Kristin van Ogtrop's Blog, page 431

How secure are your passwords?

Years ago I turned over the hosting of our client web sites to a trusted hosting partner. As part of the transition, the hosting administrator set up new passwords for each user. Passwords that, because of the complex combination of numbers, letters, capitalizations and special characters, were going to be a nightmare for anyone to remember.



Upon questioning the administrator about how the password were developed he said "but they are very secure."



To which I replied "not if I have to write it...

Whimsy & Spice Goodies

Yes, this is a home & organizing blog but just for a moment I'm transforming it into a foodie blog with delicious bites brought to you today from Whimsy & Spice in Brooklyn. I love this family business and when I lived in the states, I frequently ordered goodies from them for my husband since he is in love with their delicious baked treats. In fact, we will be in New York next month and he has already requested that a care package be ordered as soon as possible and delivered to our room so...

The Day I Fell in Love With American Girl

T.S. Eliot said that April is the cruelest month, but clearly Mr. Eliot did not have three boys in five sports, not to mention final exams. Honestly. Anyone with half a brain knows that June is the cruelest month, hands down.

Among the playoffs/exams/sports banquets/end-of-year teacher gifts/etc., last week I had to engage, for the first time in my life, with the phenomenon that is American Girl. When you are a mother of all boys you really can spend 15 years of parenthood without giving...

Bright Polishes Go Sheer

One great thing about summer is that it's filled with bright colors: Striking flowers, vivid light-weight dresses, and rainbow-hued frozen cocktails. It's impossible to be down when there's so much cheery, color-ific inspiration around.

I'm a lover of vibrant shades myself, often found with purple liner smudged into my lashline (which I'm currently wearing) or orange polish splashed across my nails (which I'm also currently wearing--yes, today is QUITE the colorful day). But for those of you w...

How to Contain Rising Electricity Bills

While the big energy story of the century plays out in the Gulf of Mexico, there's news closer to home that might provide a budget jolt for many consumers: Electricity costs are going up. Some 85 percent of state energy regulators expect the cost of residential electricity to increase next year, according to a recent survey by the Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions.

A growing number of regulators surveyed fear the rate increases will be a financial burden to consumers – and they expect a...

Polyp: A Creative Solution for Laundry Mess

German designer Helene Steiner has created a visually appealing, incredibly organized, and functional laundry hamper system I wanted to share with you. The Polyp is a series of three hampers (lights, darks, delicates) that hang on the wall, pop out when full, and then transform into baskets to carry your laundry in to your laundry room.





From the description of the Polyp on Steiner's site:

polyp is a laundry-basket - and an ornament on the wall. just put the laundry through the hole in front...

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: To Page 195

Hi,everyone!

Thank you to all the fans of the book who took a few minutes to join the discussion last week. The book is definitely getting exciting! How are you all liking it so far? I have to say I am pretty shocked about where the relationship between Henry and his parents stands. I didn't think it was going to get to this point so fast! The more I read, the more I feel like I need to open some books and delve into learning the ins-and-outs of U.S. history. I was a good student all through...

When You Get a New Cookbook...

...sometimes you go a little overboard. My sister recently gave Giada at Home to my mother, who is an incredible cook and loves to get us all around the same table. It's been a fun weekend with the family, and we've enjoyed three nights in a row of delicious meals thanks to the Food Network star (and to mom, obviously). Her latest cookbook is full of drool-worthy photos and well-written, easy-to-make recipes. It's organized in a user-friendly way and honestly every dish in it looks/sounds so ...

Washing Dishes Just Got A Lot More Stylish!

Don't you love finding a great product that makes those mundane, annoying and even messy jobs more fun? I do! So you can imagine my delight when I came across these adorable dish-washing gloves by Gloveables!

Now you clean, garden or handle any "my nails will be ruined" tasks with grace and style. I'm glad "dressing up" can now apply to my daily chores. The gloves, retailing at $14, come in a variety of colors and patterns.

And if you want to complete the outfit, checkout fellow Real Simple

How Clean Is Your Town Pool? Test It Yourself!

As schools empty out for the summer, kids and parents alike head for town and city pools to try to cool off. And while I am loathe to be one of those people who points out or obsesses over the dangers in everything—Hot dogs can kill! Showerheads are breeding ground for bacteria; Reading books can lead to paper cuts! (that one is a joke)—I was surprised when I read this recent report from The Water Quality and Health Council (WQHC), that announces new data from the Centers for Disease...