Painting Tips

Painting is the fastest, cheapest, most dramatic way to update your home. Well, I have some tips to for you.

1. If you wear contact lenses, opt for your glasses instead; the fumes in paint can cause your contacts to irritate your eyes.

2. Whether you're cutting in or painting trim, brushwork is part of the job. To get the best results, dip your brush into the paint no more than two inches and then tap the brush against the sides of your bucket. This allows for the extra paint and drips to fall off the brush without making the paint on the brush uneven, which allows for better coverage.

3. If you're painting stripes or any other two color treatment that requires taping off some areas after the base coat, try this: paint a thin coat of the base color over the tape inside the lines. It will seal the tape and if any seeps underneath the tape it will have been the base color leaving a clean line.

4. If you're painting a window frame, overlap the paint onto the glass slightly, this ensures that you seal the seam between the glass and the wood.

5. Clean-up time? Wrap a rag around your painter's tool and run it around the rim of your paint can. This will ensure a tight seal when you close the can.

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Halloween Safety

Ghosts, goblins and ghouls are all part of the fun of Halloween, but safety is a concern, well here are some tips to help you out.

1. Jack-o-lanterns are a holiday favorite, but they can be dangerous if candles tip over! Rather than just putting a votive inside your pumpkin, try a tuna fish can. It's low so the light will radiate out of the top plus the metal is reflective, and if the candle tips it will fall into the can not into the pumpkin. Also make sure that you don't put the pumpkin near curtains or in a high traffic area where it can be easily knocked over.

2. Use a string of Christmas lights! Lay them on some foil in the bottom of the pumpkin and then thread them through a hole in the back and plug into a nearby outlet.

3. To keep little ones safe while they're trick or treating put reflective tape on the back of their costumes, their shoes and their treat bags!

4. Grab an iridescent gift bag for the kid's treats. The metallic prisms are reflective in the dark! Or paint an old bucket with glow in the dark paint.

5. If you're giving out treats make sure your porch and walkways are well lit and that they're clear of any branches or brush.

6. Be creative with your Halloween treats so parents don't have to worry. Try stickers, crayons, and pencils even small toys!

Kitchen Quickies

Quick tips that make life a little easier are always welcome in my house; well, here are some that maybe you can use.

1. If you hate to see a rusty ring from your coffee can on your cabinet shelves, each time you buy a new can, place the lid of the old can of coffee on the bottom of the new. The coaster will protect your cupboards.

2. Coffee grounds can come in handy in the fridge. Poke some holes in a plastic container and fill it with used coffee grounds, then stick it in the fridge. The grounds will help eliminate fridge odors.

3. Speaking of odors, sprinkle some kitty litter in the bottom of your kitchen garbage can. It will serve two purposes, first it will help absorb odors, second it will catch drips if the bag leaks so you have less of a mess to clean up later.

4. If you have a stuck jar lid the problem is usually too much pressure. Rather than beating the lid on a counter, hit the bottom of the jar firmly with the heel of your hand to "POP" the pressure and loosen the lid.

5. If you need to get a better grip on that jar, grab your rubber gloves, they will give you a non-slip grip and more turning power!

Stuck on Wood

If you've ever found yourself with a sticky mess on your wood furniture, I can help.

1. Have you ever had someone use a piece of paper for a hot pad? The heat will adhere the paper to your furniture every time! Peel away as much as you can. Then use a paper towel to spread some olive oil over the area. Let it sit for about a half hour and then you should be able to wipe the paper away.

2. If your child has decorated your wood with stickers, peel away what you can and then spread petroleum jelly over the area. Let it sit for a few hours and scrape the rest away with a credit card. Polish to a shine.

3. If there is a lollipop on your table, carefully pull the candy away. Mix together 1/2 cup of water with one teaspoon of white vinegar and dab the mixture onto the wood. Rub gently until all of the stickiness is gone!

4. If there is a dish or glass stuck to your tabletop, don't try to pull it off or you'll damage the finish. Squirt some baby oil around the base of the dish and let it sit for a few minutes. The dish should pull off easily.

Halloween Safety

Ghosts, goblins and ghouls are all part of the fun of Halloween, but safety is a concern, well here are some tips to help you out.

1. Jack-o-lanterns are a holiday favorite, but they can be dangerous if candles tip over! Rather than just putting a votive inside your pumpkin, try a tuna fish can. It's low so the light will radiate out of the top plus the metal is reflective, and if the candle tips it will fall into the can not into the pumpkin. Also make sure that you don't put the pumpkin near curtains or in a high traffic area where it can be easily knocked over.

2. Use a string of Christmas lights! Lay them on some foil in the bottom of the pumpkin and then thread them through a hole in the back and plug into a nearby outlet.

3. To keep little ones safe while they're trick or treating put reflective tape on the back of their costumes, their shoes and their treat bags!

4. Grab an iridescent gift bag for the kid's treats. The metallic prisms are reflective in the dark! Or paint an old bucket with glow in the dark paint.

5. If you're giving out treats make sure your porch and walkways are well lit and that they're clear of any branches or brush.

6. Be creative with your Halloween treats so parents don't have to worry. Try stickers, crayons, and pencils even small toys!