It’s no secret, Southeasterners are procrastinators. I have no doubt there are people that live in my area of the country who are Johnny-on-the-spot prepared for hurricane season in March, but for the vast majority of us, that is just not so. I’ve weathered 7 hurricanes, three of them Category Four or Five, and STILL don’t get my stuff together until a storm is bearing down on me. I was without power for almost two months after the season of 2004, which saw four landfalling hurricanes in Florida (I was in all four), and yet…I still wait. Most of those of us who have been through it, grown up with them, know how to improvise when we haven’t braved the long lines at the stores when warnings go up.
For those of you that DO like to be prepared, here is a handy list of things you should have available in your house if you are in a storm path. This works for all manner of storms, even northern storms (you just have to add alternate heating sources and blankets to yours), and some of the things are handy to have around in the middle of the year as well.
- Flashlights (fun for scary stories as well)
- Spare batteries for all battery operated items in your home
- A car power converter/inverter – they make your car lighter or power outlet into a regular household outlet
- Non-perishable food for three to four days (canned meats, fruit, dry cereal, non-perishable milk, etc)
- Bottles and bottles of water (for drinking only. Fill up tubs and sinks for cleaning purposes). A rule of thumb is a gallon per person per day. Figure three to four days.
- A first aid kit, with prescription medications for illnesses.
- Extra gas for your car
- A generator. I really can’t stress this enough. Yes, they can be fairly expensive, and you may not even use it in a season, but I learned to appreciate mine when I was standing in a line at Grainger for 12 hours in 100 degree weather, waiting to purchase one after Hurricane Charlie.
- A portable fan. No, people in the south don’t always have portable fans. We always have ceiling fans.
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Tags: better safe than sorry, first aid kit, hurricane charlie, hurricanes, hurricanes in florida, landfalling hurricanes, medication, medicine, milk, non perishable food, Prepare, storm preparedness, storms, tropical storms, water
See what I did there? For anyone that reads this blog, it’s apparent that I don’t do things normally. Well, normal for the average home owner. I pick up tips and ideas from businesses and incorporate them into our home. My Rubbermaid kitchen storage is straight out of the restaurant kitchen. My husband is a chef, and he uses the workhorses in the kitchen at work and swears by them!
We use three different types at our house; round, square, and rectangular. All are heavy duty, and all keep our food so fresh! The square containers are my favorites, and I use them for flours (of which we have five different types), baking powder, corn meal, coffee, etc. Not only does it eliminate messy, bulky bags, but keeps the critters away. Unfortunately in Florida, weevils are a big issue. Also, they have convenient measurements on the sides, so I can pull out how much I need accordingly, with minimal fuss.
The round containers I use for pastas. Like flours, we have a lot of pasta in the house. I’m Italian, so it’s what I do best and because of these fantastic containers, I buy a lot of pasta! Plus, I’ve used them for cereals, granola, flax seed and things like that, and they keep everything from going stale. I’m also keeping all of the Halloween candy that was left over in a spare. Shhhh, don’t tell anyone.
The last one that I use is rectangular ones, and these are really my all-purpose containers. I store marshmallows (in the bag, air removed), granola bars, energy bars, Pop-Tarts…any kind of boxed item that is packaged separately. I just empty the packages into the containers and voila! instant organization. I’m all about organization, if you haven’t read some of my other blogs. I highly recommend, especially for you organizational brothers and sisters of mine, to purchase some of these gems for your house as well!
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Tags: convenient, cooking, corn meal, flax seed, food, Food storage containers, halloween candy, kitchen accessories, kitchen storage, minimal fuss, organized, purpose containers, restaurant kitchen, restaurants, rubbermaid, storage, weevils, workhorses
If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again – I love art work that uses unusual mediums. Not just art work either, but repurposed items too. Give me a tin coffee can and the best I can do is nail it to some driftwood and call it a planter, so people who can turn flatware into a work of art have my vote. Check out the images below for some truly interesting artwork!
Photo Credits:
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Tags: art, art work, arts, cooking, driftwood, flatware, folk art, folk artist, food, fun, home, illustration, innovative, nature, owls, scorpions, sculpture, silverware
When you have a business, you have a place for your employees to gather on breaks, even if it’s the size of a half bath. Somewhere where a coffee pot sits, maybe a microwave is crowded onto a shelf, and possibly a mini-fridge where your employees can put their meals. No matter where I’ve worked, there has been some kind of set-up, whether it was grand or…not-so-grand.
We have a pretty nice break room here at ReStockIt, and tons of coffee. That’s the important thing. We also have the basics like a full-size fridge, two microwaves, two toasters, a toaster oven, and this hot water thingy that the tea lovers use. Frankly, it scares me, but I don’t drink tea. We also have comfy chairs, a TV, an air hockey table…you get the picture.
Most employers usually provide disposables, and personally I like knowing I don’t have to bring in my own plate, utensils, and coffee mug to get broken or, let’s face it, stolen. Not that we have cup thieves here, but it happens. Opening a cupboard in the break room and having a full complement of plates, bowls, utensils and napkins is a blessing!
Some employers also provide food, which I think is fabulous but not in every businesses budget. I worked for a company that had a full cafeteria and that was amazing! There, the food was provided for us, but a friend of mine works for a company where they pay for their food at a deep discount and use their time badge to pay for it (it gets taken out of their paychecks), which I find very convenient. Cereal, chips, cookies, soups…even sandwiches and salads were provided! No matter what type of break room you have for your employees, take it from me, they appreciate the space! Check out http://www.restockit.com today for breakroom deals and discounts!
Photo Credits:
foodservicewarehouse.com
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Tags: air hockey table, Break rooms, cereal, chips, coffee, coffee pot, comfy chairs, creamer, discount, drink tea, drinks, employers, feeding, food, full complement, granola bars, happy employees, mini fridge, mug theives, restaurants, size fridge, sugar, tea lovers, toaster oven, water
Ah, pens. Nothing in the office supply world quite engenders a heated debate like pens. People are serious about them, okay? And don’t get me wrong, I’m not condemning. I have been in more debates about the merits of Papermate versus Pilot than you can shake a stick at! I love my pens. I have favorites. I get angry when they go missing. I don’t even like it when my husband takes a pen off my desk at home. I’m sure my expression resembles something like a wolf’s does when another animal approaches its kill. That’s my theory anyway, because he usually backs away slowly, his hands stretched out in front of him in submission.
People take pens so seriously that I have witnessed a meltdown when one they’ve ordered online came in incorrectly. Whether it’s the wrong color, the wrong thickness, the wrong barrel color…it’s not a pretty sight. Oddly enough, I find myself almost rooting for the outlandish response. I would be so miffed if I ordered a pen and it was incorrect! I have ordered clothes that were sent incorrectly and not been so mad. Pen addicts, or connoisseurs if you prefer (I do. The other way makes me feel dirty), take their writing instruments very seriously. Whether its ball point ink or gel, fine or broad tip, comfort soft grip or straight barrel, there is a method to the madness.
Strangely enough, and I don’t know how many people are out there like me, I buy pens just to buy them. I have my favorite, the brand that I have bought for years in the ink color and tip size that makes me happy every time I write with it, but I still buy “other” pens. Most I don’t even use more than once, but try and borrow the thing from me. I’ll need a copy of your photo I.D. please. My desk drawers have pens rolling around, all capped, all waiting for me, in more colors than a rainbow. When I see a new pen I haven’t seen before, I buy it. I don’t need it, but…it’s a pen! I have to have it!
What puts us on this path to find ink perfection? Are we all closet perfectionists or have massive cases of OCD? Who knows? I’m not spending money in therapy to find out. One of my favorite movies even highlights the love a lot of people have for pens. It illustrates that if we have something worthwhile to write about, we want to have our favorite pen (and the best writing paper-but that’s another blog) to do so. In Roxanne, Rick Rossovich is coercing Steve Martin into writing a letter to Daryl Hannah, and he tells him “Get your favorite pen”, because even a moose like Rick Rossovich (his character, not him per se) knows that to do the work properly, you have to have your favorite pen.
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Tags: Bic, black barrel, black ink, blue barrel, blue ink, fountain pens, Gel pens, ink, Papermate, pen addict, pens, Pilot, rollerball
Is your garage more of a storage unit than, well, a garage? Is it full of boxes and furniture instead of a car or two? Are your shelves bowing under the considerable weight of memories past? Do you ever wonder what’s buried in that dark corner under the canvas tarp? Do you WANT to know what’s under there?
If your garage is anything like mine, then no, you really don’t. I’ve talked on this blog about how organized I am (or have deluded myself into thinking I am), but my garage is scary with a capital S. The only part that makes any sense is my laundry area. Other than that, I could have a whole colony of gnomes living amongst the leaning boxes and humped piles of storage bags.
My big spring cleaning project is garage organization, and frankly I’m terrified of what I’m going to find. I’m trying to psych myself up to it by treating it as an archaeological dig and we’re looking for the Ark of the Covenant or a crystal skull, but I haven’t made progress with that. What I have made progress with is starting to purchase the tools we’ll need to get it organized and hopefully stay organized! After I talk myself into NOT saving everything.
I’ve taken the liberty of listing a few of the things that I’m picking up to get the garage in shape, so hopefully they’ll benefit you as well. Happy organizing!
Shelving – sturdy shelving, preferable with doors, is the first step in successful garage organization. It can take the weight, and instead of seeing paint cans strewn everywhere, you see nice, neat doors.
Organizers - Specifically wall mounted ones. They are perfect for hanging mops, brooms, rakes, etc. Most have latches AND hooks, so you can hang rope and extension cords as well.
Work spaces - We’re purchasing a mobile work station instead of building one. Its more convenient for us, as neither one of us plays with power tools to build things, and we can move it around the garage for more space.
Garbage Cans – Heavy duty and not prone to breaking. We bought two of the Rubbermaid Brute garbage cans and they contain all of our refuse until garbage pickup.
Storage – Bins and boxes. Perfect for everything from books and albums to nails and screws. You can’t go wrong with a hefty supply of both. Plus, you can use them up in your attic and turn that room into scary hoarding storage space.
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Tags: Ark of the Covenant, Brute, cleaning, containers, garage, garbage cans, Indiana Jones, organizing, racks, rolling carts, spring cleaning, storage, trash cans
We like to laugh here at ReStockIt, and what time is better to laugh than April Fool’s Day? The quintessential prank day (with mysterious origins) has always been a favorite of mine, and office pranks just make work life more interesting. Today, we bring to you some classic office pranks, and a few new ones you might not have seen before.
Personally, I like the crime scene- to me, that one is just hilarious. I would be freaked out if I came in to work in the morning, and my office had a body outline on the floor with evidence tags and police caution tape! One I hadn’t seen before was the mouse in Jello –what?!?! That one made me gawp at the screen. Brilliant!
SaranWrap in doorways (or on toilets), hot sauce on tacos, prank voicemail messages, heck, just a plain ol’ “April Fool’s!” note or text to make someone wonder what the joke was, are all excellent pranks to pull on people. Below, we present some pranks for your perusal. Enjoy!
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Tags: April 1st, April Fool's Day, body outline, David Hasselhoff, jello, jello mouse, Justin Beiber, office fun, office supplies in jello, practical jokes, pranks
I’m sure some of you already know about our Rewards program, but I thought I’d talk about it a little today. Rewards programs are excellent ways to save you money, and ours is no different! Who doesn’t like saving money?
Sign up for exclusive rewards that can earn you free shipping and dollars off future purchases. Earn points by letting us know how we’re doing by posting reviews on products, or linking your Facebook and Twitter accounts with us. Refer a friend, sign up for email, even open an email from us, and you earn points to be redeemed for free shipping and discounts. You can also earn badges for being social, a pro-shopper, and a reviewer extraordinaire! Follow the link below to sign up today!
http://www.restockit.com/rewards-program.aspx.
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Tags: blogging, discounts, email, free shipping, Rewards, Rewards programs, saving money, social media
It’s that time of the year again, when the weather is starting to warm up, and windows are being thrown open to air out the house. Chasing out the mustiness of winter, and letting in the fresh air of spring, is almost a sacred tradition, especially in the north. It’s Spring Cleaning time!
This is a HUGE cleaning time of the year for me. EVERYTHING gets cleaned, from the top of the cabinets to backs of bookcases. I use everything from Swiffer dusters and Pledge to Windex and Ajax. The cleaning chemical world loves me at this time of year.
Not to mention the sponges, bar towels, paper towels and toothbrushes that I go through. It usually takes me a full weekend to get everything done, but man does the house sparkle after that! Glass and mirrors shine, and animals and people alike tend to walk into the sliding glass doors, thinking they’re open.
To finish off everything, I light candles and spray Febreeze. I also simmer some orange slices, cloves, and cinnamon on the stove, which sends such a beautiful fragrance through the whole house! You can also simmer lemon, rosemary, and vanilla. Just remember to refresh the water! What do you do to get your house ready for spring?
Photo Credit:
http://www.theyummylife.com/Natural_Room_Scents
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Tags: cleaning supplies, fragrances, houses cleaning, pledge, room scents, sliding glass doors, smell goods, spring, spring cleaning, spring cleaning time, Swiffer
In our very hectic lives, we turn to computers to help simplify them. We make lists, create spreadsheets, fax, email…you name it, we use a computer to do it. Well, except to wash dishes and clothes, which frankly would be phenomenal if someone can figure THAT out.
So what do we do when we’re going to be away from our digital vault of our lives? We load it all onto a USB flash drive. No matter what you call them – flash drives, jump drives, thumb drives- they are the new storage device that we carry with us to access all our important data.
Gone are the days of the floppy disk and diskettes. Even CD’s are becoming obsolete as data storage devices now that flash drives are dropping in price and gaining more storage – all while becoming even smaller than they already are. Some are so tiny; I’m scared they’d get lost!
We can even express our individuality through our flash drives. My husband’s favorite flash drive is his Boba Fett. Mine is my StormTrooper. I also have one that’s kind of fancy looking, that I use if I have a meeting or a presentation to give. No matter what your personal preference, or what you use it for, flash drives are our new best friends!
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Tags: Boba Fett, Captain America, computer, data storage, flash drives, gadgets, Hulk, Iron Man, jump drives, Marvel comics, mobile storage, Star Wars, StormTrooper, technology, The Avengers, Thor, thumb drives
