Real Simple's 101 Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things
Jon over at Happy Mundane blogged about the latest issue of Real Simple magazine and I agree with him on every point - the issue was solid. I loved the blue theme throughout, and those colorful maps folded into various objects introducing each section was another high point for me. I only wish I had access to each one of those 'map' pages without the text, I'd frame the series for my office in a second. Outside of making a visual impact, there's a great read from Real Simple that I really liked, and it's online, 101 Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things. Check it out, there are a lot of great tips in there - including Q tips!
Here are a few unexpected ways to use a few items around the house:
Sheets: Dress up a bathroom. To replace a plain vinyl shower curtain, attach 16 clip-on drapery rings to one edge of a sheet, then slide it onto a shower-curtain rod. Back it with a waterproof plastic liner.
Sheets: Move furniture. Place a sheet underneath heavy furniture to protect floors and make repositioning easier.
Tie Rack: Avoid necklace-untangling nightmares. Sort, organize, and display beads and chains on the pegs of a horizontally mounted tie rack. Many wooden versions have hooks about an inch apart and can separate dozens of necklaces with no overlap.
Here's one that gave me a good laugh because, although I'm sure it works, I can't imagine actually doing this.
Pillowcase: Make lettuce last longer. After shaking off excess water from just-washed greens, place them in a clean cotton pillowcase. Pat dry and put the whole thing in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. The moist cotton will keep the lettuce fresh longer than a plastic bag alone.
I don't know, I think opening my fridge to a head in a pillowcase would freak me out just a little... (smile).
(images from real simple)