Friday Things
1. Joseph turned 8 months old last Saturday! I just can’t believe how fast this year is going, it’s insane. He is crawling like a champ, zooming around the house like a little bug, it’s so funny to watch. He’s pulling himself up on everything and standing, holding on with only one hand. His newest thing this week is that twice he actually started bouncing/dancing when a commercial came on the TV with music. I just love hanging out with this little dude every single day.
2. Last Friday, I got a deep tissue massage and it was AMAZING. After it was over, I just wanted to curl up and take a nap in that dark room with the relaxing music. I could go for one of those every single week.
3. On my way to do some errands, I drove past a house with a clothesline in the yard and tons of clothes hanging in the sun. It reminded me of my grandma so much; if the weather was at least halfway decent, she never used her dryer.
4. Did you see the story about the dog that stood watch over her buddy that had fallen into a cistern until help arrived? Dogs are such amazing souls.
5. Speaking of dogs keeping an eye out for one another… We currently have a temporary construction fence up in our yard after having some yard work done and prepping for expanding the fenced-in area. Somehow yesterday, Einstein got his head underneath of it and off he went. My husband was sitting on the deck with Joseph and didn’t see it happen, but Duke got very upset and was whining/growling and staring off out of the yard. It got my husband’s attention and he saw Einstein way out of the yard. When asked if he was hungry, Einstein immediately made a beeline for home, thank goodness. Duke is such a good brother :)
6. Can we talk hair ties? What brand/type do you use? I buy the black Scunci ones, but I feel like they get totally stretched out after using them for only a couple of days.
7. Please tell me your favorite tips for getting a comforter into a duvet cover without losing your mind. It’s quite possibly my least favorite home chore.
8. So, my fantasy football is currently in shambles. My regular team is 0-2 on the season, my players are seriously underperforming. On top of that, I got bounced from my survivor league last week since the Saints couldn’t manage to beat Tampa. Ugh. I was in a seriously bad mood last Sunday afternoon.
9. On a happier note, I’ve been enjoying watching footage of the Pope traipsing around this week!
10. TGIF! These guys were super snuggly this week…
Goody hair ties. As for the duvet I just stuff one corner of the comforter into the corresponding corner of the closed end of duvet and hold it there. Then I do the same with the other closed corner and then I just give it a good snap and voila comforter is in. Button it up and you’re done.
Joseph is so adorable & looks so happy! So are your other two babies, Einstein & Duke! Great pictures. Time sure does fly!
Hi Michelle, just wanted to let you know that I’m an email subscriber…but this is the third time I haven’t received my “Friday Things” email. Not sure why…your daily emails are usually in my INBOX first thing when I wake up…but for some reason the Friday ones, from time to time, aren’t coming…at all. It’s not going to my spam folder…so it’s a little strange. Just thought you would like to know.
I didn’t receive it either this week which is also odd. I think it happened once before.
Hi Grae (and Wendy!), I’m so sorry for that… I was doing some editing in my email software Thursday evening and unknowingly put a pause on the email campaigns. All apologies for you not receiving Friday’s email!
Duvet Cover ugh !
I flip the cover inside out and use the corner ties inside the cover to secure the inside to the cover. I repeat the saame to secure the top corners. All of my covers come with ties sewn into the corners to secure. Hope this makes sense. Thanks for the turnover recipe. Joseph gets more adorable each week. So enjoy the pics!!
i’m so glad that Einstein came back right away! Joseph is just too darned cute! He’s the kind of baby you could spend all day loving on! I don’t use a duvet..sorry…maybe I should? i’m not sure i get the purpose of one…maybe you can explain it? I use the Scuni no elastic hair ties too …they last longer than the scrunchies but i’m always having to buy new ones anyway…sigh….
Hi Maria, So you would use a duvet cover for a comforter if you didn’t have a bedspread on your bed. We have two different comforters, a heavy one for winter and lightweight for the summer – the comforters are sold on their own, they’re just plain white, and they fit inside a duvet cover which typically matches your bedding set.
They are not comforters. A duvet is intended to replace top sheet, blanket(s) and comforter. The basic feather-filled duvet is where the insulation/heat is, and the duvet cover is the ‘sheet’. With the best duvets, they ‘breathe’ and are warm in Winter and not too hot in Summer. In Scandinavia, and now in parts of Europe, too, they are used in hospitals for comfort and for very easy bed making – just shake it back into place.
So for a bed, you need a bottom sheet, pillow and duvet. That’s it.
We do use a thicker duvet cover for our Colorado winters, and plain cotton in summer. We hardly ever need anything on top of it, but in deep winter we might throw something on top – either another duvet, or a quilt/comforter.
Maria D: The added benefit of using a duvet is that you can wash the duvet cover, without also needing to wash the bulky comforter inside. It protects the comforter. This is especially useful if you like to use down-filled comforters.
Have to say that I’ve seen the inside out method, but prefer old way for duvet cover. Have used for over fifty years. Just put cover at top of bed, open end facing foot, then duvet below it. Grab one of the top corners of duvet and run it into corresponding inside top corner of cover. Do same with other side. Then put bottom corners into each lower pocket. Close end and shake into place.
Love our duvet, and luckily when we married, my husband did too.
This is what I do also. I am going to try the one shown by Peter Walsh around the world including Australia, hope it works.
Comforters and duvet covers drove me insane also until I read a tip online somewhere about using safety pins to secure the comforter inside the duvet cover. Genius! I use small safety pins around the entire edge. They’re virtually invisible and the comforter stays put and doesn’t get a bunchy inside.
REF#7 the duvet..
Iturn mine inside out and sew ribbons in each corner and and again in the middle between each corner, then I tie the ribbon around the corner and it holds in place. The clips never worked for me! Plus..I was always loosing them. I have to admit this is not an “original” idea. Pottery barn does this with their duvets. When I saw it I was so excited! I went home and started sewing ties in all of my duvets!
I’m glad it isn’t just me having that bake with the scunci hair ties. I still haven’t found anything that doesn’t stretch out so quickly. I’ll be interested to see if you or anyone else finds a solution.
And yes, dogs are amazing souls. Well, animals in general. I’ve been ill with seasonal allergies, and my cat hasn’t left my side. Pets are very sensitive creatures!
That is the exact reason why I don’t use duvet covers!!! So annoying!!!
Same here – even once you get the duvet in the cover, and even if you have clips, it bunches up in the cover and you’d end up with no duvet covering you – just cover. I’m all about the comforters now.
Re: Duvet cover. Years ago you could purchase duvet clips. You would turn the cover wrong side out and lay it out with the duvet on top of it, then use the clips on the bottom corners to secure them together. Then you would start turning it right side out. The clips kept the duvet in place while doing so. After you got it turned you would put the remaining clips on the upper corners on the inside. The clips also kept the duvet from shifting inside the cover. It’s been years but I bet you could find the clips in an online search.
Cats are pretty awesome, too! Our kitten was neutered this week, and while he was at the vet, our other cat cried and alerted my fiance to the situation all day. And now that he is home and on antibiotics, older cat tried to “protect him” from having to take the medicine by coming between us. It has been very endearing. Our cat needed a companion more than we ever realized.
The inside out trick for the duvet is fantastic. Saved so much frustration for me!
Check out this video on Rachael Ray for the duvet problem!
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/lifestyle/21013_the_best_most_perfect_way_to_make_your_bed/
Love your recipes and all your dog pictures :)
This is the method I use too, it was on NBC as well. So easy!
Bed Bath and Beyond sells duvet clips to clip the corners of the comforter to the duvet. I use those with the inside out trick that others have mentioned.
I swear by Scunci hair ties with no metal parts. They are not made with elastic but rather a strechy material like pantyhose are made of but much thicker. They last forever but are hard to find. I git mine at a CVS (I think). Last time I looked they didn’t have them so I am not sure if they are still on the market but you can still get them through amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VT54QK?tag=wat002-20
I have the same problem with the same hair bands and my hair is too thick for the clear ones. Please report back on your blog if you found something that works better.
I was going to post the same thing – my hair is very thick, and when I use the thick black Scunci-style ones, they stretch out after only a couple of uses. Or, as I try to wrap them tighter, they break.
Michelle, can you please include a list of the recommendations in your next Friday things? Thanks!
My two are the same way. Nikolai escaped 3 times before we figured out how he was doing that. Shadow would stand at the fence and cry and whine to alert us. My two dogs don’t like being apart. I have to walk them both together otherwise the one at home sits at the door crying and howling until I return. They are so cute and funny together.
Those inside out dog ears just kill me. So cute!
Goody silicon hair ties. They hold hair tight and don’t stretch.
yes the inside out trick. then i use safety pinks to pin the corners in place.
and for hair ties i use the same ones but with the little rubber piece on the inside
As for hair ties, I am really loving the Invisibobbles. Even after wearing them all day, you don’t get a dent in your hair :)
Inside out!!! I take the duvet, grab the top corners on the outside, and flip the duvet around my arms until it is inside out, with my hands still on the corners. then, i put the corners on the corners of the comforter, flip the duvet a bit and BOOM. covered!
That’s exactly how I do it too! Works like a charm every time!
I didn’t believe it when I watched this, but this trick for the duvet (as seen on the Meredith Viera show) actually works! Here is the link: http://meredithvieirashow.com/videos/something-you-should-know-duvet-cover-roll/
Hope it helps!
this method CHANGED MY LIFE. It used to be my least favorite chore, too, and now it’s like a game!