Archive   |   March, 2009

five things we learned last week

Posted by in decorating

lightbulb.jpg

1. We aren’t the only ones curious about the new Haagen-Dazs Five ice cream flavors. Daffodil says: “I purposely try not to look at the ice cream freezer in the grocery store. Maybe this stuff would be worth breaking that rule for. I could see where Brown Sugar wouldn’t be a good main ingredient, but most of the others sound good. I’m wondering if the Ginger flavor would be too strong, though. A little ginger goes a long way, and if ginger is one of only five ingredients, well…” Click here to see what Mary T thought of them.

2. We have quite a few urban farmers among us! We asked Would You Keep Chickens? and couldn’t believe that many of you did already! Christine wrote this advice for newbies: “I have a flock, please keep in mind the that you do need a predator proof enclosure, even in the city. Even in the daytime, once predators know you have chickens they will come.”

3. We found a beverage to please a crowd. Dry Soda! Jessie writes: “A friend of mine brought over a case for a party recently and I love the rhubarb!”

4. It’s great to cool off a hot laptop, but not if it hurts your wrists. Lori cautions: “I consulted an ergonomic specialist at my job a few years ago and was told that any keyboard at the angle is actually NOT ergonomically friendly. Your wrists should bend down or straight instead of bending up. Just trying to dissuade a myth. I think bending your wrists up like this can cause carpel tunnel.” Click here to read more.

5. There are some easy ways to freshen up your home for spring. Here is Holly D’s ritual: “We spray our bed pillows with a very light spritz of all natural cleaner and leave in the sun all day. The sun seems to bleach, clean and freshen everything. Also, we pick up all our rugs shake them out and leave them in the fresh air all day. All our duvet covers get a good cleaning and we are ready for the warm summer nights to come. Also, today I dumped a bunch of baking soda down our kitchen and bath sinks to clean them up a bit.” Click here for more of your spring cleaning tips!

0Comments

blogwatch: where we were clicking this week

Posted by in surfing


Yum Sugar has some great baking must-haves. What are yours?

Meanwhile, Casa Sugar has bowls that are not must-haves (nor cheap) but are we-wants.

Cluttered office? The NY Times tells you that you’re not alone.

Here’s a space-saving, stylish chair from Target at Shoebox Decor, a site for small-home style that just got on our radar.

Could you make a meal for friends on $50? Jezebel wonders who couldn’t.

Maybe saving on food would get easier if you knew which 15 foods you don’t have to buy organic, at The Daily Green.

Common plastic object, a little paint, instant art. At Design*Sponge.

More Ways to Waste Time tells us that steampunk is everywhere. Even at Restoration Hardware.

Is the RV going the way of the dinosaurs? At Salon.

Composting — why? Here’s seven reasons at Planet Green.

0Comments

kinda genius: cakevase

Posted by in cooking


Want to fake a designer cake without risking creating your own Cake Wreck? The brainchild of Kathleen of Kathleen’s Cakes, CakeVase is an ingenius little device that could give you “Wow!” results even with amateur skills. The CakeVase is simply a way to hold fresh flowers on top of your iced cake. There’s a “first tries” gallery at the site that shows you can get pretty impressive results the first time. (You can also use the CakeVase to fancy up a store-bought cake.) There’s a blog you can check out for fun inspiration, too. Get the CakeVase for about $20 at Amazon, or at these retailers.

0Comments

i tried haagen-dazs five (for research purposes only)

Posted by in cooking, favorites, shopping


Haagen-Dazs with just five ingredients and a lovely, simplified package design? I couldn’t just let that go by without a taste. So, purely for research purposes, we brought home two pints of Haagen-Dazs Five: Brown Sugar and Mint. The Mint I like a lot; it’s simple, like the name implies. Not overly sweet, no fake coloring, tastes a lot like the homemade ice cream I used to get at family reunions. (I realize that sounds a little twee, but it’s true.) The Brown Sugar didn’t get such great reviews. To both my husband and me it tastes a little harsh — a little more cream to the brown sugar ratio might help, or maybe we’re just not that into the taste of brown sugar as a main ingredient. Overall, though, my interest is piqued, and I do love the idea of simpler food. We may have to give the other flavors a try so that I can report more fully. The sacrifices I make for this blog! –Mary T.

0Comments
12345...10...Last »