Sandpaper In The Closet? 2 Great Uses For Sandpaper

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Last night I was sorting and organizing and purging our closet.  What a great feeling to accomplish, but you really have to be in the mood for a project like that!

Happily, I was and it ended up being a very beneficial hour spent.  There is now a large pile of clothing that we are going to be donating.  Hooray!  I even managed to transfer the winter clothing to the tippy top shelves of the closet and bring down the summer clothing.

One of the problems I have in the closet is that sometimes dresses or shirts with a rounded neckline tend to slip off the hangers.  This drives me crazy!  Do you know what I mean?

I saw something in The Old House magazine that I am going to try in an effort to combat this slip and slide off phenomenon!

Photo credit: This Old House

Photo credit: This Old House

Using scraps of sandpaper they glued it to the top of a wood hanger.  They show it working well for jackets too, which is a good idea.  Obviously my entire closet isn’t going to have hangers like this, but it would be useful to have about 10 of them!  I am putting this on my “things to do” project list!

Another interesting use for sandpaper they noted in the article was to use it to scuff up the bottoms of new leather soled shoes.  Use a heavy grit (rough) sandpaper for this task.  This will help you have better traction with the new shoes and prevent slips and falls.

Sandpaper in the closet, who knew?

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How To Disinfect Your Purse & Keep It Clean and Free of Germs

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When you have a handbag you like you want to keep it looking it’s best for as long as possible, right?  Even when you take great care with the purse they have a way of picking up unwanted spots and worse yet – germs!

carlos_falchi

Hundreds of purse bottoms have been tested by microbiologists and a level of bacteria was discovered on every bag they tested. Every one!
These bacteria types include pseudomona, staphylococccus aureus, E. coli, and salmonella. One test we read about stated that four out of five purses tested positive for salmonella.

Most of the time a handbag will carry germs on the bottom of the bag.  This makes sense  because if you think about where we set the bag it does come in contact with oodles of yucky areas.  The counter at the gas station, the floor of the car, the shopping cart at the store, the door of a public restroom (please don’t tell us you ever set your purse on the floor in a restroom … eeew!), your locker at the gym, etc.

What is the best way to keep your handbag free from germs?  Make sure you think before you plunk it down.  At a restaurant always put your handbag on another chair seat or hang it from your chair.  Do not sit it on the floor.  When you come home leave your bag at the door so you don’t track any germs that may be hitching a ride through your home.

And how should you disinfect your present bag?  It depends on the kind of handbag you own.

Plastic or vinyl bags:

This is the easiest type of bag to keep germ free;  just wipe the bag with a disinfecting wipe.

Leather bags:

Ah, a bit more tricky.  You can use alcohol free wipes on some leathers, but you will want to test an inconspicuous spot on the bag first to be sure this won’t leave a stain or a dark mark on the leather.

Cotton bags:

Most bags that are made of all cotton or a cotton blend can be laundered which is nice.  Hot water will kill the most germs but you may find it fades your bag so be careful!  If in doubt you may want to place it in the freezer instead overnight (be sure it is empty) which will kill most germs.

It is important to remember that it is not just the outside of your bag that may be germ ridden too.  Things inside should also be wiped down with disinfecting wipes including your wallet (who knows what is on the money you handle!), your cosmetics, your keys, etc.  And toss out anything that you do not need any longer.

 

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Reasons To Have Your Broken Shoes Fixed

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Shoes broken?  Fix them!

Have you ever had a pair of your favorite shoes or boots break and you look at them and think that if it wasn’t for that one issue they would still be perfectly OK.  We have too, and especially when you are dealing with something like a broken heel or worn sole it may be to your benefit to have the shoes repaired instead of tossing them out.

A shoe cobbler is a person that specializes in repairing shoes.  They used to make shoes as well but today their main focus is repair.  This is a very old profession and you may not even know if your town has a cobbler.  Just do a simple search in your yellow pages or on Google to find one.

kors boots

In the past a single pair of well made shoes could last for years and years;  they would be resoled and repaired during their lifetime by the cobbler.

If you have purchased an expensive pair of shoes, a high quality pair of shoes then it makes sense to have them repaired instead of replacing them.  Shoe repairs are reasonably priced.  A recent heel repair cost us a low $7 – and the shoes are perfectly fine now.  Sure, you could replace the shoes with an inexpensive pair but the quality would not be the same.

Repairing shoes is a smart way to make your expensive footwear last longer and it also keeps shoes out of the landfill so you are being eco friendly as well.  So next time you find yourself with a broken heel or worn sole on a favorite pair of shoes, stop by your local cobbler shoe repair shop and you will be pleasantly surprised.

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Why It Is Important To Clean Your Dryer’s Lint Filter & Hot To Instructions

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The other day we told you how important it is to clean your washer because 60% of all washers are contaminated with bacteria.  Gross, right?

It is equally important to take care of your clothes dryer.  Proper maintenance of the dryer adds several benefits to your clothing, your electrical usage as well as adds to the life of the appliance.

When you lint filter is clogged your dryer works harder, wastes energy and drys clothing slower.  The lint often finds another path, bypassing the full lint filter and settling in the dryer’s vent line.  This prevents air flow even more, causing more problems that can lead to your dryer overheating or blowing a thermal fuse.  Either of these issues will require a service call from an appliance repair technician and will probably run you about $200!

Ouch.

You can avoid this expensive lesson by simply cleaning your lint filter after each load of laundry that you dry.  You will notice that some loads produce hardly any lint while others fill the filter quite full.  If you have not been very diligent with keeping a clean filter you should take the time to clean the air vent line on the dryer.  This is simple, but does require you to pull out the dryer to gain access to the vent line.  You can find specific instructions here as well as at Family Handyman.

Photo credit of Family Handyman

Photo credit of Family Handyman

It is also a good idea to vacuum behind your dryer frequently to remove any loose lint that can be a fire hazard.

Finally, if you use dryer sheets you should wash your lint filter with soap every six months; dryer sheets leave behind an invisible film that can block airflow in the filter.

 

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How to Clean Your Washer – 60% Are Contaminated With Bacteria

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When we think of our washer and dryer we tend to think they must be on of the cleanest things around, right?  Soap goes in and gets swooshed around and then into the dryer go the clean clothing pieces to wipe that clean too…..or so we thought.

According to AllYou.com, 60% of washers are contaminated with bacteria!  Eeek!

Washing-Machine

Thinks like underwear and rags can harbor bacteria that detergent alone does not kill.  Kitchen towels can be breeding lands for germs including salmonella.  If you are laundering these items with other clothing in water that isn’t hot enough to kill the germs you could be spreading them to your other clothing.  Yuck.

Here are a couple of tips to clean your washer:

  • The only way to kill the above mentioned germs is with hot water (140 to 150 degrees) and bleach.  Wash a load of whites in hot water and add chlorine bleach to sanitize the washing machine and zap the germs.
  • Every month run an empty cycle with hot water and bleach to sanitize the tub, basin and inner crevices.   This is like a double layer of germ protection!
  • Wash underwear and bath towels together, without other items, to prevent cross contaminating your clothing.  Use hot water and non chlorine bleach.
  • Kitchen towels should not be washed with any other clothing (except maybe household rags if you wish).  Use hot water and non chlorine bleach.
  • If you have to use a public laundry facility, be sure and use the hottest water you can and use bleach.
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Clever Closet Organization Tips

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Are you dealing with a closet that is overflowing?  Do you sometimes wonder how you accumulated all that “stuff”?  We know the feeling!

Once you have decided to tackle your closet delimma the first step is to go through everything (yes, everything) and decide what items you want to keep and what items it is time to let go of.  Place those items in a bag and take them to your nearest thrift store donation center.  You can find your closest Salvation Army location or Goodwill location and they will be happy to take your unwanted items.  They will also give you a receipt and you may be able to take the donation as a tax deduction (check with your accountant).

Once you sort and organize your closet you are going to be dealing with the issue of putting it all back, neatly and in an organized fashion.  We have gathered some tips and tricks that you may find useful.  Feel free to check out our Pinterest board on closet organization and to Pin your own ideas too!

  • Don’t forget the door!  The back or front of the door is a wide open spot that can be put to work holding shoes and accessories.  Pick up a sturdy shoe holder that hooks onto the top of the door and easily have access to your shoes.  This also frees up floor space.  If you buy the kind of rack that has pockets, it works well for storing scarves, underwear,etc.  Here is a picture of what we are talking about.
  • If you pile clothing in folded stacks on shelves, be sure and use some sort of divider or container.  Without something to keep the stack upright they may just topple over and create a big mess.  Dividers can be found on eBay and on Amazon

shelf_dividers

  • Add a bar!  Most closets have just one hanging rod & this is a huge space waster!  If you add a second rod you can use it to hang your pants or shirts.  It is easy to install one of these add-on rods too.  You can find these online, or at places like Container Store or Home Depot.
  • Think outside of the box!  We purchased a wire rack with pull out drawers from IKEA in their bathroom decor area.  We use this not in the bathroom but in the closet to store our socks and underware.  It was inexpensive and looks great.  Often times you can utilize a storage unit that was intended for another area of the home in the closet.
  • Get creative with accessory storage.  We wrote about this previously here, but we have also come across some really great ideas that we have posted to our Pinterest board here.  These scarf holder racks are awesome and can hold oodles of scarves or belts.  ikea_scarf  We hope these tips are helpful to you and we also help you find the joy of having a well organized closet!

 

 

 

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Merry Christmas – May it be Magic!

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It’s hard for us to believe that the day has arrived, Dec. 25th, 2012.  In reflection it seems to creep up on us every year no matter how much advance planning we do.  That is OK, because we believe.  We believe in the magic of this holiday season, in giving and giving and giving some more.  We believe in kindness and hope and faith.  We believe that love and family and friends are the best gifts of all.

As you enjoy this magical holiday time of year with your family and or your friends, know that we are sending our biggest wishes out to you.  Thank you for being a part of our every day, a part of our circle of magic – we wouldn’t be the same without you.

Merry Christmas!

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New QVC Arrivals – Sport Savvy 3 Piece Outfit & BCBGeneration Cardigan

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We are in the midst of opening boxes and boxes of new inventory including new items from QVC!  Hooray, right?

We just wanted to share with you highlights from this shipment including:

This amazing 3 piece Sport Savvy outfit that has arrived:

And this adorable BCBGenerations cardigan:

And the Quacker Factory shirt with embellishments:

View all our QVC clothing here – and remember we love complimentary shipping!  No code required, it’s offered on 99% of our listings.

Happy shopping!

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Spruce Up Your Old Sweaters – How To Get Rid Of Sweater Pilling

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It’s chilly here in Michigan, the summer clothing has been put away and our fall/winter garb is now on the closet shelves.

While reorganizing the closets Kelli came across some sweaters that she still loves, but that have begun to pill up.  Has this happened to you?  Argh!  Usually it happens most around the underarm area, the tummy and the bottom of the sweater’s sleeves.  Those areas must take the most amount of wear as we move around and if your sweater fibers are prone to pilling, this is where you’ll find it.

Having a problem with sweater pills is not a huge issue and there are some really easy ways you can use to eliminate most of the pilling and probably get at least one more season of wear out of your favorite knit sweater!

  • Use a razor to shave off the pills.  Lay the sweater flat on a table and slightly stretch the pilled area with one hand.  (Kelli finds that if she uses her torso to hold the sweater and 1 hand to tug on it, a nice flat surface develops).  Using a disposable shaver, swipe with some force along the pilled area.  Every couple of swipes remove the pills that are attached to the sweater.

Photo credit: The Burlap Bag

 

  • Use a pumice stone to gently rub the sweater, holding it taught as described above, to remove any pills.  They should come off & you can brush them away with your hand or a lightweight brush.

 

  • Sturdy tape, like packing tape, can remove some of the pills as well if you stick it to them and pull off quickly.  This can be a bit time consuming, but if you are worried about taking a razor or a pumice stone to the sweater it may be a good alternative.
  • While we have not tried it, we have heard of some people using a fine comb to remove sweater pilling.

We hope this helps you rejuvenate that favorite sweater  you have.  After all, that just leaves more money for shopping for other items, right?

Happy shopping!  Hop on over to Dream-Adventures & see all of our designer sweaters, just in case you can’t be bothered cleaning up your existing ones!

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Kirks Folly Divine Diva Halloween Cuff Bracelet – Glittery Sparkles For a Beautiful Witch

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Do you enjoy Halloween?  Are you one of those people that decorate your home like crazy with ghosts and goblins?  It’s amazing how popular Halloween has become and designers are taking notice.  If you love Halloween you will most likely love jewelry to celebrate the holiday as well!

Kirks Folly jewelry has always offered some delightful Halloween pieces and the Divine Diva cuff bracelet is once again one of the most popular this season.

You can buy the Kirks Folly Divine Diva cuff bracelet here, and enjoy complimentary Priority Mail shipping!

We are authorized Kirks Folly dealers and all of our items are 100% authentic guaranteed.

Happy shopping!

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