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PrintTips & Trends: Products
Someone’s Trash is Another One’s Treasure
you’re holding on to the old notion that no one wants a hand-me-down, consider “handing up,” to give new life to what you don’t want. Find this and other philosophical lessons for the organizationally challenged in Clutter Clearing Choices: Clear Clutter, Organize Your Home & Reclaim Your Life, a new book from author and corporate speaker Barbara Tako ($24.95, O Books). It’s loaded with ideas, resources, and practical advice to simplify our lives. For example, Tako suggests pulling at least one underused item each day and setting it aside to be given to charity or to a friend; doing this daily will build the habit of letting go of things that no longer serve us or our space. She also explores the added benefit of the “feel good factor” that comes from donating, recycling, or re-gifting. Reviewers rave about Tako’s keen sense of humor, describing her writing as “funny, thorough, and not the least bit intimidating.” Read local: order from your favorite bookseller.
What Will They Think of Next?
Ever been hiking on a sunny day and can’t quite see the map because you’re wearing shades rather than your reading glasses? Or hate the hassle of carrying multiple pairs of spectacles on vacation? There’s a new and innovative product out that can turn sunglasses into reading glasses—instantly
They’re called Seemores™. These thin, pliable stick-on reading lenses adhere with a single drop of water to the inside bottoms of any pair of sunglasses. Presto, you can decipher topo lines on a map or read your favorite beach book, and without wearing cheaters.
Seemores come in standard magnifications (+1.25 to +3.00), can be trimmed to fit small frames, and are easily moved between sunglasses.
Each pair costs about $20. Corner Drug in Driggs is the first area outlet for them.
Rice is Nice
Last year, McFarland Cascade introduced its new Terratec Naturals™ composite decking—which, the company states in a press release, offers a unique choice for the environmentally conscious consumer. “With a proprietary formula that includes rice hulls and recycled plastic, and is preservative- and biocide-free, Terratec Naturals [decking is] more resistant to moisture, mold, stains, and insects than other wood-based composite options.” Terratec Naturals deck boards come in two styles: architectural, which uses Quick Clip fasteners that hide screws between boards, and traditional, for those preferring the look of visible rows of screw heads. Available in wood-tone colors (cedar and redwood) as well as two shades of gray, the decking requires no painting or staining and comes with a twenty-year warranty. Local building supply companies can order McFarland Cascade products; they are stocked at The Home Depot stores in Idaho Falls, Pocatello, and Rock Springs. For more information, go to www.mcfarlandcascade.com.
Thinking Ahead
When remodeling or adding a new appliance to your home, make repairs and reference easier by implementing these handy tips.
The first comes from Powder Mountain Press marketing and sales assistant Joan Mosher, who with her husband George owns several rental houses in Teton Valley.
Before installing a new dishwasher, refrigerator, dryer, or stove, Joan uses a magic marker to write on the appliance, in the back or on the side where it can’t be seen once installed. There, she notes valuable information so that if the appliance must be pulled from the wall, George (or another repair person) easily knows its age and purchase history. Details to include: the date the appliance was bought, name and phone number of the store it came from, the price, and how long the warranty lasts.
Another idea is to keep a reference book, with appliance manuals, serial numbers, warranty forms, receipts, repair notes, and other important details of your household all together. No need to be too fancy; a three-ring binder will work.
Joan stays organized by throwing these kinds of thing into gallon zip-lock bags rather than a notebook.
“I might have to go through them to find what I need, but it’s all in there,” this smart landlady says. She even keeps paint chips for the colors in each room of their various rentals, to minimize the hassle of repainting or touching up.
