September 5, 2006
So far, I’ve been very lucky. Despite weeklong heatwaves last month,
I only suffered a brownout and lost my cable for a few days. It was
enough, though, to send my father running to buy my mother and me two
new flashlights each (a small one for the purse and a large one for the
bedside table). But I already know their fate: accumulating dust during
the winter as their batteries corrode. I’m too darn busy to keep
checking the batteries. I’m lucky if I remember to charge my cell phone
and iPod most of the time—and those I use on a daily basis.
Which is why I’m really intrigued by the hand-crankable Kito flashlight from Freeplay, a company that specializes in creating emergency
staples—from radios to small power generators—that don’t rely on
non-rechargeable batteries (2 billion of which end up in landfills and
incinerators every year, according to the manufacturer). A short
60-second bicep workout will give you 60 minutes of shine time from the
white LED light, but you don’t have to wind it up that long for the
rechargeable battery source to start working. Wind it up for 30 seconds
and get about half an hour of light.
Weighing about a pound and sporting rubber grips, it’s easy to grab
in an emergency and splash proof, so its okay for rainy conditions. And
considering hurricane season
isn’t quite over, I’m thinking the flashlight might be a good present
(and affordable at $19.99) for my family down in Florida. If anything,
seeing the inner-workings of the gadget through the clear blue casing
will be fun for my little cousins.
Freeplay, London, UK; see freeplayenergy.com for U.S. distributors.
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September 5, 2006
I was raised in an atmosphere of cautiousness when it comes to home design—why experiment with colors when white walls worked well enough? Since I couldn’t splash some terra cotta or sea-foam paint to liven things up, I came to appreciate how little details can make a bold statement. Like the switchplate and outlet covers I discovered on Switch Hits—little pieces of art all in themselves.
I like the way you can browse through their 160,000 by color or themes—from Brass to Cool Glass and Fleur de Lis to Shabby Chic—with dozens of size variations available. While it’s almost too hard to choose, my favorites for the moment are the Art Nouveauish and Forged Metal collections. I suddenly feel a redecorating urge coming on…
Switch Hits, Hamburg, NY; switchhits.com.
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September 2, 2006
photo by Heidi Priesnitz
I can’t remember how I found Plaza & Bethesda Chevy Chase Carpet & Rug Cleaning. Perhaps a rug dealer turned me onto them. Or maybe it was one of those lucky Yellow Pages finds. Either way, these guys have a way with extracting dirt from under (and embedded in) the rug.
Despite their unwieldy name, they’re based in Rockville, and they pick up and deliver in the tri-state area of Maryland, Washington, DC, and northern Virginia. If you live farther afield, it’s worth it to haul your rug to them.
Their prices are reasonable and they are nothing if not thorough. They even vanquished ancient stains from Aunt Paula's gigantic oriental that other cleaners had missed.
Plus, they’re really nice guys, and cheerfully humor me when they return with fresh-smelling rugs and I ask them to slide them a smidgen this way, a tad that way, and, oops, back again.
Plaza & Bethesda-Chevy Chase Carpet & Rug Cleaning, 12520 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852; 301-770-0466
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