calamityjane78's Profile

Another great trick is to pour ordinary table salt into the pan, enough to cover the burnt bottom with a thin layer. Pour about 2 inches of water into the pan and set it to simmer - keep it on a rolling boil for a little while, until most of the water evaporates. Take it over to the sink and use the paste that has remained to scrub the burnt crap off. It works every time!

I don't think a blank check is necessary - I keep my credit card number on file at the vet's and if there's an emergency with one of my pets, then anyone can bring them in for care and it's covered by my card.

But the rest of the items - very nice! I do a lot of pet-sitting in Marin County and San Francisco, and it's much appreciated when there's a nice bottle of wine chilling in the fridge and a stack of Netflix movies on the coffee table.

A hint to anyone hiring a pet sitter: assuming you trust that they will be dependable and stay for as long as they are required to, leave their payment (I charge $40/night or if it's just a visit $20/visit) on the counter when you go. It makes it much nicer to have the money up front. A lot of pet sitters do it as a side job because money's tight, so often, the sooner we get paid, the happier we are! :-)

If you're looking for a pet sitter - check with your local vet's office or animal shelter. Often, the staff members do it on the side for a little extra money, and you can trust that they love animals and know how to care for them properly! My favorite pet sitters are the vet techs at my vet office!

I think they did a nice job here: http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/boston/house-tour-the-deaners-fresh-start-in-little-rhodyprovidence-ri-084413

Remove the chair rail - it's way too busy. Stain the stairs a darker shade like a nice rich espresso and paint the rest of the trim white or whatever your wall color ends up being. Stain the hutch to a darker color and paint the cupboards white to set off your wall color.