Natural Fruit Fly Trap

So the little man came home the other day and left his lunchbox on the counter...with a half-open container of sweet, juicy watermelon. What was that kid thinking, not finishing the melon with his lunch? We had a busy night with baseball, homework, piano, Chick-Fil-A for a quick dinner (chicken strips, fruit, white milk), and the poor lunch box was forgotten. That is until we came down for breakfast the next morning and we were greeted by a bunch of these nasty things.

Easy-peasy solution. Place a small, shallow custard bowl or ramekin dish in the offending area, preferably under a light source. Fill almost to the brim with apple cider vinegar, a little sweet fruit juice, and a few drops of liquid dish soap. Even better if you've got a piece of fruit you can float in it (we used a piece of peach), barely sticking out above the liquid line. 24 hours later? At least 50 dead fruitflies in the bottom of the bowl. Works like a charm!

Homemade Granite Cleaner

I'm all about saving some $ and getting our kitchen granite clean, disinfected, and streak-free. Since it's black, it really shows any streaks. It reminds me of when you'd spill liquid on your lab table in biology class and as much as you'd wipe and wipe, it just wasn't coming up, leaving streaks everywhere. The Method granite cleaner is $6 for a little bottle which is gone in about 2 weeks. I decided to experiment and here's a recipe I put together. I checked online and the alcohol is safe on granite, plus it disinfects.

• 1/2 c. rubbing alcohol



• 5-6 drops dish detergent



• 1/4 c. water



• 1/2 c. white vinegar



• A couple of drops of essential oil of your choice

Mix it up in a spray bottle and for pennies you have a great granite or countertop cleaner. I've also been using it as I clean out the fridge. It does have an alcohol smell to it, but it works great, so I can't complain.