Another Water Saver

Here another little water saving device that def is worth a look.

It is a  simple little device that screws onto the bathroom faucet. Turn on the faucet handles to the desired pressure and temp and you are set to save water. Simply push your hands into the little lever hanging from the faucet and water flows from the faucet until you move your hand, letting the lever swing back into place, stopping the flow of water. There are more than one type of this device and a variety of colors.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here is a video...(Hmm. How many words is a video worth...?)


Cool, huh?

Here is one place to get this type.
Smart Faucet

I also found another type of these nifty devices. You can find it here.
Danco Instant Off

Do you know of another type off instant off adapter?  Or another water saving idea? Leave me a link or tell me about it in the comments below!

Nichola http//:peachfarmerswife.blogspot.com

Water Saving Ideas

I recently learned about some simple tricks to save $$ and water where a toilet is concerned. While I don't consider myself a  "greenie," I do like being responsible with my money. Simple ways to do that appeal to me.

The bathroom is an area of the house that uses a ton of water. Esp the toilet. It is in nearly constant use at my house. That means gallons of water down the drain with each flush, which equals $$ down the drain. Below are two ideas I think are pretty cool ideas for saving water in the bathroom.

The first water saving trick I learned about is a dual flush conversion kit. You can pay big $$ to buy a dual flush toilet, or just turn your existing toilet into a dual flush. With as many as I have using  the pot every day, it just makes sense to be able to use less water for light use, more water for heavier loads. =)

Here is a video explaining the technology...you can just watch about half the video as it repeat itself once. There is no talking, just some text and self explaining pics. It is about 1 min...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUyvD1qiiqA

You can purchase several kits to convert your toilet, here is a good deal I found on what seems to be a quality model.
http://www.dualflushpro.com/index.html

Another thing I was fascinated to learn about is a toilet sink. Evidently, Japan has been doing this for a number of years. It is such a simple way to save and reuse water with no extra effort. It also looks  like a great way to promote hygiene in the bathroom, when you flush the toilet, the water turns on, just stick your hands under the flow of clean water and wash up. You don't even have to turn the faucet off when you are done since it turns off automatically. The ultimate no-touch, automated sink!

Here is a video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JenEXA-xry8&feature=player_embedded



Here is a link to the site that sells the sink to fit on the back of the toilet tank...
http://sinkpositive.com/web/

I just really love this idea, even though it is a pricey. But it dosen't have to be.

Here is what one guy did... it won't embed but is worth a watch. The link below will open the video in a new window.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioSKrRGx03o

And another one.. (Rayna loved dancing to the music on this one =)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfxMIn1TTVY


I am hoping in the near future to be able to implement these simple ways to reduce our water usage. My kids are excited about them, too. =)
 
Okay, so that was my show and tell project for today. =D Thanks for watching.

What are some things you do to save water in the bathroom, or any room of the house? If you have any tips to share, please comment! I would love to hear your ideas.


Nichola http//:peachfarmerswife.blogspot.com

Pictures of the Kitchen Project

Here are some pictures of the project so far....

My kitchen before, (in real life, no cleaning up before the pic, as you can see!) The counters to the right of the sink/dishwasher are actually folding tables....

Before view of the stove area

 Beginning of the demolition

 Keilah taking sheetrock off the wall

Out comes the sink!

Heave, ho!

In between this picture and the previous picture, a lot happened, as you can see! Wiring, insulation, plumbing, etc. Here we are starting the frames of the cabinets.

 Planning out the corner sink...

Brothers working on things.

Keilah securing the floor of the cabinet bases.

Travis spends a lot of time holding his ears!

Lots of cuts and lots of figuring!

Face frames going on...

Face frame ready to be installed...

...perfect fit!

 

Kitchen Remodel

Image via Wikipedia

I have been bouncing around and excited for about a month now, but haven’t taken time to write about it.  I think most of my facebook friends know, but for the blog friends who don’t know…..we are finally remodeling our kitchen! Or maybe I should say, re-creating our kitchen.

This has been a long time coming, and while it has not been an easy wait, I am really thankful for how God has worked in the wait. If we had built the kitchen we had wanted to build 4 ½ years ago, it just wouldn’t have been the best plan, or even close. We have changed, grown in our understanding of the hows and whys of kitchen design, (although we are by no means experts…) and though the kitchen we would have built would have been okay, it would have had so many shortcomings compared to the one we are building now.

So, here we are at last. Creating our dream kitchen.

In the interim, we have read books, made endless sketches, thought we had the design down, but when we set up mock counters to test it for a few days, found flaws that didn't show up on paper. I have rearranged my kitchen umpteen times for different reasons, and each time learned something new.

In our priorities for the kitchen, there are a few things that have been at the forefront of our list from the beginning. I’d like to share a few here.

• Function. Our first priority has been it has to work, and we shouldn’t have to work extra hard to make it work. If the kitchen doesn’t function well in everyday life, expanding to meet the needs of a large group as well as handle the needs of everyday family life, it becomes more of an obstacle to the flow of things than an asset. We all have chores, but if daily stuff is a chore when it shouldn’t be, something isn’t functioning right. Stuff that doesn’t function well costs you, either time, money or both. Same in the kitchen.

• Simplicity. Sometimes the simple things work the best. Take a tour of kitchens, modern as well as those in older homes, and you can find tons of anti-simple examples. Like, when you have to clear the counter before you can open the doors of the appliance garage, or the cupboard door. Or have to unload the pan cupboard every time you need a pan at the back of the cupboard. I’m sure many could tell their tale of simple tasks that took too much time to get done due to a design flaw.

 

• Doable. I have had some BIG ideas during this kitchen thing. Everything from skylights, bay windows, two dishwashers and huge sinks to extension tables, detachable islands, (and could we figure out a way to still have electricity and plumbing on the part we move?), waterfalls and herb gardens right in the kitchen. Some of my big ideas are in my new kitchen design. Many aren’t. Function and Simplicity ruled out many of them, but budget, and plain limitations of the site we are building in ruled out the rest. (Can’t do a skylight through the attic we have, just won’t work structurally…) 

 

• Efficient. Efficiency is where Funtion and Simplity meet and join together with your efforts to cause your work to go well. I may be in danger of becoming a nut in the area of efficiency. It is becoming a passion in everything I do. I haven’t arrived at the level of efficiency that I strive for, but I am excited about learning things that help me to be more efficient in everyday doings. Our kitchen design has been constantly examined using the test of efficiency. This includes the use of space and planning for the least amount of wasted space as well as planning for the easiest access to the tools used in everyday tasks.

These are some of the top factors we have tried to take into consideration as we have planned our kitchen. I could write more about each factor, and maybe I will at some point. For now, we will see how it all comes out. The cabinets are being installed as I type. =)

Here are a few resources to check out if you are interested in learning more about practical kitchen design.  These books have greatly influenced us in our design process. There are tons of books out there on kitchen design. These are just the books we had and would recommend them highly.
The Motion-Minded Kitchen
Remodeling a Kitchen: Taunton's Build Like a Pro: Expert Advice from Start to Finish
The Complete Guide to Kitchen Design With Cooking in Mind 

Here is a page with some videos featuring Don Silvers talking about kitchen design...
Don Silvers Media Links

I will post pictures of our project so far soon...

DIY Toothpaste?

Image via Wikipedia

Ever wonder if there are better ways to brush your teeth? Or something cheaper, simpler to put on the brush?

Okay, maybe most people don't think about such boring things, but I have wondered about it. I mean, what it in toothpaste, anyway? And is the only option for DIY toothpaste to stick nasty baking soda on your brush and pucker while you brush?

So, last night, I tried it. I looked up some recipes online and then charged off to mix a batch for the nightly ritual. I was surprised at how easy it was, how much it made and the effectiveness of the end result.

If you are interested, here is the recipe I tried.

Even my kids liked it. I used some peppermint extract, about half as much as called for in the recipe. My kids don't really like "hot" toothpaste.... =) I personally would like a bit more "mint" to my paste, so I may make another batch for David and I.

Mixing your own toothpaste may not be something you think about as you move the brush back and forth in your mouth. Then again, maybe now you will be thinking about how you could change up the stuff in your tube.......