If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then you already know I’m all about sharing simple tips and tricks that make life a little bit easier. But sometimes, the tips that I want to share aren’t something I can write a whole blog post about!
And since I simply cannot waste a good idea, I tuck them away to use at a later date. I recently realized I had a fair amount of them in my collection, so I thought I’d share those with you today in what will be the 20th installment of my ongoing series “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?”
Missed the last installment, or want to revisit some of your old favorite tips? Check out the entire archive of the “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” series at the bottom of this post.
1. Keep Salad In Your Salad Spinner
After you have washed your lettuce and put it in your salad spinner to remove the extra water, dump out the water but keep the lettuce in the salad spinner. Once you put it in your fridge, the spinner will act like a crisper so your lettuce will be cold and crisp when you’re ready to eat it.
2. Test Your Pillows
If you want to know whether or not it’s time to replace your bed pillows, there’s a simple test you can use to figure it out. Simply fold your pillow in half, hold it there for about 30 seconds, then let go.
If your pillow is in decent shape, it should bounce back and lie flat again on its own. Pillows that don’t bounce back are likely being weighed down by dust, skin cells, and body oil, which means it’s time to replace them.
3. Pick A Ripe Pineapple
The next time you buy a whole pineapple at the store, here are a few tips that will help you pick a ripe one. First, check the bottom of the pineapple to make sure there isn’t any mold on it.
If the bottom looks fine, pull out one of the inside leaves from the top of the pineapple. If an inside leaf comes out easily, that’s a good sign that it’s ripe and ready to eat.
4. Catch Excess Cooking Spray
Before spraying a baking dish with cooking spray, open the door of your dishwasher. Hold the baking dish over your dishwasher while you apply the cooking spray, and the dishwasher door will catch any overspray and prevent it from getting on your counters, floor, or cupboard doors.
The excess cooking spray will get washed away the next time you do a load of dishes.
5. Freeze Extra Pancakes
The next time you make pancakes, make extras and keep them in a ziplock bag in your freezer. The next time you or someone else needs a quick and easy breakfast option, just pop a couple of those frozen pancakes in your toaster.
6. Keep Cereal Bags For Pounding Meat
Save the plastic liners inside of cereal boxes and keep them on hand for pounding out chicken breasts or tenderizing steaks. Just wipe out any leftover cereal crumbs before starting, and you’ll be surprised at how perfect those durable cereal liners are for these sorts of tasks!
7. Make Your Pillow Unforgettable
Some people prefer to bring their own pillow when staying at a hotel, but your pillow can be easy to forget if it’s in the same white pillowcase as the hotel pillows. But you can make your pillow a lot harder to forget simply by putting it in a patterned or colorful pillow case. A funky, colorful pillowcase is easy to spot and much harder to forget!
Do you have a favorite simple tip or trick?
The “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” Series
- For even more simple tips and tricks that will make your life easier, check out the other installments in this series, including ones you may have missed!
- Explore the “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” series archive.