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Archive for the ‘60 Second Tips’ Category

Prepare Your Car for Winter Driving.

With our first snow happening RIGHT NOW, we want to make sure you arrive to your destination safely.

Summertime Uses for Old Things

Job: Side Dish Warmer Tool: Mini Cooler Description: After preparing your side dish, toss it into a mini cooler to fake a perfectly timed meal. .

Job: BBQ Utensil Holder Tool: Oven Mitt Description: Slide all of the BBQ utensils you will need into an oven mitt then hang it from the grill. No more burnt steaks because your forgot a tool inside.

Job: Glass Gripper Tool: Rubberbands Description: To keep swaeting glasses from slipping out of hands in the summer, put rubberbands around the glass to allow for a nice grip on the glass.

Job: Shaving Cream Tool: Expired Suncreen Description: Expired sunscreen will no longer protect you from the suns rays, but it can keep your skin free of razor burn and make it silky smooth.

Job: Get those pesky hairy from the corn husks off Tool: Clean Toothbrush Description: Remove the stray hairs from corn husks by brushing the corn. They will easily be removed for the corn.

Job: Goggle Defogger Tool: Toothpaste Description: Smear some toothpaste on the lenses then wipe it off before hitting the pool to prevent fogging.

Job: Sundae Bar Organizer Tool: Ice Cube Tray (yet again) Description: For a self serve sundae bar, let guests dish out their own sundae toppings.

Job: Popsicle Drip Catcher Tool: Cupcake Liner Description: Push the Popsicle stick through the cupcake liner and slide it up to the bottom of the Popsicle. This will keep little hands from getting super sticky.

Job: Condiment Carrier Tool: Drink Carrier Description: Empty a drink carrier and replace with all your favorite condiments and utensils to cart around your backyard barbeque.

Job: Protect Wine Bottles Tool: Your Child's Floaties Description: Simply slide the floatie around the wine bottle and inflate to keep your wine bottle intact.

Job: Bucket Handle Grip Tool: Old Hose Description: Instead of throwing away that old hose with a leak in it, cut a portion of it then make a slit down the length of the hose. Slide the hose around a skinny bucket handle for a more comfortable grip.

Job: Paint Palette Tool: Ice Cube Tray Description: Mix watercolors in the tray's compartments for easy use.

Summertime Uses for Old Things

Ever had a task that you needed to complete at home, but never had the “real” or “right” tool for the job.  Here are some household items you have laying around that can be used for those jobs.

Job: Sand Castle Building Tool: The Ice Cream scoop Description: Create perfectly mounded domes

Job: Fire Starter Tool: Citrus Peels Description: Use those citrus peels that you were just going to put into the trash or the garbage disposal. Let the peels dry out for a couple of days. Then when your ready for that fire toss the peels in for a great, fruity aroma!

Bundt Pan as Corn Holder Job: Get the corn off the cob Tool: Bundt Pan Description: Stick one end of the corn cob in the center of the bundt pan, then using a knife, cut the corn off the cob. The pan catches all the mess!

Bucket As Side Table Job: Sitting on the beach/ deck and need a side table Tool: Bucket Description: Turn the bucket upside down and place a tray on top and Voila! You have made a side table.

Job: Shower Curtain Tool: Beach towels Description: Tired of that old shower curtain? For an easy summer theme, try using a couple bold patterned beach towels and shower curtain clips to create that summery theme.

Job: Carrier Tool: Large handled basket Description: When you are ready to head to the lake, just toss all your needs in the basket. If you are heading to a barbeque, line the basket with a trash bag and toss all the ice and beverages in side.

Job: Tar remover Tool: Baby Oil Description: After a day out on the beach or walking around Six Flags/Worlds of Fun in flip flops, you may have developed some tar or grease on the bottom of your feet from the concrete. Simply rub some baby oil on your feet and wash off. Bye-bye grease!

Job: Ice cream bowl Tool: Citrus peel Description: Scoop out and freeze the citrus peel. Cut a small portion off the bottom (without making a hole), so the peel will stand up. Then fill with ice cream. What a cool looking way to serve your favorite ice cream!

Job: Hose stakes Tool: Croquet wickets Description: Stick the wickets in the ground. Then feed your hose through the wickets. The hose is now stabilized and will not damage your flowers!

Job: Ice Bucket Tool: Colander Description: Set a colander inside a bowl. The ice will melt into the bowl, and when you grab for that next drink, your hand won't get frozen by all that ice water.

Job: Iced Coffee mixer Tool: Cocktail mixer Description: Who doesn't love a good iced coffee in the summer? Why go to the coffee shop and spend twice as much than you would making them at home. Here is a simple way. Pour your cooled coffee into a cocktail mixer along with some ice, milk, sugar and a little flavoring and SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE until it is nice a frothy. Then enjoy!

Keep an eye (or two) out for more fun uses for ordinary household items!

White Vinegar

Is there anything this magic wonder can’t do? It makes me almost want to marry it. It can be used to clean windows, the bathroom, the coffee maker, in the laundry, and on the floors. Did you know it has germ killing ability? And it’s cheap! What’s not to like?

In the coffee maker: Fill the water reservoir with it and turn it on clean and after half the vinegar has gone through, unplug it. Let it set for the day and plug it back in that evening. What that does is holds the vinegar in the water lines allowing you to get more of the hard water crud out. Cool huh? This really works.

In the laundry: Put in 1/4 to 1/2 cup in the fabric softener holder. This takes moldy smells out of towels and all the residual soap and detergent out of your laundry during the rinse cycle.

In the kitchen: Instead of using jet dry try using white vinegar in that reservoir too. Dishes will come out clean and lovely.

In the bathroom: Try spraying and wiping down everything with it. For stubborn soap scum, add some baking soda to make a paste and scrub the enamel parts and the faucets and rinse.

On the floors:  You can simply mix half cup of vinegar to every gallon of water to clean the floors. This works really great for ‘dry mopping’ hardwood floors, that will buff to a shine.

Windows: Mix three tablespoons white vinegar, a quarter teaspoon dish soap and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle for windows that shine. This can last about a year for those of us who HATE cleaning windows.

These are old time tested ways to use this naturally green stuff. Isn’t it weird, what is old is new again. What goes around comes around.

By: Norma Kinder

When it comes to preparing your home for sale in an environmentally friendly way, Kermit the Frog had it wrong. It is easy being green.

With so many home-buyers seeking green features in the homes they consider, sellers should create an eco-friendly atmosphere for the buyer, and that doesn’t always mean costly fixes.

It’s always nice for a home-buyer who’s been touring houses all day to find water or a snack waiting for them in your kitchen. Instead of leaving the customary bottled water, go the eco-friendly route and have a pitcher of filtered tap water at the ready. Add some organic fruits and vegetables and keep trash minimized. Also, use glassware and plates instead of plastic cups and paper plates. This practice is not only green, it shows class.

Talk with your agent about using recycled paper for all your brochures and advertisements around the neighborhood. Someone who is environmentally conscious will appreciate the effort.

Another way to act “green” is during your de-cluttering stage, where you remove furniture and other items from your home prior to the home’s listing. Instead of simply throwing out all those things you no longer want or need, you can recycle, resell at a garage sale, donate to a charity, or give away the items at the popular website Freecycle.com.

Big fixes around the home can go a long way, too. In this age of global warming and high-energy costs, more buyers are looking for houses that embrace energy conservation. The simplest upgrade is to replace all the light bulbs in the home with CFLs (compact fluorescents), which use a quarter of the electricity as regular bulbs.

To help with heating, make sure cracks are tightly caulked and leaks are sealed. Doing so can reduce your annual heating bill by $100, according to Department of Energy figures.

Justin Barnes, a policy analyst for the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, said some of the easiest green fixes deal with appliance replacement. Most of today’s appliances are highly efficient and will reduce your energy bills. They’re also more attractive than their worn-out predecessors.

Barnes also suggests replacing doors and windows if the budget allows, and looking for better ways to insulate the home.

Also consider tankless water heaters, which are energy efficient and ultimately use less water during the heating process.

Don’t be afraid to boast about your green home and any recent enhancements. Working with your agent to highlight your eco-friendly features may just be what makes the difference in completing the sale.

Norma Kinder can be reached at 573.819.9912. Prudential Vision Properties is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential company. Equal Housing Opportunity.