Now Here’s a Tip – October 12, 2021

#Middlebury

• Update window treatments to compensate for dropping temperatures. Trade your sheers for sturdy, draft-blocking panels.
• To easily get keys on a keychain, use a staple remover to create an opening to slip the keys on. It is very effective and will keep you from getting frustrated.
• When hammering a nail, try this save-your-finger trick: Use a clothespin to hold the nail steady, and then use your hammer to drive it in. Hammering into the wall? Push the nail through a strip of cardboard, and then hold the cardboard over the right spot. No more banged-up fingers or thumbs!
• “At a party, someone spilled a cup of red wine on one of my throw pillows. I love the pillow, since it is just the right size and really soft, but I could not get the stain out. So I covered it with a new fabric. I ended up doing all the assorted pillows in the same fabric, and it made a big change in the room. I wish I had done it sooner.” – I.F. in Pennsylvania
• Bringing some plants indoors? Use styrofoam packing peanuts in the bottom of pots when planting. They aren’t as heavy as rocks, but they do just as good a job. It makes the pots easier to move around should you need to.
• “For easy-cleanup pancakes, use a turkey baster to ‘squirt’ the batter in the griddle or skillet. No drips, and it usually results in a pretty good circle, too!” – A.J. in Florida

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