Funki and oh-so-helpful organizing & life-hacking tips by yours truly.  Like McGyver, who could dismantle a bomb with a roll of duct tape, a toothpick and a nail file, I am Ma-Gyver, organizer of everything and life-hacker extraordinaire.  From time to time I will be bringing you my tips and tricks for keeping an orderly house and mind. 

Remember the father in My Big Fat Greek Wedding?  He thought that Windex was the answer to everything; it was his miracle product.   I am just like him, except I have 4 miracle products:

1.  Goo Gone: This product is perfect for removing any kind of sticky residue and I use it often.  You know the stickers that kids get at the end of a doctor’s visit?  Frequently they end up stuck to undesirable areas in my house.  Goo Gone to the rescue!  You can buy Goo Gone practically anywhere like Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and even the grocery store.

2.  WD-40: It’s actually a joke in my family and they make fun of me because pretty much any kind of squeaky hardware concern and I yell “Get the WD-40!”  They can laugh, but it works!  Squeaky door hinges?  WD-40!  Porch swing not moving so smoothly anymore?  WD-40!  As a preventive measure, I spray it on the screws of my christmas tree stand before I pack it away for the season.  Of course WD-40 can be found in hardware stores, but just about any discount store, like Target has it as well.  

3.  Folex Instant Carpet Spot Remover:  I love this product and (unfortunately) use it at least twice a week, and not on my carpet.  For some insane reason I bought kitchen chairs made from a gold suede-like fabric.   They are very lovely to look at, but not so lovely for 2 messy kids to eat in for every meal.  Yogurt, barbeque sauce, ice cream and salad dressing hit these chairs on a regular basis.  And guess what?  Folex cleans it up every time!  Just a little squirt, a quick rub and that’s it–the spot is gone for good!  You can buy Folex at Home Depot.

4.  Mr. Clean Magic Eraser: I’m not exactly sure what this is made of (and maybe I don’t know want to know), but in the rare times that Goo Gone has failed me, Mr. Clean has done the trick.  It does work just like magic, erasing all traces of a stray pen mark on the wall or some mystery spot on the floor that mopping just can’t seem to get rid of.   And when my daughter, the resident artist, is feeling creative, this happens a lot.  Mr. Clean Magic Eraser can be bought anywhere that cleaning products are sold.