Choosing Porch Lamps And Other Changes...

One of the latest projects for us has been choosing and installing porch lights. If you are considering porch lights there are a number of factors that might help you choose just the right lights. Some of the factors that were important to us were Darksky, not seeing the eye piercing light of the bare bulb, stainless and getting a lamp that is big enough (but not too big) to show up and highlight the front of our house.

Darksky: The mission of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) is to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. The basic idea is that we should be able to all see the stars and night sky rather than light pollution. DARKSKY was in many ways the top priority and we found what we were looking for on Amazon. For the finish we ended up choosing stainless steel lamps as we have learned that brass and many painted lamps rust here in as short of a time as only 2 years. We selected lamps with white Tiffany glass so the eye piercing bulb can not be seen directly and to softly diffuse the light. We want someone to be able look at our house, rather than squint because of a piercing light, and we do not want to see the bulb either. Also the size of the lamp overall makes a difference in how the lamp looks on the house. Our house is a ways from the street so lamps a bit larger than normal looked better overall. For bulbs we choose a 2700K color temperature to give the lighting a warm appearance. In order to get the brightness correct and not too bright or dim, we ended up using 14 watt CFL bulbs. Be aware also what directions you want light to shine and not shine as there are lamps that shine down only or in two directions etc. For our house we need 4 lamps so we wanted to choose extra wisely. With a little attention on each factor we were very happy with the results.

"Usually one can feel when change is coming..."

Breville Coffee Grinder And Bamboo Knock Box...

Recently we had to spend some birthday money on something we want rather than something we need - which is always fun! The fun choice we made was an espresso machine which is still en route. To make great espresso you need a great grinder because you need an accurate grind size and amount. It also helps to have a knock box so you can knock the used grinds out of the filter. We choose a Breville grinder called "the Smart Grinder" with dosing IQ. which is a digital grinder that got rave reviews. After consulting with family as to the best place we could buy such items, these came as a surprise early Christmas gift! They were bought from Amazon and arrived quickly to beat the espresso machine.

"Delicious high intensity treats that give you a burst of energy and that euphoria, ahhh..."

Birthday Money, How About An Espresso Machine?...

UPDATED: See below.

When receiving birthday money there is always that question, "what to spend it on?" When asking one of the givers what to buy he suggested some words of wisdom, "buy something you want, not something you need". Hmmmm. With the onset of fall, light eating seemed to be coming to an end and the need for some kind of treats was in the air, but what? I also wanted something that would also be exciting for my significant other. When pondering the givers of the gift I kept thinking "something practical, useful daily and fun". With fall here, the holidays are not far off either, so what would be really fun? Chocolate, vanilla, cream and coffee kept coming to mind in little cups. Delicious high intensity treats that give you a burst of energy and that euphoria, ahhh. It was not too hard to figure out what that gift might be at that point, except that I knew nothing about the machines. Having had such a wonderful experience with our Breville BOV800XL Convection Toaster Oven, it seemed well worth trying their espresso machine. Plus, one of us used to be a professional barista which adds to fun...

The machine of choice for us was the BES830XL. The more expensive one above this version combined a burr grinder but we wanted the grinder to be separate as we like the features of the Breville BCG800XL Smart Grinder better. Learning is fun as there are a number of videos plus the manual. To top things off we might get a few Bodum Double-Wall cups and a Knock Box.

UPDATE:

Having had time to really experience and learn this machine some things became clear that we would like to share with others. With machines like this you really need a nice grinder. A blade grinder is not going to create a consistent grind for a consistent shot. You actually fine tune the shot with the grind from the grinder. The grinder and espresso machine are a match, a pair, a team when it comes right down to it. If you do not have the funds for a grinder just yet the Breville might still be the best machine for you as you can use the porta-filter that is for beginners. This porta-filter "does all the work" as they say, as it regulates the back pressure of the shot so the operator does not have to. When you get a grinder you can move up to the more advanced porta-filter. If you are they type of espresso drinker that insists on the perfect temperature or a hot drink you will most likely want a machine that has the hot water wand to pre-heat the cup or make hot water. Additionally, the pressure gauge is essential as it helps to train you when you have the perfect grind and thus the perfect shot. The gauge gives you visual feedback as to the back pressure the grind is producing. The gauge does not tell you how many bar the machine is, instead it tells you if the grind is right. If the grind is to coarse or packed to loose the water goes though the grounds to fast and there is not enough back pressure and the espresso shot ends up weak. If the grind is to fine or too tightly packed then the back pressure will show high on the gauge and the shot can end up bitter.

"Delicious high intensity treats that give you a burst of energy and that euphoria, ahhh..."

DIY Sheet Mulching For The Home Landscaper...

Sheet mulching with cardboard provides the home Do-It-Yourself landscaper a really nice green/eco option for a weed barrier.

We needed a convenient place to put our garbage, recycle and metal scrap cans outside of the garage to make more room in the garage. After finding a nice location we weeded then leveled the area. This area was an odd mix of dirt and gravel making a great place for weeds to grow and difficult place to weed as it was hard packed. We took out enough of the dirt gravel mix to make an area that is about 2 inches below the blacktop.

"Weeds might still grow if the seeds land from above in the gravel, but since the gravel is only an inch or two deep they will not stand a chance against being pulled..."