Domestic Technicians

The Business of Keeping House



  • Domestic Technicians Blog
    The Business of Keeping House


  • Domestic Technicians offers advice and resources concerning the business of keeping house. We cover home decorating, home repairs and renovations, cooking and recipes, home and garden, home furnishings, organizing, entertaining, family, weddings, marriage, homeschooling, and much more.

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    13th June 2007

    Free Beauty Samples: What They Are and How to Find Them

    Have you heard of free beauty samples before? If you have, have you been requesting them whenever you come across free sample offers? If you haven’t, you may want to think about doing so, as there are a number of benefits to requesting free beauty samples, a few of which are briefly touched on below.

    One of the many benefits of requesting free beauty samples is that they are free. Many times, you don’t even have to pay for the cost of shipping. Depending on who the free sample in question is being offered by, the product manufacturer or the retailer in question will ship the free sample to you free of charge. When you look at it that way, what do you have to lose by requesting free beauty samples?

    Another one of the many benefits to requesting free beauty samples is the products that you can find available. For starters, free beauty samples come in a number of different sizes, but you are often only given a free trail size. As for the actual free beauty sample, you will find that there a number of products for you to choose from. For instance, free beauty samples often include makeup, perfume, skincare creams, lotions, shampoos, conditioners, and so forth. No matter what you are looking for, in terms of a beauty product, you should be able to find some form of that product type available as a free sample.

    Speaking of what you are looking for, that leads to another one of the many benefits to requesting free beauty samples. Requesting free beauty samples is relatively easy to do. In fact, you have a number of different options. One of the best ways to go about requesting free beauty samples is by using the internet. When using the internet to find free beauty samples, you will want to think about performing a standard internet search. You may want to visit the online websites of beauty product manufacturers, as well as beauty supply stores, as they often have free sample request forms on their websites.

    You can also use the internet to find free beauty samples by visiting websites that are regularly referred to as freebie sites or free product sample websites. These websites are often in message board formats so that internet users can share free product samples that they come across online with others. What is nice about visiting a free product sample website is that you will not only find links to free beauty samples, but a wide range of other sample types, including books, movies, food, pet products, and baby products.

    It may also be a good idea for you to visit one of your local beauty supply stores on occasion. While it is more common to find free beauty samples online, many beauty supply stores also offer free beauty samples to their customers or even those who just enter the store. Since not all retailers offer in store free samples, you should not count on receiving them, but if you happen to be in or around a local beauty supply store you may want to look to see if they have any free beauty samples available for taking.

    Perhaps, the greatest benefit to requesting free beauty samples or taking one when you find them in store is that you never really know what you may end up with. Product manufacturers and retailers often offer free samples on their new products; therefore, it is likely something that you haven’t already tired before. In that case, you may be pleasantly surprised with the free beauty sample that you requested, whether it was perfume, makeup, or a skincare product. In fact, you may be so pleased with your recently acquired free sample that you decide to buy the full size product from then on out.

    In addition to sending you a free product sample, it is common for a product manufacturer or a retailer to also include moneysaving coupons with your free sample. This is nice because should you like the product in question, you may want to buy the full sized product and your coupon may come in handy if and when you decide to do so.

    13th June 2007

    KFC Honey Barbecued Wings, Copycat Recipe

    KFC Honey Barbecued Wings, Copycat Recipe

    20 Chicken Wings, tips removed
    2 cups flour
    2 eggs
    2/3 cup milk
    1 Bottle KC Masterpiece Original BBQ Sauce
    1/4 cup honey
    oil for deep frying

    Wash the chicken wings, then remove the wing tips; cut the other two pieces in half. Shake off the excess water. Place the eggs and milk in a bowl and mix well. Set aside. Mix together the BBQ sauce and honey. Set aside. Put the flour into a bag, then shake the wings in it, to lightly coat. Roll the wings in the egg wash, then toss them back into the bag. You want a fairly heavy coating of flour so the BBQ sauce has something to hang onto. Repeat 2−3 times. Heat a large skillet or use your deep fryer. Heat oil until it’s very hot (around 350F). Fry the wings until they’re golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Preheat oven to 325F. Dip each wing in the BBQ sauce and place on a greased cookie sheet. Make sure the pieces don’t touch each other. Bake for 15−20 minutes, until they no longer look shiny.

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    13th June 2007

    Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage

    Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage

    · 2 medium Onions, sliced
    · 2 1/2 pounds Corned beef brisket
    · 1 cup Apple juice
    · 1/4 cup Brown sugar, packed
    · 2 teaspoons Orange peel, finely shredded
    · 2 teaspoons mustard
    · 6 Whole cloves
    · 6 Cabbage wedges

    Place onions in crockpot. Trim away any fat that might be present on the brisket. If needed, cut brisket to fit into crockpot; place on top of onions. In a bowl, combine apple juice, sugar, orange peel, mustard, and cloves; pour over brisket. Place cabbage on top of brisket. Cover; cook on low setting for 10 to 12 hours or high setting for 5 − 6 hours.

    13th June 2007

    Chili’s Grilled Caribbean Chicken Salad

    Chili’s Grilled Caribbean Chicken Salad

    4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
    1/2 cup teriyaki marinade
    4 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
    4 cups chopped green leaf lettuce
    1 cup chopped red cabbage
    5.5 oz. can pineapple chunks in juice, drained
    tortilla chips

    PICO DE GALLO
    2 medium tomatoes, diced
    1/2 cup diced spanish onion
    2 tsps. chopped fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and de−ribbed
    2 tsps. finely minced fresh cilantro
    pinch of salt

    Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

    HONEY LIME DRESSING
    1/4 cup Grey Poupon dijon mustard
    1/4 cup honey
    1−1/2 Tbsps. sugar
    1 Tbsp. sesame oil
    1−1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
    1−1/2 tsps. lime juice

    Blend all the ingredients in a small bowl with an electric mixer. Cover and chill. Marinate the chicken in the teriyaki for at least two hours. Use a resealable plastic bag. Put in fridge. Preheat outdoor or indoor grill. Grill the chicken for 4−5 mins. per side or until done. Toss the lettuces and cabbage together and divide into 2 large serving size salad bowls. Divide the pico de gallo and pour in equal portions over the two bowls of greens. Divide the pineapple and sprinkle on salads. Break tortilla chips into large chunks and sprinkle on salads. Slice the grilled chicken into thin strips and divide among bowls. Pour the dressing into two small bowls and serve with the salads.

    10th June 2007

    Baby Gift Basket Ideas: Perfect Gifts for a New Baby

    Are you looking for the perfect gift for the new baby of a friend or family member? Gift baskets for babies are adorable and thoughtful gifts, allowing you to give a more personal gift to the mom for her new baby.

    There are many ideas for themed gift baskets for the baby. Ideas can range from the simple and frugal gift basket to a sophisticated and expensive gift basket. How little or how much you choose to include is one of the joys of making and giving gift baskets as a gift. There are also many commercially prepared gift baskets, already stuffed with delightful goodies for the new baby.

    To make your own gift basket for a baby, you first want to decide on a basket or container to hold the gifts. The container can be something other than an actual basket. Containers could be a small wicker cradle, a metal tub, a baby bathtub, and even a diaper pail bucket.

    Now comes the fun part. There are so many things a new mom needs for a baby, so there is a wide range of items you can put into the gift basket. If the baby hasn’t been born yet, you might want to choose neutral colors such as greens and yellows.

    Cloth diapers have finally come back around as the choice of diapering for the baby. Many moms prefer cloth diapers to the disposable ones. The regular unfolded cloth diapers can also serve as burping cloths. Prefolded shaped cloth diapers with velcro closings are very popular, and are available in various prints and designs. Fuzzi Bunz, Kissaluvs, Wickeez and Bumkins are just four companies that put out these types of prefolded cloth diapers.

    Items for the nursery make thoughtful items for the gift basket. Some ideas are changing pads for the nursery changing table, crib blankets and baby quilts, a diaper stacker that hangs on the crib, and baby mobiles.

    Other items to consider are baby spoons, bottles and bottle liners, bibs and teething rings, baby wash and baby bath, baby oil and lotion, diaper rash ointments, petroleum jelly, rattlers, pacifiers, receiving blankets, baby wash clothes, hooded towels for baby, brush set, a baby memory book, one piece outfits, socks, sleepers, piggy banks, soft toys, board books, diaper bags, baby wipes, a baby bath tub, bath toys, etc.

    Once you have all of the items that you want to include in the gift basket for the baby, place them in the container. If the container is a basket or like a basket, you will want to put some type of shredding in the bottom of it. You can leave the shredding out and use cloth diapers placed in the bottom instead, or a receiving blanket. Sticky glue dots applied to the items help to hold the gifts in place to make the gift basket look nice and maintain that look. Glue dots can be found in the craft section of Wal-Mart.

    You will want to wrap the basket in some transparent plastic wrap. Gift basket wrap can be found in the craft section of Wal-Mart. Or you can use transparent gift wrap paper found in the greeting card section of Wal-Mart.Wrap the basket in the plastic, bringing the open ends to the top of the basket. Hold the wrapping closed by tying it with ribbon or a metallic twist tie. You can also add a large bow to the container to add a creative touch to it.

    There are many ideas for gift baskets for a baby. Adding your own touch to a gift basket and giving it as a gift is what makes gift baskets so unique and thoughtful.

    10th June 2007

    Tips to Get Organized: Home Organization and Decluttering

    The stresses of day to day living can often overwhelm us, leaving us feeling that we have no control over what’s going on around us, even in our own homes. If our homes are disorganized and cluttered, it can easily overwhelm us.Activities as simple as looking for something, trying to decide where to start cleaning, or even where to store something can overwhelm us causes unnecessary stress. Decluttering and organizing the home isn’t difficult and it makes day to day life so much simpler.

    When you get organized, you not only have an organized home and a clutter free home, but you have better time management. This gives you more time to do things you want to do or need to do, not to mention the benefits of less stress on the mind and body.

    One of the first steps to getting an organized life is to declutter your home. Uncluttering the home gets rid of things that you no longer need or use. This can be clothes that you or the family no longer wear or fit into, books and toys the kids have outgrown, things that you keep that serve no purpose, papers ad magazines that have piled up over the months, etc. It it serves no useful purpose and isn’t being kept for sentimental purposes, it’s probably a good idea to toss it out. Once the clutter is gone, then you can begin to organize your home room by room.

    Everyone has a different idea of how to organize their home and belongings. The best way is to organize for how you use things. Items that you use the most obviously need to be more accessible than items that are used less often. So you will want to organize used items in a manner that they can be easily obtained when needed.

    Everything in the home should have a place, or its own home. When something is used, return it to its home after being used. Setting it down will often result in the item remaining where you put it down at. Get in the habit of putting things back where they belong immediately after use. This the main factor in getting and keeping an organized home.

    Clean as you go. When you mess something up, clean it up. Don’t leave dishes in the sink overnight, don’t leave something spilled, don’t leave clothes in the dryer when they are done, don’t leave dirty clothes laying all over the house. Wash dishes as you go when cooking, clean up spills immediately, fold and hang clothing when dried and put away, and keep dirty clothes in one place in each bedroom or bathroom. Doing as you go keeps your home less cluttered and it saves you time because you’ve already done half the work.

    Paper can pile up around the home faster than anything and lead to a clutter problem repeatedly. The best way to avoid your home being cluttered with paper is to go through paper items as they enter the home.Organize or dispose of the paper items. Paper items such as magazines, newspapers, grocery bags, coupons, receipts, notes written to remember things, and mail should be taken care of the same day they come into the home. Taking care of the paper trail is one of the main priorities in keeping the clutter at bay.

    Clean out the bedrooms and bathrooms and closets. If you don’t need it or use it, toss it. If it’s seasonal, hide it in the closet behind the things you use all the time. Items in the bathroom that you don’t use should be tossed. Keeping 20 bottles of various shampoos that you bought and didn’t care for only takes up space. If you aren’t going to use them, get rid of them. If you have clothes in the closet that you haven’t worn since your last child was born 27 years ago, chances are it’s safe to let go of them. Boxes of packed items that have hibernated in the corners of your bedroom since you moved in seven years ago need to find a home in the closet or out the door.

    Kitchen cabinets should be free of items you don’t use. Having 100 glasses that you never use only takes up space for something that you do use. If Aunt Jane bought you a dinner setting for Christmas ten year ago and you have never used it, it’s properly safe to pass it on. Obviously you don’t want to hurt feelings by giving away something that you received as a gift, but keeping gifts that you just totally hate only takes up space.

    Get the entire family involved in keeping the home organized and clutter free. Even young children are able to put their toys in their proper place after playing with them. Everyone in the family should be responsible for cleaning up after themselves. Getting the whole family involved in home organization will ensure an organized life, plus teaching the kids good habits for later in life.

    Once you have a clutter free home and an organized home, then you will want to keep it organized and decluttered. Keeping the home organized is fairly easy to do if you do something everyday towards home organization. But to keep it clutter free, it’s important not to bring clutter back into the home to replace what you just got rid of. The best way to solve this problem is to simply not buy what you don’t need. While it’s tempting when you run upon sales or good deals, the rule to remember is that if you don’t need it or have a use for it, don’t bring it home.

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    • Domestic Technicians


    • Domestic Technicians offers advice and resources concerning the business of keeping house. We cover home decorating, home repairs and renovations, cooking and recipes, home and garden, home furnishings, organizing, entertaining, family, weddings, marriage, homeschooling, and much more.
    • Domestic Technicians



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