catrobmar's Profile

Poufs, loofas and sponges can all be sterilized in the microwave - use the high setting for 1or 2 minutes after wetting them.

We use a cute kids' tin bucket with a handle. It sits next to our seating and can be passed around or can sit on the table. Hiding them away some where doesn't work for us.

My Jenn-air gas range has changeable units, one on each side. So when I need four burners, I change out the grill unit. Otherwise, a nice looking cover turns it into counter space.

That said, I am an avid cook and rarely use more than two burners. I do need the full sized oven.

I flew a short flight when I first got my young cat Elwood, an Oriental Shorthair. He howled non-stop for one hour and seventeen minutes, and because of his voice, it sounded like a newborn human crying. Howling, actually. Halfway through the flight, he worked one paw outside his carrier and nearly got out! I stuffed him back in and the rest of the flight was spent staring at the zipper and waiting for it to happen again.

When the plane landed, the entire cabin turned and looked behind (I was in the back) with very peeved looks, except for two middle aged women who must have been cat lovers. They admired my boy through the mesh on his carrier.

As we disembarked, we passed the co-pilot who said, "I thought I heard a Siamese back there. This was post 9/11 and that's when I realized they now audio monitor the cabins.

I have never been so mortified.

Often many of our possessions are more about a fantasy lifestyle rather than real life. Whenever I have the urge to buy something, I ask myself whether it supports who I really am, or if I'm picturing an idealized future self in my head.

This notion can also affect the way we use the space we have. Larger houses will contain huge kitchens where no one cooks much, and exercise rooms where the machines sit idle.

The Minneapolis/Saint Paul area is home to a plethora of livable semi-urban neighborhoods, with sidewalks, bike lanes, and mature trees. I live within walking distance of a movie theater, non-chain restaurants, shops and parks. Crime is low, and public schools not bad. The houses range from bungalows to mansions with price points just as varied.

People with children can choose where to live without having to be crammed into a tiny apartment.

Kinda cold for a few months, though.

This is just a masterful use of color and form. It's fun and well designed, yet looks like a place that people live in rather than a showroom.

I notice Misty was careful to keep the floors and ceilings relatively neutral, which prevents the bold color from being too overpowering.

In our first house (in a dicey neighborhood) I used a trick that's been common in Europe for centuries...

I used crushed rock in geometric patterns to landscape our back garden. It was impossible to approach our house without tell-tale crunching sounds from walking on it.

At our current house (nicer neighborhood), we have a wooden perimeter fence and charming bells on every gate. I can hear someone enter our property from within the house.

I understand you're renting, so these project may not be feasible, so I would second the ideas of window stops and a sliding bolt on the bedroom door. They are simple to do and feeling safe while asleep is so important.

We have a bald eagle named Liberty that often cruises over our Saint Paul neighborhood, which is surrounded by the Mississippi river. I've been as close as fifteen feet away from his perch in a neighbor's tree. Eagles are huge (90" wingspan), an impressive surprise.

Nope. "Uh, totally, because on Mars there's more room for stuff than on Venus."

Venus is larger than Mars:

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/interactives/messenger/psc/PlanetSize.html