Cozy Fireplaces!

There is nothing like a roaring fire to help warm a chilly night. Well, I have some hints to help keep your fireplace in tiptop shape!

1. Each and every year have your chimney checked by a professional to clean away excess creosote and clear any obstructions.

2. When you're cleaning out your fireplace spritz the ashes with water before scooping to keep dust to a minimum.

3. Leave behind a layer of ash under the grate. This will protect the floor of the firebox from excess heat and will catch coals so the fire will burn longer. Just remember embers burn for a long time so make sure that you wait a couple of days to remove the excess ashes.

4. When building a fire only use seasoned firewood and plain newspaper or white paper. Wad it up tightly or twist it into a small log shape. This is also a great way to recycle the paper from your home office. Remember never burn colored paper in your fireplace.

5. Sprinkle your logs with salt before lighting the fire it will help keep soot to a minimum.

6. Fires need oxygen to burn; poor air circulation can cause carbon monoxide build-up. So make sure that you leave the doors of your fireplace open slightly to give it plenty of air.

Tea Time!

It's teatime. I have some smart ways to put regular tea to use around your home!

1. Potting plants? Use tea bags as your drainage layer; they'll accomplish a couple of things. They'll absorb water so they won't leak out of the bottom of your pot and they release nutrients into the soil to help your plants thrive.

2. Tea is also a great grease cutting cleanser. If you have greasy spills on your counter or stovetop, soak a cloth in some tea, it will cut through the grease and clean the spill away in no time.

3. Looking for an easy way to clean your wood floors? Steep a couple of tea bags in a couple of quarts of water until it cools to room temperature. Dip a micro fiber cleaning cloth into the tea and wring it out. Then using the two-hand method, rub the tea into the floor while immediately wiping it up with the other hand. The tea will cut right through dirt and build-up. This also works well on wood furniture.

4. If you want sparkly clean mirrors, turn to tea. Rub it into the surface of the glass and then squeegee your way to a stunning streak-free shine!

CNY Concrete Counters

Looking for some cool counters? A spectacular sink? Give my buddy Steve at CNY Concrete Counters a call - he rocked my powder room sink - he can build - or he can show you how in his DIY workshops! Check it out!

Snow?

We had snow in NY this past weekend! Are you ready? Did you know that a little cooking oil sprayed on your snow shovel will help keep the snow from sticking? It's true!

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!

Halloween Howl

Trick or treat! The trick is to follow a few simple ideas. The treat? A frightfully perfect pumpkin every time!

1. Looking for a super spooky jack-o-lantern? A few simple tools will make short work of it, an awl, an ice cream scoop, a melon baller, a drywall saw and of course a serrated knife!

2. Put down several layers of newspaper to protect your work surface, a table is a great choice because it's easier to scoop from above the pumpkin.

3. A drywall saw is a great tool for the rough cuts -like around the stem. It's pointed tip and heavy-duty teeth cut easily through that tough pumpkin shell. Just be careful when working with knives and saws.

4. Use an ice cream scoop to clean out the guts; it's designed to scoop through hard substance!

5. Use the awl to make starter holes so you end up with nice clean lines and corners.

6. A melon baller can help you with the final detailing.

7. Smear some petroleum jelly over the exposed pumpkin flesh, to help preserve it.

8. While you've got that petroleum jelly out, put a birthday candle in there and stick it in the pumpkin, the candle will burn safely for hours!

Happy Halloween!

Clever Cleaning Solutions!

Look around your home for tools to help you clean in ways that you hadn't thought of. I have some clever cleaning tools!

The majority of refrigerators today have glass shelves, which can present some unique cleaning problems. I found the solution one day when I was cleaning my windows. A scrubber/squeegee. Use the scrubby side with some white vinegar and water to clean the shelves and the squeegee to dry them to a streak free shine! This also works on the walls of your refrigerator.

Can a hairdryer help you clean? Sure if you need to clean up spilled wax, from walls floors or wood furniture. Just aim your hairdryer set on low at the marks just enough to soften them up. Then, use a credit card to gently scrape away as much as you can. Follow up with a white cloth dipped in white vinegar to remove the waxy residue.

Clever ideas for cleaning up around the house!

I'm going to be on "Living Today" on Martha Stewart Living Radio

This coming Monday - October 17th - Tune into Living Today on Martha Stewart Radio. I will be one of their guests!

"Living Today" is where lifestyles and pop culture collide, blending the freshest ways of learning something new with the latest pulse of the world around us. "Living Today" zooms into what's happening right now with the world's lifestyle experts.

Listen to "Living Today" live on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1 to 4 p.m. ET and on Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. ET. On Sirius XM 110.

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Cleaning Mini-Blinds

Does it seem that no matter how hard you try to keep those mini blinds clean, the dust is back the next day. Well, I have a great tip to clean those blinds and keep the dust away longer.

1. Put the white glove test to work! Pull on a pair of cotton gloves and put your fingers in between the slats of the blinds. Run your hand back and forth along the slats. The glove will catch the dust and whisk it away. (If the blinds are dirty use that same glove but dip your hand in some soapy water before you start).

2. To keep the dust away, grab a dryer sheet. Dampen the sheet with some water and run it along the blinds. The reason the blinds get so dirty is because dust is attracted by static in the blinds and the dryer sheet eliminates it.

Candle with Care

If you love candles as much as I do, you probably have them all over your house, but keeping those decorative candles looking great can be tricky. Here are some ideas.

1. If you have a candle holder with a spike, you've probably cracked a candle or two. An easy way to prevent that is to heat up a pointed nail. Hold it with some pliers over a flame for a minute or so. Then use the hot nail to push a pilot hole into the bottom of the candle. This way when you put the candle on the spike it is less likely to crack!

2. If you drop a candle and it breaks, try submerging it in hot water just long enough to soften up the wax. Push the pieces back together and use your finger to smooth out the seam. This will also help you straighten out candles that have become warped in the sun or the heat.

3. If your decorative candles are dusty, try wiping them off with a cloth dipped in some rubbing alcohol. It takes off dust and dirt so your candles look like new.

Workshop Helpers!

There are alternative uses for just about anything; here are some ideas that will help you in the workshop.

1. Wooden Popsicle sticks are indispensable. I use them to stir or mix small amounts of paint and epoxy, to spread putty and smooth caulk. I also use them to pad the jaws of clamps so they don't mar the surface of my projects.

2. Inexpensive make-up brushes, which you can pick up at any drugstore, can be used for spreading glue, cleaning out small crevices and adding texture to paint techniques.

3. Blocks of green craft foam, that come about ten to a package, can be used on your work surface to hold pencils, utility knives, small tools and drill bits

4. Clean out old nail polish bottles and use a medicine dropper to fill them with small amounts of paint. Mark the bottles and you have an instant touch up bottle and brush for any room in the house.

5. Gutter brackets will easily corral extension cords so they are out of your way and you don't trip on them.

6. Muffin tins hold a variety of small items and keep them organized while you work.

Cleaning Copper

Have your copper bottom pots seen better days? Don't fret. It's an easy thing to fix. I can get them sparkling like never before.

1. Cut a fresh lemon in half and spin it around in some salt.

2. Use the lemon as a scrubber; all you have to do is rub the surface. The lemon juice and salt working together will dissolve the tarnish. You may have to spend a few minutes to get all the spots clean but not nearly the time and hassle as it would take to polish with a regular type polishes.

3. Rinse it off under water! This little trick also works on brass, like these candlesticks.

4. Another easy way to clean copper or brass is to make mix a tablespoon each of flour, salt and vinegar, work it into a nice paste.

5. Use a soft cloth like a cotton diaper to rub the paste into the brass.