November 13, 2020
A couple of items that will help you make life easier.
Plus a bonus: A link to a collection of every cheatsheet imaginable! You won’t believe it.
HOUSEHOLD ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR FALL
I was preparing a monthly “Household Essentials” post for a while, but I skipped October. Sorry. Anyway, this one is a little different! Trying to look ahead and think about the season. See what you think.
FIRST, PUT IT UP, REACH IT EASILY.
Frustrated with inconvenient arrangements at home? Maybe you’ve got space not being utilized (or not enough space to begin with!). Maybe you can’t get to what you need easily — you need a combination of choreographed actions just to uncover it. You’re not alone.
Read on for a small collection of handy household items that are crazy helpful. Just look.
Storage, ladder, TV help, and then a list you will LOVE.
The collapsible crate is what you need in the back of your SUV or your trunk, or maybe in the garage or a storage closet.
I keep mine in the back of the SUV. It folds flat nicely, but pops up easily to contain groceries that might topple or a potted plant I’m driving around.
I’ve also got a spare one for other needs. The fact that they store flat is so important.
The ladder has been mentioned before. I’m not hounding you, but did you get your mama this ladder yet? I’m telling you — this is the kind of ladder we need as we get (ahem…) a little older. Check out the reviews. Wide steps, a shelf, a tall handle, and plenty sturdy.
NEXT:
WATCHING TELEVISION JUST GOT BETTER!
Have you still got cable or satellite? We were almost giddy when we found out how to cut the cord. We did this a few years ago and never looked back. I’m not really techy, so it was hard to wrap my brain around what Roku really is. Here’s my best explanation:
What is Roku?
It’s a “streaming device” that uses your wifi signal to pick up streamed videos over the internet. It connects to your television set and produces the streamed signal on your screen. Much like an antenna, just in an internet way. There are several versions, depending on your television I guess. I don’t think my tv is smart, but that sounds sorta judgy.
Actually we finally did get a “smart” TV that has Roku already installed, with no separate device. If you watch, they will go on sale.
If you already know all about this, you’re probably falling asleep. But honestly, some people (*me*) are just slower to understand. Thank goodness for young friends who explained this all to me.
Purchasing it is a one-time event, just a thing you purchase and follow the instructions to set up. There are some free channels, including the Roku channel. But of course we wanted a little more. You might, too.
What most people do is subscribe to a service like Hulu, Disney Plus, or Amazon Prime, to get collections of things to watch. Each one has countless shows and movies to watch for a monthly fee of $10 or less. You sign up for whichever one (or ones) you select and get billed monthly. They will appear on your home screen as choices. Those are only a few of the services you can use. There are also some packages that resemble cable packages, with varying prices.
You also need…
We needed a local antenna also, to pick up stations that are broadcast over the air (the old fashioned way). We were hoping for 5-6 channels to come through clearly. We get over 60 channels with the antenna which we mounted in our attic. Check out the picture of the antenna. It’s a flexible square of vinyl with a cord. No rabbit ears or aluminum foil at all.
You purchase the antenna, place it, and connect it to your television. Mounting it is easy, but selecting the place is important. Near a window, up kind of high, so the signal can reach it. There’s no monthly fee. Who knew you could still do this?!
So these two things help you make the change: The Roku device and the antenna. You may spend $50-100+ to buy them, but then that part’s done.
It’s not even super hard to set them up. (Check out the Roku orange product box in the image — the instructions are there on the side.)
Then you decide what viewing services you want to use. Still cheaper than cable for most of us.
For more detailed information, check out this article, some Roku information for beginners, which will answer a lot more questions.
Here are the two products:
Do you think having some control over the programming is an advantage? It sure seems like it.
GIFTS, ANYONE?
I’m not telling you what to do. Well, maybe I am.
Here’s the thing: with gift-giving season coming up, you really want to give something useful, something safe, and something that is an improvement. This could be a good start to your list!
Those are our four household essentials. I’ll try to have a few more next month.
CELEBRATING
The holidays will be different this year. (Again.)
We kinda have a choice:
- Keep focusing on what we can’t or shouldn’t do,
- or Plan what we can or should do.
Over the next few weeks let’s put our hearts into being creative and meaningful.
I’ve been fortunate to have a family very flexible in their holiday celebrations. We’ve done fun gift games, and we’ve done no gifts, and we’ve done charity grocery-delivery Christmas caroling. We’ve eaten burritos at the beach for Thanksgiving, or celebrated with 30+ people eating traditional turkey and dressing in our house and then jumping in leaves. (The leaves were outside. Sometimes I think we might be able to do it inside if we just track in a few more.)
See if you can come up with ideas to share for celebrations. And we’ll re-visit this soon!
If you’d like a little more about Christmas, Check out my posts on Minimalist Gift Ideas, or on having a Simpler More Connected Celebration.
Now, get ready for a link that answers all your questions — even the ones you don’t have!
AND NOW, (drumroll) THE BONUS!
This is a link to the best ever cheatsheet roundup. 50 simple explanations for ordinary things. This is one of the most helpful things I have found online.
A list of everything. What to call things, how to measure and place them, when to plant them, and more.
I’m not going to name all 50 here, but please go look for yourself! Here are a few:
- Dimensions and measurements for furniture, rugs, and appliance placement.
- Brick and tile patterns.
- Types of window coverings, furniture legs, and chair backs.
- Flooring types, with pros and cons.
- Plants for each season.
- Color psychology, design principles, and picture hanging guidelines.
- Light bulb types and how to use them.
- Organization and storage tips for each room in your house.
- Tablecloth sizes.
I’ve got this saved on my Pinterest page. We’ve got some home repairs going on, and I actually needed to be able to use the correct words to describe what kind of repair I wanted. So I had to do some looking online to up my conversation game. Turns out “thingy“, “off-white“, and “kinda medium” aren’t helpful to contractors. 😉
I was so excited to share this post with you, because it just covers so much. I hope you enjoy it.
What now?
Hmmm. I’d say get a jump on that holiday gift list. Maybe over the next few weeks I’ll come up with a few more. 🤗
If you like, go back and look over the previous “Household Essentials” to get more ideas.
Household Essentials September
As always, thank you for stopping by to see what’s happening here. Come back soon. Grab a cup of coffee and sit down for a friendly visit.
Check out the Blog Archive page for a taste of what else is here.
And if you’d like a quick e-mail when the next post comes out, subscribe.
Thank you! At GFP company is always welcome!
If you liked this topic 🤗, feel free to 👉 share 👈 on Facebook or Pinterest, or send a link to a friend.
Are you on Pinterest? That is a crazy fun place! You can find so many helpful things. Take a look at what I’ve saved for you! A lot of things that never make it to the blog. Here are my Pinterest pins, and I also have categories/boards if you’re looking for something specific.
Would you like access to the Subscriber Resource Library here at GFP? All the recipes, Scripture printables, etc., are available there, at no cost. Subscribers receive a password to access the library.
-Grammye
I’m Grammye, and I’m collecting and sharing ideas that can help you embrace the life you have.
When things are difficult, come here to refresh and relax. We’ll have coffee and talk.
You’re invited
to the neighborhood of GFP.
Accept by signing up
and I’ll send you a letter right away.