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Make your day-to-day easier with these 25 Super Smart Tips for life from cleaning to storage. Here are all of the tips and tricks!
Have you ever seen someone doing or using something in a totally practical way that you had never seen before? It usually deserves a facepalm followed by a "Why didn't I think of that?".
Get ready for a post that is chock-full of super simple ideas!
Super Smart Tips:
Visit the website for the step-by-step tutorial.
- A plastic box soap holder is the perfect size to hold card games! I need to stock up on these!
2. Use empty Toilet Paper Rolls as Gift Wrap Savers!
3. I love these Dice shakers, they are great for travel games and smaller hands. Use small plastic storage containers and you are set!
4. You don't need an expensive Bluetooth speaker, you can use a glass bowl to make your iPod/iPhone speaker louder all on its own!
5. Save your nails when adding or removing a key from a key chain and use a staple remover. Genius!!
6. A Cell Phone Number Bracelet using Number Beads Great for when you are in busy areas like amusement parks or the zoo!
7. Use an old pill bottle to help save on laundry detergent.
8. Poke holes into the lid of a Milk Jug and you have a recycled watering container!
9. The Parmesan Lid fits on a regular canning jar!
10. Use Pure Acetone (a type of fingernail polish remover) to remove the ink on plastic containers so you can reuse them!
12. The kids won't need to get a new cup out every time they need a drink when you have Fridge Magnet Cups.
13. Did you know you can put a wooden spoon over a pot of boiling water and won't boil over?!
14. Recycle a plastic bottle into a super nifty Cell Phone Charger Holder!
15. Put hot glue on your hanger and it will keep your clothing from slipping off!
16. Use a
18. Use a suspension rod to organize your cleaners underneath your counter. They simply hang on the rod! So smart.
19. Use Vaseline as Fingernail Polish Prep. No more polish on the area around your nail!
20. Sparkler Shield. Use a plastic cup as a sparkler shield to keep those little hands from the hot sticks!
21. Wrap a rubber band around a Cut Apple to keep the pieces together and you won't have brown icky pieces at lunchtime!
22. Keep the summer bugs out of your drink with a cupcake liner. No more drinking that extra protein!
23. Recycle a Johnson's Lotion bottle to make a faucet extender for smaller hands!
24. Rub a clean Chrome faucet with Wax paper Sheets and it will keep the water spots away.
25. Use a dollar store Wiffle Ball to make beautiful flower balls. Just push the stem through the holes!
Crafting Essentials
- The Cricut Cutting Machine is easily my favorite crafting tool. We use it in so many of our tutorials!
- These MakerX Crafting Tools are perfect for keeping in the craft room and are always ready when needed!
- This Fiskars Paper Trimmer is easy to use and cuts nicely without frayed edges.
- These Scotch Precision Scissors cut like a dream, and you get multiple pairs in a pack!
Jana@Transformations From the Heart
Lots of great tips. Some I've seen before but many I've not. Thanks for sharing, might just use a few!
jennifer perring
Hi great tips i will definitely try some of them. my favourite tip is: i had lots of curtains rings left over, from when i changed my curtains. i also had a bulging wardrobe, so i hooked the curtain rings over the hook on a clothes hanger and again on the next clothes hanger, so i can now hang 3 or more if i wish, from the one clothes hanger and I've increased my wardrobe space by a half. I also did the same for my bras, so there not taking space in a draw and i can access them easily.
Marilyn Clark
Wow...great tips. I especially like the dustpan idea to help fill a bucket! 😀
Bella@artclubblog
I can't believe how phenomenal and useful these these tips are! Thanks for compiling such a great list.
Kara at Petals to Picots
Wow! Brilliant!
Karla
Great tips. Some of them made me think of your title "Why didn't I think of that". Some really col ideas. The only one I would hesitate to try is the sparkler in the cup. only because the cup is plastic and sparklers fire up in the end. It would make me nervous, but I guess it's better then no protection right? Hmm??
Nancy
The cups! The magnetic cups would be awesome in my house. Great list! Love your blog.
Stephanie
Brilliant and Practical! Ipod in a bowl - never would I have thought of that.
Rustown Mom
OMG I am pinning this post - there are so many good ideas. i found that I have used a couple of them. Wish I had seen the magnetic cup one when my little ones were actually little...
Heather (GurleeGirrl)
So many nifty ideas!! Some will certainly come in handy. Thanks!
Melissa
I've seen some of these floating around Pinterest, but what a great idea to put them all in one quick reference!
Traci
These are all wonderful tips. I will probably be in the shower with a lemon later today. Thanks for sharing.
Traci
Tawny
Holy smokes! Those are all great ideas! Thanks for compiling them all for us dummies who really didn't think of that heheheh
lesley
holy cow! these are all awesome. i'm excited to try them.
thanks for sharing my clothes hanger tip~
lesley
http://www.freakingcraft.com
Pamela R
Wow some of these are really great ideas, thanks for sharing!
Christine
All such great ideas!
Thanks so much for sharing this at The DIY Dreamer.. From Dream To Reality! Don't forget to swing by this evening.. I can't wait to see what you link up! 🙂
Claiming Our Space
These are great ideas and perfectly practical. I know I am going to use at least one of these soon. I would love it if you shared this on Tout It Tuesday.
Claiming Our Space
Thanks for sharing on Tout It Tuesday. Hope to see you again for tomorrow's party.
Barbara pugliese
I discovered a way to clean stainless coffee pots quite by accident. While soaking linens in Oxyclean I was also rinsing the coffee pot that always seemed to become stained even though I used a brush and dw detergent every time. This time I dumped a couple spoons of Oxyclean in it and added warm water to soak. In about 15 minutes it looked like brand new. I felt like cleaning diva!
Katie
Great tip Barbara! I love feeling like a cleaning genius when I discover an easier way.
Julie Ann
Thanks for these great tips! I especially like the box spring cover tip. Now I'm going to be buying some fitted sheets sometime soon!
Julie
Mary
I am amazed...I had only heard of one of those before.
Michelles Tasty Creations
These are amazing tips! I especially love the lemon on the bathroom fixtures and the magnetic cups. Thanks so much for linking up to Creative Thursday last week. I can't wait to see what you link up next. Have a great week.
Michelle
Laura
Great tips! Thank you for sharing!!
Noreen
Thanks for all the ideas. Here's one more to add:
http://craftyjournal.com/bug-scoop-for-the-squeamish/
Jenny Lynn
I am wondering why I didn't think of some of those things. My favorite is the cups with the magnets. I need to do that right now, today.
Anonymous
awesome
Made From Pinterest
Great collection of ideas!
Sherri @ MadeFromPinterest.net
Bethany
Great tips! I love the magnet cups!
Taylor-Made Ranch
OMGoodness these are great tips! Wow. Thanks for sharing! (stopping by from the Thrifty Thursday hop)
~Taylor-Made Ranch~
Wolfe City, Texas
Lydia
I think my favorite was the sparkler and cup one!
Ashleys Dandelion Wishes
Love this post Katie! Your round up is being featured on Dandelion Wishes Wednesday tomorrow night! Stop by and grab a featured button 🙂
Jessica
Great ideas!!! I need to try some, ok all!!
Thank you for sharing on Thrifty Thursday, I have Featured your post this week! I hope you will join us again soon!
http://healthyhiggins.blogspot.com/2013/07/thrifty-thursday-24.html
Bill
Use a Cortland apple...naturally high in antioxidants so cut fruit doesn't brown...no elastic needed.
Sandy
I loved everything very good ideals
Deena
Amazing
Lisa
Wonderful ideas. Loved them all. Thanks for sharing!
mesha
I've tried the acetone to remove the print on the plastic containers. Make sure you're in a well ventilated area or outdoors. I went through half a new bottle on one container. If anyone's got other tips for this I'd love to hear them. Thanks for sharing.
PEACElovr
I use liquid fabric softner, heated in microwave for 2 minutes (based on amount you need to heat) spray or soak item. I use it to remove labels,wallpaper and anything else that it difficult to remove...for printed on ink sometimes after good soaking and not coming off easily, I may have to use baking soda and vinegar paste, scrub a bit, soak, and repeat if necessary, and the ink should disappear. I usually do several bottles at a time. Scrubbing with aluminum foil is very helpful on darker printed items. Hope this helps! Plus it makes eveything smell awesome☺
Katie
Thanks for those other great ideas! I will have to give the heated fabric softener a try!
Debra
Love site. So smart.
Cherie
I use a fitted sheet on the underside of the box springs to protect the thin covering on the bottom. Seems like the fabric always comes loose especially of you have a dog or cat that likes to crawl underneath the bed.
Katie
Great idea Cherie! Thanks for the tip!
Holly
These are all great except the plastic cup sparkler idea is a huge safety hazard. When my daughter was 4 we saw this and tried it and the cup caught fire (very quickly!) and would have burned her of I hadn't reacted so fast.
Angela
We use silicone oven mitts. I give the extra long ones to my kiddos to hold the sparklers. So far, no burns.
Katie
That is a great way to avoid burns, Angela! Thanks for the great tip!
Janie Pequeno
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing! ???
Katie
You are welcome Janie! Thanks for stopping by.
Victoria Spalding
If you want to burn votive candles, first place some water in the bottom of the holder. The water makes it easy to pop the candle out and it also guarantees that the flame will go out if you forget to blow it out.
Katie
That is a great tip Victoria!! Thanks for sharing.
Pam
Lots of great ideas, I love the dice in the small containers, where did you find the colored lids? Thanks!!
Katie
Thanks Pam! That is actually how the containers came. I wasn't looking for any specific color.
Rita
You can find these at containers at the Dollar Stores or Dollar Trees. They're 4 for a $1.00. I'm going to use this because my Grandsons and I play a lot of Board Games where the Dice always seem to fly away. Lol!
Julie
Why doesn't this link work? I really want to see these tips 🙁
Katie
I'm so sorry, I was having some technical difficulties but I believe they are all straightened out and the links should be working fine now. Thank you for your patience.
Kelly Brookbank
Great ideas! Thank you.
Katie
Thank you Kelly! I am so glad that you like this collection of useful tips!
Christi
Can someone explain the pill bottle saving laundry detergent? Is it from turning the detergent on end to get the last few drops?
Thanks for such awesome tips 🙂
Christi
I just read the hyperlink.. (duh ?) but I'm still confused.. is it just a way to ensure consistent measurement? And leaving the bottle on the washer yo use the last little bit?
Katie
Sorry, it wasn't clear Christi. I use this method to help my kids measure out the amount of liquid laundry detergent. I use a bit less than recommended and my clothes still come out clean and smelling great each time. Plus, by putting the pill bottle in the dispenser of the machine, the bottle is getting cleaned out with each use so I don't have a sticky gross lid. I hope that helps.
michelle
What do you do with the pill bottle?
michelle
Oops sorry I see you already explained to Christi what you do with it.
Carolyn
So looks like I've found this post years after it was written, but I have to say... 2019 and they are still great tips! Timeless post!
Katie
Thank you Carolyn!! Once a good tip, always a good tip! LOL
Deborah Hopper
Some good tips, that make my life much easier, Thank you.