“Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” - Spring Cleaning Edition

PLUS: 3 practical uses for baby oil, the many delicious merits of “brick chicken,” and more. PLUS: 3 practical uses for baby oil, the many delicious merits of “brick chicken,” and more. April 2, 2022 [View Online]( Good morning! Whether you’re just getting started or already done (and if so, kudos to you), it's never a bad time for tips that can make cleaning easier. That’s exactly what you’ll find in Today’s Good Thing, because I’m sharing a special spring cleaning edition of my “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” series. Also in today’s newsletter, I’ve got two blasts from the past for you. In Jillee’s Pick, I’m sharing another round of my favorite childhood TV shows, and in Remember When, I’ll tell you all about the portable music player that made me feel like the coolest kid on the block. Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” - Spring Cleaning Edition [Photos of various spring cleaning hacks.]( Whether you want to work faster or more efficiently, these clever cleaning tips can help. Can you believe we’re almost two weeks into spring already? If you’re gearing up to get started on your spring cleaning, then the tips I have to share today will be very timely! But even if you’ve already started on your spring cleaning or you don’t do it at all, these cleaning tips will still be useful anytime you need them. This special cleaning-centric edition of “Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” started like any other, with me gathering tips that weren’t “meaty” enough on their own, but were too useful to ignore altogether. I file these types of tips away until I have a decent collection built up, and that’s how this collection of 11 cleaning tips came to be. These tips run the gamut from preventive (like how to keep dirt outside where it belongs) to practical (like how to use lone socks to clean your blinds). I’ve got tips on cleaning windows, fans, and even the air around your house! These 11 cleaning hacks will help you get your cleaning done efficiently and effectively so you can spend more time enjoying the fruits of your labor. After all, isn't that why we do spring cleaning in the first place? Check out the tips below! [“Why Didn’t I Think Of That?” - Spring Cleaning Edition ➜]( Related • [9 Easily Overlooked Cleaning Projects You Should Do This Spring]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • Can’t fall asleep if it’s too quiet? This noise machine is routinely recommended by just about everyone, including me! [Read more ➜]( • If you have cream cheese questions, I’ve got cream cheese answers—find out how to freeze it, thaw it, and more here. [Read more ➜]( • These reusable dryer sheets are not only ridiculously easy to make, but it’s a more efficient use of fabric softener too. [Read more ➜]( COOKING Brick Chicken With Lemon, Garlic, And Rosemary [Photos of brick chicken.]( It’s hard to beat good roasted chicken, and you can have this one on the table in under an hour. Brick chicken is as easy to make as it is delicious, and thanks to a clever technique called “spatchcocking,” you can cook a whole chicken in a fraction of the time it would normally take. The lemon zest, rosemary, and garlic make it wonderfully flavorful and fragrant too. Here’s how to make it: Pat a whole, bone-in chicken dry with a few paper towels, then set it on your cutting board with the breast-side down. Use kitchen shears to cut from tail to neck along one side of the backbone, then cut along the other side of the backbone and remove it. (Freeze it to use later in a stock or soup!) After removing the backbone, flip the chicken over and press down near the wings to flatten it out. (You might hear the breastbone break while you do this, so don't be alarmed.) Season the skin with salt and pepper, a couple tablespoons of fresh rosemary leaves, the zest of a lemon, and a few cloves of roughly chopped garlic. Coat a cast iron skillet with cooking oil and place over high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place the chicken into the pan skin-side down, then arrange a few foil-wrapped bricks on top of the chicken. (You could also place a second skillet on top of the chicken and weigh it down with heavy cans.) Cook the chicken over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown. Flip the chicken over, then place the skillet in your oven and bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken hits 165°F. Carve and serve with your favorite sides. [See the full recipe ➜]( UNUSUAL USES 3 Surprisingly Practical Uses For Baby Oil [Photos of various uses for baby oil.]( There are plenty of good reasons to keep a bottle of baby oil close at hand, including these ones. 1. Shine Things Up. Baby oil is great for leaving a shine on all sorts of surfaces, like wood, leather, steel, and chrome. You can also use it on your dashboard, golf clubs, stainless steel appliances, faucets, and more. Just dab a bit of oil onto a soft cloth and buff it onto the surface—a little goes a long way! 2. Stretch Your Shower Gel. When your favorite bottle of shower gel is running low, squirt a bit of baby oil into the bottle and give it a good shake to mix. Not only will it give you super soft skin every time you shower, but it will also stretch the amount you have left and make it last longer—who doesn’t love a good two-for-one? 3. Get A Close Shave. You can use baby oil in place of shave cream or gel for a super close shave with no irritation. You can also apply it after shaving to moisturize your skin and soothe any irritation. Either way, your legs will feel more luxuriously smooth than ever before. JILLEE'S PICK More Of My Favorite TV Shows Through The Years [Photos from the TV shows ]( It’s time for another round of some of my favorite TV shows that I remember watching as a kid. These shows aired during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, so a little later than the shows I featured on March 18. (More to come in future newsletters!) • [The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour]( (1971-74). I've always loved variety shows, and Sonny and Cher were always entertaining. Cher always had a put down for Sonny, and Sonny always had a joke about Cher's nose. I still find myself singing the ["vamp" song](: "She was a scamp, a camp and a bit of a tramp…" • [Bewitched]( (1964-72). In my opinion, the best episodes were the black-and-white episodes with Dick York, the first and best Darrin. Elizabeth Montgomery was adorable as Samantha the witch, and I'm still sad I never managed to imitate her signature nose twitch! • [I Dream of Jeannie]( (1965-70). Larry Hagman was so funny and endearing as the nervous Major Tony Nelson, and Barbara Eden was beautiful, charming, and spunky as Jeannie. It was fun to watch her use her powers to try to solve the Major’s problems, only for him to get even deeper into hot water. • [Get Smart]( (1965-70). This goofy spy series satirized the popular James Bond movies in hilarious fashion. Don Adams was brilliant as Agent Smart, the intelligent yet inept spy—his deadpan delivery still cracks me up. Things always went completely wacky, for which Max would apologize with a "Sorry about that, Chief!" • [Green Acres]( (1965-71). I loved this increasingly silly series. Eddie Albert played NYC attorney Oliver Douglas who had convinced his glamorous wife Lisa (Eva Gabor) to forgo city life and move to a farm in the country. The theme song was so catchy too—I [looked it up]( and realized I still remember every word! REMEMBER WHEN Portable Radios [A photo of a Panasonic Toot-A-Loop portable radio.]( Before iPods and Discmans, our music player of choice (well, more like “of necessity”) was the portable radio. I think the first Walkman cassette players were just starting to come out back then, but like most new technology, they were really expensive at first. A portable radio was the much more affordable option of the era. Whenever I see kids hanging out around their portable bluetooth speakers, I think back to hanging out with my friends in the backyard or at the beach and listening to one of our portable radio players. We only had a few stations that came in clearly and no control over what kind of music those stations played, but it was better than nothing! I remember feeling like my own portable radio, a Panasonic Toot-A-Loop, was so cool. They called it a “bracelet radio” because it had a hole in the center so you could hang it on your arm or carry it like a small, strange purse. To tune it, you would twist the ring open on one side to reveal the tuning dial. Kids today definitely have a lot more choice when it comes to the music they listen to, but other than that, not all that much has changed when it comes to portable music devices! It appears that it’s still just as fun to hang out with your friends and listen to music as it ever was. A FEW MORE THINGS... For The Love Of Children’s Books: It’s International Children’s Book Day, celebrated each year on the birthday of the Danish author of many famous fairy tales [Hans Christian Andersen](. The event is organized by the International Board on Books for Young People as a way to inspire a love of reading and encourage children and their families to read together. Ramadan Mubarak (Blessed Ramadan): This evening marks the beginning of [Ramadan](, the holiest month in the Islamic calendar and a period of fasting, prayer, and spiritual reflection. Muslims fast from dawn to sunset each day during Ramadan, as well as refrain from smoking and sinful behaviors to keep their hearts and minds on spiritual matters. 🤔 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. 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