Helpful Hints

As I was preparing dinner yesterday I looked at my stove top and saw that it needed to be cleaned again, and then when I went to the pantry to get my brown sugar for the sauce I was making, I noticed that it was starting to get hard like brown sugar will do, and then my mind took a step backwards to some helpful hints that I remember and use often or that I was just taught.

It was just this past February that my oldest daughter Marta and her dear husband were visiting us.  We had just finished dinner and she was helping me pick up and clean the kitchen.  Next she was asking me if I had any baking soda, sure I had baking soda, but we were cleaning the kitchen not making cookies.  I went to the pantry and found the baking soda and brought it to her.  The next thing I notice was that she had sprinkled some of the baking soda on the dirty parts of the stove top and was busy with the dish cloth scrubbing away, in just a few minutes my stove top was sparkling clean.  I was amazed.  This daughter just taught this old mother a new helpful hint that I will use often..

When we were building our new home some years ago my husband's brother and his wife were living with us, as they too were building their new home.  We would take turns cooking the dinner each night.  Now this one evening I needed brown sugar for the meal I was fixing and when I went to the pantry, it was no where to be found.  I asked my sister-in-law if she knew where it was and she told me she had thrown it out. Thrown it out?  Why??  she then said it was hard and no good anymore.  My answer was, "Why didn't you put a piece of bread in the container?" she then gave me a strange look and asked me,  "Why would I put a piece of bread in the brown sugar?" so it would get soft again, I said...  This was something I had known all my life, but she had never heard of it before.  That evening she learned a helpful hint of how a piece of bread can soften a container of brown sugar....

Now this daughter also makes her own laundry detergent and hand and feet lotion, so that night she set about making some lotions for her Mama.

Marta's  Pink Foot Lotion
1 - 15oz Pink Baby Lotion    
1 - 6-8oz Vitamin E Lotion
1 - 6-8oz Vaseline
(2 parts lotion to 1 part vitamin E lotion and 1 part vaseline)

Soften vaseline in microwave, put vitamin E lotion in mixer,
mix slowly adding softened vaseline, then slowly add pink baby lotion,
mix for 5 minutes.. Put in clean jars.

She then gave me some instructions.  Each night Mama, rub your feet with this lotion, put on a pair of clean white socks and wear before going to bed.  Your feet will become soft and smooth and feel so good....
O.K. will do....

I have been following her instructions and also been using her helpful hint.  My stove top is easier to clean and my feet are softer and do feel good.

The secret to this is not only can one learn something from your younger daughter but then someone else can learn something from an older lady too.