My Go-To Solution for Most Everything

Binder Clips

They come in pretty patterns and colors too!

Do you have that one solution that solves just about every problem you have? For my husband it’s duct tape. For my youngest daughter, I think it’s sharpie markers. For my oldest daughter: probably RockyRoad ice-cream.

For me?

Binder Clips

I don’t go anywhere without them and I use them for everything. Sure they bind up papers, bills, and cards into neat stacks, but they can be used for So. Much. More. I’ve used them to string up my kid’s art around the house. Clip the art and then run a cord through the looped handle or clip the art and the cord at the same time for a different look. I’ve used them to clip the ends of a towel together around my daughter’s neck and shoulders when I’m dyeing her hair. But wait…there’s more…

Power cord contained

Every cord I own has a companion Binder Clip

clipped hair ties

These hair ties aren’t going anywhere.

Cords in your way?

Binder Clips.

Constantly losing loose hair ties in your purse?

Binder Clips.

Bag of chips going stale?

Binder Clips.

Cracker packaging sealed with binder clip

May your Triscuits never go stale.

Hanging necklaces with binder clip on cork board

Two untangled chains on a cork board.

Necklace chains a tangled mess?

Binder Clips. With the help of a thumbtack on a cork board.

But my fav binder clips use is when I’m traveling.

 

You know how you can never quite get the hotel room curtains to close all the way? There’s always that little sliver of light that hits you across the face just right…That’s when a Binder Clip comes in super handy!

close the drape with binder clip

Pinch those drapes closed. Not a spec of light eeks through.

So what do you think? Is this enough to convince you to stock up on binder clips? Let me know in the comments below.

 

How a Candle and a Pair of Tweezers Saved the Day

Anti-Theft Device

You can buy this anti-theft device at RetailResource.com

“Pinned merchandise helps deter shoplifting”

“Clothing security tags trigger alarms to prevent theft”

“Unique spring gate prevents tampering”

And your twelve-year-old daughter cannot go to the party with one attached to her pant leg!

I actually take issue with claim number 2 because the security tag on the junior pants I bought at Kohl’s for my kid did not set off their alarm. Otherwise I would have taken the pants back into the store and had this %0$^ *!()# thing removed. So my hindsight compels me to tell you to make sure when you check out that all your items are “checked out” for these pesky anti-theft devices. I thought she’d gotten them all. I’m sure she thought she’d gotten them all. I wish she had gotten them all!

My choices? A–drive back to the store, in the snow, in the freezing night air, crumpled receipt in hand and have the customer service person remove said device. Or B–figure out how to get the device off myself without ruining the pants.

I chose Option B and spent about 60 minutes watching “How To” YouTube videos. First I tried the low impact actions like winding a rubber band around the pin to slowly pressure pull the device apart. And, finding the strongest magnets I own and placing them on the back of the device to disengage the device. And, using two adjustable locking pliers on either side of the device and trying to pull apart until I screamed and gave up.


What I ended up doing is as follows:

Device dismantled

This is what the device looks like when you’re done. The button/pin (left side of pic above) was on the front of the device and this is the backside view of the device (right side of pic above).

Step 1: pull back fabric from the device as much as possible.

Step 2: light a taper candle in a holder and place the candle in the sink just in case things get out of hand.

Step 3: hold the raised back of the device over the flame (not the button side) being careful not to burn the fabric.

Step 4: continue to hold the device over the flame until the plastic gets warm and melty. It may smoke and it may smell.

Step 5: remove the device from the flame and before it cools down, poke around in the melted plastic and pry the little spring out with a pair of tweezers.

Step 6: Once the spring is out the whole device separates into two pieces that you can easily remove from the fabric.


So, let’s be clear I am not advocating for you to start a shoplifting ring nor am I suggesting you burn your house down because you’ve put an item of clothing next to a lit candle. I just offer up my experience and a grateful daughter who got to wear her new pants to a party.

What’s to Like About Rockford: Free Electronic Recycling

So there I was getting gas one day and I saw this . . .

Live near Rockford? Got electronic junk? Take it here.

Live near Rockford? Got electronic junk? Take it here.

AND THEN, I saw this . . .

Big pile of big TVs

Big pile of big TVs

All you have to do is drive your electronic junk out to Kelley’s Market, on S. Main and Hwy 20 and drop it off in their big blue bin (or off to the side of their big blue bin, like in the photograph above). Old TVs, computers, VHS players, radios, and so on, they take it all.

Kelley Williamson Mobile teamed up with United Recycling Technologies (URT) and the partnership has been going strong since 2013. There’s a second bin at East State Street and Lyford Road. Between the two bins, millions of pounds have been collected. URT handles all kinds of e-waste to make sure it doesn’t wind up in a landfill where the corrosion of electronics can leak lead and hazardous chemicals into the water table.

So go ahead and clear out the basement. You’ve got a place to take that ginormous TV that blew up while you were watching American Ninja Warrior.