Things You Can Put In Your Dishwasher That You Never Thought Of Before!

:::WARNING:: Don't mix any of the following with dirty dishes!

1. Baseball Hats- Benefit: They retain their shape but please no dirty dishes in the same cycle!

2. Rain Boots- Benefit: No more smelly rubber boots. Remove the liners and lay horizontally.

3. Flip Flops- Benefit: Clean and sanitary summer footwear. Just hook on tines on the top rack!

4. Hand Tools- Benefit: Anything with a metal or plastic handle comes out spotless. Don't try this with wooden handles and make sure to towel dry as soon as you take them out!

5. Ceramic Cabinet Knobs- Benefit: Clean and good as new! Place them in the silverware tray for best results.

6. Hairbrushes- Benefit: The gunk is gone. This works best on those made of plastic or nylon without any wood or natural fibers!

7. Shin Guards, Knee Pads, and Mouth Guards- Benefit: No more stinky hockey bags on the porch! Toss them on the top rack.

8. Action Figures and Other Small Plastic Toys- Benefit: Germs be gone! Throw them into a mesh lingerie bag to contain them and put them on the top rack.

9. Garden Tools-Benefit: Pesticides and manure away! Just remember don't mix these with dishes or wash anything with a wooden handle.

10. Potatoes- Benefit: Makes preparing large batches easier. Again place them on the top rack with a rinse-only cycle (no soap).

Give them a try tonight!

It's 5 O'clock Somewhere!

Have you always wanted to start your day off like Joan Crawford, a little tipsy and a lot bitchy? This next tip will do it! The famous Morton's Steakhouse Bloody Mary.

Ingredients:

1 ounce Absolut Peppar Vodka

1/3 cup Bloody Mary Mix

Pour the vodka and mix into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 times (no kidding)! Strain the mixture into tall Collins glasses filled with ice. Now comes your personal touch. Be creative with your garnish: Gherkins wrapped in prosciutto; lime slices; anchovy stuffed olives; celery stuffed with chive cream cheese; or asparagus and blue cheese skewers.

Don't forget we are a party planning blog so invite some friends over and collect the car keys! Be responsible. Never drink and drive (or vote Republican)!

How to Open Your New Scissors Without Using Scissors?

Have you ever purchased new scissors (or thermometers, children's action figures, small electronics, etc) that have been sealed in a clam shell package? What is a clam shell you may ask? It's that thick, government-grade plastic retailers use to vacuum seal items in to prevent theft, but it ends up preventing anyone from getting at the damn thing! We have a solution which we have been testing in our labs for a several weeks and it doesn't involve scissors, a knife, explosives, or a chain saw! Yes, boys and girls a standard rotatory can opener! Who would have thought.

Make sure your can opener is not dull (like you) before you start. Turn the package over so that the front is facing down. Secure the can opener to the top right edge. Cut all the way around the outer border of the object. Ta-da you're in!

Are You Out There???

Hello Loyal Blog Readers,

Kathleen and I have been doing this blog now for almost a year. Each time we gather, we ask ourselves, does anyone actually read this? So, do you? It would boost our spirits and it would encourage us to blog more frequently if we knew that we had a few fans out there. If you read our blog, please leave a comment or three for us and even become our first "follower"!

Love,

Kathleen, Michael, and all the staff in Colchester!

P.S. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

::Great Concert Keepsake::

Are your scrapbooks busting at the seams? Have concert tickets lying around? Try our great idea for perserving your favorite music memories. Take your favorite concert ticket stubs to your local copy shop and have them laminated. Punch a hole in the top and loop a piece of ribbon through it! Tada, you have yourself a one of a kind bookmark for your favorite gothic novel! Make it your own by adding additional touches like beads and other notions.