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.

Airfare Sweet Spot

photo courtesy of xlibber on Flickr.com

If you are planning to travel in the sky in the next year, wait until you hit the "sweet spot" for airline prices.  If you  book too far in advance, you will pay full price.  If you are too close to the travel date, you will pay a lot because they know you don't have a choice.  According to an expert on this Rachael Ray episode, if you book a flight exactly 3-1/2 months before your departure date, statistics show that is when you'll get the lowest price.  So go ahead and schedule your "booking" date as well as your travel date!

Veggies on the Go

This tip for packing veggies and dip to-go is from a Rachael Ray show episode where she gave ideas for packing food for air travel.

First, find a small container, cut your veggies the height of the container then pack them with a little dip already in the bottom!  Kids love to dip and it will make eating their raw veggies so much more fun!  

You can try this with anything that can be stick sized, cucumbers, celery, carrots, red, yellow or green bell peppers.

I'm going to attempt this week to fill up a medicine cup with carrots and this greek yogurt dip at the bottom.  I'll use Glad Press and Seal to keep it from spilling in my new Easy Lunch Box bento-style containers.  (Which are fabulous, by the way.)  

Photo courtesy of Flickr, tlillis4

Discover Greek Yogurt

photo courtesy of whitneyinchicago on Flickr.com

Greek yogurt is getting a lot of "pub" because of its rich creamy taste and high protein content. But what you may not know is that you can substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream as a topping or a dipper. Most conventional stores only carry the fat-free Greek yogurt, but you can buy the full fat version at some specialty stores. It's worth trying because I'm telling you, the protein numbers will just blow your mind.

We've made the switch with our vegetable dip. And we use the fat-free version because it's easier to get each week. We also use it to spread on burritos or to dollop on tacos. If you want to try OUR favorite dip, combine a packet of Hidden Valley Fiesta Ranch dip with a 16 oz container of plain Greek yogurt. My kids call it "Dorito Dip-Dip" because it's tastes like a familiar cheesy chip.

UPDATE: All Greek yogurts are not considered equal.  Read the labels before purchasing.  Some containers  have 32 grams of protein per serving, while others only contain 4 grams.  Do not be fooled by conventional "Greek" marketing!

Lunch box ideas

I have been packing lunches a lot more lately and I want to speed up the process and reduce the unnecessary waste.  I have been using WAY too many sandwich bags and plastic water bottles to try to make everything fit.  These lunch-packing tips have been recommended from friends who pack lunches often:

1. Choose a lunch box that is large enough to hold a substantial lunch.  I love our new Thirty-One Large Thermal Totes.  The small ones may have been large enough, but more room is always nice.

2. Use a drink bottle that does not leak.  You can send your kids with water, milk, lemonade, juice, etc. without having to purchase individual boxes/bottles every week.

• For younger kids, I recommend the Nalgene Grip 'n Gulp.  It holds 12 oz liquid and is now available at Target.  We had one for almost 3 years and only purchased a new one because we misplaced it.
• Older kids may prefer this version, the Nalgene Mini Grip.
• For adults, I recommend the Camelbak Better 0.75L Bottle.  I have been using this water bottle for years, but I will admit, after a year or so I do have to replace it because it starts to leak.  But since I use it everyday, it's worth the investment.   Target also carries these now.

   

(Be sure to label the bottle with an InchBug Orbit Label or make your own sticker label using a label maker like these.)

3. Purchase containers or a lunch box system that allows you to pack without using multiple plastic bags and dozens of small containers.  I like the Easy Lunch Box system.  There are 3 compartments.  I will use the large one for protein (sandwich, roll-ups or just meat and cheese), another one for fruit and/or veggies and the smaller one for a salty treat or dessert.  When the kids and hubby get home, I will simply load it in the dishwasher for the next packed lunch.  (This lunch box system was highly recommended by my friend, mom of four and author of the blog, simpliful.com.  Please visit her blog if you like this tip!)

Click below to see a EasyLunchBoxes webisode featuring "Greg" from the Brady Bunch:

What tips do you have regarding lunch box packing?

Score Before You Store

I love this ground beef tip from Real Simple.  You basically freeze ground beef in a plastic freezer bag and use a chopstick to score it into sections for easy defrosting.  So easy!!

Rotation, rotation, rotation.

I'll save you the image on this tip! If you want your bra to last longer, do not wear it 2 days in a row. At the end of the day, put your clean bra in the back of your drawer. The one that is in the front is the one ready to be worn. Bras stretch. If you give your bra at least 24 hours to "rest" it allows the elastic in the bra to recover so the bra retains it's shape and elasticity. And don't wash your bra just because you don't want to put it away! It is very delicate. And when the bra stretches to the point it fits on the innermost "rung", it's time to go bra shopping.

How often to blog?

I would like to determine how often beentherelearnedthat readers would like to see new tips.  I have added a poll to the right and I ask that you vote when you read this post.  Please vote only once.  Thank you for your support!

Phone Face Planting?

This tip is for fellow Android phone users who, like me, are constantly muting calls and ending calls because the phone was pressed against your face.  There is an app for that: Screen Suite

If you install Screen Suite from the Android Market, the app will (using default settings) require a slide to unlock the phone when on a call.

No more random-awkward-silenced-conversations!  And if your friend has a Droid, Evo, G2, etc., please pass this tip along.  :)

Waterproof "Gloves"

If you live where it snows often, you probably already have waterproof gloves for everyone in your family. For those of us who are less prepared, this tip my friend shared may come in handy:

Before your kiddos head out in the white stuff, cover each glove with a plastic food storage bag. Secure it with a rubber band or hair band and you've created a waterproof seal. You may have just prevented a complete meltdown at the door ten minutes from now!

Puzzled?

We love puzzles yet I do not love losing pieces and finding larger storage options for them. A good friend gave me the following tip:

Cut out the picture of each puzzle from the top and sides of the box. Assign each puzzle a number and write the number on the back of each of the pieces (so you know where that lone puzzle piece goes that you find 2 weeks later). Store everything together in a slide-zipper top plastic food storage bag, labeled with the name and number on the puzzle.

We were able to fit all of our puzzles in a small plastic bin, ordered from 1 to 25. :)

Christmas Cards - Prayer

This tip is from a friend of mine and I think it is fabulous and very timely.

As you receive Christmas cards this year, before you display them, pray for the person or family who sent you the card.

I plan to save ours in a pile to pray over at dinner as a family. Let's all choose to make Christmas greetings even more meaningful!

Right Sized Cones?

This tip may save you money, calories and possibly a sugar-meltdown later. I purchased a box of kids' cones for a birthday party once, and was embarrassed when I realized just how T-I-N-Y they were! I felt that way...until I realized all the moms in the room were super happy because their kids weren't going home on a jacked-up-sugar-high.

So these mini cones are now a staple at our house. The cones themselves are not made with wholesome ingredients, but they are so tiny, it seems insignificant. I can use a melon-baller to scoop the ice cream into them and my kids are flipped over having an ice cream cone. Even if they ate 4, it wouldn't compare to what would go into one full sundae cup. (Although we still use those for special ice cream nights.)

A Preservative Worth Eating

This tip will change the way I view a loaf of bread. Today the kids and I went to a local bakery to learn about the bread-making process. The owner told us that they began adding honey to the recipes because it acts as a natural preservative. An employee later suggested I purchase honey wheat bread rather than regular whole wheat for sandwiches because it will likely last a few days longer in the pantry.

We currently buy at least two loaves of bread at the beginning of the week, and it doesn't always keep well until the end, unless I refrigerate it. I miss "soft" sandwiches! On my next shopping trip, I'll choose the honey wheat variety and maybe we can have sandwiches on the weekend!

Another Use for Hand Sanitizer

A friend shared this cleaning tip with me recently -use hand sanitizer to clean just about anything. I'm starting to think that is true!

• My son skinned his knee pretty badly and got blood on my yellow purse. Hand sanitizer got it all out instantly.
  
• My touch screen phone gets yucky from makeup and my kids' dirty fingers. Hand sanitizer makes it like new again.
• We use dry erase markers to write on the windows for school. Sometimes the kids miss and color the painted window sills. :( Hand sanitizer cleaned it right off.
  

Unfortunately most hand sanitizers are just anti-bac, not anti-viral so it doesn't protect us against viruses like the stomach virus, or even the common cold. I prefer my kids to actually wash hands (unless we're out somewhere and have gross hands and cannot wash) BUT I will be adding hand sanitizer to my cleaning arsenal!

Please comment if you have a tried-and-true hand sanitizer cleaning solution!

Morning Board Time

This tip will only apply to a portion of BeenThereLearnedThat readers. The idea has so greatly benefited our family, I really wanted to share it.

Thanks to some of the ideas on the blog 1+1+1=1, we are starting a Morning Board time in our home. We are pinning several things on an old cork board in our school room.

My 2-year old chooses the Color of the Day and then uses a dry-erase marker to draw on the window in that color.

My 5-year old writes the date onto a Wipe-Off Calendar then my 7-year old writes in the full date on the Today Is template. This also has a place to tally our Days of School and I've created a Lesson Number template, too.

We choose our "What's the Weather today?" card and discuss the current temperature and the High/Low for the day. (I really need to get a thermometer for outside.)

We recite the Pledge of Allegiance (with a YAY! from my 2-year old at the end). A small flag and the words are posted on our Morning Board. (The printout I'm using is from the Adventures in My Father's World curriculum.)

We also have our Bible Memory Verse for the week up there. I'm hoping my 2-year old will learn those with us, too!

Morning Board time is now one our favorite times of the day! If you have any other ideas for Morning Board time, please do share!