Sunday, November 30, 2008

Jackie "O" How Extraordinary


This morning as I was replacing the paper towel roll, and about to toss the cardboard tube, I knew there had to be a zillion uses for what I was about to throw away. So I googled ‘cardboard tubes’ and came across an interesting ‘advice and how to’ web site: “Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things”
I knew there were many craft projects just waiting to happen…but wondered what other practical purposes there might be for the tubes.
Here are a few re-purposes that sparked my interest:


Trying to stay warm this winter? Don’t toss out your Cardboard tubes!
Use as kindling and logs!
Turn toilet paper and paper towel tubes into kindling and logs for your fireplace. For fire starter, use scissors to cut the cardboard into 1/8-inch (3-millimeter) strips. Keep the strips in a bin near the fireplace so they'll be handy to use next time you make a fire. To make logs, tape over one end of the tube and pack shredded newspaper inside. (or dryer lint w/wax) Then tape the other end. The tighter you pack the newspaper, the longer your log will burn.

Another re-purpose that I found helpful….(and if you ever saw GramE’s closet, you would know why the light bulb went off in my head when I read this one .)
Keep pants crease-free!
Ever go to your closet for that good pair of pants you haven't worn in a while, only to find an ugly crease at the fold site from the hanger rack. It can be frustrating and time (and energy) consuming to have to iron the pants each time. It won't happen again if you cut a paper towel tube lengthwise, fold it in half horizontally, and place it over the rack before you hang up your pants. Before hanging pants, tape the sides of the cardboard together at the bottom to keep it from slipping.

And I must confess that I also remember the ‘good ol’ days when we used to use cardboard tubes to roll our hair…So that we could give it that ‘Jackie O’ look back in the 60’s !! An extraordinary outcome using ordinary things!


The website article mentioned above also included detailed ways to:
Extend vacuum cleaner reach
Keep Christmas lights tidy
Preserve kids' artwork and important documents
Keep electrical cords tangle-free
Make boot trees
Make a plant guard
Start seedlings
Store knitting needles
Store fabric scraps
Store string
Keep linens crease-free
Protect fluorescent lights
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Saturday, November 22, 2008

Isn't FREE Just DUCKY!

Check this out! It's great and saves a good deal of time.
Just leave it up to Google to come up with something like this!!!
Here's a number worth putting in your cell phone, or your home phone speed dial: 1-800-goog411. This
convenient service from Google is FREE-- Great when you are on the road.
No need to waste your money on information calls or waste your time manually dialing the number.

For instance, if we are driving along in our automobile and we need to call a hotel to confirm our reservations, and don't know the number, I can just hit the number on my contact list that I have programmed.

When the call is made, the voice at the other end says, 'City & State.' I say, ' Orlando, Florida' He says, 'Business, Name or Type of Service.' I say, 'Peabody Hotel.' He says, 'Connecting' and Peabody answers the phone. Isn't that JUST DUCKY? (<- click the link to see the March of the ducks) How cool is that?

This google service is nationwide and FREE!



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Saturday, November 15, 2008

EGGcellent Ideas


I've been storing my egg containers...thinking that my grandchildren might enjoy using them for building blocks when they come to visit. It seems shameful to just throw them in the recycle bin.
I decided to google 'recycle egg containers' and came across many other useful purposes.
Here are a few that sparked my interest.

Ball Storage - An egg carton makes a great place to store extra golf balls. It makes it easy to sort by brand and condition and they are stackable so they can be stored neatly.

Craft Helping Hand - When working with small round items, use an egg carton to old the item while you paint one side, or just as a holder while they dry.

Fire Starters - fill the paper egg cartons with dryer lint, then pore melted wax over the lint. You can tear apart the sections and use for fire starters when you are camping, or in your fire place. FYI: Use left over candle pieces for the melted wax. (I especially like this idea. If I MUST use the dryer, at least there is a green purpose for the lint!)

Charcoal Fire Starter - Similar to the idea above for fire starters... Using a cardboard egg carton, fill each section with melted wax so that it's about 1/3 full. Place a piece of charcoal (one brickette) in the wax. Close the carton and place on a shelf until you're ready to use. To use, remove the top of the carton, and place the bottom half in the grill. Light the carton. Wait a few minutes and then add more charcoal. This will eliminate the need for lighter fluid.

Plant containers or seed starters Poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage. Fill about 3/4 with potting soil and vermiculite. Plant seeds and set in a sunny window.

Money Container - Use old egg cartons to store your change for garage and yard sales. Egg cartons are good for this because you can separate all the change and it is easy to access.

Craft storage - Is your craft work area a nightmare? Use an egg carton to store all those little pieces you don't want to lose track of while you're working.

Have any suggestions that you want to contribute? (It's Easy To Be Green)
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