Tuesday Tip: Honor a Vet!

If there’s one thing Southerners are known for, it’s their hospitality. If there’s a second thing we’re known for, it’s our patriotism.

So this week’s Tuesday Tip is something that can bring a smile to our Veteran’s (and a smile to our own)! Who doesn’t love the feeling you get when you do something nice for someone? It relieves stress, warms your heart, and doesn’t make the other person feel too bad either.

So today, on this day before Veteran’s Day, where we take the time to honor our Veteran’s, and think about so many others who have risked, and daily risk their lives and their freedoms to give us ours, why not spend a few minutes baking up a batch of your favorite cookies, make up a batch of your best homemade soup, or those last blooms from your garden and taking them to a nearby military base (call ahead and see what the requirements are for getting a visitor’s pass), Vet’s hospital or shelter, or even to a fire station. Just honor someone in our community who serves us while we think about those who sacrifice so much so we can have the freedoms we enjoy every day. And if you’re lucky enough to know a current service member (love you, honey!), make sure you do something extra special for him or her.

Warm a Veteran’s heart. And your own!

Tuesday Tip: Applesauce = Healthy Trick

Mmm… there’s nothing better than baking up a nice fresh batch of [insert your favorite baked goodie here]. But most of those [favorite goodies] aren’t usually that low in fat.

You can cut down, or entirely omit the inevitable butter in your recipe by substituting applesauce. Play around with the proportions in your [favorite Southern recipe], but a good rule of thumb is no more than one tablespoon per cup of flour.

Tuesday Tip: Car Dealer Extras

If you’re in the market to buy a new car, think long and hard before getting swept away with extra dealer add-ons. If they come straight from the factory, installed options such as stereos, cruise control, or sunroofs are great, but instead, take your new ride to a specialty shop to get the work done for half the cost, and probably a whole lot better.

Tuesday Tip: Faux Flower Arrangement

Fresh flowers are expensive. But so beautiful and often worth their price if you’re decorating for a party or event. But if you are on a tight flower budget, you can use real leaves and fake flowers. If you select your faux flowers carefully you can pull it off.

Tuesday Tip: Appliance Redux

Admit it, every family has, somewhere stored deep within the basement-turned-rec-room an avocado shade refrigerator. It otherwise runs well, but is just not the color of your new, modern kitchen.

Well, lament no more! Have your old appliances repainted at an auto body shop. This finish will hold up great on appliances, if it can on your car, and it looks great. Best of all — so much cheaper than a new one!

Tuesday Tip: Fitted Sheets

Have you ever found yourself fighting to fold a fitted sheet? They are beasts to fold and half the time they probably end up in wrinkled mess in your closet. Even worse, when you are ready to use them, they need ironing and who wants to iron a sheet? 

Of course, the ever creative Martha Stewart has just the fix for all of your fitted sheet nightmares. 

I hope you have lots of house guests and can frequently use these directions for your guest bedroom, or spare set of sheets.

Tuesday Tip: How To Keep Your Car From Being Stolen

Even thieves have car preferences.

When searching for a new car, choose a car not popular with criminals. A simple phone call to your local police department will reveal which cars are most likely to be stolen in your area.

Even thieves have car preferences, just make sure they’re not the same as yours.

Tuesday Tip:Giving From the Gift Registry

If you are married, or have children and experienced the joy of a “shower” or party given in your honor, then you know all about gift registries.  I have yet to experience either of those things and yet I feel I can speak from experience about the importance of giving from the registry.  Having attended thousands (I exaggerate but it sure feels like it) of wedding and baby showers over the years, there were hundreds (also exaggerating) of fake smiles as the guest of honor opened yet another glass picture frame or a 2 month old, long sleeved onesie for a summer baby.  Of course, these items were never on the registry and the guest of honor eventually donated the items to the Goodwill or other charitable foundation.

Point in case, if this is a first marriage and first baby, more than likely the persons who registered probably need the items on the list.  Unless you are a master craftsman, artist or seamstress, very few gifts off of the registry are actually desired. 

This is advice I am also giving myself as I enter into shower season blitz and as I pride myself on innovative and original gifts.  Nevertheless, I do not want to be categorized with those gift givers whose gifts are eventually discarded.  Also, isn’t it so much easier to buy what someone has already picked out?  4 weddings, and 3 babies, totaling 9 wedding showers and 3 baby showers this season and I plan to give off of the registry entirely.

Tuesday Tip: Shiny Patent Leather Shoes

We try to keep away from being to girl-centered here at SIT, but you’ve got too Southern girls, so sometimes, you just get a good tip about shoes (and for you gentlemen, this will come in handy on those special occasions).

I love nothing more than a good pair of patent leather shoes (and mom, they’re not just for summer anymore–they’re in fashion all year around lately). But they get those frustrating scuff marks on them so easily. So just polish away those pesky white marks with window cleaner such as Windex. Spray a little on a cotton ball and rub off.

Tuesday Tip: New Use for Witch Hazel

A few years ago, I got turned onto the concept of astringent by my beautiful sister, with the better skin in the family. Turns out that in all the Southern humidity, simply washing your face alone can still leave a little residue, which makes our skin dull, ladies (and gentlemen).

But right here in our own South, a plant is grown which produces a product that I’m sure we’re all familiar with — witch hazel. Found over the counter in your local drugstore (usually just right in there with your rubbing alcohol and such), I’m sure many of our mommas used this for bruises, and a whole host of other ailments. The “baking soda” of the beauty world, witch hazel makes a great, and inexpensive substitute for your favorite astringent in your skin-care regime. And I promise you, girls, it works just as well as any of your pricier brands!

Does anyone else know any more ingenious uses for this fantastic product?