As a result, I turn to the Net to get ideas and am usually just awed by the number of great tips and things that can be done.

One of the better sites for arts and crafts is Kids Craft Magazine (http://www.kidcraftsmagazine.com/). They have wonderful ideas which even creative numbed mothers like me can do. I especially like the fact that most of the crafts need everyday things which we already have in the house.

The other thing is that the crafts can be done in a relatively short time – good for managing an active pre-schooler as well as the time we are spending on it.

To top it off, their crafts usually is done to suit the time of year. E.g. Easter will have its bunnies, Halloween will have its share of pumpkin crafts etc. Never a dull moment.

Enjoy then!

One of the things which I enjoy doing is cleaning the fridge. Really. And the main reason is because it is very cooling. No joke.

Every time I clean the fridge, I will discover some amazing things that are in it. Leftovers which still look edible but I cannot recall when I cooked it. Vegetables which I do not remember buying. Fruits which already have a different smell to it. Once I discovered some food in a container and I cannot really identify what its origins were!

Now, because of all these amazing discoveries, naturally some smell will emerge occasionally.  Imagine my delight when I saw a small write-up in the Star a few days ago which tells us how to freshen up the fridge. Here goes …

* Take a lemon and cut into half.

* Scoop the insides of the lemons out with a spoon.

* Fill up the lemon halves1/2 to 3/4 of the way full with table salt.

* Place the lemon halves in a small bowl to keep them from tipping over. You can place both halves in one bowl or place each half in separate bowls.

* Place the bowl or bowls in the back of the fridge.

* Replace every 30 days or as needed.

* The salt will absorb foul odours while the lemon gives you a fresh citrus scent.

Easy right? Seems  so simple to me that I might just try it right away!

What about you? Do you have any other ways to give your fridge that great fresh smell?

Yay! I found this on how we can have spotless microwave ovens … read on.

* 1) Fill a cup up half way with water.

* 2) Then just take your lemon and slice it in half. Squeeze the juice in the cup.

* 3) Place the cup inside the microwave. Set it to 5 to 10 minutes. The dirtier your microwave, the longer you’ll need to leave the cup in. This helps to loosen up all the gunk, making it easy and fast to clean.

* 4) To keep your microwave looking clean all the time, do this at least once a week. Alternatively, avoid making a mess in it.

Quite easy right? And here I was, thinking how on earth I am going to remove the grime on the side of the oven …

Do you have any other ways to clean a microwave oven?

The other day I was having a cup of coffee with a friend and we were lamenting on how the earth has changed and how polluted the air was and how the weather is taking a turn for the worse.

And then she told me about how she is making her own household cleaner for her dishes. I admit I am a nature lover and I am all for preserving it … but I have not thought of making my own cleaner!

For a while I thought she was a little mad until I found this article in the Star yesterday which tells us how to make a household cleaner as well as stain remover! I am reproducing it here for the benefit of us all.

* 1) Fill a large, wide mouth jar with citrus peels (e.g. lemons, oranges, limes or grapefruits).

* 2) Cover the peels with white household vinegar.

* 3) Let it brew for four weeks, shaking the jar occasionally (just to mix it a little). After four weeks, strain the mixture two times.

* 4) Use as laundry booster (toss in with your whites). Mix 1/2 cup per 4.5 litres of water to dilute and place in a spray bottle for use as a window cleaner, counter top cleaner and floor cleaner.

* 5) For the laundry stain remover, mix 1 cup hot water, 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide. Store in spray bottles. Spot treat stains and soak overnight.

There, sounds pretty simple right? I think I might just attempt to do this. But I do wonder in that 4 weeks of brewing … is there any smell which may potentially make me feel faint?

Do you have any other ways of making your own cleaners?