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Sock it to me.

Posted by etipton – February 4, 2008 9:45 AM

Today we launched some new shopping message boards. I'm so excited about them. Currently, we have two boards. The first one is "Where Can I Find It?" I was telling a friend about my job over Christmas. She was so excited to find a "shopping expert." She wanted the little things you use to keep socks together in the washing machine. She bought some years ago, and now needed to buy some more and they were no were to be found. I did a little investigating and sent her the link. They are called sock rings, and you can find them here if you were looking for them yourself. Priced less than $5 for a set of 10.
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I run into this type of thing all the time. Just because you can not find it, doesn't mean someone else can't help you out. That is what makes shopping so fun, sharing it with others. Now, jump in and enjoy! Click here to visit our "Where Can I Find It?" board.

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Home from school.

Posted by etipton – November 26, 2007 9:21 AM

For some kids, Thanksgiving is the first trip back home since leaving for college. They come home with lots of stories and loads of laundry. Give them a little treat with this funny laundry bag. The bag says "One more day and I'll be NAKED!". That should be a real conversation starter at the laundromat. The nylon hamper holds multiple loads of laundry for end-of-the-week cleaning. Priced less than $10.
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Iron Maiden

Posted by etipton – October 24, 2007 8:16 AM

I am that crazy woman at the store that walks up to you and says “you don’t want to buy that! I bought it and it was horrible.” I over heard two sales clerks talking about irons when I was in Jacksonville, Florida last fall. I had a Rowenta, and I thought it was wonderful. I was getting ready to chime in with my Rowenta’s are worth the money lecture when she said she read in Consumer Reports that the Black & Decker Digital Advantage scored higher than even the more pricey irons. I had to check it out. I read the report, and went online to a few sites where people review things. They all LOVED this iron. They had thrown out more expensive irons, and some people even made CRAZY comments like “this makes ironing fun”. I won’t tell you that it makes ironing fun, but I do not send every shirt to the cleaners any more. I have also sold at least three of them by word of mouth to my friends and family, and so far, they are happy with it too. Priced under $70. digital%20iron.jpg

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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.
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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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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.
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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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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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Iron on Tuesday.

Posted by etipton – July 10, 2007 10:41 AM

Ironing. While ironing makes your clothes look so much nicer, it is not fun to do. Here are a few things that make ironing easier.
The first thing you need is a nice ironing board. This deluxe ironing board has a sleeve board. It is adjustable in height almost 34", so it is perfect for people of all heights. The sleeve board allows you to press sleeves, shoulders, and hard to reach areas of your clothing with ease. The end of this ironing board features a hot iron tray, which holds your steam iron at an angle to prevent spills or leaks, and provides a safe place to set your iron between garments. The convenient, adjustable cord minder keeps you from ever burning the cord of your iron. Priced less than $60.
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For those of you with limited space, the Iron N'Fold. Space saving ironing and folding board mounts easily to the washer or dryer and uses only 5" of space. Priced less than $50.
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I do not have ironing talent. When I iron a shirt, it looks like I ironed it at home. With that said, you can have shirts that look like they came straight from the dry cleaners with a steam press. If your kids wear a uniform to school, or you wear a lot of dress shirts, it is much cheaper than sending stuff to the cleaners. Priced around $219.
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Wash on Monday.

Posted by etipton – July 9, 2007 8:55 AM

When I was a child I had these hankies that said: Wash on Monday, Iron on Tuesday etc. As an adult, I still do wash on Monday, but I do not always iron on Tuesday. It is amazing how dirty a family gets over the weekend. My washer and dryer are in the garage. I know I am very lucky to have a washer and dryer in my home - a lot of my readers have to go the building basement or the laundromat to clean clothes - but we are house-hunting, and my next house will have a laundry room. It is high on my priority list. Here are a few of my wish list items for my new laundry room:
I want a three-bin sorter. I know there is nothing wrong with my current system - three piles on the floor in the kitchen - but it would be nice to not trip over the laundry while waiting for loads to finish in the machines. Starting around $40.
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I think this cart looks great. I have three different stain products: fabric softener, bleach, detergent, a more gentle detergent. The stuff really piles up. Depending on the available space, this might fix everything. It has an attached canvas bag, and is heavy-duty quality. It is slender enough to fit nearly anywhere - 32 3/4tall x 30 1/4wide x 8 1/4deep. Priced less than $25.
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