Here on my blog, I strive to share simple, everyday tips and tricks that can help make life a little bit easier. But sometimes, the tips that I want to share aren’t something I can write a whole blog post about. And since I simply cannot waste a good idea, I tuck them away to use at a later date. Today I’ll be sharing some of those tips and tricks, in the tenth edition of my ongoing series I like to call “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?”
Note: Many of the tips I share on the blog come straight from your comments and emails. If you have a great idea you’d like to share, leave it in the comments, and your idea could be featured in the next “Why Didn’t I Think of That?” post!
Be sure to scroll down to see some of these brilliant hacks in action on video!
Stress-Free Cake
Making and decorating a cake on the same day can take hours! You can save yourself a lot of time and stress by making the actual cake up to a week beforehand and freezing it. Take it out of the freezer in the morning on the day of your party to let it thaw, then frost as usual. Your thawed cake will be super moist and taste great!
Peel Eggs In A Flash
Hate the finicky task of peeling hard-boiled eggs? Here’s a trick that makes it quick and easy! Just place your hard-boiled egg in a glass jar and give it a good shake. The shell will fall away in no time!
Freshen Up Your Fridge
You can use used teabags to help get rid of bad odors in your fridge. After brewing a cup of tea, press out any remaining liquid from the teabag and set it out to dry. Place the dry teabag in a small dish in your fridge. The porous tea leaves will absorb any lingering smells in your fridge and leave things much fresher!
Fix For Smelly Hands
Smelly foods like onions, garlic, and fish can linger on your hands even after washing them repeatedly. To get rid of the smell for good, rub them on something made of stainless steel. The steel will bind with the smelly sulphur molecules, transferring them away from your hands and fingers.
Shake Out Unpopped Popcorn
Here’s a simple way to separate those unpopped popcorn kernels from your bag of microwave popcorn. When your popcorn is done popping, take the bag out of the microwave and open it up just a little bit. (A little bit meaning not enough to let out any of the popcorn.) Then tip the bag upside-down and give it a good shake, and the unpopped kernels will fall right out! This also helps get rid of some of the loose hulls, which keeps them out of your teeth. ;-)
Cleaner Snacking
Certain snacks are sure to make a mess of your fingers, like Doritos, Cheetos, cheddar popcorn, etc. But there’s a simple way to enjoy your snack without getting your fingers messy. Just use a pair of chopsticks! It may seem silly, but it totally works!
Related: This Astoundingly Simple Hack Will Double Your Fridge Space
Scrub Vases With Eggshells
Vases, bottles, and other containers with small openings can seem impossible to clean, but there’s an easy way! Crush up a couple of clean eggshells and put them in the container with a bit of water. Then place your hand over the opening and give it a good shake for a minute or so. The eggshells will help scrape away any gunk stuck to the inside of the container!
Related: 8 Smart Reasons You Should Be Keeping Your Eggshells
Spaghetti Spoon Secret
That hole in the center of your spaghetti spoon can be used for more than just straining your pasta! You can also use it to measure out spaghetti before you cook it. The amount of spaghetti noodles that can fit through the center hole is generally one serving’s worth.
Related: 15 Things In The Kitchen You’re Using The Wrong Way
Sheet Storage Hack
When storing extra sets of sheets and pillowcases, store them together! Just fold up the sheets and one of the pillowcases, and slide them into the remaining pillowcase. That way, all the bedding stays together in one tidy package, making it quick and easy to grab fresh bedding when you’re ready to remake your bed.
More Ideas You'll Love
Related: 16 Brilliant Bed Hacks That Will Make You Sleep Like A Baby
The “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” Series
- For even more simple tips and tricks that will make your life easier, check out the other installments in this series, including ones you may have missed!
- Explore the “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” series archive.
I am a papercrafter and love Cheetos! How to snack with Cheetos and not get orange fingers and ruined projects??? Use a toothpick to pierce the cheetos, puffed or baked it works. You can also use a skewer.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can also eat them with chopsticks! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I like having a small spiral notebook in my purse, but needed a rubber band to keep it closed. I keep a variety of covered ponytail holders for various uses and wrapped it around the notebook. I felt like I needed to attach the ponytail holder to the center of the wire spiral with a jewelry jump ring to hold it in place. You could use thread to tie it to the spiral, too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Very clever!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you want a crispy skin on your roasted chicken it has to be dry. What you should do is wash and dry the chicken the night before and leave it in your fridge uncovered overnight to dry out. If you are like me and forget to do that then wash it, pat it dry then take your hair dryer to it. Then you can then rub it with butter or oil and get that yummy crispy skin.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve actually been working on a post all about this crispy-skin method! Keep an eye out for it next week ;-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi. I tried the Dawn and vinegar to clean my tub and shower two days ago. . I was so pleased with the results that i told everyone at a back yard B.D.party yesterday. It was so easy. I wish i had known about that a long time ago. My husband and are in our 8o’s and have been scrubbing the tub for over 65 years. no more scrubbing for us. I also used it on a favorite sweat shirt that had some stains on the front, i sprayed and ten minutes later the stains were gone. I can’t tell you how happy you have made me. Thank you so much for such a wonderful idea. I am your new #1 fan. Rita.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yay! I’m so glad :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I tried the egg thing more than once and the egg got all mashed up. i had to pick the shells out!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.hit the hard-boiled egg on the counter at both ends and turn it while striking, then squeeze it lightly between your hands while rolling it and the shell will detach easily.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The best way I have found to peel hard boiled eggs is to steam them–as soon as the water starts to steam–I turn off the burner and let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes and find they slip off the egg when you peel them. Sometimes I put in ice water first and sometimes I don’t.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Not surprised
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Sorry for the hassle Susan! I wonder if you might boiler your eggs a bit softer than I do.
Your photographs are always beautiful. I don’t know how you manage it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you Marcella!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for great ideas again. When I opened this and it was #10 I laughed. But honestly the work you must do to give us what you do. Thank you so much.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Add salt, a good amount (1 Tbls., at least) to the boiling water before you boil the eggs. After boiled shells peel off so easily.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use a denture cleaning tablets to clean vases. Just filled a vase with water and drop in the tablet.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can also use Alka seltzer tablets to clean vases using the same method. Great ideas as always.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Another easy way to clean vases or jars is to put about 1/4″ to 1/2″ of dry rice in the bottom, add a couple of inches of water and shake. Works every time for me.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My mother taught me to clean vases and cruets with water, a little soap and used coffee grounds – just swirl until the container is clean. My sister used salt and a couple of ice cubes to clean a coffee pot that had been left on the hot plate to long.
And one more nail polish tip – this goes all the way back to the first blog in the is series. I used different colors to paint one side of a travel lock and one side of it’s corresponding key so I don’t have to try out the keys and the locks before a trip.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great tips!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, theses would make a good ebook. ;-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Good idea! ;-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have stored my sheets in the matching pillow case for years. But when I was left with over 20 sheets with no matching pieces I was at a loss of what to do with them. Luckily your blog came to my rescue. Many were beyond donating for people so I used the idea of taking them to an animal shelter!so the best went to my stepson, I kept enough for emergency uses, the goodwill got some and so did the animals!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Love the microwave popcorn but hate the smell lingering? After it pops, step out side to open the top. All the smell comes out with the steam and you can enjoy your snack without the lingering smell.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jillee! Re “Why Didn’t I Think of That” part 10… to add to your post re freezing a cake…what I’ve been shown by a cake maker is to frost it before it’s totally thawed, while still “solid”. This keeps those pesky “crumbles” from coming off & mixing into your icing while you’re trying to spread it. If I have to make a cake same-day, I’ll even freeze it then for a bit, just enough to set the top, so I can have clean icing. Love your posts, keep ’em coming! :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I second the tip to frost when the cake is still frozen! – No crumble issues!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Also, a frozen cake is so moist when it defrosts. My mother-in-law (gave me the tip years ago) worked at a bakery. A few months before one of our family parties a bakery customer forgot to pick up their cake so it remained frosted and frozen. My MIL took the frozen cake, changed the frosting name inscription, and served it at our family party. To this day she giggles about it – the most compliments she ever received about one of her cakes! ;-)