Nearly every household in America has a bottle or two of rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol in the medicine cabinet or pantry. It is most commonly used as an antiseptic and for disinfecting medical equipment such as thermometers. Were you aware of all the other potential uses for rubbing alcohol such as inexpensively cleaning, sanitizing and deodorizing your home? That’s right. Rubbing alcohol can help with your spring cleaning tasks and also help keep spring colds at bay!

Rubbing alcohol can be made into a germ-killing, streak-free glass cleaning spray for mirrors, windows and chrome bathroom fixtures. It’s been known to take hairspray residue off mirrors and vinyl or tile floors with ease and keep windows sparkling. Either mix 1 cup rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol, 1 cup water and 1 tbs. white vinegar in a spray bottle or pour the rubbing alcohol straight from the bottle onto a wet, absorbent cloth. You don’t even have to rinse since the alcohol simply evaporates. How easy is that!

Dirty, dusty home electronics can also benefit from rubbing alcohol. TV screens, computer monitor screens, keyboards and stereo equipment can be lightly sprayed with a home-made solution of one part vinegar and two parts rubbing alcohol and then wiped with a soft cloth, cotton ball and/or Q-tip. It is sometimes recommended that you spray the liquid onto a cloth first, rather than directly onto electronics themselves. Rubbing alcohol is also perfect for wiping down grimy, germy cell phones and dissolving the kids’ permanent marker artwork from countertops.

Keep in mind, rubbing alcohol is extremely flammable and should also be used in a well-ventilated area. Turn on fans and open up the windows while you go about your cleaning. It is also highly poisonous and should be kept away from pets and children.

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There are a few houses in my neighborhood that have meticulous vegetable gardens.  The rows are measured expertly with tomato plants standing tall like soldiers in perfect uniformity.  Then, you come to our house. Clusters of tomato plants stand here and there.  In-between are rogue cucumber plants, and hold on – is that winter squash planted in the summer?  But you know what? My children and I planted it together, and it works!As spring begins, you will probably get that itch to go dig in the dirt.  Take a trip to the local super center and let your children pick out seed packets.  Of course you want to get some things you know will grow – but if your child is longing for a watermelon or a few winter peas, go ahead and splurge.  Then comes the fun part.  Let your children help you dig.  Look for worms and talk, enjoying the warm sunshine.
What?  Your daughter wants to stick a cucumber plant right in the middle of your tomato section?  SURE! And those winter peas would look fun climbing up the side with the fence. Will it all grow?  No, of course not, but most of it will.  I was eating peas in the hottest of summer days, and you would not believe the pumpkin we grew when no other pumpkins were found on our street.

Would our garden be found on the Queen’s Palace Grounds?  No.  Would Martha Stewart praise us and call it her own?  Of course not.  But are we proud of what we grew together, the kids and I?  Of course!  And we had enough vegetables to go picking every few days, making memories to last a lifetime.

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Ok, I have something personal to put on here. Yesterday, I received a gift that is absolutely wonderful. A friend, put a very large remote into my hands. He knew with a few kids in the house it is usually hard to put my hands on the remote that came with the TV, DVD player or cable box. I’m not big on watching TV, much too busy for that, but on the rare occasions when I want to sit down and just chill… turn off the laptop and put on a movie, I want my remote. Imagine an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper torn length wise in half. That’s how big this thing is… haven’t lost it yet. It can also be used on all my electronics. I don’t need three remotes for the TV, DVD player and cable box. This will do it all. I can already hear it, “Why do you need a remote? Get off your derriere and turn on the TV, change the channels, yourself. Why do you really need a remote?” I’m with you on that one… but, hold on a second. With my specific DVD player, you can’t advance to play without the remote, plus when the phone rings, it’s easy to grab the remote and turn the volume down and then focus on the call. I’m appreciating this gift. What product do you have that you just can’t do without? We’d love to hear about it.

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