Clean Your Ceiling Fan

Oh, I'm so excited about this tip from Real Simple magazine (April 2009 issue).  It's just in time for spring cleaning.

If your ceiling fan is covered with funk, slide a pillow case over the blade, grip the pillow case and pull backward. All the yucky dusty nastiness stays in the pillow case and is no longer all over the floor (or in my case, the bed - yuck!)

Photo courtesy of Sarah and lain on Flickr.com

Newspaper for Weed Control

I was given this tip by my precious friend who dreams of owning her own nursery one day.  A landscape designer recently confirmed it is one of the best ideas he's ever heard of.

Instead of fooling with black plastic sheeting to control weeds in your garden, use newspaper!  After placing plants in the ground, lay several sheets of newspaper around them and then mulch on top.  The newspaper will keep the weeds at bay and will eventually decompose and improve your soil condition.  I love this tip because it's free, super easy and it actually works!

Have you been successful with newspaper (or some other material) to control weeds?

Photo courtesy of Binuri Ranasinghe on Flickr.com

Easy Garlic Bread

I love a good piece of garlic bread.  But I rarely remember to buy it, or official ingredients to make it.  Our garlic bread needs to be made with on-hand ingredients.  Ergo, this tip:

Sandwich bread?  Check.  Olive oil?  Check.  Garlic cloves?  Check.  You now have all the ingredients needed for a nutritious version of garlic bread!

Simply arrange your bread on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil and then toast under the broiler.  As soon as it comes out, have a garlic clove cut in half, ready to rub all over the bread.  The bread acts like sandpaper, grinding the garlic down into all those nooks and crannies.

Voila, you have an instant, healthy delicious version of garlic bread!

Green Tea and Weight Loss

Looking to lose that last 5 pounds?  Then this tip is for you.

If you drink 2 cups of green tea in the morning and 2 cups at night, you can potentially lose 5 pounds in 8 weeks.  I have been making a pitcher of unsweetened iced green tea every few days and drinking it mid-morning and with dinner.  Preparing it ahead makes it easier for me to work it in.

Read this RealAge.com article for more information.

Photo courtesy of Dano on Flickr.com

Oral Temp and Cold/Hot Liquids

This winter brought more sickness to our home than any season I can remember and we've been wearing our thermometer out!

I found this tip, recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, on the HealthyChildren.org site:  Because cold and hot drinks can affect oral temperatures, if you (or your patient) have been drinking hot or cold liquids, wait 15 minutes after drinking to take an oral temperature.  This ensures a more accurate reading.  Of course, you can always try the axillary (under the arm, not as accurate) method until the 15 minutes has passed.