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Tip of the Day: Regulating Your Pool's pH

When alkalinity needs to be increased in your swimming pool or hot tub, baking soda can be added to restore a balance if there is too much chlorine.

Tip of the Day: When Temporary Tattoos Need to Be Less Temporary

There’s nothing kids love more than temporary tattoos—until they decide they hate them. To easily remove a temp tat before it rubs off itself, dab some cold cream on the area, then wipe it off with a washcloth.

Tip of the Day: Replacement Cap

If you lose the tiny cap to your glue or caulk tube, stick a screw in there instead! We actually prefer long screws to caps, because they’ll clean out the narrow area in the tube and make sure the glue or caulk doesn’t harden between uses.

Tip of the Day: Protect "Grown Up" Glasses

If your children have graduated past the sippy cup stage but still have problems getting a grip on “grown up” glasses, try putting five or six small rubber bands around the glass. That’ll help them hold on, which means fewer spills for you to clean up.

Tip of the Day: Citrus for Ceramic

The easiest way to clean ceramic figurines is to rub them with the cut side of a lemon wedge. Leave the lemon juice on for 15 minutes, then polish up with a soft, dry cloth.

Tip of the Day: Scuff Remover

To remove scuff marks left on your floor by dark-soled shoes, rub some baking soda into the spot with a wet rag. They'll virtually disappear.

Five Storage Secrets to Make Food Last Longer

Do you feel like you’re always throwing away food? Letting food go bad before you have a chance to eat it drains your pocketbook and results in more time-consuming trips to the grocery store. Before you head to the supermarket again, check your fridge and your cupboards and make a note of ingredients you have for future meals. Picking up a few more items to complement those ingredients will help you use up everything you already have. It’s always important to make a grocery list and, if you can, plan out a few meals in advance, so you hit the market with a goal in mind rather than wander the aisles picking up whatever happens to catch your eye.

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Recipe of the Week: Diploma Cookies

photo credit: BettyCrocker.com

These delightful cookies from Betty Crocker are a fun addition to any graduation party or a great gift for your favorite graduate.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

How to Make It:
1. Beat butter, shortening and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in baking powder, salt, vanilla and egg. Stir in flours. Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours.

2. Heat oven to 375°F. Roll each half of dough into 15x6-inch rectangle on floured surface. Cut lengthwise into three 15x2-inch strips, then cut crosswise into two 7 1/2x2-inch strips.

3. Working quickly, spread about 1 teaspoon melted chocolate over one strip to within 1/4 inch of one long side. Gently roll up, starting at long side with chocolate. Repeat with remaining cookie strips and chocolate.

4. Cut each roll into 2 pieces; roll each cookie slightly to shape. On ungreased cookie sheet, place cookies about 1 inch apart.

5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool 1 minute; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely. Place remaining chocolate in plastic bag. Cut hole in corner and squeeze out chocolate to look like ribbons.


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Tip of the Day: Trim on the Cheap

If you’re used to getting an expensive haircut, it’s hard to switch to a bargain salon such as Supercuts. But what you can do to save yourself hundreds of dollars a year is to get a hairstyle that doesn’t need a lot of upkeep. When you need a trim in between cuts, go to an inexpensive salon. While hair stylists at the bargain salons sometimes can’t give you the fancy cut you want, they can usually handle a simple trim, following the path of your normal stylist. If you just need your bangs cut, ask at your usual salon if they offer free bang trims in between cuts.