Things NOT to Learn the Hard Way

Posted on January 18, 2021 by Dan
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tooltipsMost of the points I am about to make are ‘old hat’ to the experienced lot of woodworkers and may sound a bit trivial. So we will direct the following to the folks that are just starting out in this wonderful world of wood and what you can do with it.

We will start out with sharp edges and how quickly they can be ruined. If you drop your chisel, in all likelihood it will land on its cutting edge. If you lay your plane or store it on its sole plate, chances are it will warp the plate in time and dull the edge on the plane blade if you set it down, lay it on its side and store them upright on their heels or on their sides.

The exception to that are Continue reading →

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New Year Resolutions to Help You Save

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Mariette Mifflin
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Year 2020 has been a extremely challenging in many ways and we’re glad to put it behind us. We’re already into a new year and we should strive to move forward with hope and anticipation of good things to come.

Let this be the year that we learn to save more, to look after things we do have, to treasure family times and shake off those things we don’t need in our lives. Kindness seems to be the buzzword I hear in social media. It’s really not new, but stems from the golden rule we learned as a child.

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Ridgid TS3660 Table Saw Review

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Dan
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ridgidtablesawI know what you are thinking right about now, why review a saw they do not manufacture any longer. Oh, Ridgid® still makes table saws, just not this particular model and it is a shame.

The TS3660 was one of the better deals to be had. Fortunately for me, a chance came up to purchase one of the last models to be sold in my area, in my province for that matter. I was one happy man when I finally dragged the box into my workshop and proceeded to set it up.

That was Continue reading →

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Learn how to save your Poinsettia for next Holiday season

Posted on January 5, 2021 by Mariette Mifflin
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poinsettiaI love a Poinsettia, it’s a very quick and easy way to decorate a room for the holidays.

Overall care is fairly easy, water once a week – more often if the room is dry, clean off dry leaves and occasionally give it a little boost of fertilizer.

Note that this plant tends to upset more easily than regular house plants, so minimal moving around is best. You can tell if it’s upset – it will Continue reading →

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Here’s why you should add drapes, blinds to your living space

Posted on January 4, 2021 by Mariette Mifflin
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Living Room InteriorThe reason most people add window coverings to their living space is usually for privacy and while this is very important, there are other reasons which can benefit you in the long run.

One of these will leave money in your pocket on bill-paying day, while another will ‘calm’ your living space.

It doesn’t matter whether you choose drapes, Continue reading →

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Setting Up a Live Christmas Tree & Keeping it Fresh

Posted on December 13, 2020 by Mariette Mifflin
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You’ve gone out of your way to find the perfect tree – well as close to perfect as you could find and brought it home.  live holiday tree

Now what do you do with it and how do you keep it from drying during the entire holiday season?  And most of all, how do you secure it and keep it upright?

Don’t worry too much if the tree you or the kids chose is less than desirable – even with the skimpiest ‘Charlie Brown’ tree, a few decorations and garland will work wonders.  When choosing a tree, keep height a main consideration, as well as girth if your space at home is limited.

You’ll need a little headspace for a tree topper and the stand will raise it slightly from the floor.  With a standard 8′ ceiling, a 7′ tree is ideal but shorter will also look nice.

Keep the tree outdoors until Continue reading →

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Cranberries – Here’s 5 Ways to Enjoy Them

Posted on December 10, 2020 by Mariette Mifflin
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5 Ways to Eat Cranberries

Fresh cranberries tend to be mostly unexplored by today’s homemakers and that’s pretty sad. That’s probably because most think it would be time-consuming and difficult to process them. It’s actually the contrary. Also, many think these little red gems are only turkey condiments. 

A store shelf jar or tin of cranberries may be quicker, but you might be getting more than you really want in way of preservatives.  Those also have a high sugar content which might not be appropriate for everyone. You can reduce that by processing your own cranberries and ensure that additives are custom selected.

Cranberries are indeed the perfect condiment to serve with turkey and chicken, but you can also enjoy them in various ways. Here’s what you can do with these tart berries.

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10 Ways to Beat the Heat

Posted on July 5, 2020 by Mariette Mifflin
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Wilting under the heat?  Whether you have air conditioning or not, there’s a few things you can do to keep yourself and your home comfortable.  And some have the extra benefit of saving you energy:

  1. Turn off bathroom or kitchen fans as quickly as you can.  Exhaust fans can pull out the cool air from your home and send it out.  That can make your AC work harder to restore the room’s cool temperature.
  2. Cook with small appliances as much as you can.  Oven cooking Continue reading →
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Still Using the Old Style Holiday Lights?

Posted on November 19, 2019 by Mariette Mifflin
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Style: "Neutral"That’s a shame, because it’s costing you a lot more than energy-saving LED’s. LED holiday lights can save you money, since they use up to 80% less energy than those old bulbs.

And they are so economical, it just makes good frugal sense to upgrade to them. With energy savings, you’ll Continue reading →

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Make Miff’s Hearty Western Sandwich

Posted on August 20, 2019 by Mariette Mifflin
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I tend to do most of the cooking, but my hubby just loves making Western Sandwiches. And he’s very good at it.

It’s not your ordinary restaurant-style Western, but a killer sandwich that is bursting at the seams with flavor and sure to tie you over to your next meal.

Hearty only begins to describe this mega western sandwich, but you can reduce Continue reading →

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