Multiple Uses For Every Day Items!

I love it when someone discovers multiple uses for every day items!
Chip Clips
I thought the chip clip was a great innovative idea until I experienced firsthand their short life expectancy versus cost. One year I must have gone through at least 6chip clips! $2.99/pkg. for 3 giant clips. How did they break anyway? I did not use crushing strength to squeeze the clip open. I very gently squeezed the clip open. I heard the *plink*, and watched in slow motion as the clip released itself from its plastic housing, and the spring launched itself into my waiting hand. One half of the plastic clip fell to the floor and the other half I found I was still squeezing (gently, of course) between my thumb and forefinger. How did that happen? I don’t know. But it happened at least 6 times that year so I decided to boycott buying the chip clips.

I started using plastic zip top bags as a means of sealing in freshness and keeping foods crisp after the original bags had been opened. I used the plastic bags sparingly because they are not good for the environment. There are other ways of keeping your food fresh without overusing plastic storage bags or buying costly chip clips.

Buy wooden clothes pins from the dollar store and use them to close bags instead of using a chip clip. A whole bag will last a long time.

Reuse rubber bands to hold together heavier opened bags such as 4-5lb bags of sugar, flour…etc. Simply roll down the top of the bag to close, then wrap the rubber band around the bag from bottom to top. I do this when I can’t fit the entire contents into my storage canisters.

Paper clips also come in handy to close the small cellophane bags such as chocolate morsels, nuts or any other small cellophane bags. Can’t find your clothespins or paper clips? Use a swatch of cellophane tape! I keep a roll of tape handy in my kitchen junk drawer.

I sincerely hope you have found the closure I have found on this subject. (Tee-Hee!)

Magnets
Use the big advertising magnets we all get on our phone books to display pictures on the fridge. Find some of your special photos or artwork from the kids. Apply a dab of craft paste to the non-magnetic side, then position the picture over the paste. No more putting the magnets over the picture - no more advertisements on the fridge!

Holiday lights not just for the holidays!
Take the strands of lights that framed the door or ran along the rain gutter and move them to the patio or deck. Strings of white lights look good year-round. Plus, they’re functional. They illuminate without attracting too many bugs.

Keep the holiday lights on your plants well after the holidays. When we get a freeze, turn the lights on, they will keep the frost off of your plants.

Time Savers
Use a wheeled pizza cutter to cut kid's pancakes, french toast, waffles, or similar food. It's easy and a great time saver!

You will especially love this idea if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen! Start collecting small transparent plastic containers, or buy some from the dollar store.

(Hint: I actually get my containers for free. I buy the pre-packaged Sara Lee or Hillshire Farms meats that are packaged in the reusable Gladware containers with lids. Look for this lunchmeat in the meat department, not at the deli counter. Hillshire and Sara Lee frequently put out $1.00 or $1.50 coupons for the pre-sliced meats to make this deal extra sweet!)

Then buy an extra set of measuring cups and spoons from the dollar store or use an old set for this purpose. Think about how many times your favorite recipes call for a certain measure of salt, sugar, flour etc. Leave the measuring cup or teaspoon inside the container so you won’t have to dig through the kitchen drawers every time you need to dole out a measure of ingredients.

Tip: I pour an entire container of salt into an airtight plastic container (I use Gladware) then place the measuring teaspoon into the salt with the handle sticking up so I can grab it easily. Make sure you label your containers so you will know what is in them.

Our iced tea mix calls for 1/3 cup of mix per quart so I leave a 1/3 cup measure inside the canister. You get the idea, right?
　
Housekeeping Tips
Always leave 2-3 plastic grocery bags in the bottom of your bathroom/bedroom wastebaskets. That way you won’t have to run around the house looking for one.

Bleach Strips
Only try this if there are no small children or pets in the house, With gloves on, dip strips of paper towels in full strength bleach, then tuck the strips into the edges and corners. Keep in place at least 4hrs or overnight. Put on your gloves and remove the paper towels. This leaves the caulking super white. Love this tip. It is much cheaper to use bleach than those other costly spray bottled solutions. :)

Plastic Bottles
Purchase honey in the bear shaped plastic bottles. I have seen them in most supermarkets. (Walmart being the cheapest) When the bottle is empty you can soak off the label and fill the plastic bear with your favorite shampoo or conditioner. Use some “Goo Be Gone” to remove the sticky residue left behind by the label. The containers look very cute sitting around your bathtub. It might also encourage your little kids to let you wash their hair! This is a great idea to dress up your bathroom whenever you find a cute squeezable bottle. It looks so much nicer than most of the bottles hair care products come in.

Paint Brushes Not Just For Paint!
Buy a package of cheap paint brushes when you see them go on sale. I use the paint brushes to brush barbecue sauces and other marinades on meats before grilling instead of using expensive kitchen basting brushes. The paint brushes last longer and hold the sauces better than the basting brushes do. When my guests see me basting with a paint brush they get a big kick out of it! But then they see how well it works and they are convinced to try it themselves.

You can use the brushes to paint olive oil on your garlic bread or to baste the tops of you freshly baked bread with butter! Use them for anything that calls for a brush of eggwash.

The smaller paint brushes come in handy for getting dirt out of the tracks of windows and sliding glass doors, room corners and other tight spots you can't get the broom into. Label these "CLEANING" and store them in the garage or cellar so you don't use them for basting!

French Fry Cutter
Use your manual French Fry cutter for more than just cutting French Fries. Peel and core apples and then slide them through the cutter. The kids like the French Fry look alike shapes and they will eat them up! Go ahead and experiment with other fruits and veggies like pears, cucumbers, or carrots. It is also a quick way to uniformly cut up your onions, mushrooms, turnips, sweet potatoes and other veggies for soups, stews or stir frys. It is kind of cool to see your food cut into this shape instead of the square chunks we normally cut them into.