Stuff to Make Life Easier

If you live in a household with other folks who drive, do you, often, get your keys confused? Dave and I used to get our keys confused all the time. One day, I finally figured out that if I used colored carabiner key fobs, it was a lot easier to, quickly, find the keys I need. On a farm, there are lots and lots of keys, handfuls of keys and it’s so easy to grab the wrong set of keys. These carabiner hooks stop that from happening. The John Deere keys are on a green carabiner; the tack room keys on a silver carabiner and so forth. I’m amazed at how this small thing makes my life so much easier.

Some few decades ago, this “office in a pouch” came my way. I think it was a gift from some insurance company and it’s ever so handy. It contains tape, staple puller, eraser, pencil, small knife, ruler, stapler, and a few other things. It goes in one of the vehicles and is in constant use.

This little office in a pouch cost less than ten dollars to put together and has all the aforementioned plus some envelopes, note pads, stamps and packing tape. I was so tired of getting some where and didn’t have what I need to mail packages. This prevents “emergency” purchases of stuff I’ve got at home.

If you have a patio, or slider, door, this is a great, inexpensive method of enhancing security. You took a worn out broom, cut the handle off and the broom handle fits, snugly, into the door tracks of the patio, or slider, door, preventing the patio door from being opened.

This is the same method as the patio door; a dowel rod is cut and fitted into the track of the window, preventing the window from being opened. In both cases, it supplements the  locks on both doors and windows.

I’m a huge fan of good, sturdy, comfortable foot wear. Schmidt boots are my work boots of choice and they are comfortable! Red Wing Shoes makes Schmidt boots for Tractor Supply and Red Wing is well known and respected as makers of excellent foot wear. A comparable pair of Red Wing boots would cost me twice, perhaps more, what these Schmidt’s cost, but I’ll wear these boots as long as I’m able to work on the farm…years, perhaps decades, God willing. When I’m working cattle, fencing fences or on the tractor, it’s so nice to know at the end of the day I won’t be crippled because of shoddy footwear.

Hope some of these things are helpful in making your life easier. Let’s face it, life is so dang difficult that any time we can ease the load a bit, we’re better off.

Originally posted on Thistle Cove Farm.