DIY Life

Daily DIY: Clumpless Brown Sugar

Erin Loechner — 2009-11-17T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: food, household hacks, in the kitchen

Photo: Joyrich

I've heard a variety of different methods for keeping your brown sugar de-clumped, and to be honest, I'm a bit wary of each one. Here's a breakdown of what the grapevine says about keeping your brown sugar fresh --- why not give it a shot and report back with your findings?:

According to ThriftyFun:
Store brown sugar you plan to save for later baking in an airtight container with a fresh slice of bread. The moisture in the bread will keep your sugar soft, moist, and ready-to-use. When the bread dries and hardens, simply replace it with a fresh slice. You can feed the old, dry one to the birds and squirrels.

From WiseGeek:
If your brown sugar is hard as a brick, you can restore it to a usable consistency by placing it in a tightly sealed container with an apple wedge for one to three days.

From WiseGeek:
You can purchase a terracotta disk at many kitchen supply stores that will keep your brown sugar free flowing.

Which sounds like the real deal to you? Any brown sugar tips you swear by?

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Daily DIY: Defrost with Delight

Erin Loechner — 2009-11-13T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: food, household hacks, in the kitchen

Photo: Bon Appetit

That's right -- another day, another vinegar hack. Oh, you act as if you're surprised! This one's a goodie; I promise. And in the kitchen, no less! Perfect for your upcoming holiday dinner party or fancy, festive feast.

Here's the deal: Next time you thaw out that frozen chuck roast, pour some vinegar over it. Not only does it tenderize the meat, but it will also bring down the freezing temperature of the meat and cause it to defrost quicker. And no, your meat will not taste like vinegar; don't worry. Cool, right?

Now you have no excuse for a still-frozen turkey on Thanksgiving Day!

For additional kitchen hacks with one of my favorite ingredients (vinegar!), check out a few other helpful DIY Life articles:
-Daily DIY: Vinegar Fix
-Vinegar: Laundry's Best Friend
-Vinegar: Not Just for Salad's Anymore!
-Vinegar's Slew of Wonderful Uses
-Remove Mold With Vinegar

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Daily DIY: Plant Love

Erin Loechner — 2009-11-12T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: food, household hacks, landscaping

Photo: Luigi Anzivino

Planning a yummy, carbo-filled dinner for tonight? Save that boiled water from pasta, boiled eggs or potatoes and feed them to your plants. They'll love the nutrient-enhanced water from your culinary creation (but make sure you cool it first!) and you'll have a built-in reminder to water the plants for the evening! Always a plus, especially for someone [read: me] who routinely forgets to water her green friends.

Of course, there's much, much more you can do with boiled water -- including the age-old survival tip of boiling dirty water to purify it into drinking water. Yes, it can be done! Don't believe me? Check out the article, along with a few other great water tips from the fine folks at DIY Life:
-Wildnerness Survival Tip: Purify Dirty Water
-DIY and Save: Mix Your Own Sports Drinks
-Homemade Water Sprinkler

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Daily DIY: Gone Bananas!

Erin Loechner — 2009-11-11T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: food, household hacks, in the kitchen

Photo: Planet Protect

Sure, bananas grow in bunches, but should they stay in bunches? Never! Bananas release gases which cause fruits (including other bananas) to ripen quickly. Separating them will keep them fresh longer, so separate those bananas and place each in a different location.

Of course, if you have a few less-than-desirable bananas laying around, you could always put them to good use, even if they're not the freshest fruit in your home. Turns out that bananas contain potassium, which is also a key ingredient in shoe polish. To polish your shoes, all you need to do is rub a banana peeling on your shoes, buff with a soft cloth, and then sit back and admire your shoe polishing job.

Fantastic, right? Check out a few other fun, banana-related posts here on DIY Life:
-Fix a CD or DVD scratch with a banana
-A banana amigurami? Yes, please!

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Daily DIY: A Thanksgiving Time Saver

Erin Loechner — 2009-11-10T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: food, household hacks, in the kitchen

Photo: Health Node

I can't tell you how often I've witnessed burned gravy on Thanksgiving Day. I mean, in the chef's defense, there's a lot going on --- cooking, visiting, monitoring Uncle Randy's third glass of wine. You know, the basics.

Anyway, this year, try our handy tip to fix that burned gravy and make your cooking mistake our little secret...

After you've burned the gravy, pour it into a new pan and sprinkle a dash of sugar in it. The sugar will counteract the bitterness from the burned gravy, but won't overpower the mixture. Smart, right?

For more holiday kitchen fixes that require just a dash of sugar, check out another great idea from DIY Life:
To make homemade lollipops, boil sugar, cream of tartar and water. Add flavor and coloring, then pour them into molds or drop a serving size spoon-full onto wax-paper.

Proof that all you need this Thanksgiving is a spoonful of sugar!

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Daily DIY: Vinegar Fix

Erin Loechner — 2009-11-09T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: food, household hacks, in the kitchen

Photo: Bon Appetit

Vinegar is one of those all-time best-in-show sort of kitchen items to have around, because it can perform so many different life-saving duties. In fact, here's one that I recently learned -- perfect to add to my ongoing list of Why Vinegar is Awesome:

If you have an electric tea kettle with a bit of calcium build-up on the heating element, don't fret. Simply boil a mixture of equal parts vinegar and water, then empty. The calcium will flush out along with the vinegar mix, leaving your tea kettle fresh, new and smelling cleaner than ever.

For more incredible vinegar uses, check out these DIY Life articles:
-Place white vinegar in your washer at the beginning of a laundry load; it will both freshen and soften the clothes being washed.
-Half-fill an open travel mug with vinegar and leave it in your car's cup holder for a day to eliminate any vehicle odors.

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Daily DIY: A Rubbermaid Solution

Erin Loechner — 2009-11-04T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: food, household hacks, in the kitchen

Photo: American Feast

My Rubbermaid containers have lived through one too many pasta casseroles and are starting to smell like it, too. Naturally, I researched a few options on how to take the scent out of plastic and stumbled upon a great solution that I can't wait to try on my next set of Rubbermaids.

Turns out that if you sprinkle a bit of salt in an empty airtight Rubbermaid container before you store it, you'll keep the smell at bay. Go on --- give it a shot and report back. ;)

And yes, I realize we're talking salt yet again here at DIY Life, but honestly --- can you ever get enough of the kitchen hacks? I certainly cannot, and just to show you how necessary a bit of sodium really is, here's another handy (and salty!) post to whet your whistle:
-Make Your Own Toothpaste (YES! With salt!)

Convinced?

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Daily DIY: Nail Polish Hack

Erin Loechner — 2009-11-03T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: fix-it, household hacks, beauty and skin care

Photo: Cool Nails Art

I hate cooking when I've got bandages on my fingers, because, in my opinion, nothing is grosser than a wet Band-Aid... especially when I'm hanging around food. Good thing I learned this awesome tip yesterday:

If you've nicked yourself in the kitchen, clean the wound and disinfect, then let dry. Coat the cut with clear nail polish for a simple waterproof bandage that stays on for days!

Of course, clear nail polish is good for quite a bit of things, including its well-known use for fixing a run in a pair of pantyhose, but did you know DIY Life has ten more awesome uses for nail polish? It's true; read more right here:
-10 Nifty Uses for Nail Polish... One for Each Finger!

My favorite tip? Avoid rust rings from a can of shower cream or shave gel by applying fingernail polish to the bottoms of the metal containers. Genius!

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Daily DIY: The Best Scrubbing Solution Ever

Erin Loechner — 2009-11-02T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: food, household hacks, in the kitchen

Photo: SMH

By now you should realize how much I love a good kitchen hack, especially when it includes items and ingredients I already have around the house. One of my favorites? Forget harsh detergents and solutions when scrubbing grease spots off your cast-iron cookware. Instead, grab a pinch of salt and a paper towel to create a salty solution that works wonders!

Proof that sometimes the most natural ingredients are the best DIY lifesavers.

Want to know some other ways a pinch of salt can make your life easier? Read on, right here at DIY Life:
Find out the various uses of your average table salt: The Many Uses of Table Salt
Spice up your beauty routine with salt: Make Your Own Salt Scrub
Salt for your green thumb: Epsom Salt in Your Garden
And, lastly, salt in the kitchen (of course!): Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Your Microwave

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Daily DIY: Stainless Blade Hack

Erin Loechner — 2009-10-28T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: food, household hacks, in the kitchen

Photo: Smile O Smile

Wow, that sounds a lot more harsh than necessary. Did you realize that you can remove the scent of onions and garlic from your fingers by gently sliding the face of a stainless knife across them? Sounds like a joke, but it's true! Gently is the operative word, guys -- unless you'd like to get a bit bloody for Halloween this year.

And yes, it's kitchen hack week here at DIY Life. For more fun and inventive ways to make things easier for you in the kitchen, check out a few of my favorite DIY Life articles below!:

1. Out of cleaning supplies and no time to re-stock? Clean your entire kitchen with one lemon.
2. Have an extra towel rack laying around and collecting dust? Turn your IKEA towel rack into a condiment spice shelf.
3. Learn your freezer know-how: 20 Foods That Freeze Surpisingly Well... and 20 That Don't.

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Daily DIY: How to Light a Jack-O-Lantern

Erin Loechner — 2009-10-20T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: household hacks, miscellaneous, seasonal

Photo: Inchmark

Tired of burning your fingers each year when the annual "lighting of the pumpkins" festivities come around? Don't worry -- we've got a tip to save those pretty digits, and you can use a surprise tool that you probably already have in your pantry! Curious?

We found the tip from blogger Brooke Reynolds of Inchmark:

"Instead of reaching your hand into the pumpkin with a lit match, light a piece of spaghetti instead. It will burn very slowly, and serves as the perfect tool to light your candle without burning yourself in the process. I realize you can also use glow sticks or touch lights in your pumpkins instead of candles, and not worry about burning your fingers at all, but that's cheating in my book. Half the fun of a jack-o-lantern is seeing it flicker and glow by candlelight."

Smart, right? Go light your jack-o-lanterns and celebrate -- burn free!

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ShelterPop Swap: How Clean Is Your Shower?

Erin Loechner — 2009-10-13T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: household hacks, cleaning, health and wellness

How clean is your shower? Photo: Stylin' Home

With the swine flu in full swing and some sort of horrid cold roaming around my household, cleanliness is on the forefront of my mind this week. And after reading this article re: the transmission of bacteria on your shower head, I'd hope it's on the forefront of yours, as well. Luckily, our friends at ShelterPop have the scoop on how to get the cleanest showers in town.

A quick tip from the article? You can make a fantastic homemade shower cleaner with 1 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1 cup ammonia and 1.5 gallons of hot water. Be sure to use rubber gloves, scrub well (use an old toothbrush for those tough tiles!) and rinse with hot water. Wipe dry. Also, tackle your glass shower door with white vinegar to prevent streaks and mildew at the same time. Bonus!

After all, cleanliness is next to awesomeness, right?

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Daily DIY: A Warren Platner on the Cheap

Erin Loechner — 2009-10-07T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: home decor, household hacks, weekend projects

Add a circle of glass and you have it -- instant designer side table! Photo: Chiasso

Think you need to spend the big bucks for a Platner piece? Think again. In fact, a trash can could do the trick just fine. And yes, I'm being serious. Chiasso has a new garbage can that looks oddly Platner-inspired. Why not cut a circle of glass over the opening and call it what it is --- a designer side table!

Even better? You can get a circle of glass cut for a few bucks at your local glass or framing store, turn the table on its end and for around $30, you have a designer-inspired side table. Try finding that great of a deal at your favorite big box retailer.

Proof that to get an aesthetic of high design, you don't necessarily have to pay a high price tag. In fact, design is in the (sometimes trashy!) details.

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Let's Talk Bulk

Erin Loechner — 2009-10-02T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: food, household hacks, money

Purchasing home items in bulk could save you a ton in the long run. Photo: Localism

I invested in my first Costco membership two years ago, despite my reluctance to do so. I'm a firm believer that living simply is the way to go, and shopping at a mega-warehouse such as Costco just seemed to contradict my "Simplify!" mission statement. After all, there's nothing simple about 200 rolls of toilet paper in a 900 square foot apartment.

Yet I was pleasantly surprised when my grocery bill was cut in half at the end of the year. It turns out that by following a few key rules of bulk shopping, you really can save in a huge way. Here are the ground rules I stick to --- whether I like it or not:

1. Only purchase items that you regularly buy. My mother always told me "It's not a sale if you don't need it," which I realize now as an adult, is the truth. Start out buying household items that you use often, such as toilet paper, hand soap, trash bags, paper towels and shampoo/conditioner.

2. Only purchase items that you have room to buy. My first Costco trip was an incredible waste, as I found myself handing out boxes of minute rice, bottles of ketchup and packages of TV dinners after realizing my kitchen cabinets couldn't sustain the sheer amount of food I had brought home. So if you don't want to hand out mustard to your Trick-or-Treat'ers this year, be sure to follow this important rule.

3. Only purchase items that you won't eat in bulk. The truth of the matter is that if it's in your home, you'll eat it. If you're trying to cut back on your portion sizes, bulk food shopping may not be for you. The temptation is to finish off the remaining food in your home, and no one needs a triple-super-sized pack of Oreos. If you find that bulk shopping is truly cheaper for your family, try storing the excess food in a separate area of the home or a less-visited pantry. Keep it out of immediate reach, but in a consistent place so that you won't forget you've already purchased it!

And of course, the golden rule? If you find yourself throwing away a regular-sized item, don't ever purchase this in bulk. Seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how often I've toted home fresh blueberries and promised myself I'd eat them all...

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Daily DIY: Fork Over Fist

Erin Loechner — 2009-09-25T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: fix-it, household hacks, recalls and safety

Stick a fork in it. Photo: Nait.Ca

My uncle used to carry the coolest tool belt around everywhere he went, whether or not there was a construction project involved. Upon further inspection, I once found the usual suspects: power drills, nails, bolts, and ... a fork?

Turns out a fork was his secret weapon for when his young [cute, of course] niece offered to help him hammer in a few nails. To protect his fingers, he'd hold the nail in place with the prongs of a fork rather than his hand. The trick worked perfectly and he single-handedly (no pun intended) blended the duties of kitchenware and power tools. Go, Uncle!

Of course, you can also make use of a fork in the garden for turning over soil and/or harvesting potatoes. Or, use the hefty prongs to take out those double knots in your son's sneakers (that he's just so darn proud of!).

Proof that forks belong in and out of the kitchen.

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Daily DIY: The Original Dryer Ball

Erin Loechner — 2009-09-18T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: household hacks, cleaning

Homemade dryer balls are easy as pie. Photo: Tipnut

Ditch the dryer sheets, balls and expensive infomercial products; you can get static-free clothes with a few household items you can easily find in your own pantry, kitchen or garage. In fact, before dryer balls were invented (can we even think back that far...?), there was another handy ball that kept clothing soft, bouncy and fluffier than ever. Curious yet? Go on; take a guess. (Hint: it's in the garage!) Give up yet?

The tennis ball! To keep fabrics soft and cling-free, toss three tennis balls into your dryer and run them through a cycle. You'll be amazed at how softer your clothes come out, and you've saved a few bucks along the way!

Not a sports fan? Try this crafty DIY dryer ball version that boasts just a few key supplies: yarn, pantyhose, socks, scissors, crochet hook and measuring tape. You probably have each of those items at home, so forget the excuses and get to work now!

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The DIY Reel: Make the Most of a Small Room

Erin Loechner — 2009-09-17T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: home decor, household hacks, weekend projects

I did a bit of house shopping this week and found a lovely bungalow style home, but it was soooo tiny. I suppose if I was an optimist, I'd call it "cozy", but the truth is (and there's no hiding behind the truth, is there?) -- it was just small. Luckily, the low ceilings and minimal square footage won't deter me... especially after I watched this video from AOL's interior design expert Kelly Edwards.

Want more great ideas for maximizing small square footage or making the most out of small homes, spaces and nook? Here's the best tip of all: Get creative. You can often work with what you've got by thinking out of the [very small] box.

Try transforming a closet into an office, a pantry into a playroom... or even a garage into a man-friendly den/cave. It's all in the space planning, and don't be afraid to do something out of the ordinary. Your reward will be more space to work with, and storage solutions you'll actually use!

Get to work!

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Daily DIY: Buff It

Erin Loechner — 2009-09-14T09:00:00+00:00

Filed under: household hacks, bathroom

De-fog your morning ritual with this simple step. Photo: Esquire

As the weather turns colder, our showers are turning hotter. Beat the morning mirror mist with this handy tip I learned from my aunt...

Buff a thin layer of shaving cream (not gel!) directly onto the mirror after a cleaning. Surprisingly, the mirror won't look any differently than before, but the steam from your super hot shower won't fog it up!

The effect should last about a week, and the trick is to use very little shaving cream and rub the cream into the mirror for over a minute. You'll be amazed at how much time this handy tip will save you in the morning -- and you'll never have to take an open-door shower again!

For more incredibly useful bathroom tips, check out a few of my favorite DIY Life bathroom reads:
-Daily DIY: Curtain Call
-$5 and 5 Minutes: Fix a Running Toilet
-Low Flush Toilet Hack

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Daily DIY: Ideaka Giveaway Reminder!

Erin Loechner — 2009-09-10T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: household hacks, lighting

Hurry -- your chance to win this fabulous DIY-inspired take out light ends tomorrow! Photo: Ideaka

Attention, DIY-ers! You have one more day to win Etsy seller Ideaka's brilliant take out light! Visit this post, leave a comment explaining your favorite take-out-inspired project, and cross your fingers!

We'll choose our lucky winner tomorrow by 5PM, so get to it!

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How Now: Cleaning With Alka-Seltzer

Erin Loechner — 2009-09-07T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: household hacks, cleaning

Clean your kitchen, bathroom and other nooks and crannies with just two ingredients? Unheard of! Until now. Howcast shows us how to tackle grease and grime with the same everyday relief you get from Alka-Seltzer and water. Take a look!:

How To Clean With Alka-Seltzer on Howcast

See? It's true! You can clean your toilet, cookware, sink and even shine your jewelry with this handy over-the-counter medication. Because Alka-Seltzer is no more than baking soda mixed with citric acid and acidic aspirin, it creates a chemical reaction worthy of even the toughest grease and grime.

Hint: Did you realize that in addition to cleaning your home, you can use Alka-Seltzer to soothe an insect bite? Dissolve two tablets with water, soak a cotton ball and press firmly onto the bite for instant relief.

Curious for more household items that work double-duty? Check out DIY Life's "Unusual Uses" column for our favorite multi-purpose items.

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