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Display Name: Stiletto
Member Since: 8/29/08
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There is an incredibly simple fix for making sure granite countertops are clean:

Wipe down your counter, like usual. Then, bend at the knees until your eyes are level with your countertop. Any missed specks of food will stand out, since they won't be level with the counter. Yes, it even works if you have a matching granite backsplash. (I used to have very painful knee problems, so for some time I did this seated on an adjustable, wheeled office chair!)

I've done this for years and always have clean counters, although I realize it may not work so well for people with vision challenges or who are very tall.


Show and Tell...and Clean: Solid vs. Patterned Kitchen Countertops
5/11/12 3:49 AM

I always oil the measuring cup first - unless the recipe also calls for oil, in which case I measure the oil first.

By the way, if I don't have cooking spray on hand, I never need to use paper towels for greasing. I use a barbecue basting brush with silicone bristles - it's easy to use, doesn't leave whiskers in my food, and is easy to wash.


Kitchen Tip: Measuring Sticky Ingredients More Accurately (and with Less Mess)
4/28/12 7:03 PM

Definitely buy one piece at a time - and if you have any siblings, see if they want to go in on the gift with you. My brother and I jointly purchase gifts for Mom or Dad all the time.


Is There a Cheaper Alternative to All-Clad Cookware?Product & Shopping Questions
4/28/12 6:49 PM

For about 10 years now, I have done most of my shopping at little independent natural foods stores, and I've noticed they tend to attract a much more civil and polite class of clientele. I've NEVER encountered slow check writers or screaming children - not even once.

The one and only problem? Aisle blockers. Small stores often have extremely narrow aisles, and sometimes it's just not possible to simply say "excuse me" and grab the item I need while someone else takes 10 minutes hemming and hawing over whether to put something in their basket.

That said, my relatively good experiences may have something to do with the fact that I live in clean-scrubbed, behave-or-else suburbia. My friends in LA and SF have recently complained about people putting their grimy hands in the bulk bins...


What's Your Grocery Store Pet Peeve? Reader Survey
4/28/12 6:44 PM

Storing some items outside the kitchen solved my tiny-kitchen problem. I used to keep my microwave and garbage bin a few steps away in the adjoining laundry room, and stashed infrequently-used appliances in an entryway credenza.


Make Small Kitchen Living Easier With This One TipSmall Kitchen Tips & Tricks
3/21/12 3:16 AM

I had HORRIBLE luck with clock-radios, including the Dream Machine! All of them broke anywhere from a few months to a couple of years after I got them.


Product Nostalgia: An Ode to the (Discontinued!) Sony Dream Machine
3/16/12 2:13 AM

As a former apartment manager, I have one thing to say:

ALWAYS ask the manager or landlord WHY the apartment is vacant. (Put a positive spin on it - "This is such a nice space - why did the last tenant move out?")

If they won't tell you: ask the neighbors, check your state's sex offender registry, check the local police blotter, and proceed with caution.

I always ask. Current home is owned by a couple working in another state for the next few years (they plan to retire here). Last home was vacated when the grad student living there got her degree and moved back to her home country. First apartment I didn't manage was vacated when the couple living there broke up. All normal occurrences - no crime, noise, or structural issues.


How Seriously Should I Take Warnings from Neighbors?
Good Questions

3/13/12 3:47 AM

Hardwood, hardwood, hardwood. I had several relatives who owned and ran a family carpet cleaning business together...all of their homes had hardwood floors because carpet is a filth magnet.

It's unhealthy, too. I have asthma and the ONE time in my life when I could breathe easily at night was when I stayed in a friend's carpet-free guest room for two weeks.


Carpet or Hardwood in Bedroom?
Good Questions

2/13/12 10:56 PM

An elaborately painted 18th century sedan chair (yes, really).

I had nowhere to put it and sure didn't have the $14,000 (!!!) that it cost, but it still haunts me.


Object Lust: What's Your Gem That Got Away?
2/1/12 12:18 PM

I'm a chronic insomniac with asthma. My next apartment MUST have:

-Neighbors who are QUIET between midnight and 6am
-NO CARPET! I will never live with carpet again, it's a dust magnet and makes my wheezing a lot worse. I would rather live with old, sticky plastic flooring than carpet.
-No neighbors who smoke. This might require me to move into the dead center of a larger complex with a no-smoking policy...fine. Whatever keeps the smoke away. (I use a smoke-filtering air purifier inside, but I need to be able to breathe while I walk to my car, too.)

Oh, and I've learned the hard way not to pick a new neighborhood in the dead of winter when you live along the SoCal coast. From now on, I'm going to scout apartments on summer weekends so I know which areas are most flooded with tourists.


What's on Your "Next Apartment" Checklist?
1/25/12 11:19 PM

LOVE the black chandelier. Somehow, it works for all three designs.


Evolution of a Room: 1 Room, 3 Designs
1/23/12 8:42 PM

Anyone know a good service that can rip VHS tapes to digital format? I'm still hanging onto a few tapes (i.e. short films I made in high school) even though I haven't owned a VCR in a while...


It's Finally Time to Retire These Technologies
1/21/12 3:11 AM

I have a big, muscular, mischievous cat who likes to chew things and knows how to open cabinet doors - a retro record cabinet, while very cute, wouldn't keep Mr. Kitty's teeth out of my album sleeves. So, I invested in a lockable road case designed for LPs - I figured if it was strong enough to withstand being tossed around in the back of a professional DJ's van or in the cargo hold of a plane, it could stand up to my cat! Bonus: it doubles as a low end table.


Organization Inspiration: Media Storage
1/20/12 3:12 AM

Retrocatz is right about cardboard attracting roaches, and it's also a silverfish magnet, ick! I only keep packaging until the warranty expires (or until my cat finds the box and rips it to shreds). In my case, it helps that I don't own a lot of electronics or appliances anyway, and on the rare occasion I buy them, I buy the best quality I can afford so I won't have to replace them for a VERY long time. I don't think I even HAVE any product packaging left.


How Long Should You Keep Electronics and Appliance Packaging?
1/11/12 2:49 AM

Any tips for having something dyed professionally? I would love to dye my huge coverlet, but there is no way it'll ever fit in the washer, and I'm not about to bring dye to the Laundromat.


Bedding Stains: Don't Throw it Out. Dye it Out!
1/6/12 12:06 AM

Salvage yard, yes...but don't forget auto junkyards, flea markets, or asking the neighborhood car fanatic to save one for you. Many of them buy two of the same vehicle - one to restore, and one (often in worse condition) for harvesting parts - so they just might have a spare mirror (or two).


Look! A Vintage Car Mirror Turned Into Décor
decor8

12/9/11 2:45 AM

We simply ask each other "what do you want for [insert gift-giving event here]?" then do our best to pick something on the list. And we talk to the remaining family members about it, so no one ends up with duplicate gifts.

Alas, I have had to TELL my family, point blank, to NEVER BUY ME CLOTHES AGAIN. My mother in particular has had some difficulty processing the fact that I'm not a size 4 like she is, and used to have a very bad habit of buying me clothes that were either two sizes too big or two sizes too small - and failing to cough up a gift receipt until after the return deadline.


Holiday Tact: Do You Ask for Specific Gifts?
11/30/11 2:13 AM

1. Purge stuff from relationship. A really DEEP purge is best - remove their stuff, things they gave you, things that remind you of them, etc. Get in all your drawers and closets and go through ALL the stuff in your space. (Purging other stuff you no longer need or want at the same time isn't a bad idea either.)

2. Deep-clean entire space.

3. Update the decorating. This doesn't have to cost a lot - even rearranging furniture and taking down pictures of your ex will make a difference.

4. If you're not up to throwing a party, at least cook yourself a meal with foods you like but your ex doesn't, then watch a movie or TV show your ex didn't like either. I swear it helps.

5. Looking better helps some people (me!) feel better. Get your hair trimmed, get a new outfit, and go do something fun!


"Smudge" Home after Breakup?
Good Questions

11/25/11 11:59 PM

Great...now my secret's out. I've gotten all my best stuff from the Long Beach Flea Market since 2002.


Real Life Design: Flea Market Finds
11/23/11 3:28 AM

No. BUT...I'm used to cooking from scratch anyway, and I've never hosted more than 4 people for Thanksgiving. If I had to cook for a big crowd, I'd probably cut a few corners.


Somewhat from Scratch: Do You Bend the Homemade Thanksgiving Rules?
11/19/11 3:54 AM