Check the files

Official organisations keep files about everything, without ever checking if they are right.

Do it yourself.

Make it a habit to check files after main events, and maybe every one or two years.
Take care old stuff is removed.

International events

Isn't it nice to know which events are special to your friends?

There are calendars available with lists of special international events.
Check if those of your friends are on there too, and write the names on the date.

So you can congratulate your friend spontaneously.

I bet your friends like that.

hygiene in your fridge: defrosting meat.

Some people have the habit to defrost meat in the fridge.
It's ofcourse better than in normal air, but I for myself like meat fresh. When I want to freeze something I cut the meat in pieces, so I can put it in the pan and bake it without a long defrosting time in which I give bacteria the time of their life.

Packages with fresh meat and defrosting meat can leak.
So always put them in a box or on a plate at the bottom of the fridge, so no leaked liquid can infect the other items.

Groceries in order

Most people put new groceries in front of older items.

Make it a habit to put new things behind the other ones, whether it's handcream, hair shampoo or peanutbutter.

That way you'll have the slightest chance of using a product and having to throw away an item of the same products because it's past its date.

Care for friends

Do you have friends with preferences for food and drinks?
Friends with allergies?
Or who love to watch a special program at TV, and you don't mind when they do that at your place too?

Write it down and hang the list at the inner side of one of the doors of the kitchen cabinets.

Works perfect!

pencils

Some furniture shops allow people to use a pencil to make notes during shopping.
Take a cap of a nose spray bottle to cover the tip and take a pensil with you in your bag.
That way you'll always be able to make notes without the risk of ink destroying your lovely bag.

A new bag?

Do you have a new bag?

See if it's water resistant and otherwise spray it.

When it's for groceries, put a layer of kitchen paper in it, so when something is leaking, the muck is caught.

Stuffed nose?

Nosesprays are getting more expensive each year, so why not try something that works for other people?

The inuit and people from iceland don't use sprays or drops.
They just push their noses in the snow or in cold water.

It's worth a try.

buttons

Save the buttons from clothes that can't be recycled.

Children love to play with them, they come in handy when you need a button, and you can make jewelry with them.
Some buttons can even be used in dollshouses.

against dandruff

Snow on your coat during summer is a sign of dandruff.

I have some advies, but use it on a day that you don't have appointments.

Take an union and slice it to half.
Rub it on your head and hair and give the skin of your head an extra massage with it.

Leave it about half an hour and then wash your hear with a soft shampoo.

Tip for newborn moms

When a baby is born the skin of the baby is covered in a whitish fat.

A midwife told me that it's the best handcreme ever.

She's right.

remove candle wax

Candle wax can be removed from clothes when you keep it alone to get cold first.
Then put the fabric in the freezer.
After that you can peel it off.

Any rests can go away by using toiletpaper between the fabric and a hot iron.

Be aware that not all fabric can deal with ironing.

Cleaning the pavement

My grandmother used to clean the pavement every week during summer.
Just a brush, or some water and soap and a brush.

But the first cleaning in spring was special.

She would take vinegar and some washing up liquid, shake it a few times and then sprayed it over the pavement before a dry night.
A few days later the green had become brown and we could brush it away without too much effort.

My mother wanted us to remove moss with a knife, but it always came back soon, unless she was away and I could use my grams solution.

I still use it, also on walls with algae.

Take your inhaler with you

Many people with asthma have an inhaler.
It's looks very nice in the medicine cabinet, but it should be in your bag, coat or something else that's always with you.

Especially people in Europe should take their inhaler and other lung medication with them is the WHO advice.

So don't forget!

chairs and space

When you don't have much space you need to be creative with chairs.

Ofcourse you can use the folding ones, but when floorspace is the problem why not use the walls.

I've visted a swedish families some years ago and they had the chairs high against the wall in the hall.
When not used they were used as shelves to put away hats and such, and if needed they were taken down.

Keep mushrooms fresh

Don't keep mushrooms in aluminiumfoil, because they'll get black.

It's best to use them immediately, or make soup.

But when you have to keep them, use the original package or plastic kitchen foil.
They'll last 2 to 3 days.

Never keep them at the same place as unions, garlic and smelly herbs, because mushrooms take over the smell.

Bread bowl and left overs

When you have left overs and expect visitors you can use the leftovers without them ever knowing.

Buy a round bread.

Get the top off and the inner part out, so you're left with a bowl and a lid.

Fill the bread with the left over...for instance spinach and potatoes, and add what you like, cheese for instance.

Heat it in the over and serve.

Frozen vegetables are healthier than fresh

British research has shown that most frozen vegetables contain more vitamins as fresh vegetables bought in the shops.
This is due to the fact that it takes a longer time for the vegetables to reach the shop than the factory.

Don't cook the vegetables too long, otherwise the positive difference is lost.

Asparagus

It's asparagus time again.

When you buy them don't go for the thick ones, but take the long thin ones, which feel soft at the bottom end. (Use a fingernail, but don't let the shop owner see that).

You only have to peel the harder parts.

Then cook them in some salty water and use a very large spoon to lift them out of the water.

Spread pieces of ham and boiled egg over them and ate like that.

Yummy!!!!

important phone numbers

When something happens to someone finding the phone numbers of the family and familyphycisian is sometimes a hard job.

Make a list and hang it on the fridge, beside the entrance door or stick it to the phone.

That way people won't have to go through your addressbooks and other stuff.

Add the place where you're keeping your insurance papers and things are even more perfect.

A longer life for soap

Soap disappears while using it.
But it disappears faster when it's soft.

So you need to put soap at a place where it can lose the extra water and dry out, not in a soapdisk without holes in the bottom.

Do you know that putting a beerlid in the back of the soap lifts it enough from the surface to dry?

Have a try.

Against a stuffed nose

It's the season of stuffed noses again.

Many people know that water with a tiny bit of salt in a nose-spray helps against the swelling and enables better breathing.

But you can also use eucalyptusleaves in steamy water.

And don't forget a sliced union beside your bed.

You are bored?

Often I hear people are bored.

I don't understand why.

There's so much going on in nature, so many people in need of attention, so many things to read on internet.

Why not bake a cake and bring it to someone?
I'm sure baking a cake is fun and takes time, and the visit to deliver the cake will take time too.

Or put a call for a job on the supermarket board.
Maybe someone can use some help to clean an attick, prepare the garden for spring, or getting children from school.

I'm sure you'll find something.
Unless you say bored to being lazy.

Free museum weekend

In The Netherlands it's free museum weekend, which means you can visit a museum for free.

It's a great way to have a quick look at the local museum, or at a large national one.

When there are too many people it shouldn't be a problem, because you can see if it's well worth to come back and pay for entrance.
Don't forget to ask when they're open and when they expect the least people.

That way you'll be able to get the full experience at a quiet time.

ask for a diploma

When people turn to a professional they're almost never asking for proof of their expertise.

In the past docotrs used to hang their diploma's on the wall, but as many places are multifunctional the diplomas are kept away.

Ask..., ask..., ask...!

You have the right to get the best care.
So get the best care.

It's your own responsibility.

generating traffic to your blog

There are many ways to get traffic to your blog.
What worked best for me was and is Adgitize.

You can earn points each day by writing a post and by clicking on sites.
The maximum is 100 sites a day, but when you pay you only have to drop 50.

I was very hesitant to pay $14 for a month, but friends told me I would earn it back and they were right.
Until now I've earned it back every month.
In fact I even earned a bit more. Some months just 65 cents, other monhts a few dollars.

But I got lots of visits to my site.

Try it for yourself.

Join by using the graphic in the sidebar under "join here", or by clicking this one.




See you there!

flowers and narcissus

Flowers are wonderful additions to your house, but you have to treat them well.

Narcissus for instance need a special treatment.
Cut the branch with a sharp knife and put the flower in a vase apart from other flowers.
The slimy substance that comes from the stem is toxic for other flowers.

After a few hours you can clean the stem and put these flowers beside others.

painful mouth after eating pineapple?

Some people experience intolerance symptoms after eating pineapple.
A painful mouth is the main symptom in most.

Do you know that this is caused by enzymes which become inactive when you heat the pineapple?

Keep your couch as new

To keep your couch as new it's not enough to prevent stains.

Leather couches need a clean with a damp cloth now and then and faint spots can be treated with leather oil. Never use too much.

Fabric couches accumulate dust, si it's important to vacuum them regularly.
Most vaccuums have a special mouth to do so.
Give special attention to the corners.

Smelly spots do well with a rinse with a cloth with a few drops of vinegar.

Freezing eggs

Happy easter.

When you've bought too many eggs you can bake cookies, cake etc, or freeze them.

You have to remove the shells first,
mix the eggs very well,
and put them in small boxes, icecubes, small bags, to freeze them as fast as possible.

They can be kept there for about a year.

Before use, put them in the fridge to defrost.

But it's always better to use the eggs for tasty food.

Easter and sharing

Do you know that in some religions easter is the festivity of sharing?
Eggs and bread are left in the church for those who need it, and everyone can leave his share and take his share.

We all wish you a happy easter!!

March topdroppers

Thank you very much topdroppers.

Ofcourse other visitors, commentors and droppers are appreciated too.

These are our march topdroppers.

My gypsygoods
Funky Town Disco Music
Winesworld The Amateurs Wine Guide
The Way I See It
The Third Uncle
Guitarbench.com
Ruth's Creations
Blogotemplates
I Love-Hate America
The Sewing Mom

Autism Awareness Month

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Today the autism awareness month has started.

Some countries pay attention to autism all month, others have decided to dedicate a special week to autism and others have decided to follow the appeal of the United Nations to name april 2 autism awareness day.

As many countries have sites which list events, I have to ask you to go to the sites of your own country.

When you want more information please pay a visit to the new site of Action for Autism here.

The Dutch part of the site will follow soon.

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