Light bulb in the darkThere is nothing more irritating then peering into a dark room or closet where the light just doesn't show enough. 

You need more light in the room but you can't place another fixture in there and there really isn't anyplace to put a table lamp or another source of light really isn't practical.

Here are 5 tricks that will help you brighten up your home.

Halloween Candy S'Mores - Hints & Tips

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S'moresIf you live in a big city then you probably have no problems finding places that sell the mini chocolate bars year round that are popular treats for Halloween.

But I only see them in our neighborhood at Halloween time and I always snap them up.

I find that they are perfect for making little s'more bags for invitations to cook outs, BBQ's and get together for the children.

How to Quickly Defrost Meat - Tips & Hints

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Chicken meatIt is frustrating to realize at the last minute that you have forgotten to defrost the meat that you need for tonight's meal.

If you need to defrost meat in a hurry there is an old trick that cooks like to use that is fast and safe. 

It is not instant but it is a lot faster than letting the meat sit on the counter and thaw by itself.

It is also faster than placing the meat into cool water to let it thaw.
Rings in ring holderThere is nothing more panic inducing than realizing the ring that you just put on your finger is stuck and will not come off.

While your first instinct is to tug on it until it gets loose DON"T. You need to stay calm and collected.

You do not want to excite yourself so much that your hand begins to swell.

Follow these easy steps and all should be well.
Birthday Candles when you have no cakeNot everyone wants to have a birthday cake on their birthday but how do you incorporate having candles that they can blow out?

When your birthday person asks for a pie, donuts, or ice cream for their treat then it can be a challenge to incorporate the candles into the festivities.

One trick that I have always liked to do is place the candles on  the serving dish that the treat is going to be presented on.

It is easy to do but you have to follow some guidelines.


Making cards from old National GeographicNational Geographic was a staple in homes for almost a century. The high quality magazine printed extraordinary photos on thick rich paper and many people held onto them for decades.

These old magazines are easy to find at thrift stores and the paper is great for using in crafts.

I like to pop in a little gift card with anything I give.
While my tastes tends to run to pretty and elegant many of my friends have more avant garde taste and I make up these little note cards when I give items to them.

Easy to make, just take some interesting pages from National Geography and glue to card stock. I do use a paper cutter which makes the edges nice and square.

Perrier spray bottleThe spray bottle that we use for ironing cracked the other day and I headed off to the recycle bin to see if I could find another bottle that would fit the spray top. 

Much to our amusement the Perrier bottle we had in there was a perfect fit.

It adds a certain amount of class to the laundry room and I can't wait for my sister's reaction when she spies it in there.

Bottle sizes over the last several years have tended to be more uniform and it is now quite easy to exchange the top from one bottle to another. 

Why would you want to do this?

Jars of Spaghetti sauceIf you have read any budgeting blog of note you know that one of the first pieces of advice that they will give you is that to save big bucks you have to stop eating out at restaurants and fast food places and prepare your meals at home. 

But what do you do if you are a single person in a world where most food comes for a family of four and you don't want to leave left overs in the fridge to spoil?

Spaghetti sauce is a perfect example of this. A jar is usually meant for a full meal and if you are serving single portions then the rest has to go back into the refrigerator. If you don't use this up in a day or two then it gets thrown out.

The solution? Simple
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