Minimal living is often mistaken with being just plain lazy but it really requires some brain power and action, therefore effort. So much of our budget is chipped off from over buying the little things when this one item can do 3 or 4 jobs. Plus discovering all these life hacks gets fun and ends up being less stressful because you save on money, mess and you feel more like a functioning adult.
- Olive oil or coconut oil
Both wonderful ingredients and beautifying products.
Olive oil can be used as a furniture polish.
Both are great moisturizers though coconut oil is best, a real superfood ingredient that clears blemishes and roughness!
They can also be used as lip balm or be placed on dry skin for relief.
Good emergency conditioners, start from the ends and concentrate there, too muchon the top hair and scalpwill be too greasy, you do not need a lot. Leave it on for a few minutes fil as long as you want.
Protect paint or makeup brushes by cleaning the bristles with a combination of liquid dish soap and a bit of either oil.
- Toothpaste
I bet a lot of us has a good load of toothpaste somewhere, in excessive amounts. I go for organic toothpaste and left with a lot of the commercial, flouride-ridden stuff hat isnt good for us but great for cleaning other things.
Prevent foggy goggles, glasses or mirrors. Just scrub it in, wash off and wipe.
Deodorizing things like baby bottles or smelly jars. Use toothpaste to scrub the containers.
Tile cleaning. Now this is where all your unused chemical toothpaste can go to and do some good.
Emergency smelly hand-fixer.
Place a dab on a pimple and feel the soothing, cleansing mint sting.
Jewelry cleaning best used with an old toothbrush.
- Newspapers
Boy do these and old magazines build up.
You can take the thick paper material and lay them out into strips by folding the individual sheets into themselves to gain strength instead of cutting. These thick strips can be weaved into themselves or on a wire sculpture to create baskets, bins, trash cans, bags or whatever container you wish. Treat the paperwith paint and varnish if desired.
You can be very artsy and crafty and cut the papef up jnto pretty shapes like bows or origami and proceed to paint them for gift wrapping and event decoaration.
- Aluminum foil
You can scrunch leftover or badly torn foil to become a hard scrub for certain kitchenware that can handle that roucghness. Never use on things like non-stick.
These aee also great for quick oven heating, things like ric, tortillas, certain breads, some meats, etc get dry on the surface quickly so a foil wrap will seal moisture and encourage even cooking.
Keep your oven pan protected feom stiff food stains.
Use for hair coloring, especially when you are not coloring all your hair.
Keep food parts from burning, like cover chicken wing tips and leg tips with foil to avoid overcooking. Wrap on pie crust so the insides cook more while the crust won’t burn.
- Baby powder
Cool your sheets and even white clothes with some baby powder sprinkles.
Great for removing sand to make your beach vacation more hassle-free. Just sprinkle on the car floor, your friend, your clothes and it is easier to shake the sand off.
Keep ants away! Besides cleaning your home regularly sprinkle some baby powder where they tend to emerge from.
Baby powder is good for sports like for pool, billiards, mountain, rock or wall climbing to absorb sweat from the hands.
