#08 More Kitchen Capers

Hello people, This week on the show I have some more kitchen tips for you.  

Have you been stymied my skid marks? It's a problem for linoleum vinyl flooring. There's a simple solution, however - lighter fluid. It lifts those unsightly blemishes like magic. You may have noticed in the comments from last week that a viewer, Donald, suggests citrus room deodorizer for the same task. I haven't tried that, but it's certainly worth a looksee. If you try it let me know how it works! 

Splitting an avocado can be messy business unless you use this little tip: Give it a twist instead of trying to pry the halves apart. It separates as if by magic! I also use a spoon to scoop out the pulp, rather than trying to peel the skin back, and pits can be removed with a good whack with a sharp knife and then a twist once the knife is lodged firmly in the pit. If you want to keep your avocado fresh in the fridge, leave the pit in the half you're saving and cover it with plastic wrap, similarly, place a pit in a bowl of guacamole and cover it with wrap as well and it will stay fresh too.

Sign up for my weekly email for my guacomole recipe!

#07 Kitchen Capers

Hello people, Brini here with some ideas to make your time in the kitchen more pleasant. This week on the show I'm highlighting two tips: 

Do you hate the extra step of sifting your flour for recipes? Try running it through your food processor for a moment or two and you can eliminate that step. 

Tired of your plastic smelling like your last leftover? It can be so unpleasant to eat out of. It's a simple problem to solve, however. Pop the offending plastic in the freezer for a few hours or drop a lemon wedge in it for a while and those odors will be eliminated. 

Now why didn't you think of that?

Come back next week for some more tips and ideas for gracious living!

#06 Socks and Boxes

Hello people! This week it's about socks and boxes on the show. 

Lost socks is a perpetual problem for laundry doers everywhere. You can solve it easily by pinning them together before washing them. They'll stay mated until you remove the pins to fold them and put them away. 

Collapsing boxes can be a chore - especially when they're glued together. Soak them in the sink and they'll easily crumple into a ball. 

I'm happy to tell you that a film I did is premiering at the Philadelphia Film Festival. It's called 2 Minutes Later and is a charming murder mystery with snappy dialog and stylish characters. I play Emily, the owner of an art gallery. I hope you'll look for it!

#05 Putting It Away

Hello people! Another week of tips is upon us and this week it's all about storage. 

Under bed (or in my case, under sofa) storage bins are a great way to utilize otherwise wasted space. You can find them in many home stores, but a more eco-friendly and efficient way to create them is to attach small casters to drawers from an old piece of furniture. The casters can be found at hardware stores for a nominal fee and you may already have an old chest lying around. If not you can find them inexpensively at thrift shops and garage sales. Make sure the drawers fit under your bed, allowing for the added height of the casters first.  

I like to store my soap among my towels. Unwrapped, it makes them smell so fresh and pretty. Give it a try! 

Storage can be quite a problem in smaller homes. I like to take advantage of every space I can by finding the proper storage equipment. Stores like The Container Store and Hold Everything have great products that make organization easy. The first step is to assess what you have to store. Open up that cabinet or closet that you've been dreading looking at and bring out the clutter. Look it over and categorize it, then you'll have a sense of what sort of containers you'll need. Will everything fit in small shoebox sized bins or do you need larger ones? Will you need small trays with compartments in them? Once you've made you decision, buy the pieces right away. Don't put everything back until you've put it all into the new containers. 

Decorative storage can be extremely useful as well. I'm particularly fond of my beautiful leather jewelry boxes. They have a place of honor in my bedroom. Not only do they organize my jewelry beautifully, they serve as a delightful accent in the room. This can apply to all sorts of decorative boxes of many sizes that can be used to store everything from games to remotes to office supplies. Remember, keep your clutter down to a minimum and your home will be a much nicer place to inhabit!