What simple, practical thing do you love? [Archive]

iris lilies

6-18-13, 11:00am

Finally I've got a watch that has everything I want on it:
1) fabric band
2) military hours as well as regular hours
3) light up button

I am thrilled with the first 2 features since I've not had them before and really need military time at the moment for stuff at work.

I love this watch! It is practical and useful. I hope it lasts a long time. I bought a back-up band since that is usually what goes first. I can throw this in the washing machine and wear the other band.

This is an Indigo watch, no longer uber cheap. I think this was around $40 at Target.

What practical, simple thing makes your life easier?

catherine

6-18-13, 11:15am

My antique plate rack. I have an odd, useless wall in my small kitchen that's not deep enough for a cabinet. I walked into a consignment shop one day and snagged an old plate rack with two shelves and four small drawers.

It's only six inches deep but holds all of my plates, shallow bowls, sugar & creamer & teabag holder, and pitcher--plus all I can keep batteries, sunglasses, receipts, etc. in the little drawers. Saves a TON of space, and frees up the space in my cabinets where I used to store my plates.

larknm

6-18-13, 12:31pm

DH and I made years ago some rope ladders plus long sticks attached at the ends for our African Grey parrot to be able to travel around the house (they like to be up high), visit two of our three windows, and make as many decisions about what to do as a cage-free but confined to home in winter can have.

Florence

6-18-13, 1:04pm

I have my mother's old Singer sewing machine. I think she bought it in 1962. Just clean it, oil it, and adjust the tension every so often and it just keeps on stitchin'. Love it!!

JaneV2.0

6-18-13, 2:37pm

Ditto on the old Singer. I have a couple of Featherweights from the fifties that work flawlessly--real simple treasures.

Also, I have a camp shirt I thrifted for $4. Made by loving hands at home, it features a loud lighthouse print and garish pearlized royal blue buttons. Its iron-on interface didn't last long. But it's a nice lightweight cotton that doesn't wrinkle much, it's just the right baggy size, the sleeves are just the right kind of short, and I wear it all summer long. It's perfect for chores or yard work--I can wipe my hands on it without worry--and it has pockets at the bottom. Maybe some day, when it's in literal tatters, I'll try to make copies of it.

ETA: I have to say, it's the only shirt I have that a complete stranger--at the post office--has complimented me on in recent years. Did I mention it's loud? Well worth the four dollars I paid.

pinkytoe

6-18-13, 4:45pm

I have one of those wooden lemon reamers (sp?) that I use almost daily and appreciate greatly because it is simple but works great every time. Also my cast iron fry pan. I love things that are of good quality, efficient and that work...period.

Gardenarian

6-18-13, 6:27pm

My gardening gloves. They are elbow length, goatskin, and no rose or blackberry thorn has every pierced them. The long length also prevents me from getting itchy. They are really comfortable and flexible. I dithered over buying them for a long time, but I'm really glad I did.

peggy

6-18-13, 8:52pm

A simple $20 shade cloth. Two really, hemmed, with grommets every 12 inches, that make my hot, sunny patio into a really pleasant place to sit, any time of day.

SteveinMN

6-19-13, 9:15am

My razor. It's a Gillette 195 that's about as old as I am. It's heavy (brass and nickel; picking up a modern disposable razor is like lifting air by comparison), the knurled handle provides grip even if it and my hands are wet and soapy, it's adjustable for different parts of my face, no parts are worn out or out of their original shape, and it still looks great even after 50+ years of being knocked around daily (not always by me). I get a close comfortable shave and it has helped turn a daily chore into an enjoyable activity. I bought it used for maybe $10-15. Well worth it.

Selah

6-19-13, 9:57am

I love my ergonomic-grip vegetable peeler, which I use on a daily basis. I also love my simple apple-corer, which I didn't know even existed until I saw it at the grocery store the other day. What a time-saver!

I also LOVE my Petzl (!--"petzl" is Yiddish for p*nis), which is a headband with an adjustable battery-opereated LED light on it. I use it for reading in bed (doesn't disturb DH), night trips to the potty, reading maps in the car, for spot illumination for craft work, camping, everything! All of these things were very inexpensive but are of good quality and work perfectly.

rosarugosa

6-19-13, 8:47pm

Well you asked: my salad spinner :)

Blackdog Lin

6-19-13, 8:56pm

Quicken. Simple. Intuitive. Easy to use. And it has changed my financial life, as in saving me HOURS of time per month with the household financials.

Also Post-Its. A modern marvel.

Tussiemussies

6-19-13, 11:39pm

I love my now 22 year old car. It is a Honda, has roll-up windows, the radio is broken and it was made with an ashtray and lighter. I have so many fond memories with this car I don't ever want to get rid of it!!! :)

rodeosweetheart

6-22-13, 8:19am

I love my little roll along bucket-style garden cart that I bought at k-mart for $22. One of the wheels fell off when I tipped it just right, but I went to lowes and bought a new push nut and we were back in business. I walk along and weed and trim and throw the stuff in and go back in back of yard and empty it, and it is so light, unlike a wheelbarrel. It is the coolest thing--want to buy one for my mom.

Merski

6-23-13, 9:54am

We use a 14 section pill keeper for our vitamins & supplements. We fill it once on sunday and we each get a week's worth of no fuss, no rushing around, vitamins with our breakfast juice. Lucky for us we aren't on meds just DH has a baby aspirin and statin he takes at night. Just easy for you vitamin/supplement takers!!

dado potato

6-23-13, 5:14pm

Trek Verve 3, 25"-frame bike... I bought this spring to replace a 13-year-old bike which I called "Old Watch and Pray". Lately I have been riding a regular route on paved country roads... through lush meadows, bogs, and forest. Today, beside the Flambeau River, saw a pink Lady Slipper on the bank, and some yellow waterlilies out in the water.

I have not decided what to name the new bike. Maybe "50-Shades-o-Momentum".

Aqua Blue

6-25-13, 2:45pm

I put those pullout pan organizers in two of my base cabinets-I LOVE them. It is so easy to find things and easy to get them out. Well worth the money!

bae

6-25-13, 2:57pm

Vice-grips. "The wrong tool for every job". Can't live without them.

Alan

6-25-13, 3:17pm

My wife said "you're the simple, practical thing I love the most", but I'm not sure she meant the simple part in a good way.

redfox

6-25-13, 5:22pm

My wife said "you're the simple, practical thing I love the most", but I'm not sure she meant the simple part in a good way.
LOL! I say the same about my husband. Practical spouses are the best.

Mine are the cute vintage cloth hankies I use. I keep a stack of them folded on my dresser top, and grab a clean one or two every day. I have one in my pillow case for nighttime use. My messenger bag has a few I rotate regularly. I love using hankies, and I get them from Etsy vendors, for under $3 each, or at GW.

ctg492

6-25-13, 7:32pm

My bike(s) I actually thought today as I was rolling along hoping to beat the approaching storm, that I am happiest when I am on two wheels :cool:

Gardenarian

6-25-13, 9:00pm

Tussiemussies

6-26-13, 1:36am

redfox

6-26-13, 11:18am

I love my new kitchen sink, it is very wide and deep with two sinks within, the median between the sinks does not go fully up to the top. DH and I can work literally side to side at it. When one person is working with it you feel like you have one expansive sink. Dirty dishes are kept on one side and the other side is free to use as the sink at lot of times. ;)

You have described the very sink I am hunting for! Where did you get it? Thanks!

Float On

6-26-13, 11:39am

My kayaks.
Lightweight and easy to handle. I can be in the water about 5 min from my driveway - great therapy and exercise and just plain fun! And I have two so I can have some mother/son time or friend time.

razz

6-26-13, 5:53pm

My peony circular holders that DH made me out of thin rod. They keep the plant clean looking, off the ground and through the summer after blooming, a nice looking hedge.

Tussiemussies

6-28-13, 9:59am

You have described the very sink I am hunting for! Where did you get it? Thanks!

Hi Redfox,

The sink is a Kohler brand and we got it at either Home Depot or Lowes. Boy did it weigh a ton! I don't know if it comes in stainless steel, ours is white porcelain. We just love it! Let me know if you get one! Chris

Zoebird

6-29-13, 2:17am

I love coat hooks. I can't figure why I love hooks so much, but I do. :)

Tussiemussies

6-29-13, 2:58am

Hi razz, someday I would love to have a peony circle. Can you explain how your husband made yours? Is it inside and outside the circle? By the way what color are your peonies and do they bloom the first year they are planeted?

Don't mean to hijack this thread but thought this was okay instead of starting a new thread.

iris lilies

6-29-13, 6:56pm

I love my new kitchen sink, it is very wide and deep with two sinks within.... ;)

While I have just a conventional double sink, it is one of the three things I specified in this house where we put in everything:

double sink,
detachable shower head
light dimmer in the dining room

CathyA

6-29-13, 7:24pm

Tussiemussies.......I think she meant the circular wire holders you put over each peony bush, to keep the stems from falling over.
Hey razz.........I'm glad you mentioned this. I just planted 3 new peony bushes, and using those wire holders is a great idea!

CathyA

6-29-13, 7:25pm

I love my cloth grocery bags. They've held up for about 25 years and they are still going strong. Just think of the paper/plastic bags that haven't been used in 25 years of doing tons of grocery shopping!

redfox

6-29-13, 7:43pm

Zoebird

6-30-13, 3:18am

mine last abt 5 yrs!

Rosemary

6-30-13, 8:14am

I've had most of my cloth grocery bags for about 15 years now, and they are still in excellent condition. Most of them are really heavy canvas that I got for free at conferences. A few I picked up at yard sales. I wash them regularly and put them back in the car for the next trip.

I love the wooden tray that my great-uncle made for my grandmother. It is a testament to the long-lasting beauty of handmade simplicity.

SteveinMN

6-30-13, 11:51am

Just think of the paper/plastic bags that haven't been used in 25 years of doing tons of grocery shopping!
That actually reminded me of something I own that's similar -- a plastic drink cup I got in college mumblyteen years ago. It holds about 20 ounces and I have used it for decades around the house and at work for drinking water throughout the day. If I could count the number of foam cups my peers used while I simply refilled my purple cup... The logo is worn off from use and detergent. But it's probably good for another mumblyteen years.

SvenV

7-5-13, 1:25pm

I love my moleskin notice book....

early morning

7-27-13, 10:05am

iris lilies

7-27-13, 10:38am

I would hate to give up my fabric tote bags, from conferences, yard sales, and DD has made me some of vintage fabrics. They are my work bags, over-night bags, purses, and serve as door-knob storage. I have my genealogy info in one, so when Dsis calls and wants to go hunt someone in a cemetery, I grab my info bag and go. I have some in the car for unexpected store stops. When I was in college (part-time, as an adult) I had one for each class. They are also great for out-of-season shoe storage, hanging on a hook in one of the closets. Tote bags rock! :)

That's so funny because I HATE tote bags. DH and I went to a conference where we each received the ubiquitous tote bag. I groan every time one of these is forced on me, I just do not "tote" things around. Fortunately I had a friend at the conference who like you loves the things and so they went to live with her. My public library hands out these things for prizes each summer and I turn them down and always surprise the library ladies, I just do not want them.

early morning

7-27-13, 11:16pm

iris, my secret dream is to have a neighbor who loves what I hate and hates what I love, so we can exchange all sorts of *crap* and make each other happy.:D

iris lilies

7-28-13, 7:30am

iris, my secret dream is to have a neighbor who loves what I hate and hates what I love, so we can exchange all sorts of *crap* and make each other happy.:D

Now that's funny!

RCWRTR

10-23-13, 10:24pm

I love my new kitchen sink, it is very wide and deep with two sinks within, the median between the sinks does not go fully up to the top. DH and I can work literally side to side at it. When one person is working with it you feel like you have one expansive sink. Dirty dishes are kept on one side and the other side is free to use as the sink at lot of times. ;)

I, too, am in love with my very wide, deep, double sink, Tussiemussies. After having shallow, single sinks for the past 4.5 years while renting, I've come to really, no, REALLY, appreciate a great sink.

jp1

10-24-13, 10:11am

It's amazing what the right plumbing fixture can do for one's mood. We have a really deep, wide single sink in our kitchen and I love it. Combined with the faucet on a hose that pulls out of the faucety thing, it's the perfect kitchen for us. And the shower head on a hose is equally nice. I don't move it when showering, but for cleaning the shower it can't be beat.

Edited to add: And I will never purposely have a non-undermount sink again. Cleaning the counter is soooo much easier when you can just wipe stuff right into the sink.

iris lilies

10-24-13, 11:00am

My peony circular holders that DH made me out of thin rod. They keep the plant clean looking, off the ground and through the summer after blooming, a nice looking hedge.

This reminds me of the dumpster lid holders DH made for me one Christmas. They are custom made lengths of wood, cut to hold open the lids of our city's large dumpsters. They are grooved to fit the dumpsters. They have a hole in the middle for hanging on a nail right by the dumpsters. And, they are lightly varnished for looks!

I carry some in my SUV, I hang them in various places at our little houses. I do a lot of work with the dumpsters during garden season so I need a way to prop lids open while I toss in stuff.

pinkytoe

10-24-13, 1:47pm

Tote bags. I never really appreciated them either until our city outlawed plastic bags. Now I keep a bundle of them in the trunk for grocery shopping and other errands where I have to carry things like extra shoes.

Gardenarian

11-26-13, 8:04pm

I have this heavy brass eye-glasses holder thing lined with fur on my nightstand. I've got in the habit of always putting my reading glasses there - it's really helped me from losing them. It's such an old person thing - but I love it.

Blackdog Lin

11-26-13, 9:41pm

Last Christmas my bro/SIL gave me a telescoping backscratcher. They said they loved keeping one in their vehicle, so that's where I put it. Didn't use it but maybe once in 6 weeks. Moved it to my desk here, where it sets next to me in the cup amongst the pens and scissors, and man-o-man! What an awesome simple thing to have here where I sit so much!

iris lilies

11-27-13, 1:12am

Last Christmas my bro/SIL gave me a telescoping backscratcher.

That sounds fabulous. I need 2 more backscratchers, one for work (and I won't let anyone see me use it) and a spare one for the tv area. I've got one on every floof, but not a telescoping one! I dont' spend much time in the car so probably do not need one for that.
But these dry winter days require back scratchers.

Maxamillion

12-2-13, 4:20am

I've got this two-tiered lazy susan that I bought at a thrift store for 99 cents; I put it in one of my kitchen cabinets and use it for storing spices. Larger bottles on the bottom tier and shorter bottles on the top. Makes it a lot easier to find the spice(s) that I'm looking for.