Welcome to BusyGalTips! With a background in social work, I thrive on helping others improve their lives! This is a creative way for me to live out my passion and share ways to make your busy life a little bit more manageable. ••••••••••••• Additional bonus tips can be found on Twitter and Facebook (click the links on the left). Enjoy!

4/19/2011

Get Out Stains!

Last weekend, I was in a wedding (congrats Mailloux's!). 

One of the bridesmaids got a little stain of some kind of grease on her dress.
Nothing a little club soda and towel couldn't fix!
Image courtesy of www.ehow.com
The next time you have a stain and have a bar close by, dab/blot a little club soda on there with a clean towel, and...ta da!!! Magic! It does wonders! 

Our fellow bridesmaid's dress was fine...that club soda worked like a charm!
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4/14/2011

Busygals In the Kitchen - Vidalia Chop Wizard

Yes...I am shamelessly advocating an "As-Seen-On-TV" item. 
Image courtesy of e-stealth.com
I know the commercials can be cheesy, but the Vidalia Chop Wizard ROCKS! 


Sidenote: don't you love how the demo of the person doing something in a conventional manner is always seemingly completely inept at said task? Check out the link to the Vidalia Chop Wizard, you'll see what I mean :).
Image courtesy of giftshomewares.com
Okay, all joking aside, this thing is AWESOME! I kept seeing it at Bed, Bath & Beyond, and even though it was $20 (remember, I'm cheap frugal), it seemed like a good investment. I am glad I trusted my gut, because it has been SUCH a time-saver in the kitchen! I'm probably the slowest chopper on the face of this planet, and recipes that say meal prep takes 5 minutes takes me about a half hour - really, I wish I were exaggerating, but sadly, I'm not. With the Chop Wizard (and my handy dandy Garlic Zoom - you can see my post about that baby right here), it truly does take me the time that a recipe allots. 
Image courtesy of vegetablesonwheels.com
And chopping onions...forget it. I look like I've just heard the worst news in the world after making one slice into an onion...my eyes are like a faucet, tears streaming down my face! Not so much with this little contraption! The chopped onions go straight into a container below, and the effect of the onions on my eyes is minimal compared to regular old knife-chopping. 


I truly think this is a worthy investment, and it has been very helpful to me. I hope it helps you out as well!


Do you have any kitchen gadgets you can't live without? I'd love to hear about them!!!


Happy chopping, Busygals!

4/10/2011

Busygals Decorate with High-End Consignment Stores

A quick tip from BusyGalTips' biggest fan and supporter...my mama, Roberta :)


She has discovered and shared with me (and now you!) the beauty of high-end consignment stores. She has found some great treasures (furniture, dishes/china, etc) that are now in her beautiful home. 


What is a consignment store, you ask?


According to Wikipedia, "consignment is the act of consigning, which is placing a person or thing in the hand of another, but retaining ownership until the goods are sold or person is transferred." 

Basically, someone with a piece of furniture or other item consigns it to a shop, who sells it for the owner, and keeps a portion of the selling price for helping them out. You, in the meantime, get a sweet deal on oftentimes one-of-a-kind decorative pieces! Also, if you head to a consignment shop in a well-to-do area near you (i.e. Beverly Hills, Newport Beach, etc), chances are you'll find some high-quality, (originally) high-priced items for a fraction of the original price.


Get decorating, Busygals (and Thanks Mom!)