Tip to keep your fingernails clean

Rake your nails over a bar of soap.

By JoAnn Derson
| 12:43 p.m. April 8, 2015

Winter Park - Maitland Observer
Neighborhood

• Putting in your spring garden? To keep your fingernails from developing a dirt problem, use this classic tip: Rake your nails over a bar of soap. It "seals" the gap underneath, and later when you wash your hands, the soap slips right out ... no need to spend time scrubbing out the dirt! — JoAnn

• Add these to the list of items to eliminate the odor of cooking cabbage: a heel of bread, a whole walnut or a pinch of baking soda.

• Love beans but trying to save a little money? Don't be intimidated by dry beans, just rinse them and chuck them in the slow cooker. Add water according to package directions and cook on low for up to eight hours. After they cool, you can bag them in freezer-safe zipper-top bags and freeze them for easy use later.

• If you keep a couple of crackers in your sugar jar, they'll keep the sugar from caking.

• If you or your kids have trouble drifting off to sleep, try this aromatherapy trick: Spray sheets with a diluted lavender essential oil. Lavender is classic for sleep time.

• "To make the handiest long-handled garden tool, do this right now: Lay the tool on the ground (it can be a hoe, rake – whatever you use most) and, using a tape measure, mark out feet and inches with a permanent marker right on the handle. Now, when you go to put plants in the ground, you can space them out perfectly by laying down your tool along the planting line." – C.O. in Arkansas