On a Greenstring

I’m Coming Back!

Shaina — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 01:30:00 +0000

I’m on to my next project! Re-Flooring most of my house! I had a Design Remodel Firm come in and help me make a plan. I won’t be doing most of the work this time. But I WILL be flooring everything. Here is going to be my first project. I’m so excited, I just had to share.

Here is the before photo. Before I moved in, before some lender required repairs. This isn’t what it looks like now. But it makes for a more dramatic transition to start at the very beginning.

I’m going to tile the whole area in front of the island with THIS:

Details: It’s a 15- 3/4″ by 15-3/4″ Gray “Pietre 2″ Tile

Style #: UNI 5698 Color Nepi

It is a through body porcelein, has no VOCs emission, It’s 12% Recycled Content, and made by a company that is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council. Yipee! I can’t get this product from a ReUse store because I need too much of it. But I think I made a conscience choice that will work well in my upstairs.

The description on the website is: Philosophy of elegance.

Casa Dolce Casa interprets bon ton as a vision of space, taking possession of it and expressing it with hints of refinement, the suggestive atmosphere, moments experienced in an environment in which simplicity and elegance find a perfect balance.

Let the adventure begin!

It’s done!

Shaina — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 22:30:12 +0000

After Installing the Window, Laying the Tile, Building the Cabinets, Painting the Room, The Door Installation Fiasco, Getting the Granite Installed, Installing the Radiant Floor Heat, Nailing in the Moulding, Tiling the Backsplash, Cleaning the Bathroom & Updating the fixtures, Installing a Bath Fan and air sealing the CrawlSpace.

Before and After Downstairs

Shaina — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 22:11:51 +0000

Hey! So I finally got around to posting completed photos of the downstairs!

BEFORE:

Before Sliding Glass door to the outside

Before Outside area

AFTER!

It’s perfect. I love it all! I hope I can find someone to live in it that loves it as much as I do!

Love and Thanks so everyone who helped make this happen for me.

Who Needs “Extreme Couponing”? Just Take What You Need…

Shaina — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 18:00:38 +0000

….for Free!

Last night I hosted a Coupon 101 summary and a “Favorite Things” party. Below is what we went over for the couponing. Enjoy!

Northwest Couponing Websites:

(in order best to worst as decided by me)

1) http://www.Thriftyandthriving.com

2) http://www.frugallivingnw.com/

3) http://www.Hip2Save.com

Sometimes I check:

4) http://www.frugalcouponliving.com/

5) http://www.thriftynorthwestmom.com/

6) http://happymoneysaver.com/

All the NW bloggers talk to each other. So around the holidays they will tell you what blog is going to focus on what store. Like Thrifty and Thriving specializes in Target deals.

Coupon Acronyms:

BOGO/B1G1 = Buy One Get One

BOGO 50% = Buy One Get One Half Off

MQ = Manufacturer’s coupon

OOP = Out of Pocket (actual money you will spend out of your pocket)

GC = Gift Card

OYNO = On Your Next Order

MIR = Mail in Rebate

TYPES OF COUPONS

Manufacturer’s Coupon (MQ) = Coupon that are for a specific product, supplied by the manufacturer.

Store Coupons = Coupons that are from certain stores. ex: Safeway, Target or Fred Meyer (You can use a store coupon and a MQ on the same item – the store is supplying you with a discount as well as getting reimbursed my the manufacturer)

Printable Coupon = Coupons you can print of the Internet (some store have policies regarding whether or not they will or will not take certain printable coupons).

Blinkie = Coupons found at the store in those little red machines with the blinking light. The are usually found directly by the products.

Catalina = These are coupons that print out after you purchase something. Sometimes they are for money off a product, or good for a certain amount of money off on your next order (OYNO).

eCoupons = coupons that can be loaded to your store loyaltly card.

Peelie = Coupons found on the actual product that you can peel off and use at checkout.

Tearpad = Coupons near products that are on a tearpad, you can tear them off and use at checkout.

Double Coupons = Some stores will double the value of any manufacturer’s coupon (MQ) up to a certain amount. Ex. $.50 off coupon will become worth $1.00 when doubled.

COUPON INSERTS

There are some people that file their coupons according to the date they came out, then when they need a certain coupon, they look up the date and insert type to find the coupon they want. This is why I list the coupons like this:

1.00 coupon from 3/28 SS insert

Here are the abbreviations for those insert that you see listed with the coupons:

SS = Smart Source

RP = Red Plum

P&G = Proctor and Gamble

GM = General Mills

STORE SPECIFIC LINGO

RR = Walgreens Register Rewards

ECB = CVS Extra Care Bucks

SCR = Rite Aid Single Check Rebate

Twice the Value Coupons = Albertson’s version of “double coupons”, you will need to have this coupon in order to double a coupon (up to $1.00). These are not available all the time, they show up in the ads a couple times a month. Usually there is a limit of 3 per trip.

Extreme Couponing:

1) Check the blogs and see if there is a deal you want/need. (it’s not a bargain if you don’t need it or won’t donate it)

2) Once you find something you want, it will look like this:

CLICK HERE

3) Get as many of that coupon as you can. Grocery Stores put out their coupons in the Tuesday Food Day Oregonian (which is free for anyone, even non-subscribers) and everyone else has their ads in the Sunday paper. If you are reading this before August 30th 2012, click here. If it’s the same day as the coupon came out – then go to Starbucks, raid the Fred Meyer pile of ads or steal your vacationing neighbor’s paper. My friend Kerra admitted that she dumpster dives with her soon-to-be-husband, but I’ve never needed any additional coupons that bad

Other things to look out for on the blogs:

Free Magazine Subscriptions
Free custom cards
Great sales going on at various websites (Kohls, sharing spree, lands end etc)
Free online product opportunities (like my facial care basket and/or nail polish kit)

Don’t Get Burned:

If you sign up for a 30 day trial – set up a reminder to cancel it immediately and set 2 or 3 of them.
DOUBLES: if you have a double from Albertsons, they are numbered 1-3 and they have to be used in that order. If you grabbed 3 newspapers – you can’t give them 3 coupons with the #3 on it. Also, you can use 3 per transaction – so just put a bar between your piles of stuff. No one cares, they can move to another aisle if they are in a hurry.

Organization of Coupons:

I do mine by month and by coupon insert in manilla envelopes.
- Example: March SS and March RP
- I only cut out the coupons as I need them.
There are a lot of people who cut them out and organize by category but I find the coupons harder to find them when the blogger use a the date the insert was published.

When:

Inserts are never given out on actual holiday weekends, so it’s always best to check in the two weekends before the holiday for the best coupons/deals.
Between the Monday before Thanksgiving and Xmas for kitchen gifts, shoes and clothes.
July-August for office supplies.
Weeks up to Easter for Candy.
End of June for outdoor/picnic stuff and food.
Tillamook cheese only really goes on sale during anniversary sales (Fred Meyer, New Seasons, etc)

Just Try It!

You won’t really understand how easy this is until you try it. You may mess up a couple times before you get the hang of it – but everyone does. and STOP being worried about the people in line behind you. They can move lines if they want. Checkers don’t care how many people they get through their line – they are paid hourly. And who know- if you back the line up long enough – maybe another check stand will open and the people behind you will ultimately SAVE time. I’m just saying – don’t spend money you dont’ have to just because you are worried about the strangers standing in line behind you. That’s silly.

GOOD LUCK!

Home Performance Building Conference & Expo

Shaina — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:37:37 +0000

Did you know that in my 9-5 job I plan an annual conference? Probably not. Since I never mentioned it here.

Anyway, if you are a DIYer. a student or a contractor interested in doing a better job for your homeowners then you should prrrroooobably sign up. Just click on the logo below to sign up. Use the code “Performance” during check out to bring the price down for a very special OnAGreenstring Price.

Hope to see you there! Ask for me when you come!

New Brakes. Oh Joy.

Shaina — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:37:28 +0000

Hey World.

I’ve been MIA because I have been hibernating during the rainy and miserable Oregon winter. After this post, I might retreat once again. But while I’m awake I thought I would provide some helpful information that I have found in the last month- I had to get new tires; so I came across this article about how to make sure you aren’t getting ripped off. It has a couple good links and some “cocktail conversation” level information that helped me to make an informed decision. Since it helped me – I obviously assume it is going to help you too. So here you go!

Signing off until the sun comes back out -

Shaina

——————————————————————————

By Laura T. Coffey

msnbc.com contributor

Boy, do people like to vent about brake jobs.

When the “10 Tips for Keeping Your Money in Your Wallet” column launched last month, many readers wrote in to share frustrating experiences involving brake jobs done on their vehicles. Jackie Herndon of Atlanta reminisced about the time a mechanic waved her over to her car – (“I call it the ‘you-need-more-money wave,’ ” she wrote) – and told her she needed new rotors, even though she absolutely did not.“Well, I take a look (I might as well have been looking at an alien) and of course I don’t let on that I have no idea what I’m looking at,” Herndon recalled. “I then turn to the mechanic and say, ‘Is there a special on today – are you giving rotors away for free?’ He looked taken aback and said, ‘What?’ I calmly said to him, ‘If you’re not giving rotors away for free, put the (brake) pads on and let me get out of here.’ … He sputtered, saw I meant business, placed the pads on at the agreed-upon price – and I drove away from there and for the next two years without needing pads or rotors.”

Way to go, Jackie! Granted, that’s not to say you’ll never need new rotors, because someday you might. But that time around you didn’t, and it would have been a shame to spend money on parts that didn’t really need to be replaced.

All the feedback about brake jobs prompted me to ask my brother, Eric Coffey, to provide some insights about this important and potentially confusing area of car repair. Eric has worked in auto service in the Tampa Bay area of Florida for more than 10 years. Here is his advice along with tips from other sources, including the excellent automotive Web site Edmunds.com.

1. Educate yourself. Go to this Web site – www.familycar.com/brakes.htm – and spend five minutes learning what these terms mean: disc brake assembly (which includes rotors, brake pads and calipers); drum brake assembly (which includes drums, brake shoes and wheel cylinders); brake hoses, and master cylinder. A brake job usually involves replacing the brake linings (which means replacing the brake pads and/or shoes), resurfacing the rotors and/or drums, adding new brake fluid and bleeding the system as needed, and looking for other worn components.

2. Know when to wonder. In many cases, rotors and drums can be resurfaced rather than replaced altogether. Mind you, sometimes they really will need to be replaced if they’ve become worn beyond specific safety limits. Other potentially necessary repairs could include the rebuilding or replacement of failed calipers, wheel cylinders or the master cylinder. But as a general rule, ask for reasons and evidence if anything other than your brake pads or shoes need to be replaced and the rotors or drums need to be resurfaced.

3. Don’t be duped. One common sales approach involves calling attention to differences in a vehicle’s brake-pad wear. One side may look more worn than the other, and you may be told that this could indicate a hydraulic system failure. However, such uneven wear is usually normal. It happens when you stop your vehicle under different conditions, such as when you are turning. Be aware that no major system component replacement is typically needed to correct this. Get a second opinion if someone tells you otherwise and you’re concerned about it.

4. Ask about fit. Some shops routinely sell less expensive, generic brake pads to reduce cost. That’s fine – and safe, too – but just be aware that such pads don’t necessarily fit every vehicle well and, as a consequence, they may make excessive noise. To avoid this, you can opt for factory brake pads designed specifically for your model of vehicle. Such pads are typically available through dealerships.

5. Stay on high alert. Some shops across the country routinely and aggressively promote deep discounts on brake jobs. For instance, you may be intrigued by a $99 front- and rear-axle brake-pad special, as Jackie Herndon of Atlanta had been. If you want to take advantage of one of these deals, be prepared for the possibility that the store may try to sell you new rotors, calipers or other parts. Don’t automatically cave in and agree to have such work done without making sure it’s absolutely necessary.

6. Make your signoff a requirement. When you drop your car off at a shop to have your brakes checked out – or anything checked out, for that matter – say that you would like to receive a phone call with a cost estimate before any work begins. Politely clarify that nothing should happen until you’ve authorized it first.

7. Shop around. When you’re told what kind of brake repairs you may need and how much those repairs may cost, take good notes. Then quickly call three or four other shops and ask how much they would charge for the exact same work. Try a variety of businesses, including independent shops, chain outlets and dealerships.

8. Check the store’s reputation and complaint history. Once you’ve zeroed in on a shop, visit the Web site of the Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org/) to see how many consumers have complained about the repair shop. You also can contact your state’s consumer affairs department or attorney general’s office about the company’s track record. To find contact information for your state, click here ( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15228784/ ).

9. Know when to give the green light. For the sake of convenience, you could authorize the shop that’s holding your car to do the work if its price seems fair enough and its reputation is sound. No matter where you go, though, ask whether the repairs come with a written warranty, and say you’d like to keep or at least see your old parts if some parts will indeed need to be replaced. (You may be charged an additional fee if you want to keep your calipers, master cylinder or shoes rather than simply inspect them.)

10. Wrap things up. When the time comes to pick up your car, look the bill over carefully and make sure everything matches up with the estimate you had been given and the notes you had taken. If you spot anything you didn’t authorize, speak up about it.

Sources:

Eric Coffey, service manager for Russell Mazda in Clearwater, Fla. (www.russellmazda.com)
Edmunds.com (www.edmunds.com/ownership/maintenance/articles/103634/article.html)
MSNBC.com readers who have worked in the automotive industry

——————————————————————————————-

NOW – How sustainable are brakes you might be wondering……. welp. Here is a paragraph that I found during my search, and a link to the rest of the article. I don’t know yet how this translates to Oregon but at least its a topic that is being talked about:

In 2010 Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 346 – powerful legislation that phases out copper from vehicle brake pads to make the state’s urban waterways safer for salmon and other species, save cities billions of dollars in potential environmental cleanup costs, and enable manufacturers to provide safe, reliable brakes for drivers. The legislation, and the process of developing it, shows that Californians can protect clean water and have a strong economy – and that when business, environmental and government stakeholders work together, our state legislature can approve meaningful environmental legislation. Read the rest.

Celebrity Status

Shaina — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:39:17 +0000

Hey fellow DIY Nerds!! Guess who I’m hanging out with right now???

Yup! John & Sherry from www.YoungHouseLove.com

I got to hang out with them most of the day – they are fantastic. I have more photos coming – but I had to show all YOU this photo with them and I inside my High Performance Wall exhibit at the Portland Home and Garden Show right now.

Besides the shining beacons that are John and Sherry – you can also see a spray foam cut out, House Wrap, proper window flashing AND window cut outs.

I’ll be at the Home and Garden show all week so if you make it to the Portland Expo Center this weekend ask for me! I’ll give you a personal tour of the 2012 #SmartHome.

As Seen On TV

Shaina — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:25:09 +0000

I painted the office this weekend. It’s been used the last 2 years as a “storage” room since we installed the floors here, I moved so quickly into finishing the basement 0 this never got done. Sad. Consider it conquered after this post.

I started by covering the floor. I was careful not use anything new for the floor covering, creating demand for plastic by buying it from Home Depot is not only a waste of money – but a bad choice for the environment. Here is a photo of the assortment of items I was able to dig up to use to protect the floor:

The corners are the hardest part of any room painting project – right? So I bought an As Seen On TV gadget on super clearance at Ross a couple weeks back and I wanted to offer a quick review of it .

It was waste of the $1.99 I spent on it. Sad Day. It didn’t get really close to the corners as promised on TV.

When I tried putting more paint on the corner – it applied too much paint and made a mess.

Halfway through the project I returned to trusty blue painters tape and was able to create a very nice line.

This painting project didn’t just require a new coat of paint. In order for this room to be complete – I needed to protect the Windowsill. Here is an image of all the damage:

because I was concerned about time (one weekend) and preventing further damage to this windowsill, I used products I already had at the house… sadly not the “greenest” products – but green because I didn’t buy anything new.

First I sanded the windowsill with some sanding paper I picked up at the Habitat Restore last summer:

and then I sealed it with:

This was the before I moved in photo:

Here is the Before I Painted:

Here is the after painting:

I’m NOT done decorating by any means – but quite an improvement and I’m finally able to USE the space!

Distractions

Shaina — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:16:27 +0000

I love my house but sometimes I get pulled away from it to do other things. This is a post about one of those other things!

My sister’s BFF is getting hitched and she moved all the way to Texas to do it – so it was only appropriate that she fly all the way to Portland for a visit and for a Texas themed Bridal Shower.

Here are photos from what I’m calling a “Classy Cowgirl” theme:

and who can resist this??:

Pin It

Bye Bye Piles of Paper

Shaina — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:30:14 +0000

I am a magazine clipper. I have piles and piles of “very important” & must read articles to go through …. that I have never had time to pick up again. As a part of completing the office in 2012 and bookshelf organization in the New Year, I am sifting through that pile and pinning anything worth remembering and recycling the paper copy.

Here is the glorious pile of papers I was able to part with after using Pinterest to organize it all online:

Migrated to the World Wide Web here:

One of the pages I had clipped from a Real Simple.

It’s was called “the best new trends at your fingertips”.

Lord knows I can use all the help I can in that department…….aaaaaand since you are reading this…. maybe you could use it too. There was no way to Pin this page – so here are the retyped for your enjoyment:

Fashion forward booties:

www.Camper.com

www.Endless.com

www.Loefflerrandall.com

www.shoewoo.com

For Classic Preppy Footwear:

www.Bassshoes.com

www.delmanshoes.com

www.hushpuppies.com

www.sebago.com

For Lady Clothing and Accessories

www.Lacrasia.com

www.lafayette148.com

www.luluguinness.com

www.fantas-eyes.com

www.hobobags.com

www.lailarowe.com

For Vintage Inpired Jewlery:

www.azaara.com

www.ben-amun.com

www.bounkit.com

dannijo.com

verdura.com