5 Cheat Codes That Make Real Life Easier

The 3 things you should never clean with water, what you need to know about private labels, and more. September 6, 2021 [View Online]( Good morning! When my kids used to play their Playstation way back when, they would spend hours testing out different cheat codes for games like NFL Blitz in order to unlock special advantages. The 5 tips in Today’s Good Thing remind me of cheat codes, because they make life easier for those who know how to use them. Also in today’s newsletter, don’t miss the latest Monday Motivation. If you tend to get swept up in negative emotions like I do, it will be a good reminder that things are rarely as black and white as they seem. Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING 5 “Cheat Codes” That Make Real Life Easier [Photos of hacks for sandwiches, movie-watching, night vision, and toast.]( Just like cheat codes in a video game, knowing these 5 tips can make your life easier. 1. Pre-Assemble Your Sandwiches. The key to assembling sandwiches ahead of time is to leave the bread out of the equation so it doesn't get soggy. Instead, assemble the insides by layering deli meat and your condiments of choice between two slices of cheese. Put it in a freezer bag and freeze it, then slap it between two pieces of bread for a quick and easy lunch. 2. Skip The Previews. Some DVDs and Blu-rays play previews or ads before your movie, but you can skip them with a few presses of the buttons on your remote. Just press Stop, press Stop again, then press Play to skip the ads and get straight to the movie. (If hitting the Stop button twice doesn’t work, three times usually does the trick.) 3. Keep Your Night Vision. It takes time for your eyes to adjust to new lighting conditions, which can be a problem at night when you need to quickly turn on a light to find something. But you can help preserve your “night vision” by keeping one eye closed when you turn on the light. When you turn it back off, it won't take as long for your eyes to adjust to the dark. 4. Execute Perfect High Fives. We’ve all experienced the embarrassing ordeal of going in for a high five and then missing completely. But there’s an easy way to nail them every time—just keep your eyes on the other person’s elbow. I don’t understand exactly how it works, but it will spare you any further high five humiliation. 5. Warm Up Your Butter Knife. The next time you’re making yourself some toast, place your butter knife on your toasted bread right after it comes out of the toaster. The toast will warm up your butter knife and make buttering the toast a lot easier. [3 More Cheat Codes For Real Life]( [3 More Cheat Codes For Real Life]( Related • [9 More “Cheat Codes” That Will Make Your Real Life Less Difficult]( • [The "Why Didn't I Think Of That?" Series]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • I tried everything to remove the unsightly oil stains from my driveway, but I didn’t expect this cleaner to work best. [Read more ➜]( • If you don’t like wasting your own time, then be sure to steer clear of these 7 ineffective cleaning “hacks.” [Read more ➜]( • This super simple lip scrub gets rid of flakes and rough skin, making it the perfect way to prep before applying lip color. [Read more ➜]( CLEANING 3 Things You Should Never Clean With Water [Photos of jewelry, wood furniture, and electronics.]( While washing up with soap and water works for a lot of things, these 3 things should never be exposed to water. 1. Jewelry. If you’re not sure what your jewelry is made of, and particularly if it’s an older piece, it’s safest to avoid water when cleaning it. Some newer pieces may be fine after a soap and water wash, but others can wind up looking more tarnished than before. Better to be safe than sorry! 2. Wood Furniture. Anyone who's been responsible for a water ring on wood furniture can tell you that water and wood don’t mix. Water can contribute to discoloration, swelling, splitting, and other types of wood damage. Instead, keep your wood furniture clean with a damp microfiber cloth and use a [furniture polish or conditioner]( to protect it. 3. Electronics. Our homes are full of electronic gadgets that need a [good cleaning]( every now and then. Avoid using water on them, as it can permanently damage the sensitive internal components of your gear. Dampening a microfiber cloth with fast-evaporating rubbing alcohol is a safer bet for wiping off stubborn grime. SHOPPING What You Need To Know About Private Labels [Photos of private label products from various stores.]( Learn the reason why store-brand foods and name-brand foods are sometimes the exact same thing. [Private label products]( may be branded with the same name as a specific retailer (like Kroger brand foods at Kroger stores), or the retailer may choose an entirely different name to brand them with (like the Great Value brand at Walmart). Retailers can sell these private label products at lower prices than national brands, which makes them attractive to us as consumers. And our happiness about saving money makes retailers happy too, because they're making good money on products they didn't have to pay to advertise. Some retailers offer so many privately labelled foods that they have dedicated manufacturing facilities producing them, but not all of them do. In fact, private label brands and national “name brands” often source their products from the same manufacturers. In these instances, there's virtually no difference between the products apart from packaging and price. Most retailers are reluctant to give up exact details about who supplies their private label products, but savvy shoppers and journalists aren’t deterred. [This Eater article]( explores the suppliers of Trader Joe’s snack foods, while [this MoneyWise article]( reveals sources for several of Costco’s Kirkland products. It just goes to show—you should never judge a book by its cover, nor a food product by its label! JILLEE'S PICK Shout-Out To My Brown Sugar Bear [Photos of a terra cotta bear in a container of brown sugar.]( My daughter-in-law Aliyah—a newly minted Nystul as of July—was visiting us with my son Kell the other day, and while looking for something in the pantry, she pointed out the little terra cotta bear inside my container of brown sugar. As I explained to her that it helps prevent my brown sugar from drying out, I realized that I’ve had that particular brown sugar bear for a long, long time. He’s been putting in the work to keep my brown sugar soft day after day for years, and that kind of dedication deserves to be recognized. So here’s to you, brown sugar bear, and the way you provide just enough moisture to keep my brown sugar soft and pliable. You are a treasured member of our household and we appreciate your service. (P.S. Did you know there are [7 other ways to use brown sugar savers]( MONDAY MOTIVATION Break Free Of Black-And-White Thinking I’ve always been an emotional person (a classic Pisces trait), and like most people who feel things deeply, I can have a difficult time staying grounded. Sometimes my feelings are so sudden and forceful that I feel powerless against them, like a riptide is pulling me out to sea. One of the biggest problems with getting caught up in my emotions is that I tend to start thinking about things in black-and-white terms. Something that is objectively a minor inconvenience can start to look like a massive threat to my productivity, plans, and overall happiness. If that sounds exhausting, it’s because it is. When you see things as either completely wonderful or utterly horrible, your life becomes a soap opera—a caricature of reality. Because most of what happens in life isn’t totally good or bad, is it? It’s something in between, a shade of gray, and accepting that can make all the difference. This coming week, I’m going to make an effort to look for more of those shades of gray in my experiences, and I encourage you to do the same. Realistically, this is how you break free of negative thinking—not with relentless optimism, but by letting go of the notion that anything in life can be neatly categorized. A FEW MORE THINGS... What's Coming Up? In this week's newsletters, you’ll learn about an online game that aims to end world hunger, read my first ever "correction corner" (nobody's perfect!), and find out about an unbelievably easy way to make homemade bread. Rosh Hashanah: The two-day celebration of the [Jewish new year]( begins this evening. Shanah tova to our friend and coworker Stacie here at OGT, and to all of you who are celebrating around the world! LOVE OGT? SHARE IT! If you’re enjoying the OGT newsletter, it would mean so much to me if you'd share it with your friends and family! When you share it allows me to continue sharing the tips and tricks you love with you! [Click here to share](mailto:?subject=I%20think%20you%E2%80%99ll%20like%20this%20%F0%9F%98%8A&body=I%20thought%20you%E2%80%99d%20really%20enjoy%20the%20One%20Good%20Thing%20newsletter,%20I%20get%20it%20each%20morning%20and%20I%20seem%20to%20learn%20something%20new%20every%20day!%20It's%20full%20of%20hacks%20for%20around%20the%20house%20and%20always%20has%20a%20happy%2C%20upbeat%20energy.%20%0A%0ACheck%20it%20out%20here%3A + [Click here to share](mailto:?subject=I%20think%20you%E2%80%99ll%20like%20this%20%F0%9F%98%8A&body=I%20thought%20you%E2%80%99d%20really%20enjoy%20the%20One%20Good%20Thing%20newsletter,%20I%20get%20it%20each%20morning%20and%20I%20seem%20to%20learn%20something%20new%20every%20day!%20It's%20full%20of%20hacks%20for%20around%20the%20house%20and%20always%20has%20a%20happy%2C%20upbeat%20energy.%20%0A%0ACheck%20it%20out%20here%3A + 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! This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( One Good Thing by Jillee · 841 S. Main St. · Heber City, UT 84032 · USA