Tuesday Quick Hints

Hide-a-key: I have a key outside because I have been known to lock myself out of the house on occasion. I didn’t want to have it anywhere obvious around the front door. So this is my solution: get a magnet and glue it to the top part of the key. Find something metal outside that you can attach it to, like a vent (not your mailbox). If you were going to be away for a long time, say ten days or so, you wouldn’t need to carry all your keys. You could get back inside the house easily.

Lara Bars: These bars taste delicious and they are made with nothing but fruits and nuts, with flavors like Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, and Chocolate Coconut. They sell them in boxes at Costco. If you were traveling far, they would be very good to have in your carry on for emergency rations.

Universal Packing List: If you’re planning to travel a long distance to someplace far away, this website is very helpful for deciding what you need to take with you. It gives suggestions based on the amount of time you’ll be gone, average temperatures, planned activities. Some of my own suggestions: money/passport hider, neck support pillow, small backpack, Imodium, lightweight headlamp for reading in the dark, tea, earplugs, addresses of friends to send postcards.

Airborne: If you were going to a foreign country halfway around the world, say China or someplace, you would be wise to prepare yourself for gastric distress. I am told that under no circumstances should you drink the water, eat the raw fruits or veggies. Apparently if you drink Airborne, it can prevent many problems. It comes in flavored tablets that you drop into water and drink twice a day.