Hacker Time

2009-06-28T23:44:00.000-07:00

I love my girls!

Mik'L, Kasi & Maren

Welcome Home Sister Tode Hafen!

2009-05-01T14:41:00.000-07:00

My high school friends got together for lunch to welcome Sister Tode Hafen back from serving a mission with her husband, Brad, in the South Africa-Durban Mission.

The Hafen's really enjoyed their mission and shared their experiences with us a day at a time. Tode sent an email to us every single week with a detailed entry each day so we all feel like we have a good idea of their activities in South Africa.

We are very proud of them and glad they are home and safe.

2009-03-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

GIVEAWAY - Contest ends July 15, 2009

2009-03-29T23:08:00.000-07:00

Enter here by leaving your name and email.

(or another way to contact you).

You could be the winner

of my Sterling silver, French-wire earrings.

Click on the "comments" below to enter.

Last day to enter is July 15, 2009.

2009-03-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

2009-03-29T22:59:00.000-07:00

2009-03-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

2009-03-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

2009-03-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

2009-03-29T22:45:00.000-07:00

2009-03-29T22:43:00.000-07:00

2009-03-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

Myler

2009-03-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

Myler Behunin - 3 weeks old

2009-03-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

Ilene with Kaitlyn Miller.

GIVEAWAY

2009-03-18T10:39:00.001-07:00

GIVEAWAY!
Register to win this pair of handmade Sterling silver earrings. I made them with a very lightweight Sterling wire with French earwires. Contest deadline is July 15, 2009.
To enter, simply leave your name & your email (or a way to contact you if you are the winner) and a short comment here.
Good luck!

Hacker's Household Hints

2009-03-08T20:33:00.001-07:00

Share your household hints:

Lets share our ideas on how we can do things around the house more quickly. I like to learn new ways to use products and how to use household items in ways other than their original purpose.

Please leave your ideas in the comments section below.

WD-40 ~ I good friend told me WD-40 helps prevent tarnish on silver. Since I do a lot with Sterling silver in my jewelry making, this information was helpful. So I researched to find out that WD-40 can also do many other things to make cleaning much easier. I liked the idea that it prevents watermarks on shower doors, but wondered about the smell. I think a home must smell good. I used to use my bread-maker just to make people think I could actually bake bread. It really made our house smell wonderful too. To see the other things WD-40 can do, check out the following site: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/wd-40.asp

Shower doors: If you have hard water spots on glass shower doors try wiping them with any furniture polish that has lemon oil. If the film is already heavy, use a steel wool pad soaked in dish-washing liquid to make the glass sparkle.

When a baby throws up: Since becoming a grandmother, I found out this works: Carry a small bottle of baking soda and water in the diaper bag. When the baby spits up, just rub the spot with a cloth dampened with the mixture. I wish I would have known this when I was raising my own children.

How to get kids to take nasty medicine: Suck on an ice cube to numb the taste buds. Medicines will become practically tasteless. (This works for adults too.)

How to remove indentations from your carpet when you rearrange your furniture: Apply moisture from a steam iron and brush the nap of the carpet.

Candle wax: I love the candle wax warmer Mik'L gave to me, but my grandsons can't seem to keep their hands away from the wax when it has cooled. Hey, they are boys. So I've ended up with a sheet of wax on my counter top. My friends Alisha told me to take an old clean towel or paper towel and use my iron to heat up the wax. It worked.

Keep scissors sharp: I had an apartment in China next to a large scissor factory. I bought several great pair of sharp scissors. I have several scissor sharpeners, but this works best: Use steel wool, run it over the cutting edges to keep them from getting dull in the first place. Be careful, don't cut your fingers or get the steel wool embedded in your hands. I also try to keep some scissors for "fabric only". This doesn't always work when you have Kenny Miller for a son-in-law that doesn't notice that you have written "fabric only" on your favorite scissors.

Hangers: I try to keep clothes organized in the closet by facing the clothes in the same direction. It helps to keep empty hangers in the same spot and I separate pants hangers from regular hangers. It really bothers me to have empty hangers mixed in with the clothes hung on the hangers. ...don't think my closets are always clean and organized, but I do try to use the same type of hangers for all of my clothes and I like having my clothes organized by color and type. Now I need to figure out how to stop putting things on the floor of my closets.

Throwing things away or donating to charity: If anyone can help me stop holding onto things that I have not used for several years, I'd be glad to know how to part with my precious old items. I donate many things to thrift stores, but it seems like as soon as I do, I need that item the very next week. I realize I can only save so much "stuff", but some of my old clothes are hard to part with....my kids may need them for a high school play when they get older.

Keep things straight: I try to straighten up my kitchen and family room each night before I go to bed (of course its much easier now that Mike and I are Empty Nesters). I really enjoy waking up to a house that is organized or at least "looks clean".

Laundry: It is never going to go away. It took me years to realize that if I do laundry 6 days a week, I don't have to spend one day "doing laundry. I actually do not mind doing laundry if I do it every day. I enjoy the idea of keeping the laundry pile small. I love the smell of fresh laundry and I like to try to get stains out.

How to get a knot out of your necklace chain: My husband is really good at this, but when he is not home I use a drop of vegetable oil and a pin to untangle the chain.

Wax your dustpans, dirt slides right off.

Smelly sneakers: .Make a thick paste of baking soda and water. Use a brush to paint the insides of the shoes, let dry. Maybe this will work for Mason's shoes.

Travel Tip: If the air pressure gets to you when your fly, drink a bottle of water. The air in the airplane is dry and causes dehydration, H2O is a fast cure. Some airlines now charge for even a drink of water, so get hydrated before the flight.

I go on long flights and have my own tips to make the flight more comfortable. Leave a comment below if you have any ideas of your own or want to know more of my tips.

Hobbies

2009-03-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

I love making unique jewelry. I started taking a Lapidary Class a few years ago and have enjoyed making and selling jewelry on etsy.com, you can see my etsy store online at etsy.com, click on usernames/artists, type in IleneHacker (no space between names).

Share your hobbies with me.

Original handmade Jewelry

2008-03-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

Mason & Ian on the Red Hill, St. George, Utah

2008-03-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Behunin Family, Clyde, Mik'L, Izzy & Zoe...and now Myler Clyde Behunin!!!

2008-02-28T22:43:00.000-08:00

WE HAVE A NEW GRANDSON!!!

After 20 hours of labor, Mik'L gave birth to our grandson on 03-09-09, 9 lbs. 4 oz, 23" long and very handsome. Mik'L had to have a C-Section after all of her hard work, but mom and baby are doing great.

We are so happy to have this cute little boy added to our family!

This is the first child born to Clyde and Mik'L, we are beyond happy. Plus, Mike and I are ready to spoil him as much as possible!

Ilene with Super Steppers, Prime Time Performers on their last and final trip with Ilene as their director. The Ireland trip was simply the BEST!

2008-02-28T22:38:00.000-08:00

Our dance students in Dong Yang, China

2008-02-28T22:33:00.000-08:00

2007 Christmas

2008-02-28T22:32:00.000-08:00

Opportunities for Dance Teachers

2008-02-28T22:11:00.000-08:00

TALENTED DANCE INSTRUCTORS can have the opportunity to teach dance in Hangzhou, China, listed as the "Most Beautiful City in China". It is the home of the famous West Lake.

Our students are ages 3 to adult. We teach jazz, ballet, technique, hip-hop and Mommy & Me classes.

Danceinstructors may be eligible for college credit.
contact Ilene Hacker at hacker@infowest.com for more information.