Grab Bag Hired Assistant:

Your phone likely has a feature that just may save your behind one day. Put that super-convenient camera feature to use and save the following images for that day when you REALLY need that info that you’ll NEVER remember. Gaze over this list from Apartmentherapy.com and get snappin’ these photos to stay on top of all kinds of stuff:

• A reminder of where you parked. Parking in the city or airport is no joke.

• Your printer cartridges. Make sure you can see the refill numbers.
• Your family members’ clothing sizes.
• Measurements of your air filters on your AC system. 
• Travel confirmation numbers. Take a screenshot of the email your airline sends you. When you check in later and need to find confirmation numbers, your photo album will be less cluttered than your inbox.

• Pictures of current medications. Make sure you can see the prescriptions’ names and dosages in the photo.

• The types of lightbulbs that fit your home fixtures.
• A recipe from a book or magazine that you want to use soon.
• Anything “borrowed” that you might want to buy later, like the brand of a smooth-writing pen at the bank or a great-smelling hotel shampoo.
• Expensive home furnishings you just know you can DIY at home. Get shots of all the important angles for when you’re ready to DIY.

I would add:

• Anything in a magazine you’re reading at a doctor’s office that you want to remember… so you can leave the magazine behind… so you don’t have to … say… cough loudly while you tear out the page you want…. what?… someone told me they did that.

• Snap and send pics of the EXACT brand of some grocery item you need, so when your significant other goes to the market they have no excuse if they come home with, say,  totally the wrong thing 🙂

• Any information (make, model, price) about something you see in a store but want to research and shop for online (tv’s, appliances, home goods, etc.).

Grab Bag Helping Hand:

Had not thought of this …. but I think I’ll leave a paper clip in my jewelry drawer now.

Grab Bag “Health” Harmers:

The dangers are hidden in the aisles of your local grocery and health food stores. Thanks to my daughter for drawing my attention to this list of 6 ingredients often found in “diet” or “health” foods that do more harm than good. Read the story behind each here on Yahoo!Health.

• Carrageenan (found in dairy and dairy substitute products)

• Caramel coloring (sodas… both diet and regular… neither of which are “healthy” in ANY regard)

• Palm oil (found in many- if not most- packaged foods)

• Evaporated Cane Juice (not a “juice” at all, this is a highly, highly processed version of…. sugar)

• Fruit Juice Concentrate (Just another name for….. sugar… none of the fruit benefits remain)

• High Fructose Corn Syrup (yes… just… another…. name for… never mind, you get it)

So you may notice that 4 of the 6 here are versions of sugar. Golly, why be so mean? Sugar is OK in moderation, right? Yes… as long as you realize how much sugar you are truly ingesting on a daily or weekly basis… and the ingredients mentioned above are hidden in products you might never dream of as “sweet”. Add to that diabetes concern the way in which these products are refined, and the contaminants they often carry, and you have EVERY reason to stay away from these at all times.

Grab Bag Magic Eraser:

Sorry …. I just had to get your attention….. but this is so NOT about wrinkles.

It’s about this guy and these “Magic Eraser” sponge thingies.

Mr. Clean sells a line called Magic Erasers and Scotch-Brite offers a product called the Easy Erasing Pad …. and I am sure there are others. These sponge-shaped cleaners are actually made of a melamine foam. The foam performs as a very, very fine abrasive. There are no added chemicals in or on the product (except the one noted below). When LIGHTLY dampened with just water, they can remove grim and marks and stains that nothing else seems to touch.

There are a few versions offered, one with the “grease fighting power” of Dawn imbedded into it, which is supposed to be great for greasy jobs.

Apparently I have arrived late to the Magic Eraser party, as I just discovered these a few months ago. Well, let me tell you, there are some pretty enthusiastically devoted fans of these things out there… and I have to say it is pretty exciting to attack some stain or baked-on guck that has forever foiled you and watch it disappear 🙂

Below are over 50 uses I found claimed for these little blocks of white wonder. Photos here are examples I found of people posting their results using “Magic Eraser” on various surfaces. NOTE: I have not tried all (or most) of these, so proceed with your own common sense:

• Remove coffee and tea stains from mugs.

• Clean stains left inside the crock pot.

• Clean pet and child vomit from carpet or clothing– I’d try a test spot on any fabric before you use the Magic Eraser on it!

• Remove stains and scuff marks from tennis shoes.

Magic Eraser apparently didn’t do wonders for this chick’s manicure… eeewwww

• Clean outdoor furniture and toys, like white resin, plastic toys or white painted furniture (but scrub lightly on the painted furniture!).

• Remove tar from your car’s paint.

• Clean vinyl surfaces (will also work well on heavily soiled leather, as shown below, with some caution: “It will clean leather and vinyl like you wouldn’t believe, but it also has the power to remove the protective top coat.”)

• Clean your car’s hubcaps.

• Clean the  gunk from inside of your refrigerator.

• Clean the dishwasher interior.

• Remove rust from most surfaces.

• Clean your computer, including your keyboard, mouse and some even say your laptop itself! I’d go lightly as you wipe down these electronic pieces.

• Clean your phone– try gently wiping down your phone’s mouthpiece to get rid of built-up grime.

• Remove cooked-on stains in pots and pans.

• Clean your sticky/dusty range hood over the stove. (What, yours isn’t sticky or dusty? Mhmm… )

• Remove nail polish spills or stains.

• Remove poorly placed “spontaneous artwork” (why does mom look so cheerful here? She’s got “Magic Eraser”!… BEWARE… work lightly, as this thing will remove your paint as well).

• Clean mirrors and windows– some say that the Magic Eraser gives them a streak-free and clean mirror! And it will apparently prevent your mirrors in the bathroom from steaming when you shower.

We have hard water in our area, and the Magic Eraser has been the only cleaner that can get the residue off of our glass shower door. We squeegee it everytime we use the shower, but the residue still collects. The eraser takes the residue right off.

• Remove mildew from tents, vinyl canopies, awnings, fiberglass items, etc.

• Remove paint over spray that has dried.

• Remove food stains inside and outside plastic food containers and coolers.

• Remove fingerprints and dirt on light-colored kitchen cabinets.

• Clean kids’ plastic toys.

• Remove dried paint from door hinges.

• Remove tarnish from silver… (caution.. test abrasiveness carefully here)

• Remove adhesive residue after removing stickers, or adhesive from just about anything.

• Remove hair dye from counter tops.

• Clean oven shelves and the grates on your grill.

• Remove melted plastic from the side of the toaster oven.

• Remove green algae from cement (such as bird baths, steps, ponds, etc.).

• Remove toilet bowl rings– apparently you can simply cut off a piece of the Magic Eraser and let it sit in the toilet overnight to clean. Sounds easy enough.

• Clean stained caulking along the kitchen sink and counter top.

• Remove paint scratches on your car from minor fender benders (used below in conjunction with Barkeeper’s Friend… what it won’t do is fix the dents :-)).

• Remove stains on the underside of the toilet seat.

• Remove permanent marks on dry erase boards.

• Clean stains on laminate countertops.

• Clean CERAMIC tiles, tubs and sinks… use a light hand on plastic tubs.

Old tub with rust and gunk

Is anyone else dizzy from this angle?

• Clean stainless steel sinks and appliances.

• Clean leather and suede boots, shoes and handbags from scuffs and marks.

• Clean white grout effortlessly.

• Remove scuff marks on walls

• Clean splatters inside the microwave

• Remove marks on vinyl siding

• Clean & shine things up before you sell them in a yard sale

• Clean car tires, including white walls

• Remove soap scum and gunk from around the bathroom faucet

•  Clean your bicycle, even the tires & rims

• Clean inside your car (along the handles, window ledge, arm rests, dashboard)

• Remove scuff marks and dirt from linoleum floors.

• Remove dirt and grime on a vinyl convertible top

• Remove magic marker, permanent marker, and ballpoint ink from virtually any surface

• Remove dirt from plastic trash cans

• Remove bugs from car windshield, grille, and bumper.

To get more life out of your Magic Erasers, try this:

1. Cut each Magic Eraser into 4 equal-sized pieces (across the shortest width of the eraser, rather than lengthwise). The product wears down quickly, much like a pencil eraser, so only use the size that you can apply with direct contact to the surface you are working on. This way, you get 4 times the amount of cleaning out of one Eraser!

2. Lightly mist it with water (by misting or using the kitchen sink sprayer), rather than saturating it with water — which causes it to shrivel up more.

3. Scrub lightly with the Magic Eraser, then wipe the area with a wet towel to prevent smearing the dirt/grime and remove any residue.

4. When it starts to get yucky (after cleaning a few different items), simply spray rinse it again to revive it a bit. Then squeeze the excess water out, and continue using it until it starts to shred.

Grab Bag Brain Game:

My latest addiction…. get  the app called “Scramble with Friends” (not Scrabble, mind you) and start playing this fast-paced, pattern finding, word building game against opponents (people you know or random matches of equal ability the game will find for you). You do improve over time, showing how you become more adept at those skills required. Think fast! If you want to play against me, drop me an email: LK(at)LKsGrabBag.com with your user name and I’ll find ya…. but pull up your panties and bring your A game 🙂 (I will be unavailable this week, but ready for all comers next week!)

Grab Bag Funny Stuff:

A compilation of humorous thoughts and images to brighten your day: