Rachael Ray

I have had my kitchen chairs for ten years, and they have taken quite a beating. The original seat cushion was covered in a material with a natural/beige-ish colored background - what a mistake. The material showed everything - baby food, paint, chocolate milk - so after I had the chairs for a few years, we re-covered the cushions with a much more forgiving red plaid material. Five or so years have gone by so the other day we decided to cover the cushions yet again - what a difference it makes for the entire kitchen. The fabric cost $26 (on sale), it took an hour (with two people), and all you need is a staple gun. It couldn’t be easier [...]...

The old saying “you get what you pay for” really holds true, not only in the quality of the item you are buying, but the service and guarantee. I remember when I was little my dad would mail a taped-up pair of boots to LL Bean that he had worn for years and he would magically receive a brand new pair in the mail a few weeks later. In college my husband would brag about sending a pair of broken sunglasses back to the manufacturer and voila, he would be sporting a new pair weeks later. I used to more often than not toss an item that broke if I had owned it for a long time or had misplaced the receipt. [...]...

Dear Cleaning Lady: Winter is on its way - I’ve always wondered, can I leave my gas grill outside all winter or do I need to bring it inside? Thanks, Rebecca in Rochester Dear Rebecca: You can safely leave your grill outside all winter - and use it (bundle up!) -  as long as you buy a tight-fitting grill cover to keep out the elements, as well as rodents and other unwanted visitors. I can testify to the safety of using a grill in snowy conditions as my father would cook Christmas Eve dinner for 30 on our grill every year, more often than not in a snow storm. Happy grilling - one less dish to wash! ...

Thanks to the overripe bowl of peaches on my counter, I recently had an infestation of fruit flies. In the past I have had one or two that I could catch in my hand and that was that, but this time there were quite a few - for a few days. They were not to be ignored. I finally dealt with them - here is the scoop on getting rid of fruit flies: 1) Find where the flies are breeding. One rotting piece of fruit or spill in a recycling bin can breed thousands of fruit flies.They will also breed in drains, the garbage disposal, recycling bins, the trash, the compost bucket, and even mops, sponges, and any other spots where [...]...

I had to replenish my cleaning supplies this week and while vinegar works for washing the floor and other cleaning chores (see my blog all about cleaning with vinegar here), I needed to get some other basic supplies. I decided to check out the Dollar Store and see what I could cross of my list there. As it turned out, I took care of the entire list, and saved almost $20. You have to be willing to go generic or unknown-brand, yet I was surprised to find Lysol brand toilet cleaner for $1.  I know that I could also save if I buy in bulk, or go to Sam’s Club type store, but I was in a hurry so needed [...]...

I recently was at my friend’s house and we were eating outside under her umbrella-ed table. I looked up and there were a few zip lock baggies half full of water with 5 or 6 pennies in each pinned to the umbrella so they were hanging down. I thought they were there to weigh down the umbrella or as part of some crazy decorating scheme but in fact they were there to keep the flies away. My friend read somewhere that flies are intimidated by the pennies’ brightness or shiny quality when they are in the water. They are either blinded or threatened - and they stay away. She swears by it although I am skeptical. I have more of a problem [...]...

Have you checked out your ceiling fan up close and personal lately? If you haven’t, chances are it’s time to clean it. The amount of serious dust and debris that can accumulate up there is truly amazing; in order to keep your fan in top working order, it is imperative that you clean it a few times a year. You don’t need a special duster or any other fancy equipment - so take ten minutes and follow these steps: 1.) Turn off the fan and attached light fixture (if it is part of the fan). 2.) Spread an old sheet or drop cloth on the floor below the ceiling fan to catch all of the dust that will fall from the fan blades, and [...]...

Summer has finally arrived - time to lug the old portable fans out of storage. Have you ever taken a close look at a portable fan that’s been around a few years? It’s not pretty - when dust accumulates, it takes on a life of its own - look at this grille: The good news is that in about 15 minutes, you can clean that fan and it will be as good as new - and will blow clean air rather than dust. Here’s the down and dirty on cleaning a portable fan: Step 1: Unscrew or unclip the front grille and slide off the fan blades (nearly all fans, even old ones, can be taken apart this way). Step 2: Immerse, then swish [...]...

A few weeks ago we had a sudden sweltering day - 89 degrees - after many cool, rainy days in a row. My kids were in our garage with some friends, pulling out some toys, when they came running and shrieking into the house, like banshees. My older daughter, the biggest chicken in the bunch, was claiming a wasp nest was in the garage and it was swarming with wasps. I went and looked though the window and it was literally blanketed not with wasps, but with flying ants. This photo was taken after they has dissipated somewhat and doesn’t do the number of ants justice. The window was covered with I would guess thousands of flying ants. I had [...]...