I by the half sheet pans at Sam's Club, 2 for somewhere around $10 and use them for cookies, roasting vegetables and for rolled cakes. They're made in the USA and I have 6 of them. I used to have 8, but each of my girls have managed to keep one, LOL. Pyrex for my pie pans, and I have both deep dish and reglar. Muffin tins, I like the bigger ones that hold 12 muffins, but I do use the 6 muffin sized pan sometimes. I have loaf pans from tiny individual size to a stoneware pan that's so big I never use it. I find I like the smaller 8 inch loaf best, because I can make three loaves form a double batch of Grandma's white or my whole wheat recipe and Elery and I actually eat one before it stales too badly and leave dough in the fridge to bake another one later, leaving me one to take to stepmother. I have a bundt pan and a tube cake pan. I've used the tube pan once, I got it at Goodwill for $2.99. I use the bundt pan more, but not regularly. I have a set of 3 different sizes of springform pans which also get occasional use. I have cake pans shaped like trains, cars, castles, roses. (grin) I have popover pans that I use a lot more than any of those. I'd stay cheap with the "specialty" pans that won't get such heavy use, as I said, several of mine were purchased at Goodwill. For the pans that get heavy use I like my Pyrex for pies although I have one Emile Henry pan tht David/Lakeguy bought me and I love it, Chicago Metallic or Fat Daddios for cake pans, Cuisinart bread pans. I have not had good luck with bread baked in glass or stoneware for some reason and cornbread always gets baked in cast iron which is something else entirely. Like Grainlady, I use parchment paper on my sheet pans. I get it from Gordon Food Service, but the large sheets must be cut in half to fit a half sheet pan. I do that, then clip the bundle with a binder clip at the top and hang it on the pantry wall. It stays straight and is easily accessible and I believe Grainlady uses the same technique. Unlike Grainlady, I have Airbake pans. Well I did have, I hated 'em and repurposed them as doors for my chicken coop. Now I love 'em again, but for a different purpose! So, what you need depends on what you like to make and eat. I use those half sheet pans for all kinds of things, a couple of times a week, at least. Others may seldom use them. Buy good quality items for those which will see heavy use, spend less on those used occasionally. Annie

It depends on the fireplace and room decor, and greatly depends on the type of glass doors you consider. Glass doors tend to have a more modern look about them, although there are some very specialized designs that can look more traditional or rustic. Below is a perfect example of a fireplace where most people might think glass doors would not look good. As you get to Fig. 3, you can see how they might work. Of course, every fireplace is different in the context of the room, but proper treatments can be made with glass doors in most styles if you stay away from the home centers and look for something more custom. I am not completely advocating for glass doors as there are some other very attractive ways to treat a fireplace and protect from sparks. Yet, in many cases, glass doors are required by building codes, or are necessary to keep out a very cold draft. If they are custom made to fit the fireplace and room decor, you might be surprised at how nice they can look. Fig. 1: Typical custom made glass door. This is a little too stark and modern for this fireplace if it is in a more traditional setting. I personally am not a fan of this look, but this is a very popular custom made door due to the simplicity in design and somewhat narrow frame. In this case, the finish can make a big difference. This is a dark classic bronze. Fig. 2: Solid Brass glass door with a casting trim in an antique brass finish. This looks much better, particularly with the andirons visible inside. Fig. 3: This is the same solid brass glass door in Fig. 2, but with wire mesh inserted in front of the glass. The mesh minimizes the reflection in the glass, so it literally disappears. This softens the look giving it a more traditional appearance. So your husband can have the glass, but you don't have to see it. Fig. 4: This is a very Traditional treatment with a framed mesh curtain and andirons. Quite in line with the period style of the mantel. If glass doors were not required in this application, this would be a treatment I would recommend. Email me some pictures of your fireplace and I will show you how some well thought out treatments will look on your fireplace so you and your husband can reach common ground. Follow the instructions here for sending pictures: Free Fireplace Design Service

I do not like the silicon baking pans, as they can be flimsy and distort their shapes. Also, the metal pans transfer the heat better. Just make sure that you butter and dust the pan before adding the batter. If it is a white cake, you can dust the pan with flour; if it is chocolate, you can use cocoa powder instead. Some people use some of the dry ingredient mixture to dust the pan, if they dry ingredients are mixed together separately. I have a silicon Madeleine pan, and because it is small, it works okay for cookies, but I use it mainly for making molded chocolate candy. I have not liked the large silicon pans that I have used - they can be a bit wobbly and have to be put on a baking sheet before putting into the oven. Do you have a photo of the pans that you are considering? Lars

Instead of the towel bar across from the toilet, you could put your train rack there--one with a bar or two under it. Do use a bar on the right side of the vanity instead of a ring. Rings rarely behave. How many guests do you think might be using the bathroom at once? You might not need the hooks.