To Smell Or Not To Smell - That Is The Question

     As women, we understand that our sense of smell is so much keener than those of our spouse.  We smell odors that he doesn't seem to notice.  How can he miss that awful smell coming from the trash?  Why doesn't he notice when his feet stink?  And then we wonder about certain odors, and why they are so difficult to get rid of.  There HAS to be a way to get rid of ________ (fill in the blank).  Well here are a few pointers that might save you an embarrassing moment or just make you feel more confident.

Bad Breath (scientifically called halitosis):
     Brush your tongue.  Sounds simple, but it reduces the cause of bad breath by up to 75%, which is better than the 25% when just brushing your teeth.  Want to reduce the germs that cause bad breath even more?    Store your toothbrush bristles down in a cup of mouthwash.  Refresh the mouthwash every time you brush.
     Drink tea - Black and green teas contain catechins that mask smelly breath compounds.  Drink some tea without sugar after your meal.
     Chew a lemon rind - Love garlic but it doesn't love you?  Dip a piece of lemon in a pinch of salt and chew it.  The lemon oil and salt will help diminish the smell.

     Orange wedge before you get out of bed - To rid yourself (or your spouse) of morning breath, place an orange wedge beside your bed.  When you wake up in the morning, eat the orange wedge and feed one to your spouse.  Presto...no more morning breath!



Smelly Feet:
     Freshen up your shoes - To keep your feet smelling fresh, position a dryer sheet in the sole of each shoe.



Onion Smell On Your Hands:
    Hands smell like onions - After cooking with onion, many times your hands will smell like ion for days.  Just rub your hands on a stainless steel faucet and no more onion.





Perfume:
     Keep perfume in the fridge - Perfume's smell usually only lasts for 2 years.  To make your perfume last longer, place your perfume in the fridge.  The scent will last almost forever, because heat and light is what causes it to deteriorate.  It also feels refreshing when you put it on.



Odor in the Air or On th Floor/Carpet:
     Vinegar - One of the cheapest and most effective deodorizers is vinegar.  Need to freshen a room or closet?  Place a bowl of vinegar in the room and it will absorb any odors.  Have a pet that has 'accidents' on your hard wood floor or carpet?  Place 1 part vinegar to 1 part water in a spray bottle and spray the area of the accident.  The vinegar smell evaporates when it dries and deodorizes the spot of the accident!


These are just a few tips I've collected over the years that have helped to vanquish odors in my home.  Would LOVE to hear about any tricks or tips you might use!!

Homemade Heath Candy Recipe

Question from a reader:  "What is the cracker and chocolate dessert you make?"

This is a recipe I have been making for years.  It is so simple, isn't expensive, and takes next to no time to make!  You can't beat that combination!!  I especially like to make it when I go to any kind of group function, including church or work.  This is always a hit and I have people ask me for the recipe ALL THE TIME!  This is also a hit a Christmas time, as I give it as gifts!!  So I thought I would share it with my friends here on Leave It To June.  ENJOY!!

Homemade Heath Candy

(1) sleeve of saltine crackers (usually about 40)
(1) cup of brown sugar
(1) cup of butter or margarine (2 sticks)
(1) 12 oz pkg of semi-sweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate chips can be used, but makes it MUCH sweeter!)

Using one cookie sheet, line it with tin foil.  (I discovered the no-stick kind, and have found it works much better.  But regular tin foil will work).  Place the saltine crackers side by side on the tine foil, covering the cookie sheet.  Place the brown sugar and the butter in a sauce pan and bring to a rolling boil.  Let boil for 3 minutes.  Pour sugar mixture over the crackers.  Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes.  Remove from oven, placing cookie sheet on the door of the oven, leaving oven on.  Sprinkle chocolate chips on the cracker/sugar layer, allowing the chocolate chips to melt.  Spread the melted chocolate evenly with a spoon.  Then place cookie sheet in the refrigerator, allowing the heath candy to completely cool.  Break into pieces, tearing off the tin foil.  Store in an air tight container.  This can also be frozen.

In Need of a Refrigerator Make-Over?

Here is the BEFORE picture...looks like mine, sometimes!

I don't know about you, but there are times my refrigerator gets out of hand.  How do you keep it organized and easy to find things?  Real Simple (one of my favorite magazines) offers some tips on how to make over your refrigerator.

Here's the AFTER picture...WOW!!

Bug Repellent - the Natural Way

Are you in the middle of your spring cleaning, and want to prevent bugs in your home?  I found this great article about how to make bug repellent the natural and non-toxic way. 

If you have small children or pets, bug spray can be harmful to them.  This can help with your bug problem and still keep your kids and pets safe.

Another great tip is to use peppermint oil to keep ants and spiders away.  You can put peppermint oil on a cotton ball (Thanks Heather!) and place the cotton balls in the corner of the room.  Of course this will only work if you have no pets or your children are older.  You can also put 15 drops of peppermint oil in a spray bottle (4-6 oz bottle) and spray a perimeter to keep the ants or spiders at bay.

Re-use Dryer Sheets? Absolutely!!

Here are a few ways you can re-use dryer sheets.

1. Use them as a dust cloth.  Spray with your favorite furniture polish.  They are especially useful when cleaning hard to reach areas like ceiling fans or ledges.  The dryer sheet holds onto the dust, so it doesn't fly everywhere!
2. Need to clean the rims on your car or bicycle?  Wanting to scrub the shower curtain?  Knot two or three together, then scrub...the strength of the cloth works much better than paper towels.  They won't fall apart!  Then just toss in the trash!
3. Ever scorch the bottom of a pan or have burnt on food?  Fill the pan with water and lay a dryer sheet on the bottom of the pan (over the scorched area).  The cooked on food will come up with some soaking, then just toss the dryer sheet in the trash.  Saves on sponges and dish rags!!

(Thanks for these hints TipHero!)

Ways to Clean With Baking Soda

Ready for spring cleaning, but not looking forward to all the cost of the cleaning supplies?  Here's a list of things baking soda can do to help you clean your house this spring...and it costs only pennies!!

• Food Safe Surface Cleaning
• Manage Microwave Mess
• Deodorize Fridges and Freezers
• Hand Wahing Dishes and Pots & Pans
• Cleans Stainless Steele Sinks without Scratching
• Remove Scuff Marks on Floors
• Cleans Bathroom Floors
• Cleans Shower Curtains
• Deodorizes Drains and Garbage Disposals

Check out Arm and Hammer for even more hints and tips of what Baking Soda can do!!  And you can even print coupons for Arm & Hammer products as well...what a deal!!

Coming Soon!!!

Coupons, Cleaning and Cooking the June Cleaver way.