I did things the hard way all my life and now moving into my old age, no way am I taking the long way around! I might get half way around and time on earth is up with my luck. Then there is just this list of unfinished things for my husband to do – and frankly he isn’t very good at doing the unfinished things with me still here, I doubt he will do them when I’m not. So, in the interest of finishing all those things on my To Do List, I have compiled a list of little tips to make the job easier and sometimes faster.

Moving is a pain. It is especially a pain when you have to paint and take wallpaper down. Then you have to stage the house so someone else can buy it and change everything. It is almost enough to make you want to stay in your house and enjoy all your hard work! But in the case where that is not an option here are some handy tips to get you through the upgrades faster:

PAINTING -Invest in some Glad Press and Seal Wrap if you plan to paint. This stuff is great for keeping paint from drying out, making clean up better and saving your brushes. It has a slightly sticky side and a non-stick side so when you place it, it stays until you take it off. First, before you even pour the paint in the pan, line it with Glad Press and Seal. Make sure you cover the whole pan and bring the wrap over the sides. Then fill the pan with paint. When you are finished with the pan, just remove the wrap – paint residue and all. Voila! You have a clean pan to use with another color right away! If you are not done with the color in the pan, simply place more Glad Press and Seal over it making sure you ‘seal’ it all the way around. This will keep your paint from drying out for days. You can also wrap your brush and your roller in this stuff to keep them from drying out until you get ready to resume your painting. Just be sure to wrap everything nice and tight and seal it.

WALLPAPER - Want to get rid of that 70’s wallpaper but have been dreading the task? Get over it with Fabric Dryer Sheets. I found that Bounce brand is the best, but sometimes you can find the unscented ones at the dollar store. You really want to get unscented because you will be using a lot of them depending on how much wallpaper you have to take down. Here is how you do it:

Get a bucket of water as hot as you can stand to put your hand in. Take about 4 or 5 dryer sheets and put them in the water. Let them soak for a few seconds. Take one sheet out and do not wring it out, use it soaking wet (you might want to have a towel on hand; this can get messy on your arms and clothes). Just like you were trying to get a stain off your counter, take your “rag” and hold it on a spot for a minute, then move it to another spot and so on and so on until it is getting a bit dry. Take your putty knife and start lifting the wallpaper where you started the process. Once you have all your paper off, repeat from the beginning, filling the bucket with warm water and new dryer sheets and start wiping the wall to get the glue off. As your water gets cloudy, replace it as well as replacing the sheets as they are depleated of fabric softener. Honestly, it is just like wiping up spills off the floor – except this is the wall. You will be amazed at how easy the glue comes off.

The only exception to this process is if you have the vinyl covered wallpaper. You will want to peel the vinyl off (comes off easy) before you put wet dryer sheet on it. The vinyl will keep the water from penetrating even if you score it. Best to just remove it first.

NAIL HOLES - Nail Holes are easy to get rid of quickly if you know the secret.  Don’t use toothpaste, that breaks down eventually, and if you are staying in your house after you paint – YUK!

Use bathroom caulk instead.  A small tube of silicone caulk will run you a little over a dollar.  Just put a bit on your finger and fill the whole, then take a damp paper towel and lightly wipe over it to get rid of any residue on the wall.  If the hole is not filled, wait about an hour and do it again.  The paint will cover the caulk and you will not have to sand anything.  No more hole!

 AMAZING CLEANER - What if I could show you one product that cleans your jewelry, ceiling fans, fake plants, computer and television screens, motorcycle breaks, eyeglasses, windows, granite counter tops and a whole bunch more stuff for only $20 - $50 depending on what size you buy?  NO LIE – it is called Touch of Purple.  You can only buy this stuff on the internet, but it is worth every penny you pay, including shipping.  This is all natural, biodegradable, hypo-allergenic cleaner contains no acids, ammonia, abrasives or alcohol.  Yet it will keep dust off your ceiling fans and fake plants for up to 2 weeks!  I have used this product for a number of years and would never do without it.  Here is where to read more about this ‘Mom and Pop’ product and where to order it:  www.PurpleCleaner.com

NO MORE STAINS! – Ok, this is the first product that I ever endorsed publically. I actually was on Television endorsing this amazing laundry additive. Now, I have allergies, so it is really important for me to use products that are hypo allergenic. And even then sometimes I can’t use them, but this little product is one I can use and it has changed my life! It used to be called BLOX, now it is called WONDER CARE. You pour a little in the wash where the fabric softener would go, and let it do its thing. When your clothes are done, they will be virtually stain resistant! Don’t believe me? Watch the video – this is not a fake video, it is the real deal, the video is from when the name of the product was Blox.

I can go to restaurants and not worry about mustard, ketchup, sauces and gravy’s or even drinks spilling on me and ruining my clothes. Let’s face it, buying clothes is expensive and when something stains them that is hard to get out like ketchup it makes you want to scream and pitch a fit and rip up the piece of clothing and….ok, that is just me, but you get the message. I have honestly tested this product to its fullest. The only things that it will not repel are grass stains, ink and some lighter oils. But I did find that even if I got these things on the garment after using Wonder Care on it, the stains come out easier without pre-treating with anything. This product does have its own website at www.MyWonderCare.com or you can buy is off the HSN website. Either way it is the same price. I highly recommend this product for anyone with kids. It will save you a TON of money! If you order from their site – tell them Angel sent you.

That’s it, just a few things that I have found keep life simple.  Look for more articles in the future about some of my favorite tips and tricks around the house.