Moving Heavy Furniture

by Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart - August, 2014

My husband has recently reworking and painted a beautiful heavy armoire recently given to me by a sweet friend.  The problem was moving the two pieces from the workshop to the family room, after each piece was reworked and ready to paint in the family room.  Then he remembered he could use two 3" PVC pipes to roll each piece to its destination, with just my help!  

In fact, he reminded me that the Egyptian pyramids were made by rolling large heavy pieces on wooden rods!  While John lifted up the front, I slid a PVC pipe underneath, and another one in the center.  He would roll the furniture, and I'd remove the back pipe and place it under the front, until we reached our destination!  It worked like a charm!

Rolling the larger piece of the armoire on the sidewalk 

and into the house

    A closer look at the 3" PVC pipes used as rollers

 The lower section of the armoire is already in place.

 This larger and heavier section is ready to be lifted in place.

Practical Household Tips

Most of these tips and more can be found at http://www.artfido.com/blog/40-clever-life-hacks-to-simplify-your-world/

Easily Find the End of Masking Tape, Packaging or Duct Tape by placing a paper clip at the end of the roll.

 

Keep Boots Standing Tall by placing pool noodles inside.  Cut the pool noodles to the height of the boots.  Pool noodles cut in shorter pieces also provide good temporary back support and can also be used as a mini-foam roller to work on tight muscles.

 

Baby Bath Time ~ Put a large laundry basket in a tub filled with warm water.  Place toddler in basket (as well a baby who can sit up) and give him a few toys.  The toys will stay within reach!  Never leave a child in the tub unattended though, even if they are in a laundry basket!

Use Your Car Seat Warmer to keep food warm that you are delivering to a friend.  Or keep a pizza warm that you are taking home to the family!

 

Storage for Pots and Pans Lids ~ Mount towel racks inside your kitchen cabinets for storing lids.  Or store them upside-down on top of each pot, and stack pots.  This way you don't need to search for the lids somewhere else.

Short of Counter Space?  Pull out a drawer and place a large cutting board on it for extra space.  Some kitchens have a very handy built-in cutting board above a drawer that can be pulled out.

 

A Lazy Susan in the Refrigerator can help immensely with hard-to-reach spaces.  This is a life-saver!  Put them in cupboards to store cleaning supplies as well, and a multitude of other small items.  They are one of my best organizational helpers!

 

Plump Up a Flattened Pillow by placing it in the sunshine for at least thirty minutes.  The sun absorbs the moisture in the pillow, and plumps it up.

Household Tips and Tidbits

Oil Cloth on Dining Room Table for Protection ~ For years I've had a rather heavy white oil cloth tablecloth on my dining room table.  For special occasions I put a nice tablecloth over it.  The oil cloth protects the antique wooden table from any spills that have happened - and they will happen!  The oil cloth covering has also served as a great working area for craft projects, as well as a cutting table, while protecting the table.  Oil cloth is sold (on a roll) in fabric stores by the yard.  Plain white is a good choice so the oil cloth won't show through the fabric tablecloth.

Spot-Cleaning Hard Surface Floors without Stooping ~ Sometimes I see spots on my kitchen or bathroom floors, when the entire floor doesn't really need washing.  My solution is to wet a terry cleaning cloth the size of a washcloth, and move it around with my foot on top of it until the floor is clean.  A mild cleaner could be sprayed on the cloth or on the floor before your little exercise routine.  Your children might want to do it for you next time!  In fact, teach them how!

Your Purse Will Not Slide around in the Car If it is secured.  It seems cars no longer have a good place to set our purses when we drive, and I've had mine slide and spill over onto the floor several times.  Now I strap it in with me when I put on my seat belt, and that solves the problem.

 

Hidden Storage ~ I enjoy using teapots, pitchers, vases, and ginger jars in home decorating, and use some of them for storing small items like votive candles, seeds harvested from last year's plants, and other small things.  Now if I can just remember where everything is kept! It would be helpful to list everything and put that slip of paper in one of your favorite teapots.

Juicing for Breakfast ~ a Healthy Way to Start the Day! ~ I enjoy juicing raw vegetables and fruits for breakfast, but it takes a little preparation.  I juice a piece of ginger root, 1/2 lemon (peeled), about 1/4 of a medium red beet, one apple, and enough carrots to make about 2 cups of raw juice.  I buy 5-pound bags of organic carrots, and soak them in water, brush the carrots with a vegetable brush, trim off the ends, put them in a large plastic bag, and clip them shut with a Pampered Chef Twixit.  The ginger root, cut up beets, and lemon are washed and kept with the carrots. Then I just reach for an apple to finish up the juice.  Having most of the preparation done ahead of time helps juicing go smoothly and saves time.  I usually have eggs later.

R. W. Knudson Organic Tart Cherry Juice Helps Arthritis Pain.  Drink 1/2 cup per day.  It can be diluted with 1 1/2 cups pure water (a ratio of 1 part concentrated juice to three parts water), with a little Nu-Stevia added for sweetness.  Delicious!  Give it a try!  You should know in about two weeks if it will help.  Find it in the health food section of your grocery store or at a health food store.  It's much better than taking a pain prescription with side effects.

 

Tips and Tidbits

Reuse Anything ~ My niece, Kelly Fritz, in Pennsylvania, shared this great tip with me!  It's a less expensive alternative to laminating.  You will need glossy heavy duty sheet protectors and dry erase markers. You can put anything in the protectors that you want...coloring books that you think are good enough to do over and over again.  Kelly has an alphabet coloring book that she thought would be good for repetition.  You could make your own sheets to insert, or there are lots of printables online. Here are a few links to some printables that Kelly has seen:

http://www.homeschoolshare.com/level_1_lapbooks.php http://1plus1plus1equals1.com/PreschoolPacks.html
http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/my-printables
While visiting with family last week, I cut all the pages from a math workbook I took for our four year old grandson, slipping each page into heavy duty sheet protectors, then into a notebook.  He did several pages using a dry erase marker, and he will be able to do them again using the same pages!  Great idea, Kelly!

Children's Bible Ideas Unlimited ~ Do you need ideas for your Sunday school class, VBS class or mid-week programming? Are you a homeschool parent or grandparent?  "Children's Bible Ideas Unlimited" is now on Facebook for your convenience! New ideas added regularly.

Easier Way to Fill Water Balloons ~ Last week I was filling water balloons for my four year old grandson, Daniel, so we could have some fun with them.  He saw how difficult it was for me to fit the tiny end of the balloons onto the water faucet, and instantly had a solution.  He pointed to their drinking water faucet (reverse osmosis), and said, "Use that one!"  It worked like a charm!  Now why didn't I think of that?

How to Occupy a Young Child ~ Give him a colander and lots of pipe cleaners, and show him how to stick them into the holes of the colander, forming arches with both ends sticking in the colander holes.  Just be sure your child can safely handle pipe cleaners with the pokey ends.  To see a photo: http://no1hasmorefun.blogspot.com

Pinterest is a great visual way to find creative new ideas that other people are willing to share.  We "pin" ideas that we want to save, as pinning on a bulletin board.  Just about every topic of interest can be found there - recipes, healthy eating, kids' crafts and artwork, adult crafts, sewing, home decorating, organization, gardening, quotes, marriage, parties, centerpieces, fun food for kids, beach themes, and so much more!   The tip on how to occupy a child came from Pinterest.  www.pinterest.com

Tips and Tidbits

A Very Special Wedding Gift ~ When our daughter got married years ago, my sister-in-law orchestrated a treasured gift for the new couple!  She brought a large artist's canvas, glass, a frame, lots of colored pens, rubber stamps, and ink pads along, as her family flew clear across the country to attend the wedding.  At the reception, she asked each guest to come and write a message to the bride and groom and sign their names.  Afterward the canvas was almost filled up, but she found tiny spaces to use her smaller rubber stamps to add heart, flowers, and all kinds of sweet additions in all colors to compliment the messages of the wedding guests.  In the end Aunt June framed the canvas, enclosing it in glass. Our daughter said many times that this was her favorite gift! 

Tons of Wedding Ideas to Stretch Your Budget ~ from Past Newsletters: http://www.heartfilledhome.blogspot.com/search/label/Weddings

Gardening the Easy Way ~  You could call this a "Bagged Garden!"  Purchase a bag of potting soil or top soil, and lay the bag out flat.  Cut some draining slits in the underside of the bag.  Flip it over and make holes for whatever you want to grow.  Plant flowers or vegetables in the holes. Several bags with plants growing inside could be grouped together with mulched leaves hiding the plastic.

Growing Potatoes in a Bucket ~ Cut out the bottom of five gallon buckets, place the buckets in good soil, place seed potatoes in the bottom with the sprouts pointing upward, and cover with soil.  Then keep adding soil as the potato plants grow!  You will yield "layers" of fresh potatoes by planting buckets full!  At harvest time, simply lift up the buckets, letting the soil and potatoes fall to the ground.   Firehouse Subs has five gallon pickle buckets for about $2 each, so get a few for this fun project that your children and grandchildren would enjoy!   I buy them for homemade laundry soap.  Check the website for the recipe.

Natural Lawn Fertilizer ~ Create a thick, luxurious and beautiful lawn, free of harmful chemicals by mixing the following in a large bucket (1 cup seaweed extract, 1 cup fish emulsion, and 1 gallon of cool tap water).  The first two ingredients can be purchased from a plant nursery, and possibly at a hardware store.  Using a hose end sprayer, spray the lawn with this natural fertilizer in the spring and autumn.  It should also take care of unwanted weeds.

The G. W. Boutique ~ This is one of my favorite places to find good bargains!  I have even found new or like-new specialty fabrics in ready-made clothing, which I've bought to cut up for various sewing projects.  I've found silk, leather, wool, and unusual designs to turn into other creations.  You no doubt have a "Boutique" like this in your neighborhood, also known as Goodwill.

You Can Make Your Own Tinted Moisturizer by purchasing a number 30 SPF moisturizer and mixing it yourself with about one-third the amount of liquid foundation.   You might want to mix enough for one application in your hand to be sure it works for you.

Protect Your Family's Integrity with an Internet Filter ~ www.besecure.com and www.covenanteyes.com are two good filters.

Children's Bible Ideas Unlimited ~ Betty Robertson provides ideas for your Sunday school class, VBS class or mid-week programming.  Are you a homeschool parent or grandparent? Children's Bible Ideas Unlimited is now on Facebook for your convenience! New ideas are added regularly.

Freezing Eggs ~ When eggs are on sale, it's a good time to stock up, as long as you have freezer space.  Crack an egg into each square of an ice cube tray.  After they freeze solid, they can be stored in a freezer bag, so they are easy to retrieve when cooking or baking.

Expanding a Recipe File ~ Other than recipe cards for everyday food, I like to write out fun specialty recipes for children, such as play dough, and various ways to serve food to resemble animals, a palm tree, or other objects.  A recipe file could also be expanded to include homemade cleaning recipes, homemade beauty treatments, science experiments, object lessons, as well as lawn and garden treatments.

For Sweet Smelling Dishcloths and Sponges, wet a dishcloth or sponge with water and rub it with a Fels Naptha bar of soap, then microwave on High for about 2 minutes to kill germs and get rid of that terrible dishcloth odor.

Squeezing Lemon and Lime Juice is much easier with a hand squeezer.  Walmart has a green one for limes and a yellow one for lemons.  After squeezing out as much juice as possible, I squeeze the fruit in my left hand while running a sharp paring knife inside the citrus, releasing even more juice and citrus goodness.

Great Sandwiches from Cold to Hot ~ When making large quantities of pulled chicken, barbecue, pork barbecue, or sloppy Joes, you can plan ahead for easy meals later in this way.  Line muffin pans with paper cupcake liners (not foil), and fill each one with a meat mixture.  After they are frozen solid, remove cake liners with meat from muffin pans and store in a labeled freezer bag.  Then when you need a quick meal, simply microwave the contents of one cake liner and serve it on a hamburger bun or slice of whole grain bread.

A Dozen Tips and Tidbits

A DOZEN TIPS AND TIDBITS

A Small Bottle in Your Purse ~  Carry lavender or melaleuca oil in your purse or pocket for so many things, especially skin irritations.  Research the many additional uses of this natural "liquid gold" product.

Cloud Pictures ~ For something fun to do on a partly cloudy day is to lie on your back with your children and look for objects in the clouds!  This past Saturday my husband and I spent most of the day doing something we really enjoy - sailing.  The wind was perfect, and although it was a sunny day, there were beautiful puffy clouds in the sky.  John was the "captain," operating the main sail and doing the steering.  On long stretches down the lake when I didn't need to be operating the jib or moving from one side to the other because of the wind shifting, I enjoyed lying down, looking for pictures in the sky.  At different times I saw a running reindeer, fish, two elephants (one was a baby), a dog, and a little girl.  Test your imagination with popcorn as well and have fun together as a family! 

Quickly Pretreating Laundry Stains ~ Remove the paper wrapper from a bar of Fels-Naptha soap.  Wrap all except one end of the bar in a washcloth and secure with two rubberbands.  Then when you find stubborn stains, wet the stain and rub with the bar of soap.  Rub the fabric and rinse out.  This works very well!!  If Fels-Naptha bars of soap can't be found in the laundry aisle of your grocery store, ask to fill out a form to get it on the shelves.  This is the bar of soap also used to make homemade laundry soap which is so popular because it does such a good job for only pennies per load.  I figured my cost to be 3 cents per large load, and that's using a full cup, rather than half.  It's good stuff!

You can find the recipe for homemade laundry soap on the Heart to Heart Recipe Blog on the Miscellaneous page.  Just click at the top right of this blog to land on the Recipe blog!

Windex can be used for quick spot cleaning on carpets.  Spray and rub with a clean terry cloth.  Windex also helps remove rings from swollen fingers!  Spray around the ring and it should slip off much more easily.  Jewelry shops use this method. 

Good Quality Solid Wood Furniture can easily be found at yard sales and auctions for good prices.  Clean it with Murphy Oil Soap, cover scratches with Old English scratch polish and polish with Lemon Oil to bring restoration and shine to most pieces.

Great Savings on Supplements ~ I bought a bottle of supplements at a health foods store for $15, but was able to purchase the identical supplement for half the price at www.i-herb.com!  By ordering a certain amount, the shipping was free, and it also arrived very quickly!  Higher quality supplements are available at i-herb, compared to drug stores.

Charming Older Couple ~ YouTube - Mayo Clinic atrium piano, charming older couple...

Our Ever-Changing World ~ The following very enlightening and educational YouTube exposes the current demographics in the countries of today's world.  It shows how the world in which our children and grandchildren will grow up in is not the same world in which we grew up!  Amazing facts are shown!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-3X5hIFXYU

Ideas for Kids on Long Car Trips ~ We were planning a week long trip with 4 young children, so for each day, I had a story tape (the story was continued for several days) and each day we would listen to one more.  Also, I wrapped a small toy or book for each day, and a snack, so 3 times a day or so, we would reach into the goodie bag and pull out something new!  To make sure we discussed something from the Bible each day, I made a picture of something ( bag of money, sheep, etc.) and held it up (one each day) for everyone to see. No talking was allowed for several minutes, while each one thought of a Bible story it reminded them of.  It was very interesting.  Even young children grasp the stories, and every day, we each thought of a different story! Fun! ~ Regina Landis in Pennsylvania

Sunny Yellow Yolks for Hard Cooked Eggs ~ Yolks that turn green is the result of cooking eggs too long.  Turn out hard cooked eggs with sunny yellow yolks every time by cooking in this way.  Put one layer of eggs in a pan and cover with cold water.  Cover with a lid and bring to a boil.  Immediately turn off the burner and let set (covered) for 20 minutes.  Set the timer.  You will save electricity with this method as well.  After 20 minutes, plunge eggs into cold water and peel.  

Easy Clean-Up When Crafting ~ Use a plastic tablecloth or shower curtain from the dollar store to cover the table before doing arts and crafts.  This way no paint or glue will ruin your table or regular tablecloth.  When finished, fold it up for next time.

Creative Water Color Gift Wrap ~ Buy a roll of white paper and let your children go to work at creating wrapping paper for all occasions.  The dull side of freezer paper can also be painted.  Wet the paper first to help the paint run and blend into beautiful splotches of color for creative wrapping paper!  Not only will this give your children something fun to do this summer, but they will feel accomplishment when going to birthday parties with gifts wrapped in their own creations.  Adults can have creative fun too!