inside the fold and press again.  (If the hem is going to be too deep, you may need to trim the excess fabric before ironing the tape in place.) 

• Set your table when you empty the dishwasher.  It will look nice and save time when preparing your meal.  It also allows a little extra thought to go into the appearance of your table.

• Scan recipes that you have clipped out of magazines, or have written on paper and download them into a computer file by category, i.e. appetizers, side dishes, main dishes, desserts, etc. 

• Fabric steamers with a stand pay for themselves.  I keep mine in the laundry room.  As clothes come out of the dryer, touch them up with the steamer to avoid ironing.  It also works well on slacks with "hanger marks" and sweaters that have been folded.

• To keep ants off of a humming bird feeder, rub vegetable oil around the openings and around the top near the hanger.  It also will deter bees.

• Want to know if your eggs are still fresh?  Place them in a couple of inches of water.  If they float, throw them away.

I just wanted to share a few ideas that been helpful to me and use often.  Wishing you a blessed day.