One has to know about the little things just to make one's creature comforts more enjoyable that have always fascinated me. Through the years, I have cut out blurbs from the newspapers and magazines that tell me how life, with a little effort, can be made easier.

Helpful Hints

1. Bees bothering you? Spray them with hairspray and they will take a quick dive. Just be careful that you don't miss one of them or they will be back with the rest of their colony.
   
   
2. Sealed envelope - Put it in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap, it will open easily. The envelope can then be resealed and no one will ever know that you were snooping into their mail.
   
   
3. Use an empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to. This one hint has immeasurable value.
   
   
4. For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze. But it didn't prevent me from taking one my nastiest falls ever.
   
   
5. Are your kids leaving Crayon marks on all your walls? This works wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. The marks come off with little effort (elbow grease that is!). The last time my two boys did that, they were grounded for a week!
   
   
6. Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) Use a rubbing alcohol soaked paper towel to wipe it off. Oh, how I hate that! It seems the stores have a hate/love attitude for their customers when they mark their merchandise that way!
   
   
7. Take a box of SOS Pads and cut each pad into halves. This saves you from having to throw away rusted, unused, smelly pads. It's a much more economical usage of a necessary, expensive scouring pad. A box of SOS pads can last a lot longer that way and your scissors will be sharpened as an added bonus!
   
   
8. Opening brand new jars can be a feat in itself, especially for older people. Instead of banging the cap of a jar of jam, pickles, etc. with a heavy knife handle until it loosens up, simply reach into your catchall drawer and pull out the handy nutcracker. It adjusts to the size of the jar and a good twist pops the lid! But I would amend that by using instead the heavy elastic bands that packers use to hold bunches of broccoli together.
   
   
9. Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry, just pour a little peroxide onto a soft cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. It works every time! However, I wouldn't advise that you use this method to clean up a crime scene!
   
   
10. Use vertical strokes when washing windowpanes outside and horizontal strokes for the inside of the pane. This way you don't have to continuously run inside and outside to tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar on a soft cloth will get outside windows clean. Wipe them with fresh newspaper. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
    
    
11. Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent when the light is turned on. Of course, it goes without saying that you should do that when your lights are turned off.
    
    
12. Place a fabric softener sheet in each of your dresser drawers. It will make your clothes smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen.
    
    
13. Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.
    
    
14. To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into 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! This hint is my favorite. I can't tell you how many times I've actually washed mine in ammonia and water -- they were never the same afterwards.
    
    

EDITOR'S NOTE:
If you have a nugget or a nothing, or both that you would like to submit to this feature, please do. Contact him on site; http://www.4pointspress.com or direct your email to the Editor.