Enemy, Mine

Need to Get Rid of Stuff?  

Are you your own best enemy?

I am a "what if" type of person.  I can always find a reason to keep something.

While I am not a hoarder, (trash and broken things can go,) I have a problem of getting rid of perfectly good stuff.  If I am willing to let it go, today, to a new home or someone who needs it, the item(s) needs to leave—now, today, immediately.

So my questions are these, "who else has trouble getting rid of good stuff?  Does gifting to family or friends who need/appreciate your treasures make the process easier?

While I do have time/work/energy limitations, I am working toward decluttering my home before decorating for Christmas. Decluttering can be a lonesome task and having a friend or family member helping me helps keep me on task.

So pick a relative or family friend and ask them to help you get your house prepped for decorating for Christmas.  Hope you are super energetic and can get it done in less than a week.  Be sure to offer to help return the favor.  You never know when you can be someone’s supporting taskmaster.

Emergency Lights

Emergency Lighting: What do you do when the power goes out?

I have already recommended in prior articles the installation of emergency backup lights for the home that will come on automatically if the power goes out. There are nightlights that will come on when the lights go out and rechargeable flashlights that you can plug into wall outlets.

I liked the following for its unobtrusive profile.

LED 2.1W Low-Profile Emergency Light | E-XML2 Series |Battery Backup | White $ 15.99

Find it at https://www.e-conolight.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=emergency+lighting#1

Want a recessed light?  Check out this location.
 https://www.exitlightco.com/category/Recessed-Emergency-Lights.html

I keep flashlights and a battery lantern in the bedroom and candles/lighter/matches in the living room on display.

Somewhere out in the garage is a Coleman Gas Lantern that uses a gas cylinder. It is hanging on a south wall, so I know its approximate location.  Recently my niece suggested using solar yard lamps for inside the house.  She bought some when she was prepping for a hurricane and possible power loss. 

I have a Coleman rechargeable lantern in yet another building.  Need to find it ASAP.

After doing a little research, I found this online article.

Check out https://uspreppers.com/prepper-emergency-lighting-the-best-options/

Short outline of the US Preppers article suggestions:

            Solar Panels with expert installation

            Solar Lighting for outdoors

            Lanterns: oil, propane, kerosene

            Battery Operated Lighting: tap lights, flashlights

            Candles: thick ones, candles in a jar

Carter, Brian.  Prepper Emergency Lighting: The Best Options.  US Preppers. Web. 16 Oct 2018 <https://uspreppers.com/prepper-emergency-lighting-the-best-options/>

Once you visit the site, you just might want to browse other interesting articles by going to the home page. Alas, right now, I just do not have the time; I am on a mission to complete this entry.

PS: My niece said to put the solar lights outside in the sunshine during the day and bring them back in at night. She bought a dozen at $1 each at Walmart and they worked great.

Sheets

Yes, I know sheets aren't a top priority for a lot of folks; however, my sister recently asked me what type of sheets I recommend and what count would be good to purchase. She needed some new sheets.

Of course I really had no idea. Some of mine were white, a high number count and I had purchased them at JC Penny. After checking the sheets out, I remembered that they were Deep Pocket sheets made for  thicker mattresses. I gifted two sets of  queen white sheets to my sister and she loves them. They wash up great and don't wrinkle much.

I realize the wrinkle factor might not be important to some of you; however, I find that wrinkles in the bed linen can be painful on my skin. Hubby has perfected the tight bed sheet look (might have something to do with having been in the army) and my sensitive skin is thankful.

On another note, I love our flannel sheets (matches my newer color scheme). They help keep the chill factor down from our new mattress pad. If you are going to use satin sheets, you might want to separate the set when using it. I never can keep the top covers on the bed when using the set, too slippery, the top covers slide off.

So, buy the best sheets you can afford. Remember that you have to store the sheets somewhere. If you are a creature of habit and mostly wash and dry and put the sheets right back on your bed, you'll probably find that two sets of sheets are enough for each bed.

Sweet dreams, everyone.

Won't you share what type of sheets you use and tell us which kinds that you like best?