We picked up an essential oil reed diffuser today at Borders ($19.99 USD) and I totally love it! So much so that I’ve been scouring the Internet for instructions on how to make this myself. So far, I’ve only come across one website that is very specific on the proportions for oils and ingredients to use. I may use this as a launching point, but I was wondering if anyone else knows of other sites that provide instructions on DIY projects like this using essential oils and herbs? I think it’s a much safer alternative to harsh chemicals and if I can make it myself it’ll be cheaper than buying it ready-made at retail.

Back in Business

Originally uploaded by Champuru.

Thankfully, exchanging our defective coffeemaker at Best Buy wasn’t too stressful. The Customer Service lady said, “oh, good thing it’s within 14 days.” It made me wonder what happens on the 15th day? Does that mean I would then have to go to the manufacturer to arrange for a return and replacement? Now that would be a royal hassle.

I am happy to report that we successfully brewed a cup of coffee tonight. All systems go!

Broken - already?!

Originally uploaded by Champuru.

We were so pleased with our purchase. The new appliance was the center of attention in the household, we gazed upon it with adoring eyes and it filled the house with the rich aromas of freshly brewed gourmet coffee at the push of a button. We even bought a tray table at Pier 1 Imports to set up a spiffy coffee station.

Unfortunately, the darn thing just gave up today. Simply rendered itself useless. It can boil a mean cup of hot water, man, but what good is a coffeemaker that can’t brew a cup of coffee?

It tries its darndest. It makes a sputtering noise, shoots out an ounce of coffee, and just stops in its tracks, resetting itself and proclaiming that it’s READY to brew yet another incomplete cup. What’s up with that? We wasted five K-Cups with vain hopes that it would miraculously self-repair after repeated attempts. I even rebooted it a few times. It works for PC’s. Why not coffeemakers?

Heck, we even RTFM’d. Okay, RTM’d. (”Read the manual,” that is.) We followed the troubleshooting steps. No luck. A day without freshly brewed coffee is like a day without sunshine. Well, alright, it isn’t that bad, but it sounded good and dramatic.

I am hoping that Best Buy will take it back and give us a replacement. After all, the bugger is only 8 days old. There has to be a lemon law for coffeemakers, too. Right?

Keurig Single Cup Coffeemaker

Originally uploaded by Champuru.

Gadgets excite me. These days, even kitchen gadgets are a turn on. (Another sign that I’m becoming more domestic.)

We first saw this at the escrow office when we were closing on our recent home purchase. Last night, we saw it in action at our friend’s house where we attended a Pampered Chef party.

When we discovered that it was only $149 at Best Buy, we knew it was destiny for us to own one. Okay, so that’s a little dramatic, but you get the idea.

If you haven’t seen one of these, go visit the Keurig website. It’s a single-cup coffeemaker that brews gourmet coffee using what they call K-cups. No more coffee filters and bothersome cleanup. Just open the chamber, pull out the spent K-cup and toss it in the trash. Voila! Another nice thing is that you don’t have to brew an entire pot of coffee, you can make one cup at a time. No more burnt coffee! Every cup is fresh. (Oh my goodness, I sound like a commercial.)

Hubby enjoys gourmet coffee, but I’m much more of a tea drinker. The kicker is that you can even brew tea in this thing. Sold!

When we got home after the Pampered Chef shindig, I jumped online and bought the Keurig at BestBuy.com. We picked it up today and was plesantly surprised to find that it was on sale for $10 less than the online price and they were nice enough to extend us the discount.

So, when you visit us, I’ll be a much better hostess since I’ll be able to offer you something other than Itoen green tea or diet Pepsi in the way of refreshment.

NOTE: Batman cup not included.

Last night, a few minutes past 11:00 pm, the screeching of tires and a subsequent crash pierced the silence of the evening. My eyes shot open and I noticed that Hubby’s steady breathing pattern had been disturbed. He was awakened by the accident as well. A woman’s voice shouted incomprehensible words in distress that I could not hear clearly. Always the first responder and with the skills to help in emergency situations, Hubby sprang from the comfort of our bed and went outside to check on the victims. My stomach in knots, I parted the vertical blinds to peer outside to find that the accident had happened just down the road from our home. I whispered a prayer for those involved. As Hubby walked down the hill, I saw a police car with its gleaming blue light arriving at the scene. Others from neighboring units also walked outside in their nightclothes to have a look. Continue Reading »

Thank you to those who responded to my plea for help and provided me with the name and number of your favorite handyman. I am always grateful when people take the time to offer me their suggestions and referrals.

We decided that ceiling fans in addition to air conditioning might be a bit over the top for our humble abode. After all, we are trying to save some money, believe it or not. So the ceiling fans were returned to Lowe’s and the store credit was enough to buy 1-1/2 window air conditioning units. Continue Reading »