15 Great and Easy Home Tips!

An apple to make tomatoes ripen If you're tired of waiting and would like to make your tomatoes ripe in half the time, put them in a bowl with an apple or two, and cover them with plastic wrap.

Beans for wax fill up the candle house with a layer of raw beans. It's not only a nice decoration, but the beans will also keep the candle steady and capture the wax drops.

Toothpick on scotch tape Mark the end of the scotch tape by rolling it up with a toothpick at the end.

Orange Peel to conserve moisture Keep the moisture and softness of brown sugar and prevent it from become rough lumps by adding a long and narrow orange peeling into the sugar vessel. .

Coffee filter to clean dust Clean dust from the computer and television screen using a coffee filter. You won't even have to get it wet to use it!

Paper cloth to clean the shower doors Remove insistent soap accumulation from the shower's glass doors by spraying a little water on a paper cloth, the kind used for the dryer and cleaning doors.

Eggshells to clean narrow places Use a hard boiled eggshell to clean the hard to reach areas of bottles, jars and vases. Throw a few pieces of shell in the object, add hot water and a little bit of dish soap, and stir it well. The shells will scrape off thathard-to-reach dirt.

Pillow cover to clean the ceiling fan. Slip an old pillow cover on the blades of the ceiling fan and then pull it backwards quickly to draw all the dust and dirt into it, without dropping them all over the floor.

Ginger to deal with pain Calm down blisters and burns by swatting some fresh ginger juice on the aching spot.

Lemon to clean a grater After you've grated soft cheese or other sticky foods, use half a lemon to get rid of the leftovers. Just use the soft side of the lemon on both sides of the grater and you'll see how easily it becomes clean again.

Nail polish to fix a loose button Smear a thin layer of transparent nail polish on the center of the loose button, it will harden and keep it from falling.

Onion to get rid of the scent of mildew Air out the smell of mildew from the basement or the tool shed with onions. Cut an onion in half, put half of it on a plate and leave it in the room for the night. The morning after, the air in the room will be cleaner and you won't even smell the onion!

Vinegar and salt against the smell of onion However, you might be concerned of having that pesky scent of onions on your hands. A combination of vinegar and salt neutralizes the smell of onions. Mix the two materials and pour this on your hands to rub together until the scent is gone. Then wash with soap.

Pumice to clean a sweater Take a rough pumice and gently rub it on any thick sweaters to get rid of little fibers and other junk.

Empty  bottle to stabalise boots Use empty wine bottles to keep tall leather boots stable, so they don't lose their shape in storage.

17 Tricks to Teach Your Body

17 Tricks to Teach Your Body

 

1. If your throat tickles, scratch your ear.

When you were 9, playing your armpit was a cool trick. Now, as an adult, you can still appreciate a good body-based feat, but you're more discriminating. Take that tickle in your throat; it's not worth gagging over. Here's a better way to scratch your itch: "When the nerves in the ear are stimulated, it creates a reflex in the throat that can cause a muscle spasm," says Scott Schaffer, M.D., president of an ear, nose and throat specialty center in Gibbsboro, New Jersey. "This spasm relieves the tickle."

 

2. Experience supersonic hearing!

If you're stuck chatting up a mumbler at a cocktail party, lean in with your right ear. It's better than your left at following the rapid rhythms of speech, according to researchers at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. If, on the other hand, you're trying to identify that song playing softly in the elevator, turn your left ear toward the sound. The left ear is better at picking up music tones.

3. Feel no pain!

German researchers have discovered that coughing during an injection can lessen the pain of the needle stick. According to Taras Usichenko, author of a study on the phenomenon, the trick causes a sudden, temporary rise in pressure in the chest and spinal canal, inhibiting the pain-conducting structures of the spinal cord.

4. Clear your stuffed nose!

Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you'll feel your sinuses start to drain.

5. Fight fire without water!

Worried those wings will repeat on you tonight? "Sleep on your left side," says Anthony A. Star-poli, M.D., a New York City gastroenterologist and assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College. Studies have shown that patients who sleep on their left sides are less likely to suffer from acid reflux. The esophagus and stomach connect at an angle. When you sleep on your right, the stomach is higher than the esophagus, allowing food and stomach acid to slide up your throat. When you're on your left, the stomach is lower than the esophagus, so gravity's in your favor.

6. Cure your toothache without opening your mouth!

Just rub ice on the back of your hand, on the V-shaped webbed area between your thumb and index finger. A Canadian study found that this technique reduces toothache pain by as much as 50 percent compared with using no ice. The nerve pathways at the base of that V stimulate an area of the brain that blocks pain signals from the face and hands.

7. Make burns disappear!

When you accidentally singe your finger on the stove, clean the skin and apply light pressure with the finger pads of your unmarred hand. Ice will relieve your pain more quickly, Dr. DeStefano says, but since the natural method brings the burned skin back to a normal temperature, the skin is less likely to blister.

8. Stop the world from spinning!

One too many drinks left you dizzy? Put your hand on something stable. The part of your ear responsible for balance—the cupula—floats in a fluid of the same density as blood. "As alcohol dilutes blood in the cupula, the cupula becomes less dense and rises," says Dr. Schaffer. This confuses your brain. The tactile input from a stable object gives the brain a second opinion, and you feel more in balance. Because the nerves in the hand are so sensitive, this works better than the conventional foot-on-the-floor wisdom.

9. Unstitch your side!

If you're like most people, when you run, you exhale as your right foot hits the ground. This puts downward pressure on your liver (which lives on your right side), which then tugs at the diaphragm and creates a side stitch, according to The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Men. The fix: Exhale as your left foot strikes the ground.

10. Stanch blood with a single finger!

Pinching your nose and leaning back is a great way to stop a nosebleed—if you don't mind choking on your own O positive. A more civil approach: Put some cotton on your upper gums—just behind that small dent below your nose—and press against it, hard. "Most bleeds come from the front of the septum, the cartilage wall that divides the nose," says Peter Desmarais, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat specialist at Entabeni Hospital, in Durban, South Africa. "Pressing here helps stop them."

11. Make your heart stand still!

Trying to quell first-date jitters? Blow on your thumb. The vagus nerve, which governs heart rate, can be controlled through breathing, says Ben Abo, an emergency medical-services specialist at the University of Pittsburgh. It'll get your heart rate back to normal.

12. Thaw your brain!

Too much Chipwich too fast will freeze the brains of lesser men. As for you, press your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth, covering as much as you can. "Since the nerves in the roof of your mouth get extremely cold, your body thinks your brain is freezing, too," says Abo. "In compensating, it overheats, causing an ice-cream headache." The more pressure you apply to the roof of your mouth, the faster your headache will subside.

13. Prevent near-sightedness!

Poor distance vision is rarely caused by genetics, says Anne Barber, O.D., an optometrist in Tacoma, Washington. "It's usually caused by near-point stress." In other words, staring at your computer screen for too long. So flex your way to 20/20 vision. Every few hours during the day, close your eyes, tense your body, take a deep breath, and, after a few seconds, release your breath and muscles at the same time. Tightening and releasing muscles such as the biceps and glutes can trick involuntary muscles—like the eyes—into relaxing as well.

14. Wake the dead!

If your hand falls asleep while you're driving or sitting in an odd position, rock your head from side to side. It'll painlessly banish your pins and needles in less than a minute, says Dr. DeStefano. A tingly hand or arm is often the result of compression in the bundle of nerves in your neck; loosening your neck muscles releases the pressure. Compressed nerves lower in the body govern the feet, so don't let your sleeping dogs lie. Stand up and walk around.

15. Impress your friends!

Next time you're at a party, try this trick: Have a person hold one arm straight out to the side, palm down, and instruct him to maintain this position. Then place two fingers on his wrist and push down. He'll resist. Now have him put one foot on a surface that's a half inch higher (a few magazines) and repeat. This time his arm will fold like a house of cards. By misaligning his hips, you've offset his spine, says Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Results Fitness, in Santa Clarita, California. Your brain senses that the spine is vulnerable, so it shuts down the body's ability to resist.

16. Breathe underwater!

If you're dying to retrieve that quarter from the bottom of the pool, take several short breaths first—essentially, hyperventilate. When you're underwater, it's not a lack of oxygen that makes you desperate for a breath; it's the buildup of carbon dioxide, which makes your blood acidic, which signals your brain that somethin' ain't right. "When you hyperventilate, the influx of oxygen lowers blood acidity," says Jonathan Armbruster, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology at Auburn University. "This tricks your brain into thinking it has more oxygen." It'll buy you up to 10 seconds.

17. Read minds!

Your own! "If you're giving a speech the next day, review it before falling asleep," says Candi Heimgartner, an instructor of biological sciences at the University of Idaho. Since most memory consolidation happens during sleep, anything you read right before bed is more likely to be encoded as long-term memory.

I Wouldn't Have Thought if That

You can divide and store ground meat in a Ziplock bag. Just break off how much you need and keep the rest in the freezer for later!  If you place a wooden spoon over a pot of boiling water, it won't boil over!  Marshmallows can cure a sore throat. Perfect for kids who don't like medicine. Really? You can run a paper bag through your printer! Take your bananas apart when you get home from the shop. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster... Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mould! (But you can scrape off any mould and still eat the cheese without changes in flavor!) Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are stronger flavored. Add a teaspoon of water when frying minced beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking. Use a (clean) dustpan to fill a container that doesn't fit in the sink. Place a rubber band around an open paint can to wipe your brush on, and keep paint off the side of the can Use a staple remover to save your fingernails when trying to add things to your key ring! How to keep the straw from rising out of your fizzy drink can Use a micro-fibre cloth to prevent frost from forming on the windshield. Use a comb to keep a nail steady for hammering Use a post-it note to catch drilling debris.

 

 

TRICKS WITH CUCUMBERS

TRICKS WITH CUCUMBERS

 

1. Fat busting:

Do you ever wonder why women put cucumbers on

their eyes to relieve puffiness? The photochemical

in cucumbers makes the collagen in your skin tighten,

thus the lack of puffiness. Did you know that you can

rub a cucumber on a problematic spot of cellulite

anywhere on your body to lessen the visibility of it?

Did you also know that it has the same effect on

wrinkles? Wow, it makes purchasing those fifty

dollar creams seem a little silly, doesn’t it? You can

also rub a little bit under your kiddo’s eyes after a

long bout of crying to avoid that puffy

‘I cried for an hour straight’ look.

 

2. Defogger: Do you get annoyed when you get out

of the shower and you have to fight the fog on the mirror?

Who has time for that when the kids will be awake at

any moment? Try rubbing a slice of cucumber on the

mirror before you hop in and not only will you get a

fog-free mirror, but you’ll have a nice smell that will

boost your mood.

 

3. Headaches: If you suffer from headaches from

chasing your babies all day (or pets or your husband),

or had a little too much wine with dinner and want to

avoid a hangover, eat half of a cucumber before bed.

Cucumbers are high in B vitamins, sugar, and

electrolytes, and they replenish the nutrients missing

in your body to help you avoid a hang over or to beat

that headache that’s been threatening to take over.

 

4. WD-40 replacement: Did you know you can get rid

of a squeak by rubbing a cucumber on the hinge?

Wow, now you don’t have to tear your garage apart

looking for that little can with the red straw, and the

baby won’t wake up when you slowly open the nursery

door to check on him.

 

5. Crayon on the walls: Take an unpeeled cucumber

and rub the crayon off of the walls in the event that

your kiddo left you some art. You can also use this

technique to erase a pen mistake.

 

6. Halitosis killer: Take a slice of cucumber and put

it on the roof of your mouth. Hold it there with your

tongue for 30 seconds. The photochemical that you

love for cellulite and puff reduction will also kill the

bacteria that is causing your bad breath.

 

7. Tarnish remover: If you’re finding tarnish on your

stainless steel kitchen faucets and appliances? Rub

it off with a cucumber slice. Not only will it remove

years of tarnish, it will leave it streak free and your

hands will thank you, and your kids won’t be put at

risk from a dangerous chemical.

 

8. Energy booster: If you’re feeling tired in the afternoon,

don’t give Starbucks your five bucks. Instead, grab

a cucumber. There are just enough carbohydrates and

B vitamins to give you a longer-lasting and healthier

boost of energy than soda, coffee, or those health

hazard energy drinks.

 

9. Munchy madness: Did you know that European

trappers ate cucumbers for energy and to keep from

starving to death? If those big burly manly men can

eat a cucumber to keep from starving, you can eat

one as a healthy choice when the munchies hit.

Slice some up and take them in a small plastic

container to the movies if your theater doesn’t offer

healthy alternatives to munching

on butter soaked popcorn.

 

10. Frugal facial: Slice up a cucumber and boil it in a

pot of water. The chemicals inside of the cucumber

will mix with the steam. Remove the pot from heat

and lean over it, letting the steam hit you. Your skin

will be more radiant and healthy, and you will feel

relaxed and rejuvenated.

 

11. Shoe polish: Cut a slice off of your cucumber

and rub it on your shoe. It will not only shine it up,

but it will repel water.

 

12. Pest control: Put three or four slices of cucumber

in a small pie tin and place them in your garden.

The chemicals in the cucumber have a reaction that

pests hate. You won’t smell it, but it will drive them

from your garden all year long. Replace them periodically.

 

13. Sunburn: Sometimes sun block doesn't always

protect your little ones from sunburn. If you have

burnt little kiddos you don’t have any aloe, rub some

cucumber on them. Many doctors even use cucumber

to treat patients with irritated skin and sunburns.

 

14. Blood pressure: Cucumber has been long used

to treat high blood pressure. If you have it, add

cucumbers to your daily diet. There is also ongoing

research into the use of cucumbers for lowering cholesterol.

 

15. Constipation remedy: The seeds of a cucumber

are a diuretic. If you’re constipated, try eating a cucumber.

If you suffer from chronic constipation, add cucumber

to your daily diet