Simple Solutions that Haven't Gone Viral (as far as I know)

December 7, 2020



I just saw an article where somebody was all excited to discover that it makes more sense to string your Christmas tree lights vertically than around the tree. Sometimes I would do that, when I didn’t feel like fooling around with wrapping them, but my fellow tree-decorator didn’t approve on the grounds that it was lazy. (And it is. But not annoying, which is more important.)


The thing is, we all do things out of sheer common sense, then somebody else goes viral with it, and suddenly it’s a big production. So let me tell you some other ways to make your life easier, so you don’t have to wait for somebody else to figure it out:



1. Instead of paint stirrers, use a plastic cooking spoon that’s shaped like the old-fashioned wooden spoons. They come in sets for about $2.00, so you can use whatever size works for the size of the paint can. Not only is it easier to stir the paint with them, but they clean easily and are re-usable.

2. If you’re wearing a long-sleeved shirt when you brush your teeth or wash your face, water may run down your arms and either get the sleeves wet or go under the sleeves and get your arm wet. Wear those wide hair scrunchies around your wrists to catch the water. $1.00 at the Dollar Tree.

3. If you have bushes planted in a rock garden, cleaning up the trimmings can be a nightmare. Buy a couple of cheap hairdresser capes ($2.50 each) and put them around the bushes to catch whatever falls when you trim. Then just empty the “bib” into the trash, and put it with the trimming shears for next time.

4. Thread a string or ribbon through the spring in a clothespin and tie it to your oven door. You can hang dishtowels from the clothespins.

5. Put a magnetic chip clip on your dishwasher, and write “Clean” on one side of a piece of paper and “Dirty” on the other; switch sides as needed. (I make my signs seasonal: Christmas tree, spring flower, etc.) Or

    5a. Put the dishwashing pill into the detergent compartment and close it. If the compartment is still closed, the dishes are dirty. If it’s opened, the dishwasher has been run. (This one came from my sister-in-law.)

6. If you like good artwork, check out the stamps at the post office. There are mini-frames that you can use to display them. Perfect for your desk. (Tip: Most of the stamps look better against the yellow envelopes than the white ones.)

7. Cardboard boxes make great standing desks; they’re inexpensive, and easy to set up on your regular desk top. Just take the box off the desk when you’re ready to sit down again.

8. When I was pregnant, it got to be hard to see my feet, or bend over to get shoes from the closet floor. So I put a tall cardboard box in the closet and put my shoes on it. No more bending over to grab the shoes.

9. I hate taping for painting, so for small jobs I grab a flat piece of cardboard and hold it at an angle to protect the wall or floor while I paint baseboards.

10. Decorate the Christmas tree from the bottom up. It’s easier to keep ornaments out of each other’s way.

11. Practicing martial arts kicks is easier when you have something to connect with. Our old friend the tall cardboard box is great for this.