PUR

I've always been somewhat of my environmental impact and try to do what I can. Recently, as I changed my water pitcher's filter, it reminded me to contact PUR's customer service to inquire about recycling their filters. I know Brita and Zero water have a recycling program. Here is the response from PUR:

Thank you for your recent email.

I would like to inform you that PUR has recently been purchased by Kaz Inc. from Proctor and Gamble.  Unfortunately, at this time we do not have a program or suggestions for recycling PUR products.  I would suggest contacting your local waste management company for recycling recommendations.

I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Kaz is committed to offering quality customer service and we hope we have done this for you.  Please don't hesitate to contact us if you require further assistance.

Please visit our website www.kaz.com to view all of our current products and Web Specials/Rebates! The site also contains many Frequently asked questions, pricing, and the Owner Manuals for the products.

Nicholas Marszalkowski
Consumer Relations Specialist

I wish I had purchased a Brita or Zero water filtration system years ago instead of PUR. I wasn't aware back then of the issue. 

So now the question is, do I still stick with PUR (using what I already have, with no current solution, in hopes of future improvements in recycling)? Or purchase another system (spending money, purchasing a new system which is a waste of energy for a redundant product, and donate my PUR but not solving the landfill reduction in regards to filters)?

Bites of Dust

Does anyone know how these things get dusty and debris-y?

Annoying.

Keep at Basil

Why buy basil leaves when you can get the whole plant?

A cheap alternative to floral centerpiece. Fragrant. And think of the possibilities!

I'm going to massacre this guy and make pesto. Mmmmm. Any other suggestions?

Game Plan: Kitchen

The kitchen is, and has been 99% complete for some time now. But here was our initial plan:

1. Faucet (Kohler Forte K-10433-CP)
   
2. Sink (16 gauge, undermount stainless steel from eBay)
   
3. Over-the-range microwave (LG LMV1680ST)
   
4. Cabinetry hardware (Alno A1239, A1298)
   
5. Cabinets (Distinctions Cabinetry in Glendale Burgundy)
   
6. Fridge (LG LFC20760ST)
   
7. Dishwasher (Whirlpool Gold GU2275XTV)
   
8. Canisters (from Home Goods)
   
9. Granite (Sapphire Jolie)
   
10. Paint (Behr, Wheat Bread in eggshell)
    
11. Kitchen lights (Commercial Electric 5" recessed lights)
    
12. Bar lights (Commercial Electric 3" recessed lights)
    

So there you have it!

Sink Below

There are 3 types of households: those that keep the trash bin under the kitchen sink, those that keep cleaning supplies there, and then there are those that do neither and store other* things there.

I am a hybrid of all 3:


I have lived with the trash bin out in the open - with a lid, without a lid; recycling bin out in the open, or just a paper bag hidden in a closet. I've even kept cookware under the sink before (it was a tiny apartment).

In this house and this particularly small kitchen, we like to keep it clean and simple (left to right): trash, recycling, compost, dishwasher detergent, trash bags and plastic wrap/aluminum foil/freezer bags (on the cabinet door).


But you know that house voyeur in me wants to know what everyone else keeps under their sink. Trash or no trash? Recycling? Compost bucket? Cleaning supplies? Cookware? Plastic shopping bags? Doggie poop bags?

*If you are one of those who keep other things under there, I'm really intrigued...

Over the Counter

For me, counter space is always rare and at a premium. Whatever is kept out on the counter must be pretty crucial to have such valuable real estate. So I like to see what other people keep on their counters, it's like peeking into their purse (or wallet).

Things people leave out on the counters include oil and vinegar, cereal, flour, sugar, coffee, tea, etc. So here, let me offer you a look at mine:

Left to right: balsamic vinegar, olive oil, pepper mill, infused olive oils solely for looks


Ceramic bowl with lid with garlic, onion, ginger, potatoes


Left to right: walnuts, brown rice, white rice, pasta

What does it say about me? That I'm on the Atkins diet? Or that I should be? Maybe I should empty everything in those canisters and do this? What do you guys keep out on your counters?

Thankful

This Thanksgiving, I realized what I'm thankful for:

1. Not having a dead hummingbird in my freezer. I buried him and the katydid before the baby shower:

2. Not having a fridge in the living room:


3. Having a range that is actually hooked up:


4. No musty concrete floors (or stinky chemicals applied to them):


5. No exposed live wires or studs:


6. A drywall dust-free living environment:


7. Having a dining table that no longer looks like this:


8. Not cooking in the powder room:


9. And most of all... not washing dishes in the (upstairs) bathtub:


Although I never cooked a Thanksgiving meal in the old kitchen, or in any kitchen - I'm glad I was able to do it in the new one and make enough food to feed several people. How about y'all?

House Decency - part 7

A huge home urgency is the kitchen is when you are without one. Ironically, once it is to a completely functional state, the details become hardly a priority at all. For over 6 months.

On our list for the kitchen:

1. Filler strips for the gaps on each side of the dishwasher


When we installed the dishwasher, we pretty much just plugged it in and rolled it into place. There were gaps on either side that exposed the insulation surrounding the exterior. We could just remove the insulation so it would be more inconspicuous, but then it wouldn't be as quiet or as heat efficient. So we rolled out the dishwasher, ripped some filler strips, installed with metal brackets behind them, and wheeled the dishwasher back into place. I think it gives a more polished look. No?

2. Install dishwasher air gap

Technically, our dishwasher model doesn't require it (I think most newer dishwashers don't). But it's always a good idea to build and install to code, so when you decide to sell, you won't have to explain or argue this. Just do it. And plan for it (we had an extra hole cut in the granite for it, during the installation). An air gap connects between the dishwasher to the disposer and prevents dirty drain water from backing up into the appliance. To install, connect a flexible hose from the dishwasher drain to the disposer's inlet (or if you don't have a disposer, to the sink's drain trap). You can also form the hose into a high arc for bonus points or if you're not using an air gap but want to take precaution.

3. Install last cabinet filler strip above fridge


I've been pondering what to do with this last gap. Ideally it would be functional, squeezing one last bit of storage out of this tiny kitchen. The only thing I've been able to think of is a place to put cookbooks, but books are heavy. And making this little sliver of a space strong enough to hold heavy books while keeping all brackets and hardware discreet would be a challenge. So for now, we wedged a piece of filler strip there. Should we keep it like this? Any other ideas?

4. Mount ice maker water filter

It was just lying in the back of the sink cabinet. It came with mounting brackets, so why not use them and get it out of the way?

5. Install toe kick under base cabinets


You may have noticed from the icemaker waterline installation that we hadn't put in the toe kick. It just wasn't a high priority. But had we done it right after we installed the waterline to the freezer, I'm sure there wouldn't be massive dust bunnies under there. Or the random garlic clove. Or baby carrot. Or two.

6. Burial for found creatures

While doing said home projects, I discovered a dead green leaf bug in the garage (I think it's called a Katydid). I took this opportunity to bury him, along with the hummingbird that's been in our freezer for 9 months. I put the 2 together in the deep hole left by the For Sale post in our front lawn. I hope that hummingbirds and katydids get along...

So now the kitchen is complete. Almost. I would deem it 99.5% finished. The last 2 things to do are install crown molding and some corner shelves. We have the materials for both projects, it's just figuring out how and when to do this...

House Decency - part 6

Since we had some electrical items on our to-do list, we had to turn off the electricity to the house. So we figured we might as well do all the electrical things at once (and during daylight hours for heat and light reasons) so that we only had to deal with the lack of power once. We rely on our modem for internet for music and entertainment. And to power our landline (cordless phones). And to power our coffeemaker.

1. The bathrooms were the only rooms left that did not have rocker switches and screwless outlet faceplates installed to match those throughout the house.

Before

After

2. The outlet in the kitchen in the granite was white. It was supposed to be temporary but we hadn't gotten around to purchasing the black GFCi outlet, even though we special ordered the ebony screwless faceplate. I don't have a before pic but here's the after:

That was supposed to be it on our list of electrical things to do. However in doing the guest bath upstairs we rewired wrong and it ended up controlling the garage's electrical work. And then in fixing that, we blew a circuit. We left our house in a very vulnerable state in search of replacement - with the garage door wide open, new motorcycle exposed, dog with broken leg at home uncrated, but we did leave the main breakers off.

Luckily the hardware store is only a few miles away and our favorite staff member (Jason) was working that day. And he knew electrical. And us. And the dogs. And the dogs love him. And I like to think we get special treatment. So we replaced the breaker and after a couple unplanned additional hours, we finally were able to scratch electrical off our list. BTW, circuit breakers are expensive! Those are the things they keep locked up in cases.


Plus it's annoying to reset all the clocks on the microwave, range, and clock radio, and coffeemaker*.

*Have you noticed that we are a household run by coffee? More specifically caffeine, because we use our electric kettle for tea as well. We are equal opportunity caffeine addicts.

New Heights

Everyday I definitely appreciate all the aspects of our new kitchen. Lately, it has been our fridge. Although it is smaller than most fridges (under 20 cubic feet), it suites our needs perfectly. I love that it has french doors, so the kitchen doesn't have to be completely blocked off when one door is open. I love that I can open both doors and fit a pizza box in there (even though we've only done this once). I love how quiet it is. I love that the drawers are clear so I can see all the food I have (or lately, don't have). I love how I don't have to bend down to dig around (especially with my old lady back). I love that I can drop a bag of peas into the pull out bottom freezer. I love that we have the ice maker hooked up. And I love that I can select the ice cube size (even though I never change it). And most of all, I love that this new love of mine is no longer in the living room and has a permanent home.

Initially a new fridge was not planned. We were going to wait for our old one to die to save some money. However, since we had already ordered the base cabinets and the old fridge would no longer fit, we were forced to upgrade that too. Yeah forced. The new fridge twisted our arms.

But before the new fridge was permanently rolled into place, we had to hang the cabinets above them. We must have been so enamored with our new appliance that once again, we ordered wrong size cabinets, to go above it. Here you can see our markings for the old wall cabinet, the fridge and the new wall cabinet:


The blue chalk lines mark the studs to mount the wall cabinets onto:


I wonder if anyone will ever see those markings? I wonder if we'll sell the fridge with the house? I wonder if we'll ever move out of this house?


Everytime I open the french doors on our fridge, I forget all the hassle we went through. It was so totally worth it. Wouldn't you agree?

Wine, Oh!

I've mentioned that we enjoy wine right? I mean we like the stuff. Love the stuff. And sadly, we've accumulated my former centerpiece ourselves. But rest assured, we're no wine snobs:

You are seeing correctly - that is an entire wine rack full of Charles Shaw. Because we buy it by the case.

Any good budget wine recommendations? We could use some variety!

Ants in My...

Cabinets! My new cabinets. Grrr.

I have researched all safe, green, and chemical-free ways to kick these nomads out of our kitchen. I read about chalk, cinnamon sticks, clove, and decided my strategy would be to set up some bait that was laced with a little something extra. In other words: orange marmalade with borax.

The plan was for them to find it, bring it back to the nest and to the queen, and let all the other little worker ants know. Then boom, they should all keel over or at least get the hint not to come back:


My first attempt was too potent, so all the hundreds of ants appear to have died upon immediate consumption. But hours later, all the bodies were gone. Every single one. Did the healthy ants become pallbearers and carry all the cadavers away? Even digging them out of the sticky jelly? So I concluded that my bait was too potent and they were temporarily passed out. In other words: fail.

Here is attempt # 2:


This is not supposed to be instant so after several days the results will become apparent. But the problem appeared to be worsening instead of getting better. And I grew impatient with this tamer version of bait. In other words: I resorted to chemicals.

Do you think my strategy would have been a success? Was my fatal plan fatally flawed? Was I just too impatient? Do you have better tips? To use or not to use chemicals?

Dishing out the Dishwasher

I have been thankful for this dishwasher. I have been very thankful for this dishwasher. And here is when it was installed:

Hooking up the electrical wires for, well, power:

Hooking up the drain pipe to the disposer to well, dispose:

Then plug in the power cable.

Then roll it into place.

And then submit energy efficient rebate, arrange an inspection for model verification, and then done!

Truthfully, the most difficult part was the inspection appointment...

Tortilla frisbee

This is what happens when you play frisbee indoors with a tortilla:

Score? Goal? Touchdown?

Decan

Last year we were excited to win this decanter at a raffle, because we never win anything. But there were 2 problems we've encountered with it over time: it's hard to wash, and it never dries inside.

So here's my solution:

It's now a make shift vase. Just go outside, snip a stem of Agapanthus and you have yourself a casual floral centerpiece. If you want to get fancy, add river rocks, pebbles or glass marbles.

Stacked and Stoked

Last week I went to Goodwill to drop off some various items (nothing my friends would want, I know you're reading). I ended up coming out with not 1, but 2 cake stands (for $5 total, yum). And I already have 1 at home. And hardly eat cake. Do I have a problem?


I stacked them to put them away and discovered that they look like a tiered tray. Then I took all the fruit out of a big bowl we had lying around, and put it on my new stand and ta-da, I had a centerpiece.

Looks like my slight addiction is good for cakes and fruit. Maybe even fruitcake.

If you've got cheap, easy, or accidental centerpieces, I want to see and hear about them!

Bar Hopping

I've been too busy enjoying our granite counters to post about them. But eventually I will.

In the meantime, here's Chibi at the bar:

Doing her best Stevie Wonder impression:

Oh yeah, how's that slab of rock feel on your body Cheebs?

After spending a couple grand on the stuff, humans shouldn't be the only species to enjoy it. This is why we have dogs. Especially small ones. Particularly if they are on loan.

The Gap

When you install cabinets that are stock instead of custom, you save a bundle. But you also get some small gaps, like ours below:


We intended to fill this 3" gap with a filler strip that matches the burgundy color of the cabinet doors (the frames shown above are maple). But we fortunately discovered the pull out spice shelf from Rev-A-Shelf (ordered from Home Depot) that would fit perfectly.

We ripped a filler strip to go in the front and purchased and installed an additional pull handle and took care of that gap for good:


I created spice labels and slapped those on for a nice consistent look (I'm so particular with certain things). I love that when you pull out the rack you can see all the spices clearly (with those most used on the bottom 2 racks). So we transformed 3" of completely dead space to an extremely functional one.


It was a little pricey but so worth it. Especially with a small kitchen, you have to utilize as much space as wisely as possible. And creatively.

We were pretty darn lucky to hit the jack pot with this product. But we're also simple beings, so that doesn't say much. Have you encountered a situation with a home project where you were as (or more) fortuitous?