February 20, 2007

  • If you’re lucky enough to be near a tv, check out today’s Oprah about small spaces. 


    It’s going to feature Nate Berkus’ newly remodeled Manhattan apartment:


    oprah2


    Nate’s transformation of a 250 square foot studio apartment:


    oprah3


    As well as ideas and inventions for small spaces. 


    oprah4


    Maxwell from Apartment Therapy might have a small cameo because he’s in the audience (he filmed a segment for the show).  Ooooh can’t wait! 4:00 on abc.

January 11, 2007

  • Today babydot74 blogged about how great the Egg & Muffin Toaster she got for her hubby for Christmas works.  (I wrote about it on weddingbee awhile back.)


    eggmuffin_toaster.jpg


    I love eggs.  Eggs, eggs, eggs.  You can boil them, fry them, poach them, scramble them, make egg salad, mayonnaise… it truly is the incredible edible egg.   Which is why I want this egg cooker:


    chicken


    It boils up to 7 eggs and poaches 4.  I boil eggs all the time to eat as snacks, and poaching eggs is pretty difficult.  But if I had this, I’d make eggs benedict all the time! 

January 9, 2007

January 8, 2007

January 1, 2007

  • I gotta pick up one of these Utensil Pot Clips the next time I’m at the Container Store.
    UtensilPotClip_xl


    I have a spoon rest, but I like this idea better – it takes up less precious counter space.


    spoon rest

  • I’m very OCD about the dish sponge (and many other aspects of my life), so I change it once a week.  But I’ve recently started zapping it in the microwave before each use, so maybe I’ll be wacky and go 2 weeks before changing them.
    spnge
    Here are some tips from Real Simple on maintaining bacteria free sponges.


    Rinse and Dry After Every Use
    A damp, dirty sponge encourages bacteria growth. But it’s not enough to squeeze out the dishwater, says Sparacio. Once the soapy water has been released, rinse the sponge under hot water. Then press out the water (wringing will damage the fibers) and place the sponge on a rack, not under the sink. Allow it to dry fully before the next use.


    Disinfect — and Do So Often
    Because bacteria are invisible, there are no telltale signs you can see to indicate when you should disinfect. “If your sponge has an odor, it definitely means bacteria are growing,” says Smock. “However, a lack of odor doesn’t necessarily mean a lack of bacteria.” So, better to err on the side of caution. If the sponge has gotten wet and has come into contact with food products or human or animal blood, it should be disinfected before being used again. Simply zap the sponge in the microwave for two minutes on high or run it through the dishwasher.


    Learn When to Let Go
    “How often you should throw away your sponges depends on how well they’re cleaned and disinfected,” says Smock. If they become brittle or smelly, it’s definitely time. Otherwise, tossing at least once a month is a good rule of thumb.

December 17, 2006

  • I was looking to buy some oversized red wine glasses because we had broken so many one by one.  I wanted Riedel glasses but didn’t want to spend too much because my clumsy self is prone to breaking them.  Then I read about Spiegelau’s wine glasses on Apartment Therapy recently and saw that they were on sale for only $34 on Amazon! 


    wine glass


    I ordered a set of 6 bordeaux glasses and we tested them out with two different bottles of wine this weekend.  My pallette sucks due to my excess consumption of extremely spicy food, but I could definitely tell the difference in taste/aroma with these glasses than the ones we had before.  These are oversized which is what I wanted, but you could go with the standard red wine glasses instead.


    Unfortunately the sale is over and the price has gone up to $59.12 for the bordeaux glasses, and $49.99 for the red glasses.   But I think they’re a really great set.

December 16, 2006

  • Awhile back, I blogged about wanting a recharging station for all my small electronics that hid all the cords.  At the time, Design Within Reach was the only one who made one but it was $238.  It’s on sale now for $98 plus free shipping. Should I get one?  White or silver?


    charge charge3 


    There are many other companies that have come out with similar products recently.


    Hammacher Schlemmer – $24.95.  Charges 3 devices.


    a11


    Hello Direct – $29.99.  Charges 3 devices.


    charge7


    Brookstone – $75.00.  Charges 6 devices.


    charge5


    Frontgate – $175.  Charges 4 devices.


    charge6

December 15, 2006

October 25, 2006