Ok friends, here’s a challenge: try to rethink the way you do one commonplace task. That has been my mission lately, and I’ve had a few revelations. The first, and most obvious, has been that just because appliance instructions say to do something, doesn’t mean it’s a steadfast rule (unless it’s for safety reasons). For example – let’s take the clothes dryer. I air-dry the majority of my laundry with the exception of a few things, and those things get tossed in the dryer on Auto/High for 30 minutes.That’s just what I do, and have always done. But, what if I didn’t? What if I tried another setting? I know, crazy. But what I’ve discovered is that I don’t need to use that high setting to get good results. I’ve actually found that using the “delicates” setting (which is less hot than the “auto” setting) dries equally as well, and in some cases, results in softer clothes. I didn’t realize that the highest dryer setting was actually toasting my clothes and making them feel a little crispy! With the exception of my thickest bath mats, the delicates setting has worked just fine for a medium-sized load of laundry, and I bet even saves a little energy to boot. What everyday tasks can you rethink? — Rebecca F.

Image courtesy of flickr user Aurimas Rimsa.

I love thermoses and carafes — vacuum flasks as they’re technically known. Maybe it hearkens back to my Snoopy thermos in first grade, filled with perfectly piping hot tomato soup for lunch, or to my first date with my now husband, who poured me a sip of syrupy espresso from his trusty Nissan stainless thermos (still in action to this day). But now, I find myself snatching vintage thermoses up on every thrifting trip I’ve been on of late. I’m pretty choosy about which ones I buy, so I’m careful to inspect them for (1) gross odors (2) shattered or cracked glass liners (yes many of the vintage varieties were glass, which makes them fragile) and (3) the condition of the seals. Most of what I’ve bought has been pristine — hardly, if ever used — which helps seal the deal. If you’re willing to risk it, eBay is a treasure trove of vintage vacuum flasks: this beauty is $9.99, BIN (with returns accepted).

My favorite? That heavy, unbreakable stainless Uno-Vac in the back. That bad boy has seen some life — and is still, amazingly, spotless and funk-free inside. Later this week, Ol’ Ironsides (as I’ve dubbed it) will be filled with 24 oz. of something delicious (which, depending on the weather, will be either hot or cold) and brought along on our hike into the forest as part of our five year wedding anniversary celebration! — Megan B.

Come summer, if I’ve got the day off, you can bet I’m out on the deck, making dinner on our trusty Weber Smoky Joe. I love grilling — with charcoal in particular — that tasty smoke and crazy-high heat do wonderful things to meats. Charcoal, though awesome, can be hard to control (more about that in another post), and that’s why I often grill bone-in chicken thighs. They are just so forgiving — near impossible to mess up. Even better, they’re usually pretty affordable, too. This week, the thighs got bathed in a tasty yogurt-based tandoori marinade from Allrecipes.com and grilled to spicy, smoky perfection (or maybe not-quite perfection). You may find the recipe more effective if you use a propane grill, but I attempted an indirect method with the charcoal to mixed results (though I will try the method in the link next time). Even with my difficulties, the chicken was delicious — hot off the grill that night with spinach-infused basmati rice, or cold for lunch the next day, wrapped in flatbread with yogurt, radishes, cilantro and lettuce. — Megan B. Click for the recipe, after the jump! (more…)

A few months ago, Sarah C. introduced us to Shelfari and a few readers chimed in with their pick for favorite social networking, bookworm-friendly site: Good Reads. Thank you guys, I’m hooked! I was looking for a way to keep track of my reading list online (I’m constantly writing down suggestions for great books and then losing the notes immediately thereafter) and Good Reads is a Godsend. Not only does the site allow you to keep track of you reading list online, it also allows you to rate and review books you’ve read, recommend titles to your friends, get recommendations, and browse other user generated reading lists (some are broken into basic genres, but some get more creative such as “Thickest Books” and “Books My Father Gave Me”). Check it out, bookmark it, friend me, and don’t judge all the YA books on my virtual bookshelf. –- Katie D.

It wouldn’t be summer if I didn’t have more books stacked up than I can possibly get around to reading. Still, when I saw Avian Architecture: How Birds Design, Engineer, and Build reviewed, I couldn’t help but order it. As much time as we spend obsessing over our own dwellings, it’s neat to think about the planning birds put into creating their own. Once it arrives, it’ll go straight to the top of the stack. Until then, I’ve still got “A Paris Wife” to finish and four books in the “Game of Thrones” series to keep me company. What’s on your summer reading list? — Sarah L.

Pictured, an African Masked-Weaver from Avian Architecture.

I tend to drink more tea in the summer than I do in the winter thanks to the frostbite-inducing office air conditioning. That means that, year round, I’m on the look out for cute tea accessories. My newest obsession comes from Yanko Designs. The Tea Diver ($20) is based on the shape of a traditional Korean deep sea diver, Meoguri. Fill this little guy with your favorite loose leaf, dunk him underwater, and enjoy! –- Katie D.

I can’t believe I hadn’t come up with this one before — using loaf pans to corral the utensils in my kitchen drawers. I stole the idea from the teaching kitchen I worked at last year, which had dozens of drawers filled with every kind of tool imaginable, all sorted in loaf pans of varying sizes. I already had two pans just loafing (sorry, I had to) around my cupboards, so I put them to use. My utility drawer has never been happier! Now, I keep on the lookout for as many as I can find at garage sales, thrift stores, where they’re usually available for a song; much more affordable than regular organizing bins. And I’m set if I ever need to make a huge batch of poundcake! — Megan B.

As far as I’m concerned, summer movies begin and end with Jaws. Gripping and terrifyingly authentic, Jaws defined the summer movie blockbuster. It also makes me homesick. I grew up in New England and spent many summers on the beaches that the fictional monster stalked (da dun. . . da dun. . . da dun. . .). Lucky for me, Chicago screens the iconic film on the shores of Lake Michigan every summer. This year, I plan on including this shark koozie ($18) in my picnic basket to the screening. From etsy user Handamade, the adorable, button-eyed shark is a soothing reminder that not all sharks are man eaters- some of them just want to make sure your hands don’t get too cold while you’re holding your beverage! –- Katie D.

A decidedly Hawaiian twist on a cookout classic: Papaya ginger beer baked beans, at Coconut and Lime. Complete with Spam!

Right on the heels of our lowdown on hammocks, NPR explains the science behind why hammocks actually create easier and deeper sleep.

Badder Homes and Gardens inappropriately introduces The Hug chair, ingeniously designed for two seaters — or one person, and a laptop.

JennSki reminds us of one of our favorite super-simple quick-fixes: using tinfoil to remove rust from chrome.

Six unusual party decorating ideas, from using armchairs at the dinner table to tiered dessert stands for floral arrangements — at CasaSugar.

The new future of urban farming? Rooftop hydroponic towers — at the Huffington Post.

I’ve been watching my strawberries ripen on the vine S L O W L Y over the last few weeks, and it’s like torture. A few more weeks, and it’s harvest time, though. And what better to store my patiently awaited bounty in than this adorable red ceramic berry basket I spotted at Sur la Table? The design is based on the dare-I-say iconic fiberboard baskets we get at berry stands, but with much more permanence — and those air holes are perfect to keep those berries sweet and fresh — not mushy and moldy. Best part? It’s on sale for $3.99, which means I can grab enough to help contain my soon-to-be overwhelming blackberry harvest. — Megan B.