Have you turned a dresser or other item into an island?
9 years ago
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- 9 years ago
- 9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
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Useful and Not So Useful Items You Have
Comments (6)I love perusing Lee Valley's website but don't buy much there. I'm too 'frugal' and have gardened long enough to know I don't need or want every gadget. One very useful item they sell is The World's Kindest Nail Brush. I have one near every sink and besides being kind to hands and getting nails clean, I also use them to scrub veggies, gently scrub at stains before laundering, and rest my natural vegetable oil soaps on them to dry so they last longer. I 'try' to always wear gloves when gardening but somehow my nails get filthy and these brushes work really well. Good for feet also for those, like me, who wear flop-flops. I agree those green plant tags from LV are not the best, I've broken almost every one I bought. I think they have tin inserts that aren't as obvious as the white ones, or at least they used to. They have some nice copper tags that are good for trees. I also like their velcro plant ties. I only use shepherd's hooks for light decorative stuff in the garden, otherwise I have to pick them up off the ground too often! My least fav garden cart is the one with small wheels and a deep bucket that does not wheel well over rough ground. Good thing I only paid $5 at a yard sale. I use it to hold my small tools, plant stakes, and empty pots and don't move it around much, it just contains things so I can find them easily. My fav 'haulers' are my 2 children's wagons. They don't hold as many weeds as a large wheelbarrow but are easy to move around. Especially good for moving potted plants or heavy bags of amendments. Also have a couple of large wheelbarrows. One's always full of soil/mulch/compost/amendments during planting time so need another for weeds. I'm a simple gardener, just need a shovel, rake, hoe, and a few small hand tools. Do like my big lopper for cutting branches and those willful aspen sprouts. Here is a link that might be useful: The World's Kindest Nail Brush...See MoreWhat's your one spendy food item that you just have to have in yo
Comments (101)Ok... after reading more I realize we have a few more splurges that had not occurred to me at the time. Tomatoes on the vine or any good garden type tomato. I cannot abide a thick skinned mealy supermarket kind. Any San Marzano tomatoes for sauce work fine. It must be the soil or that water.... Sangria jelly, whenever I can find it. It is ridiculously good. The smoked whitefish spread at Costco. We have that in our house at all times. If cheese were less fattening, I'd have a whole fridge dedicated to it. As it is, I splurge on "eating cheese" (as opposed to cheese for cooking or grated cheeses) when we have guests. I love the horseradish cheddar kind or the champagne cheddar and any good asiago variety is my fave. I nibble it to try to make it last. I think I lived on a half cheese diet when pregnant as it was one of the few things that did not turn my stomach. Virginia ham is also a little splurge as it is usually more expensive than other kinds. It tastes like deli ham is supposed to taste to me. The other kinds are ok,and I'll buy them when they are much lower, but Virginia style is superior. German sausages from the German butcher are also a splurge. They carry the good European bread to go with their amazing cold cuts. I count what I buy there as eating out prices, and consider it lucky that we are not tipping for it, lol. I guess it is a way to justify those prices for eating at home and having it cost so much, lol....I don't even know what the price per lb is and prefer not to know. It is the one time I don't know prices out of everything else I do in life and hope to never know as it would ruin it for me. I get a large bag of stuff and it is spread out over several meals, but is probably our largest splurge, only done once in a while..... We do only drink imported beer and since most domestic is so awful, don't even consider that a splurge. It is a necessity to drink the better quality. After becoming used to German/Austrian beer over there, it is impossible to accept less. It sounds snobby, but if anyone did a side by side comparison, they'd forgive us ;) Luckily, we don't drink quantity. Often, dh and I will split a beer with dinner just to accompany certain foods. Our fave wine is a German reisling by Schmitte Sonne, which has a screw top, so is not crazy expensive, but it does cost more than many other whites we could buy instead. Since we buy by the case, we cut the costs some. It is always a hit when we bring some as a hostess gift....See MoreMake sure you have these items in your car to keep you safe
Comments (21)Many of the things have been covered so I'll try to avoid duplicates. But another caution: $20 will buy jumper cables good for Texas or Arizona, but not for Minnesota or North Dakota. You'll spend 2-3 times that for a decent set worthy of carrying around here. Check the gauge of the wire and the clamps. Buy from a reputable place, not a discount department store, if you want a good set. Another caution is a cell phone is a good idea but will do you no good without power. Always buy a car adapter and keep it in the vehicle. "Emergency" cell phones, won't be maintained so they won't be charged. Without a charger you stand no chance of using it. Also, be sure to check coverage. Why get one that won't have coverage when you need it? Also, if you need to repair a hose, don't go for the duct tape right away. Electrical tape will seal the hole better. Duct tape won't. Wrap it well with electrical tape and *then* give a wrap of the silver miracle. The grey gold will keep the electrical tape in place better and seal itself better. I always used a coffee can and put a roll of toilet paper in a plastic bag, double bagged, actually. Also had some matches and some large heavy duty garbage bags. A garbage bag will be a one-size-fits-most for a rain poncho, and have numerous other uses. People who use eyeglasses should keep an extra pair in the vehicle, especially if your license requires you to wear them while driving. I always keep water in the vehicle. Sure it freezes in the winter but the small bottles thaw quickly. I also keep aspirin, antacids and the like so I don't have to buy them at outrageous prices if needed. I just take a small bottle and keep a few in there. A roll of paper towels cut in half fits nicely in a coffee can and gives you an alternative to the toilet paper and gives you some ready napkins and something to use to clean up those accidents. Put the garbage bags in there and I like a few wet wipes. Tow chain or a tow strap. Takes little room. Oh, I use the crank flashlights. No need to worry about batteries. I usually like to carry a gallon of window wash fluid (de-icer in the winter) and a gallon of antifreeze. If you break a hose you can get the radiator filled. Dump in the antifreeze and it can get you going to a place to add some water. Or if your near a water source, even a lake, stream or ditch, you have a container for the water. Clothes appropriate for the climate. And a comealong winch is a good idea too. Can extend the reach of the tow strap and you can winch yourself out of a bad spot. And I believe in keeping some cash, including change, in the vehicle. Pay phones used to be a big reason but that's more obsolete now but if you have to buy some gas, or bandages or something, you might find a few dollars handy. Nobody's saying you should carry everything everyone has suggested. Very few people would find a gas wrench useful - most wouldn't know how to use it. So you use it for ideas. Modify it. There is no all-inclusive list that will work for everyone. Some things you would take on a trip but not leave in there all the time. Some things should be in there. Minnesota requires you to carry proof of insurance. I keep one card in my wallet and one in the vehicle. Belt and suspenders I suppose. I still haven't gotten around to stocking my "new" vehicle yet. But probably have most of it in there. When the weather gets nicer I'll clean it out and check inventory against my checklist....See MoreDo you have any design items you won't change regardless of "dated?"
Comments (99)We moved into a neighborhood of 1960s-70s colonials. One of the many things I liked about our house was the black slate foyer floor. A new friend came by and mentioned that "that slate is really easy to remove" and she had just put new large-format tile in her foyer instead. 12 years later and I still prefer my black slate. The other thing I wouldn't and won't change is the kitchen curtains. The kitchen faces the street and includes a breakfast nook, so we need some curtains, but I don't want to block the view altogether. The house came with cafe curtains, as well as an upper tier of curtains (not a valance) for the larger breakfast nook windows. They are somewhat sheer, maybe translucent is the word, which I like: it's like looking through lightly-frosted glass so I can see if someone is walking by the house without really being able to see who they are. The little ruffle probably dates them the most, but given that they are otherwise plain it's cute. What I'd really like is a toile pattern, but I just can't find a fabric that is translucent, without being "shiny"....See MoreRelated Professionals
Caledonia Interior Designers & Decorators · East Hanover Interior Designers & Decorators · Brooklyn Furniture & Accessories · Franklin Furniture & Accessories · Peachtree City Furniture & Accessories · Racine Furniture & Accessories · Spartanburg Furniture & Accessories · Hilton Head Island Furniture & Accessories · Pinehurst Furniture & Accessories · West University Place Lighting · Diamond Bar Lighting · Palm Springs Lighting · Saint Petersburg Lighting · South Miami Lighting · Stoneham Window Treatments- 9 years ago
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