Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

Use Vis-à-Vis Wet Erase Markers to label leftovers. They write beautifully on glass (you'll recall that glass is one of the best fridge storage materials), and the ink comes right off with just a little water (and no scrubbing!).

Some other uses for Vis-à-Vis markers:
-leave messages directly on windows/mirrors/fridges/doors for your spouse or housemates
-leave reminders for yourself on things you need to clean (toilets, windows, etc)
-hang an empty picture frame and use it as a to-do list or menu or weekly schedule
-help a preschooler tell time by circling the number on the clock that the big hand will be pointing to when it's time to go
-draw mustaches on framed family portraits




Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the Vis-à-Vis marker company, and I didn't receive anything in exchange for writing this post. I just like this product.

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

Keep a disposable plastic spoon inside the Ovaltine container. That way, you don't have to dirty a new spoon every time you make chocolate milk. What's that, you say, you still need to dirty a spoon to stir? Not if you use a sippy cup! Just screw the lid on, put your finger over the spout, and shake!

Note: Putting your finger over the spout isn't technically necessary, but sometimes, shaking creates enough pressure to open the valve (especially if you are making warm chocolate milk), so it's a good precaution.

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

When demoting a worn-out shirt to the rag bag, cut it up. That way it won’t find its way mysteriously back into your husband’s shirt drawer. Depending on what sort of rags I am low on, I cut up new additions differently. If I think I might want to use it as a painting smock for an adult, I might cut the sleeves off (for a child, cut the back open top to bottom). If I need dusting cloths, I’ll cut it into small pieces, throwing away the hems and seams. If I’m not sure what I’ll need, because my rag bag is overflowing, I’ll cut straight across under the armpits, throwing out the top half and saving the biggest solid chunk of fabric for future use.

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

If you have a cookbook that won't lie flat (like the one that came with my bread machine), put a clear glass casserole dish on top of it to hold it open to your page.

Added bonus: If you spill ingredients while you are baking, they will land in the casserole dish, rather than in your recipe book.

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

Squash your toilet paper rolls into ovals when you hang them up. This slows down the unrolling and encourages people (especially little people) to use less paper. It's not going to stop your curious toddler from unrolling the whole roll, but it will slow down the "yank->whee!->yank->whee!" process, and it also adds a tell-tale clunking sound that serves as an "Uh oh, the baby is unrolling the toilet paper" alarm (which is slightly more effective than the usual "Hmm, the baby has been quiet for too long" alarm).

Crappy Housewife Tip of the Day

If you're struggling to clean gunk out of a groove, check to see if the item comes apart. I spent years being annoyed at a little gunk-accumulating groove in my hand blender, using all kinds of brushes and pointy objects to try to get in there, then one day I realized that the blade part screws right off. It's so much easier to clean, now!