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Display Name: MelissaM
Member Since: 8/30/10
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For those using baby wipes and other wipes to clean in their bathroom, note that wastewater authorities say to NOT flush those. Apparently, they can really screw up either your own plumbing or municipal systems. I received a list of such Do Nots from an SF Bay Area municipality recently. I don't have that list handy, but here's a list I found from Tacoma:

http://www.cityoftacoma.org/Page.aspx?hid=1471

"Avoid drain pain - don't flush these things

"Just because the package says "flushable" doesn't mean it's true. many items marketed as disposable and/or flushable do not degrade like toilet paper, and they wind up clogging pipes, tangling pumps and causing messy sewer backups into streets, businesses and homes.

"Our sewers are designed to dispose of very specific things. Using your toilet for disposal of many modern products will often result in blockages. The drains that connect your home to the main sewer are only big enough to carry water, toilet paper and human waste - often no wider than 4 inches.

"What not to flush:

Diapers (cloth, disposable, "flushable")
Facial tissues
Baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, moist wipes, etc.
Toilet bowl scrub pads
Swiffers
paper towels
Dental floss
Hair
Sanitary napkins, tampons, condoms, or any non-organic material
Vitamins, medicines or other pharmaceuticals
Wash cloths, towels, rags (any cloth item)
Clothing
Sheet plastic, or plastic of any kind

"So what CAN I do?

"Avoid purchasing "flushable" items. Clean with a sponge or a rag that you can reuse.

"What should be flushed? Just toilet paper and human waste."


How To Keep Your Bathroom Clean In 5 Minutes A Day
5/24/12 3:04 AM

I have the No. 2 Cuisinart and really like it. Compact, no-fuss, no-muss, good price.

It's true that the resulting ice cream is somewhat soft, so I freeze it some more after "churning" it, but if you like a softer ice cream, it tastes and looks great as is, without going in the freezer after preparation.

I use recipes from A Perfect Scoop (love his Vietnamese coffee style ice cream!) but am also on the hunt for some good additional egg-free recipes, for their ease and smaller cost.


Shopping for Ice Cream Makers: 5 Models We've Reviewed
5/24/12 2:52 AM

Gasp! I love this idea!

I don't actually need it for my T-shirts, which I hang up (my uniform being a black T-shirt and whatever else), but for everythng else that I *do* indeed dig through (underwear, scarves, socks, etc.), this is a terrific idea.

Nice video. Good personality.

Now if I only had a cure for the set-in mystery stains on some of my T-shirts! One more "stain remover" failure, and I'll have to resort to turning them into rags or pillow stuffing.


One Minute Tip: How To Organize T-Shirts Apartment Therapy Videos
5/24/12 2:36 AM

Since the size of the home has generated so many comments, I looked on craigslist to see what homes in Round Rock go for.

Hell's bells, people, you can get a home their size for $279K:

http://austin.craigslist.org/reb/3031112880.html

Try entering that same dollar amt for San Francisco (the city, not the whole Bay Area), and you get 31 listings, most of them purposely miscategorized listings (truncated or missing dollar amts) or spam for property in Costa Rica or the Philippines:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/rea/sfc?bedrooms=1&hasPic=1&maxAsk=280000&srchType=A

Location, location, location.


The Roeders' Modern Life is Beautiful House Tour
5/24/12 1:00 AM

I agree with the idea of pre-slicing fresh bread and putting the slices in the freezer. Works fine for me.

I need to get into making bread pudding! Every time I get down toward the end of a days-old loaf, I think about it... but haven't done it yet.

Over the winter holidays, I made turkey and sausage gumbo (recipe from Cooking Up a Storm, favorite recipes gathered up post-Katrina) and made a point of putting a drier bread slice or chunks in the bottom of the serving bowls, where they could soften up by soaking up some of the yummy gumbo. It added a nice additional layer of chewiness to the dish (especially if I didn't add more rice to the dish) and was a good way to use up the bread.


How to Cope with a Big Loaf of Bread When Dining Alone Cooking for One
5/23/12 11:44 PM

Wow, I'm surprised and saddened by all the harsh comments on this one. I'm in a severely underwater condo in the SF Bay Area, but you know what? I don't begrudge this family their square footage. More power to them. If you want to see true excess, go find the photo of the $12,000 lighting fixture that AT posted recently. (Yes, 12 thousand, not 12 hundred. My head about exploded when I saw the price tag.)

And I think their place is great! Love the paint choices, the graphics, and the rainbow of color choices for furniture, accessories, etc., in various shots, esp. the daughter's room. Well done!

And, while I'd avoid the camera myself if I were ever in an AT home tour (my 2 adorable cats can stand in for me!), I love seeing kids in AT photos and whole families - they look as though they're having a great time and really enjoying being around each other. Staged? Really? I'm one of the world's great cynics, but they didn't seem staged to me.

p.s. Laurie Bird's comment about Grumpy McGrumpytons made me laugh :) Good one.


The Roeders' Modern Life is Beautiful House Tour
5/23/12 11:36 PM

Love the choice of countertop and flooring and subway tile and the contrast between the darks and lights.

The only thing I don't like is the uneven heights of the cabinets, so I'm with the majority on that. I don't understand that at all and have never seen a kitchen with varying cabinet heights before, that I recall.

Either have them all going up to the ceiling (and I say this as someone who stands 5 feet tall, but I'm resigned to having stepladders in my life) OR have them all be lower, but all at the SAME height, and possibly put some baskets on top of them for storage, or maybe some pretty art pottery, ceramics, bowls, etc., something that looks like a cohesive collection and not clutter.


Before & After: Upgrading a Builder's Grade Kitchen Little House Big Plans
5/23/12 11:22 PM

I love Dulcibella's idea, above, of KITES. Colorful AND lightweight and probably easy to hang up. Or Japanese kites, rather than Chinese.

The idea of a collection of things that you couldn't showcase in a smaller area is also great. One person suggested masks or movie posters. Both great ideas! Do you have any collections that are special to you, or that you're tempted to start accumulating? Tribal masks? Mexican wrestling masks?

I also like the idea of large textiles, though those could be weighty and pricey. But if I had the bucks and the wall space, I'd be putting some Moroccan wedding blankets up there.

Also, you can buy large-page art books for cheap at Half Price bookstores or sometimes at thrift shops or Salvation Army, etc. and frame those in identical frames to group them for an instant large collection.

Another idea would be to hang some large and/or long-chained light pendants from the ceiling, at staggered heights, though you might want a pro to do that for you.

Once you come up with something and do it, I'm sure we'd all love to see an After photo! :)


Ideas for Giant Wall in New Loft? Good Questions
5/22/12 10:33 PM

Looks wonderful, and I have geraniums! But rosewater, hmm, I'll have to check on where to get that


Recipe: Rose Geranium Ice Cream with Pistachios
5/22/12 2:46 AM

"Blow" looks great, but I see from their website that it's listed for TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS. That's more than five months mortgage, property taxes and HOA fees for me.

Get real.

http://www.rollandhill.com/categories/All-Lights/


New from Roll & Hill: Blow by Lindsey Adelman & Rudi by Lukas Peet ICFF 2012
5/21/12 5:53 PM

The After shot looks just plain nuts to me, especially since the shutters could be adjusted to let in light and give privacy -- so why get rid of them in favor of this look? I don't get it.


DIY Privacy Windows Sweet Peach
5/19/12 4:00 AM

P.S. Thanks to KPM, above, for posting the link to the Design Sponge tour of Ruthie's and Will's place, with the additional photos and descriptions. It's all swoon-worthy.

What really comes through in the longer tour is how much of the pieces have a deep-down personal character, either because they've been passed down through the generations (as many as 3 or 4 generations or more, wow) or were gifts or were cool finds that the couple refurbished themselves.

Also, it's amazing to me how many terrific pieces were kept intact and in good condition over the years (did the families stay in one place and not move around much?) .. There's so much heart and meaning in the pieces and their home as a result, it really comes through in the photos and the descriptions. Looking at the longer house tour makes me realize yet again how few pieces my relatives kept over the years (due to moves, different marriages, a kind of "don't look back" mentality, a desire to break with the past, a desire for the new, whatever). I really envy people who have those ancestral touchstones around them. It's wonderful that they're able to give the pieces a new home, especially in a home that they themselves have refurbished and made their own :)


Ruthie's Really Fantastic Fixer Upper House Call
5/17/12 5:06 AM

Wonderful combination of colors, patterns, interesting objects, etc.!

Stylish and playful both, and it sounds from the House Call info and Ruthie's comment, above, that they made some savvy choices about sales, gifts, discounts, etc, so they could acquire some of the big-ticket items that make such an impact, while still staying within a budget. Congrats on a job well done, and a lovely home ! :)

And ditto to others saying this: I'd love to see a full house tour down the road.


Ruthie's Really Fantastic Fixer Upper House Call
5/17/12 4:50 AM

A hammered light? I'm intrigued! Looking forward to checking this out --


Introducing John Gleeson Connolly, Maker
Maker Videos

5/15/12 3:35 AM

In his update/preface to this post, Maxwell writes: "...We don't want to turn people off, but we do want to stretch the boundaries of how we cover the life of our home."

Here's a thought: Instead of going so far afield with a "relationship" column (let alone one about porn), how about stretching the boundaries of AT's home coverage to include more about one's relationship with the neighborhood and community? For many of us, our home is our refuge and even our work of art (or we want it to be), which is why we love Apartment Therapy, for how it inspires us in that area -- but what about some therapy for the square feet that lie immediately outside our front door? -- for our neighbors and our relationships with them, our city streets, our suburbs, our condo complexes, our apartment buildings, etc.? - specifically, how to build and nurture relationships with them and how to build a sense of COMMUNITY in the real world, to increase everyone's sense of feeling truly at home in the world? I would love to see more on that, whether on AT or elsewhere, and I think it's more of a fit with the overall AT site and mission, at least as I originally understood them.


Why Does My Partner Watch Porn?
Answers to all the questions you've ever wanted to ask about your relationships

5/13/12 10:47 PM

A relationship question on porn on the Apartment Therapy site? It's wacky! It's like going to the House of Turquoise blog and finding it overrun with red rooms, or going to Young House Love and finding it taken over by two cranky old people who buy a lot of expensive crap rather than making good pieces on their own. It's too much of a departure from what the audience wants.

In addition to that, this subject matter (partner's interest in porn) seems about 20 years out of date so it's pretty much of a yawn by now. I'd be willing to bet Dr. Ruth tackled this question back in the 1980s.

On the plus side, I've been heartened to read in the comments thread that so many AT readers' kids don't know what porn is (or didn't until this article). There's some well-made porn out there, but it's good to know that, even in our hyper-sexualized, informationcentric age, kids still have maybe 8 or 9 years on this planet before they confront it.

Oh, and one more thing: "Why does my partner watch porn?" The answer is: "Because it's there." End of story. Now can one of the editors please tell me where I can find an inexpensive, good-looking, assembled bathroom vanity? THERE's a question that's not so easily solved.


Why Does My Partner Watch Porn?
Answers to all the questions you've ever wanted to ask about your relationships

5/13/12 5:19 PM

I like the arched doorways, the textiles and the cute little outdoor breakfast nook. Charming.

The bars on the windows don't bother me in this case, maybe because they seem partly decorative and the greenery softens their look. There are some barred windows in the world that scream "crime zone" or "prison look," but at the other end of the spectrum, I'm sporadically tempted to contract with someone to do some really pretty Moroccan-style or organic vine design metalwork that could go over 2 of my ground-floor windows, so I could let the cool air into my bedroom late at night without letting an intruder in or my 2 cats out. Then I remember my condo is severely underwater (financially speaking) and I drop that vision back down to the bottom of my condo wish list! ;)


Blythe's Bohemian West Hollywood Cottage House Tour
5/9/12 11:41 PM

Hi, Apt Therapy -- I just flagged EIGHT spam posts in this thread. When I clicked on the "Let us know" link for the "Seeing spam?" prompt at the bottom of this page, I got an error message. FYI just in case.... Seeing lots more spam on the site than usual these days. Thanks!


Eight Shades of Blue in the Bathroom
5/9/12 1:44 AM

I vote for 4 steps:

--Faux built-in around A/C unit for when it' s not being used, as others have suggested above.

--In front of 2nd window, put bookcase of same "height" and similar material (or finish color) as AC unit/built-in in front of the 2nd window.

--Buy the kind of roller fabric blinds that allow you to roll them up or down in a way that allows you to have various sections of the windows exposed (not just from the bottom of the shade down); I have to admit this suggestion would be more helpful if I could recall the manufacturer name! ;) ... If these are too pricey, get inexpensive one-direction stick-blinds from Cost Plus or similar place.

--For continuity, you could do the additional option that others have suggested of having one long curtain rod above both windows, either with some fun prints or some nice billowy sheer white curtains, which would typically be left open (since you'd have the blinds for privacy) but would frame the windows nicely and add some softness to balance out the hard edges of the A/C and the bookcase.


Curtains or Roman Shades? Good Questions
5/7/12 7:14 PM

Totally wonderful space!! I like everything about it, the color combinations, the airiness, the individual elements both by themselves and in combination with each other, the deliberately "mismatched" side tables), rather than having a pair of the same design, etc.

Question: is this really a 425-foot space, or is that a typo in the House Tour intro? I remember looking at condos in the East Bay that were 670 square feet, and they didn't have a separate dining room as this apt seems to, so I'm amazed by the dimensions listed here. It looks MUCH bigger :)


Caitlin's Small, Stylish San Francisco Home House Tour
4/15/12 7:31 PM