Make every cake of soap last twice as long

To make a cake of soap last twice as long, simply paint the top or bottom with some PVA wood glue and let dry. Doing this means only one side of the soap dissolves, enabling the cake to last double the time. I paint the top side of the cakes of soap when we bring them home. Sometimes my granddaughter even glues a pretty picture to the side!

A bitter end for bitten nails

To stop biting nails for once and for all, try bitter nail polish. There are a few brands that can easily be purchased in Australia. I’m not a nail biter myself but I worked with someone who used it. The polish tasted so awful so she simply stopped putting them in her mouth and eventually the habit was broken! Check out these links for more information on available products:

https://mavala.com.au/all-products/mavala-stop https://www.priceline.com.au/manicare-bite-no-more-12-ml https://www.google.com.au/search?q=nail+polosh+for+bikint+nails&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-au&client=safari#imgrc=kVOEVCjLBbc5eM:

Natural sanitiser

I have been receiving your fabulous emails for ages and I thought I'd share a favourite saving hint of my own.
 
My naturopath gave me a tip which saves money and is better for our health too. She said that most hand sanitisers contain chemicals and antibacterial properties that not only kill bad bacteria but also kill off essential good bacteria. The good bacteria on our hands helps to fight off infections and acts as a barrier, so hand sanitisers can compromise our ability to protect ourselves.
 
My naturopath gave me a natural alternative. She told me to buy some small atomisers and a bottle of water-soluble tea tree oil from the chemist. I would then pour about 20 drops of oil into each atomiser, and fill with water – that's all it takes to make your very own antiseptic.
 
These natural sanitisers are cheap, effective and have a lovely scent. An atomiser easily fits into a handbag, and is very handy if the kids get scratches and scrapes after playing – a quick spray on the affected area is all it takes.
 
Tea tree oil really is the best antiseptic around and there are so many uses for it. Happy natural sanitising!

'Bench-top notes' keep families on the same page

Here is a hint that has saved our family time, money and arguments, not to mention countless wasted scraps of paper. This year we purchased a large diary for family use, labelled it 'Bench-top Notes' and sat it on our bench. In this diary we write notes to each other that in the past, would have been on scrap pieces of paper that would often be missed or mislaid. Anything from appointment reminders, details of missed phone calls, housework or instructions for our teenage boys, or just simple but personal notes to each other such as 'Hi sweetie, have a great day, I love you, see you at 5.30!' and so on! It has tidied up our bench-top, kept us all organised and an added bonus is that we can look back on our entries for confirmation of bills being paid, appointments kept or cancelled with the reason why and smile at the little love notes to and from each other. This diary cost about $12 but it now contains the priceless and lifetime memories of our 'Bench-top Notes'.