Quick Tip: Break the Yolk

When making scrambled eggs or adding eggs to a recipe, break the yolk of the eggs with your fork first.  It will make whisking them easier and combining them with other ingredients, faster. 

Quick Tip: No More Soggy Sandwiches

Are your kids complaining that the jelly on their PB&J has soaked through the bread by the time they get to eat lunch at school? Or that their sandwich was soggy at lunchtime? Here's a quick tip: Spread peanut butter on both pieces of bread and then add the jelly on top of the peanut butter. With a meat and cheese sandwich - lay the meat on one slice of bread and cheese on the other slice. Then add mayo or mustard on top of the meat and/or cheese. You still get the flavor you want but, by keeping the wet ingredients off the bread, you lose the soggy factor.

Quick Tip: Summer Playdate Contact Cards

Every summer my kids miss their classmates.  Since teachers don't send home classroom contact lists, I don't have anybody's information.  So, to be sure we stay-in-touch with my children's friends, I make Summer Playdate Contact Cards.  On index cards I wrote my child's name, my name, my contact information and a short note saying my child would like to get together over the summer.  I gave each of my kids three index cards to hand out to friends they want to visit this summer.  I've already gotten two calls from moms and school just ended two days ago!  Looking forward to a summer fully of friends and fun.

Quick Tip: Frizz Control

My hair stylist taught me a couple of simple tricks to help me control my frizzy hair and they work!

1. Cold Rinse - rinse your hair with cold water after conditioning.  Similar to shingles on a roof, hair cuticles lie flat after a cold rinse.  This results in less frizz and more shine.  When you rinse your hair with hot water it causes your hair to be more frizzy or rough looking.
2. Cool Shot - finish with the cool shot on your hairdryer.  A cold rinse definitely helps but how you dry your hair will make it last.  To keep the frizz down, apply a serum to damp hair before blow drying (I use Rusk's Softwear).  Then finish with a cool shot from your hair dryer.  I use the Revlon Ionic Ceramic Pro Stylist Dryer but any hair dryer with a cold shot will do.  

Quick Tip: Save the Chocolate Syrup!

Stop tossing out the last couple of servings of your chocolate syrup.  Just open the lid and put the bottle of chocolate syrup in the microwave and heat for 10-15 seconds.  It melts all the syrup off the inside of the bottle making it easy to pour out.

Quick Tip: Cleaning Counter Tops

If you cook, have kids or a messy husband, this is a good trick to know.  When toothpaste dries on your bathroom counter top it can sometimes seem you may need a jack-hammer to get it off.  Same goes for dried spaghetti sauce on your kitchen counter or even the floor.  Try this easy trick to help get your dried goo cleaned up:

1. Wet a paper towel or washcloth with warm/hot water.  Ring out most but not all of the water.
2. Let the paper towel sit on the dried goo for 5-10 minutes.
3. Use the same paper towel to easily clean up that stubborn goo.  No harsh chemicals needed!

Quick Tip: Free Disney Customized Maps

While planning our families Disney World vacation I discovered that you can create your very own Customized Disney World Maps for your family.  Just select the attractions and rides your family is most interested in at each park and it's highlighted on your map.  You have to option to print it out on your computer or order them to be delivered to your home for FREE! 

We just received ours in the mail yesterday and they are awesome.  The maps are printed on thick, durable paper and they have your name on them.  They also provided suggested places to visit and stickers to add locations to your maps.  My kids were so excited.  They were pointing out were we they want to go and how to get there.  This is especially great because my oldest son just studied maps in school.  So visit the Walt Disney World website to take advantage of your free customized maps of the most magical place in the world.

Quick Tip: Preserving Graphic T-Shirts

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Preserving graphic t-shirts is essential in my house.  I have two young boys close in age.  So, when my oldest son outgrows his favorite t-shirts I know they are in good shape for his little brother to use next.  The key to preserving images on graphic t-shirts is:  wash and dry them inside-out.  Most people know this and may have read it on the label but, most people don't do it.  It really does work.  It will help prevent the images from cracking or peeling.  So, next time you do laundry, take the time to turn all your graphic t-shirts inside-out and you will be extending the life of your or your child's favorite tee. 

Quick Tip: Sending Hubby to the Store

If you are like most busy women nowadays, you probably have a dry-erase board somewhere in your kitchen.  Mine is on the fridge with a running list of groceries our family needs.  This list is very helpful when asking my husband to pick up some things while he's out.  One day my husband came up with a great idea.  Instead of rewriting the list on paper, he took a picture of the dry-erase board grocery list with his phone.  Genius!  It saves time and he is sure to get everything we need.