Avoiding Sweat Marks

This is such a weird one, but it works to prevent those unseemly sweat marks on blouses and shirts - just place thin pantyliners along the underarm seam inside the blouse! The other bonus is that it will protect the shirt's material so the sweat marks don't stain it permanently and you'll get more wear from it.

Cleaning the Shower

A great tip for keeping the shower clean from lime and grime is to keep a fill and clean scourer (like the Dishmatic one, pictured) in the area, half filled with white vinegar and half with washing-up liquid.  Just wipe the walls and door of the shower when you're done and rinse!  Saves on buying those fancy - and expensive - cleaners which may or may not work...

Cashback Smartphone Apps

Yesterday, I posted a top tip about using cashback sites whilst shopping online. A fairly new development along these lines, offered by cashback sites, is a 'snap and save' method of earning cashback when you are out and about.

All you need to do is download an app on to your smartphone which will enable you to take a photo of the relevant receipt. This should be free!

A good one running at the moment (until 25th May) for new members who sign up is through Top Cashback called ‘Fill the tank, save your bank!' You can get £2 cashback for fuel purchases of £10 or above from major fuel stations via their Snap & Save app. Fill up with £10 or more of fuel, take a photo of your receipt using Snap & Save and then you should receive cashback within 14 days.

In addition, I've noticed with some of these apps, you can get cashback for just visiting a store if you check in, so it is definitely worth investigating them!

Cashback Sites

One of my ultimate top tips is, when you are shopping online, always investigate whether it is worth your while going through a cashback site. Basically, all you do is register with one of these sites, find the page of merchant you wish to shop at and use that page to click through. If you order anything, the sale 'tracks' and you will get a percentage of cashback - how much will depend on the sites and how much you spend.  My favourite sites are Top Cashback and Quidco but others are available.

For more detailed information, please visit my Savvy Chic, Canny Style website where I have researched how it all works, which sites are my favourite and things to look out for to ensure you're getting the best value for money.

Preserving Fresh Herbs II

So I've just said how you can preserve fresh herbs so that they aren't wasted once you've opened the packet, but there are other ways that they can be used and saved too, which I think are brilliant!  These involve creating herb oils or butters and freezing.

For herb oil, all you have to do is chop the fresh herbs very finely, put in an ice cube tray and add olive oil.  Mix a little. Pop in the freezer, then, once they're frozen, place in a sealable plastic bag, label and use when needed.

For the herb butter, chop the herbs and add garlic for a bit of a kick!  Mix with room-temperature butter to taste and then wrap, sausage-like, in some greaseproof paper.

Place in the freezer for up to an hour so it firms up and then chop into slices about 1cm thick.  Re-wrap in the paper, ready to use when needed.  I'm planning on making some garlic bread with this - chop a baguette, add some ready-made butter to each slice and bake.  Yum and quick!

I have to say, this and the previous post of drying herbs is something that I do already but thanks to Jamie Oliver's new series 'Save with Jamie' for reminding me!

Preserving Fresh Herbs

If you're anything like me with herbs, you've got the best intentions when you buy those little bags of fresh ones from the supermarket - lots of plans to cook gorgeously flavoured and seasoned recipes from scratch.  But what inevitably happens is that I use about 1/4 of the packet, throw the rest into the fridge and forget about it until it's gone off.  So what to do with the remainder, so you're not wasting it and wasting money?  It's simple!

All you have to do it bunch them up with a bit of string and hang them somewhere fairly warm, like an airing cupboard or larder.  I've got some sage and some bay leaves on the go at the moment, and have attached them to a cooling rack by the oven.  Leave to dry out for a while - at least 12 hours - until they are crisp and then store in a jar or Tupperware and use as you would dry herbs.  They will last for ages this way.

Click here for another way of preserving those fresh herbs!