July 1st, 2008
Speaking of indoor paint jobs. My kids and I decided we were going to tackle painting the basement while my husband was at work.
I’d never experienced a paint sprayer before, so I thought it would have to be easier then the old fashioned way of rolling on the paint.
Boy was I wrong!
First, the paint sprayer vibrates the heck of of you - it’s an uncomfortable sort of vibration too that makes it difficult to hold on for very long.
Next, the unit gets hot quickly - meaning you have to take more frequent breaks. Taking breaks with a paint sprayer means you have to disassemble the product, clean it and put it back together. If not, while the sprayer is drying, you’re going to end up with gunky paint buildup in places you won’t want it too.
After doing this whole cycle a few times, the boys and I agreed it just wasn’t worth it. However, because it was getting late in the day, we’d decided we were going to finish the project with the sprayer, clean that puppy up and put it in a yard sale.
That was until the darn thing blew up - I mean smoking, popping, stinky smelly kind of blow up. Beyond repair blow up. Beyond taking back to the store blow up.
Thankfully we jumped in the car, ran to the local hardware store. While they had just closed 10 minutes prior, they still opened their doors and sold us three paint rollers and pans. We returned home and within an hour we had the job finished and had even taken our rollers to go back over the areas the sprayer didn’t cover well enough.
If you have a paint job coming up and you’re faced with a decision between a sprayer and a roller - save yourself the hassle and opt for the roller. Or if you absolutely MUST get the sprayer, at least get the roller back ups when I’m singing my happy little “I told you so” tune.
(image: Wagner USA)
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By Gayla McCord -- 0 comments
July 1st, 2008
Some paint stores are now offering paint additives like “PaintPouri” which adds fragrance to the paint.
I’ve had two indoor painting projects that I’ve had to complete and have tried two different fragrances. Now some say the strength of the smell is a bit overpowering, but I don’t notice it so much.
After the recent flooding, the scent was a welcomed guest in my home and based on previous experience, it’s likely to last 3 - 6 months.
Old school painters used to recommend putting a little bit of vanilla extract into the paint. The best handling for paint smells is to get the paint to dry faster.
When the paint is fully dry, the smell will go away. So turn up the heat or put a space heater in the room to make the smells go away.
The next time you have an indoor paint job, be sure to ask for Paintpouri. It’s like lighting a room full of candles that burn for months.
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By Gayla McCord -- 0 comments
June 30th, 2008
Ok, I admit, it’s pretty sad that something as minor as finding a product that removes stains from carpet gets me this excited! But it’s TRUE!
I have four dogs and three teen boys - so you can imagine the beating my carpet takes.
After exploring the different uses of 20 Mule Team Borax recently, I decided to try it out on the spots on my carpet. Or have my son do the work rather. I was looking for a creative punishment that day and it just seemed fitting.
I wish I had taken before and after photos, but that would mean my having to show you just how dirty my carpet was looking. Having the battled the flood on top of the four dogs and three boys - let’s just say you’re going to have to take my word for it.
We mixed up the Borax and warm water into a paste and with sponge in hand, my son hit each individual spot rubbing the mixture in. We then let the spots dry completely and vacuumed the spots right up.
The spots were gone and left in their stead was a delightful clean smell where horrible musty smells had once loomed.
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By Gayla McCord -- 0 comments
June 30th, 2008
When I was told by my son’s doctor that due to his having asthma that he would likely have problems with an eczema prone scalp, I set on my search to find the answer. During football and wrestling season, he gets so embarrassed because of the flakes and the large red marks that resemble ringworm.
It’s impossible to convince other kids that it’s NOT ringworm and it made it rough on him to find someone to practice with.
My hairdresser - which by the way I RA-EALLY Heart her… suggested I try Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo.
This shampoo provides the perfect tingly feeling that lets you know it’s working - a fragrant natural scent that wakes you up and an almost immediate result in ridding your scalp of red, flaky patches and the itchiness subsides.
I have two boys that use this shampoo and conditioner and have not had a problem with recurring eczema since.
Available on Amazon: Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo 32 OZ
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By Gayla McCord -- 2 comments
June 27th, 2008
I know that everyone is worried about energy bills with air conditioning for the summer, and heating for the winter along with water heaters, showers and laundry.
We are all trying to cut the cost of energy in our homes right? I found a gadget that just might help us with that task Kill A Watt EZ. There is a battery- powered backup in case of a power outage.
With this gadget you can determine where you are wasting the most energy in your home. By simply plugging it into any outlet, and then plugging in an appliance it will tell you how efficient your appliances are.
A large screen shows how much power you are using by kilowatt-hour. Call your local utility company and ask for the utility rate and enter it into the gadget to receive the cost by hour, day, and month.
This gadget will allow the family to determine where they need to be more conserving with their energy.
Given the battles that have gone on in my home over $400 a month electric bills, I will be welcoming this little gadget into my arsenal of tools to combat inflation and higher costs of living.
I’ll keep you posted on how this works - where it works and who in my house will not be kicked off the island for overuse of electricity.
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By Gayla McCord -- 6 comments
June 26th, 2008
I know everyone is not like me and cringes at the thought of shellfish - so for those of you who actually do like to eat things that swim - this tip from my mom might interest you.
Oysters shells can be removed by simply using a beer-can opener. The darker side of the oyster is the top just place the point under hinge and push in a downward motion.
Clams can be easily opened after dropping them on a hard surface. Sand can be removed form the clams by covering them with 1/2 cup cornmeal and cold water. After the clams eat the cornmeal they will discharge the sand.
When your recipe calls for cooked clams, or oysters just place them on a cookie sheet in a preheated oven for three to five minutes at 450.
After removing the oyster or clams save the juices from the cookie sheet for future recipes.
(image: stock.xchg)
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By Gayla McCord -- 1 comment
June 26th, 2008
If you have trouble getting grass to grow on steep slopes try covering the seeds with cheesecloth. Use wooden pegs to hold the cheesecloth in place after you have sown your grass seed.
Cheesecloth is so porous that the grass will grow through it. Do not be in a hurry to remove the cloth it can be easily removed later.
Make sure to water the area daily using a sprinkler while soaking the soil to allow for a more abundant growth.
(image: stock.xchg)
This is a guest post contributed by my mom - Jody Ferguson! Everyone say HI Mom!
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By Gayla McCord -- 1 comment
Speaking of indoor paint jobs. My kids and I decided we were going to tackle painting the basement while my husband was at work. 
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