The Good Advice Thread
 

I was thinking about how much good advice I've received from sisters over the years, so I thought we could have a thread about it. If you have any good advice to share, on any topic (ADPi, housecleaning, parentling, shopping, beauty, etc.), let us hear it!


I'll start:

Put your t-shirts in the dryer a little while before you hang them up to dry so the fabric softener will be activated.
:)

If it moves and it shouldn't, use duct tape.
If it's stationary and it shouldn't be, use WD-40.

:D

guys are like lipstick
 

One of my favorite ADPi sisters once told me:

"Guys are like lipstick, they come in different shades. Some are expensive and some are cheap. Sometimes you choose one that looks good in the tube, but when you try it on, it's all wrong for you."

In other words, don't try forcing a lipstick to work with you.. sometimes you have to find one that works, and when it does, you'll know it :)

Re: guys are like lipstick
 

I love it!!!:)

I think this is a good thread, WLFEO! Some hints I use (more seriously this time!)

-Always have one dinner and one dessert recipe that you can whip up or thaw out while you entertain unexpected company. (Mine are Opera Chicken and Dump Cake)

-Wash your windows in different directions (up & down, and side to side) on the inside and the outside. That way, you can tell where the streaks are.

-No tan is worth losing your youth (or your life!) sooner than you should. There are too many good tanning products out to chance those extra lines! Ditto with squinting!

Spray a little Pam in a tupperware container before placing items with a red sauce, like marinara or chili. it will prevent the tupperware from staining.

Remember the 1, 2 rule. 1. Don't sweat the small stuff. 2. And sister, its all small stuff.

Be choosey about whom you date, you will date your husband.

Sisters are worth more than any guy.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by skerbow
[B]Spray a little Pam in a tupperware container before placing items with a red sauce, like marinara or chili. it will prevent the tupperware from staining.

I can TOTALLY use this advice- those stains drive me crazy!!

Wow- I am learning a lot from everyone!

Here's another:

When you're getting your kids a Happy Meal, ask for the toddler toy. The other toys are flimsy, cheap junk, but the toddler toy is Fisher Price and will last for years.

another use for cooking spray...

taking a road trip? Spray the front grill of your car (not the glass) with Pam-- the bugs slide right off and it is much easier to clean the car -- less carnage!

I'm serious! We used this tactic when touring the US with promotional vehicles that had to look good ALL the time!

Since I haven't come up with any good tips yet, I thought I would share a couple of the products that I absolutely SWEAR by:

Aveeno daily moisturizing lotion.... I have really dry skin and I have used more different lotions than I can count... This stuff WORKS!!! What I love about it is that it moisturizes without leaving your skin feeling all greasy. It's the best.

Burt's Bees lip balm.... I am addicted to lip balm and this is the best I have ever found. It feels great, and it has a nice minty flavor. Twice a guy has kissed me right after I put this on, and then asked if I had just brushed my teeth. Crazy. I love it.

The best part about these things though- they are creap! You can get them both at the drug store. :)

Man, I wish I would have had this advice a month or so ago! I went to on a 4 1/2 hr trip to deep south Texas and I think I hit every bug on the way down there! I have a new mustang convertible and it about killed me!! I had it detailed while I was down there and then had to scrub it alot when I got back home!

I know I have some advice, but can't think of any right now!

my pi pal taught me to salt my napkin before placing a cold beverage on it so that when the drink sweats, it won't stick to the napkin. genius!

If you can't get the ketchup out of the glass bottle, hit the 57.

Instead of using a knife, that gets really messy, look for the number 57 on the side of the bottle, in the glass, and hit it with the heel of your hand. The ketchup should come out easily after a few hits....

Bounce Dryer Sheets
 

Just got this in an email....

Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.

The US Postal service sent out a message to all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their uniform pockets to keep yellow jackets away. The yellow jackets just veer around you. And all t! his time you've! just been putting Bounce in the dryer! It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them.

It also repels mice. Spread them around foundation areas, or in trailers, cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.

It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often.

Repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.

Eliminates static electricity from your television (or computer) screen. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.

Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.

Freshen the air in your home. Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.

Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.

Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.

Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.

Freshen the air in your car. Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.

Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The antistatic agent apparently weakens the bond between the food.

Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.

Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.

Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.

Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.

Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.

Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. Keeps them smelling fresh.

OK here is some ADPi Advisor Advice.

Know that you are the advisor and you cannot do "it" (what ever "it" is) for them. They have to do it theirselves. (grammatically correct?)

Tell them how to do it, what to do, when to do it, why it needs to me done; but, know that YOU cannot do it for them. It is their success or learning experience.

/\ I learned that this year.

Well worth repeating - GREAT advice to anyone planning to become an advisor. The word is "advise", not "doer" or "lackey". If you don't give them the chance to learn (for better or worse) on their own, they won't learn!

And y'all will hate this advice: if you know anyone who has a snake (the bigger, the better), ask them for the skin when it sheds. You can even do this at a pet store. Put the skin in an envelope that has several holes in it. I can guarantee that you will have NO rodent problems, once they smell that skin!! (I can picture little Mickey jumping up, thinking, "Holy *****!!! There's a python in here!!!")

All diapers are not created equal!

If you're exhausted and it seems like everything in the world is possibly going wrong and there's nothing that could fix it....go to bed. Everything WILL look better in the morning!

(...had this realization this mornig after I freaked out last night because a few things didn't go as planned...:p ...and I had only gotten about 10 hours of sleep in 4 days :eek: )

You can say that again!!!! :p



Studies show that 97% of all diseases are rooted in stress. The sooner you can identify what stress is like in your life, and how to control it, the healthier you'll be.

Oh good! I should totally quit my job, b/c as far as I can tell right now, that is the only stressful thing right now!

Of course I am sure that will cause other stress (like "How will I be paying my rent?") :p

When I was married, I had a doctor's appointment. I had had a battery of tests done, and the doctor said, "I don't know what the stress is in your life, but every single one of your stress indicators is off the charts. If you don't get rid of the stress, you're going to be dead before you're 30. Oh, and it wouldn't hurt you to lose a couple pounds, too."

Two weeks went by, and this same doctor called to talk to my mother, and I answered. I said, "Dr. B, I did lose some weight." He asked how many pounds, and I answered, "210 pounds!" He got upset and said, "Honey, you couldn't possibly afford to lose that much weight!" I said, "I left my husband," and he said, "And he was the stress?" I said yes and he said, "Good girl!"

I keep reminding myself about that conversation when I'm stressed out!

Peanutttu, I thought about you today because I bought a box of Bounce. I would never have done that if you hadn't posted your good advice about the wonders of Bounce!

Be careful submitting "controversial" posts or posting on "controversial" topics. Because, you can't take it back once it is "quoted," and you will read it in a month (or a year) and may regret the statement or the disagreement that it may have caused. (Then again, you may not regret the statement but you may regret the "stupid" misspelling that caused your entire statement to be attacked.)

I am not saying DON'T DO IT I am just saying "be careful," or at the very least SPELL CHECK. :p

Don't worry Honey I havent done anything stupid lately :D

Hey, I've been known to go back A YEAR after a post, just to correct the spelling!!

Here's a couple makeup hints that either I was taught by my mother (whose sister was a beauty queen) (and she's no slouch, either!), or found out on my own:

-When you get up in the morning, NEVER rub your eyes! Instead, lick your index fingers, and push your eyelashes up. Over time, they will start to curl a bit on their own. Also, immediately afterwards, stretch! Watch a cat or a dog - they make NO major movement without stretching first. Stretch your arms up, then out, then grasp the opposite wrist and pull back - first in front of you, then in back of you. You have now cut back on "arm crepe" by 50%! (You can also do the stretches while at your desk!)

-Never share your makeup or your underguccis. Ever.

-Before putting on your mascara, you are curling your eyelashes, aren't you? NEVER, EVER use an eyelash curler when your mascara is already on!! Quick tip: give the eyelash curler a 15-second blast from your blow dryer to "set" your eyelashes, but! After heating it, touch the ends of the eyelash curler. If they're too hot for your fingers, they're MUCH too hot for your eyes! If you're blessed with long eyelashes, give the ends a little curl, then curl from the root, to make it look more natural.

-Never squint!! That's why God made sunglasses!! Squinting is the primary cause of crow's feet. If you tend to furrow your eyebrows while reading or studying, place one of your fingers firmly on the area, to keep from furrowing.

-Red hair will go "dishwater" just like blonde. You must decide young how you plan to handle it, because it looks nasty as it goes to grey.

-A banana a day is healthier than an apple a day.

-Hangovers are caused by dehydration of the brain. If you must drink enough to warrent a possible hangover, drink a LOT of water prior to going to bed, and keep a bottle of water on the nightstand. If you wake up, drink more water. The more water you drink in the next day, the more time your brain will have to heal itself without damage (or pain!!). This is from my pharmacology professor, not my mother!!

I just got these in an email!
 

HEADACHE: Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately - without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."

Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.

Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.

Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of horseradish in 1 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.

Sore throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kill the bacteria.

Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly - even though the product was never been advertised for this use.

Honey remedy for skin blemishes... Cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile,and speeds healing. Works overnight.

Listerine therapy for toenail fungus... Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.

Easy eyeglass protection... To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.

Coca-Cola cure for rust... Forget those expensive rust removers. Just saturate an abrasive sponge with Coca Cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job
done.

Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer... If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop
to the ground instantly. (So does hairspray!)

Smart splinter remover...just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.

Hunt's tomato paste boil cure...cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.

Balm for broken blisters...To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine... a powerful antiseptic.

Heinz vinegar to heal bruises... Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.

Kills fleas instantly. Dawn dish washing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Goodbye fleas.

Rainy day cure for dog odor... Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.

Eliminate ear mites... All it takes is few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear. Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers
the mites, and accelerates healing.

Quaker Oats for fast pain relief....It's not for breakfast anymore! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.

Don't hide your kids' Christmas presents in the tornado shelter. They are too easy to find!!!

(Just learned this one the hard way this weekend!)

LOL

Tip for getting blood out of clothes (my <> taught me this this summer...)

Get hydrogen peroxide (yes, the big brown bottle) and pour it liberally over the stain (it's going to foam up as it hits the blood). Run the laundry as usual with detergent in warm water (then check it once it's through the cycle to make sure all blood is out). Dry as usual.

Doesn't matter if you do it right after the blood appears or DAYS after - the blood came right out! :)

If you're still awake a half an hour after laying down for bed, get back up and do something. If you continue to lay there, you will not really get anymore tired, you'll just continue to stay awake. By getting up and doing something (whether it be reading, baking, cleaning, anything!) you will make yourself more tired and the sleep you get will be more worthwhile.

learned this from my physiology prof!

Great recipe!
 

Puddin' Head Gingerbread Men
(given to me by a dear ADPi sister!)

1/2 c butter softened
1 egg
1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 t baking soda
4 oz pkg butterscotch pudding mix
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Cream butter, bown sugar & pudding mix. Add egg; beat well. Combine flour, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon. Stir into creamed mixture; chill. Roll onto cookie sheet to 1/3" thick. Cut with cookie cutter & pull extra dough. Cook on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

I made them yesterday and they're delicious!

Add Vinegar to your laundry
 

Just add a cup of white Vinegar
Put a cup of white vinegar in the was when you buy new clothes. it will keep your clothes stay dark or bright depending on the color. The vinegar heps set the color.

Also wash your denim together and inside out it will keep them stay the color you bought them longer. And put your new jeans in with your old ones. The dye them comes off the new ones will make your old ones remain darker longer.

Arby's chicken salad sandwich is delicious when it's fresh. It is NOT delicious as a leftover!

Same thing about Taco Bell Burrito's

When buying Winter White, double check the fabric so you don't look as if you're wearing a slip instead of a skirt!





*scurrying around for something to wear for OUR Founders Day*

Pine-sol (yes the stuff you wash a floor with) takes gum out of anything (well at least everything I have tried)...

MY DAD TAUGHT ME THAT!! I was 18, on my way to Spring Break and met him at the airport in Nashville during my layover. He denies this story, however. I swear that *ever* time I reach for that salt *someone* asks me "what the heck??"

Best thing though - IT WORKS!

Skin So Soft from Avon also gets gum out of everything!! I learned that from my Mom. When I was little, I fell asleep with gum in my mouth once and woke up with it in my long hair! My mom used SSS and it came right out!

Sorry to crash, but do you ladies have any suggestions for getting an ink stain out of clothes?

The ones I know are hairspray (spray, rub, rinse, may have to spray again), or Shout. I'm a HUGE fan of Shout! Good luck!

Honey's right - Hairspray.
When I worked in retail, we kept a bottle of hairspray (pump, not aerosol) in the back office to take out the inkmarks we'd accidentally make when marking down or moving clothes w/pen in hand. It worked!

I'm not sure if Brake Cleaner will work, but that works on so many stains! I've gotten stains out of clothes that have accidently been dried by using brake cleaner.

If all else fails, and there's a part of the clothing that isn't seen, try Goo Gone on the unseen part first. It's a kerosene-based product to take stickers off of items, so you really don't want an open flame around when you use it!

Goo Gone is really great for a lot of things!!