ek76's Profile

I am not tidy, I'm afraid. (But I am clean- you will never find a dirty dish in my sink- just stacks and stacks of papers/books everywhere). Somewhere I read an organizer's quote (maybe on AT?) He said, "do you know where your fork is?" The point being that most of us know that our fork is in the fork compartment of our utensil drawer in the kitchen. The fork is always there because that is the fork's place. It was a very concrete way of saying "a place for everything and everything in it's place." I'm working on finding a place for everything.

I guess I would try it if someone offered, but it sounds truly terrible.

Yep, I'm in the "my own" camp as well. My husband and I paid for it ourselves, so it was exactly as we wanted (within budget constraints, of course). The best parts for me was the awesome officiant who made me laugh and cry through the ceremony, the vows and readings that also spoke of our relationship in a meaningful way, and the elements of our two different cultures that we incorporated. Oh, and all our friends were game to dance the night away.

To be honest, I've always kept too small stuff and tend to get rid of too big stuff- guess it's aspirational. This past year and a half I lost a good deal of weight and I feel pretty confident that I know how to keep it off, so I am in the process of getting rid of all the too big stuff.

I also find regional differences in dialect interesting. The one I do have a problem with is "coke" to mean any kind of carbonated beverage. It just doesn't make sense to say "what kind of Coke do you want?" unless one means diet, regular, or cherry. Anyway, it doesn't keep me up at night and I guess I can just order a Coke coke when in Atlanta.

I have one non-controversial suggestions, and two that spark controversy. First, the simple one: fill pots with hanging basket plants, just snip the hangers off and the plants hang over the side of the pot, looking lush and full. I got that idea from Young House Love.
Now for the controversial- mulch! It instantly makes the garden look tidy and covers weeds you don't have time to pull. But, I understand it can be bad for plants. Defintiely leave some room around the base of the plant.
Second controversial tip- if you live in a mosquito-infested area (as I do), spray the garden. Either hire a treatment service or DIY. And then maybe put out some baskets of spray for your guests for good measure.

Don't need it, but it is useful. It does some jobs that the Vitamix doesn't (like grating cheese or slicing lots of mushrooms) and some jobs that the blender does, but better (chopping large quantities of herbs, pureeing beans). I'm happy to have the space for one.

I dry mine on the stove but use a high flame. Why use a low flame? And then I wipe with a bit of oil. Of course I have heard that you should not use soap, but then everything smells fried onions. I use a tiny bit of soap (what's left on the sponge after I wash everything else). My mom and grandmother always used soap and have had their pans for decades. Mine are just fine as well.

Well, it sort of depends what is meant by a diet. If you mean being mindful of your caloric intake, then, yes, I subscribe to that diet because that is the only way I can keep my weight at a healthy level. But, other than that, I think Pollan's Eat Food. Mostly Plants. Not too Much. works for me. Then again, I thankfully don't have any real allergies or problems with a lack of emotional sharpness (not sure what that is, but if people feel better, good for them). I love all food too much to give any of it up!

While I would prefer to get rid of it and get an inflatable, I will say that some people find aerobeds very uncomfortable. Both my mother and mother in law have tried our aerobed and hate it- they would rather sleep on the floor. So, the mattress would be handy to keep around if you one can.