Kitchens Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Oh My Heartsie Girl

March 5, 2019

Five Awesome Facts About Your Tap Water Filter

Tap water can be full of nastiness: germs, algae, rust, ancient dirt, and chlorine galore. Even if it has no distinct color, you may want to give it some thought and TLC – you do live off it, after all!

More and more households are choosing to filter their water and for good reason. If you ever wanted to learn how your water filter actually works, you can read up on that at this web page. Meanwhile, here are five nifty facts about your tap water filter that you may not have known.

It is more cost-effective than buying bottled water.

Bottled water comes in all shapes and packaging, from huge gallons, through multi-bottle packs, to single-serve disposable bottles. You can even get it in dozens of different flavors! Factoring in all of the available varieties, when you compare what people spend on bottled water vs. the average cost of tap water, it turns out that bottled water is about three hundred times more expensive. Let that soak in (pun intended). You spend three hundred times more money on the exact same amount of water.

Now, you might argue that installing a water filtration system in a whole settlement is more of an expense, but it actually only adds around $0.02 cost per pint of water, so it is still far more cost-effective – and there is no need to worry about the shelf life of all those fancifully flavorful additions.

It is way more sustainable.

Caring for the environment is important! Even if you throw your water bottle in the correct bin, the chances of it getting recycled are actually fairly slim. If you look at the statistics for the United States alone, about 62% of this plastic ends up in landfills instead of recycling centers, and it is not much better in the rest of the world, either.

Moreover, for each liter of water, three liters are used to manufacture and clean the bottle. The bottling process is also a major contributor to the glass house effect – its average carbon dioxide emission measures in millions of tons on an annual level. Your home water filter helps you combat both the gas emission, wasted water, and the rate of bottles that wind up in landfills.

Your filtered water is actually cleaner than bottled!

Nowadays everybody already knows about BPA (aka Bisphenol-A), a carbon-based substance linked to cancer. But bottled water contains a lot more junk than that, believe it or not. It contains several contaminants that are outright harmful, such as certain kinds of plastic byproducts, fertilizer, and even medical waste, all of which slowly but steadily seep into the water that you bought to drink. That sounds super appetizing, doesn’t it? In fact, if you were to run a liter of store-bought water through a filter you can monitor, we would bet you a muffin that you would be shocked at all the dirt.

It is easy to use and maintain.

Let’s step away from the city waterways for a second. Consider the typical household solutions: point-of-use filters that you mount on your faucet, and pitcher filters. These remove the filth from your water by means of carbon filters, which are easily removable (pro tip: replace them every couple of months). There are also “countertop” filtering systems that you can purchase, and their filters last significantly longer. Usually, you would need to replace them once a year. They also often employ more complex systems, filtering your water in several steps, removing pesticides, industrial waste etc. over the course of a few filtration stages.

It makes your water tastier than the bottled variety.

Yes, we said “tastier”; you read that right. Even though we know, in principle, that water is odorless and tasteless, in practice, all of the nasty stuff we listed above does give it a taste – we are just desensitized to it, so we fail to register it at all. Bottled water is especially guilty of this “aroma”, having that sharp, harsh, ugly taste of plastic that has been standing in hot sunlight for a while (no matter where the bottle was stored before purchase). No wonder that filtered water tastes way fresher!

This post may contain affiliate links and I might receive compensation if you make a purchase after clicking on a link.
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Related:
Is Your Drinking Water Safe?
Do You Use A Water Purification System In Your Home
Ways in Which Your Choice of Water Filter Factors into Creating a Green Home

February 5, 2019April 29, 2021

7 Strategies To Follow Your Budget During A Home Renovation

7 Strategies To Follow Your Budget During A Home Renovation

A home renovation can be a refreshing and stressful activity as well. It can help you get your mind off things, but it can also expose you to immense pressure if you do not plan well for it. It is ideal to have a budget for all the expenditures so that you do not spend more than what you have. But just having a budget is not enough to ensure you don’t spend more. Here are seven strategies to follow your budget during a home renovation.

Do It Yourself

An exceptionally effective way of saving money during a home renovation is doing it yourself. If you are handy, you can even do everything yourself. But if you lack some of the required skills, you might need a crew to help put up drywall and lay the tiles. However, you could still reduce their hours, and hence the cost, by demolishing the space, cleaning up the place, painting, and preparing the surface.

If your DIY skills are moderate, and you want to improve them for your renovation, you can always use YouTube. If you are determined, be available to learn the needed skills and take time to do it right. If you lack the required tools, you can rent them from a local hardware store. Additionally, the rental due dates will motivate you to complete the upgrade.

In case you decide to do the upgrade yourself, beware that there are things you can’t do without a license, including moving utility lines and electrical work. If you have the required skills for jobs like setting up load-bearing beams and tearing down walls, ensure you obtain the necessary permit. In addition to protecting you from potential problems, the future inhabitants of your house will be safe.

Reuse Materials

During renovations, you can save money and stick to the budget by reusing materials. For instance, when upgrading the kitchen, you can reuse cabinetry and appliances. If you require more than new hardware and paint to be pleased with your kitchen cabinet doors, you can reface doors to adjust the style or replace them while maintaining the cabinet body and save plenty of money. Be sure to check uniquedesign.net.au/alfresco-kitchens-brisbane for amazing kitchen designs that you can implement with your reused materials.

Even though you are unable to reuse any existing materials in your house, you can purchase fixtures and materials from salvage yards, building material auctions, and e-commerce sites. At times, people are moving and require selling appliances that are in perfect condition quickly. You can also find plenty of lumber remaining from a person’s project. In addition to saving money, the search for salvage materials saves the environment from waste and adds some character to your renovation.

Be Smart When Hiring

Prior to hiring professionals for your upgrade, be sure to look around. Beware not to use a general contractor since they can be stressful and costly. This is due to the plenty of organization needed when various skilled workers are involved. When hiring professional help, be sure to use personal recommendations and user reviews so that you can get someone trustworthy.

Be careful when hiring a friend of your friend, unless you have heard from a client who is pleased with their work. Also be careful about hiring family and friends for assistance. They could be great friends but bad contractors, which would ruin your relationship if the renovation turns out bad. But they can be significant assets if they are good at the job.

Moreover, be sure to schedule the project for the off-season. This period follows the holidays just before summer. However, it changes with the region. During the summer, professionals are generally busy with big projects, and the majority of them are unwilling or unable to take on smaller jobs. In addition to getting professionals who are available, off-seasons will also allow you to negotiate for reasonable rates.

Maintain the Home’s Footprint

The most expensive renovations include moving the windows, walls, sinks, and bathtubs. At times, moving a wall entails installation of costly load-bearing beams. However, sometimes it is cheaper to remove a wall than to relocate ventilation for a stove or a gas line. The cost will involve materials costs of cabinets, beams, conduits, counter tops, wiring, plumbing, and more, as well as labor costs for hiring a professional. If the functionality of the space is excellent, making these significant adjustments is not worth it.

Sell Old Fixtures

If there are things that do not make you happy, like ceiling lights, replace them. But ensure you sell the old fixtures instead of disposing of them as garbage. To finance some parts of the renovations, you can sell these old fixtures and materials on sites like OfferUp, Craiglist, or Facebook Marketplace. Old appliances, hardware, kitchen cabinets, doors, and other materials could appeal to someone else who is looking to reuse old materials. Also, you can sell metal junk to scrapyards.

Balance Low-End and High-End Materials

Get the most value out of your money by buying statement items, like a statement stove or quartz counter tops. However, save money when it comes to other places that have less impact. Style inclinations and the project will determine this balance. You can choose to spend more cash on hardware and less on cabinets and doors. But be sure to avoid extremes and not go too fancy and lose money by setting up cheap Formica counter tops.

Earn Rewards

Utilize reward credit cards to cater for the budgeted expenditure and immediately pay off the card with the budgeted cash. This will allow you to earn rewards with your card and even go on a free vacation with your family. What could be better after working hard on your renovation? Another ideal way of earning rewards is to buy gift cards from grocery stores that provide benefits for spending money, like savings on future grocery or fuel buys.

Conclusion

However hectic a renovation can be, these seven strategies will make things easier. You will not only save a lot of money and stick to the budget, but you will also create something that is worthwhile.

This post may contain affiliate links and I might receive compensation if you make a purchase after clicking on a link.

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Related:
4 Home Improvements To Prioritize This Year

May 15, 2018February 20, 2021

The Top Five Dutch Ovens you should have in 2018

The Dutch oven is certainly a delight of traditional culture fused with modern day ingenuity. In fact, for many, the Dutch oven is considered the workhorse of the kitchen. One can use it to make almost any dish! From oven-baked casseroles to stovetop soups; it is only limited to one’s imagination.

Certainly, these large, hefty pots are worth every penny! So today, we’ll be taking a closer look at them.

Describing a Dutch oven

So what is a Dutch oven? For starters, it’s not an oven at all. In fact, a Dutch oven is any large, heavy pot that is designed for oven use as well as stovetop cooking. Hmm, so maybe that deep 7-quart stockpot could be a Dutch oven! That is, as long as it comes with an oven-safe lid. Plus it’s got to be resilient enough to go into the oven even after coming from the stove.

Today, however, the talk about Dutch ovens has been centralized around dense enameled cast iron pots; with a majority being typified as either the Staub or the Le Creuset. Such pots are a match-made in heaven when it comes to preparing braises, as well as slow-simmering soups. Though other hearty meals are indeed not out of the question!

That being said, here are the top 5 Dutch Ovens that should be in every household while prepping for any scrumptious meal.

Le Creuset-3.5 Quart Wide Oval French Oven

Coming in at a modest size compared to a plethora of ovens out there, the Le Creuset has a deep extra-wide base to allow one to brown the meat right in the middle. Moreover, one can add a hearty serving of tomatoes to create a rich, thick stew.

Lodge 6-Quart- The Lodge Color Enamel Dutch Oven

If ever there was a massive pot at an affordable price, then this right here is the epitome. Moreover, the Enamel Dutch Oven is ideal for preparing dishes such as breads, soups, braises, stews, plus so much more.

Staub 4 ¼ – Quart Dutch Oven-The Quart Oval is one of the most enjoyable ovens out there. Firstly, because it shape demonstrates an elegant design; plus it also happens to cradle a roast chicken seamlessly! Though Staub Dutch ovens prices are by far on the steep-end of the price spectrum, they are honestly worth the dough. Not only do they clean up beautifully, but also get the job done in the kitchen!

Emily Henry Round 7-Quart Dutch Oven- Looking for a massive Dutch oven? Then this particular oven is definitely worth the buy. A product of Emile Henry, one is guaranteed that the product will be top-notch.

With these Dutch ovens as part of one’s cooking arsenal, there are numerous recipes online that can be made fast and easy at home!

5.5 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven-A Food Network product, the 5.5 Quart Dutch oven is pretty affordable, despite its strong affiliation with one of the most successful Recipe networks in the world.

May 14, 2018

How To Get the Right Toaster For Your Family

Toasters come in many shapes and sizes, and choosing the perfect alternative for you and your family might prove to be daunting, especially these days. The market seems to be overflowing with units, so that can make it hard for you to make up your mind.

West-Bend-TEM500W-Egg-and-Muffin-Toaster

In this article, we’ll tell you about some things you should consider the next time you’re trying to find the right breakfast appliance for your kitchen.

Does the design matter?

Some people might be interested in selecting an appliance that can tie their kitchen together. However, for others, the aesthetics of the unit might not matter at all. Believe it or not, it doesn’t hurt to check whether the model you’re considering getting doesn’t come in a color that matches the rest of your appliances and tools.

Size and capabilities

2-slice toasters are recommended for people who live alone or for those who have a limited number of family members. They can be used conveniently and efficiently in dorms or rented apartments. However, when you’re trying to make breakfast for a spouse, a daughter, and a son, such a model might prove to be unsuitable.

Since the model has to match your requirements and expectations as best as possible, you should consider the size and your own habits and necessities. 4-slice alternatives make way better choices for bigger families.

Easy to use and easy to clean

There are several features you should be after if you hate using appliances that are hard to utilize. For example, the model could be equipped with a toast lifter so that you don’t have to use a fork to try to grab the piece of toast every time. An auto shut-off signal can be helpful because you’ll be notified when the toast is ready, and that means that you could do something else while waiting for the appliance to do its job.

A cancel button is pretty much mandatory these days, especially if you have a little trouble setting the browning feature in accordance with your preferences. To avoid eating toast that’s overdone, you could press the cancel button any time.

Controls

Most of the basic models that don’t cost a fortune will come with automatic controls, but they won’t be digital. The mechanical design of these products will make them user-friendly, but they won’t tell you too much about how much time’s left until you can enjoy the toast and several other details like that.

Some users argue that controlling the browning via a dial is a bit more complicated than using specific digital settings. Besides, most modern alternatives come with LED lighting, and thereby allow you to make the toast even when it’s dark in the kitchen.
Realted:
Home Series: How To Set Up Your Kitchen For Easy Cooking
5 Ways to Update Your Kitchen on a Budget