These twisty tea balls are now the only way I make loose-leaf tea; you don’t have to wait for the tea ball to cool off to discard the tea - no more working used tea sludge out of strainers!
https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Twisting-Ball/dp/B008H2JMFW
In response to all the GS cookie - I am excited about the new S’mores cookie. My daughter will be going into her senior year & will still be selling cookies this year. Our council sales starts mid-February: so picture the tall girl attempting to sell cookies to everyone only to be asked where the Girl Scout is while hopping from foot to foot to attempt to stay warm in blizzard conditions. We much prefer donations, as the amount we get from council is minimal - $4 a box gives the troop 70 cents. The awards the girls can earn are pitiful (cheap stuff - no camp credit here). My troop takes the extra 6 cents per box instead of the prizes that are geared toward elementary kids. Our troop is heading to Iceland next year - so I’ve been watching the Iceland thread avidly. Most of our funds come from holding events rather than the sales. We can make more money in less time & the girls have learned lots of skills!
A friend introduced me to those little sheets you can put in wash loads that pick up circulating dyes. They really do work. I have actually combined snow white items with colors–not really dark colors but still–and they have come out really white, not dingy.
@Consolation ^That is good to know. I’ve seen those at Target and have debated trying them but wasn’t quite sure it they would work or if they were just a fad designed to separate me from my money. Now that I have a recommendation I am going to try them. And wouldn’t you know, I had already planned to stop at Target today… 
I think I’m going to send some to my son at college. He’s good at doing laundry but not good at sorting it. Might as well try some myself, too, although convincing my somewhat OCD husband not to sort might be a challenge.
On that note, if you do wash the whites with that new red shirt, RIT Color Remover or similar should reverse the problem.
@lookingforward, good to know! I use two sheets if I am at all concerned that some of the things might run or are on the darker side.
I’ve always been a dedicated clothes sorter–at least since I came back from the first semester of college with all gray underwear!–but this makes it really feasible to throw in a smaller assortment of t-shirts and underwear and shorts and so forth in one load during the summer, when I go through a lot more clothes a lot more quickly.
BTW, the brand I’ve used is Shout Color Catcher.
Have spread the word within family about Shout Color Catchers. I have front load machine, and put it in a small porous garment bag - and use on future loads until gray/black. Will add a 2nd one to make sure. Works great. As others have said, to make sure with something coloring out, or if accidentally got mixed in a load.
If buying for the first time, in a smallish box in the laundry aisle - most major stores should be carrying.
I also love the color catchers- great product.
I impulsively bought a magic bullet on sale at Target. I haven’t used it yet. Anyone own one of these? Is it worth the shelf space? I was thinking of making smoothies with all these frozen berries I have.
This might be old hat – please excuse me if it’s a repeat. For all you first timers with kids going off to college – get that Amazon Prime account for them. Use the free shipping and Prime Video for yourself! Can’t beat it!
@Onward, I love my Magic Bullet. I use it to make Smoothies all the time. There are also little covers, so you can make two at a time and pop one in the fridge for the person (Ahem, Mr. H.) getting up later. That way the late person won’t complain about the noise the thing makes…
I have the Farberware version (such a deal, couldn’t pass it up) and also like it. Has done everything I asked it to. And smaller footprint than a blender (especially if you put the extra containers somewhere else. Mine came with 4 large and 2 small.)
@FireflyLights - that is a great tea gadget. I have something similar, only it is cylindrical but you still scoop the tea in, slide the cover over and just plop in in your mug and use it to stir.
Sometimes I’m too lazy for that and I just use a strainer that sits on the edge of my mug. Super easy! This isn’t the one but it’s similar:
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/1/1/337055-epoca-stainless-steel-universal-loose-tea-infuser.html
I also had a Korean tea mug with a matching tea strainer that fit inside. It came with a little saucer that doubled as a lid to use while your tea is steeping. Looked a bit like this (very pretty!):
http://www.waweekorea.com/store/p5/Korean_Ceramic_Tea_Cup.html
I do not like the taste of tea from metal tea infusers. That ceramic mug is great!
Interesting. What about the superfine metal mesh that is like a screen? Does that still affect the taste?
H broke the strainer and saucer for my Korean mug set and now used the mug for coffee. Hmmm, should I be suspicious? He loves that little round mug, lol!
Actually, I remember if you put the lid on while the strainer was inside it would condense all down the outside of the mug. Now from that web site I learn that you use the lid after taking the strainer out. I’m going to have to find another one of those!
Talenti salted caramel gelato where have you been all my life!! I just discovered the best thing to ever hit my taste buds!! I know it’s not healthy but such a great treat after a rough day. Why has no one ever told me about this!? Why is there not a Talenti store on every corner? What is wrong with America?! :))
World Market has a lot of infuser mugs like these.
http://www.worldmarket.com/product/grace+ceramic+infuser+mugs%2C+set+of+2.do?page=2&from=fn
Glad the thread revived because I’ve hung on to the link below, don’t think it showed here before. I am not buying it, but admit finding it amusing.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LIRGZW6/ref=as_li_tl?tag=wek075-20&ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00LIRGZW6&linkCode=as2&linkId=HOKRXLH7TJ7M5FK5
See the last picture.
That is adorable! I wonder how well it really works. I’m a little skeptical about the one review.
And it kinda seems to take a few steps, the cappuccino might get cold. ~O)