9 Super Quick Cleaning Tasks That Take Just Seconds

PLUS: My go-to dessert for dinner guests, your phone’s important emergency features, and more. PLUS: My go-to dessert for dinner guests, your phone’s important emergency features, and more. May 17, 2022 [View Online]( Good morning! Even when I’m at my busiest, I still want to feel like I’ve gotten something done around the house. If you feel the same way, you’ll be glad to know that the 9 cleaning tasks in Today’s Good Thing take just 30 seconds of your time. Also in a new Tech Tip Tuesday, I’m pointing out some of your phone’s most important emergency features. These could potentially save your life, so it’s worth taking the time to learn how to use them! Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING 9 Super Quick Cleaning Tasks That Take Just Seconds [Photos of various quick cleaning tasks.]( In a hurry? You only need 30 seconds to tackle these easy but impactful cleaning tasks. While I was hurrying to get out the door the other day, I happened to notice my door mat was looking rather filthy. Without thinking, I grabbed the mat, gave it a good shake over the lawn, and replaced it before hopping into the car. It felt good to know that just by taking half a minute to address the door mat, I had left the front door area looking nicer than it looked before. It was a nice reminder of the rewards of quickly cleaning something up—it can brighten your environment and your mood at the same time. And shaking out your door mat isn't the only quick task that can make a noticeable difference. After giving it some thought on my own, I came up with 9 such cleaning tasks you can knock out quickly to tidy up your surroundings, no matter how much of a rush you’re in. The 30-second cleaning tasks I’m sharing today span the living room, kitchen, bathrooms, entryways, and even the inside of your car. The next time you’re in a hurry, but still want to get something done around the house, just knock out one of the tasks on this list! [9 Super Quick Cleaning Tasks That Take Just Seconds ➜]( Related • [13 Little Ways To Have A Cleaner Home In Just One Minute]( • [24 Home Organization Ideas To Get More Organized In Under 5 Minutes]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • Making seed tape before planting your garden can be a great way to save time, and it’s actually pretty fun too. [Read more ➜]( • Once you know how to turn bar soap into liquid soap, you enjoy the convenience of liquid soap at a much lower cost. [Read more ➜]( • Don’t be surprised if these 7 uses for silicone scrubbing gloves inspire you to add a pair to your own cleaning arsenal. [Read more ➜]( TECH TIP TUESDAY Know Your Phone’s Emergency Features [An image of a smartphone screen displaying the iPhone Emergency SOS settings.]( These tips will help you set up your phone so that it can help you in the event of an emergency. When I consider using my phone in an emergency, I'm mainly concerned with being able to contact my loved ones. But modern smartphones can do a lot more to help out during an emergency than make calls, so I thought I'd share a few emergency features everyone should know how to use—just in case! For iPhone users: In Settings > Emergency SOS, you can turn on a feature called Call with 5 Presses. This will enable you to contact emergency services by rapidly pressing the side button on your phone 5 times. This feature could be a genuine life-saver in a dangerous situation! Another notable feature is Medical ID, which gives emergency responders a way to view your important medical information if you're in an accident or having a medical emergency. Open the Health app, tap on your profile picture, then tap Medical ID and Edit. There you can enter details that emergency responders may need to know, like your blood type, drug allergies, or medical conditions. You can also designate Emergency Contacts so responders know who to contact in case of an emergency. Learn more about [Emergency SOS here]( and [Medical ID here](. For Android users: Similarly to iPhone's Medical ID, Emergency information adds a link to your lock screen with personal information that can be viewed in an emergency. Go to Settings > About phone > Emergency information to add medical information and emergency contacts. Android phones also have Emergency SOS features, which you can access and adjust in Settings > Safety & Emergency > Emergency SOS. [Learn more about Android emergency features here](. COOKING Berry Upside Down Cake [A photo of Berry Upside Down Cake.]( Fans of cobbler and other fruit-forward desserts will love this easy-to-make cake. Traditional upside down cakes have fruit at the bottom that ends up on top once the cake is flipped over after baking. Despite this cake recipe failing to meet those parameters, my family has called it "Berry Upside Down Cake" since I was a girl. (I suspect it may be related to the way the cake batter and fruit become inverted as they bake.) This is one of my favorite desserts to make when we have people over for dinner, because it's easy to throw together and everyone loves it. My mom always made it with canned boysenberries, but it’s great with blueberries too. (I've been having a hard time finding canned berries lately, but frozen berries work just as well!) Here’s how to make it: Using an hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together 1/2 cup of softened butter and 1 cup of sugar. Add 1 cup of milk and stir until smooth, then add 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and stir to combine. Spread the batter into an even layer at the bottom of a greased 9×13″ baking dish. Pour an undrained 15-ounce can of berries in light syrup (or a 16-ounce bag of frozen berries, thawed but not drained) over the top of the batter. Sprinkle 1 cup of sugar evenly over the berries and liquid, then bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Allow the cake to cool for 15-30 minutes, then serve—preferably with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a splash of half and half! [See the full recipe ➜]( JILLEE'S PICK Suspicion And Obsession In My Cousin Rachel [An image of the front cover of ]( After reading her novel Rebecca several years ago, I placed [My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier]( on my Books to Read shelf. I finally got around to reading it recently, and all I can say is wow! Daphne du Maurier really knew how to tell a story, and as for which of her books I enjoyed more, it’s honestly too close to call. In this story, naive and arrogant Phillip connects with his worldly "cousin" Rachel, who married his older cousin Ambrose shortly before Ambrose’s untimely death. It’s clear early on that something isn't right, and each titillating new detail serves to convince the reader they're the only one seeing the bigger picture. I don't want to give too much away, but the ending is a memorable one. Who was Rachel, really? Was I too quick to jump to judgment, or was my cynicism justified? If you're anything like me, you’ll be asking yourself questions like these long after you finish! [See My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier on Amazon ➜]( POLL OF THE WEEK Penning Practices Q: When was the last time you sent someone a handwritten letter? (Click one of the options below to submit your response.) 1. [Very recently]( 2. [A few weeks ago]( 3. [A few months ago]( 4. [A few years ago (or more)]( Results from the last poll: Around two-thirds of OGT readers have at least one streaming service in their entertainment mix. Over 1,200 of you weighed in on the question “How many video streaming services are you subscribed to?” Here's how you responded: • 35.7% said “None.” • 29.8% said “A few—it's a good balance between variety and cost.” • 18.7% said “Several—they all have different things I like to watch!” • 15.8% said “Just one—who needs more?” A FEW MORE THINGS... 🎓 Worth The Tassel: It’s National Graduation Tassel Day, a chance to recognize recent grads and the fancy caps and tassels they worked so hard to earn. Earlier this month, our eldest son Erik graduated from Utah Valley University with a Bachelor’s in Public Relations and we couldn’t be prouder of him! To recent grads and those whose loved ones graduated recently, congratulations! On This Day: In 1814, in response to [a treaty]( that decreed Denmark-Norway would cede Norway to Sweden, the Norwegian Constituent Assembly signed the [Constitution of Norway]( and established its independence. Today, Norway celebrates the anniversary as [Constitution Day](, a national holiday that includes many festive parades and plenty of hot dogs and ice cream. 🇳🇴 🤔 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. Update your email preferences or [unsubscribe]( [here](. View our privacy policy [here](.