How can I freshen up my silk ties?

Problem: I work in a position that requires that I wear ties to work everyday. I have a lot of ties but find myself buying new ones constantly because after some wear they always get dull and flat. What can I do?

Solution: Page 9 of Elementary My Dear Watkins suggests that you wrap a damp towel around your iron and set it on the highest setting. Wave the iron back and forth closely over the tie but don't actually touch it. This will bring it to it's original form!

Fun Freebie

In a recent comment, Jess mentioned that she and I met at a conference and that one of my little Shout packets got a stain out of her blouse. I remember you, Jess, and our lovely dinnertime conversation. But funny you should mention it...

I'm rearranging my office and trying to clear things out and I just ran across one last bag of Shout wipes attached to a bookmark advertising the Smart Chick Mystery series. I thought I had given them all out about a year ago, but this last little bag was hiding from me.

So if anyone else would like one of these bookmarks/Shout wipes, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (no extra postage necessary) to:

Mindy Clark
PO Box 38
Dresher, PA 19025

and I'll send one to you. Make sure that somewhere in or on the envelope you write the word "Shout" so I'll know what you want. Looks like there's about 100 left, so I guess I should qualify this by saying "while supplies last". But not to worry--if you send me an envelope and I have no more of these, I'll send you another one of my little freebies: a packet of Creole seasoning (to get you in the southern spicy mood to read Whispers of the Bayou!)

Hope to hear from you soon!

Chewie did it again... knocked his water bowl over!

Jo's dog Chewie had a habit of turning over his water bowl in his excitement over being outside.

On page 256 of The Trouble With Tulip Joe had a great idea. She found an old bundt pan and filled it with water. She brought it out onto the grass, grabbed a wooden stake from her tomato plants and drove it into the ground right in the center hole of the pan.

What a great idea!

My roasted chicken always seems to dry out! What can I do?

Page 221 in The Trouble with Tulip suggests that you stuff an apple inside the chicken before you roast it. It makes the chicken much more moist.

Then you can toss it when you take the chicken out of the oven.

Additional note: this works for turkeys too.

Help! My batteries corroded in my calculator and now it won't work!

Page 215 from The Trouble with Tulip recommends using fine sandpaper or an emery board to scrape off the corrosion and then wipe out the inside of the battery compartment with a dry paper towel. Beware, if the corrosion is significant, you may not be able to save the appliance.

My driveway looks messy from all the stains and brown splotches. Is there anything I can do?

Over time driveways can collect all kinds of stains. Page 179 in The Trouble With Tulip has some great ideas to remove these marks.

Step One - Wet down the stains with a hose and then, believe it or not, sprinkle them with lemon Kool-Aid! Cover them with plastic, let them soak for about fifteen minutes and then scrub with a brush and rinse. The stains should be gone.

But,if they're not -

Step Two - Get some oven cleaner, spray it on kind of heavily, let it sit for fifteen and then rinse.

Good luck!

How do I get grass stains out of my clothes?

Removing grass stains can be difficult. Page 175 from The Trouble with Tulip has some suggestions that really work!

1. Try dabbing the stains with rubbing alcohol.
2. If that doesn't work, try sponging on white vinegar.
3. If that doesn't work, try rubbing in toothpaste.

Launder as usual but don't dry the clothes until the grass stains have been completely removed, lest you set the stains.

On to the refrigerator - how can I clean the rubber tracks around my refrigerator door?

Page 117 from The Trouble With Tulip recommends putting a wet soapy washcloth over a butter knife to clean the rubber tracks. Just run the covered knife in the grooves and the goop comes out.

What is the safest way to clean the inside of my car windows?

Page 81 of The Trouble With Tulip indicates that the biggest mistake people make when cleaning the inside of their car windows is to use store-bought glass cleaners because they're ammonia based. The ammonia can dry out the plastic, rubber and vinyl around the glass. A better cleaner is eight parts vinegar to one part water. It works just as well but doesn't hurt the lining.

How can I remove those little scratches in the plastic on my dashboard?

Page 81 from The Trouble With Tulip suggests that you rub some baby oil directly onto the pastic. Voila! The scratches disappear!

How can I keep the inside of my car looking new?

The next few entries will focus on ways to keep the inside of your car looking like new.

Page 81 from The Trouble With Tulip recommends using saddle soap and a damp sponge to clean your leather seats. This will keep the leather clean and shiny!

Stay tuned for more ideas!

What is an easy way to clean my miniblinds?

Page 26 from The Trouble With Tulip suggests that you find a pair of old socks and fill a small bucket with your favorite cleaning solution mixed with water. Put the socks on your hands and dip your right hand in the solution and run it along a slat, fingers on top and thumb along the bottom. Then use your left hand to dry, running it along each slat the opposite way. Wipe, dry, wipe, dry. You can work your way down the blinds with little effort!

What is a natural way to deodorize my refrigerator?

Page 26 from The Trouble with Tulip suggests that you try cutting a few oranges in half - scooping out some of the pulp and filling the shells with salt.

Note: Place them in a small low edge container to keep them from rolling over and creating a mess.

How do I prevent water from dripping through my hanging plants?

Page 25 of The Trouble With Tulip suggests that you put a shower cap under the plants when you water them. Once you're sure they're no longer dripping you can remove the cap.

Help! I need a heating pad but can't find mine.

From page 25 of The Trouble with Tulip. Try filling a clean sock with rice and securing the ends with sturdy knot. Place it in the microwave first for a brief time and it will serve as a portable heating pad!