Little Giant Ladder Review

My husband likes his Little Giant ladder. He has had it for over five years now. He used to use a wooden ladder, but he wanted something lighter weight and also more versatile. His search led him to the Little Giant ladder.

One day, when we were out driving around during the pre-Christmas season, he noted that the person we saw, hanging up Christmas lights, was using a Little Giant ladder. I commented, "That would be a good idea to do a page about." He agreed and also consented to an interview:

Wife: Why did you want a Little Giant Ladder?
Husband: I wanted a ladder that was versatile. The Little Giant ladder is lightweight and easy to configure.

Wife: Is there any particular reason that you chose the model that you purchased?
Husband: It was the right size for my house.

Wife: Now that you have a Little Giant ladder, what are your thoughts about using it?
Husband: It's easy to handle, and gives me a ladder to reach to spots of my house that I need to work on.

Wife: Did it meet your expectations?
Husband: Yes, it did.

Wife: What is your most favorite feature about the Little Giant Ladder that you selected?
Husband: It's the easy adjustment of the height of the A frame ladder.

Wife: Are there any other features that you would like your ladder to have.
Husband: No, it's a good ladder that does what I need it to do.

Wife: Thank you for your answers. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Husband: No, just somebody to carry it would be nice.

There you have it. The ladders come in a variety of styles and have also have a variety of accessories, making them a truly versatile ladder that works on level and uneven surfaces too.

Little Giant Ladder on Amazon

The above image shows the ladder separated into two trestles to hold the plank. The plank is not included.

Cheryl Paton

Using the Garmin GPS means I don't have to have multiple maps in my lap

I use to do the job of the Garmin gps. When my husband and I went on trips, he did most of the driving and I acted as navigator with various maps in my lap; sometimes I had two and even three maps laid out in my lap at the same time. Yes, in big cities, there were maps that only covered a small area, so I had two smaller area maps as we moved from one area to another, and then also a larger map to see where they lined up. And when you're talking multiple lanes of traffic going on, it wasn't always an ideal situation.

Life has gotten so much easier now. We type the destination in to the Garmin gps, and the let it do the navigating. What a blessing.

The model that we purchased was the Garmin nuvi 1200. Since then, there are new options. Voice directions are nice and they can be muted if you like. It's nice having a video display of the car and the roads.

Garmin GPS Navigator with Voice Assist, on Amazon

Be sure to purchase the update package on the model you purchase, to keep current with new roads, etc. Before a trip, my husband will download the update so that we know the directions are the most up to date.

Cheryl Paton

Purchase Custom Postcards Online

I have purchased a variety of custom postcards online from Zazzle, a print on demand (POD) company, and found them to be of great quality. With being able to customize them with party details right online, they were convenient and easy to personalize. I liked the print quality and would recommend them to others.

Custom postcards online can be purchased to share particular themes, be specialized for Save the date notices, serve as invitations, and so much more. Many can be easily personalized on template forms before placing your order. If there is no template form, you can also click on Customize to personalize them.

Postcards are a nice way to let others know that you are thinking of them.

Array of White Flowers Thinking of you Postcards

by CherylsArt

Save the dates are a great service for weddings and other events that require extra planning for guests, such as when they need to make travel plans and hotel reservations.

Purple Yellow Diamonds Butterflies Save the date Postcard

by CherylsArt

New address postcards are an easy way to let family and friends, etc. know that you are moving or have moved.

We're Moving, change of address postcards

by CherylsArt

You can also design your own, do it yourself, DIY postcards by uploading your own image and adding your own text.

DIY - Design Create Your Own Postcards

by CherylsArt

Design requests are also accepted at my store, CherylsArt on Zazzle.

Cheryl Paton

World Sight Day - Take steps to improve vision naturally

World Sight Day is held in October. For 2024, the date is October 10. Hallelujah, that's a fine day to celebrate. You see, I have been improving my own vision naturally, and I see much better now than I did years ago.

Yes, people are improving their vision through eye exercises.

One thing that has helped me is to look beyond my clear seeing zone, and then to notice what I do see; and to do that from time to time throughout the day. If you want to give it a try, look ahead and notice what is the most clear item that you can see. Then look a bit beyond that item, or closer to you if you are wanting to adjust your vision the other way. Then just notice what you do see. It doesn't have to be clear. Just notice. Do you see the general outline of something, perhaps space in between the letters or space in between the lines if you are looking at text. Then note in your mind what it is that you see. Part of this re-training of your eyes is also re-training your mind that you do see things.

Another thing I've done is to rotate my eyes around in large circles, first in one direction, and then in the other. Take a look at the photo at the top of the page to get the idea. It's as if you are drawing a big circle with your eyes, going from right to left, and then from left to right.

Eyes need to relax as well as exercise, and not just when one is sleeping. Before doing this exercise however, make sure that you wash your hands thoroughly first. Then rub your cleaned palms together a few times to generate some warmth, and then place your cupped palms over your closed eyes for several seconds or more. There is no pressure to use here, in fact, there should be enough space to blink or open your eyelids if you want. Eyes can appreciate this extra relaxation.

I made a chart that illustrates various exercises that I have done to improve my vision. You can find the chart at my CherylsArt store on Zazzle.com. If you have any questions, you can ask them below.

Eye vision exercises poster, I give thanks for...
by CherylsArt

Here's to seeing better, naturally.

Check out another option for vision exercises using pinhole glasses on this blog: Pinhole Glasses for Improving Vision.

Cheryl Paton

Stones Into Schools - A Positive Step For Peace and Education

I read this inspiring book, Stones Into Schools, by Greg Mortenson. Greg originally wrote Three Cups of Tea, and picked up where his previous book left off.

Mortenson went back to Afghanistan to fulfill a promise - to build a school. People that had one time been considered to be the lowest of the low, wanted a school. They risked their lives to travel through the harshest of winter conditions, on horseback, just to meet this man, Greg Mortenson, and to make a request. Build us a school. They wanted more for their kids than what they had had.

This recollection of events is told from Mortenson's point of view; the book is a tale that keeps you interested, and cheering on for more schools.

The book, Stones Into Schools, is available for purchase on Amazon.

Cheryl Paton

Accordion Clothes Drying Rack Review

I can finally say that our laundry area is set up for convenience and efficiency. In between our washing machine and our dryer, stands our accordion style clothes drying rack.

As I take out the clothes from the washing machine, I can easily throw them into the dryer, or hang them on the drying rack that is sitting right there.

I usually reserve the drying rack for bras and other fine washables. It makes it more convenient and also helps these finer fabrics to last longer.

My husband likes to dry his socks on the rack.

I chose the wooden style as it won't have a rust issue over time.

This rack can be folded for easy storage. This one is made from bamboo.

Accordion Style Clothese Drying Rack on Amazon



There are other styles to choose from on Amazon,such as smaller ones, wall hanging ones, etc. Visit more laundry racks to see what is available on Amazon.

Cheryl Paton

Painting People in Acrylic with Lee Hammond

When I first started painting people in acrylic, I looked at the photo and made my best guess with the skin paint colors that I had on hand. Once I got the book, Painting People in Acrylic with Lee Hammond, I opened up to more color possibilities. I added orange, blue and red; not the normal colors I had normally added when painting skin tones.

With the practice exercises of painting spheres, my blending techniques also improved.

This is the first face painting I did after practicing some skills that I learned in Hammond's book.

There are some things I would do differently now, were I to paint this boy again; however I am pleased with my first attempt with the skills I learned then.

If you're looking to take your skin painting skills in acrylic to the next level, I recommend this informative book by Lee Hammond, Paint People in Acrylic. It covers tips for painting skin as well as fur, brush maintenance, blending techniques, and more.

Paint People in Acrylic on Amazon

Cheryl Paton

Are the dishes in the dishwasher clean or dirty? - Dishwasher Magnets

"Are the dishes in the dishwasher clean or dirty?" This is a question I used to get asked a lot. That is until I designed and purchased a dishwasher magnet. Of course, it has to be manually turned either up or down, but the learning curve is worth it.

Now my daughter and I both use it. How about you? Will a dishwasher magnet make your life simpler? It can as long as you and the others in your household adjust to the learning curve of turning the clean or dirty side up, as appropriate.

Sometimes I even have to look at the magnet to see if the dishes are dirty or clean.

Here is a link to various dishwasher magnets that I designed. There is a bit of a variety - from abstract designs to baseball, and ones for animal lovers. I had purchased one of the large round magnets and we have been using it for several years now. The large magnet is easy to grab and turn around.

I made the designs and Zazzle.com, a print on demand company, does the printing on the magnets, and the shipping.

Something so simple has also made our lives simpler.

Dirty Clean Dishwasher Magnets
by Cheryl Paton

Cheryl Paton

Plastic Artist Palette Can be Good for the Environment

I use a variety of artist palettes when I paint, i.e. a clear one if I want to do color matching, a closed lid one for longer term projects, and a plastic well one for most of my acrylic painting projects.

I use the plastic well one the most, as it is small; that works well for my space. I usually paint on canvas sizes that are around 8-1/2 x 11 inches, so it also holds pretty much the amount of paint that I need.

The other thing I like about the plastic wells, is that once I'm finished painting, I set the palette aside and let the paint air dry. (I actually have several of these in case I'm working on multiple projects and/or at different times.) Once the paint is dry I peel the dried paint out of the wells. Most of the paint peels off pretty easily, and the rest I do a few scrapings with my finger nails, or quickly wash it out with soap and water. That might seem a little time consuming; however, I'm keeping less paint from being washed down the drain. Then it's only what is coming off of my brushes that goes down the drain, so I see that as an environmentally friendly thing to do.

Plastic Artist Palette on Amazon

Cheryl Paton

Word Puzzle Game, Bananagrams Product Review

My family likes playing word puzzles; if there is paper on the table when we eat out at a restaurant, we usually grab the crayons and play hangman. Then I came up with the idea of Hangman on Post It Notes. You can read about that here: Hangman on Post it Notes.

My daughter and I also like playing word search puzzles. So I was much intrigued when I read someone's post about Bananagrams; so much so that when I saw the game at our local book store, I purchased one for myself.

Bananagrams is a letter title game in which the players put together crossword puzzles. It's different than Scrabble, in that each player builds their own individual puzzle. The thing that I like about playing Bananagrams is that there is no timer, and every once in awhile, for various reasons, you get to grab more letters; and it's all in fun.

When there are less letter tiles in the grab pile than there are players, the first player with no remaining tiles shouts Bananas! That person is the winner of that hand as long as all of their words are spelled correctly. The other thing I like about Bananagrams is that there are no letter scores to add up.

There are several alternative ways to play the game, for instance, there is a variation for playing in restaurants, not having to grab from the center pile, and playing the game singly. You could also make it more challenging by limiting the game to making only words in a certain category.

If you like word puzzle games already, and/or like making words from letters, the Bananagrams game can be a fun game for you. It can also be a great learning and teaching tool for learning spelling tips.

Bananagrams Game on Amazon

It also comes in a big tile version

Cheryl Paton