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This post is a complete jumble from my to-do list. I do this occasionally; for whatever reason, writing all of these things down in exactly the same way they pass through my brain helps me to actually get them done. In fact, this entire week has pretty much been a product of my brain unwinding from finals. It seems to be taking longer to unwind each semester, so just bear with me for one more random post. Things should return to normal next week and I can finally share the stuff I’ve been working on in the living room. For now…
I still want a crazy, kooky rug for the entryway. Haven’t found one yet. But this Jonathan Adler rug I spotted a few months ago during an Atlanta blogger shopping trip is still dancing around in my head. I know I’ll find the right one (and for the right price) eventually. Maybe I’ll just paint a piece of drop cloth until then.
Speaking of bloggers, Amy from ModPodgeRocks (who also lives in Atlanta) and I went on a trip to a local “hackerspace”. It happened over a month ago and I still haven’t finished the post on it yet. As a peace offering, here is an unbelievably flattering picture of us both from that trip:
I have a huge pile of laundry and dishes to clean (though not the same pile). And now, thanks to Merrypad, I’m also realizing I need to clean my washer, too. This business of cleaning the stuff we use to clean other things just seems so fundamentally wrong. Like washing soap with toothpaste.
And speaking of washers, I’ve been saving up to buy a new washer and dryer set that doesn’t look like it’s been scrubbed with dirt. Why, oh why, do appliances ever come in ivory? As if slightly yellowed is ever a good look? I am very grateful that I’m getting close to being able to cross this large purchase off my list (there are other things, like a new TV that doesn’t have a broken screen and a grill for cooking food somewhere other than the kitchen – but that’s for when I start that remodel project somewhere later this year). The money is coming from something else I haven’t shared with you yet, but that’s only because school was sucking up all of the organization brain cells. Now that I have a month off from school to concentrate on this, I’ll share it the second it’s ready to launch.
The azaleas in my back yard have now exploded with pink all over the place (this photo was taken about a week before all of them popped). I still love the photos I took of them last year. And with that, my creepy back yard now looks like a little enchanted. I’m thinking of taking some extra funds (whenever they appear out of nowhere) and paying the neighborhood kids who ask to cut my grass to help me get this place looking more purposeful.
But first, as I mentioned, it’s limb-trimming weekend. A few of you sent me some concerned warnings about being safe when my Dad and I get crazy with the Cheez Whiz pole saw – I promise I’ll be careful! But I am actually very excited to get these things out of the way and see more sunlight shining over the back yard.
K, enough rambling for one post. So much to do, and I am determined not to waste my first weekend off from school – no matter how much it rains. What are your plans?
Have you considered a washer/dryer combo? I have an LG that I love!! It takes up less room, I only have to touch the laundry twice–to put it in and take it out of one machine–instead of shirfting loads, it uses less water, and it’s ventless. Just a thought….
Shut up. That honestly sounds amazing! Please tell me more. How long have you had yours? I think I’d be willing to spend the extra $$ for something more compact (my laundry room is teeny, and I’m terrible about forgetting things in the washer and putting them in the dryer).
This is the machine we bought, from Best Buy: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/LG+-+3.6+Cu.+Ft.+9-Cycle+Washer+and+6-Cycle+Dryer+Combo+-+White/9945183.p?id=1218199620891&skuId=9945183
We hit a special deal that LG was running: 3 years, no interest. You might have to shop around a bit for the best price, but we like shopping with Best Buy.
Wherever you buy it from, I can recommend this machine with no reservations. We’ve had ours for 6 months. No issues at all. It’s very quiet. It takes up less room than a standard washer, I think, and certainly less than 2 machines or a stacked unit. You also don’t have to vent it to the outside, which was a major plus for us since our stacked machine was on the opposite wall from the vent!
I did a lot of research before our purchase and read reviews on every site I could find. The main “con” I found people talking about was cleaning out the lint. I don’t know why people make such a big deal about it; it’s very simple and not very time consuming. And we have a cat, so I have to deal with pet hair, too. (There’s a little panel on the bottom front of the washer. You open the panel, occasionally, pull out a little hose, take off its top and let the water drain. I stick a small mixing bowl there for about 30 minutes and walk way. I don’t think more than 2 cups of water comes out. Then you twirl this little dial and a cylinder comes out of the machine. Remove whatever lint might be there; I’ve never even gotten a teaspoon’s worth of “stuff.” Dial it back in. Cap your hose and put it back where it belongs. Close the panel. You’re done.)
Another con I saw mentioned was that it takes forever to dry. Well, yeah, if you let the machine choose when your load is “dry,” it can take a long time, but I just choose the 30- or 60-minute dry cycle. So a load of laundry–start to finish–in this machine takes an hour and a half or 2 hours. If you like to air dry things and choose the quick wash setting, a load takes 20-30 minutes to wash, depending on it size (small or large load). But you only touch it twice. It also has a 4-hour cool down cycle that will tumble the clothes from time to time if you don’t remove them right away, so no wrinkles. I’ve forgotten about a load for a full day and when I went to get it, the clothes were dry, didn’t stink, and except for a cotton man’s button-down weren’t wrinkled.
The machine might be a bit small for a family of four, but it’s perfect for a couple. I only do three kinds of loads: lights, NEW darks that might bleed, and towels. I use the HE (high efficiency) detergent packets from Purex or All. Toss one in, throw the clothes in, choose your cycle (I tend to use quick wash) and your dry time, and leave it be.
If you grab the clothes just after the cycle ends–it plays a cute little tune to let you know (my only complaint might be that the “song” is not an option; you can’t tell the machine not to sing out at the end of a load)–they will feel hot and wet for a second, but it’s just steam. By the time I walk them into our bedroom (not far, we live in a condo), toss them on the bed, and start folding or hanging, they’re dry. Jeans and towels may take a little futzing with to figure out drying times if you like yours to feel bone dry when they come out.
Our clothes feel really soft using this machine. Not sure what’s different about it, but I have never had such soft clothes. And that’s without dryer sheets/fabric softener.
The only other attention I pay to the machine is that I wipe the rubber seal of the door if there’s visible lint from the load, but that’s not every load and it’s a matter of seconds not hands-and-knees work.
I hope this helps! Sorry it’s so long.
Don’t apologize. You’re my new best friend. THANK YOU for such a lengthy review.
If you think of specific questions, I’m happy to answer them.
O.M.G. I look like a pig. :D
Something to consider with a combo washer/dryer unit – you can only do one load at a time. In other words, you can’t have one load washing and another drying so it takes twice as long to do laundry if you have more than one load.