Six Pre-vacation “To Do’s”
Going on a summer vacation is something everyone in my family looks forward to each year. Here are a few items you’ll want to be sure and do so you can leave on vacation with a clear mind.
1. Unplug all electrical equipment sensitive to power surges including microwaves, toasters, TV’s, stereos and computers. Not only will you protect them from a power surge but help reduce your chance of fire while you are gone.
2. Check the refrigerator! Remove any leftovers and perishibles so their odor won’t await your return. Be sure and empty the trash can and run your garbage disposal before you leave as well.
3. Mark Your Route. If you are driving, use a yellow marker to clearly trace your route on a road map before departing. Highlighters come in many colors so if your trip is a multi-day driving trip consider highlighting each day’s travel in a different color. You can even highlight the hotels and sites you’ll be stopping at in your travel map to correspond with that day’s color.
4. Take along clothespins. They are handy for drip drying bathing suits and other clothes.
5. Driving to your destination? Consider packing your clothes in laundry baskets instead of suitcases. You can wrap the baskets in trash bags to keep them clean on the way there and then simply toss clothes as they get dirty back into a basket. It’ll be easy to start your laundry on your return.
6. Last But Not Least. Don’t forget to stop the mail or have a neighbor pick it up if you’ll be gone an expended period of time.
Three Uses for Your Muffin Tin at Your Next Backyard Picnic!
1. Drink Tray. Use an empty muffin tin as your tray to carry drinks to your backyard picnic. The cup openings will prevent the drinks from tipping and you’ll have no messy spills!
2. Condiment Tray. Muffin trays work great to put condiments in. Simply fill each cup with a different item (ketchup, barbecue sauce, mustard, pickle relish, etc.) and a spoon for serving. Not only is it easier to carry than 6 different bottles but clean-up is a breeze.
3. Need extra ice cubes. Freeze water in muffin tins for larger cubes which work great in punch. Consider freezing fruit instead of water so that the cubes don’t dilute your punch as they melt.
Six Uses for Plastic Bags!
1. Pastry Bag: Fill bag with icing and close the top. Cut a small piece of the corner and squeeze icing out the hole to decorate your cake or cookies.
2. Greenhouse Effect: Plants need more humidity? Place plants inside small bags with skewers or craft sticks to hold them up.
3. Camera Coverup: When carrying a camera on vacation to the beach or simply carring one in the rain try this. Put the closed end of the bag at the top of the camera and cut off the corners so the straps can slide through. When you are ready to take a picture simply raise the bag over the lense.
4. Shoe Covers: When packing your suitcase put each shoe in a bag and rubberband. This will keep dirt from rubbing off on other items.
5. Hand Protectors: Use a small plastic bag over your hands when kneading bread or making meatballs or my personal favorite, making rice krispie treats. Clean up is alot easier!
6. Tie Up Your Plants: Plants drooping over, cut up a bag and use the strips to tie the plants to stakes or a fence. The bag material has just enough give to work great!
Samet Bilir writes about technology trends, digital camera reviews, and photography, such as best tripods 2012. To read more articles from him visit his website at chi-photography.