Hooked on Hooks!

Hooks come in handy and not just for fishing! I love hat hooks, coat hooks, towel hooks, etc... I have many traditional and several non-traditional hooks in my house. And since I love to share my ideas, here are the creative ways I use hooks...

Add a hook in the pantry for aprons & chips!

A hook just outside for the dog's lead

hooks in the garage

I added a hook to find my keys easier - I just clip and flip them in

hooking the curtain tie-backs--but wait, didn't have a hook so I used tacks!

Do you like hooks? There are so many uses! How do you hook?

M: Marriage

Happy Friday, everyone! Amanda (A.G.) Porter is back with her third and final post of the week and today she's talking about marriage. Give her a warm welcome and thank her for joining us this week as a guest!

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I was sitting with a group of kids, playing Apples to Apples. If you’ve never played it, it’s really a fun game. The concept is pretty easy. Everyone gets Red Apple Cards with an array of words on them and each person gets a turn being the judge of the Green Apples Cards, which have a Word on it. You use the Red Apple Cards in your hand to best describe that word.

This particular round the word was “Tough.” I looked at the cards in my hand and the only thing I had that was remotely close was “Gang Members.” I played it, figuring it would at least get a good laugh. Well, as the Red Apple Cards were read aloud, garnering giggles as they normally do, the last card was flipped over. The word on it was “Marriage.”

It hit me that this was coming from kids, the oldest one being 17 and the youngest being 14. They thought marriage was tough. I thought to myself, “What do they know about marriage?”

I almost opened my mouth to say something. The words were on the tip of my tongue. Then, for some reason, I stopped. I didn’t know these kids really. They were kids I had been with for the past three days, subbing for the Band Director of the school my stepson went to. Some of them I knew in passing, but others, I had just been able to recall their names.

I didn’t know what they saw at home. Maybe they came from blended families or perhaps single parent homes. Maybe they had both of their parents and they saw fights on a daily basis. Or, maybe their parents loved each other, but they saw through that veil that we, as parents, put up. The one we use to hide how hard it is to make marriage work.

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Thanks for that great take, Amanda! She brings up a great point. So many of us go to great lengths to show children and families only the best of our marriages, whether in an effort to spare them worry or keep them from jumping to conclusions, or simply because so many of us grew up learning that we don't wash our dirty laundry in public. But marriage is a team effort and even the happiest teams have occasional challenges. 

So it's your turn, dear readers - how open are you with your children in discussing your marriage? 

I Can't Live Without White Vinegar

The emergency supply cabinet for Really Real Housewives must include white distilled vinegar. I always have at least a gallon on hand. Why? Because it’s inexpensive, non-toxic, and can be used for lots of household chores. It also substitutes for things that I’m out of and am too lazy to go into town for. 

Got Gum in your carpet or on your upholstery? If you have kids, you just might. Put white vinegar on a sponge or on a cloth and apply it to that sticky mess. Let it soak a few minutes, the when it’s loosened, wipe it off. 

How about unwanted decals and bumper stickers? 

Got those, too? Spray them with full-strength white distilled vinegar and let it stay on for about an hour. You might have to repeat a couple of times, but while you’re waiting, read your romance novel or write it. 

Any haze on the inside of your windows? Here’s a number for a great window-washer . . .just kidding. While you’re waiting for those decals to shrivel, use some of that vinegar spray on those windows and they’ll sparkle.

How about too many cukes in next summer's garden? White vinegar to the rescue. Here's a quick recipe for white vinegar brine: 

• 1 cup White Vinegar 
• ½ cup water 
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• ½ tablespoon salt

I’d much rather grab my handy container of vinegar, than troll the cleaning supply aisle with a shopping cart. Just call me Lazy! But better yet call me Real.

C. Lee McKenzie

In Lee's writing, she takes on modern issues that today's teens face in their daily lives. Her first young adult novel, Sliding on the Edge, which dealt with cutting and suicide was published in 2009. Her second, titled The Princess of Las Pulgas, dealing with a family who loses everything and must rebuild their lives came out in 2010. Double Negative (2014) was her third young adult novel. Researching it turned her into a literacy advocate. Her fourth YA, Sudden Secrets came out in December 2014.

When she really wants to have fun, she writes middle grade books. Alligators Overhead was her first published book for readers age 8-12, and the sequel, The Great Time Lock Disaster, is now out.

Lee's website

Great big cookie thanks to Lee for helping add flavor and offer solutions for us housewives!

Being Cheap and Easy

Okay, not quite what I meant, but since I have your attention:

Here are 7 great ways to save money without sweating, or heavy breathing.

Money-Saving, Get-Lucky 7!

At Home:

1. Repurpose old clothes into rags. I probably buy less than four rolls of paper towels a year. Instead I have a "rag bag" of old clothes, sheets, and towels cut into squares I use for cleaning. They're cheap and usable over and over.

2. Rubbing alcohol to clean the bath. I get bottles of rubbing alcohol from the dollar store and put it in spray bottles for quick bathroom clean-ups. It's a disinfectant, so a quick shot on handles and door knobs assure me I'm in a germ free spot- and it cleans mirrors squeaky clean!

3. Save those grocery bags! I don't buy kitchen can liners. I have a grocery bag-sized garbage can under my sink, and I line it with the store bags. When it's full, I carry it to the curb, which gives me plenty of free exercise walking back and forth.

Online:

4. Don't buy today what you can get a coupon for tomorrow! Online shopping? Log into the site with your email address, put what you want in the cart, and then walk away. Usually withing twenty-four hours a coupon will arrive via email. Now, go and buy what's in your cart.

5. Got to buy it today? Do an internet search for the site you're buying from. Let's say you're buying jeans form American Eagle, before you buy, search "American Eagle Discounts". Groupon and Retail Me Not are two of my favorite spots for reliable discounts.

6. Ebates! Have you tried this? While online shopping, start at the Ebates site and put in what you need or the store you plan to shop at. If it's a participating store, all you do is follow the link provided, shop, then later get a check in the mail. You can even get more money back by referring friends, such as: Click this link (Ebates) and I get credit. Pretty sweet for me, right?

7. While shopping in stores, keep your internet-linked phone handy. Before making a purchase, scan the product bar code and look at competitors' prices. I needed a printer, so I went to Wal Mart, scanned the bar code (there is an app for that!), and found one listed cheaper at another retailer. I showed the cashier and got a price match.

There you go, how easy is that?