CHECKLIST FOR PACKING FOR A WEEKEND FOR TWO ROAD TRIP

If, on a Thursday or Friday, you feel it would be awesome to get away for the weekend, but you think it will be too hard to get everything together on time for the trip, The Household Genie is here to help! Here is a list of the essentials to pack for a quick trip for two. If you have the money and just want to get away, or if you have children and have a babysitter for the weekend and you have the money and just want to get away, then it’s time to get ready by following this list of what to pack to get you on your way quickly!

1. Cell phone and cell phone chargers. This includes your regular AC charger, as well as the charger that plugs into the car’s USB port or the cigarette lighter.

2.   A GPS device. This can be either a GPS device that plugs into an auxiliary outlet

      of your vehicle, or one that you have programmed into your cell phone.

3. A motor club card, such as AAA (if you are a member). If you’re not a member, it

is easy to become one. Just simply phone your local full service AAA branch.  They can start your membership immediately because they take payments over the phone. I did this because I needed to book a hotel room and desperately wanted the discount that this motor club offers on certain hotels. I forgot that my membership expired, but they quickly set me up with a new membership and then e-mailed my temporary membership card so I could quickly have the number to give to the hotel. Then I printed out the temporary card since I planned on leaving for my trip soon and didn’t have time to wait around for the regular card to come through the mail.

4. Cash and a major credit card. Cash is needed for toll roads. Toll expenses

      can quickly add up on a road trip. To eliminate the need for cash for the tolls, EZ         

Pass is one pass that allows you to pay upfront for tolls. The pass is usable in many states. Be sure to check that the states that you are traveling through are included.

This type of pass for payments of tolls can save you time and money. It eliminates the need to stop and pay at the tollgate. It also gives you discounts on the tolls, some up to 50 percent. You can order one online or buy one while you are traveling on the interstate at a service plaza. You will receive a device to attach to your dash or windshield that allows the tollgate to detect and deduct the toll cost from the amount of money you loaded up on the pass. It may take up to 24 hours to activate the account.

A major credit card is essential to have for booking hotels and also to have for emergencies or when you do not want to pay cash.

5. Pillows. If you like to nap while you are the passenger on your road trip, then

don’t forget to take your favorite one and one for the driver too! When you stay overnight in a different place than home, you both can still have the pillow that you use regularly.

6. Toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash and all essential toiletries such as:

--deodorant

--make-up

--shower gel or bar soap

--hairspray

--razors and razor blades

--curling irons or straighteners

--shampoo and conditioner

7.      Sunglasses to protect your eyes.  Also if you have eyeglasses bring them, as well as an extra pair of contacts, your contact case, and contact solution.

8. Socks and all underwear.

9. Belts

10. Clothes—for day and night..

11. Shoes

12. Jackets

13. Any medication or vitamins that you take.

14.  Current copy of automobile insurance, vehicle registration and license.

Before you start out, make sure your car is in good working condition—brakes, windshield wipers, etc. and make sure all of your fluids are topped off, including windshield wiper fluid. Start out with a full tank of gas, clean windows and clean headlights. Enjoy your adventure!

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE HARD WATER AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

The Household Genie is here to help you recognize if you have hard water and what steps are needed to resolve the hard water problem.

People generally live with one of three of the following water systems:  City water, well water from a private well, or community well water.

If you live in or near a well-developed city or town, the city or town chemically treats your water and takes out the heavy metals that can cause your water to become hard.  However, if you live out further than the suburbs, chances are that you may have a well on your property or your town may have a community well.

With city water there is no need to test it for purity or hardness, because the city, town, or municipality does it for you.  But when you live in rural areas or in areas that are just developing but cannot count on a city water system, you may have a well on your lot. If you are in a rural area, but in a developing community, you may not have a well on your property, but the community has a well, where impurities are monitored and removed.

If your house has a well on its property, you are responsible for checking the water periodically for impurities.  However, with both well systems, you may have hard water!

Some signs that your house has hard water are grayish streaks on your glassware and flatware after they are washed in the dishwasher. Also, if water dries on your counter tops after using the faucet and you notice that your granite, marble or other surface has a grayish tinge to it, it may be the result of hard water staining.

A low amount of suds when you use shampoo or wash a load of clothes,  and decreased lather while you use bar soap may also be signs of hard water.

Taking off these stains requires a lot of time, elbow grease, more cleaning products, and even sanding with sandpaper!  Not only does hard water affect the look of your glasses and dishes and spoons, forks and knives, it also affects your appliances! Hard water can decrease the life expectancy of your expensive appliances, such as your washing machine, dishwasher, and even your hot water tank!

When you reach the point of getting tired of all the extra cleaning and looking at your grayish dishes and flatware, and when you know you do not want your appliances to get coated inside with all the residue from hard water, it is time then to get a water softener!

Water softeners can make a smile come back on your face after the struggle with all those hard water problems! The best thing is to get three estimates from local water softening companies. The prices vary depending on how much water you normally use and your lifestyle. For instance, some water softeners do not run at night, so if you have the lifestyle where no one in your family takes a shower after midnight, or no one usually washes a load of clothes late at night, then you are probably fine going with a less expensive model that includes one tank.

If however, your family uses water during the night and takes showers sometimes in the early AM hours, or you may through a load in the washing machine around midnight, then a dual tank system will be better for you. A dual-tank system will handle softening your water 24 hours a day!

My family and I live in a semi-rural area where we have a community well. We had really hard water and went through the “graying” of our items that I described above! Because we did not want to worry about when we use our water, we opted for the dual-tank system. We really enjoy the water softening system because we do not have to think about when we want to take a shower or do laundry. Sometimes I am up late and like to throw a load of laundry in the washer.

Another good thing about softening your water is how it makes your skin feel. You can really tell the difference when you take a shower. The water makes your skin feel really soft. Also, it is very good on the hair, and protects those expensive highlights. So even though you live in a rural area, there is no need to worry about your appliances, your dishes, or even yourself with a good water softening system!

DIRTY KITCHEN SINKS!

The Household Genie is granting you an answer to the dirty stainless steel sink question:  How can I keep my stainless steel sink shining bright?

The kitchen sink is the hub of the household. Everyone who lives in the house is using this place in the kitchen several times a day. From peeling veggies to cleaning out the dog’s bowl, the kitchen sink is a high traffic area! Very quickly debris builds up, not only on the bottom, but also on all the sides of the sink. Then before you know it, hard little specks of dried food and crumbs are on the surface, taking away the shine and luster.

Everyone wants his or her sink to shine and look great, especially when you get an unexpected visitor. Before you realize it, he or she may be at your kitchen sink putting his or her used drinking glass or plate inside.

Although this is a very thoughtful gesture by the guest, you may all at once feel your heart racing and think, “I don’t think I cleaned the sink lately! Oh no, I bet it looks dirty!”  If you experience that same feeling, don’t feel bad. Many have a hard time keeping up with cleaning it because it is used so often!

One trick I have found to keep it looking good is rinsing. Every time the sink is used, with the exception of washing one’s hands, rinse it. Immediate rinsing with very hot water will flush any new particles of food or dirt down the drain before they have a chance of hardening on the surface.

Rinsing with very hot water also softens and loosens any older particles that have hardened on the surface (if you forgot to rinse the time before). Be sure to rinse all the sides of the sink as well as the bottom.

This may seem extremely simple but it helps so much to keep the particles off the surface. It’s a prophylactic way of stopping grime from building up between regular cleanings. 

The next step is to clean with soap once a day. Before going to bed at night I clean the kitchen sink with regular dish washing soap, such as Palmolive. To do this, wet the sink thoroughly, and scatter a few drops of the dish soap on the bottom of the sink. Then dampen some paper towels with water and clean the sink’s bottom, sides, drain covers and the faucet and faucet handles. Rinse thoroughly with hot water. I usually get a few more paper towels and go over the surface with the faucet on as it is rinsing. Dry all surfaces. 

This only takes a few minutes, if even that, but it keeps the sink looking great. Once a week I use a cleanser for a thorough surface cleaning. I like to use Comet—the regular powder version of Comet that has been around for years. I start with rinsing the sink with hot water. Sprinkle Comet over the bottom of the sink, the sides and on the dividing bar, if you have a double sink. 

I love Comet and have been using it for years because it has never scratched my sinks. It also smells very fresh. After the Comet sits for a few minutes, I wet the paper towel thoroughly with warm water and then gently rub the cleanser onto the entire stainless steel sink surface. Then, again with hot water, I rinse the cleanser away, cleaning with a paper towel at the same time. Your sink will be shining bright! After the Comet is rinsed completely away, I dry the sink with paper towels to remove any residue of the cleanser. Then I spray it with Windex window cleaner to make it even shinier!

It seems like you feel just a little happier when your sink is shiny and clean. I know I do. But do remember:  rinse, rinse, rinse!

Welcome everyone to thehouseholdgenie blog!  This is where tips, hints, advice, and tads and tidbits are available for you to magically transform your dwelling place into a well-running, clean, relaxing and fun household! 

From cleaning tips to meal-planning tricks, your wish is my command!  Thank you for visiting the blog that will give you confidence in your ability to tackle the day-to-day things that stumble and create “hiccups” on your journey in creating a smooth-running household.  From pet care to car care, you will find the answers here.  From cleaning up messes to tips on vacationing—the genie is here to assist!

Tads and tidbits of useful information with simple instructions (the way I like information given to me) is the purpose of this blog.  So jump onto the magic carpet of thehouseholdgenie and take a ride to a happy, relaxing and enjoyable household!

Please feel free to e-mail me with questions, comments, or suggestions!