Tips and Tricks
Posted on September 3, 2023 by
We have been running our B & B for 10 years now. Along the way, we have picked up tips and hints relative to efficiency, recipes (that is not what this blog is about this time) and tips to just make some jobs easier. Some are easy to explain and others a bit more difficult to describe. Let’s start with household tips.
One of my favorite efficiency tips is to put 2-3 trash bags in the can under the bag we are currently using. That way when in a hurry, take the full bag out and voila-there is another bag to use. Not everyone in my household abides by this so often I do have to go hunting another bag.
Our housekeeper is now 77 years old and (like an energizer bunny), won’t quit/retire. She has been with us 10 years and is quite good natured and dependable. But as it is with many of us, she can no longer get down (on her knees) on the floor where you can see drips, splashes, and hair. This is especially true on tile bathroom floors. I saw her doing this one day. She had attached an absorbent, but damp rag to the broom to use on the floor. No pail of water nor mop.
If a biting bug is going to bite anyone, it will be me. Is it my (O+)blood type? Years ago, my mother showed how to just paint a dab of clear finger nail polish on the bite. It seems to smother the itch!
I asked friends through our Bedford Landings Facebook for ideas. Some shared their favorite tips so I am sharing these tried and trued methods with you. These are real people, smart people who are sharing!
Vickie – a brilliantly organized woman I have known about 28 years says: When I make deviled eggs, I mix the filling in a bowl, then spoon it into a small ziplock bag. Cut the bottom corner of the bag off, then squeeze the filling into the egg halves.
Emily – a past guest says: I like to keep a scrubby cleaning item in the shower and a little cleaning soap so after I’m done washing up, I can do a quick wipe down without need of a bunch of chemicals or a lot of extra hard scrubbing energy as the steam/hot water has already done a lot of that work for you!
Nancy – a fellow alto says: Put a squirt of Dawn in your load of laundry (along with your detergent). Your washer will sparkle like a new one, with no soap film and no effort on your part!
Jessie – a storytelling friend says : If you over-salt the soup, throw in a potato and fish it out when it’s back to taste instead of watering it down. To get rid of hiccups, dissolve a teaspoon of sugar on your tongue while you do long division in your head.
AND: Fold the pillow in half lengthwise to get it into the pillowcase without using your chin. Also, store sheet sets in the pillowcase for an easy grab-and-go changeover.
I play in a rock band (Yep!) called the SML Boomer band. That means we are a older than 60.
During and after a show, we were comparing notes about how to relieve cramps in fingers (drummers and guitar players) and leg cramps (Me singing and dancing). We discussed electrolytes, hydration, and stretches. Then, off the cuff, our keyboard player said he always heard that a bar of soap put in the bed works for leg cramps. <Silence> “What?” I had tried pickle juice, mustard, and a prescription for Vitamin B6. But soap? In between the sheets near the cramp.
Maybe it was worth a try. Maybe it is psychological, but I can’t figure out why it seems to work. I have googled it and even People’s Pharmacy is researching, trying to nail down more than anecdotal explanations. Apparently the bar has to be refreshened now and again since the perfumes in the soap may be part of the magic!
What did Jack suggest?
I asked my loving husband and business partner what his tip or trick was so I could add it to this blog (You’re gonna love this). He says he thinks it is am amazing that when he puts his dirty dishes in the sink, that they magically hop into the dishwasher.
To that, I revealed my magic and laughed hysterically! It seems to work that away with the clothes in the dryer too! (But enough domestic discussions!)
If you have a suggestion to share, please comment on the blog. Carry on!
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