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Archive: August 2007
Birthday lists.
Posted by etipton – August 30, 2007 7:06 AM
Birthday lists tell a lot about you. My husband always has a wish lists of books, DVDs and CDs ready and waiting if anyone wants to buy him a present. I am not that helpful. I like most things, and sort of think getting all my presents off my list leaves little room for surprise. Wait, thinking back over some of the random gifts I've been given, MAYBE leaving little room for surprise is a good thing. My birthday list usually consists of a few things I wanted to buy myself, but didn't so that I would have a list. Last year I wanted a silicone rolling pin. This year the list includes things like a lasagna server and battery operated candles.
Every since I first saw these in Brookstone last Christmas, I knew that I "needed" some of the flameless candles. I liked this style because they more like real candles. This candle contains three LEDs that produce multiple points of randomly shifting light, creating a glow that flickers, rolls, and casts dancing shadows, just like a real candle flame. It also looks like it's really melting without the flame so you can have piece of mind that they are safe around your kids and will not cause a fire. Priced around $40.
Tell me about your birthday list. Is it exciting, or is it full put practical things that are easy to buy? Do you have a computer registry ready to go all the time, or do you come up Continue reading »
Good luck!!!
Posted by etipton – August 29, 2007 10:47 AM
Our friends at HGTV MarketPlace and Organize.com are giving away 90 prizes in 90 days. When I was four, I won tickets to the circus for coloring the best clown face. I got to ride in a wagon in the Ringling Brothers Circus. You will not get to be in the circus, but with 90 days worth of prizes you just might win a prize. It is an instant win game, and you can enter once a day for 90 days. It just started TODAY, so you have lots more chances to win. Let me know if you win a prize. I ever won't make you share it.
Click here to enter, see rules and prizes, etc.
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It's like eyes in the back of your head.
Posted by etipton – August 27, 2007 10:16 AM
Nothing is more frustrating than having a boss or co-worker sneak up behind you while you are working on the computer. Whether it is confidential material, personal emails or a game of a solitaire, what you are doing at work is no one else's business! Who do they think they are expecting you to WORK while they are paying you???? Prevent these surprises with this rear-view mirror for your PC. The convex mirror gives you a wide-angle view of the scene around you. Attaches to computer with Velcro. Priced less than $15.
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Dorm Sweet Dorm
Posted by etipton – August 24, 2007 10:55 AM
Today is the last day of dorm products unless someone emails me something wonderful. I'm going to end this list the same way it started - with laundry items.
To save space, instead of using a full-sized ironing board, you might choose this Ultra Mini Ironing Board. It features a stable, steel frame that allows you to use the ironing board on a table, countertop or even on the floor. The frame folds into the ironing board for compact storage. The steel, mesh board improves airflow for steam ironing, and comes complete with a thick, fiber pad and cotton cover. The end of the board features a pull-out iron rest to provide a spot to set your hot iron while you readjust your garment. It includes a sturdy, over-the-door hook, so you can store your ironing board on the back of any door. Priced less than $20.
Another ironing option for the dorm or travel is an ironing blanket. Made with heat- and scorch-resistant material, this blanket allows for safe ironing on any flat surface. The padded cover prevents damage to your counter or table tops when ironing. The non-slip, foam backing keeps the ironing blanket at place to help you look fresh on the road or at home.Priced around $7.
You may save money and wear on your clothing by drying them on a rack in your room. This Compact Accordian Dryer by Polder is a great way to line-dry your clothes. This rack has 18 feet of drying line on 11 rods. This drying rack folds flat for easy, space-saving storage and easily expands into shape, when needed. Priced less than $25. See more...
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In case of emergency...
Posted by etipton – August 23, 2007 11:31 AM
When that first button goes flying off your favorite shirt, this handy mini-sewing kit contains all the necessary equipment for repairs. It includes 24 spools of thread, a pair of scissors, a measuring tape, 30 needles, and 20 buttons just to name of few of the 138 items in the kit. Priced less than $10.
Another great item to have at the dorm is a complete first aid kit. This kit has 196 pieces so you are prepared for any minor medical situation. There are adhesive plastic bandages in various sizes, gauze roll bandages, gauze dressing pads, sterile eye pads,antiseptic wipes, triple antibiotic ointment packs, insect sting relief pads and many other items. Priced less than $40.
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Shine on you crazy diamond.
Posted by etipton – August 22, 2007 10:17 AM
The lighting in dorm rooms leaves a lot to be desired. Help combat institutional,florescent lighting with a flexible reading light. Shine this light directly on your book or homework. This light can clamp onto a bookshelf or stand on your desk. It uses three AAA batteries, so it can go anywhere you go. Priced less than $15. 
These speakers may not add a lot of light, but they will add a lot of ambiance. Put on a light show themed to your music! Sparkling lights race up and down these tower speakers, depending on the intensity of the sound. Just plug in an iPod or any music source with the provided connectors. Works with PC/notebook, CD, MP3, radio, or gaming systems. Disconnect your music device and the iLit speaker system will respond to the ambient sounds in the room. Features include mirrored speakers for sleek styling, adjustable sensitivity, and volume control. iLit comes with a connection cord and an adapter to synchronize with music players. Priced less than $40.
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Chance of showers.
Posted by etipton – August 21, 2007 10:59 AM
Chemistry 100 in college was so fun, I had to take it twice. Maybe I would have done better had I had this Periodic Table shower curtain in my bathroom. Perfect for the future scientist, this vinyl shower curtain is machine-washable in cold water on the gentle cycle. Guess that means it is coming home for Mom to wash. It is 71" long x 71" wide. After I picked out this cute shower curtain I saw a preview for the new show The Big Bang Theory on CBS, and this shower curtain was hanging in a bathroom on the show. Also available in weather patterns. Priced around $30.
I am not a big fan of sharing bar soaps, so you might think about using liquid soap when you are sharing bathrooms. But if you like your bar soap, pick up a suction soap holder. They help keep your soap from getting mushy in the puddle of water. Priced less than $5.
There are lots of other organizers for shower Continue reading »
Pass room inspection.
Posted by etipton – August 20, 2007 10:33 AM
I am continuing the dorm list this week. For your desk area, enjoy a space-saving printer stand. You can stash paper, ink cartridges or other school supplies in the compartments. This keeps them out of the way to store more important stuff - like pizza boxes. Priced less than $80.
Stop fighting cords with a powerstation. Between cameras, cell phones, ipods and all the other fun stuff you have a maze of cords and wires. Charge up to holds three devices at the same time. Priced less than $25.
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Come and knock on our door.
Posted by etipton – August 17, 2007 3:16 PM
Adjusting to roommates is not as fun as they made it seem on Three's Company. When I left for college, I had shared a bathroom with my sister, but that is not the same as sharing one with a perfect stranger.
A shower caddy is the first thing you need when sharing a bathroom. The kind you need depends on whether your bathroom is down the hall or in your room. If you are going to put a caddy in the shower, it will need to hold everyone's stuff, not just your own. Look for an over-sized caddy like this one. It has enough space that it can hold multiple shampoo bottles so that everyone can use it.
Priced less than $15.
This mesh shower caddy hangs from the shower bar.
Priced around $10.
No matter which caddy you pick you will have to wait until you move in to make sure you picked the best fit. Browse through our entire collection to find the best shower caddy for your situation.
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The extra touches.
Posted by etipton – August 16, 2007 12:50 PM
When I lived in the dorm, one of the first things we did after moving into the dorm was head out to the local hardware depot and get four cinder blocks to raise our beds. At the end of the year everyone threw them away because they were too hard and heavy to store. I suspect that the maintenance staff used them to add onto their homes every spring. Someone decided there had to be an easier way and created these bed risers. By raising your bed a few inches you get more valuable storage space. Be sure to check with your university, though: some schools no longer allow cinder blocks or bed risers for “safety reasons.” Priced less than $30 for the set.
Most dorm rooms only have two or three electrical outlets, and with all the new gadgets you need multiple surge-protected plugs. The Powersquid gives you the flexibility to plug in large items without losing valuable outlet space.
Priced around $20.
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TOGA! TOGA!
Posted by etipton – August 14, 2007 1:04 PM
When something looks or smells like a fraternity house, visions of Animal House come to mind. Keep your living quarters from smelling like a pig pen with this dorm odor eliminator. It contains volcanic, 100 % odorless minerals that attack undesirable smells, keeping air fresh and pleasant. It lasts for years! Which is good news since that is how long you plan on staying in college. Priced less than $10.
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A little gift from home.
Posted by etipton – August 14, 2007 12:35 PM
College kids love to get care packages from home. You can still show your favorite student how much you care, but you don't have to put the thing together. Igourmet.com has a wide variety of dorm and student themed gift baskets. The Back To School basket has better alternatives to chips and fast food burger. This assortment contains delicious and natural food items. These items are great for munching on and sharing with friends, but are also ingredients to create killer sandwiches or cheese toasties. It contains Red Leaf Cheddar, Beemster Classic Extra Aged Gouda, Cream Havarti with Herbs, Spanish Serrano Ham, Bremner Wafers, Marcona Almonds, and Kardoula Peppers Stuffed with Feta. Priced around $35.
After a late night of "studying" the Coffee Break Basket will help your student arrive on time to that 8:00 class. This basket contains Douwe Egberts Medium Roast Ground Coffee, Douwe Egberts Decaffeinated Ground Coffee, La Perruche Sugar Cubes, Cantuccini Biscotti and Schlünder Liqueur Cakes. Priced around $55.
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Dorm Life Laundry 101
Posted by etipton – August 13, 2007 9:24 AM
As the kids get ready to move to college, there are a few things they need to know. The first class you need once you move off to school is Laundry 101. Laundry is more complicated than it sounds. If you have never done laundry here is a link to wikiHow's How To Do Laundry. If you are not careful you end up with pink shirts and pants that are two sizes smaller than they started.
You will need a way to get all those dirty clothes to the washing machines. You can use a nice canvas laundry bag like this two-tone canvas laundry tote. It holds one load of laundry. Priced less than $15.
If you are not a "laundry tote" kind of person, the wheeled laundry hamper is a good alternative solution. This hamper holds two loads of laundry, and makes it easy to roll your clothes to the basement laundry room. Priced less than $50.
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Locker Mom.
Posted by etipton – August 9, 2007 9:10 PM
While kids do not care how their lockers look, moms hate the thought of shoes and gadgets flying all over the place when their child's locker is opened. Look at these neat locker baskets.The strong wire-grid frame is great for ventilation, protection of items, and is easy to carry. It comes complete with an ID/label holder and notch to slide basket out with ease. Built to last, created to make your life easier. Size: 8" tall x 9" wide x 12 3/4"deep. Make sure this basket will fit in your locker. Priced less than $10. 
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Let's do lunch.
Posted by etipton – August 9, 2007 8:54 PM
With all the concern over lead in products today, I heard that it is still in some children's lunch boxes. While I am not sure if it is in the box my daughter uses for school, I do know that it is not in these cute insulated lunch boxes.
Your child will love showing off his or her love of insects or dinosaurs with these lunchboxes by Crocodile Creek. Each beautifully designed, colorful lunch box features a large insulated interior. It also has a zippered compartment on one side and a mesh pocket on the other for extra storage. Also great for arts and crafts, toys and other necessities your child may have.
We have given special attention to make certain that this lunchbox conforms to the current U.S. & European Consumer Product Safety Standards. Our lunchboxes are 100% lead-free and do not contain Phthalate or PVC.
Choose from Butterflies or Dinosaurs priced less than $15.
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Back to school.
Posted by etipton – August 8, 2007 10:05 AM
Back to school at our house when I was a child meant getting new clothes. My mom would sew labels that had my name on them. She wanted to make sure that my navy blue sweater made it back to our house. Daycares and preschools require everything to be labeled. If I send my daughter to school in something not labeled, it comes back with her initials in sharpie on the tag. I do not like sharpie in my sweater, but at least that keeps the sweater from ending up in lost and found. These Write-On Garment Labels by Original Heart Company are the best way to alleviate that problem. The labels are designed for use on most fabrics, including cotton, polyester and blends. These easy to use labels include a non-toxic permanent and laundry-proof clothes marker. The easy iron on design allows you to label your child's clothing in less than 30 seconds. The 15 labels are made of 100% polyester and are marked Belongs To in blue, green and red (5 labels of each color). Once the ink is dry, the labels can be washed over and over. If you prefer, they can also be sewn on. These labels are great for use on jackets, sweaters, t-shirts, uniforms, underwear, bathing suits and so much more! Design of labels may vary. The 100% polyester labels are washable. They iron or sew on. This set includes 15 labels size 1" tall x 2 1/2 "wide (each label).
Priced less than $5.
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It's not easy being green.
Posted by etipton – August 7, 2007 11:27 AM
My friend Jenny emailed me the other day and said "Somewhere, magazine, catalog, your blog?, I saw a set of 3 or 4 tote bags made for recycling. I think they were made out of old plastic bags, and they were different colors — green, white, pink/red? There was one for newspaper, PET plastics, aluminum, etc. Does this ring a bell with you?" Not only did it not ring a bell, I didn't have a clue what she was talking about. I started doing a little research, and I found all sorts of recycling uses for plastic bags (here is a pattern for some cute crochet purses), but nothing that looked like what she wanted. Then I found these really cute recycling bins from Design Within Reach. Low and behold these were the exact bags she was had seen.
The product information from their website:
A softer, more yielding version of traditional recycling containers, our set of four Recycling Bags can function as hold-alls for recyclables, as well as reusable shopping bags and gardening totes. Made of industrial-strength tarpaulin, a heavy double-warp fabric that is plastic-coated, the bags are waterproof and can be quickly washed out in the sink or outside with a garden hose. Each bag is color coded to provide easy visual cues when separating cans from bottles from papers. A fourth bag can function as a compost holder. Velcro tabs enable the bags to be ganged together in a row; handles make for easy carrying. Four interchangeable printed labels are included for use in the plastic window on the front of each bag. $22 for the set of four.
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Taxi!!!!
Posted by etipton – August 6, 2007 10:37 PM
Fresh summer vegetables are so much tastier than the ones you get at the grocery store. This time of year you can make all sorts of things like delicious fresh salsa. During the fall and winter I love to make soups and casseroles. All of these dishes require lots of messy chopped vegetables. The Chef's Planet Stainless Steel Prep Taxi eliminates spills and dropped foods. The Prep Taxi Food Scoop allows you to effortlessly scoop and transfer up to 3 cups of sliced, diced and chopped vegetables, meats and poultry from cutting board to sauté pan or bowl. My kitchen can always use something that keeps it neater. Priced less than $10. 
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Pool Safety
Posted by etipton – August 3, 2007 11:29 AM
If you have a swimming pool and also have children, you need to think about investing in a pool alarm. The Safety Turtle system has a base unit and a wristband for children, adults, or pets. It sends out an alarm when the wristband gets too close to the base unit.
The Pool Eye pool alarm alerts you if anything heavier than 15 pounds falls in the pool. It is a good idea to evaluate your pool situation and find the alarm that works best for your environment. Most systems are priced less than $300.
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Ear Dryer
Posted by etipton – August 2, 2007 9:42 AM
If you or your children are prone to swimmer's ear, try the rechargeable DryEar Ear Dryer. It uses microchip technology, in combination with a gentle heater and fan to blow a regulated flow of warm air into the ear canal. The moisture inside your ear evaporates in about one minute, leaving the ear canal dry and safe from the effects of moisture.Get up to 50 uses before recharging is needed.Priced less than $100.
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Pool Shot Toys
Posted by etipton – August 1, 2007 10:08 AM
If you have a swimming pool, and people of all ages that like to play games, Pool Shot has the gear for you. They have volleyball, basketball, and football equipment for the pool. This high- quality equipment stands up to play from adults and children alike. PoolShot toys start at $125.
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- Birthday lists.
- Good luck!!!
- It's like eyes in the back of your head.
- Dorm Sweet Dorm
- In case of emergency...
- Shine on you crazy diamond.
- Chance of showers.
- Pass room inspection.
- Come and knock on our door.
- The extra touches.
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