Handy Homemaker Tips & Tricks VIII

Here are 10 more easy {and budget friendly} tips and tricks for all you homemakers out there!

 via

1.   Store your cupcake liners in mason jars

 via 

 2. Soak your knives in lemon juice {for a few minutes} then scrub with a sponge to remove rust.

 via 

3. Clean ceiling fan blades with old pillow cases {the dust stays inside the case}.

 4. Fluff your pillows {and kill germs} by placing them in the dryer with a couple of tennis balls. 

 

 via 

5. Glue a rock to the top of a prescription bottle and bury the bottle to hide a spare key.

 

6. Keep a dish scrubber in the shower filled with a mixture of half vinegar, and half Dawn dish soap. Use it to wipe down the shower while you are in there to keep it clean.

 via

7. Kill fire ant mounds by pouring 2 cups of CLUB SODA directly in the center of the mound. The carbon dioxide in the water is heavier than air and displaces oxygen which suffocates the queen and the other ants. The whole colony will be dead within about two days. Each mound must be treated individually and a one liter bottle of club soda will kill 2 to 3 mounds. 

 via 

8. Use an upside down command hook to hang a wreath on a cabinet door.

 via

9. Remove hard water stains by wrapping vinegar soaked paper towels around faucet for an hour. Remove and gently scrub. 

 via

 

10. Clean and shine stainless steel by mixing 1 Tbsp Cream of Tarter with a few drops of water. Rub the milk-like solution onto the appliance. Scrub with a sponge and wipe clean with a damp paper towel.

Previous tips & tricks posts:
Handy Homemaker Tips & Tricks 
Handy Homemaker Tips & Tricks II
Handy Homemaker Tips & Tricks III

Handy Homemaker Tips & Tricks IV

Handy Homemaker Tips & Tricks V

Handy Homemaker Tips & Tricks VI

Handy Homemaker Tips & Tricks VII

Apple Cider Champagne Cocktail

Matt and I spent a second weekend in a row working on our {current} house. It is amazing how much work goes in to putting your house on the market. Lots of painting, fixing and cleaning. Whew! We are tired!

So after a full day of working on the house, we decided to reward ourselves with a delicious steak dinner and a new fall cocktail - Apple Cider Champagne.

Apple Cider Champagne

Ingredients

1 bottle chilled champagne

½ cup peach schnapps

2 ½ cups fresh apple cider

2 honeycrisp apples, chopped

2 freshly sliced pears

3 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a large pitcher, add the apples, pears, cloves, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg. Slowly add the champagne, cider and peach schnapps and stir gently. Refrigerate for several hours {or preferably overnight} before serving.

When you're ready to serve, strain the cider champagne. On a small plate, blend the sugar and cinnamon. Moisten the rims of wine glasses and dip in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Fill the glasses with ice and slowly pour in your cocktail.

We definitely went through the whole pitcher. Whoops.

Pumpkin Carving Party

Can you believe we are just 9 days away from Halloween?! Matt and I picked up our costumes over the weekend and I am so excited about them. So in the spirit of Halloween, I have some pictures from the pumpkin carving party we attended last week!

L-R: 1. My go-to fall party appetizer – Pumpkin Dip! 2. Cute banner 3. Carving tools 4. Pumpkin carving in process 5. Our pumpkin!

{The Finalists!}

The WINNER! Is this not the cutest pumpkin ever?!

What are you doing for Halloween this year? And what are you dressing up as?!