Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

You know that little bag of magnet rocks you bought at the science museum that seemed so cool at the time, but you promptly forgot about? Go dig it out of whatever cold, dark corner it's hiding in. Those magnet rocks make awesome fridge magnets. They hold better than any of my "real" fridge magnets. Plus, they look really cool on your fridge.

Bonus tip: Check if your front door is magnetic. This was one of the most awesome discoveries in our apartment. It basically triples our "refrigerator door" space!

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

If it smells like poop in a hot car after traveling, look for that sippy cup you put milk in. Do it quick before it explodes!

(Submitted by Scatterbrained Homemaker)

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

If the kefir is ready, but you don’t feel like straining it right now, just stick it in the fridge. This halts the culturing process without hurting the grains, and you can neglect the kefir for a little bit longer without it becoming too potent to consume. Put it in front of something you use daily, though, like the Brita pitcher, so you don’t forget about it for too long.

(If I need to halt my kefir for more than a day, I put it in the fridge right after adding the grains to fresh milk. You can leave it for up to a week this way.)

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

If you don’t have time to clean the whole kitchen, at least stack all the dirty dishes together on one section of counter, and clean the empty counter. Half a clean counter looks cleaner than a half-clean counter.

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

Remember those dirty dishes I told you to go ahead and put in a cardboard box in the backyard a month ago? Yeah, that's what I thought. Go bring them inside. Now, before you forget again.

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

Put a hamper in every room where dirty laundry tends to get dropped on the floor. Bedrooms and bathrooms are obvious choices, but consider a small hamper (or basket) near the couch in the living room, where socks get stripped off, or in the kitchen for dirty towels.

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

Don't own anything irreplaceable.

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

Babyproofing is annoying and time-consuming. I recommend passive resignation as an alternative. Move deadly hazards, like chemicals, and fragile things, like glassware, to top shelves. Then, just let the baby play with whatever is in the cabinets she can reach. Potatoes and pots and pans are the best toys, anyhow.

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

Light fixtures with multiple bulbs just give you that many more opportunities to put off replacing burnt-out bulbs. Four bulbs is almost as bright as five, and three bulbs is almost as bright as four. And really, two bulbs uses so much less energy than five - I'm not being lazy, I'm saving the planet!

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

Keep a stack of red party cups in your cabinet in front of the glasses, with a Sharpie for labeling tucked right inside the top cup.

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

Hate breaking down cardboard recycling? Just give a box to your kid and let them have at it. Before you know it that box will be more than broken down!

(Submitted by Trish)

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

While the kids are taking their bath, pre-treat today's stained clothes in the bathroom sink. You're just sitting there supervising, you might as well be productive.

*Note: I realize that this almost qualifies as a Good Housewife Tip. I almost didn't post it, but then I remembered that the children of Good Housewives don't get stained clothes in the first place.