Home Bookstore Cooking Reviews Site Map

Home & Office

French Garden Bookshelves

Durable and Useful, February 9, 2006

      Two French Garden Bookshelves seem to make a lovely corner set of bookshelves. There, the books await your reading pleasure or you can also use the bookshelves to display collections or add baskets and make them into storage shelves for art supplies. I use them for all three purposes at once. You can find me sitting in front of them counting my books now and then or organizing books or looking for a recipe in a cookbook.

     They are low enough so you can sit on the floor and still reach the top shelf, but high enough so you can put ornaments out for display. You can adjust the shelves to suit taller books and the bottom shelf is very sturdy for heavier selections like dictionaries. I've noticed the shelves will bow a little if you put too many "really" heavy books on the three adjustable shelves, so I keep those on the lower level of both bookshelves. Some of my happiest moments are standing in front of these shelves wondering what I'll review next.

~The Rebecca Review

 

Moving Men Furniture Sliders

 

Amazing Invention, November 21, 2006

If you are contemplating moving furniture yourself for any reason, this is the smartest way to move heavy items. One person can move furniture that was completely impossible to move before using the sliders.

The 4 giant sliders work well for treadmills, tables, heavy bookcases and couches. The smaller sliders work well under lighter items like chairs or small tables. The small sliders will slide out from under heavier items, so you might still want to use the giant ones for moving washers, dryers or refrigerators. The other issue is, you will have to get more sliders if you use these for moving those three items as it will be impossible to retrieve the two you used at the back of say the washer.

You can use these to move loaded bookcases, but the truth is, you might compromise the bookcase, so I'd still advise removing at least half the books before you try this. Also, getting the sliders under the bookshelves is a little more difficult when they are full of books!

Recently I used these while cleaning my carpets and they have an added bonus, because you can leave them under the furniture, move the furniture back over to the carpet you just cleaned and continue on. The plastic base keeps furniture safe even on a freshly cleaned carpet.

Another use is while you are vacuuming or doing a big-time cleaning project. You can use the sliders under a bed and move the bed so you can vacuum more easily. I can think of many other uses, but the two main ones are moving heavy desks and for use when cleaning carpets. I'd highly recommend buying two or three boxes, although I've been able to survive with just one box so far. It would have been nice to have at least two boxes while cleaning the carpets.

So, if you want to save your back from strain and you are tired of feeling achy and sore after moving furniture, give these a try. They will impress! The box is also sturdy enough to store the sliders for an extended period of time.

~The Rebecca Review

 

 

 

Wicker 5-Drawer Chest

Sturdy and also can be used as a Cat Stand/Bed, March 6, 2006

My kitten Meesa is currently curled up in her basket on the top of this wicker set of drawers. She refuses to be apart from me while I type, so the only solution was buy a cart that would roll around just like the desk. There is just enough room on the top to place a cat bed or you could use it for any other purpose you desire, like a printer or fax machine.

Not only does this give me a much needed place to toss in ideas for site building, recipe writing and online shopping, it is easy to roll around even when completely full of paper. Kitten appreciates that she doesn't have to wake up and move from her warm bed when I go to the kitchen to make dinner. I can roll her along to the kitchen and she can again relax in cozy comfort.

If you enjoy completing tasks by putting everything in one basket and then sorting it all out, the drawers remind me a bit of baskets. You can take a drawer out very easily and transport it to whatever room you are working in - if you don't want to take along the entire set of drawers, which is definitely a possibility.

I think this would not work very well as lingerie drawers (everything would get snagged on the wicker) or drawers to keep socks, etc. The drawers are not the type you want to pull out all the way, every day. They are more like project drawers or for office storage.

This comes completely unassembled, but doesn't take a long time to put together. Each drawer must be assembled. I found the bottom drawer looks good if you put it in backwards.

This was a perfect solution for my new more mobile office and the drawers are big enough to hold paper, paper clippings, scrapbook projects, etc. These drawers would not work for very heavy objects but would work very well to hold art supplies. I love the idea of being able to move everything I need to another room. This is a good alternative to a file cabinet if you have less to organize.

~The Rebecca Review

 

Wicker File Baskets

 

Many Uses, March 6, 2006

The built in hanging file frames are handy and useful, but these can be used for anything from storage of blankets to keeping smaller items all together in one place. I've used these to store just about everything. Unlike a regular file cabinet, this is a much more portable solution. They can be placed in any room of the house and are easy to carry around because they have handles on each side.

Depending on where you put these, they should last for years. The place I noticed the most problems is on the base, from moving the basket in and out from underneath a coffee table. Otherwise, they have held up surprisingly well and could even be used as a picnic basket or for transporting items in the car. For years I organized all my recipes in two baskets.

~The Rebecca Review

 


Hi-Lo Adjustable Pneumatic Computer Workstation

 

Convenient Concept, Shaky Result, February 23, 2006

The Hi-Lo Adjustable Pneumatic Computer Workstation has a unique adjustable table and keyboard pullout shelf. What is doesn't have is the desired stability. The computer and printer fit nicely under the shelves with no need for the attached and somewhat unstable CPU holder.

The best use of this desk seems to be for short-term use or for use when you are reviewing and watching TV and want a desk you can move about the house quickly. This might also work for two people using the same computer who want to use the computer for short periods of time and want to wheel the desk into an office or into the living room or even into a kitchen so you can see recipes.

There are many uses, but the stability factor is of some concern. I'm used to a very stable desk, I had considered selling, but now I'm keeping both. This does not make a good writing table and at some point if the shaky monitor drives me crazy I will consider using this as a coffee table - which actually makes sense because the keyboard holder could be used to hold coffee or dinner while watching movies. It would also be perfect as a buffet table that could be wheeled outside to a deck.

As far as being a great computer station, the only advantage is the height adjustment and the portability. This is the Hi-Lo version and not the Hi-Hi-Lo version. This one does not rise to the level where you can stand and type.

If you use a computer all day, this would not be a good choice. If you are using a computer for 30 minutes or less at a time, the shaky monitor might not be a problem. There is probably a way they could make this more stable, but it would include putting stabilizers on each side of the station at the back. They should also include a second Allen Wrench, but hopefully you have another one at home. The assembly instructions are great, with plenty of diagrams.

This item did arrive super fast. I was amazed it arrived in two days. My husband will be very happy to now have the computer in an area where he can watch TV and I'm looking forward to trying this while sitting on the floor and while reading books/watching movies or sitting on the couch. This will lower enough where you can sit on the floor and answer e-mails or type short notes (short because the keyboard is still a bit high, but not a problem for a few minutes) when you are thinking about them - instead of having to run for paper. This will also be fun to use in the kitchen, when writing recipes. The truth is, this unit will wheel out the door, so you could even take your computer outside very easily.

The unit adjusts very easily with the height adjustment bracket. To lower the unit, you have to reach down and loosen the adjustment knob and then press the top of the desk down with your body weight.

So as far as convenience goes, this has way more to offer than any desk I could have considered buying. It is way more fun to be portable and be able to move the computer out of the office. After years of being stuck in my office, I'm free...

Oh, this desk would also work for laptops because you could just forget to attach the second shelf. You can also put this in the back of a car if you take the top shelves off the base. This might be important if you need to take a desk with you on a trip. I'm thinking this will be great to take with me when I stay at my mom's house for over a week at a time. Even if I had purchased a laptop, this desk would still be useful.

~The Rebecca Review

P.S. Days later, I'm still happy with this product and my eyes seem to have adapted well to the slight movement of the monitor. My cat is not overly happy about not having a place to sleep on the desk, but I just carry her bed around and put it wherever I am in the house. This also works great as a TV center because you can pull the desk closer to the bed or couch if you are watching movies on your computer.

 

 

 

Coleman 5998H330 Quickbed King-Size Air Bed

 

5 out of 5 stars =    Airtight System Locks Air In

Whether you are having relatives over and giving up your king size bed, you are traveling to family where there are simply no extra beds or you are looking for a bed to take on your camping trip, this is a nice spare bed to have on hand for every occasion.

After my Aero Bed deflated in the middle of the night the last time my parents came to visit, I tossed it out into the garbage and bought this one. When we moved into our new place and had still not moved all the furniture we spent the night camping out on this bed.

The bed inflates in under three minutes if you get one of the Ozark Trail Electric Air Pumps. I almost prefer the pump not to be attached to the bed, as is the case in the aero beds.

It took a few minutes to figure out the advanced double lock valve, but it makes inflation and deflation fast and simple.

This bed holds up to 600lbs and has a extra thick heavy-duty PVC with rayon flocked top. 56 coils provide more strength and firmness. I’d say it was almost more comfortable than my old Aero bed.

Perfect for camping, guests, an extra bed you can put out in the living room to watch movies on, etc, etc. This bed also can be stored in a very small space.

Fairly comfortable and perfect for short term use. Works with your flat or fitted sheets and is guaranteed not to leak! Very important unless you want to wake up in the middle of the night flat on the hard, cold floor.

Don’t let it happen to you.

~The Rebecca Review

 

Need New Sheets for your New Bed?

Wamsutta Luxury 400 Thread Count Sateen Sheets

 

5 out of 5 stars =  Long Lasting

After moving, we decided to buy some new sheets. I can say that the first Wamsutta sheets I bought are still looking fairly good and have lasted 8 years! Still, for some reason, I was bored with my old sheets and decided to invest in some crisp new ones.

These sheets are naturally soft, smooth to the touch and easy to care for. They are very long wearing and will provide you with years of comfort.

They seem to get softer and softer with each washing. 

You will get bored with the colors you have before they will ever wear out!

 

Casablanca Sheer Bed Canopy

 

5 out of 5 stars Romantic and Royal, February 5, 2005

After putting this "Palace" Casablanca Sheer Bed Canopy/Sheer Mosquito Netting up over my bed, my Princess Sasha cat thought this made a very nice tent and promptly took her place under the canopy and thought I had put this netting up just for her. Well, all was good and fine until she decided to see what it tasted like and was chewing on one corner.

Fortunately, she learns fast and it only took me saying "no" twice for her to realize this was not a product she should be chewing on. If you have small kittens, this might be a problem to consider. There are ways to arrange the netting so it is far above the ground. In fact, I seem to adjust this entire setup daily to suit my mood.

Sometimes I have all the eight panels tied up around the bed like a four-poster bed and then at other times I get creative and pull the end four panels together, twirl them and fold them up over the top. This creates an interesting effect and it looks like a palace bed. Then, there are times when I want to feel like I'm living in some romantic location on the globe and I let all the sheer panels float about the bed. It creates a very romantic environment and I like how the sheer netting can create exotic moods.

I have been very happy with this purchase and it only took about 10 minutes to install. You simply screw in the four hooks provided with the product. Then, you unfold the netting and hook it up on the ceiling.

Contents of box:

1 sheer bed canopy

4 ties (these are like little white ropes)

4 plastic anchors (If you need them before you install the screw hooks - I don't think you will need them for most ceilings. They say some ceilings may need an anchor and you can use a drill bit or nails to make a hole in the ceiling and then insert the anchors.)

4 ceiling screw hooks

This product is machine washable and it hangs to dry. I'd use a very gentle cycle. It is 100% polyester and can fit any bed up to a king size bed. Look for this product in white, ecru, sage, peace or lilac.

~The Rebecca Review

 

Office Organization

 

2004_home_468x60_dress

 

 

Home Bookstore Cooking Reviews Site Map