Deleted
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Sept 18, 2024 23:06:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2014 20:18:36 GMT
I'm a big fan of The Shark Tank and after reading the Garland on the Stairs thread and she had a moment where she thought "there's gotta' be a better way" it got me thinking about those moments when we realize there has to be a better way to do something we're doing. So what have you had that thought about? Did you figure out a better way?
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Post by anxiousmom on Nov 29, 2014 21:05:02 GMT
Does getting divorced from my ex husband count?
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Deleted
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Sept 18, 2024 23:06:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2014 21:47:02 GMT
I guess it could. I was thinking of the moments that spark an idea for a business or invention.
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blue tulip
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,004
Jun 25, 2014 20:53:57 GMT
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Post by blue tulip on Nov 29, 2014 23:26:41 GMT
we moved this summer, which meant Dh and I had to move my large commercial paper trimmer twice- into, and out of storage. it's ridiculously heavy, and sits on a steel base which has thin edges which hurt like hell to grab. we muscled the trimmer out of the base- not easy!- and up the stairs, followed by the table, at our house. when we were moving it out of storage, I'm like 'this is stupid, there has to be an easier way we can move this all at once and not kill ourselves." a bin of yard tools was nearby, so I grabbed a hoe and an edger that each had thick 2" round wooden handles and we stuck them under the table near the edges- the legs of the table held them in place. that way we could grip one in each hand, each of us on one side, and move it super easily. when it was done I'm like "Why the f didn't we think of that before, it would've saved so much trouble!"
ETA oops, this wouldn't be a business idea, but it was still one of those moments.
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Post by peasapie on Nov 29, 2014 23:34:35 GMT
All my wonderful business ideas turn out to already have been done. Except for cat toys that come back from under couches and chairs by themselves. If you can invent that, you've got my vote.
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Deleted
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Sept 18, 2024 23:06:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 0:13:52 GMT
we moved this summer, which meant Dh and I had to move my large commercial paper trimmer twice- into, and out of storage. it's ridiculously heavy, and sits on a steel base which has thin edges which hurt like hell to grab. we muscled the trimmer out of the base- not easy!- and up the stairs, followed by the table, at our house. when we were moving it out of storage, I'm like 'this is stupid, there has to be an easier way we can move this all at once and not kill ourselves." a bin of yard tools was nearby, so I grabbed a hoe and an edger that each had thick 2" round wooden handles and we stuck them under the table near the edges- the legs of the table held them in place. that way we could grip one in each hand, each of us on one side, and move it super easily. when it was done I'm like "Why the f didn't we think of that before, it would've saved so much trouble!"
ETA oops, this wouldn't be a business idea, but it was still one of those moments.
I like those moments too, even if they don't spark a biz idea.
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Post by ntsf on Nov 30, 2014 1:07:05 GMT
one book I recommend...along the moving stuff line.. "Moving heavy things" by Jan atkins.....shows historical ways people moved heavy stuff.. good gift for that guy..
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Post by ~summer~ on Nov 30, 2014 1:11:04 GMT
I can't think of one but my friend started a company called "get connected" when she moved and realized how hard it was to research and sign up for all your utilities, phone etc. she was just out of HBS though and knew what she was doing.
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Post by hennybutton on Nov 30, 2014 1:34:39 GMT
We've been potlucking for three major holidays for the last 20+ years. I get asked to bring salad a lot. Two years ago, I came up with the ultimate way to potluck salad for 35-50 people. I put my lettuce and other dry ingredients (except croutons) into 2-1/2 gallon Ziploc bags. When it's time to put out the food, I add the salad dressing to the bag and shake it well so all the lettuce is coated. I add the croutons to the bag and shake some more so they're interspersed. I then dump perfectly tossed salad into my giant salad bowl. When it's time to refill the salad bowl, I repeat the process with the next jumbo bag of salad. It's so much easier to do this than it is to toss the salad in the bowl and I don't need to remove the salad bowl from the buffet table to refill it. I can't believe it took 20 years to figure this out.
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tiffanytwisted
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Jun 26, 2014 15:57:39 GMT
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Post by tiffanytwisted on Nov 30, 2014 1:35:01 GMT
Don't know if this counts, but . . . when I was in college, I was driving to my boyfriend's house, about an hour away. I had never been there before and wasn't really sure about where I was going. About halfway thru the trip, I started panicking that I had missed my exit. I remember thinking, 'Why can't the DJ on the radio just tell me if I'm going the right way?!!!' Too bad I didn't know anything about satellites or global positioning. Those things would have the name Twisted on them instead of Garmin.
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kelly8875
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Posts: 4,406
Location: Lost in my supplies...
Oct 26, 2014 17:02:56 GMT
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Post by kelly8875 on Nov 30, 2014 1:40:39 GMT
Mine doesn't spark an invention, because it was already invented. Making mac & cheese...I was sick of grating all the cheese with my box-grater. After I was done, it hit me...use the food processor! Duh, it even has the blade for it. So I grated some more cheese, just because I could, in 30 seconds. I was so mad at myself!
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azredhead
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,755
Jun 25, 2014 22:49:18 GMT
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Post by azredhead on Nov 30, 2014 1:45:35 GMT
Where have pre light christmas trees been! We've been doing it so long every year it's a gigantic headache. Our new 2nd puppy loves branches so getting a real one was not an option this year! It's took us 10 min to put it up! And I really like the all white lights! We usually do color too, but I was so pleased not to do all the work!!
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breetheflea
Drama Llama
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Jul 20, 2014 21:57:23 GMT
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Post by breetheflea on Nov 30, 2014 1:45:46 GMT
Moving heavy furniture... put it on a blanket and drag it.
I didn't think of that though, saw it on HGTV or somewhere.
Saved a lot of backaches when we moved a year ago!
I think drive thru milk stores (like Starbucks only with milk instead of coffee) would make a lot of SAHM's happy. No more dragging the kids to the store and the milk is always waaaaaay in the back...
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garcia5050
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Jun 25, 2014 23:22:29 GMT
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Post by garcia5050 on Nov 30, 2014 5:26:18 GMT
I think drive thru milk stores (like Starbucks only with milk instead of coffee) would make a lot of SAHM's happy. No more dragging the kids to the store and the milk is always waaaaaay in the back... When I was young, there were tons of drive through dairies. My mom never went because the cost was just a bit higher than the grocery store. Almost all of the drive through dairies are now gone.
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PLurker
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Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
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Post by PLurker on Nov 30, 2014 5:48:08 GMT
I always thought McD's or some fast food should sell milk (gallon or half gallon) at drive through. Lots of them sell bagged ice...Great for working mom's on the way home that don't really want to waste time stopping at the store. I think somewhere (maybe outside USA) they do or did? Even if it was the bagged kind. I hate going into huge grocery stores for a gallon of milk when it's a 10 minute hike to the b a c k of the store just for that. A little more $ to avoid that, I'd take it.
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Post by ScrapsontheRocks on Nov 30, 2014 6:12:53 GMT
It is summer here and over our Christmas break my husband will braai (barbecue) a lot. I need a large stainless steel grid which breaks up / unclips / folds into dishwasher-sized bits as I am NOT cleaning that thing by hand every day (staff also go away- first world problem, I know). The hinged grids available here: inferior metal or too small. The small stainless ones, resting on the large stainless one which fits the braai, get me half way there but I still have to deal with the grunge on the large one once I have put the little one in the machine. ETA: I have a handyman who fancies himself as a bit of an inventor. He has threatened to find me one/ get one adapted for me but this has been going on for a couple of years already .
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Post by honeyb on Nov 30, 2014 7:12:44 GMT
I have one that I hope someone has a solution to. I'm in the middle of a plantar fasciitis flare up. Taping my foot is the only thing that makes a difference. Problem is that it's hard to do myself, it's time consuming, it hurts when the tape rolls up and rubs against your shoe, and it hurts to rip the tape off every night.
Is there a better way to do this?
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Post by hop2 on Nov 30, 2014 12:23:25 GMT
I think drive thru milk stores (like Starbucks only with milk instead of coffee) would make a lot of SAHM's happy. No more dragging the kids to the store and the milk is always waaaaaay in the back... When I was young, there were tons of drive through dairies. My mom never went because the cost was just a bit higher than the grocery store. Almost all of the drive through dairies are now gone. there was oneon Long Island 8 years ago when we picked up our dog. Not sure about now though. However guess what else is making a comeback? Home milk delivery!!! organicmilkcorp.com/wp/
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YooHoot
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Posts: 3,429
Jun 26, 2014 3:11:50 GMT
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Post by YooHoot on Nov 30, 2014 13:58:56 GMT
Where have pre light christmas trees been! We've been doing it so long every year it's a gigantic headache. Our new 2nd puppy loves branches so getting a real one was not an option this year! It's took us 10 min to put it up! And I really like the all white lights! We usually do color too, but I was so pleased not to do all the work!! I've had one for 20 years for that exact reason. So easy. I don't understand why people don't like prelit trees.
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YooHoot
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,429
Jun 26, 2014 3:11:50 GMT
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Post by YooHoot on Nov 30, 2014 14:00:00 GMT
I have one that I hope someone has a solution to. I'm in the middle of a plantar fasciitis flare up. Taping my foot is the only thing that makes a difference. Problem is that it's hard to do myself, it's time consuming, it hurts when the tape rolls up and rubs against your shoe, and it hurts to rip the tape off every night. Is there a better way to do this? They make a sock without the toes. I have PF too and haven't bought one yet because I don't see how that would be relief (like taping). Wonder if I should give it a try.
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Post by BeckyTech on Nov 30, 2014 14:28:23 GMT
I have one that I hope someone has a solution to. I'm in the middle of a plantar fasciitis flare up. Taping my foot is the only thing that makes a difference. Problem is that it's hard to do myself, it's time consuming, it hurts when the tape rolls up and rubs against your shoe, and it hurts to rip the tape off every night. Is there a better way to do this? If you Google Plantar Fasciitis Wrap, a variety of things come up. This one seems to be more highly rated than some others.
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Post by anxiousmom on Nov 30, 2014 14:38:48 GMT
I always thought McD's or some fast food should sell milk (gallon or half gallon) at drive through. Lots of them sell bagged ice...Great for working mom's on the way home that don't really want to waste time stopping at the store. I think somewhere (maybe outside USA) they do or did? Even if it was the bagged kind. I hate going into huge grocery stores for a gallon of milk when it's a 10 minute hike to the b a c k of the store just for that. A little more $ to avoid that, I'd take it. I would like to be able to do my grocery shopping online, then zip down to Publix and pick it up in a drive through. They could set it up like they do the aisles, and I could just clicky-clicky-click-click on what I want and have it all ready to go. Short of that, a drive through for the staples-milk, butter, eggs, bread...that would save me some time. Some of the local beverage castles have them, but I don't trust them very much for normal food. Beer and chips sure, but milk? Not so much.
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Post by hennybutton on Nov 30, 2014 17:58:13 GMT
We have a drive-thru dairy a couple of blocks away. It's more like a mini drive-thru convenience store that sells bread, snacks food, and a few other things in addition to dairy products. It's really convenient when you just need a gallon of milk or you forgot to get eggs when you were at the grocery store. Their price for a gallon of milk is less than the lowest priced milk at the grocery store. The brand they sell is about two bucks less than the same brand at the grocery store. They aren't as cheap as Trader Joe's, but they're close. The only problem I have with them is that they close at six.
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tiffanytwisted
Pearl Clutcher
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Jun 26, 2014 15:57:39 GMT
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Post by tiffanytwisted on Nov 30, 2014 18:13:55 GMT
It's coming, anxiousmom! One of our local stores already does it. They even have three parking spaces set up just for the - w/call boxes so you just buzz them when you get there and they bring everything out. I haven't tried it, but if I was a working outside the home mom and/or had little ones, it would be heaven!
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 30, 2014 18:33:28 GMT
Someone needs to invent a child-sized, clip to the laundry tub, comfortable shampoo chair for kids. DD has long hair but is too young to wash it herself, so we end up laying her on her back on the counter on a blanket/towel next to the sink in the laundry room with her head tipped back in the sink. She complains it hurts her neck, water splashes in her face, it's hard to get the soap out of the hair on the back of her head, and she basically hates it but doesn't want her hair cut so she suffers through it. We used to wash her hair in the tub, but we don't have a built in sprayer and the one that goes on the end of the faucet doesn't seal well so it leaks or sprays all over me. Plus now her hair is too long for that anyway. Even if her hair wasn't long, it's still a huge pain to wash a little kid's hair. The other thing I wish someone would invent is a child's step stool for the sinks in a public restroom. I loathe taking my kid into a public restroom to use the facilities. It's bad enough that the kid has to sit on the seat (and probably touch it with their hands to prevent falling in), but then comes the challenge of getting their hands washed afterward or even if they're just sticky/messy beyond what a wipe will clean. The sinks tend to be sloppy with splashed water and soap, most don't have paper towels available, and the automatic sinks with the magic "eye" that turns the water on had to have been invented by Satan himself! I can't tell you how many times I've struggled with my purse, sometimes also a diaper bag, my own winter coat, the kid's winter coat, and trying to hold the kid herself up to the stupid sink so she can get her hands washed without getting soaking wet from all the mess on and around the sink area that she has to drag her arms/body over to reach the faucet. It's a little bit less of a problem with rest rooms that have paper towels, those sinks can at least be wiped off a little. But more and more of them have the automatic air dryers too. It drives me nuts.
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Post by hop2 on Nov 30, 2014 20:42:57 GMT
I always thought McD's or some fast food should sell milk (gallon or half gallon) at drive through. Lots of them sell bagged ice...Great for working mom's on the way home that don't really want to waste time stopping at the store. I think somewhere (maybe outside USA) they do or did? Even if it was the bagged kind. I hate going into huge grocery stores for a gallon of milk when it's a 10 minute hike to the b a c k of the store just for that. A little more $ to avoid that, I'd take it. I would like to be able to do my grocery shopping online, then zip down to Publix and pick it up in a drive through. They could set it up like they do the aisles, and I could just clicky-clicky-click-click on what I want and have it all ready to go. Short of that, a drive through for the staples-milk, butter, eggs, bread...that would save me some time. Some of the local beverage castles have them, but I don't trust them very much for normal food. Beer and chips sure, but milk? Not so much. There was a store in Oakland NJ that did that before we moved from near there to where we are now. I didn't do it often but it was a godsend when i was sick. They wouldn't even take a tip.
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Post by freecharlie on Nov 30, 2014 20:53:40 GMT
When I was young, there were tons of drive through dairies. My mom never went because the cost was just a bit higher than the grocery store. Almost all of the drive through dairies are now gone. there was oneon Long Island 8 years ago when we picked up our dog. Not sure about now though. However guess what else is making a comeback? Home milk delivery!!! organicmilkcorp.com/wp/We've always had home milk delivery. Perhaps that is because we are surrounded by dairies out here, but even the cities have it. I'm not sure about Denver, but I know Northern Colorado does
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Post by oliquig on Nov 30, 2014 21:04:33 GMT
When I was young, there were tons of drive through dairies. My mom never went because the cost was just a bit higher than the grocery store. Almost all of the drive through dairies are now gone. there was oneon Long Island 8 years ago when we picked up our dog. Not sure about now though. However guess what else is making a comeback? Home milk delivery!!! organicmilkcorp.com/wp/There is still one in Port Jeff Station on LI. I was there over Labor Day and saw it.
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Post by bigbundt on Nov 30, 2014 21:11:34 GMT
I think drive thru milk stores (like Starbucks only with milk instead of coffee) would make a lot of SAHM's happy. No more dragging the kids to the store and the milk is always waaaaaay in the back... When I had my daughter I told my husband that I wish a developer would come up with a store complex that was comprised entirely of businesses with drive thrus. Dry cleaners, grocery stores (with limited items), decent restaurants with curbside pick up, pharmacy, etc. Yes I know a lot of these places have drive thrus already but these would be in all.one.place. so you could get your errands done at once rather than driving all over tarnation. Everything is set up in a circular fashion, no parking lots. I even named it, Momville. After reading about the prep area Eataly in NYC, I thought about a drive through food prep store. So you are driving home want to make a certain recipe but you don't have celery or you never use it all up when you cook? Drive through and get the one stalk of celery you need diced and ready to go. It could be bundled with convenience dinners and sides. But is has to be drive thru. My husband thought both of these ideas were stupid. Guess who does the driving, child wrangling, shopping and meal prep in our family? Hint: It is not him.
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Deleted
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Sept 18, 2024 23:06:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 23:00:25 GMT
Some really good thought provoking ideas here! Great idea, bigbundt! I'd certainly make use of that.
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