Grimy Screen? This Is The Super Simple Cleaner You Need

PLUS: 3 alternative uses for lip balm, a love letter to (and recipe for) 7-minute frosting, and more. PLUS: 3 alternative uses for lip balm, a love letter to (and recipe for) 7-minute frosting, and more. February 19, 2022 [View Online]( Good morning! Be honest—how grimy is the screen you’re reading on right now? Few screens are immune to smears and smudges, but Today’s Good Thing is here to help. I’ll show you how to make a 2-ingredient cleaner that’s gentle on screens, but tough on smears and fingerprints. Also in today’s newsletter, I'm sharing the recipe for a meringue-like frosting that was a birthday staple in my family. It's not only the perfect frosting for a celebration, but it's also a frosting worth celebrating. Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING Grimy Screen? This Is The Super Simple Cleaner You Need [Photos of various screens being cleaned.]( This cleaning spray is both gentle and effective, and makes short work of smears and smudges. As a videographer used to handling expensive camera equipment, Dave has always been very particular about keeping his electronics clean. Even when our kids were little, his constant refrain was “just point at the computer/laptop screen, don’t touch it!” But as far as I can tell, Britta is the only one who really took those lessons to heart. She’s very much her father’s daughter when it comes to device cleanliness—if she notices that someone on the OGT Team has smudges all over their screen, she will often insist on cleaning it for them. Needless to say, this habit has made us all more aware (if not a bit self-conscious) of how grimy our screens get. But I was inspired to create a homemade screen cleaning solution to help cut through greasy fingerprints and smudges that build up on my phone and laptop screens. It turned out to be quick and easy to make, and every bit as effective as I’d hoped it would be! Here’s how to make it: Fill a small spray bottle with equal parts white vinegar and distilled water, then replace the top and shake well to mix. (Vinegar works great here, but if you can’t stand the smell or don’t have any on hand, feel free to substitute rubbing alcohol instead.) How To Use It: Apply a few spritzes to a soft, clean microfiber cloth, then gently wipe your phone, laptop, or TV screen clean. By spraying the cloth instead of the screen, you're a lot less likely to cause drips that can get into cracks and damage sensitive electrical components. [See the full tutorial ➜]( Related • [20 Of The Very Best Homemade Cleaners You Can Make]( • [13 Little Ways To Have A Cleaner Home In Just One Minute]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • You snagged a big box of oranges for a great price—now what? You check out these 30+ uses for oranges, that’s what. [Read more ➜]( • As an oxidizer and brightening agent, there are practical ways to use hydrogen peroxide in every room in the house. [Read more ➜]( • If you want to put a shine on your stainless steel sink, the secret ingredient you need is already in your pantry. [Read more ➜]( COOKING An Ode To 7-Minute Frosting [A photo of a bundt cake iced with 7-minute frosting.]( When we were kids, birthdays meant chocolate cake with this fluffy, marshmallow-like frosting. With my birthday coming up tomorrow, I found myself reflecting on the birthdays of my youth where 7-minute frosting always played a central role. Being the “birthday girl” was already pretty great to begin with, but devouring a slice of my mom’s chocolate cake topped with fluffy, gooey, marshmallow-y frosting made it truly sublime. This particular cake tradition didn't stay within our immediate family either—as soon as my mom became a grandma, she started making chocolate cakes with 7-minute frosting for her grandchildren’s birthdays too. My own kids still speak of those cakes fondly, and I have no doubt they’ll make them for their own kids one day too. Here’s how to make 7-minute frosting: Start by setting a heat-safe bowl over a pan of simmering water. (I like to use the bowl from my stand mixer because the final step involves an electric mixer, but you could also use a hand mixer.) Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup, 6 large egg whites, and 1/4 cup of water to the bowl and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 160°F. Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved—you don't want grainy frosting! Remove the bowl from the stove, then either with the whisk attachment on your stand mixer, or using a hand mixer, beat on high speed until the frosting is glossy and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and use the frosting immediately to frost your cake. [See the full recipe ➜]( UNUSUAL USES 3 Alternative (And Surprisingly Practical) Uses For Lip Balm [Photos of uses for lip balm.]( The most useful tool is the one you have with you, which is why lip balm is very useful indeed. 1. Soothe Nose Irritation. When you’re sick or suffering from allergies, constantly blowing and wiping your nose can make your nose dry and irritated, which can be painful and even lead to nosebleeds. Soothe the irritation by swiping some lip balm onto your finger and applying it to the irritated areas for instant relief. 2. Tame Flyaway Hair. Flyaways or static making your hair look a little livelier than you’d like? A little lip balm is all you need. Just swipe a small amount of lip balm onto your fingers, then use your fingers to smooth those pesky hairs back into place. Bad hair days have met their match. 3. Dissolve Sticker Residue. Some stickers are impossible to remove cleanly (like those dang T.J.Maxx price stickers!) But a bit of lip balm can lift the remaining gunk—just spread a generous amount of it over the area and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then you’ll be able to wipe the balm and sticker residue away with ease. JILLEE'S PICK Reese Witherspoon’s Upbeat Instagram [An image of two phones displaying parts of Reese Witherspoon's Instagram account.]( Okay, so I know I recently featured the Instagram account for Reese’s Book Club in this very segment, but this is different. This is Reese Witherspoon’s personal Instagram account ([@reesewitherspoon](). I've always found Reese Witherspoon impossibly charming, and I’ve suspected for a long time that she’s also genuinely charming in real life. Following her on Instagram has only made that suspicion stronger, and her upbeat attitude and enthusiasm make her photos a cheerful addition to my feed. It’s also fun to see other celebrities making cameo appearances in Reese’s Instagram photos, which happens pretty frequently. Do you follow Reese Witherspoon or other famous folks on Instagram? Who are your favorites? Hit “reply” and let me know! REMEMBER WHEN Earth Shoes And Other Questionable Footwear [Photos of vintage Earth Shoes, Famolares, and Clarks Wallabees.]( Well before Crocs clogs or Vibram FiveFingers arrived on the scene, our "ugly shoes" were Earth Shoes. Earth Shoes appealed to the health and wellness branch of the environmental movement with their “negative heel.” It elevated the wearer’s toes above their heel—“the way your feet were born to walk,” according to the ads. Despite the fact that Earth Shoes were neither fashionable nor particularly attractive, they proved popular with just about everyone who wasn’t sporting platform heels. It's one of those trends that makes you think, “Really? Those were a hot commodity?” After Earth Shoes came the wavy-soled Famolares. These shoes’ four-wave sole design, according to their advertising, was “characteristic of today’s free-flowing spirit of adventure and challenge.” (Apparently Famolare have brought their free-flowing spirit [into the 2020s]( too!) If I had to choose, I would say my personal favorite "ugly shoes" of the '70s were Clarks Wallabees, which are also [still available online](. With their moccasin-inspired suede top, they paired perfectly with the mud-brown cords and beige turtlenecks that all the kids were wearing back then. A FEW MORE THINGS... ♓️ Pisces Season: Good news for my fellow fishes—it’s officially Pisces season. In Greek mythology, the constellation [Pisces]( (Latin for “fishes”) takes the form of the two aquatic saviors of Aphrodite and her son Eros when they were pursued by the murderous Typhon. Pisces season is supposed to be a time of heightened sensitivity, creativity, and imagination, so don’t be afraid to dream big! Protect Pangolins: It’s World Pangolin Day, observed on the third Saturday in February to raise awareness of the threats that all 8 species of pangolins face across Africa and Asia. These [scaled mammals]( are eaten as a delicacy in some regions, and their scales are still used in traditional Chinese medicine. 🤔 Wordle: [Solve today's 5-letter word](. What did you think of today's email? [Not good]( | [Just okay]( | [Loved it!]( 🏠[Visit the By Jillee Shop]( 🤗 [Join OGT Free]( Let's connect! [facebook]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( If you have thoughts, comments, questions or a tip or trick you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you! My inbox is always open, so just hit "reply" and let me know what's on your mind. See you tomorrow! Sending you bright ideas and simple solutions to help you create a home and life you love. My mailing address is: One Good Thing by Jillee 841 S. Main St. Heber City, UT 84032 If you're not happy please reply to this email to tell me why. 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