Tips and Tricks: Series

Normally as I am laying down to go to sleep a ZILLION things are running through my head. Point is, they are normally pretty random things. In order to remain sane I usually reach over, grab my cell, and type in my random thought for me to remember later. The other night I COULD NOT SLEEP at all...booo.... and had an idea for a blog series. I will be featuring random Tips and Tricks entries. These tips and hints will not have any relation to one another usually and will be quite...well...RANDOM...enjoy.

Feel free to add a comment leaving your own Tip or Trick we should know!

Home and Car

1. To remove candle wax from the floor grab a paper towel and a hot iron. Put the paper towel over candle wax and 'blot' the hot iron onto the paper towel. The candle wax will melt and adhere to the paper towel. You may have to wipe off the iron a time or two and it normally takes several 'blots' to get it all out. Don't ask how I learned this...
   
2. When you buy a new comforter and it is really limp and not fluffy...throw it in the dryer with a bunch of tennis balls. It will plump right up! (My brother told me this one!)
3. The Sleep Timer on the TV is a great invention. Saves energy!
   
4. Keep a quart sized ziplock bag (or larger) in your car in the door panel or front console. Now whenever you have a tag, paper, wrapper, napkin, trash..whatever...you can just throw it in the mini bag. I used to keep a walmart bag but it looked a hot mess and made my car look trashier. Now I just pack my trash as it comes in the little bag and throw it out at the end of the week. No mess!
5. Use a hanger to hang your long necklaces. DulceCandy87 (youtube) has a great video where she hangs all of her necklackes on thumbtacks on her wall. You can get a trusty hanger..find some space on the closet door or in your closet and hang em..keeps them tangle free!
6. THIS ONE IS GROSS: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE put down the toilet seat before your flush. Feces remnants can spew yards! Do not store makeup in the bathroom and keep a toothbrush cover on your toothbrush.

Health and Skincare

1. I used to get really bored at the gym and would end up dragging my feet when I was supposed to be getting my cardio on...UNTIL...my favorite personal trainer (my line sister) suggested I break down my 45 min cardio session into three 15 minute intervals. Get pumped for those 15 min and switch machines. I do the eliptical, treadmill, and stationary bike and workout twice as hard now!
2. BE GENTLE. This goes for skin, hair, and nails. Lightly rub in your moisturizer, toner, or whatever you use..your fingertips should barely graze your skin. There should be a light layer left on your face...it will absorb on its own. Of course don't go walking out the house with a whole glob of stuff on your face! Treat your hair like a fine grade of silk! You would be surprised how rough we can be with ourselves.
3. DON'T FORGET THE NECK! Ladies..when applying your moisturiser please do not forget the neck! Especially during the day when you should be using SPF. Once the neck gets messed up there is very little you can do to fix it!
4. Use a t-shirt to dry your hair instead of a towel...especially if you have curly hair. It is much gentler and will cause less frizz!
5. Sleep masks are a wonderful invention. When you sleep the mask covers your eyes and blocks out all light...which leads to a better nights sleep. I started wearing one after I had my son...and I sleep much better nowadays (except for the night I wrote all these out..lol
   

Makeup

1. Broke an eyeshadow? Dropped a blush and it cracked into a billion pieces? DON'T THROW IT OUT! Instead..make that formerly pressed eyeshadow a pigment. Make that blush into a faux 'mineralized' blush. Find an empty 5 gram or gram jar (check the travel sized section in walmart heath and beauty) and put the remains of your makeup in it...scraps..dust..bits and all...then take the back of makeup brush and crunch it into even finer pieces..viola..!
2. Use your products in various ways! Don't stop using something just because it may not suit you (ie, blush too light for your complexion, etc.). Try using and applying your products in a variety of ways before you give up on it. Transform it into something else (ie, that too light blush might be a great highlight or eyeshadow).
3. Everyday items can be put to use greatly in the makeup world! Contact solution is a great mixing medium for pigments, milk of magnesia is a great face primer, etc. I will list a bunch of these on future posts. In fact, I will probably do a video on it because I know of so many!
   
4. Pat your shadows onto your eyes...don't swipe (unless you are blending)! The colors pop better and stand out then if they are just 'brushed on'.

Mommy World

1. Kids HATE taking antibiotics (at least mine does)...even if they are flavored. A good trick is to put it in a syringe (no needle of course..just the tubing), place it in the side of their mouth, and squirt a bit in. As soon as it is in the mouth..BLOW IN THEIR FACE! Not too hard...but hard enough to make them jump a bit which will make them swallow. Repeat until the entire teaspoon or amount is done.
   

My favorite Tip:
DO YOUR RESEARCH! I always do my research on anything I am interested in. Before I buy a product or try something out..I google it, youtube it, ask about it, read reviews, read articles etc. The last thing I want to do is waste my time or money with something that is not going to work for me. Obviously, word of mouth and research doesn't always work..and sometimes I am left with bogus products or tips that did not help...or made things worse. Such is life...when it doubt..look it up and take a risk!