This is a favored selection of time and money saving tips. Most of them are geared to country life and home.

• A sealed envelope – Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.
• Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.
• For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won’t refreeze.
• To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours Then take the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The wax will fall out.
• Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!).
• Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
• Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. Now a box of SOS pads last me indefinitely! I have also noticed that the scissors get ‘sharpened” this way!
• Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time!
• Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don’t wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
• Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen.
• Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least three hours prior to burning.
• To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!
• To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top.
• Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won’t be any stains.
• Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks. Also, place a paper towel in a zip lock baggie with the mushrooms, onions, lettuce, etc. The towel will absorb the moisture.
• When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn’s natural sweetness–or, you can cook it in a microwave–3 min. each ear.
• Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
• To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.
• Ants, ants, ants everywhere … Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
• Use air-freshener to clean mirrors.! It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
• When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.

Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer……..

• Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes,! brush a nd flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China.

• Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.
• Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.
• Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
• Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, and then run the hot water.

Country Living Tips is a post from: Country Living

If your area is prone to floods, you’ll want to prepare ahead so you and your family are as safe as possible should it happen to you.

With the extreme weather conditions that we are seeing today, everybody in our nations (USA as well as Canada) should be prepared for a state of emergency at all times. Strong tropical storms and hurricanes crossing our land often cause flooding, and that is what I’d like to talk about today. Flooding can happen even in areas that are not prone to it.

Top ten things to do to safeguard your home for flash floods:

1. Prevent water from entering your home – If you are expecting heavy rains or storms to hit your locality, particularly if you live in a flood-prone area, you should cover your doors and windows with metal sheets, sandbags, or plywood. You can also use silicone sealant to ensure that water will not enter your home.
2. Shut off your utilities – Turn off all your utilities; gas, electricity and water, at the mains. Also remember to unplug all your electrical appliances and store them high up, on the second floor even.
3. Be mindful of your appliances and furniture – Ensure that your furniture and appliances are kept in high areas or move what you can upstairs. If you do not have an upper floor, just raise such items off the floor on blocks or bricks. Remove carpets, curtains and even internal doors if possible. Store them all in high places to protect them.
4. Don’t forget your important papers, pictures and other personal items. If you can’t get them to an upper floor of your home, put them in sealed bags protected from water.
5. Stabilize all objects outside your house. Rakes, shovels and more should be put away since they can float away and pose danger to others.

More information for you about floods and your safety:

• Information is crucial during situations like these. Keep listening to the radio for announcements and updates.
• Cooperate fully with local authorities and emergency services. If they require you to evacuate, follow them without delay.
• Since electricity will almost certainly be unavailable, ensure you are fully prepared before night fall. It is much more difficult and unsafe to perform tasks or chores in the dark.
• Share any updated information you have with your neighbors, particularly the elderly. If you have room, offer to take them in or help them secure their own homes.
• Stay inside your house. Floodwater can kill, especially if it is raging. Do not attempt to go out. Rapid flowing water that is six inches high could knock you over. Two feet of water could make your car float away.
• Ensure your pets and cars are in a safe and secured location. Once you hear of a flood warning, get to and stay on the second floor of your home.
• There may be objects floating in the water, so do not attempt to swim through raging flood to rescue or retrieve them. You could be swept away, hurt, or knocked over by objects that are in the water.
• Floodwater may also be dirty and contaminated with sewage. I don’t need to tell you what swimming in sewage could do to you, do I?
• River bridges and riverbanks are dangerous places to be near or on during floods. Be sure to steer away from them if possible. There have been many cases where floodwater has destroyed or collapsed a bridge.

Preparation for A Flood is a post from: Country Living

Hundreds of people die every year because of fire-related incidents, especially during the winter and/or Christmas season. It is very important for us to be prepared for such emergencies. Each member of our family should know what to do in case of fire. More importantly, all of us need to know what to do to prevent the fire in the first place.

Planning Ahead for A Fire

One of the most important things that parents forget to teach their children is to prepare for an emergency such as fire. Even at a young age, children should already be taught how to prevent fire and what to do in case there is fire.

Fire drills have often been conducted in buildings and schools to help prepare building occupants and students in case of fire, so why can’t you have a fire drill in your home or at the least discuss strategies for escape, prevention, and warning other family members?

The first point of discussion is to check your house for possible fire exits. See if the windows and doors in your house are big and tall enough to be used as possible fire exits. Make a floor plan for each room, ensuring that there are at least two ways to get out of any room to escape fire. In making the floor plan, you need to include crucial details, such as stairs, windows and hallways.

After devising a floor plan, you should meet your children and discuss your fire escape plan. You should also make sure that your family has devised a way of warning other members of fire, such as bells, door tapping, etc. It would be best if each bedroom of your house has a flash light and a bell. Lastly, select a safe place outside the house where everyone will go after escaping the fire.

Preparing your Family for A House Fire

It is wise to act out your evacuation plan with the whole family. Teach your children how to stay close to the ground while escaping and is possible, let them memorize the way. Sometimes, the smoke caused by fire would make it very difficult to see the way, so it would really be wise if you and children know the way by heart.

You and your children should also know that during fire, you should feel the door first before opening it. You should not open the door if it is hot. Instead, find another way you could escape your room or house.

If the clothes of your children or any family member catch fire, tell them to fall to the ground and roll. This will help extinguish the fire.

Making Your House Safe from Fire

Make sure that emergency numbers are placed near telephones. Such numbers should always be accessible and visible so that you can call authorities immediately when a fire breaks out.

You should also ensure that smoke detectors are installed in key places in your house. Once smoke detectors are installed, you should check their batteries once in a while. Usually, the batteries of smoke detectors should be changed yearly.

Place fire extinguishers in key locations. If your house has several floors, ensure that there is at least one fire extinguisher per floor.

It would really be best if smoking is prohibited inside the house because many incidences of fire are caused by improperly discarded cigarettes. However, if smoking cannot be helped, make sure that nobody smokes in the bed. Furthermore, let everyone know how to properly discard cigarette butts.

No matter how many times you have taught your children that matches and lighters are dangerous, some will still play with them. Thus, it is advisable to keep all lighters and matches in places that your children cannot access. If possible, put them in locked drawers or cabinets.

Preparing Your Family For A Fire Emergency is a post from: Country Living

California isn’t the only place whose residents fret over earthquakes (rightly so). People in Mexico, Baguio (Philippines), Indonesia, Japan and other countries have also been victimized by strong earthquakes over the years.

Tragically most people are caught unaware and unprepared. This makes the disaster more disastrous.

Many people living in earthquake-prone areas of the world prefer to live each day as though it may be their last. That doesn’t mean however that the smart ones aren’t prepared for this emergency, just in case, with an escape plan, safety kit and training on emergency preparedness. All parents have a responsibility to teach how to deal with a crisis in every situation to their children.

Have on hand several gallons of water.

Create earthquake packs and emergency kits that contain first aid medicines and supplies as well as emergency ready made food packs.

Flashlights and batteries as well as candles.

If you’ve had any warning or premonition, take everything heavy on the wall of your home, off. It may fall and hurt someone in your family.

During an earthquake – seek refuge from tables that can protect a person from heavy objects that are falling. Some say you should go outside, to an open area that is without danger of falling trees, high rises and power cables.

If you are driving when an earthquake strikes, stay inside your car.

If inside a mall, make sure that yourself and everyone else is away from heavy shelves, plate windows and any other dangerous objects.

If inside a crowded theater or a sports stadium, never run for safety with the crowds. Hundreds of people have died being trampled by the crowds. Just duck under the seat and wait until the stampede clears up.

As stated above, a lot of people get hurt or die because of panic and failure to prepare. It is always helpful to have an emergency earthquake kit, a plan of action, and an escape route at all times.

Survival will always depend on how prepared a person is for emergencies. People who have not prepared for the worse case scenario are the ones who have the tendency to panic. Sad but true, in most cases, those who panic and lose mental clarity and focus become the first victims of any emergency.

Preparing for An Earthquake is a post from: Country Living

On the night of February 14th – both Valentine’s Day and our 5th Wedding Anniversay – our basement caught fire at around 2:30 am.

We all made it out – and this is not without it’s own very long story – except for my awesome orange tabby boy. He’d come to me as a kitten in a way that made me think he was a gift from God himself, that he was destined to grow old with me, so I’ve had a very hard time ‘settling’ the matter in my mind – that he is gone. Forever. I miss him more than I miss my childhood photos, more than I miss the jewelry handed down to me from my grandmother. More than anything.

But let’s get back on track…

In our corner of the country side we don’t have a fire department. When a house fire starts you either put it out yourself or you stand there and watch it burn. By the time we knew of the fire it was too late. We had about 6 minutes to get whatever we could out – and after the first 3 minutes you’re not thinking clearly anyway.

The smoke that gets in you doesn’t just fill your lungs, it screws with your head. In retrospect I never would have run back in for “just one more thing” after my daughter and dogs were out. With that said of course – where was my orange friend?

Popular online right now is a video about a fireman reviving a house cat after a fire. I can’t even bear to watch it, my own pain too great to be joyous for another’s triumph over a fire.

Our house burned for 4 days. Mostly because of the oil tank. There’s nothing like having a full tank of oil in your basement (especially at these prices) just to have it burn so slowly and waste.

Today we’re at ‘The Lake House‘ – a friend’s rental home just 40 miles from our own house. We’re trying to regroup as a family. Trying to discover our next plan of action. Trying to heal over our loss.

I’ll write more another day, but for now I just wanted you to know where I’ve been and why I haven’t written in so long.

Laura Childs

Country Fires Burning is a post from: Country Living

It began with freelancing, then consultation only for a select group of clients (most of them a spillover from my freelancing assignments), then business registration and creating my own mini-empire on the farm.

Yes, there was a spell in there (and secretly it always drove me a little nuts) when I’d work one-on-one with friends helping them to create hobby websites that they had no motivation to turn into a little income generator for themselves.

It’s sad really to see the knowledge inside of them that could have been put online to benefit others or to give them a second income – only to be lost to lack of motivation and discipline. Available time has nothing to do with it either since I know full well how many hours they spent in front of the idiot box every night or fretting about being late for their scrapbook meetings while their husbands slaved in the bush all day!

The relationships I didn’t mind developing website for were the ones built for friends who ‘got it’. They understood what an online presence could do for their offline business, that it was practically free advertising, that, if done correctly, could bring multiple repeat buyers into their stores every week.

I love those who have drive and determination to make a success out of themselves. It’s not that I loathe the non-driven person – in fact it is more that I grieve for them. They hate (or at best, tolerate) their jobs, their personal and meaningless ruts (like the ranting mother-in-law fretting over missing the most important appointment of her week – the scrapbook meeting!).

They hate or loathe the commute, leaving their children with baby sitters, and so on – but they can’t see that there’s a better way. Their way works for their friends, worked for their parents, works for their neighbors – but does it really? Does it really work if every one is simply tolerating or loathing their 40 hour a week existance?

Having my own online business for the past 9 years I’m well aware of the opportunities and growth potential, and the freedom that an online, semi-automated, business represents. I’m also well aware of the sacrifices in getting it going, keeping it going and sticking with it.

But lately, I’ve had an itch for a new type of business. One that’s not so secluded, one that involves a team where the entire lot doesn’t all fall on my shoulders anymore. Perhaps I’m getting tired but I think I’m just learning to work smarter as the years pass.

Oh, this business will still be internet related. And it will still focus on helping the business-minded (they’re my passion) and the ones who may not have the experience but definately have the drive. I’ve just got to find the time to get it off the ground.

I’ll also have to consider, before I begin, a smart exit plan that still supports the team even though I won’t physically be here – since one of my goals is to move 3 provinces away in the next year.

Starting Another Business? is a post from: Country Living

The year previous I had learned how to hard-code HTML and I was working for a few corporations based in Toronto while I tended the fields and animals by day, then edited and created web pages by night.

Looking back I think that’s what it takes for today’s woman to have a home based business – or at least to get a successful business off the ground and in the green. You have to pull two shifts. There is the daytime-you (doing all the things you need to do to survive) and the night-time-you (doing all the things you need to do to grow a business).

Sorry ladies, for most of us, that’s what it’s going to take. No television, minimal social life, and being dead tired until you make your first dollar. Somehow that first dollar of your own home based business is enough to keep you up for many more nights until more clients, sales, or commissions come in.

I certainly do know that I’m generalizing here and perhaps a little old-fashioned but remember I’m living in the country where traditional values still apply. Men work, come home, get fed, retire in front of the television. Women work, come home, make meals, do dishes, prepare for the next day, run a few loads of laundry, help the kids with homework, plus much more.

Women who don’t work outside of the home are still expected to do all their ‘traditional jobs’ even when they’re trying to get a business going.

Before I get flamed for this very sexist, very backwards way of life, let me just say that I have been shacked up, single, and married over the years. I’m also partly to blame for being taken advantage of because I can and will do it all – whatever is required.

When I first started my business I had a toddler to look after, a man to take care of, and a business to run. The day he told me he was going to throw my computer out of the window because I spent more time on it than with him was the last straw. The money I was making was paying the mortgage, putting food on the table, and paying his gas to get to his low paying job every day.

Shortly after this I became a single, work-at-home, mom. Suffice it to say life became a lot easier. I could look after the farm animals, grow our own food, pay all the bills, and eventually come to home school my daughter. Yes there were many nights I burnt the midnight oil and many weeks of being exhausted but I made it and my business is still running fine today – growing, in fact.

Ladies you’ll have a lot on your plate while you get your home based business up and running so you’ll want to make sure you’ve either ‘got it under the hood’ (if you don’t know what that means just ask any country woman) or you’ve got a great support system in place. There will be no room in your life for lazy, demanding and expectant men. And, if you can’t work from sun up until well after the sun’s down learning the ropes and getting your business systems in place, you’ll need enough money to see you through however long it takes to get your business running smoothly and in the black.

Please don’t be a stranger. If you need help, a safe place to vent, or some home based business advice I’m just an email away and I answer all serious questions – I have, in fact, for the last 8 years. You can leave your message in the comment below (if it’s sensitive I won’t publish it) which in turn sends me an email and I will likely reply within the week. As you can tell I’m not tied to my computer as much these days as I used to be.

Women and Home Based Business is a post from: Country Living

But when I was surfing online for ideas and inspiration there were a few ‘extras’ I’d hoped to pick up to make that garage even better. It’s probably no surprise to you then that I enjoy shopping in the country store – for the cheapest deals.

Sally – my expert on garage renos and excellent friend – asked me how I was paying for it all, since she’s never seen me actually work. Which brought me to an hour long discussion on what I actually do for a living – since there’s little chance farming is bringing in the extra money!

Making Money from Home

I started, hmmm, over 10 years ago now, freelancing online. Back when the internet was still a relative infant and before a person could pick up a lot of jobs here and there, just by surfing for them. By the way there’s an excellent guide to freelancing selling for just $7 here.

The truth is I seldom freelance anymore. Mostly I manage my websites and collect residuals from a business opportunity I’m involved in. I’ll tell you all about that some other day, but for the person who is interested in freelancing online for cash, I’ll continue the lesson…

Freelancing, at the time, allowed me the freedom to raise my daughter. As a single mom in a strange town I knew that finding a job, finding a babysitter and driving the wintry country roads here were not an option to a joyful life. I wanted to be my own boss, but I didn’t know what kind of business to start. I needed my own hours, but I didn’t know what to fill those hours with – that would pay.

For years I loved freelancing. I worked in my sweats and pyjamas, I could stop working and attend to my daughter when necessary, and after a few months at it, I started to set my own rates.

Is Freelancing from Home right for You?

Let’s be clear about one trap of freelancing that most people fall into. Being able to make your own hours does not mean loafing in front of the television all day – then trying to cram a few hours in at night when you’re too tired to think straight. It takes a lot of motivation and discipline to ensure you get hours of work done each day, or at least meet your deadline. Can you be your own boss? You bet you can, but you have to be tough on yourself. Don’t work, don’t get paid.

It all started when I decided I didn’t want to live and raise my daughter in downtown Toronto. Freelancing gave me the freedom to take off with her and live wherever. We came to rural Ontario, but in reality we could have gone anywhere. All that was needed was a phone, a computer, and an internet connection.

If you think this lifestyle might work for you, if you think you’d like to freelance from home, and if you think you can motivate yourself to complete the tasks assigned on time, at your own rate, you should consider it. However, do not quit your day job immediately and hope to make $10,000 next month. Better yet to start slow, work your way through to replacing your current salary and then make the decision to freelance full time. If you work hard for a few weeks at this it all happens rather quickly, so don’t be discouraged. Jobs online abound. The potential for great money is real. (Just please don’t get sucked into those envelope stuffing, survey-answering, jewelry-making, scams while you research this! Better if you just invest the $7 in yourself and pick up that freelancing ebook.)

The market for freelancers is growing in leaps and bounds.

Paying for the Renovations with Freelance Income

Do I need a little extra cash to buy the extras I want for my garage? Yes I do and I’ll earn it with a freelance assignment and have the money in hand next week. It’s freedom beyond imagination. It is, in my opinion, the only ‘fun’ way to ‘work’.

Paying for Renos with Freelance Jobs is a post from: Country Living

There are so many add-on features that can be picked up quite cheap that will make your renovation extra special. For example if you’re short on wall space (because you’re using every available inch for storage) you can buy a mounting device for your opener that attaches to the ceiling.

Another nice, and cheap extra, is the stop light for your interior. This helps with backing-in, and parking within the garage – especially at night. Easy to install and helps with parking cars and trucks – comes one when motion sensors are triggered.

Although we had originally planned on storiing our bicycles on the peg boards, hooks specifically made for bicycles are much nicer and easier on your bikes.

Finally, I found a number of ‘overhead’ options for storage. Which – even though we ended throwing out/donating a lot of our seldom used items – we might be looking into as an option to reduce clutter.

Extras You Might Want in Your New Garage is a post from: Country Living

If you’ve been here before you know that we’re remodeling the inside of our garage (after a short tantrum about not being able to get the bikes out on our one day off this summer!)

And we’d managed to stay within a reasonable budget, until…

I started looking at our nearly, neatly, organized garage space with pride. Then I saw the doors and realized there was no sense putting all that work into the inside when the outside was so frightful! Did we have the money? Well we could, if we re-allocated next month’s budget ‘creatively’.

The garage doors on this old farmhouse aren’t exactly matching the rest of the house exterior – which is why they’re bothering me so much. Almost an eyesore, the entire thing looks like it was an afterthought – or a “make-do until” jobs.

Considering that garage doors are full frontal view of the rest of the house, they really do make a difference in the entire appearance. What’s the use in working so hard on the rest of the frontage but having cheap and generic garage doors?

Personally I think those carriage-style doors would fit the look of our house. Carriage doors look as though they open like the antique doors in carriage houses of days gone by, but the new ones actually open just like a normal, or 20th century, garage door. Since we’ve got horses it fits right in with the old horse and buggy era. Plus they come in wood and wood grain.

I was back online before I knew it. Researching how to build these doors ourselves, trim to fit, or how much for custom made carriage-style garage doors. Google served up a link to Home Depot again – Find Do-it-Yourself design, décor, and home improvements at HomeDepot.

I found all sorts to choose from and we certainly could afford these!

Garage Door Features

Garage doors are ordered by the type of the chain system they use. You can order screw-drive, chain drive, or computer controlled.

• The screw drive door has a mechanism that moves the door along the length of a steel rod mounted in your garage ceiling.
• The chain drive garage door has a chain that moves the door along a pair of tracks. This is probably the most common one and one that you’ve definitely seen before. It’s also very noisy, but if you’re only opening and closing the garage a few times per week, who cares?
• The computer drive system is the most expensive and most advanced. It doesn’t require screws or chains to operate and the entire system body is mounted above the garage door.

Apparently there are other considerations. Such as speed and power required to operate the doors. A faster open is more expensive, but it still closes slowly (for safety reasons). Safety is a key consideration when selecting garage doors and they all have them. Computerized systems prevent the door from closing on people by reversing it’s direction if it bumps into a solid object. This feature is triggered by an electronic beam.

The power and size of the motor is another ordering decision to make. Large motors might last longer.

Finally we’d have to choose which security features we required – especially so for computer run garage doors. In these doors a random code is sent to the computer via remote control. This changes every time it’s used. Security codes prevent your system from opening someone else’s door. (Not something we need to worry about here in the country!)

These computerized systems come with a fixed keypad controller, mounted on the garage’s inside wall (or out if you prefer) so you can open the door even without your remote control unit.

Not wanting to make a decision today, I added the doors I liked most to my favorites on HomeDepot and decided to sleep on it for a few days.

Our Garage Doors is a post from: Country Living