Sunday, September 19, 2010

100 and a giveaway

This is my hundredth post, wow that went fast! To celebrate, I thought I'd have a little giveaway and thought it'd be fitting to have a giveaway themed with something that has been extinct for over a hundred years (the last confirmed sighting was nearly 103 years ago, anyway). So I've got a huia-themed prize pack up for grabs, featuring two fabric brooches (with huias gocco printed onto calico, backed with wool felt and with a safety clasp on the back), a gocco print of a male and female huia (the female one has the long beak) and a calico feather patch. Unfortunately it's not a huia feather, it doesn't have the white tip, but let's not be pedantic.



To enter, all you need to do is leave me a comment telling me your favourite home hint. My favourite home hint is that if you are as partial to a cup of strong black coffee as I am, you probably have the problem of your white coffee cups getting stained brown inside. Just rub a bit of baking soda on the stains and give them a wash and they'll be good as new.

I'll post the prize pack anywhere in the world, and I'll draw a winner next Sunday. Good luck and thanks for reading!

14 comments:

  1. OK, here's one: If you ever happen to pour a glass of red wine into a white carpet, don't bother with salt or any of that nonsense. Just put a couch on it.

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  2. That's a great one Mr Bond St. Bridge, and whatever you do don't move said couch when your landlord comes around. Got a good one for removing red oil paint from a white carpet?

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  3. Do you have something to tell me about red oil paint and a white carpet?

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  4. Ah, um, not such a white carpet anymore?

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  5. Maybe we need another couch? You can never have too many couches.

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  6. At the moment I'm hiding it under the table, seems to do the trick!

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  7. You know those plastic bags you get from the supermarket? Don't just throw them away, they can be used to line the bin. Much less bin washing.

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  8. My home hint follows on from yours Emily... baking soda is amazing! For example, if you have a dirty person in the house, who leaves the bath all grubby (and gives questionable home hints), a bit of baking soda and a quick scrub will see it clean with very little effort.

    Love your work as always Emily.

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  9. For a sun burn: liquid antacid will take the red out and that the painful hot feeling out.So mylanta is great for sunburn
    jacksoncrisman@yahoo.com

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  10. I can't wait to get back into my vege garden as the sun starts coming out more, so thought I'd share a home hint for the best ever non-toxic organic garden pest control.
    Brew together:
    2-3 garlic bulbs
    6 large or 12 small hot chilli peppers (any variety will do)
    1 Tsp vegetable oil
    3 squirts of liquid detergent (around 1x dessert spoonful)
    7 cups water

    Blend up all the ingredients with 1 cup of the water. Divide up this concoction into a number of jars/bottle and top up with the rest of the water. You can leave these in the cupboard for latter use and open a jar when you need it. Strain through muslin or coffee filter before putting in a spray bottle to use. (Note: You may want to experiment a little with the strength by checking the results and for any damage to the plants. If it fixes the problem you have a perfect mix, otherwise you can dilute with water.) Remember to re-spray after rain and re-spray every few days till there is no sign of pests, then every 10 days after that.
    Thanks From Fleur at: snowflakeobsidian12@hotmail.com

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  11. Great giveaway, Emily! Loads of good hints (Mr BSB should probably win, though). My hint is: to remove soap scum from your shower or bath, use soap. Strange logic, but it works (and it's cheap).

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  12. Thanks for your great home hints so far! My house is going to be so much more clean and organised and my garden pest-free. Keep 'em coming!

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  13. Teresa's uncle says to put something sticky under the rug so that when you sweep all the dust under there it doesn't come out again.

    My hot tip is the mightly power of white vinegar and its ability to thwart mould!

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  14. These are my favourites from a site with a lot of handy hints:
    If you're baking with lemon zest (incorporating it into cakes, cookies, even lemon curd), add the zest to the sugar you've measured out and rub it in well - it helps to better release the oils and increase the flavor.
    The smells of onions and garlic are especially difficult to get off your hands, even if you wash them straight away. Try washing your hands under running water with soap - and a metal teaspoon! No idea why this works but it gets rid of the smell almost immediately.

    To turn an ordinary round cake into a heart shaped cake, simply cut a rounded v shape from the top of the cake and 'glue' it with jam or butter cream at the bottom.

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