Cecily, it smells like heaven for a month or two and would have longer if I’d been comfortable topping it off at that point. It developed mold when it was soaked but didn’t smell like mold. The mold was gone in two weeks. It is terribly slick in spots where it stays wet so plan for that. I’ve made flat rock paths where we frequently walk and purchased mats for the bottom of the deck and the patio door so we don’t track it on the deck. If the kids would wipe their feet diligently we wouldn’t need a second mat, but, you know how kids can be. I just noticed the jumping worms today. I wondered why the robins were getting so friendly. They knew we‘d ‘planted’ food for them. They jump so high that I though they were baby grasshoppers and my son thought they were baby frogs. And even the. We were impressed. Imagine my joy to see mini maggots instead. 😳😟🤢 I’m nearly certain that mine are NOT cheese skippers, but larva from picture wing flies, because I saw the stinkin flies lay their eggs around my little fish and snail pond. I dont know that there was anything I could do at that point other than getting rid of the mulch. I was afraid any treatment I could use might hurt my pets. And the mulch really is pretty, even after it’s been soaked. and smells good. And isnt slippery as long as it’s not in a little valley four feet below your pond. And the mold I had didnt smell, still allowed enough space to work, and did go away in two weeks. The stuff is fabulous for the soil, too. I do t know if anyone is still listening, but, again, check into ‘picture window fly larvae’ if you’ve never actually see. The cheese skipper flies near your mulch.

>>>"Way better than a propane countertop option."<<< Well, if you have generator the next time Texas gets cold. . . :>) Good countertop induction cookers (a/k/a Portable Induction Cooktops or PICs) can be "way better" as long as you have power, but many of the inexpensive models are seriously deficient when it comes to a "design for those who want more stove top temperature control" as Jan DeKenis sought. If considering buying a PIC to check out induction, you might want to have a look at recent articles at Cooks Illustrated, CenturyLife, and Wirecutter to get some recommendations on choosing one of the better PIC models. When it comes to full scale electric cooking appliances, though, Pittsburrito is correct that induction stoves and cooktops are very much the electric option with as much (sometimes more) "stovetop temperature control" than gas appliances.

Hi, I'm late to the party but I did laminate in my kitchen. For a little more, I could have gotten bottom of the line granite, but the BOL granite didn't have the look I wanted, and I couldn't afford a granite that did. It was as simple as that, so I chose a laminate that had the look I wanted. Should I ever win the lottery, I'll install soapstone or a dark granite with lots of movement. Until then, this will do nicely. I use my kitchen hard--lots of cooking, lots of baking, and teenagers that like to cook and bake as well. I can see some microscratches in the "command center", where we work the most. We always use cutting boards, trivets, or hot pads. It's only visible if you look at it from the side under good light, so I'm not stressing about it. Thanks, Westsider for the nice words about my kitchen! :-) So, no, you're not crazy. If this is what you want, then by all means, this is what you should get. This is your kitchen and it needs to function the way you want it to. Enjoy the process, Cj

Amynthas agrestis, or crazy snake worm, is an invasive worm that will deforest an area and eat every bit of organic material in your compost and garden till you have nothing left but sand. I have them. They came in a bag of some garden additive like manure. Do a google search and read about them from a reputable site such as a cooperative extension. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://erie.cce.cornell.edu/resources/article-59-crazy-snake-worms-november-2017&ved=2ahUKEwi5m6Cs2NbdAhUJT98KHRk1BjwQFjAKegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw2Nr8eVEFJC24zszO-UeLKB The only control I use is hand picking them when I see them and dropping them into a can of soapy water. When they're dead and decomposed I throw them in the trash (or bury them in a woodchuck hole. Heheh). These worms are bigger than regular worms, have a white egg sac around their middle, and will violently jump around in your hand and break in half and drop to the ground to grow new body parts. In spring you can find them in the soil and in compost as tiny earthworms that wiggle more than regular worms. By end of summer they are easily identified by their size and white egg sac. They love mulch. By the way, earthworms are not native to the USA. They have been imported in various ways. Also, they are carelessly left on the ground by people who fish. These crazy snake worms have invaded the northeast in the last few years.