Extra Large Heating Pad For Muscle Aches

Sometimes, you have to literally stumble upon a new use for an item you already have.  Like I did a couple of weeks ago after I had been out working in the yard.  As by nightfall, I realized I had some tight sore muscles and needed some heat. 


The standard post yard work process involves a hot bath with only a night light on and immersing myself like in a scene from "Altered States".  I try and relax all over by warming up the muscles and eventually stretch them a bit. 


Plus, I like the fact that whatever might have gotten onto my skin will hopefully be washed and rinsed off and not turn into some nasty allergic reaction rash (poison ivy and Virginia creeper thrive here).

Sunbeam Warming Throw

Following the "Altered States" bath, it was off to bed.


Since there was a bit of a chill in the air and I was still feeling the ache of the muscles that I had used earlier, I decided to grab the Sunbeam, fleece, warming throw that I keep in the den.


It just had never dawned on me prior to this time that this throw is essentially an oversized heating pad.  Large enough that I  had my torso down to my knees wrapped up nice and cozy for the evening.  The fleece and the extra heat feels wonderful for all of those aches and pains.


After moving a lot of items yesterday, I went through the ritual of the hot bath along with the newest addition the Sunbeam warming throw.  I wrapped that blanket around myself from my torso down to my thighs in order to get some heat to my hip joints and relaxed into a nice deep slumber.


If you already have one of these throws, give the alternative use a try. If you do not have one and would like to purchase one they are available in larger drug stores seasonally, such as CVS and Target.  Mail order from sites from Amazon.com year round.  Cost generally ranges from $25 - 30.


On the bright side of Sunbeam, (Sorry, I can not help the pun) they do have a 5 year warranty on their product.  Last year, I sent in the throw and they replaced the electrical cord and control unit free of charge, after it failed and required replacement.

Monkeysee.com "Clay Shooting For Women"

http://www.monkeysee.com/play/18165-clay-shooting-for-women

Good site for instructional video at Monkeysee.com.  The link above was put together by L.L.Bean with a series of instruction for clay shooting.

South Africa "Midnight" Orange

Intense citrus flavor, rich orange pulp and memorably delicious, is what I have to say about the South Africa, Midnight, large navel oranges I purchased at Safeway yesterday evening.  Currently, on sale for 99 cents each and I am telling you that purchasing only two was not enough.  I will be going back for more.

P.S. 

Sunday night purchased more and consumed two on Monday.  Each one just as consistently delicious as the previous orange.

Tech Support Cartoon & Cat Lady Story

A friend shared these two links with me yesterday, as he felt that they somehow resemble me....

Computer tech support cartoon:

http://xkcd.com/806/?ref=nf

"Cat people are people too", article from the NY Times:

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/cat-people-are-people-too/?src=me&ref=homepage

Enjoy ;^))

Almost Got Out ALIVE!



Something about these chairs screams SANTA Claus



One of my sayings in regards to shopping is whether or not  "I got out alive".

This evening...I didn't get out alive.  As a set of these chairs caught my eye after I already cashed out of a local consignment shop that was in the midst of closing.

I didn't mean to go in there.  It was just on the route of errands and I had this item that I had purchased at the grocery store, next door, that needed to be returned for a refund.

I was being the diligent consumer telling the super market that I will not settle for substandard quality when it comes to the freshness of the fish I purchase from them.

Yeah, so much for being a consumer hero for long.

I didn't purchase anything in that particular grocery store.  Not that I didn't want the roasted whole chicken.  It was just that as I was back tracking and eyeing this one chicken left on the display another person saw me coming and I think in spite of it not being perfecto he took it just because someone else wanted it.

I got out of Bloom alive!

Binge and purge, it is a sick, sick cycle of life for some of us.  For me it is "stuff", as Mr. O'Dea would call the worldly belongings we accumulate and cling to filling our homes from street to peak.  Such is the case with me.  No less than a couple of years ago, this same consignment and donation store received three truck loads of furniture, household goods and clothing when the tree fell on my house.  For me, I had the urge to purge before having my belongings moved out and potentially being placed in storage for house renovation to proceed.

A church around the corner also was a recipient of at least one truck load of my worldly possessions, as they truly give the goods and clothing away.  Therefore, they are not looking for that near new perfection that a consignment shop requires.

No, I did not make it out alive.  As I stood there at the register checking out with just a few things in my hands such as greeting cards.  I was waiting and waiting for the others in front of me to cash out and alas the store was closing. 

But...I spied the set of chairs about five steps away and walked over to glance at them.

I then contemplated coming back on Saturday AM, when the store re-opened and proceeded through the line with my minimal purchases.

"Wait!"  The chairs yelled at me.

"WE are only $69, if you leave us, we might not be here tomorrow."

Back in line I went, after already cashing out and now there are others in front of me and the poor volunteers want to just get off their tired feet and go home.

I mentioned to one of the nice volunteers that I was going to get the two chairs and would she be willing to open the front door back up, if I were to go get my SUV and park it out front to haul my finds home?

They are always glad to sell larger merchandise, so she obliged my request and here I sit with one chair still in the back of the SUV on this chilly night and the other against the hallway closet door.

Interesting pieces, after I got them into the back of the SUV, I noticed that they had a very dirt encrusted metal tag nailed to the bottom of a cross rail.  Curious, I took a disposable wipe and some hand santizer and wiped away some of the grime and was able to determine it was a manufacturer's tag "Shaw Furniture, Cambridge, MA".

Via the wealth of information on the Internet, I learned that:

Blog truncated due to length - will have to recreate the rest of the story...LATER

Kitchen Compost Container

Ever since I moved from apartment space to a single family home, I have been composting religiously.  The garbage disposer is only used for food debris that gets into the sink and is run once or twice a week to make certain the system is flushed clean.

In the kitchen I have been placing vegetable, fruit, coffee, tea and egg shell waste in the compost pail.   The one that I am currently  using and providing the links for is from http://www.gardeners.com/ .  FYI:  I have also noticed the same style ceramic compost pail with handle for sale at HomeGoods or their sister stores TJMaxx and Marshalls for half the price.

If you prefer a compost pail that can sit on your countertop, next to the sink and you want to empty it at a minimum every other day.  This might be the solution for you.

Personally, I preferred the restaurant sized, 2 quart, plastic tub with cover that once held sour cream served at a company open house function.  It was a restaurant supply sized container that has since been disposed of as I was thinking that this nice ceramic container was a bag of chips and a whole lot more.

It was not pretty and was kept under the sink.  But, it better served the purpose, as I never had issues with mold growing on the contents; fruit flies; worries about chipping or breaking the container or having to really reach in to dig in and clean the interior ridge like the one in the countertop ceramic container.

Back when I received the newspaper delivery on Sunday, I would re-use the plastic bag that protected the paper as a disposable liner for the modest plastic tub or a produce plastic bag could easily be pulled over the sides and the plastic top would still seal tightly and come off easily.

Sometime in the near future, I am going to end up buying that big tub of whatever is for sale at the grocery store just to have the plastic container to use for composting.  Either that or inquire at a local restaurant as to if they have an empty plastic tub that they would part with.

One of those instances where function takes precedence over beauty and style.

Crafting With Neckties

For the last six years, I have periodically purchased new or used neckties for a few dollars or less, as I like the unique patterns and color schemes that the manufacturers use for the silk.  My thoughts have been that eventually I will figure out a creative use for them and dive into a craft project or projects.

Though, whenever I have pulled them out and looked at them, I think what a shame to cut them up.  I actually have them neatly rolled-up in a bag within dry space.

Last night, a woman gave me a bag of her collection of old ties that she had been saving to make a decorative mosaic quilt.  She said she had been collecting for fifteen years.  Though, unless she was only picking up older ties than I am guessing that it might be more like a collection she began twenty five or more years ago.

Unlike me, she had actually taken most of the ties and removed the stitching, as well as washed and pressed the silk.

Sweet, as it takes the pain and hesitation away from me having to cut the beautiful creatures apart.  I say that, as they are like butterflies and unless there is a known metamorphosis that they are destined for, I can not see dissecting them before their time.

Now, I have some thoughts as to how I think the ties could be used in craft projects and am very curious as to what others have for ideas.  Also, I would like to know if anyone has actually undertaken a craft project using the silk from neckties or seen a finished project.  Are there any tips or tricks that you have learned?

Some of my ideas for craft projects:
·         Soft glasses case	·         Pen and pencil case (car, pocket, purse, etc.)
·         Headband cover	·         Keepsake gift box cover
·         Colorful belt	·         Miniature pill pockets (small enough for pants pocket)
·         Book marks	·         Small picture frame cover
·         Unique identifying luggage handle wraps	·         Desk set accents for pen cup, desk blotter, etc.
·         Flip-flop strap covers	·         Organizer pockets, i.e. desk organizer w/pockets for scissors, tape, staple remover, etc.
·         Hair band covers / scrunchies	·         Pet collars and leash accents
·         Cosmetic brush organizer	·         Cosmetic case
·         Set of theme ornaments to decorate a wreath or small holiday tree	·         Napkin rings

Please let me know your ideas by leaving comments and/or share photographs.

Thank you!

Home Power Use – AM Showers

Not everyone thinks the same way; which is a good thing in many circumstances.  One thing that I think differently about is heating and cooling of “space”.  There are those times during the day that it does not make sense to heat or cool your entire house.

My examples are when you get up in the AM and take a shower prior to getting on with your day and leaving the house.

You are maybe in the bathroom a maximum of 10 minutes and yet you probably have adjusted the heat for the entire house in order to warm it up enough to take your shower without cringing and shivering.

What I did was bought a portable heater at Target some 5 years ago and I turn that on facing the shower when I wake up in the AM and then partially close the door until I go back in and am ready to shower, etc.  (Cat box placement prohibits me from completely closing the door.)

Depending on how warm the bathroom becomes you can either leave the heater on while you shower and continue to get ready or power it off once the room is sufficiently heated.

My suggestion and tip is to physically unplug the unit once you turn it off.  That way there is no chance that it will accidently be left on.

In the warmer months, set-up a small fan to turn on in the area you dry off and get dressed in.  Once you are finished, unplug for safety purposes.

Home Electricity Use

Does anyone else question as to what is normal for a home your size within your geographic area for normal electricity usage per month?

Other than being able to see on my statement the fluctuation of kilowatt hours (kWh) used per month, I have no idea as to whether my utilization is normal, low or dramatically high.

The heating venting and air conditioning system is powered by electricity and the heat, hot water and stove are generated by gas.

The table below shows my utility kWh utilization billing quantities from April – October of this year.  I believe it translates to usage from March – September.

Month	KWh
April	101
May	245
June	628
July	1212
August	1342
September	1223
October	739

What an economist and green geek I am.  I would actually like to know how this usage compares to others and what I can do to ratchet down the utilization if it is beyond the norm of my neighbors.

Wonder if they would put me on the do not answer the door list or acknowledge, if we see her working in the yard list?

How does this utilization compare to yours?

FYI:  I signed up for Dominion Power Smart Cooling Rewards Program and their device was recently attached to my air compressor.  The program is annual in terms of signing up having the device activated and being eligible for the $40 annual reward/rebate for participation.  But, the actual control by the power company of air compressors is only between the months of June and August and enables them to remotely cycle off a customer’s air compressor for up to 4 hours during weekdays.

While the compressor is being remotely controlled to off, your house fan will not be impacted and may continue to operate.

I will not be able to share how this program works out for me until sometime late in June of next year.  In the mean time, if you have any tips and tricks let me know.

I have a digital thermostat that I need to get installed that will allow me to pre-set HVAC temperature settings according to day of the week and time of the day.  I have used them before and it certainly helps adjusting the heating and cooling throughout the day and you can keep cooling and heating to a minimum during those periods when you are asleep or away from your home.

Good Vanilla Ice Cream - Turkey Hill, Philadelphia Style

Oh no....  The kid in me wants a root beer float.

There are mugs in the freezer and root beer in the refrigerator.  Even flexible straws in a drawer.  But, alas, there is no Turkey Hill, Philadelphia Style,  Vanilla Bean ice cream in the freezer.

The ice cream is one of those products that Mr. O'Dea introduced me to and I will have to agree that it is one of the best commercially available ice creams that you can purchase at the local grocery store. 

Once in the freezer section, make certain you go for the black box and the "Philadelphia Style".

Super simple ingredients:  Cream, milk, sugar, vanilla and vanilla bean. 

He introduced me to the ice cream served up usually a la mode with pie and I was the soda jerk that would make up the root beer floats to either go with our BLT at lunch.

Either served plain, a la mode or in a root beer float, the texture and flavor will make you as happy as if you were a kid on a hot summers day, sitting on a swivel stool with a longed for ice cream placed in front of you.

Hot Granny, Tomato Crab Soup™

Post written on 10/01

Today the area feels as if it has been cleansed and the ground fed.  The air is fresh, cool and surprisingly dry this Friday evening, after over a day of torrential rains.  It is just the right temperature to induce a subconscious desire for a hot and spicy soup.

How many times do you go into the store for a specific item or two and reach the cash register with a half a dozen or more items in your hand basket? 

This PM, at Bloom, I stalled too long at the seafood section* and picked up a half pound of pre-cooked snow crab clusters that pulled me in and bit me for a total amount of $2.45. (Fair price.)

The majority of the crab was picked and eaten for dinner this evening.  But, I did not get overly zealous in the picking the smaller strands of meat out, as I wanted to experiment by making a tomato crab soup.

You know how you can never quite replicate your grandmother’s dishes because she never wrote the recipe down and always cooked by feel and taste?  Well, not so bad here for what I am calling HOT Granny, Tomato Crab Soup™, as I have some general measurements for use of commercially sold items.

In a large pot add:

·         ½ lb pre-cooked snow crab cluster shells with some strands of meat remaining

·         Use just enough water to cover the crab

Boil for approx. 20 minutes

Remove from heat and use tongs to remove shells from crab broth

Add to pot of hot crab broth:

·         2 – 10 ¾ oz cans of concentrated tomato soup

·         1 – 14 ½ oz can deiced tomatoes and juice

·         1 – 16 oz container of fresh salsa (contains - tomato, cucumber, green pepper, red pepper, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, tomato juice, garlic, poblano pepper, Serrano pepper and salt)

·         ½ teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning (use more or less to taste)

Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Check for taste and a slightly thickened consistency to determine if soup has simmered long enough.

Serve up this hot & spicy soup with a dollop of sour cream, ice cold beverage and enjoy!

*I am rather surprised, that some of the local grocery stores, over the last couple of years offer fish in one variety or another on special Friday’s, as not many Catholics and other Christian faiths are strict about not eating meat on Friday.  Mainly, the local Asian supermarkets have Friday seafood offers, but now I am seeing other mainstream grocers also placing seafood specials on Friday, as well.

Columbus Holiday Weekend

In 1492, Columbus went in search of spices and “discovered” new land that Spain then took possession of calling it the Americas.

How appropriate, that this weekend, I am going to work with my neighbor in helping him put up fencing for a dog run and he’s going to help me place up a length of fencing in my backyard that abutts his front yard.

What’s mine is mine and what is yours is yours.  Take notice Columbus, wandering neighbors and domesticated pets.  You all need to find some other land to discover or a place to put your eyes, nose and feet, after we have completed our projects.

The human resources for this project, other than me, myself and I (who has never built a fence before) is my new neighbor who has told me that he was 12 years old when he first started working as a runner for a fence maker.  Plus over the years he has built a good number of fences himself.

For style and design, we are also going to follow the fine example of a "good neighbor fence" that our former neighbor built board by board last summer.  The only exception being that for the section that I am putting up I want it at a height of 7’, as opposed to the 6’ due to the fact that my back yard is viewed by all of the other front yards up this side of the cul-du-sac.  On the flip side, when in my back yard, I am can not escape from being in the line of site of their front yards, driveways and cars.

Not pleasant for any party involved.

The neighbor has warned me that since I am not doing a standard 6’ height that I more than likely will have to purchase the lumber at a local specialty lumber store, as opposed to the near-by and oh so convenient, Home Depot. 

Inconvenient and potentially much more costly.  But, for that particular section, I don't think I will sway in my decision for the extra foot of height.

I will need to make time to research this matter this evening and tomorrow.  If need be, I will contact one of the local, private lumber yards for availability, pricing and hours of operation, etc.

The neighbor is in charge of renting the power auger and I can already imagine my muscles are going to be screaming after we fight with that machine to pull the earth up from below to make room for fence posts.

Miss Utility has been contacted and as of this evening there are another set of utility lines marking the front of my property warning us where we either must dig carefully by hand tool or avoid all together, as lines can be up to 2’ on either side of their marks.

Since all of the utility companies had to respond and mark our properties prior to us digging, I also asked that they mark the remaining perimeter of my property.  This is for me to note and in the future I will be more aware of where lines reside underground.  Plus, be prepared for whether or not I can place additional spans of fencing around the perimeter of the side yards, etc.

My intellectual property name for this business endeavor is Sawyer-Finn™.  ;^)

Stay tuned, as I will update with photos and related stories.

10/08 AM Status Update

Neighbor that I am going to help build a fence with is sick enough that he's heading off to the doctor's this AM.

We met outside briefly to go over what I need for materials for the section of fence I am going to build.  But, in light of him being as sick as he is he agreed that it would be wise to put off our purchasing of supplies until he's feeling better and we can put a full effort into the digging of post (have to rent an auger) and hauling lumber and 80 lb bags of concrete to fill post holes, etc.

Cold Beverage Decanter / Jar

Cold Beverage Decanter / Jar

Have you ever wondered how to dispense large quantities of homemade beverages or ice water when you have a gathering?

More than likely, you have been in the same situation that I am in and you either end up purchasing beverages in containers pre-made from the store or you have a number of odd containers available. 

Like me, do you have some containers that you would rather not share with the general public that you keep in the refrigerator and use on a daily basis?

You know the ones with the stains that will never come out or that chip that has been on the edge of the pitcher since 1960, when your grandmother hit the faucet while hand washing it.

I have eyed these large glass beverage decanters with the matching clear glass tops and metal spigot, as the one shown above from Crate & Barrel, over the past five years or so when I have seen them in the stores. 

The negatives being the size and the cost and the pluses being the ability to have one nice large decent container to serve drinks from that were made or mixed at home rather than increasing the carbon footprint with empty containers that end up in the recycle bin.

Last week, I saw one of these style containers in a store and was very surprised that I walked out of the store without purchasing it.

This week, I did not get away without having it in a shopping bag and a receipt in my wallet.

The planets finally crossed and there was a not 100% perfect two gallon decanter in the store, as it had a very small chip on the lower portion of the jar’s interior where the spigot hole was drilled (one would need to examine closely if filled with a clear beverage to see).  $10 and it was sold and on the way home with me.

Currently, it is sitting next to the kitchen sink half filled with water to determine whether or not there are any leaks.

Why?  Because, I had purchased a one gallon glass and plastic beverage container five summers ago and discovered that no matter how much I tried to tighten the spigot and adjoining nut inside the jar that it continued to have a slow leak.

Eventually, that container was given to a friend of mine who has her younger brother living with her.  She said he would make a container of ice tea and leave it on the counter and consume it each day.

Perfect for him to keep next to the sink and without the worries of whether or not a puddle of tea would be in the bottom of the refrigerator by days end.

During the summer season, the one gallon jars with colorful seasonal artwork printed on them are readily available in stores such as Wal-Mart, CVS and Target or for very reasonable cost.

I would just recommend testing with water prior to filling with any beverage to determine if there are any leaks.  If there are leaks, it can potentially be rectified by tightening the mechanism. 

If not, pack it back up and find yourself in the returns line.  Better to test it out and know ahead of time rather than end up upset over a ring on the furniture or puddle on the floor, etc.

More options -

A friend and I are enamored with Horchow.com.  They have the most exquisite items for home and garden, as well as a team of designers that have a knack for putting the right color and style combinations together.  WE both subscribe to their email notifications and scan through their on-line merchandise like we did as children through a Service Merchandise toy catalog.

Exception, now, we email each other the URL’s to share the webpage for the item(s) we like and I, personally, keep a file on my computer of some of the images of their merchandise that I have on that wish list.

I received the email posting of their beverage decanter collection and sale a few weeks ago.  Likewise, my friend did and loved the containers so much she forwarded me the email with a link to make certain I understood what I “should” have.

Here is the link for you to view their collection and become intoxicated with the beauty of their urn style containers with etched glass.

If per chance you are feeling overly generous and want to send a surprise package.  My address is . . .

Homespun Gifts from the Heart

Reference books, what can I say, I just can not quench the thirst for knowledge and ideas that these books offer as a source of entertainment and learning.   Thus the ever growing collection of how-to books and other like reference materials.

Yes, some books I can pass up such as the Starbuck’s recipe book, I had in my paws this week. 

The defining test is to take the time and sit down to examine the contents of the book prior to getting to the cash register, if in a brick and mortar store. 

This is what I did with the Starbucks book and I am glad I did.  I found myself a chair and examined the pages while resting in a chair and decided quickly, that I did not need it. 

I told myself that there are plenty of recipes out there related to foods that can be served with coffee in recipe books I already own and for free via the Internet.  “Wake up, I thought, and realize that it is not unique recipes this book is selling, it is Starbuck’s and Starbuck’s coffee.”

Ha!  One book that did not follow me home like a lost puppy.

Another book was also recipe related and was rather large.  Yet, I carried it around the store thinking I would purchase it, as its cover art and copy gave the impression of generations’ worth of old southern recipes. 

NOT. 

Once I sat down and looked through the pages, I discovered it was more artistic nouveau cuisine, as opposed to good old classic southern country cooking. 

Another book put right back on the shelf.

A book that I did purchase this week is entitled “HOMESPUN GIFTS FROM THE HEART:  200 Creative Ideas, 250 Gift Tags & Easy Directions”, written by Karen Ehman, Kelly Hovermale and Trish Smith.

What caught my eye is in the back section of the book; “Gift Tags & Labels” there are pages and pages of 250 tags and labels to go along with the food and gift items from the front of the book. 

Not only are they artistic and in good taste, design wise, but they also have optional tags that include the recipe for the pre-made item (or) in the event it is a dry mix, it includes a list of wet ingredients and what other instructions are needed to complete the recipe.

The authors of the book first started “Homespun Gifts From The Heart” for women’s and church groups and with their mixture of various talents finally put their wisdom, ideas and designs into a nicely packaged book.

I did not read that last page, until after I purchased the book.  Though last night I had been thinking how well this book would present itself to a women’s guild, at a church for ideas on what to make and sell for a church fair and fundraiser.

The book has some not so main stream recipes, such as cinnamon spiced nuts and hot drink recipes consisting of the dry ingredients.  These are some of the many creative recipes that can be packaged in a nice cellophane bag or other choice container.  Afterwards, pull it all together with a decorative cord or ribbon and a copy of the appropriate tag from the back of the book.

Voila!

There are even such things as a recipe for dog biscuits and craft ideas and plans for homemade Christmas stockings.

Another final and interesting note from the last page of the book is that it lists each of the author’s biographies.  Not only are they all mothers.  They also all home school their children.

My mother is a member of her church guild and continues to enjoy and work on church fairs along with other church members.  Definitely, I will be passing along an idea or two from this book for her to share with her guild members, as well as experimenting with some homespun gifts of my own when the occasion arises.

I say, give the book a gander by accessing the link I provided at the top of this piece to view on Amazon.com.  ;^)