Archive for June, 2010
The Reel World
The universe works in funny ways sometimes. Take a few weeks ago when we were lamenting the death of our lawn mower on Facebook and Twitter (though we later resuscitated it with some basic DIY maintenance). After we sounded the Twitter and Facebook alarm, not only did we get lots of suggestions from you guys, but our friends at Lowe’s noticed our online call for help. In fact, they – along with the kind folks at Fiskars – generously offered up one of their newest mowers: a Fiskars Momentum Reel Mower, which just happened to be one of the more frequent recommendations that we got via Twitter and Facebook. Coincidence? We thought not. So we gratefully took Lowe’s up on their generous offer. And they even agreed to extend the offer to one lucky reader- so stay tuned for that prize as part of our Lowe’s Fathers’ Day Freebie which we’ll be posting later today!
But back to the matter mower at hand. I’ll admit that I was a bit skeptical of a reel mower at first, since it seemed like such a low-tech, high-effort, and mixed-result way of mowing your lawn. Especially a pretty large front and back yard like ours. But all the online suggestions from helpful and enthusiastic readers (plus a bit of my own reasearch) proved to be very convincing. We soon realized that not only would a reel mower be a better option for the environment (no gas fumes) and for my wallet (no buying oil or gasoline – plus it’s only $199 itself at Lowe’s) but it also complies with my apparent aversion to mower maintenance (no more oil changes, filter changes, or spark plug replacements necessary). It’s even healthier for me (no fumes in my face, plus a bit of a workout thrown in there for good measure). Oh, and I loved how easily it fit into the back of our Altima for the ride home. Definite perk.
So here’s the play by play when it comes to my maiden voyage with our brandspankingnew Fiskars Momentum. Right off the bat I was immediately won over by how few parts it had and how easy it was to put together. This is what it looked like out of the box…
…and here’s what it looked like about 8 minutes, 4 screws and 2 cotter pins later. Ready to roll.
In case you’re still scratching your head at this thing, a reel mower is a human powered machine. You “walk briskly” with it (as the manual suggests) which spins the blades and cuts your grass. And this reel mower claims to have innovations that make it easier to push (bonus) but since I only have experience with self-propelled gas mowers I realistically knew that this guy was gonna be a bit more work than I was used to no matter what. But one of the other improvements that Fiskars talks about is that the blades never touch each other, meaning that they need to be sharpened far less often than the average reel mower (perhaps even never). Again, not a difference that I really have anything to compare it to, but it’s nice to know that it’s a top of the line contender in the category that’s both lower maintenance and easier to push.
One difference that I was able to immediately pick up on and enjoy was the ease of setting the cutting height. My Troy-Bilt mower required that I adjust each of the four wheels separately and the levers were getting so old that it was quite the chore to move them. The Fiskars only required that I shift one lever to change the cutting height anywhere from 1″ to 4″ (anything over 3″ is said to be the greenest option for your lawn since it allows the blades to soak up more sun and water than closely cropped lawns do). And this easy height change capability is yet another listed improvement over other reel mowers, which can be notorious for cutting grass to short.
But enough about features. What was the whole mowing experience actually like?
Well, it was kinda fun. For one, it was virtually silent compared to the engine roar that I was used to, meaning I didn’t have to crank my iPod up to deafening volumes just to rock my way across our yard. Plus, the way the mower stealthily sprayed grass clippings out the front was not only mesmerizing to watch, but I loved the fact that it wasn’t kicking them back at my feet or off to the side (like the ol’ gas mower did – meaning I often sprayed the driveway and patio with messy looking cuttings). I tried to capture the front-spewing feature on film several times for you guys, but I had limited success. I guess flying blades of grass on a background of more grass isn’t the most high contrast subject matter.
Here’s a close up so you can (hopefully) see those flying blades a bit better. And yes, I was totally mowing with one hand and snapping pictures with the other. I don’t even want to know what the neighbors were thinking. But that does go to show you that it’s not dauntingly heavy or super hard to push.
Actually, the neighbors were probably thinking: “Who is that weird kid trying to manually mow that big lawn with a reel mower?“
I can’t blame them. Between just the front and back yards (not including the wooded area out back) we have over a third of an acre of grass. And the neighbors on either side of us both use rider mowers, so you can probably guess what they thought of the sight of me and my new orange friend. Even Fiskars themselves admit that reel mowers aren’t typically a good fit for people with large yards, so off the bat I knew we weren’t prime candidates to fall in love with the Momentum. But the odd thing is that after mowing both the front and the back yard once, I found myself looking forward to the next trim session, which occurred just about a week later. And the second time was even more fun than the first since I knew what to expect and welcomed the fume free workout that it was sure to provide.
As for the overall experience with our new reel mower, I think the Momentum is great (especially in being a greener option), but I discovered a few things that made me realize that this mower isn’t for everyone (just as the fine Fiskars folks proclaim on their website). So in an attempt to share what I’ve learned and help people end up with a mower match made in heaven, here are a few points to consider when deciding if the Fiskars mower is just the ticket:
- The size of our front and back yards (plus the fact that both have a slight incline to them) meant that mowing took a bit longer and was more of a workout than using a self-propelled gas mower. However if you have the time and energy and welcome the exercise, it could be just what the doctor ordered (but it’s not the perfect tool to squeeze in a quick mow before the sun sets if you have a spacious lawn).
- It doesn’t seamlessly chop weeds or grass over 6″ (and we unfortunately get a smidge of both from time to time). Some weeds are just too tough for its blades and tall stalks get flattened instead of sliced (both things that Fiskars warns potential buyers about upfront). So I did find myself having to go back and pull a few weeds by hand afterwards. In a way, it may actually lead to a healthier lawn if I’m forced to deal with my dandelions instead of just mowing them over. But again, it’s not the easy or fast solution for those without time to tend to a few things that may be left behind.
- It doesn’t do sticks either, and with all of our trees we get our fair share of ‘em. Again, Fiskars says upfront that you need to remove any large or medium sized sticks as not to jam the mower or damage the blades (and generally this is a good idea for regular mowers too) so I found myself stopping a few times because a few twigs momentarily stopped the blades. It wasn’t a bit deal to get them out, but it added a few seconds here and there to the project.
The verdict? I think moving forward I’ll probably go steady with our new Fiskars but occasionally date our old-but-revived gas mower. After all, we’re used to going a bit above and beyond to be greener, so I’ll put in the extra effort with the Fiskars whenever I can. But I do plan to rely on my gas-powered Troy Bilt on the rare occasions when I’m super short on time (and once or twice in the fall when I like to mulch leaves right into it). But if your yard doesn’t pose the same problems as ours (big and sometimes stick-riddled) then the Fiskars is probably a one-mower-fits-all option for you. After all, it still leaves a darn good looking lawn behind:
Do any other Fiskars Momentum (or other reel mower) owners want to weigh in on their experiences? Anyone else have a mower that makes their heart go pitter patter? Do tell. And don’t forget that you’ll have the chance to win a Fiskars Momentum for yourself as part of this afternoon’s giveaway from Lowe’s (along with another pretty sweet Dad’s Day prize) so stay tuned…
Burning Question: Mirror Or Medicine?
We’re back with another bathroom question and this time it’s all about what you love above the sink. Do you prefer a medicine cabinet for a bit of concealed storage? Or do you love the sleek clean-lined look of a mirror without anything hidden behind it? Would a bathroom without a medicine cabinet be a deal breaker? Or do you love the lighter look of a mirror without all the hidden Advil?
We’re itching to hear where you stand on the issue. In fact, we whipped up this handy little poll to keep everything tabulated:
[poll id="13"]
We’d love to hear more about why you voted the way you did, so feel free to comment away with more details.
Image courtesy of Pottery Barn.
Summer Sponsor Lovin’
We know summer’s official start is still a few days away, but we’re getting a head start on the season by saying “thanks” to our always-supportive sponsors in our monthly shout-out post (after all, they make the other 40+ posts that we write each month possible). So feel free to take a peek at all they’ve got to offer… along with a few exclusive YHL discounts for you guys to cash in on.
The Inglenook Decor has set out to give you the right decor for your “urban cottage.” They’ve got tons of beautiful finds for your home, which we particularly enjoyed browsing by trend (they organize items it fun categories, like “Birds! Birds!” and “Glorious Crowns.”
Ruby Plaza may sound familiar if you happen to enjoy Ruby Lane (a virtual marketplace where individuals can sell vintage items, antiques, and collectibles). Well, Ruby Plaza is similar but you’ll find contemporary, new, and reproduced items for your home and you (i.e. jewelry) as well.
Shades of Light came through for us again when we bought one of their discounted shades (available at their sister shop, The Decorating Outlet) for the office project that we posted about earlier this week. A quick glance around their store or at their online catalog is sure to reveal a few items that could come through for you too.
The Tile Shop is a great place to visit for tiling inspiration (especially if you can’t hit up one of their stores in person). It’s also an awesome spot for tools, tips, and all the confidence you need to DIY a tile job yourself. Plus, don’t forget to grab 10% off when you use the code YHL10.
Z Gallerie was all about bringing the outdoors in last month, and now that summer’s around the corner they’re also about helping people enjoy the outdoors outdoors. Yep, they’ve got your patio covered with everything from furniture to accessories and umbrellas.
Design for Less might be more recognizable to you as The Glass Mosaic Outlet or The Natural Stone Outlet- but no matter what you call them they’re a perfect resource when it comes to filling your head with great color and material combinations that’ll guarantee a stunning look.
WallQuotes.com (aka Belvedere Designs) would be happy to help you fill that blank wall in your house. Whether you want a dose of motivation, inspiration, or just plain ol’ humor, they’ve got tons of pre-made quotes and they even let you design your own. Plus, you’ll snag 15% off of any order with the code YHL15.
Quirk is best described in a riddle: what do stamps of small buildings, pretty tumblers with waves on them and a banana ornament crafted by Jonathan Adler have in common? Not much, except they can all be found at Quirk online or here in Richmond on Broad Street.
Frame The Date takes the concept of remembering an anniversary, birthday, or other special moment (maybe the day you closed on your house?) and documenting it with style- combining graphic photos with custom wood frames to make those dates unforgettable.
Vol. 25 is another great spot for original and uber-sweet art for your home – whether you’re grabbing some prints, photoshop overlays, or any of the many items in their Zazzle show. Plus, now through Wednesday June 16th, it’s buy 2 get 1 free on all prints and overlay sets.
Smock Paper makes bamboo paper look darn good with their sophisticated and charming letterpress invites, stationery, and greeting cards. And the paper’s not the only thing that makes this company green. Head to their site to learn more (and fall in love with their amazing designs).
The Natural Sleep Store helps you rest easy, not just because they sell mattresses that are customizable to your body’s preference, but also because everything they sell helps keep your bedroom chemical free – like the Savvy Rest mattress we bought a while back.
Lisa Leonard Designs doesn’t just have your back for lady-themed holidays like Mother’s Day. With Father’s Day right around the corner you can score a masculine take on Lisa’s hand-crafted sterling silver jewelry with items like keychains or leather cuffs for him.
Etsy Kids is definitely ready for the summer season now that they’ve updated their curated collection of Etsy’s freshest finds for infants, toddlers, kids, and even moms. Heck, you might even catch a few items that can live in a “grown-ups only” house too.
Hoot Design Co. is home to a range of punchy designs – from prints and posters, to invites and greeting cards. They even have all ages covered, beginning with their signature Simply Baby poster, which is an eye-pleasing way to get the beans and beanettes of the worlds to learn those ABCs.
Heart & Stone is a great spot to find cutomized necklaces, rings, and charms – especially if you like ‘em with a splash of green. Yep, this silver is 100% recycled and all the work is done by hand. Not to mention that everyone can score 10% off with the code YHL10.
And our last big THANK YOU has to be directed at you guys. Thanks so much for dropping in to see what we’re up to over here at Casa Petersik. We wish you nothing but the most fantastic and DIY-filled weekend!
Safe House
What’s the use of DIYing yourself silly and upgrading every inch of your house if you’re not going to protect it from bad guys and natural disasters? And there are so many simple ways that you can do just that. So here’s how we do our best to protect our precious home sweet home.
1. Opt for a safe deposit box. Ever since I was a young child and we got robbed (the bad guys stole all my Christmas money and a necklace that was handed down to me from my grandma) my mom has ingrained in me that you’ll never be sorry that you have a safe deposit box. It’s just a small fee each month but the peace of mind that it can provide- and the unyielding protection that it can offer to your most prized possessions- is well worth the investment. Plus it’s amazing how freeing it feels to know that all of our important papers are in one place. No more frantically searching for my social security card or the title to the Altima.
2. Get an alarm (or install deadbolts, get a guard dog, etc). We live in one of those areas where people leave their front doors unlocked when they run out to the store. In fact our neighborhood hasn’t had a single break-in throughout the entire four year span that we’ve lived here. But that’s not a reason not to protect our house just in case- especially since we share so much of our life (and our house) with the world thanks to this ol’ blog. So getting an alarm felt like a smart move for us (we even scored a break on our homeowner’s insurance for the purchase). And not only do we feel a lot more secure with a whole-house alarm, we also have motion sensor lights, deadbolts on all of our exterior doors, and a nice little yappy dog with a surprisingly loud bark to alert the neighbors of any funny business. We like to think of it as a few layers of protection.
So even if you don’t have the money or the desire to get a full blown alarm system, even taking a few simple precautions like installing deadbolts, adding a few motion sensor lights, or even remembering to lock your windows can really lower the likelihood of a break-in.
3. Befriend your neighbors. There are about a million reasons to get to know your neighbors (when our driveway was paved one of them kindly offered up the use of theirs, when we needed a cup of sugar another one lent a hand). And “house safety” is definitely on that list. We’re very close with a handful of people who live nearby, which is great because we can always let them know when we’ll be out of town so they can keep an eye on things for us. And they do! One eagle-eyed neighbor actually called us when John’s sister stopped by- even though she was there with our blessing- just to be sure. It’s like your own personal neighborhood watch. And of course they can also alert you to a fire or if a tree happens to land on your roof (that actually happened to a family member, and thanks to her neighbor they knew right away and got it taken care of before they even returned home). Gotta love that.
4. Make sure your landscaping isn’t doing the bad guys any favors. When we moved into our house it would have been easy for anyone to sneak up to our front door without any of our neighbors noticing…
But ever since we’ve cut back all the overgrown trees and bushes and created a more open landscaping plan, there’s a lot less “cover” for anyone who might want to sneak around under the cover of shrubbery. So break out those clippers and get down to business- it’s just one more super easy way to protect your place.
5. Resist the urge to announce your location to the world. Celebrities and normal people alike are using sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare to broadcast whenever they’re on vacation or visiting faraway family members… and then coming home to find their home completely stripped of all valuables. Eeks. We do our best to be safe by avoiding the urge to share when we’re traveling (on Facebook, Twitter, and even here on the blog) so you’ll always notice that we only reveal that we’ve been away after we’re back home again. You just never know who could be waiting to hear that you’ll be out of town.
6. Bring home a fire and waterproof safe. Ours was actually given to us as a wedding gift but we love how practical and easy it is to use. Of course we have all of our “true” valuables (like jewelry, titles, deeds, and other government paperwork) stored in our safe deposit box, but for sentimental items that we just couldn’t bear to lose in a fire or a flood (like a CD full of wedding photos from our photographer and all the videos we’ve made of Clara and Burger) there’s nothing like the peace of mind that a small waterproof and fireproof safe can bring. And it can easily slip into any closet or corner (we keep ours in the hall closet under the vacuum cleaner).
7. Snag a few carbon monoxide/smoke detectors. You don’t really need us to explain why this is a good idea, but it’s definitely nice now that they sell those two-in-one detectors that can do it all. We were sure to place enough around the house so that each “zone” is adequately protected, and we change the batteries two times a year when we change the clocks forward and back for daylight savings time (it’s easier to remember to do it that way).
8. Don’t forget to test for radon. We did and the results were staggeringly dangerous (read more about that here). Thank goodness, for the health of Clara, Burger and ourselves, we opted to test our house pretty much right away (instead of living here for years without knowing that our casa was trying to kill us). Mitigation wasn’t cheap, but it was definitely the key to making our home about 100 times safer for us and our growing family. And the fact that we went from an almost unheard of amount of radon to nearly none at all (even less than the air we breathe outside!) was the icing on the cake.
9. Own at least one fire extinguisher for each floor of your home. We have just one since we have a one-level ranch, and we keep it under the sink in the kitchen since most fires start in that room. We’ve never had to use it but it’s always nice to know that it’s there. It’s just another smidge of assurance that we’re prepared in case anything unexpected threatens the house that we love so much.
10. Don’t forget to get a shredder. We picked one up a few years ago and were surprised how easy it has been to make a little pile of things “to be shredded” and get ‘em done all at once at the end of each week. Not only does it protect our identities, it also cuts down on the bulking bags of garbage that used to fill our trash bin since it really does condense things nicely while making it impossible for anyone to find out your bank account number. Oh and on that subject, we’ve heard that dropping bills and tax info directly into a public mailbox or even taking it to the post office is a lot safer than leaving that stuff in your own mailbox with the flag up. Because although it’s illegal for people to dig around in your mail, it would be pretty easy for a criminal to zip by, open your mailbox, and steal something like your tax stuff (complete with your social security number, bank info, income, etc). Yikes!
11. Be sure your tap water is safe. With crazy toxins like lead and even arsenic showing up in drinking water, it’s always smart to look at how your h2o stacks up. And luckily it’s your municipalities responsibility to test the water each year and send out a statement to you, so knowing what you’re drinking is free thanks to their annually published reports. For extra credit you can even install a water filter (like we did here) for more assurance. We drink water like it’s going out of style so it was a must-have for us.
12. Stay up to date with house-related check-ups. From annual termite inspections to HVAC servicing to ensure that everything’s in working order, there’s nothing better than staying on top of home maintenance so your water heater doesn’t flood your basement and you don’t have to deal with a major (and costly) insect infestation. We actually have just one piece of paper with every service person’s info on it (from our oil-heat guy to our termite inspector’s info) so it’s easy to pull that one sheet of paper out from time to time and see what we’re due to have serviced, replaced, renewed, or checked. And building a relationship with these companies by using them consistently and being organized about scheduling maintenance calls really helps build a nice relationship (more than a few of them have billed us less, offered up free labor, and even saved us a ton of money by whispering what we really can do something ourselves in return for our loyalty).
So that’s how we do our best to keep Casa Petersik safe and sound. Because nothing would be more heartbreaking than to see something that we worked so hard to spruce up somehow get damaged or vandalized- especially if it was an occurrence that we could have easily avoided. What about you guys? Do you do other things to keep your house protected? We’d love to hear your tips! Share and share alike.
A Taste Of India: Freebie Winners!
Glad to hear you guys were drooling over the intricate hand-printed patterns from Saffron Marigold just as much as we were during this week’s giveaway. And the fact that they’re all meticulously made by hand – well, we still can’t get over that. Amazing. Though we did realize about halfway through your entries that we should’ve shortened the entry phrase to “MARI ME.” Oh well, there’s always a chance we’ll have another marigold themed giveaway someday… right?
But enough about entry phrases. Let’s talk about discounts! Everyone’s getting 15% off of any order from Saffron Marigold with the code YOUNGHOUSE (enter it in the “comment” section). Just note that the discount won’t be applied until you receive your final shipping receipt (so don’t worry if you don’t see the dollars disappear during the online checkout process).
But on to our two winners who will score their choice of any tablecloth or table runner plus any cushion cover that tickles their fancy. We meticulously entered numbers into random.org by hand and it churned out our two lucky ladies: Angela (who enjoys slow dog walks) and Jenn H (who takes her time making grandma’s potato salad). Congrats! And as always we’d love to know what wonderful wares you’ll be taking home. Do tell.
And if you weren’t a big winner this week, there’s always next time. In fact, on Monday our friends at Lowe’s are helping us celebrate Father’s Day with a pretty spectacular two-part prize, and I for one am very excited about it. Stay tuned…
Find more freebie info on our Giveaway FAQs page. Pics courtesy of Saffron Marigold.
