need a lamp?

this has been one of my big questions in life... what to do with them all... amazing cd lamp made by DanaTyStudiocraft (i found it on etsy.com)


also, for a more personal suggestion... i took 2 cds and some thin wool plaid fabric and made cool coasters. first i sandwiched the cds inside two layers of the fabric. then i handsewed around them, and made it nice and snug. and then i zigzagged around the edge, and my friends love them! yay! (2 cds just makes it stronger and thicker and uses up your cds faster)

Salty Grin

Seriously. Weleda Salt Toothpaste doesn't look, taste, or foam up like normal toothpaste, but my teeth have that just-back-from-the-dentist clean feeling every day.

Avoiding Bathroom Issues

Own a plunger and keep it in your bathroom. This is especially vital for when you have houseguests; having a plunger right next to the toilet obligates them to fix any clogged toilet issues they may have contributed to.

a suggestion from grammie

if you need to organize odds and ends or office supplies, try this suggestion:
find everyday containers such as empty soup cans or small boxes that are the sizes you want. cover them with matching contact paper to unify the look. you can even add a strip of contact paper to something else, for example, the stapler, to make it all fit together. it works well for things like post-it notes, pencil containers and paper clip holders.

any pattern will do, the flowered ones are nice. if you are covering containers to go in your car (for example: containers for coupons, change, and a mini flashlight) find a pattern or color that compliments the interior of your car well.

another variation is to cover small containers, and fit them all into a bigger box like a shoe box, or the lid of a shoe box. since they are now all the same color, the different sizes of the boxes don't matter, it looks like they were meant to be together in the first place!


(i borrowed this suggestion from my grammie...she is the most organized person i know.)

mix tape...or is it?

another creative way to make mp3 friendly mixes.

i wish you could still put these into your tape player to listen.

New Candy Standard

Oh man, the other day I had the most incredible chocolate bar: Vivani. I don't really know how to describe delicious food...but it was delicious. It's German candy like this that proves all the other chocolates are mostly made of wax. The one I had was milk chocolate with hazelnuts, but they also make ones with fruit, green tea, and espresso that I want to try.

Find in natural food grocery stores for about three dollars.

Urban Navigational Device

Next time you're headed for an unfamiliar address, don't scribble the directions in normal-sized ballpoint writing, and don't print out a page of tiny, cryptic internet-mapping text with big colorful advertisements. Instead, grab a fat Sharpie and write out big, bold, easy-to-read directions on a piece of scratch paper. This is especially useful when you're trying to find a place at night. You'll spend less time squinting at a piece of paper, and more time looking at the road: everybody wins!