Working out in the elements has its great advantages, such as an ever-changing “office window” view, fresh air (maybe not here near Los Angeles!), and no real “boss” figure peering over your shoulder. One of the disadvantages of this beautiful work setting is that we all expose ourselves to the harsh elements that come with the great outdoors! This fact got me thinking about one little item I always make sure is in my own personal arsenal and that I never leave home without. For as long as I can remember I have 
made sure to carry my tube of ChapStick brand skin protectant in my right front pocket at all times! No matter what the brand (because I refer to all of them generically as ChapStick), I am sure that almost all of us carry something for protecting our lips from the harmful effects of the wind and sun damage. Always being a person who likes to discover multi-use tools where they might not be expected, I found some of these helpful uses for the common lip moisturizer I would not have expected:
- Got a small cut from shaving? Use your ChapStick to temporarily seal the cut and help stop the bleeding.
- Repair small scratches on CD’s or DVD’s with a small dab of ChapStick gently rubbed into it and then wiped away with a soft cotton cloth.
- If you have a stuck zipper on a favorite jacket or sweater and don’t want to change of opening the zipper and ruining it, coat the zipper in ChapStick and it will be as good as new.
- For all those handlebar mustaches I think are too cool for words, you can use some ChapStick in place of your wax temporarily, should you run out or misplace the wax.
- Some light fixtures, especially those outside, have a tendency to rust light bulb sockets and bulb mounts together. Eliminate this problem by applying a little ChapStick to the threads of the bulb before installing.
- Have a squeaky drawer hinge or window track? Use ChapStick to lubricate that squeaky mess and be done with it!
- Need a speed-shine on a pair of dress shoes? Apply some ChapStick to those dulled out shoes and buff off with a cotton cloth, or even an old t-shirt.
So, the next time you reach into your pocket for your lip moisturizer of choice, remember that it is also capable of being a “multi-tool” of sorts. No longer will I look at my tube of ChapStick in quite the same way!