Things that make life easier.

I have OA in my fingers.. so gripping now is very difficult.. I had been using Rubber gloves ( washing up gloves) to grip and get caps and lids off, but sometimes they are so stuck on I can't get them off...so I bought this, and altho' not perfect... works very well to get a various size lids off..

bottle-opener.jpg
A friend sent me one of those. For a really tough lid I use it in combination with a rubbery square
 

My wife has found that the hoses that expand with water pressure and contract when drained are easier for her to handle than pulling a standard hose out to the garden or for watering her flowers around the sides of the house.
You have to drain some of the water out of them when you are finished using them so that they don’t over expand and burst in the sunlight.
The two we bought this year are holding up better than what I ever remember these types of hoses lasting.
Maybe they have improved on the quality of them lately.
 

Don’t want to sound like Clark’s cousin Eddie but thought I might get some tips on things that make your life easier as you get older
I use news paper carrier bags to carry the heavier groceries in from the car.
I try not to overdo it and two gallons of liquid and a little more is one trip.
That frees up my hands to carry lighter bags too.
I had the strap lengthened so that I can duck my head through it to keep it from falling off of my shoulder.
Okay your turn- just anything that makes your life easier?
I asked for a folding shopping cart for that purpose one Xmas because I’m the type who does not want to make multiple trips to carry in groceries. I’d load myself up with shopping bags which would end up hurting the one shoulder I have trouble with.

So, I accepted that I need a CART, like a proper old lady. NOT ASHAMED. I love that thing! Maybe you need a folding shopping cart?
 
When my cat was alive, in her later years I guess she either developed kitty dementia or she was acting out because her cat cousin had died before her. We were both heartbroken over that. She would pee anywhere she wasn’t supposed to. I’d come home from work, could smell it in my bedroom, and after feeling around the bedspread found she’d peed on the bed. She did that a couple of times. Maddening!

SO, after trying several methods (Cat Away sprays, orange oil spray, plastic sheeting laid over the bed and sofa which she would still sometimes jump onto and pee) I got Cat Spikes. Amazon.com : cat spikes

They are awesome. You lay them all over the bed, sofa, or anywhere you don’t want the cat to go and as long as she cannot jump over them (which many of them can because cats can be great jumpers), they keep the cats off the furniture. Can also be used in the garden to keep neighborhood cats out of your plants.

I’m a renter so after she died, I steam cleaned the carpets twice; will do it again soon. I also spot-cleaned any time she had a floor accident. But I also got clear carpet mats they sell at Home Depot for all the high traffic areas, mostly because even though I have a carpet cleaner, it’s a task I don’t like so I just cover the high traffic areas.

I also had a big area rug while she was alive that I had to throw out after she died because she loved to pee on that thing. I’d spot clean it, but there is only so much you can do. Old cats can really be a lot of work. And yes, I did have her checked for UTIs. She had none - she was just losing her mind due to old age.

If you’re a landlord, do yourself a big favor and just install laminate floors. Wall to wall carpeting is an ancient practice from the 1960s and 70s. Most apartments don’t need them and bamboo or laminate floors are much more practical for both tenants and landlords.
 
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I’m starting to like the idea of a rolling cart and I think that I could figure out how to ramp it up the steps and into the house.
Of course it would all have to clear with the wife. Otherwise it’s just another of my foolish ideas.
I just have a plain, $45 cart and to take it up the stairs you have to walk it up backwards. Not great for those unsteady on their feet, but I can still do it. Hold onto the railing with one hand, cart in other.
 
Gift Wrap Storage thingy: http://tiny.cc/zfs3zz

I got one of these last year. I had wrapping stored in another container before and it was OK, but kind of messy. These kind are much nicer and can be stored under bed, in closet, or even standing on one end.
 

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