I feel like so much has happened but nothing at all. Time is a really strange concept and if there was ever a time that it was made blatantly obvious I have no life, it is definitely my time in quarantine. I miss people. I miss going to the movies and paying for outrageously priced concessions. I miss concerts. I miss going to Target to see if there is anything new in the dollar spot. I miss going to the bookstore to wander the aisles.I miss going places and having things to do.Right now I have no concept of time. Sure, days go by but it feels like the last month has lasted forever and I have NOTHING to show...
Staying at home has motivated me to tackle some projects around the house. Over the weekend, I decided to take another whack at my closet organization. This time, I focused on winnowing down and tidying up my shoes. I probably should have taken a “Before” photo, but frankly I was too embarrassed. There were loose pairs stacked on some of the boxes, and the ones I’ve been wearing most often were in a jumble on the floor. I cleared out over 1/3 of what I started with. Here’s how it looked once I was done. I like these clear plastic boxes for shoe storage. (I use the Women’s size for shoes, Men’s size for my ankle boots or bulkier shoes.)...
I’ve been working from home for years—something you might have wished you could do, too, before you started sheltering in place and found yourself pining for your cubicle—and like most people who do so, I’ve gotten quite accustomed to doing lots of things alone. One of those things is riding my bike. I don’t mind riding by myself at all. In fact, I cherish the solitude. And while I always enjoy good cycling company when I have it, there’s nothing that tills the soil of your brain like some quiet saddle time. Now it seems the rest of the cycling world is catching up to me, whether they like it or not. (Not hard, given how slow I am.) Nevertheless, riding...
Sorry. And while flowers are a fine start, your partner didn’t just endure a long pregnancy (or long adoption process) and ensuing weeks of sleepless nights for a bouquet of garbage carnations or even worse, a stuffed animal or skanky shower gel you grabbed at the drugstore. The best Mother’s Day gifts for new moms declare that while you’ll never be close to understanding what she went through, you at least have decent taste, and actually put some thought into what you bought her. So while we can’t claim to have seen every single product new moms would want, our picks will make her life easier, help her feel appreciated, or simply, and equally important, allow her to unwind. And while we’re at...
Cast iron pans are known for their longevity. They can last for generations, and vintage pans work just as well as as brand-new ones. But if you’re buying an old cast iron pan, there’s a good chance you’ll need to restore it by removing two types of buildup. First, you'll need to strip away the old layers of seasoning. Then, you'll need to remove any rust that’s built up on the metal. Depending on the state of your pan, you could soak it first in lye, then vinegar. You could also try electrolysis, which eliminates old seasoning and rust in one step. [Edit]Steps [Edit]Using Lye to Strip Seasoning Coat your pans with Easy-Off and seal them in bags for 24...
