Smart Strip

I’m excited because I recently received my Smart Strip and plugged it in. My Smart Strip is a tan color, not the white that the product pictures show, but it works just fine! The basic concept is that you can use the Smart Strip for one main appliance and related peripherals. Common uses would be [...]

CSA Box: More greens

I’ve used up all the greens from our CSA box, just in time for Wednesday’s delivery! Our box had some young, soft lettuce (I’m not very well versed in types of lettuces, so I have no idea what kind of lettuce it was). I chopped up one of the Fuji apples that came with the [...]

Do-it-yourself baby clothes organization

We have generous family and friends who have given us lots of used and new baby clothes. What to do with them all? After getting some advice from a friend, I sorted out the clothing by age: Newborn 0-6 months 6-9 months 9-12 months 12-18 months 18-24 months We have a lot of newborn to [...]

More efficient moving tips

Less than seven months after our last move, we’ve moved again, this time into our own home! We had one 17′ U-haul truck and three pickup trucks. The U-haul truck got crammed full, the other trucks just had a few things in them that were awkward (such as our bikes). We packed the trucks in [...]

One year old

Happy birthday, public blog! It’s been exactly one year since I added my very first post. Over the year, I seem to have posted about quite a large variety of topics, from productivity and time management to personal goals to food and cats and design. A “focused” blog this certainly is not! So, thanks to [...]

Official homeowners!

Our house closed today, we got the keys, and we are official homeowners! We’re moving in tomorrow so now I need to do the last bits of packing — finish packing up my office, take nails out of the walls, etc. Posting will probably be spotty for the next few days (not that I’ve been [...]

CSA Box: Catching up

Now to catch up on CSA Box food photos! This meal used up two items from my box: tokyo turnips and bok choy. I tried a turnip recipe where you braise the turnip in soy sauce, mirin (a sweet Japanese wine), sugar, and water, but totally overcooked them so they were really mushy. White rice [...]

Reading: Catching up

I’ve been such an inconsistent blogger recently that I’ve really fallen behind in my book summaries! Finished reading:  If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg – I like John Ortberg. This “Christian living” book looks at the story of Jesus and Peter walking on [...]

Unusual uses for ziploc bags

I came across another unusual use* for zip-top plastic bags and thought I’d start a post to collect other ideas. Here goes! 1. Frugal heating system Fill gallon-sized bag with rice. Heat in microwave for 1-2 minutes. Enjoy the heat. 2. Organize tea bags Cut a piece of cardstock that is about the same size [...]

March 2008 Groundhog Day Resolution Review

It’s March 3rd, which means that it’s time to review my Groundhog Day resolutions! How I did: Gain 4 pounds. Walk 30 minutes daily, rain or shine. I started off strong with two full weeks of consistent walking. Then, work got really busy, and house-buying-related stuff got really crazy. Excuses, excuses. I think I averaged [...]