Archive for May, 2010
Monday, May 31st, 2010
If you are planning a wedding, consider decorating with white wire Christmas lights at the reception. While we do sell them year round for parties, indoor and outdoor decorating, weddings are by far the most popular application for the white wire light sets that we sell. In fact white wire light sets are the number one selling item on hardtofinditems.com.
There are a couple of things you should keep in mind if you plan on trying to use white wire Christmas lights at your wedding reception. NOTE: these specifications are for the white wire light sets that we sell, but may not be consistent with other brands on the market.
- Plan accordingly: You can only connect up to 3 strands end to end, then you must connect them to an extension cord. Although, a standard extension cord has three outlets to plug lights into. Therefore, if you plan properly you can connect three sets of three (9 total stands) into one extension cord and run them in different directions. With all of these extension cords you are going to want to make sure there is an ample amount of outlet panels to plug everything in!
- Spacing of Lights: Our most popular white wire light sets are the 100 light Hofert $5.99 Christmas Wedding Lights. They only have 2.5″ of spacing between the bulbs, which keeps the cost of the sets down. If you are looking for more spacing between the bulbs concider our GKI Bethlehem White Wire Light Sets, which have 6″ of spacing between the bulbs.
- Light Failures: Christmas lights are notorious for having problems. I’m sure you’ve experienced the lights on your tree or outside decorations suddenly going out or half a set going out. Sometimes it is just a loose bulb. Simply jiggle the set to get the lights to go back on. If that doesn’t work, many people use a light tester, such as the Light Keeper Pro, to fix their light sets. If this doesn’t seem like your cup of tea, consider buying a couple of extra light sets. That way you can replace any light sets that are experiencing problems.
That about covers every problem you might encounter using Christmas wedding lights. As long as you have a little creativity and some patience a nominal $100 investment in Christmas Wedding Lights can make all the difference at your reception!
Tags: christmas wedding lights, wedding light set, wedding lights, white lights for weddings, white wire light sets
Posted in Light Sets, Outdoor living | No Comments »
Friday, May 21st, 2010
If you have been struggling to find great Big Green Egg recipe ideas, your problem is now solved. Big Green Egg has published their own hard-backed cookbook complete with over 160 recipes. The 320 page cookbook has recipes that range from traditional barbecue favorites to high end gourmet meals with the sophisticated taste in mind.
When putting together the Big Green Egg Cookbook Ed Fisher, Big Green Egg company president, wanted to include the creativity inspired by “EGGheads” (Big Green Egg enthusiasts) and “EGGfests”. EGGfests are regional cook-offs that Big Green Egg owners can participate in for the fun of sharing their own recipes and competing for prizes! The result was an amazing assemblance of recipe ideas for cooking on a the Green Egg from breakfasts to dinners.
The Table of Contents includes….
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Appetizers
- Beef & Lamb
- Pork
- Poultry
- Seafood
- Vegetarian Meals
- Side Dishes
- Sauces & Rubs
- Baked Goods
- Breakfasts
- Deserts
- EGGhead Recipes
- Chefs & Pitmasters
- Chef & Pimaster Biographies
- Acknowledgments
- Metric Conversions & Equivalents
- Index
Once you start perusing through the Big Green Egg Cookbook you will find that many of the recipes require purchasing additional Big Green Egg Accessories. At HardToFindItems.com we stock a large variety of Big Green Egg Accessories, so you can cook anything you find in the Green Egg Cookbook! Our extensive selection of accessories includes everything from Big Green Egg plate setter, side tables and nests to their more specialized accessories, such as the cast iron griddle, drip pans and 3 tiered grill extender.
The Big Green Egg Cookbook is not only a great way to find new recipes, but it is a beautiful book with hundreds of crisp pictures that would display very well on anyone’s coffee table. In addition, with fathers day coming up it is the perfect gift for anyone whose father owns a Big Green Egg.
Tags: Big Green Egg, Big Green Egg Accessories, Big Green Egg Cook Book, Big Green Egg Cookbook, Big Green Egg Recipes, Big Green Egg Smoker, Green Egg, Green Egg Accessories, Green Egg Recipes
Posted in Big Green Egg, Outdoor living | No Comments »
Friday, May 21st, 2010
One of the best parts about spring is seeing your first flowers start to bloom in spring. Nothing is worse than a late spring frost. It can kill many of your early blooms. In some cases, for those early blooming irises and tulips, they won’t bloom again until next year. So what are you supposed to do to protect plants from a frost? The answer is FreezePruf. FreezePruf is a revolutionary product that was introduced just a few years back in 2008. Since then it has developed a very good acceptance by farmers in Florida to protect their crops through the winter. Now that it is spring time, it’s the ideal product for homeowners in the northern states.
Before you go out and buy some FreezePruf, there is a few things you should know.
- For best results apply 8-12 hours before a potential frost
- Must be reapplied every 5-6 weeks
FreezePruf is 100% bio-degradable and safe for plants, kids and pets. Protects a plant’s cold tolerance by up to 9.4 degrees Fahrenheit . Check out our selection of FreezePruf ready to use and concentrate formulations.
Tags: Freeze Pruf, FreezePruf, frost protection plants, how to protect plants from frost, plant frost protection, protect plants from frost
Posted in Lawn & Garden, Plant Shield Sprays | No Comments »
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Deer populations in residential areas continue to climb year after year due to the fact that deer have no natural predator in suburban communities. Add in that many residential areas have outlawed killing/shooting deer in their locations and deer present a major problem for home owners’ gardens. As a result, the only option is to use a deer repellent. This leads our customers to ask…..
What is the Best Deer Repellent?
I have a lot of experience experimenting, selling and listening to customers who have purchased deer repellents at our retail location Rollier Hardware and online through www.hardtofinditems.com. Many people find some success with a deer repellent and keep using a particular brand, while some of our customers have experimented with a variety of different repellents. However, many of the master gardeners and landscapers that shop our retail and online store find that mixing up deer repellents is the best way to repel deer. Mixing up the agent used to repel deer from your plants keeps deer confused as to whether your plants are safe to eat.
What should I use to Repel Deer?
Our database shows that the customers who have the highest effectiveness at repelling deer are ones that practice applying different types of repellents throughout the year, or use two different repellents at the same time: a spray and a perimeter repellent.
Let’s review your options for perimeter repellents and spray repellents.
Spray deer repellents are applied directly to the foliage of the plants that you want to keep deer and other animals from consuming. Sprays generally need to be applied once every 4-6 weeks. Exceptions include after a very hard rain fall or if the plant has a lot of new growth. In these cases you will need to reapply immediately. Our selection of spray deer repellents includes:
- Liquid Fence – #1 in market share, uses a combination of garlic and egg solids (NOTE: has a strong smell for the first few days after application)
- Deer Solution – Uses a combination of cinnamon oil, garlic and egg solids. The cinnamon oil is the dominate scent, which means it won’t have the unpleasant smell you will receive with Liquid Fence.
- Deer Stopper – Very similar to Deer Solution. Uses a combination of peppermint oil, garlic and egg solids. In this case the peppermint oil is the dominate scent, which means you will also not have to deal with an unpleasant smell.
Perimeter Deer Repellents save time and money by enabling you to apply a perimeter band around the area that you want to keep deer and other animals away from. They work best when you have flower beds or a lot of plants grouped together, which cuts down on the amount of product that is needed to treat your locations. Our selection of perimeter deer repellents include:
- Deer Scram - Uses a combination of dried blood, garlic, white pepper and cloves. 100% natural and organic! Costs just pennies per square foot of protection!
- PredaScent- Utilizes coyote urine to mask the scent of plants. This is highly effective, since coyotes are a deer’s natural predator. Unlike almost any other deer repellent on the market, PredaScent actually thrives with when it rains. PredaScent is packaged in a small capsule that degrades and releases the urine scent every time it rains!
- Plot Saver – Ideal for farmers. Plot Saver utilizes an unique concept that has you set up stakes around the perimeter of your crop. You then wrap a fabric around the stakes. Finally the fabric is sprayed with a deer repellent.
I would recommend either rotating the type of repellent you use or for best results or use a spray and a perimeter repellent at the same time.
Tags: best deer repellent, Deer Repellent, Deer Scram, deer solution, deer stopper, Liquid Fence, Predascent
Posted in Animal Repellents, Lawn & Garden | No Comments »
Monday, May 10th, 2010
Standard USA ironing boards come in varying lengths, but are normally only 15” wide. Brabantia’s Ironing Boards come in a variety of lengths and widths. Lengths range from 49” to 53” and widths range from 15” to 18”. Most users find the extra width makes ironing much easier, since there is less rotating of shirts and pants to get everything ironed!
Unlike some companies, you will never have to worry about finding a Brabantia replacement ironing board cover. We stock a variety of covers for all of Brabantia’s ironing boards. The standard cover that comes on most of Brabantia’s ironing boards is their 100% cotton cover, which comes in a variety of designs. The metallic silicon cover makes for a faster, smoother ironing job. Finally, if you find that Brabantia’s regular ironing board covers are too thin, they make a double thick 4mm ironing board cover. This helps to prevent any ironing board markings from showing up on your clothes.
The next time you’re in the market for an ironing board, consider Brabantia for their selection, style and functionality. You won’t be disappointed.
Tags: brabantia ironing board cover 53x18, Brabantia Ironing Board Cover Size B, Brabantia Ironing Board Cover Size C, Brabantia Ironing Board Cover Size D, brabantia ironing board covers, Brabantia ironing boards
Posted in Brabantia, Housewares | No Comments »
Friday, May 7th, 2010
If you have been considering a Brabantia Rotary Dryer, but are not sold yet, I believe my cost analysis of running an electric or gas dryer will put you over the top. While some individuals may be considering buying a drying rack to completely replace a electric or gas dryer, most individuals are buying them to complement their current dryer.
How much does it cost to run an electric or gas clothes dryer?
Although there are a lot of variables that can effect the overall cost of running a dryer, we can get a good estimate by using some average numbers for cost of energy and the amount of time a typical family uses a clothes dryer each year.
Average cost of running a dryer: 5,000 watts (5 Kilowatts)
Average cost of electricity: $0.10 kilowatt/hour
Average number of hours running your dryer/week: 5
If we take the above assumptions, the cost per week of running a dryer would be 5 Kilowatts X $0.10 Kilowatt/hour = $0.50 X 5 hours of usage = $2.50/week X 52 weeks = $130! Wow! Granted most individuals may not be able to totally replace their electric dryer, but the cost savings of using a drying rack adds up quickly.
Let’s look at what a quality Brabantia Rotary Dryer Costs.
Brabantia Top Spinner Drying Rack: $104.50 and ships for Free
Brabantia Lift O Matic: $136.00 and ships for Free
Brabantia Wall Fix: $142.80 and ships for Free
Cost Analysis
As you can see, even if you only replace half of your electric/gas drying with a rotary dryer, you can pay for the drying rack in about two years! If you’re still reading, I must have your attention. I encourage you to check out our full line of Brabantia Drying Racks.
Tags: Brabantia all weather drying rack, Brabantia Drying Racks, brabantia lift-o-matic, Brabantia liftomatic, Brabantia Rotary Dryer, Brabantia Wall Fix, brabantia wallfix
Posted in Brabantia, Housewares, Laundry Care Products | No Comments »
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
The Big Green Egg is a unique grill, which brings with it a set of unique problems to solve. To help you keep your grilling and smoking experience the best it can be, we have provided a list of the most common problems you may encounter with your Big Green Egg. In addition, we have a list of the most common Big Green Egg replacement parts. We also provide links to our e-commerce store, so you can get all the necessary replacement parts for your Big Green Egg.
Big Green Egg Problems and Solutions
Problem: How do I control the temperature of my Big Green Egg?
Solution:It takes time to master temperature control. This is done through proper ventilation of the draft door at the bottom and the dual function metal top. By adjusting the available air flow through these two devices, you will be able to monitor the temperature through Big Green Eggs thermometer. When mastered you can maintain temperatures from 200-700 degrees Fahrenheit.
Problem: Big Green Egg states that you can reuse the charcoal you have at the bottom of your grill. I’ve tried this, but I can’t get their grill to heat up enough. What do I need to do?
Solution: You can reuse the charcoal at the bottom, but you must empty out the ash that builds up at the bottom of your Green Egg. If you don’t it ends up building up to the point where it will prevent air circulation through your grill. Just leave the large chunks behind for the next time you grill.
Problem: I empty out the ashes from my Big Green Egg, but I still have problems getting the temperature up when reusing the charcoal.
Solution: Temperature problems can also occur from damp charcoal. If your charcoal is damp, then you will most likely not be able to get the temperature of your Big Green Egg over 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If this is the case, simply replace the charcoal with new dry charcoal.
Problem: When I go to open my grill I tend to get a flair up. Why is this happening?
Solution: If you are cooking at temperatures above 350 degrees and open the lid quickly, the sudden increase in oxygen will cause a flair up. To prevent this, open the lid up an inch or two and let the change in oxygen available to your flame readjust. Then proceed to open up the lid the rest of the way.
Problem: There is a small gap between my lid and the base of my Big Green Egg. This is causing smoke to leak out. What can I do?
Solution: This is an easy fix! Loosen the top band just a little bit. Then adjust the lid of your Green Egg until it is aligned properly. Then re-tighten the band. If this doesn’t fix the problem, Big Green Egg says over time it is possible that the nuts that hold the spring to the lower band can become off set. To fix this, loosen the nuts and readjust the nuts so they are aligned properly.
Problem: I have mold growing in my Big Green Egg. How do I get rid of it?
Solution: Mold is always forming in our environment, so it is hard to completely avoid it. In order to fix this problem, start your Big Green Egg up and let it cook for 30 minutes at 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This will kill any mold that is in your grill. Then close off the air circulation to your grill. After it cools down take a wire brush and scrape off any left over mold.
Problem: I purchased the Big Green Egg Egg Mate Side Tables. How do I keep them from discoloring and collecting grease from my grill?
Solution: The Big Green Egg side tables are made from cypress wood, which will hold up well to the sun and rain over time. Although, if you want to keep their original color, you will need to apply a polyurethane coating to prevent the color from fading. If a darker color than the color of the tables is desired, you will need to stain it first and then apply a clear coat. To make sure that your tables stay in good condition, reapply the clear coat every year.
Big Green Egg Replacement Parts: Includes tips for proper replacing of Green Egg parts.
Big Green Egg Fire Grate: This seems to be one of the most common replacement parts. The heat from the charcoal will eventually break down your cast iron grate.
Big Green Egg Stainless Steel Draft Door: Over time grease will build up and prevent the draft door from easily opening and closing. Although you could try cleaning it with solvent that cuts grease, such as Krud Kutter, you can purchase a replacement Big Green Egg Vent.
Big Green Egg Replacement Felt Gasket Kit:Replacing the gasket to your Big Green Egg is inevitable. Directions for proper removal of your old felt and adhering the new gasket kit can be found below.
- Make sure your Big Green Egg is completely cool.
- Remove your old felt gasket with flat edged scraper or utility knife.
- Use a solvent, such as acetone, to completely remove any adhesive residue to ensure the new felt gasket will adhere.
- The Replacement Gasket Kit comes with an adhesive backing, but if you feel you would like extra adhesive, you may use a spray adhesive to ensure proper adhesion. Spray a little bit of a spray adhesive, such as 3M’s Super 77 spray adhesive, on the base and rim of the lid. Let it sit for about 2 minutes, or until it is tacky.
- Remove the backing from the Big Green Egg Gasket Kit and press down firmly as you work around the base and lid. Don’t try to stretch the material. There is ample material to go around the base and the lid.
- Close the lid and allow the felt to cure for 24 hours before using
- If the Big Green Egg Felt Gasket should start to pull up, use a household glue, such as Elmer’s Glue to reattach the loose portion.
Click here to view our complete list of Big Green Egg Replacement Parts.
What if I Have a Different Problem?
If you didn’t find your problem listed, we recommend calling Big Green Egg directly for the best service. If you need a Big Green Egg Replacement Part that was not listed on our website, please give us a call and we would be happy to quote you a price on a special order. (Toll-Free 1-877-750-0971)
Tags: Big Green Egg, Big Green Egg Parts, Big Green Egg Problems, Big Green Egg Replacement Gasket, Big Green Egg Replacement Lid, Big Green Egg Replacement Parts, Big Green Egg Replacement Vent, Big Green Egg Replacment Thermometer, Green Egg Problems
Posted in Big Green Egg, Outdoor living | No Comments »
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