The Star Tribune had a great piece today on what you should do house and garden-wise to welcome the onset of fall and prepare for winter. I kept the story to file away under "things to do" but if you didn't already read it, do it now.
There's a great tip in there on washing windows. I'll admit that I've never washed the outsides of my windows, mainly because I dread the lovely streaks my washing is sure to leave. I might have to try the vinegar solution mentioned in the article. I use a vinegar and water solution for my hardwood floors, but I didn't know it worked well for windows. By the way, I've read mixed reviews on washing hardwoods with vinegar, but I'm going with my parent's advice and doing it anyway. If you have any window or hardwood floor cleaning tips don't hold out on me now!!!
The article also reminded me to tend to my poor yard before it gets too cold. I was doing so well keeping up with it this summer, but then when the acorns began taking over my yard I just lost interest to be perfectly honest. The damn squirrels dig holes in my flower beds anyway. I wish I could train them to pull my weeds, too! Saturday is the dreaded day to mow the lawn, throw down some grass seed, sweep out the garage and ... maybe even wash those windows.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Inside the house
Everyone's been asking to see photos of the inside, so here you are.
You can view my flickr account to see the rest.
You can view my flickr account to see the rest.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Junk = Jamaica
Have you heard of CraigsList.org? It's fabulous. I first heard of it about three years ago when I was looking for a used portable dishwasher to curb my hatred for washing the dishes by hand. I found one on CraigsList and still use it to this day.
CraigsList is a free local classifieds website that operates in major U.S. cities. You can peruse and post just about anything: personal ads, housing, jobs and for sale items. After my dishwasher purchase three years ago I never gave the site much more thought until I started thinking about having a garage sale.
I remembered all the work that Mom put into her garage sales -- pricing, folding, advertising, waiting, hoping, making change ... it just didn't seem worth it. But each time I opened the garage door or headed to the basement I was reminded that we needed to get rid of some stuff, actually a lot of stuff. Our little 800-square-foot house wasn't suitable for all the extras we had, so I decided to try selling some of the loot on CraigsList.
A matching oversized Serta couch and ottoman were the first to go: $90
Then a matching couch, loveseat and end tables: $150
Winter coat: $10
Couch slipcover: $25
Desk: $60
Printer: $25
A really poor-looking entertainment center: Free to whoever would take it away
Matching pair of lamps: $25
Loveseat: $40
Two pair of black women's boots: $40
Ever since, I've been wandering the house looking for things to get rid of! I'm amazed at what people will pay money for. I found that furniture in decent condition sells immediately.
It takes only minutes to post a classified. You can even upload photos. When someone finds somethng they're interested in, they send an e-mail to an anonymous address, which is then forwarded to my address. I never give out my address in an e-mail and make sure Tyler is home when someone comes over to pick up said items.
The money is in a little box waiting to pay for a trip to Jamaica once we actually book it. The best part isn't even the money. It's the feeling of decluttering my living space. I'll actually be able to park in the garage this winter and find what I'm looking for in the basement.
I also found a few treasures of my own on CraigsList, which I gladly purchased from local "pro-Craigsters" like myself. But you'll have to wait to hear about those ...
CraigsList is a free local classifieds website that operates in major U.S. cities. You can peruse and post just about anything: personal ads, housing, jobs and for sale items. After my dishwasher purchase three years ago I never gave the site much more thought until I started thinking about having a garage sale.
I remembered all the work that Mom put into her garage sales -- pricing, folding, advertising, waiting, hoping, making change ... it just didn't seem worth it. But each time I opened the garage door or headed to the basement I was reminded that we needed to get rid of some stuff, actually a lot of stuff. Our little 800-square-foot house wasn't suitable for all the extras we had, so I decided to try selling some of the loot on CraigsList.
A matching oversized Serta couch and ottoman were the first to go: $90
Then a matching couch, loveseat and end tables: $150
Winter coat: $10
Couch slipcover: $25
Desk: $60
Printer: $25
A really poor-looking entertainment center: Free to whoever would take it away
Matching pair of lamps: $25
Loveseat: $40
Two pair of black women's boots: $40
Ever since, I've been wandering the house looking for things to get rid of! I'm amazed at what people will pay money for. I found that furniture in decent condition sells immediately.
It takes only minutes to post a classified. You can even upload photos. When someone finds somethng they're interested in, they send an e-mail to an anonymous address, which is then forwarded to my address. I never give out my address in an e-mail and make sure Tyler is home when someone comes over to pick up said items.
The money is in a little box waiting to pay for a trip to Jamaica once we actually book it. The best part isn't even the money. It's the feeling of decluttering my living space. I'll actually be able to park in the garage this winter and find what I'm looking for in the basement.
I also found a few treasures of my own on CraigsList, which I gladly purchased from local "pro-Craigsters" like myself. But you'll have to wait to hear about those ...
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