debthaven
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Post by debthaven on May 21, 2018 14:02:26 GMT -5
I sometimes think about the "little things" that were truly life-changing for me in terms of quality of life. For example: - getting our first printer/photocopier/scanner. I remember having to run out to make photocopies before mailing important papers. - Uber. Not to transport us, but because it meant we could sometimes tell the two younger kids to take an Uber and no longer always have to pick them up at crazy hours. - DH's motorcycle. He had one decades ago, sold it, and finally replaced it three years ago. The motorcycle means not having to worry about Paris traffic and parking for about 7 months of the year (it's no fun in the freezing cold of late fall/winter). Also, when he first got it, it meant he could transport DD or DS3 (obviously not both LOL). That took a HUGE weight off me, because we only have one car and I'm usually the one using it. (DH's preferred means of transport is a bicycle.)
What about you? I don't mean computers/internet/smartphones because those changed ALL of our lives.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on May 21, 2018 15:01:48 GMT -5
My Kitchen Aid mixer changed my life. I had struggled to bake breads, etc prior to that. Once I got that, I had a lot more success and from that I really began exploring cooking.
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on May 21, 2018 15:15:51 GMT -5
Getting the proper sized chair. I had headaches for most of my life. Finally told the doctor I was tired of them. She sent me to a physical therapist. PT said measure your chair. When you are sitting in your desk chair, you should not be able to put more than 2-3 fingers between the end of the chair seat and the back of you knee. I am tall, and for all the chairs around me, I could fit in a whole hand, and still have room. I was able to order a chair with a longer seat base. I went from having a headache almost every day (I lived on ibuprofen) to now getting maybe one or two headaches a month.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on May 21, 2018 15:58:38 GMT -5
A near death experience changed my life. Little things don't bother me any more. The minutiae of life is not important enough to stress over. Stuck in traffic? No worries...it beats getting the Last Rites.
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Jaguar
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Post by Jaguar on May 21, 2018 16:04:30 GMT -5
I went looking for answers and I found The Monroe Institute. I haven't been the same since and for that I'm thankful. I can honestly say that brainwave entrainment is keeping me alive, cause I use the function commands every day for various ailments.
Right now I'm using it to learn Lucid Dreaming.
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Happy prose
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Post by Happy prose on May 21, 2018 17:03:59 GMT -5
So many, but if we're talking about tangible things, and not events, my beach cart! Seriously the best $50 I've ever spent. I use to have to lug my chairs, umbrella, cooler, and beach bag. Now I can load my cart and wheel it. Sometimes beach parking is tough, and you wind up pretty far. Now no worries!
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on May 21, 2018 18:35:39 GMT -5
No Uber where I live, but the printer/scanner definitely changed things. Even though ink was expensive, it sure beat having to take whatever paperwork to a place that made copies and charged $1 a page.
For me, technology has changed my life. Living where so far away from my favorite team, I still get to watch 95% of their games every season thanks to a computer.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on May 21, 2018 19:14:21 GMT -5
Since my daughter moved to Germany and is due to have my first grandchild, my new favorite is FREE video calls. I may be able to see my granddaughter moments after she is born!
When my son was born in 1992, my grandfather was dying of cancer. We took a picture, took it to one hour photo, then Fed Ex for overnight delivery to get the picture to him within 48 hours and it was the last day he was awake. Now it is instantaneous even halfway around the world.
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on May 21, 2018 19:21:16 GMT -5
Since my daughter moved to Germany and is due to have my first grandchild, my new favorite is FREE video calls. I may be able to see my granddaughter moments after she is born! When my son was born in 1992, my grandfather was dying of cancer. We took a picture, took it to one hour photo, then Fed Ex for overnight delivery to get the picture to him within 48 hours and it was the last day he was awake. Now it is instantaneous even halfway around the world. It may be my son in Germany and and my grandbabies are male as well, but discussing a Lego movie with a 4yo or having a silly-sound/funny faces conversation with a 11 months old is priceless.
I wish that had been around for my parents and in-laws when we dragged their grandbabies around the world.
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msventoux
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Post by msventoux on May 21, 2018 20:13:30 GMT -5
I grew up without utilities, and it was in the middle of nowhere, so we couldn’t even drive to the house. So today I’m still ridiculously grateful for running water and electricity, as well as being able to drive home. Having a furnace controlled by a thermostat instead of heating with wood was also a huge improvement. Modern conveniences are truly life changing.
On a smaller scale, having proper organizational tools has made a huge difference in my life. A good toolbox that is easy to access with sturdy, easy to open drawers has finally led me to keeping my tools all in one place instead of scattered throughout the house. I don’t put off doing little household projects anymore because of dreading trying to figure out where I left the tools I’ll need. Pull out shelving in the lower kitchen cupboards makes it easy to see and access what’s in those cabinets, so they’re no longer dark pits where food goes to expire.
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giramomma
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Post by giramomma on May 21, 2018 20:16:15 GMT -5
I don't know if this is considered life changing or non-technological.
But our new garage door (and opening mechanism) is awesome.
We got a key pad so the kids don't need house keys to enter our house. Also nice for babysitters who have locked themselves out of the house in the past...
The garage door opener is also on our wifi. DH gets a text every time the door opens and closes. With a tween and a teen..it's awesome that we don't have to actually stay up now, to know if the kids have come home when they are supposed to. Course, with school, I'm up anyway. But..I'm pretty stoked about the feature.
Other than that, I really have nothing. We don't really buy anything much beyond direct consumables anymore.
And I'm guessing replacing a 23 year old stove with a brand new, but most basic model ever stove doesn't really count.
I've never owned a printer that did other things than printing. And if I can, I print at work, because cheap.
My work bus pass is a little thing. Not life changing, but my commute provides most of my "me" time now. (I take public transportation 2 days a week. I get 1.5 hours of knitting time a week that way. Often that's my only time.)
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on May 21, 2018 22:15:47 GMT -5
LOL! I bought 2 "boot trays" and 2 shovels for the winter - so I can have one shovel (with a tray to catch the drips) at each door. prior to the shovel at each door - there was the trip to the garage thru the new fallen snow to get a shovel. And when there's too much snow I don't shovel the sidewalk from the back of the house to the front so I'd have to lug a shovel thru the house. I clear from the house to the alley and then from the front door to the curb(along with the city sidewalk). Yeah, the shovel in my front hall looks kinda silly...during the winter - but it's OH so convenient. I like snow. And now shoveling is less of a chore and more a fun zen thing. I also have a wheelbarrow. Yeah, I have a small yard.. but damn that thing is handy! I can load it up with groceries (or cases of soda/beer or 40 pound boxes of kitty litter) and get them from the garage to the house in one trip. It's helpful for all sorts of lugging of stuff. I recently replaced the tire with one that will never go flat so now it's even better.
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finnime
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Post by finnime on May 22, 2018 7:59:33 GMT -5
Some big things immediately come to mind: the internet, email, anti-depressants, cell phones and that they are also superior cameras.
But the very surprising small thing is dust wipes with anti-static properties. I have gas heat, so dust is an ongoing battle. These reduce the effort in a big way.
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on May 22, 2018 8:04:19 GMT -5
Some big things immediately come to mind: the internet, email, anti-depressants, cell phones and that they are also superior cameras. But the very surprising small thing is dust wipes with anti-static properties. I have gas heat, so dust is an ongoing battle. These reduce the effort in a big way. This reminded me of my swifter with telescoping handle that helps me dust all the ceiling fans with ease. I've been taking it for granted all these years till this thread. There are other things but will have to give some thought before listing them - heck just remembering them since lots and lots over the many years.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2018 8:35:16 GMT -5
Spreadsheet software- starting with Visicalc and MultiPlan, then on to Lotus 1-2-3 and now, of course, Excel.
Yes, I'm a computer geek from way back. When I first encountered spreadsheet software, I realized it worked exactly the way my brain did. It was certainly a valuable skill to have in my work but even in retirement I keep track of my investments, my long-term projections, my checking account, etc. in Excel. Sure beats sheets of paper. I lose sheets of paper.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on May 22, 2018 8:39:49 GMT -5
I grew up without utilities, and it was in the middle of nowhere, so we couldn’t even drive to the house. So today I’m still ridiculously grateful for running water and electricity, as well as being able to drive home. Having a furnace controlled by a thermostat instead of heating with wood was also a huge improvement. Modern conveniences are truly life changing. While I grew up with utilities, the cousins on my mom's side of the family did not. We would go stay with one of them for a weekend (or a week in the summer) and it was so great to go home and have running water. No wonder the cousins loved to come stay with us for a week in the summer.
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Cookies Galore
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Post by Cookies Galore on May 22, 2018 9:53:57 GMT -5
Right now my favorite "life changing" little thing is the Invisibobble hair tie. Those spiral ring hair ties are amazing! I have a lot of dense, fine hair so creases in my hair were always a given when I pulled my hair back in a typical hair elastic. Now, no more creases no matter how long I have my hair up. It's seriously one of my new joys.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on May 22, 2018 9:59:47 GMT -5
Earplugs - I am a light sleeper and wearing them has helped me sleep so much better Dishwasher pods - this is really a stupid little thing but I love being able to pop a pod in the dishwasher and not have to worry about pouring liquid or powder
Shout wipes - I always have one of these. I obviously eat like a toddler and need to be wearing a bib
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on May 22, 2018 10:05:02 GMT -5
My Kitchen Aid mixer changed my life. I had struggled to bake breads, etc prior to that. Once I got that, I had a lot more success and from that I really began exploring cooking. Me too. I was a terrible baker, and one day I told my husband that I was going to waste 300 dollars because I always wanted the cool Kitchenaid mixer, even if I don't bake. After I bought it I decided to bake a few things, and I was quite successful.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on May 22, 2018 10:19:30 GMT -5
Click list. When the weather is crappy, with ice and snow, I just cannot risk slipping and falling by going outside. If I pick up groceries, I can get in and out of my car in the garage, and unload it from the garage. Or, as TD passes the store on his way home from work, he can swing by an$ have it loaded up in his car.
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Lizard Queen
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Post by Lizard Queen on May 22, 2018 10:40:10 GMT -5
Parking in a garage. Having a carport at my last apartment was decent, but I still had to walk across the parking lot to get in my car. When the weather is really crappy, it's just so nice not to be immediately accosted with it upon leaving my home. My parents had a single garage that they rarely used for parking when I was growing up. We did have a screen door on it some summers, for a sort of screened in porch.
AC in the house--so much better for my allergies to not keep the windows open. Don't have to mess with fans. Quieter.
This goes way back, but microwaves. Warming food up used to be so much more complicated.
Netflix--it's spoiling me! Commercial-free shows I can binge to my heart's content. Watching season 2 of Daredevil now.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2018 11:19:05 GMT -5
Netflix--it's spoiling me! Commercial-free shows I can binge to my heart's content. Watching season 2 of Daredevil now. Ah, I'd forgotten Netflix. I ditched cable programming after DH died (he liked to watch sports) and haven't looked back. I miss a few shows I liked on cable (and could get them if I bought a few more subscriptions) but I haven't looked back. It's been over a year now and while I do run through all the episodes of a favorite show I can always find more that I like.
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Post by empress of self-improvement on May 22, 2018 11:26:01 GMT -5
In the ear hearing aids. Soooo much more comfortable and less clunky than the old behind the ear ones. The weight of those and glasses could be quite uncomfortable at times.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2018 11:38:32 GMT -5
One thing that occurred to me immediately and I didn't post it because it's a bit TMI: tampons.
I reached puberty back before anyone had thought of pads with an adhesive strip. They were held in place by an elastic belt that was slung around your hips under your clothes, with a notch in the back and front to hold the pad in place. It was, as a female cousin aptly described it, "bunchy and icky".
I muddled through for two years with this system and finally got up the nerve to try a tampon after reading the instruction leaflet multiple times. It took some getting used to but I was FREE. It turned periods into a minor nuisance instead of a showstopper. For one thing, it meant that I didn't have to sit out a week every month at the local pool where we practically lived in the summers. I told my mother after the fact. I guess I didn't ask beforehand because it wasn't something she'd brought up when she discussed puberty. She was fine with it. I resolved then and there that if I ever had daughters, they'd be told from Day One. I had only DS but when my two granddaughters get to that age I plan to talk with DDIL and encourage her to bring up the subject.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on May 22, 2018 11:42:37 GMT -5
One thing that occurred to me immediately and I didn't post it because it's a bit TMI: tampons. I reached puberty back before anyone had thought of pads with an adhesive strip. They were held in place by an elastic belt that was slung around your hips under your clothes, with a notch in the back and front to hold the pad in place. It was, as a female cousin aptly described it, "bunchy and icky". I muddled through for two years with this system and finally got up the nerve to try a tampon after reading the instruction leaflet multiple times. It took some getting used to but I was FREE. It turned periods into a minor nuisance instead of a showstopper. For one thing, it meant that I didn't have to sit out a week every month at the local pool where we practically lived in the summers. I told my mother after the fact. I guess I didn't ask beforehand because it wasn't something she'd brought up when she discussed puberty. She was fine with it. I resolved then and there that if I ever had daughters, they'd be told from Day One. I had only DS but when my two granddaughters get to that age I plan to talk with DDIL and encourage her to bring up the subject. I remember these! I think I ditched the belt and started safety pinning the pad to my underwear. It helped a little from keeping it from bunching up but I always felt like I was wearing a diaper. I think I found tampons about 3 (very long) years later, and never looked back. I started with OB and never went back.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on May 22, 2018 11:44:05 GMT -5
High index lenses for glasses.
My glasses have always been coke bottles, and the high index lenses decreases the edges by about 1/3. They're still slightly thinner coke bottles, but a hell of a lot lighter.
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jitterbug
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Post by jitterbug on May 22, 2018 11:49:50 GMT -5
I have one negative life change and one modern convenience that isn't necessarily a life change - but is one of my favorite helpful hints! My iPad is my negative life change. I waste waaayyy too much time on it versus doing something productive! I used to be a huge reader and now I do all my reading off the Overdrive app, using my local library - but if the book doesn't hold my interest, I'm clicking on Pinterest or Candy Crush or 100 other apps that are pointless! And before I know it - my evening's gone. But my favorite modern convenience hint is Windex Window Pads for the outside windows!! You buy the initial kit that's like a Swiffer, with a pad that is preloaded with window washing stuff. Then you spray your windows with the hose, use the stick to swipe the pad across the window, then rinse off with the hose. Voila! Shiny clean windows with NO streaks and NO wiping!
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on May 22, 2018 11:50:10 GMT -5
One thing that occurred to me immediately and I didn't post it because it's a bit TMI: tampons. I reached puberty back before anyone had thought of pads with an adhesive strip. They were held in place by an elastic belt that was slung around your hips under your clothes, with a notch in the back and front to hold the pad in place. It was, as a female cousin aptly described it, "bunchy and icky". I muddled through for two years with this system and finally got up the nerve to try a tampon after reading the instruction leaflet multiple times. It took some getting used to but I was FREE. It turned periods into a minor nuisance instead of a showstopper. For one thing, it meant that I didn't have to sit out a week every month at the local pool where we practically lived in the summers. I told my mother after the fact. I guess I didn't ask beforehand because it wasn't something she'd brought up when she discussed puberty. She was fine with it. I resolved then and there that if I ever had daughters, they'd be told from Day One. I had only DS but when my two granddaughters get to that age I plan to talk with DDIL and encourage her to bring up the subject. My mother told me that virgins couldn't wear tampons . When I was 15 I finally just started wearing them without discussing it with her.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on May 22, 2018 12:07:55 GMT -5
Free long distance phone calls!!
I remember once upon a time, my long distance bill used to be $80/mo. It was double that when my mom was dying and I was living in TX. Hell, I can't imagine what my long distance bill would have been like if we still had to pay long distance charges during my sister's divorce. One month, TD told me that I had been on the phone 900 minutes and could I please use the landline?
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MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on May 22, 2018 12:10:51 GMT -5
One thing that occurred to me immediately and I didn't post it because it's a bit TMI: tampons. I reached puberty back before anyone had thought of pads with an adhesive strip. They were held in place by an elastic belt that was slung around your hips under your clothes, with a notch in the back and front to hold the pad in place. It was, as a female cousin aptly described it, "bunchy and icky". I muddled through for two years with this system and finally got up the nerve to try a tampon after reading the instruction leaflet multiple times. It took some getting used to but I was FREE. It turned periods into a minor nuisance instead of a showstopper. For one thing, it meant that I didn't have to sit out a week every month at the local pool where we practically lived in the summers. I told my mother after the fact. I guess I didn't ask beforehand because it wasn't something she'd brought up when she discussed puberty. She was fine with it. I resolved then and there that if I ever had daughters, they'd be told from Day One. I had only DS but when my two granddaughters get to that age I plan to talk with DDIL and encourage her to bring up the subject. My mother told me that virgins couldn't wear tampons . When I was 15 I finally just started wearing them without discussing it with her. I don't think my mom wanted me to wear them for some reason. But one day as a teen I said I wanted to get a box to try and she gave me a weird look. She got me OB and that's how I started. They were awful though - thank God for Tampax Pearl and plastic applicators! Big Thing: High Speed Internet. Because if my son asks me how tall a giraffe can get, I don't have to say "I dunno" or whip out the encyclopedia (I know you all had a set, too!) - I can just ask Google and get the answer. It has allowed me to meet new people and find out about great new things. Little(r) things: Dishwasher. I cook A LOT. About half the places I've lived in after college had a dishwasher and I took FULL advantage. Growing up, we had a dishwasher but never used it unless it was a holiday. No idea why. My mom is weird in that I guess she likes doing manual labor or something ? I'm all about working smarter. While the dishes are running, I can be off cleaning the bathroom or doing laundry. No reason for me to do more work than needed. In-home washer/dryer: No explanation needed. My new place has its own washer/dryer PLUS dishwasher - so excited! Slow cooker: so many great meals originated there.
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