Renew a pizza stone by letting it run through your oven's self-clean cycle. The worst that can happen is that it'll crack and you'll have to replace it, but most of the time it works fine because the ceramic was fired at a much higher temperature. It might help to warm it slowly to 400 or so before engaging the self-clean cycle.
This is a food processor lid that snapped in half when I dropped it on the slate floor. Sugru to the daring, orange rescue. (the food processor body is orange so it all looks absolutely intentional)
The plumbing pipes above the new water heater collect condensation, which then drips on the top of the water heater and wants to run into the electrical well on top of the water heater. IX-NAY! I made a nice white gasket around the electrical controls so no pesky water can find its way into the workings.
This is a guest post written by my lovely colleague Vicky Sanderson, a triple-threat guru in the fields of entertaining, decor and cooking! Vicki writes Hot Home Products, a weekly column on home improvement, décor and housewares that appears in the Toronto Star and on YourHome.ca - Follow her on Twitter: @vickysanderson
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Feeling seasonal stress already? Relax. It’s supposed to be fun, remember? Just in case that wise yogic counsel didn’t induce calm, here are three ways to instantly dial down the holiday pressure.
Give gifts that encourage family togetherness. Nothing says downtime like a couple of movies in a row on a snow-soaked afternoon. Choose a family favourite, such as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – just out in a collectible box at HMV — and add a classic, such as West Side Story.
Foodie Blues?
Enough with all the cooking already! Stock up on high-quality prepared foods from a specialty retailer like M&M Meat Shops. Pop their frozen pot roast in a slow cooker, which will produce a delicious cooking-all-day aroma (nudge, nudge) before adding veg and — if you like — a splurt of red wine. Serve with a pre-mixed salad and artisanal bread. For dessert, pull out M&M’s mini cream puffs, Nanaimo bars and tiny, perfect fruit tarts. When folks compliment you on the meal, sigh with exhaustion, daintily wipe your brow and say they were worth every ounce of the trouble you took.
Be a Pig Hero
Remember what it’s really all about, and make a donation on behalf of someone far, far away whose life isn’t as blessed as yours. Consider, for example, World Vision, which partners with local communities in developing countries to improve lives. A donation of $50 and a family receives two hens and a rooster; $40 buys a pig. The bonus here – you’ll raise a smile when you tell folks you gave pigs and poultry as presents this year.
Plastic kids' tools made from recycled milk cartons. Great for fine motor skills, developing 3D aptitude and eye-hand coordination. What's not to love? For ages 2+. Thanks to Kevin Fraser for the heads up.
via www.forbes.com
When a Forbes reporter says "This is one of my favorite products," you gotta get some! (I got my first Sugru the day they launched in 2009. They sold out in one day.)
I once had to repaint a floor 7 times because I couldn't get the colour right. I went through white, straw, green, grey, gold and brown before finally settling on Chili Pepper Red (and only because the paint-counter lady took pity on me and suggested it). Things would have been way easier with this cool electronic tool, which is now available for free at any ICI paint store.
via www.gizmag.com
Wow, this little activity monitor looks like a game changer. It tracks all of your daily activity (and any slugfest couch-y segments too). Even gives you little vibratory reminders to move if you've been sitting for too long, has a smart alarm to wake you when you're out of REM sleep, and tracks how your food choices affect the way you feel. Pairs with iPad, iPod touch and iPhone. And an 80-minute charge lasts 10 days. Available at Apple stores for about $100. More info at Jawbone.
Cutting edge safety gear including MP3 player ear-protection and a respirator that lets you sound like Darth Vader.
Which of these would you say uses dramatically more fuel?
A Gassy Experiment Leads to Horsepower Love
I’ve always objected to ride-on mowers because I’d heard that they consume a gallon of gas faster than a university student can shotgun a beer. Is it true?
I went searching for specs comparing the fuel efficiencies of different types of mowers. I couldn’t find a thing online, so I contacted some people I knew at Sears and Husqvarna asking for any research they had.
They had charts comparing the amount of time that different mowers require to cut the same area of lawn. But they couldn't answer my burning question about how much more gas it takes to do the same job with a bigger mower.
So I proposed to Sears that I borrow a few of their demo models for the summer to do an experiment, cutting the same area of lawn throughout the summer using three very different-sized mowers.
They agreed to the experiment. A few days later a big truck came up the driveway and dropped off a 190cc Eco Plus mower, a 12-horsepower Smart Rider, and the big daddy, a Craftsman 26-horsepower garden tractor.
I alternated machines weekly throughout the summer and early fall. I carefully measured the fuel consumption when refilling the machines, and kept a chart of litres used.
I was really, really surprised by the results.
Continue reading "My grand experiment; the truth about lawnmowers and fuel consumption" »
via technabob.com
I used to have a collection of Star Trek Christmas ornaments but this is way classier. (Starts shipping in December from ThinkGeek for about $40) WHO WOULDN'T WANT A PAIR OF THESE?
We're All In This Together
Based on four years of interviews with Steve Smith, Mag's unconventional biography reveals the personal stories, sorrows and joys that continue to inspire the man behind the Red Green legacy.
How Hard Can It Be?
Mag's quirky and entertaining book of home improvement projects for beginners.
