The other day, I watched as a friend of mine attempted to eyeball whether or not a new framed photo was hung straight on her wall. With the tools we have
available today, trying to guess at the straightness of her picture was ineffective and not the best use of her time.
That got me thinking about items every home should have that are easily
accessible when needed. I was able to think up quite a few, but here are five that I've needed this week that I was happy to be able to find, grab, and use.
1. A level.
Getting back to my friend, I asked her if she had a level available to help ensure that the framed photo she was adding
to the wall was perfectly straight. She did not. I'm adding it to the Christmas gift I'm giving her, as a small addition.
Levels can be used to line up your photo gallery on your wall and
also for hanging shelving or even for a backyard project like setting posts for a fence.
You just set the level on a flat service and see where the "bubble" ends up...it should be in the
middle of the marked indicators.
While I prefer an actual level, some smart phones have "level apps" as well. If yours doesn't, you can likely get one from your phone's app
store.
2. Command strips. Command strips allow you to hang art, framed photos, decorations, banners, oven mitts, jewelry, and so much more on your walls, all without
damaging the walls or the paint.
Yes, you can always drop into Wal-Mart or a similar store to pick up a few when you need them...but I like to have a small selection of regular Command Strips, as well as Command Strip hooks, on hand. I keep them in a basket in my utility room.
3. Utility knife. If packages from the post office, Amazon, etc. regularly arrive on your doorstep, having a high-quality utility knife (also known as a box cutter) to open them is a must. We use ours several times a week for this purpose alone...to open the boxes and to break the boxes down before
recycling day.
Utility knives have many other uses as well, such as removing old carpet, cutting foam, and removing paint-covered screws, just to name a few.
Be sure to know how to use your utility knife properly, of course. It is useful, but also very sharp. Safety first.
4. A notebook. Simply stated, a notebook helps you remember what you need to remember. When you have an idea, jot it into the notebook. When you want to remember what to ask your doctor, accountant, or car repair shop, write it in your notebook.
Yes, you can use a phone app for note-taking if you're trying to stay paperless. I use my phone app for lists and such too.
But, I can't imagine not having a paper notebook easily available for quick notes and ideas as they come to me. They're great for journaling as well.
5. A step ladder. Being 5' 3" tall, I use my step ladder a lot. Today alone I used it to reach a casserole dish on a high shelf, to change a lightbulb in my home office, and to hang an ornament towards the top of our Christmas tree.
While you still have to take precautions when using a stepladder, it's much safer than stretching to reach something high (you risk items falling on top of you) or standing on a chair to do so.
