Cool Cast Iron

LPG13 by Lodge 

Last week I went to breakfast at Cracker Barrel. I love Cracker Barrel because they have some really cool, old-school stuff. They also sell Lodge Cast Iron. Luckily Lodge products were on sale! Whoot! I have been wanting a double-sided griddle/grill that covers two burners. I was so excited to find they had one and it was on sale. Total, including tax, was $52.46. The cost when not on sale is $74.95 plus tax, so it was a good deal. Even better, my good friend who I was with decided to buy it for me as an early birthday present. How sweet was that?

Beginnings of the Kitchen Cabinets

Rev-A-Shelf Slide Out

This weekend is a 3 day weekend and I only have 1.5 days of school left to teach! I am really looking forward to the summer. I have put roughly 25 hours into the planning of the kitchen area of my tiny house. In studying what everyone else has incorporated into their kitchens vs what I think I will need, I have come up with some very clever ways to improve kitchen use and storage. One of the best and most efficient storage ideas for in the kitchen I found are pull outs.

Don't Worry, When You Die I Will Be Happy To Use All Your Stuff

One of my obsessions is watching Youtube videos of things that can help me in my quest to live off grid and have a sustainable homestead while still living comfortably. This morning I was poking around for a DIY on building a rocket stove. True to form, I got off on a tangent and found a guy who is a "Prepper" who decided to shut off all  his utilities and try to live "off grid" to simulate an emergency situation for one full week. I can see that this man makes a comfortable living. He has purchased/built a home solar system and also built a rainwater catchment system. I totally got sucked into his first video when I saw the beautiful gardens his wife manages to maintain that fill their backyard. Other than the ability to harvest immediately the plants that are edible, this guy is in serious trouble.

Harbor Freight Steals and Deals

www.HarborFreight.com

Yesterday I had some time to kill before an appointment so I stopped in at my local Harbor Freight. Normally I try not to buy retail and definitely try not to buy cheap, foreign produced goods, however I have heard that Harbor Freight has super inexpensive tools that are decent. I need a router and a router table, so I figured I had nothing to loose by just taking a gander at what they have to offer. What I found was pleasantly surprising. Yes, there is a ton of foreign produced, low quality "stuff" in there, but there were some diamonds in the rough as well. I like to believe that I enjoy focusing on the positive  so here are a couple of things I found to be good deals:

Very Cool Drain

Continuing on with my quest to find only the best for my tiny house, I discovered I would be needing to buy the drain portion for my kitchen sink. While kicking around my local big-box home improvement store I was stunned to find that drains range in price from around $8 all the way up to $45 with even more expensive options made for the custom sinks those with deep enough pockets to custom order.

I looked at all the choices and found that I really liked the ones that are designed with a small basket that fits in the drain to catch food prior to it going down the drain where it could possibly cause problems later. This will come in especially handy because there will be no garbage disposal in my tiny house. This clever drain will capture shavings and cuttings when I peel potatoes and chop vegetables, etc. and easily empty them into the compost container so that I can add it to the compost pile at my convenience.

A Little Inspiration

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined."
-Henry David Thoreau

On Sale!

I am quite excited to say that my future bathtub/shower is on sale! Whoot! I stopped by the feed store yesterday for rabbit chow and saw this site of loveliness. I am going to go with the 3X3X2 so that it can be both a tub and a shower. It won't be super huge, but it will allow immersion and that counts.

Only problem I have run into is fitting it in my car, but I will strap it to the roof if need be. This sale takes $30 off the price of the tank. That is a great savings. I hate that the manufacturer has painted their logo on the side, but that side can face the wall, so it is no problem. Another item soon to be checked off on the checklist.

Big Lessons for a Tiny Home Owner

Years ago when I lived in my first new construction home, I found a binder in the master bedroom closet provided by the home builder that highlighted all the important things related to the house such as where the fuse box can be found and where the water shut-off is located. It contained the warranty information and instruction books for appliances, my home warranty information, emergency and service phone numbers for all the utility companies in my area, and lots of other information that we would have never thought to ask for until there was a problem. We jokingly called it the house bible and I cannot count the number of times we referred to that book.