58 here, I go through a gallon of whole milk a week, sometimes sooner. Nothing satisfies a hunger pang before bed like milk, nothing cools me off quicker than chugging a large glass of cold milk. It's delicious and I don't understand why anyone would consider it unsettling.

Wtf is it?

I had serious respiratory issues for a year, finally took a good luck at my mattress, one day, after changing my sheets.

Red "dust" embedded in all the quilting folds of the mattress top. Vacuumed that shit right up, threw the red jersey sheets in the trash, no problems since then.

Those leather belts you can buy in clothing stores? The ones that are stamped or labeled "genuine leather"?

Yeah, that's the lowest grade of leather.

It looks short in the waist. Severe weather outerwear should come down to mid-thigh, maybe almost to the knees.

Items that bunch up and rise up around the waist are crap.

I'd agree with that. For my money, the best peeler is a simple, SS bale-type.

Most kitchen accessories by OXO are very good quality.

Heavier stainless steel pots and pans are excellent choices, literally compare them by hand. Look for solid rivets at the handles, too.

A small cast iron and medium cast iron skillet are essential

A decent, steel wok, flat bottomed, is a good buy. Flat because US/UK/EU stove tops/hobs.

When I was in the US Army (83-87), I was always amazed at how well out combat boots cleaned up. We could have been in the mud, water, scuffing the heck out of them all week but an hour's worth of work and they'd be spit-shined and looking like patent leather, come inspection time.

Any Amish or Mennonites live near you? If so, shop where they do.

Almost any steam iron is practically BIFL if you use only distilled water in it.

If you apply starch/sizing to your clothes, keep an eye on potential buildups on the hot plate, gently scrub them off with a generic magic eraser and rinse off the residue.

Don't let it fall to the floor.

That's about it.

For ironing boards, buy a quality pad. Don't let wet or damp items lay on the board repeatedly. When you're done ironing, if the pad feels moist, take it off to dry separately. These steps will keep the board from rusting.

Lightly oil the track the legs slide in.

These are simple devices that last a long time if a little care is taken with them.

I have a Lodge, it's well-made, solid, and has the features of pricier competitors. Recommended without hesitation.

So many Red Wing recommendations.

Made. In. China.

Only the Heritage line is made in the U.S.

Edit: or other Asian countries, of which I have no beef. But few are made in America, as their marketing and advertising would lead us to believe.

Is there a cobbler in your area? One that makes a living from it? Talk to them. They will know.

My grandmother on my father's side had a lot of kids....a lot. Uncle George (oldest) fought in the Pacific Theater during WWII and was discharged before my dad (youngest) was born.

All his brothers and sisters were either in the military, traveled a lot, or both. It became a "thing" for them to purchase salt and pepper shaker sets for my grandma as souvenirs of their travels.

She kept them in a glass-fronted China cabinet. I was fascinated by them, not only because of their unique variety (most were cheap trinkets, tbh) but also because of the history behind each one. She was proud of each set and loved telling about where they came from. My child's imagination was sparked by those stories.

When she passed away, they were all discarded. No one accepted responsibility but they were gone, all the same. I never saw them in any of my aunt or uncle's homes so I'm pretty sure they were just thrown out.

Sorry, I know this is rambling but I couldn't help thinking about her, reading this.

Love your family and also love the things they loved, memories are triggered by the smallest things.

Magnetic?

In what way?

Do you live near Amish or Mennonite communities? You may have luck shopping at the hardware stores they own.

So, imagine asking a question similar to this, 15 years ago, and getting a phone that matched your requirements.

Would you still be satisfied with the capabilities of such a phone?

Some things, by definition, cannot be BIFL because technology changes so much, at least in our experience. Computers are another good example.

Take note that tires rated for more mileage are made of harder compounds that don't wear away easily. That makes for a firmer ride. You may not notice the difference in a soft-sprung sedan.

Softer compounds result in less mileage but a more comfortable ride. As the other person pointed out, there is always a tradeoff.

Fwiw, I work at an airport and common FOD items are broken-off roller wheels, name tag/labels, and "locks". Oh, and sippy cup holders from checked baby strollers.

Basically, if it sticks out from the item, there's a damned good chance it'll be broken off, sooner or later.

And the only "blown" luggage I've ever seen is the kind that has the wrap-around zipper that opens an expansion panel. Those zippers pop open easily compared to ones that just close the two halves together.

My mother has two similar ones she keeps in the fridge. We have a whole-house filtration system in the basement, one filter for sediment, the other activated charcoal for chemicals. The refrigerator has its own wanted filer for the water/ice dispenser. She fills these up from the fridge. I guess she could boil it after all that but, Lordy! we drink some clean water!

It seems small but all recipes can be scaled down and if you live alone, this looks like a good purchase. BIFL? I don't know but enamel over cast iron is pretty hard to mess up.

For that price? Not a bad purchase!