lailaemir's Profile

Any sample of face wash, moisturizer, shampoo, conditioning treatment, etc... that comes in a foil pouch goes directly into the travel stash.

"Gifts" from the dentist also go into the travel stash - mini floss, mini paste, and extra toothbrush.

My toiletries are always essentially ready - just some last minute tweaking is needed.

mdorothy - I agree, an extra set of chargers that live with the suitcase is a wonderful luxury. No worries of forgetting and no drama if left behind.

comb! regular flea combing (with a bowl of soapy water) has always helped me get the upper hand.

thoroughly wash the floor around where the pet's bedding has been when the bedding is in the washer.

flea shampoos do work - but you have to wash the pet properly, technique matters.

Although I like the idea of an open kitchen, I much prefer the reality of a closed one. Reason number one is food smell. Nothing is worse than the left over smells of dinner wafting throughout the house for hours or days after cooking.

Baking break or cookies smells wonderful. Lamb, fish, or anything with a lot of spice can smell terrible after the fact. And, as others pointed out, you can close off the kitchen mess from diners or guests and shut out dishwasher noise, etc.

I have slightly confused respect for those of you toughing it out. I grew up in a mild climate and when I moved to Chicago, I spent the first few years without a window unit because I was mostly unfamiliar with AC units and the miracle they can be. I had fans, ceiling fans, and water in a spraybottle that I kept in the fridge. It was mostly ok (I lived alone and could walk around in my underpants) with a good dose of miserable.

Breaking down and getting a window unit was the best decision I made. I cursed myself for suffering for so many years without it. I didn't make my apartment into an icebox (I detest over air-conditioned places), but I did manage to get comfortable and somewhat dry. There's a happy medium between $170 electricity bills and enduring 100 degree heat and terrible humidity indoors.

Lonely Planet!

For longer trips, I tore out regions after finishing there, to make the book lighter. Torn-out chunks usually were given to fellow travelers.

I intentionally use my Dutch Oven when I want things to stick a bit and create a fond which I can deglaze and use to add flavor.

For meat, the best trick is to leave it alone. It will eventually unstick itself, you just have to resist the urge to flip or turn before it's ready.

Does anyone know a good work-around for a cherry pitter? I bought cherries over the weekend and don't have a pitter. Cutting the cherry off the pit has not be a success story so far. I was hoping for an ingenious homebrew solution.

Ghee? Would that work? The convenience of melted butter, but all the moisture is out as are the milk solids. I'm not much of a baker, so this is all just theoretical for me.

Also - that's a FANTASTIC photo!

After renting plates for parties, my Mother and I decided to go in together and buy a large set of plates and dishware for parties. We bought at IKEA and it was the best decision. The initial cost was less than the rental would have been and the party set has since been through at least 6 large parties. This is a great investment and we don't buy single-use disposables anymore. We split the set for storage and to have on-hand for smaller parties and reunite the set for big shin-digs.

Plus, it gives the party a nice feel when you get to use real dishes and flatware.

I've always washed my shower curtain by itself in the washing machine. Detergent and nothing else special. Comes out clean every time.