Just Randomness Giveaway #3

For many, many years I have used diaper pins to pin socks together. Each member of our family had their own color of pins. No more lost socks and no more finding and folding socks! I use diaper pins because they do not rust like safety pins. They are getting a little harder to find in stores. I have seen them on amazon with bright colors.

@instiches One of the ways we kept socks straight was on boy wore crew socks, my husband socks were grey Hanes, and the other boy wore ankle socks. We had no way to keep the girls socks straight as they were many colors. I wore white No Nonsense socks. When I wore them I could see the words No Nonsense and it was a nice reminder that my kids should behave.

This is not my tip, just a comment on yours.

I've always cleaned my diamond engagement ring with a solution of warm water (almost hot) and dish soap. I soak it for about 20 to 40 minutes, then I gently brush the diamond with a very soft toothbrush, and then I rinse it under warm running water. If needed, I repeat. I hope this tip is helpful to you.

A strong enough magnet in any bag makes the bag hang from any metal surface. Like the fridge. I used to put the kids lunch bags on the fridge with everything non perishable in it. All they had to do was grab the bag, add the cold stuff and run.

Now, I use the bags on the sides of my file cabinets in my office at mama's. I have the lists for hosting in one, mall to go to the post in another (since my mail man doesn't pick up here if he doesn't have a delivery...ugh!) My meds in a third. The other 3 bags don't have a purpose yet. Thinking of installing a metal panel in the RV to continue this once I'm all healed and back in my little home.

If we give happiness to others, we will end up happy ;)

If your scissors are getting dull, cut some sheets of aluminum foil to sharpen them right up.

If your coffee pot has a stain, fill it with 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water, boiling the stain will rise right off.

If you have a pain but no icyhot, use Vick vaporub, it works just as good.

Tip: Use dental floss to cut a sheet cake.

Tip: Using dryer sheets to wipe down window frames and baseboards works wonders (or at least in my experience).

Thanks for the opportunity at another wonderful giveaway :)

As an artist painting with acrylics and suffer from hand pain, I had a hard time cleaning my hands til I found a hand wash with sugar scrub or sand like granules to scrub hands quickly and cleanly! A life saver, Bath and Body sold it and Im sure you can find them online or at stores.

Tip: If you have a small room like I do, invest in some wall storage. It's cute and functional. Shelves, command hooks, etc keep floor space free but allow you to display and store your items. You're also less likely to forget what you have, since it's hung up in front of you and not buried in a box.

Being a renester, life gets hectic sometimes and it’s not unusual for clothes to not get folded and seldom do I iron like I used to. I now mix together 1 cap ( or a little less if concentrated ) of liquid fabric softener and water in a spray bottle and I spray clothes and let dry to get the wrinkles out.

I love MR CLEAN Magic Erasers. They are great for housework but the one thing I really love to use then on is shoes!!! Whether it is a grass stain on a golf shoe or rubber mark on patent leather, these sponges are terrific! Just dampen, squeeze out extra water and wipe!!!! Wonderful.

Always smile. I do and it seems to lift my spirits and others too. And sometimes people ask why are you smiling and it can be fun to say just because

When in an argument, act as if you're being recorded. This will prevent you from saying stupid things you don't mean.

Heres a household tip i use, i dont buy chip bag clips. I use binder clips ( office supplies ). They hold tighter in my opinion.

Also, heres a clothes tip :To keep your buttons in place, simply paint a bit of clear nail polish over the threads. My mother always did this!

I will send my partner a little something

I've been learning how to meditate my way thru difficult conversations and situations. I usually avoid and escape.(Lol) But that's not the best approach. I'm learning to listen

I spend most of my day in an office and have added a desk plant, after I read that research suggests that plants in your workspace can improve productivity, increase your concentration and make you happier and less stressed.

Here's a tip for ridding your house of ants: Mix 1/2 C sugar, 1 1/2 Tbsp Borax, and 1.5 C warm water. Soak cotton balls in the mixture, and put them out near the mess of ants. The sugar attracts the ants, and they'll take the Borax with it back to their home

Life tip: sometimes you need to step back from a situation, take a breath, and think it over before making a decision or if you're in a verbal tiff with your partner, that way you won't say something you regret.

use dryer sheets pinned to yourself to prevent mosquito bites. always works for us plus u smell great esp if camping

Always SAVE any computer project you are working on before you close it out. Whether for work or for pleasure, you don't want to lose your hard work. This has happened to me a few times and it was heartbreaking to redo. If it is a VERY important document or file, SAVE it on another media, such as a flash drive, dropbox, etc. Do not save the back up copy on your computer. Your computer might burn out and then you have lost all copies. So save it somewhere else.

Life tip/time managment tip. I'm a horrible morning person lol. I always have my work stuff ready the night before. For example my lunch for the next day if I am not buying, my water bottles and I leave my work bag right out on the counter during the week. That way everything is right there and instead of having to prepare things in the morning I can just toss everything in my bag. I also have my clothes picked out for the week on the weekends. 5 outfits not necessarily in any particular day of the week order. Doing these things makes my mornings so much easier and easily gains me an extra 15 minutes or so to not rush around

Put a sticker with a fake PIN number on your debit card. That way, if you lose it and someone tries to use it more than 3 times the machine will eat the card.

I learned how to make my Basil stay fresh and yes this was an issue for me.

So I get the fresh cut basil in a plastic container from Trader Joe's. The stems are kind of short, but it still works. Trim the stems, and put all the basil I a container of water and then put a plastic bag, like a ziplock over top. It creates a green house and keeps the fresh. Leave on the counter do not refrigerate.

For chip bag closures, I use a piece of tape if I don’t have a binder clip handy.

Store your vital,personal info-bank info,passwords,etc... on paper somewhere safe and make sure it’s updated regularly. Don’t just store it in your phone and call it a day. Cause if something happens as to where you’re incapacitated, your family/friends have no way to access your personal info.

Also have several backups of important stuff and don’t store the backups in the same place,such as in a desk drawer. Have one in the desk drawer and another at the office in a locked drawer. I have an external hard drive that I use. I did use a usb flash drive but they can go bad and not work anymore.

I have 2 dogs. Whenever I have to give one of them medicine I hide it in a treat. I give both dogs a treat.... so that the one getting the medicine thinks he is just getting a treat..... otherwise he will run and hide away from me to be able to reach him.

Thanks for yet another awesome giveaway. My tip: need a letter opener? Got a paperclip? Unfold a regular paper clip and use the end to slide under a sealed envelope. Works perfectly!

Leave the magnet inside the candy tin box to use for pins. When you dropped or spill some pins you can hold the tin box and it will pick them up when you move around the floor.

To keep your car floor mats clean when it's raining or snowing lay a puppy pad down on each one and they will soak up the water from the bottom of your shoes keeping your floor mats clean and dry.

Also, I tend to use a lot of paper towels when I'm crafting. So after I wash my hands, the paper towels I use to dry them with are laid flat on the counter so the water can dry. Then I reuse them in my crafting.

a tip I found very helpful: in the laundry room keep 3 baskets. mark one whites,one dark, and brights. have your family use the appropriate basket for their dirty clothes. on wash day they are already sorted.

When doing chores I always try to have either music, a book on CD or an old radio program. Helps past the time. I also like to tackle big chores in steps, like organizing the pantry. Thanks so very much for doing this swap.

This may be one of those tips that everyone already knows but it’s one I use often. Use one of those clothes hangers that has clips to hang a cookbook or recipe and keep it out of the way (and clean) while cooking. Also, when heating up leftovers in the microwave, if you leave an open area in the middle of the pile of food (arrange the food in a sort of ring shape) it will heat much more evenly. Thanks!!

Before you get mad or assign blame, take a breath and ask your partner for his or her perspective.

Save envelopes from Junk mail~ I staple about 10 together and keep by your phone =add a Pen to take notes or numbers or messages.. and for clips to close food bags like veggies, Chips, Cookies etc use Clothes pins the pincher kind... you can also glue magnets on them to use on the Refrigerator to hold memos, coupons etc..

If you want to write a book (your life story or any type of book), then the best thing to do is sit down and write a little bit every day. Do NOT edit or look for the perfect word or phrase. Just write. Later, you will put on your 'Editing" hat and go to work to delete, spruce things up, etc. If you want you can do an outline first, but it's OK to just start writing and see where your thoughts take you. Once you've written and edited, then pay a real editor to go through it again. Good luck!

You can clean your make up brushes and get them.back to new, by soaking them in very warm melted coconut oil, rinse repeat, till clean. It will look like a mess for a few minutes till all the makeup residue comes out of the brush, it will come clean after several soaks and rinses.

Every day try to find an opportunity to do a simple kindness, let someone cut in, in traffic, hold a door,, let someone ahead, return a stray shopping cart or even just give a sad person a smile. Let a youngster in your family help you find an opening to get in your daily kindness, in this way, you are training them to do it too The benefits are plentiful.

To prevent accumulating dirt under your fingernails while you work in the garden, draw your fingernails across a bar of soap and you'll effectively seal the undersides of your nails so dirt can't collect beneath them. Then, after you've finished in the garden, use a nailbrush to remove the soap and your nails will be sparkling clean.

My tip. Dryer lint makes a GREAT fire starer. I get egg cartons from a local restaurant. I fill them with dryer lint, and melt down old candle stubs and pour a bit of wax on. They work really well and get a fire going in no time.

I have a fairly heavy die cutting machine I keep on the back of My desk (it’s pretty deep) so it’s out of the way. But pulling or lifting it forward to use it was hard. So I bought a sliding appliance tray which is meant to slide heavy kitchen appliances on your countertop. It will even roll right over papers on my desk! Problem solved!

Oh, BTW, I have a USA addy you can send to if I win. PLEASE DONT BAN ME!! Thank you

1. I keep a box of baking soda in my laundry room. If you have any tough odors to remove, such as forgetting a load of ash in the machine, or mildew smelling towels, add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the wash. If you have it, 1/2 cup white vinegar helps too.

2. If you own a die cutting machine to cut metal dies: As you would use paper, instead run your more intricate dies through a few times with a non-scented dryer sheet. It’s anti-static properties helps to so that your paper doesn’t get stuck in the die, and also helps to get those little bits to not stick as much to the die cut.

Use a paper lunch bag as a "mixing bowl" for your dry ingredients when baking. Whisk everything together, then use a corner of the bag as a pour spout to neatly pour into the wet ingredients. Just toss and you're done!

I love your tip, @divamagenta !!

My Tip.... NEVER trust a smiling dog :) My Gramma always told me to write the dates and who on the back of photos. <3 :)

Why buy sugar hand scrub? Mix together 1/2 cup sugar with a 1/4 cup coconut oil. You can add your favorite essential oil.

My tip is try and find anything free before you buy anything!!!! I do app coupons and regular coupons! And I try and find the lowest out of pocket for anything!! Have a great weekend!! 💜💜💜💜

I use USED coffee grounds and sugar and oil for a homemade scrub, It makes a mess in the shower though. Beware.

ALWAYS KEEP A JUG OF WHITE VINEGAR ON HAND. A spray bottle full of a white vinegar solution with water is the one of the best natural cleaning products out there, and it's often half of the price! I buy a gallon of Heinz Distilled White Vinegar and it takes me quite a long time to go through it, even though I use it almost every day.

I wash my produce in a white vinegar solution with warm water, I dump it down my garbage disposal to get rid of bad odors, and I even toss a cupful into the washing machine when I want to soften scratchy fabrics, like towels. White vinegar is one of those indispensable household hints that still seems to remain a secret.

Meditate - if you don't, you may not realize the benefits you could receive by doing it. Even if you only meditate for a few minutes before you go to sleep every night, you will find you go through your life with a bit more calm and understanding for yourself and those around you. Do not think of it as "clearing" your mind but as "focusing" your mind. If you want, you can start with affirmations like, "I am whole. I am happy. I have everything I need." Try it every day, five minutes, for one week.

You can remove marks on wood furniture using a walnut. Cut it in half and rub it into the scratch. Don’t have a walnut? Pecans, Brazil nuts and almonds all work fine. After you rub the nut across the furniture, rub the area with your fingers. This will help the oils from the nut soak into the surface of the wood. Buff it up with a cloth, and you’re set.

Here's a couple uses for Vicks Vapor Rub that I just learned:

Applying Vicks to your feet provides nighttime cough relief. Generously rub VapoRub all over your feet and cover them with socks. Within moments, your cough will subside and in the morning you should be cough-free

Rub VapoRub on your toenails if you suspect you have a fungus infection. Within days, the nail will turn dark which means that the Vicks is killing the fungus. As your toenail grows out, the dark part will grow off and you will have fungus-free feet. Keep applying the ointment over a period of two weeks to fully cleanse nail beds of any remaining bacteria.

My tip I have small feet if your shoes are a little big fill the toes with dryer sheets they don’t hurt your feet and they keep your shoes smelling good too.

I have two baskets that sit on our steps, one for each of my sons. Throughout the day as I find stuff that needs to go upstairs, I put it in their basket. They take it upstairs on their way to bed every night. It save a lot of trips up and down the stairs!

If I have to pull into a parking spot with my car, I try to back the car into the spot so that when I leave, I do not have to back up, I just drive forward & out of the spot. It is easier for me to see forward in front of me than what is in back of the car.

I use egg carton lids for organizers in my classroom and at home, mostly for writing/snailmail supplies - stickers, pens, etc. They stack and can be kept in a shoebox.

@momto8cats - You have to watch where you do it. Many parking lots in MI state "head in parking only" This is so your license plate shows (Mi only has a rear plate, no front one)

Crafty tips I use sometimes daily!

• to sharpen scissors easily cut sandpaper multiple times with them. To sharpen paper punches punch aluminum foil a couple times.

• use wax paper over your dies when cutting to make removing those tiny pieces easier

• and my fav since my daughter likes to "craft" to pick up spilt glitter use a lint roller

My favorite way to trim washi is using something hard and flat like a gift card or flat clear ruler - the way I can see exactly where exactly the washi will end and none gets wasted as extra because you can cut it directly from the roll!

Thank you for the giveaway! :)

1. Try to find you time at least once a month. A full day, half day, couple hours. Do something just for you. Relax, unwind, get your head straight, recoup, etc.

2. Date night!! At lest ounce s month engage in a date night (morning, afternoon, day, whatever) with your partner if you have one. Even if its just walking around barnes and nobles and getting a coffee. If no partner, call up a friend.

The best way to save money but still get iced coffee is to buy the cold brew Starbucks coffees. They are usually by the milk section. Add that and half and half and you’re good to go!

Now that it's summer, I buy fresh berries weekly. To help them last longer, I give them a little bath in water with a spoonful or so of white vinegar. Yummy! Thanks for another fun giveaway :D

Life Tip: everything will be ok in the end, if it's not ok, it's not the end.

And the winner is.....

jinxspinx

Congratulations! Your prize will go postal Thursday

Life tip: When you are speaking with someone a great way to make them feel heard is to repeat what they are saying to you in your own words. One of two things will happen A) they will agree with you and feel content to move on or hear your side now that you understand them or B) they will correct you and then give you an opportunity to actually understand them better. Sometimes when you are passionate it becomes easy to stop listening and just wait for your turn to speak and share your own opinion. This allows your conversations to so much more productive.

I had to move the date up by a day as I will not be available tomorrow.

I already have another box half full, so watch for another soon!

Congrats to jinxspinx. Thanks so very much institches for hosting.

Life tip and something I need to practice more often. Listen and think before you speak. I get caught up in the conversation so much that I sometimes interject when I should be listening and thinking things through before I speak. It also let's the speaker know you value what they have to say.

Heres a tip ... When making papercrafts with borders its always easier to glue before cutting