The ‘BAG is BACK 🙂

A few months have passed, and the Grab Bag has been on sabbatical. A confluence of events demanded more focus and time than I had to offer, and the ‘Bag needed to remain unfulfilled for awhile.

In that time, lots of great discoveries and advice have been brewing, so I’m happy to be back in the saddle.

Grab Bag Heart Hint:

A cute, funny, earnest message about a deadly serious issue. Take note, all you super-women out there…

Grab Bag Wrap It Up:

I admit, I’m pretty particular about my bath towels. I have been underwhelmed with the last few sets I’ve purchased over the years, so when the time came to get a new set of towels a few months ago, I vowed I would research what people were REALLY happy with.

I am delighted to say that I have purchased, washed  repeatedly and used with delight, towels I bought from 1888 Mills. The cotton is sourced in Africa and the towels are manufactured in the US (1888 has additional facilities in Pakistan and Bangladesh). They may be the best towels I have ever bought.

I bought this particular quality on Amazon here. Most of the 91 reviewers give these big thumbs up, and I agree. So if you’re in the market for new towels, check these out. And to keep them fluffy and absorbent as long as possible, here are some tips from others I discovered in my search:

1) don’t use much detergent (you’re supposed to use so much less anyway with a front loader, and with the soap that’s left on your skin that you wipe off with your towel there’s some on the towels anyway)

2) delicate cycle, low spin

3) extra rinse cycle

4) shake the towels out before putting in the dryer. 

I also heard that those spiky dryer balls were good for fluffing towels, but I tried them and I have to assume they are possibly impregnated with a fabric softener, as the towels became slick and far less absorbent. Have not tried tennis balls, but they might fluff things well.

Grab Bag Hooked on Glass:

A move to a new abode introduced some new problems that needed solutions. I had a couple of showers that needed hooks outside their doors for those new fluffy towels and/or a robe, but there was nothing but glass in the places a hook should reside. I searched for hooks that might sit over the top of the glass wall or door, but none really filled the bill. After nearly giving up, I decided to try some of those new Command hooks I had seen in the hardware store. These are the hooks that you can put nearly anywhere, affixed with a removable double stick tape, leaving no damage or residue behind (if your location is very wet/moist, Command makes water resistant versions of many of their products. I did not use these with their blue strips, as my bath is well ventilated and does not get overly humid). They come in many sizes, the largest of which claims to hold up to 5 lbs, and I chose that one in a simple brushed aluminum finish.

It was easy to place, is working like a charm and looks great. I have used some of their other, smaller products inside closets for hanging small items and they are working really well also. Definitely recommended.

Grab Bag X Marks the Spot:

There once was a time when TV talent shows were few, and the Susan-Boyle-standouts were seen and heard all over the world within days. Now talent shows are so ubiquitous that some incredibly talented people are getting lost in the herd.

So if you haven’t been introduced, please take a few minutes to hear the voice of Carly Rose Sonenclar, an unearthly 13-year-old little angel who embodies a soul far beyond her years. The first video is her first appearance on The X Factor, which is amazing. The SECOND video, however, has haunted my mind every day since I heard her sing this song. Her voice comes from somewhere that doesn’t follow the laws of reason. Headphones are a good suggestion, as it’s so fantastic to hear this kind of nuance and control in someone so very young. Let’s just say I’m a fan…

Grab Bag No Excuses:

From ink stains to oven racks, here’s the how-to secrets on how to make mincemeat of the toughest cleaning problems, better and cheaper than what’s out there, courtesy of Picklee.com

Click to see bigger:

Grab Bag Incest for Everyone!:

Mind blowing presentation on just…. who ARE we, anyway?

Grab Bag Brain Game:

It’s worth registering (free) with AARP because they have good games…. and you’re gonna need more than that from them one day 🙂

This game challenges memory for detail of shape and color. You are presented with images, asked to remember them, then you must pick the images you remember from a group of similar looking pictures, with speed and accuracy both measured.

Grab Bag Funny Stuff:

I’m digging this version of the Vice Presidential Debate: