How To . . . Life's Little Instruction Manual

How to pick the best cutting board

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Depending on your household and your kitchen decor the right cutting board can be a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Here are a couple things to think about when choosing a cutting board.

1. Quality. Make sure you choose a quality cutting board, one that will last a lifetime.

2. Material. If you are using quality knives your best bet is a good wood cutting board. Of the wood cutting boards available the best is the Boos cutting board. Using wood will help your knives last longer than glass.

3. What you cut. If you are going to be cutting a number of different things including meat and vegetables make sure you have a cutting board that will not harbor germs and bacteria.

How to pick a great mantel clock

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:24:00 +0000

If you have a mantel in your house a great way to decorate it is with a clock. Couple things to remember when picking out a mantel clock. 1. The sound it makes. Make sure you can stand to live with the chime/bell it has. 2. The look and feel of the clock. There are tons of choices in mantel clocks, you can go for a modern looking clock or even pick a nice Seth Thomas mantel clock if you're looking for an antique or antique feel clock. 3. Make sure it fits your mantel. If you have a huge mantel find a nice big clock so it will look like it fits. If you have a small mantel make sure you don't get a huge clock or it will just look out of place.

A mantel clock can be a great way to add a nice touch of elegance to your home, choose wisely.

How to Make a Slammin' Cup of Coffee

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

If you enjoy, I mean REALLY enjoy a good cup of coffee then you need to take note. I found something that will make you a cup of coffee you would not believe. I've had cappuccino makers in the past, I never used them, or they made pretty crappy coffee. However, the Delonghi Magnifica Super Automatic Espresso Machine is different! It makes a fantastic cup of espresso, but it also makes lattes, cappuccino and regular old coffee.

The trick is the machine grinds the coffee beans for you right before it makes the coffee. This creates an amazing cup of coffee that you would not believe! There are features coming out the ying yang on this thing and what's really cool, is they are features you will actually use! So if you love coffee or you know someone who does check out the Delonghi Magnifica Super Automatic!

How to Own a Kayak When You Have No Storage Space

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:58:00 +0000

Kayaking can be a really fun hobby. It's great exercise and you can have a lot of fun out on the water. The problem with it is you have to have this great big kayak. Storing that kayak can be a bit of a problem if you are living in a city or an apartment. I mean you want to kayak but you don't want it to take up your whole living room right? To solve this problem you can get an inflatable kayak, the problem is some of the inflatable kayaks are of really poor quality. The better option is to get an Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Inflatable Kayak. It is a hybrid kayak, so you get the best of both worlds. You get the tracking ability of a hard shelled kayak with the easy storage and transport of an inflatable kayak. If you're thinking about getting a new kayak it's a great option.

How to Choose the Right Saris T Rax Bike Rack

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:08:00 +0000

When I first started biking I was super scared of riding on gravel. Unfortunately I had 1/2 mile of gravel to get to a real road. :( I went out and bought a cheap bike rack, which I was not very happy with. I have since decided to get a Saris T Rax bike rack ~ if you're looking for a bike rack for Christmas you might want to take a look and see how to choose the best bike rack for you.

How to Find The Perfect Christmas Dinnerware

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:32:00 +0000

I've been looking for a nice set of Christmas dinnerware for a while now. I had no idea there were so many options to choose from. Every time I think I have decided I see something else I like. I finally found a site that really pulls in a bunch of different options for Christmas dinnerware, so I have a lot of choices in one spot, so I can try and make a decision.

If you're looking for Christmas dinnerware I highly suggest you check out A Kitchen Store and More!

How to Get Ready to Bike Across Kansas

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 21:50:00 +0000

Image by Hello, I am Bruce via Flickr

Bike Across Kansas is an 8 day cycling event taking riders from the border of Colorado to Missouri, across the great state of Kansas. I am a totally out of shape mom, but I've decided that I'm going to do the Bike Across Kansas event in 2011. If you want to know how to get in shape for Bike Across Kansas follow along with me on my journey! Find out lots of other great Kansas bike info as well.

How to Cook with the Sun

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 20:50:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered if the power of the sun was enough to cook a meal ~ well it is. There are a number of solar cookers on the market but this hot pot solar cooker is one of the best. It's easy to store, heats to cooking temperatures in an hour and stays hot enough to cook on for up to 6 hours.

What a great way to harness the power of the sun ~ cook a great meal, and teach the kids a great lesson about solar energy all in one day!

How to Pay Off College Loans

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:51:00 +0000

Starting July 1st the government has put a new program in place to help lower income people pay off their college loans. The new program is bases your payment off your income. Your payments can be no more than 15% of your total income, and if you are below the federal poverty level you may find your payments are 0. Here's more information on using these programs to pay off college loans.

How to Choose the Right Potting Bench

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:14:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

If you are an avid gardening and do a lot of planting ~ whether it's seeds or transplants you may find a potting bench would make your work a lot easier. There are many different styles of potting benches, and they come in a wide array of materials. Which one is right for you will completely depend on what your needs are. Are you going to have an outdoor potting bench? Do you want it to be an indoor decorative piece, or become an architectural element in your garden. These are all questions you need to ask before choosing a potting bench. This new site I found will help with these questions and others you should ask before you buy a potting bench.

How to Manage Dog Shedding

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:58:00 +0000

Image by ucumari via Flickr

We have 2 dogs. One doesn't shed at all, and the other sheds more than enough for both of them! There's really no way to stop dog shedding. But you can manage it with some new tricks of the trade. You can get the furminator. It's a new kind of brush that really pulls the fur out and helps to stop shedding.

If your dog is already shedding on your furniture and you want a quick fix to get all the fur up your best bet is to grab some Sticky Sheets! These are big sticky sheets. You just lay them down on your furniture and pull them up and all the fur comes with them.

Kinda like waxing your legs for furniture ~ but no messy wax.

How to stop cat shedding from being a problem

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:52:00 +0000

We have 2 cats and 2 dogs. It's amazing how much fur those critters lose. The cat shedding is a huge problem for my furniture though. We recently got a new dark blue sectional and you can see my cat is always sleeping on it and leaving long white cat fur everywhere.

I finally figured out how to stop cat shedding from being a problem though. This great thing called sticky sheets!! You can read all about them and how to stop cat shedding on this great lens at squidoo.

How to Cook with a Crock Pot

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:50:00 +0000

Image by Arthaey via Flickr

Learning how to use a Rival slow cooker is really easy, especially if you get the programmable crock pot. You will be amazed how easy it is to get dinner on the table most nights of the week.

Most people think of cooking crock pot roast, but crock pot cooking has come a long way since then. In fact, you can even cook CAKE in a crock pot!

If you are new at crock pot cooking it's best to find a good recipe to follow. Here are some great chili crock pot recipes, pork crock pot recipes, chicken crock pot recipes, and even a good old crock pot roast recipe ~ they are amazing after all. :)

How to Win My Ex Back

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:18:00 +0000

Have you lost your love and are looking for a way to get them back? This has happened to some people I know and they are always calling me up and asking how to win my ex back. I don't really know the answer to that, and personally wonder if you really want them back?? You know I'm all into law of attraction and what not. They probably left for a reason and now you've opened up a space to attract something better but if you are determined to learn how to get my boyfriend back here are some resources you can use to win back an ex.

I still think it might be best to just learn how to get over an ex and get on with your life! But that's just me. :)

How to Choose the Right Subliminal Software

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:22:00 +0000

Cover via Amazon

I love affirmations. I have been using them off and on for year. I have not always had great luck in accomplishing the things I wanted with affirmations though. I found they work best when they are imprinted subliminally. I just couldn't be consistent or focused enough for them to be effective on a conscious level. I recently picked up a subliminal software program, to help me in this endeavor. I have it running on my computer all day long, and it sends all my affirmations right to my nonconscious mind. Here's my subliminal software review. If you would like to learn more about how to change your thoughts and habits for real I highly suggest reading John Assaraf's new book The Answer.

How to Make Free Banners

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:02:00 +0000

If you are like me and are completely graphically challenged it's your lucky day. I have found a way to make free banners that look like they have been professionally done. It takes 5 quick easy steps to create a banner you will be proud to put on your website.

This program also allows you to make free headers, free animated gifs as well as those super cool peel away ads. If you are looking for a way to create free banners this is for you!

How to Find the Best Deals Online

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:32:00 +0000

If you are looking for deals online finding them can be difficult. You can look and look all day. However, there are some great webmasters who will do the hard work for you. They scour the web and find the best deals online and put them all in one spot.

I found one such site ~ Today's Best Deals Online. This site finds the best deals online and posts them so you can easily find them and just go and save money.

How to Find Simple Chicken Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:27:00 +0000

Image via WikipediaI have been trying to cook at home more often. It's so much cheaper and healthier. I have been scouring the net for simple chicken recipes. They can be hard to find, but I'm pulling them together. I found a very cool site where you can put together recipes you find online and create a book of them. A real book of your favorite quick chicken recipes ~ or your grandma's family recipes! It's called Tastebook. It's pretty fun and cool to play with.

How to find Great Christmas Kitchen Gift Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:44:00 +0000

Depending on your wife of girlfriend they may not want "gifts that make them work". I however, love kitchen gadgets and have some great ideas for great Christmas kitchen gift ideas if you are looking for ideas you are in luck.

Breadman TR875 2-Pound Breadmaker, Stainless Steel

7 quart crockpot. I love mine. It's big enough to cook double recipes so I can save the second half and have another meal later I don't have to cook. It doesn't take any extra effort to cook double.

Breadman Bread Machine. This is a great bread maker. I love the smell of fresh baked bread. This one is really cool, because like a coffee maker this one has a timer. You can toss in the ingredients at night and in the morning be waken by the smell of fresh yummy bread.

Electric Downdraft Cooktop. I have a crappy kitchen that is waiting on a long list of things needing remodelled. We don't have an exhaust hood for our stove and I would LOVE to have a downdraft cooktop. They come in electric as well as gas. You don't need a vent hood which lets you put them anywhere in the room without being hindered. I would love to have one so my wine glasses (which hang near the stove) weren't always covered with grease. :( It's a pricey gift but it is a gift that will keep on giving, and there are a lot of sales going on now so you can get them at a pretty good price.

How to Get the Cleanest Air Possible in Your House

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:56:00 +0000

We live on a dirt road. The road is to the south of our house which means all summer long the wind from the south blows dirt into my house.

I have tried a number of different air purifiers to help keep the dust down, as I suffer from allergies.

We also have 2 dogs and a couple cats, which I'm allergic to as well. None of the air filters I have picked up have been worth the money I've spent.

I recently read about the Austin Allergy Machine. I'm thinking about getting it to see how it does with the dust and animal dander.

Anyone have it?

How to Join the Best Life Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:32:00 +0000

Cover of Oprah WinfreyIt appears Oprah is gearing up after some recent weight gain to start the Best Life Challenge again. If you want to join the Best Life Challenge and lose some weight with Oprah, and the help of Bob Greene.

Join Oprah's Best Life Challenge

What is the Best Life Challenge?

It's a promise to yourself to live the best life you can over the next year. With Bob Greene's help you will be walked through the exercise, and eating.

What can you eat?

The really cool thing about this plan Bob Greene has set up is you can eat normal foods you can find in the grocery store. In fact Bob is so good he has put the Best Life logo on approved foods. They are easy to find when you are shopping. Foods carrying the seal fit right into the Best Life way of eating. They contain one or more of the following nutritious ingredients: whole grains, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and other essential nutrients.
For a complete list of the approved food go to Best Life Partners.

Join Oprah's Best Life Challenge

How to find teh best 7 quart slow cooker or crockpot

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:52:00 +0000

If you love crock pot cooking as much as I do, you can easily see the benefit of just adding a little more food and having extras to freeze for later.

This is a great strategy as it takes no more time or effort to throw some extras in the pot. What it does take is a larger slow cooker. In fact, you will have to have at least a 7 quart crockpot to make this strategy work.

Anything smaller than a 7 quart slow cooker just wont' give you the room you need. You can easily find the perfect 7 quart crockpot from the sites linked to above.

How to Find the Best Lip Plumper

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:32:00 +0000

If you're like me a little extra plump in the lip department would be quite nice.

I'm not willing to go so far as to use needles, or have surgery, but a little extra "Jolie" would be great.

I've tried some lip plumpers in the past but found they were painful and stung, and to top it all off they didn't even work!!

I'm still on the quest for plumper lips, so I keep on trying. If you are looking for the best lip plumper check out this site, it will help you find the best lip plumper for you!

How to Find Wii Music

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 02:49:00 +0000

If you are looking to get the HOT Christmas gift for 2008 you are looking for the Wii Music. It's not going to stay on the shelves forever, so if you are thinking about getting it for the gamer or music lover in your life you better get it soon. Amazon.com still has some in stock but it won't last forever. Not sure the Wii Music is for you? Take a look and see. The gamer or music lover in your life will love it. It's a great way to bridge the gap between the gamer and the parents. ;)

How to Find Easy Chicken Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Jackie Lee) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:15:00 +0000

Image via WikipediaThere's a new recipe site in town, Easy Chicken Recipes. It's a new site, but there will be updates every Monday and Thursday. If you are soooo bored with dry old chicken stop by and find some great recipes to make chicken interesting again!

This site will be covering Easy Chicken Recipes, as well as crockpot chicken recipes, quick easy chicken recipes, and of course those delicious mexican chicken recipes. Most will be relatively healthy ~ it is chicken after all, but some will be downright decadent.

Stop by and check it out, and subscribe in RSS so you can get the new recipes as they come out.