Survival Gear - New Boots

It has been so flippin' cold around here that I treated myself to some new boots for Christmas. It was a crazy thing to do, but I kept having to take showers to heat up my tootsies and that just won't do. They're the Ugg Whitley moccasin-style boot. I never had Uggs when they were in fashion, so it was about the right time for me to get a pair. They are truly amazing! My feet have never been toastier and so comfy all at once. I got them from Zappos and they got them here the next day for free. Talk about instant gratification! Obviously not appropriate to wear while doing actual demolition or remodeling of any kind. Josh got me a steel-toed pair for Valentine's Day right after we moved in. But they are great for staying cozy warm during the day.

Survival Gear - Little Lantern

This lantern is the best thing that ever happened to me during this remodel. We haven't had much electricity upstairs for the last 6-9 months, so when the sun goes down, the light goes down. We have one overhead light in the whole house that works and three lamps. Virtually none of the plugs work. So that means greeting anyone that comes to the door in complete darkness. My ever-practical mother gave us this about 2 months ago and it is AMAZING! This now means light to find the toilet paper when you're in the bathroom, light next to the stove when you're cooking so that you can tell when the chicken is cooked all the way through, and you and the pizza man don't have to be creeped out when you meet each other at the door. It's the Mountain Green 30 LED Lantern and it's $49.95 at REI.