tanya67's Profile

Not exactly cooking accessories, but I like to bring home little bowls to add to my collection of little bowls from unusual places. They add decorative value to my glass-front cabinets and of course I use them all the time.

Why do you continue to make it impossible to match pictures with links? It's really annoying.

The best white noise for me is my own breathing - I use earplugs. I'm distracted by everything else -- even the purring of my cats (who -- thank goodness -- do not knead my face or lick my hair).

Doesn't anyone have dust? I mean, I have to dust off the shoulders on rarely worn items that sit in my closet. I can't imagine if they were exposed. Oh, and the cats and all their fur.

I agree with others that seeing all your clothing would be far too much visual stimulation for a room I want to be very calm. I'd buy enclosed wardrobes if I had no closets.

Definitely paint, especially if the existing color is terrible. In my last rental I took the place in a hurry and didn't realize how awful the paint in the kitchen was until I moved in. The room was dark and the colors made everything look muddy and dull, and I couldn't put anything on the walls without wanting to throw up. (Well, not literally.) I asked the owner to pay for the paint and I assured him I'd do a quality job, protect the floors, etc. What had been there was very customized for his own tastes and he agreed it was okay to repaint since he wasn't planning to move back in. Fortunately he saw my painting as an improvement and there was no mention of painting over it when I left about a year later.

In a previous studio apartment (c1907) I raised the bathroom sink to adult height and moved the kitchen sink and metal cabinet unit over about a foot to make better use of the space. (All I paid for was a little bit of pipe.) I had the building store the full-sized fridge and I purchased an under-counter fridge that I placed under a table I put up on cinder blocks as a nice-sized counter. I did not seek permission for these changes and never heard a complaint after I left.

Although it looks nice and organized, I'm not crazy about putting rotting food in the same space as the food still to be eaten. I also wonder if the dog food doesn't get dried out when it's not in an air-tight container? For compostables, especially in the summertime, a covered container would be optimal. I put mine in the fridge so it can accumulate without decaying considerably before I can take it outside.

When I first bought my house I set up a spreadsheet (yes, admittedly a bit anal) to track my expenses and plan for a major renovation. The tracking was incredibly helpful in understanding my expenses and how much was left over. (I wish I'd started that beforehand so I would have saved a lot more and spent a lot less on eating out.) It really helps to know how cutting out the "small" stuff adds up when you have some serious goals in mind -- like saving "x" amount in the next one, two, or three years for a down payment or pay down your mortgage faster, renovate, etc.

As others have said, I avoid cash as I find it hard to track. I need it at the farmer's market so I only take out what I need for that. Too much cash on hand and I am prone to spend it on unplanned fun food. :-)

Thank you for the numbered photographs -- it makes it so much easier to find the corresponding title!

It's adorable. What an incredible mural! I'm sure they could use the spaces later as hideouts from each other.

Lovely!