Category Archives: Life

Meet Daisy

In January 2021 we became a two truck family with the purchase of Ruby, The Big Red Truck. While Ruby is awesome (and red!), I told Kenn sometime last year that I wasn’t going to want to drive a huge truck as my primary vehicle forever. While Ruby is comfortable and drives well, she has some big blind spots. I’ve had a couple of close calls because of not being able to see through the truck itself. Parking can also be problematic. When I go to the optometrist I try to remember to drive Kenn’s smaller truck; the parking lot at the optometrist’s office just isn’t designed for larger vehicles.

My off-hand comment about wanting a change at some nebulous point in the future resulted in many conversations about what sort of vehicle I would like. I wanted a smaller SUV-type vehicle. Kenn and I are both tall and prefer vehicles with higher seats, especially as we age. A vehicle such as a Mini Cooper that I would have to crawl in and out of wasn’t even on my radar. Kenn kept encouraging me to test drive various vehicles, but I had no interest in doing so until we were ready to actually make a purchase. Well, that time arrived a couple of weeks ago.

Knowing that this day was coming, I had already narrowed my top contenders to a Toyota RAV4 or a Subaru, probably a Forester since the Outbacks I had previously driven had been uncomfortable. We have owned Toyotas for almost twenty years and know how reliable they are. Subaru also has a reputation for reliability. I have always wanted a Subaru; I’m a fan of what the company stands for and their commitment to making the world a better place. Knowing that this is probably one of the last “new” cars we will buy, we both had a few things we were looking for: Kenn wanted all-wheel drive, and I wanted bells and whistles. I don’t need all the bells and whistles, but I don’t want bare-bones either. So, the test-driving began.

We test drove a hybrid RAV4 and I liked it fine. It drove well and I would expect it to provide us many years of problem-free use. We then went to the only Subaru dealership in the area and test drove a Forester. The Forester was just okay. I preferred the RAV4 over the Forester. I had been reluctant to test drive another Outback but, I finally decided to give one a try since the last one I drove was a 2018 and there may have been improvements since then. Before we left the dealership, we test drove an Outback Wilderness and I had to admit that it was nice. After we left the dealership, I decided that we needed to look into Outbacks a little more so I went to the dealership’s website and found another one to look at. We made another trip to the dealership for yet another test drive… and bought a car. Everyone, meet Daisy.

Daisy and her Cinnamon Brown Pearl exterior
Not the best picture, but I love the Java interior

Daisy is a 2022 Outback Touring. I love everything about her. All Subarus are all-wheel drive, so that checked off Kenn’s one requirement. As a Touring edition, Daisy has all the bells and whistles. I always thought heated seats were a stupid idea until we purchased Ruby, at which point I discovered that they are AWESOME. Daisy has heated and cooled seats. I’m still not sold on the whole cooled seat idea, but leather seats in a Georgia summer may well change my mind, LOL. Also, after test driving Daisy, I uttered words that I have never before said about a car – Daisy is fun to drive. Kenn enjoys driving, but for me it has always just been a way to get from Point A to Point B. And yes, some vehicles drive better than others, but I have never before considered driving fun. Daisy has changed my mind.

I’m already excited about the dual heating and cooling zones in the front of the vehicle. Finally, one of us doesn’t have to freeze just because the other is running hot. I also like the fact that I can set the temperature for my side and Daisy will automatically choose heat or air conditioning based on the temperature outside. And, for the directionally challenged such as myself, having a compass in the corner of the rear-view mirror is a big bonus. Now, I just hope that Daisy will be as reliable as the Toyotas (Bonnie the Highlander, Paco the Tacoma, and Ruby the Tundra) that have come before her. She has big shoes, I meany tires, to fill.

So, is driving fun for you?

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The Deodorant Edition

About four years ago, I made the decision to switch to aluminum and paraben free deodorant and chose to give Native brand deodorant a try. I’m so glad I did! I’ve heard the phrase, “I don’t sweat, I glisten.” Well, it may be TMI, but I’m here to tell you that I sweat. And, working outside in the Georgia summer heat and humidity will put any deodorant through its paces. Native has passed with flying colors.

Many strong scents give me a headache, including those of scented body products, including some deodorants. Fortunately, not only does Native work well, but the scents are subtle. The only exception has been when I purchased the limited edition Tie-Dye Vanilla Cupcake fragrance. The product worked well as always, and the scent was wonderful, but it was also strong enough that I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear someone ask, “Does anyone smell cupcakes?”😂

My switch to Native brand coincided with the beginning of the pandemic, everything going into lockdown, and supply chain issues. When I began running low, I decided ordering online was the way to go. I was excited to find that Native also offers a plastic-free version. I’m always looking for a way to reduce my plastic consumption, so sign me up! The plastic-free version has gone through a couple of iterations. The first was round with a push-pop type action. This was problematic due to the length of the tube. I have long fingers but still wasn’t able to push the product up far enough to be able to use it all. I had to resort to using the handle of my toothbrush, LOL. Fortunately, by the time I placed my next order, they had changed the plastic-free container design to match that of the plastic version; it works perfectly with no need for additional tools. (Note: The plastic version of Native deodorant is available in many stores. I have only found the plastic-free version online.)

Do you have any plastic-free products to recommend?

We Won The Battle, But Lost The War

At the end of November 2023, I noticed that our Old Man Cat, Desmond (Dez for short) was having problems eating. He would join the other cats for their morning treats, but after a couple of bites he would hiss and run away. A trip to the vet later, he was diagnosed with feline stomatitis. The vet warned us that there would be no curing the stomatitis, we would just be working to manage his symptoms and keep him eating and pain-free as long as possible. Treatment consisted of a steroid injection and an antibiotic injection. So, with two shots onboard, we began a six month long journey.

Dez responded well to his first shots and I began supplementing his dry food with wet food designed for senior cats. By early January 2024, he was showing new signs of avoiding food. We went back to the vet for a new round of shots and he responded marvelously. We made it to the end of February before he had another flare-up. This flare-up was by far the worst and it took two weeks for his shots to make a difference. In the meantime, I was still supplementing his dry food with wet, sometimes reverting to all wet food. This process sort of took on a life of its own. Not only did I have to feed Dez, but I had to keep the rest of the cats away while he ate. Sometimes I felt like I was a goalie at some sort of weird cat hockey game.

Old Man Dez

In early April, I saw small signs that a flare-up was beginning so we got more shots in the hopes of heading it off before it got too bad. This was especially important as we were due to go out of town and I was the only one Dez would allow to give him his canned food. (He wouldn’t even let Kenn feed him so there was no way the pet sitter would be able to do so.) Fortunately, Dez was able to eat dry food until we returned from our trip, but quickly lost the ability to do so after our return home. The vet had recommended that we try giving Dez oral steroids instead of injections, but that was a no-go. I might have been able to get one pill down him but he would’ve then been so traumatized that we wouldn’t have seen him again.

With each shot being a little less effective than the one before, I knew we were living on borrowed time. Over the past couple of weeks, Dez began struggling to eat his wet food. I started mixing it with water to thin it out and hopefully help him hydrate. (He was dehydrated when we went in for his April shots.) We went to the doctor on Monday and discussed our options. The only remaining course of action – and the vet wasn’t a fan of this choice – was to remove all of his teeth except his canines. This is a lengthy surgery and recovery, but it provides the best chance of long-term relief. However, due to his age (15), Kenn and I were unwilling to put Dez through so much trauma. The vet offered us a dose of a topical opiod that should help relieve his pain. I agreed to try it in the hopes that he could have a few pain-free, or at least less painful, days. It was a disaster. We expected Dez to be a little stoned, and he was. I fed him as soon as we got home, but as the medication kicked in, he kind of freaked out. Poor guy started trying to hide, and worst of all, the other cats started going after him. Tuesday morning, he was still in hiding and still freaked out. He also refused to eat. Every time the poor guy tried to come out of hiding, one of the others would chase him back. It was at this point that Kenn helped me realize that the time to let him go had arrived. I knew it was coming, but I had been fighting so hard for so many months that it was kind of hard to admit that the time was finally here. Sadly, our last attempt to make his life better actually made it worse. So, Tuesday morning, we went back to the vet, had Dez euthanized, and then took his body to the pet funeral home to have him cremated. His ashes will join the ashes of all of our other cats that have passed before.

Right now, I am mentally and emotionally drained and am in need of a really good cry. And ice cream. I desperately need ice cream. I try to end each post with a question, but today, I got nothin’. Instead, please do me favor and give your furbabies extra hugs and pets from me today.

Well, That Was Easier Than I Expected

Y’all know I’m a cat lady. Kenn and I have always had a mixture of both indoor and outdoor cats. There were always a lot of un-neutered feral cats in our old neighborhood. Since we always had food out for any critter (cats, dogs, possums, whatever) that needed it, it wasn’t unusual for mama cats to bring their kittens to us to show them a food source. Over the years we socialized and spayed/neutered countless mamas and kittens. Any that wanted to make their home with us were welcome, but they had to remain outside with occasional forays inside for some.

When we moved to The Cabin several years ago, we brought three outdoor cats with us: Nellie, Marvin, and Roscoe. We “inherited” an additional one since Stumpie was already hanging around when we moved in. However, being an outdoor cat comes with any number of hazards. We lost Roscoe to a systemic infection due to an injury; he was so aloof, we didn’t even know there was a problem until it was too late. We lost both Stumpie and Marvin last summer which left Nellie as our only official outdoor cat. Over the past few months, all of the extra cats that had started hanging around have moved on with the exception of Ghost, who is getting a little braver. However, having Nellie outdoors by herself has been killing me. Girlfriend is now thirteen years old and I couldn’t help but feel that she was a little lonely without Stumpie and Marvin.

Outdoor Nellie

Our previous attempts to move Nellie indoors hadn’t gone well, so I was a little leery of trying again even though I knew the move was in her best interest. However, things came to a head last Saturday. I was petting Nellie when I noticed an issue with with her right eye; it was cloudy and slightly enlarged. A closer inspection revealed damage to the cornea so, moving her inside became paramount. After a brief discussion, Kenn positioned one of our larger pet carriers under the carport so it would be there when an opportunity presented itself. I went out and spent fifteen minutes or so petting Nellie and then picked her up. She was never thrilled about being held, but much to my surprise, she allowed it. Even more surprising, I was able to walk her over to the carrier, place her inside, and shut the door without her freaking out. As far as I am concerned, it was a miracle!

Indoor Nellie

Nellie is now sharing my office with Molly, who is both my mewse and another senior citizen. (Molly is fifteen.) Things were a little tense the first couple of days, but are going better now. Nellie went to the vet on Monday and is now receiving an antibiotic ointment on her eye twice a day. We go back to the vet next Monday to find out how we proceed. More antibiotics? Surgery? Either way, she is now indoors and safe from marauding dogs, cars, etc.

On another note, are you familiar with the Nat Geo Wild show Critter Fixers: Country Vets? Those are our vets! Dr. Hodges and Dr. Ferguson are both great, as are the other vets and techs on their team. I guess using their veterinary services is one of my brief brushes with fame. Tell me about your brushes with fame!

I Missed the Memo

Okay, y’all. What the fox is going on with gas station etiquette? Apparently a memo went out seven or eight months ago – I can’t be more specific about the time frame since I didn’t get a copy – and states that it is now socially acceptable to leave your vehicle unattended at the gas pumps while you wander inside the associated store for a shopping spree or meal. As what seems to be the lone dissenting voice crying in the wilderness, I beg you, for the love of all that’s polite… please don’t do this!

After months of frustration with getting trapped at pumps, an eye-opening conversation with our son and daughter-in-law may have shed some light on the thinking behind this “trend.” We were at dinner with the kids and venting our frustration at, once again, getting trapped behind a vehicle. The kids glanced at each other and then admitted “We do that too.” They then hurried to add, “But, only if other pumps are available.” I have to admit, I temporarily lost my power of speech, which was probably a good thing – it meant I couldn’t yell, LOL. Once I was able to form words, I explained that it’s not a matter of if any other pumps are available, it’s whether anyone can get to those pumps around you, and more importantly, can anyone behind you get out?

Image from depositphotos.com

Winding your way between vehicles “abandoned” at random gas pumps may be easy when you drive a small car; when you drive a Toyota Tundra, not so much. When said Tundra is pulling a travel trailer, even less so. Those of us driving RVs or towing travel trailers don’t have the luxury of backing up from a pump at a busy travel center, at least not without risking serious problems and possible (probable) accidents.

The worst incident was at a small travel center (I think it was a Pilot) the morning of the last leg of our trip home on our 2023 road trip. We pulled up to a pump, and there was a car at the pump ahead of us. We didn’t immediately notice that no one was pumping gas, and when we did, we just assumed they had run inside to get a receipt or something. After a few minutes, two teenagers came out of the convenience store and climbed into the back seat. Grandma then got out of the passenger seat and headed inside. Now, it takes a few minutes to fill up a thirty-eight gallon gas tank, but even after that amount of time, no driver appeared. I got out and took a picture of the license plate, intending to go inside and have the driver paged. While I was doing that, Kenn handled it with a phone call. In a few minutes, an annoyed lady walked by carrying a bag and drink from the fast food store inside the store. She seemed to be embarrassed about having been paged, but I felt no sympathy; at this point, we had been finished and unable to leave for somewhere between ten and fifteen minutes. Did Embarrassed Woman move into one of the six or more parking spaces easily available from her location? She did not. Kenn went and knocked on her window and asked her to please move as we would like to leave and had been trapped behind her car for some time. What was she doing? SHE WAS EATING HER SANDWICH. WHILE STILL SITTING AT THE 🤬 PUMP! She got huffy, but she moved.

We had a similar incident a few days ago at a small Love’s travel center. We pulled in behind a car, which I initially thought was empty, but then saw someone in the driver’s seat. We filled up and were ready to leave only to be unable to do so. Why? Rude Dude was just sitting there scrolling on his phone while there were several easily available parking spaces in front of him. Fortunately, other vehicles left the pumps next to us so we were able to do some jockeying and get around him – without hitting him with our travel trailer – but, geez. Just move your car, people!

Even though I’ve only highlighted a couple of incidents we’ve had several over the last few months. Maybe I’m too Southern for my own good, but I can’t figure out why so many (including my kids, apparently) suddenly think this behavior is okay.

Have you gotten trapped at a gas pump?

What Did You Do That For?

I’m hopping into my time machine for this week’s post. All of the trials and tribulations poor Suzassippi has encountered during the renovations of her home (especially her recent painting perils) brought this memory to mind.

Many years ago, we decided to paint the dining room at our last house. We had even gone so far as to buy a powered paint roller which was actually kind of neat. It consisted of a bucket into which to pour the paint which was then pumped through a tube and into the roller so that you could paint continuously without constantly needing to stop and reload the roller. It also had a handy shoulder strap for easy carrying. The whole contraption worked great… until it didn’t.

Image from depositphotos.com

Using the power roller was a one person job so I was in the dining room merrily painting away while Kenn was somewhere else. Meanwhile, I was blissfully unaware that the vibration from the pumping process was slowly loosening the seal. (Duhn, duhn, duhn.) I learned what was happening only when the bucket plunged to the floor with no warning. The impact caused a lovely spray of light blue paint to arc out of the bucket, across the dining room, into the living room, and onto the couch. I was still standing there staring in stunned disbelief when my loving husband walked into the room, surveyed the scene, and asked, in all seriousness, “What did you do that for?” Y’all, I love my husband, but he was lucky I didn’t throw the remainder of the paint on him at that point. Probably the only thing that saved him was the thought of having an even bigger mess to clean up. (Painting is also now a project that I do alone, LOL.)

What are some of your home improvement mishaps? And, what did you do that for?😂

Finally!

Kenn and I love our home, which we have named The Cabin. We’ve lived here for six and a half years and sometimes I still can’t believe it’s ours. While we will probably never own a cabin in the mountains (a dream of mine), our house is the next best thing; the only thing missing are the mountains. Even though we may don’t have mountains, we do have four acres of mostly wooded property and the north Georgia mountains are just a few hours away.

Waiting for siding for the chimney

As much as we love The Cabin, like all homes, it comes with it’s share of not-so-fun stuff. Y’all know what I’m talking about – the unexpected expenses that can hit without warning. Last year we had several of those. One of the most unexpected was having to replace the siding on our chimney. The Cabin, including the chimney, has wood siding. Last summer we went through a couple of extremely rainy periods. During one of those I saw something I couldn’t identify on the deck and went out to see what it was. “It” was a soggy piece of siding and insulation that had fallen off the chimney. Once things dried out a little, Kenn got out to see how far the damage extended. The answer was: pretty much all the way up the chimney. We are experienced renovators, but this was far beyond our capabilities. Fortunately, one of our youngest son’s friends works in his father’s construction business so we contacted him for recommendations. (We’ve know this guy forever. We watched him grow up and he was one of the herd of boys we frequently had at our house on weekends.) Bryce came out on his free time, removed the old siding, reinforced a couple of areas, re-framed everything, and dried it in. He finished in mid-August 2023.

Then began the search for siding. We had no idea getting siding was going to be such an arduous process. Bryce recommended the company that does siding for his dad, but we just couldn’t get things coordinated with the owner. We then had to put the process on hold while we were on our road trip. Once we got back, we (or rather, Kenn) took a deep breath, and began the process of calling contractors and getting quotes. Once again, this was much harder than it should have been. Some people came to the house, took measurements, and never gave us quotes. One would only do unfinished wood siding; we would have had to pay yet someone else to stain it. No thanks. My “favorite” was the day we had two different contractors coming out a couple of hours apart. The first one ran a little late and was still here when the second contractor showed up early. The second guy completely lost his shizz because someone else was here. He went on a rant and refused to even give us a quote because we were obviously “only looking for the lowest price and that would not be him.” I’m assuming he charges more for his mind-reading capabilites since he had no idea what we were actually looking for. However, I can promise him that he will never get any business from us and I will make sure to tell others looking for recommendations how unprofessional he was.

It took until November before we finally found a good, responsive contractor. They gave us a quote and multiple siding options to choose from. We ran into a few delays. The first siding we chose had been discontinued. The second option was available but there were some supply chain issues (some weather related) so the materials didn’t come in until last week. As promised, they put us on their schedule as soon as the materials came in. There were a couple of small glitches that got smoothed over quickly and most importantly, WE NOW HAVE SIDING ON THE CHIMNEY! Here’s hoping this is the last repair we will need to make for a while.

Six months later, we have siding!

What are your favorite – and least favorite – parts of home ownership?

Croc Around The Clock

A lot of campers (people who camp, not the equipment used to camp) have a dedicated pair of “shower shoes.” Shower shoes are the ones you wear to and from the bath house; they’re easy to slip on and off and dry quickly if they get wet. Heck, if you don’t want to stand on a possibly sketchy shared shower floor, you can even wear your shower shoes while you shower.

I have been using a pair of flip flops as my shower shoes for several years. They’re… adequate. Honestly, I don’t like flip flops. Never have. I hate the thong between my toes and if the path between the camp site and the bath house isn’t paved, flip flops live up to their name by flipping dirt and debris onto my clean feet. Ugh. I tried using a pair of hiking sandals but those suckers take forever to dry when they get wet. However, I had an epiphany during our road trip last fall. Crocs! Crocs would make the perfect shower shoes. (Many thanks to the unknown person whose Crocs were peeking out of their shower stall at the Vernal, Utah KOA.)

I have never owned Crocs. Let’s face it, they aren’t exactly things of beauty, but they get rave reviews from a lot of people – especially medical professionals. I’m hardly a clothes/shoe snob, so Crocs it is. I also knew the perfect pair to buy. Last year, I got an excited text from my daughter-in-law: “Did you know that they’re making Lisa Frank Crocs?” I did not, but, they are adorable (as are all things Lisa Frank) and I surprised my daughter-in-law with a pair for her birthday. Now, I had the perfect excuse to get a pair of my own!

Ta da!

My Crocs arrived in late October and have been languishing in my closet ever since. (I know, I know. I need to go ahead and put them in the camper so I’ll have them for our next trip.) However, since they are still easily accessible, I’ve been getting some use out of them while I’m recovering from my sprained ankle; they provide arch support and are easy to slide off and on, therefore not hurting my poor foot. I wore them to the doctor’s office last week when I went in for x-rays and all of the nurses loved them! I’m looking forward to adding a splash of happy to our travels with these shoes.

So, Crocs. Yes or no?

Brace Yourself

Last night, as we got ready for bed Kenn asked, “Is this what we’ve come to? Mouthpieces and braces?” The answer it seems is yes. Yes, we have. Kenn has been wearing a mouthpiece for his mild sleep apnea for several years. (A mouthpiece works better for him than a CPAP.) The braces are a new addition.

A couple of months ago, Kenn began complaining about pain in his right thumb. He has a touch of arthritis in that thumb but the pain level was much higher than usual. On cold days, he would come in from work and sit next to the wood burning stove with a heating pad on his hand. For an early Christmas gift, I gave him a hand brace that can be heated or cooled and it seemed to help. (Such a romantic gift, right?😂) A trip to the doctor and a steroid pack also helped for a time. The pain started returning a couple of weeks ago and last week, Kenn announced that he felt what appeared to be a cyst at the base of his thumb. Another trip to our general practitioner resulted in x-rays and a referral to an orthopedist since the issue was with the soft tissues of his thumb. The orthopedist diagnosed Kenn with a trigger finger. (Or, maybe in this case, a trigger thumb?) We are familiar with trigger fingers since Kenn had surgery to correct another trigger finger many years ago. Fortunately, no surgery for his thumb at this time. Instead, the doctor prescribed a brace for him to sleep in that will hopefully cause an improvement over the next few weeks.

Image from Amazon.com

Also, a big shout out to the orthopedist’s office. They told Kenn that since he hasn’t met his deductible this year, getting the brace through them would cost over $200 but that he could order the exact same brace from Amazon for roughly $30. The brace arrived yesterday and he slept in it for the first time last night. Here’s hoping that it will fix the problem with no surgery necessary.

My brace is also a new addition. Saturday evening I curled up in the recliner to read and watch Kenn play video games, like I usually do. He shut down and headed upstairs to shower while I read a bit longer. When I decided to go upstairs, I got up to turn off the lights as one does. However, I failed to realize that my left foot had fallen asleep. With my first step, my left ankle rolled and I crashed to the floor. For a moment, the pain was overwhelming and I wondered if I was going to faint. Once the light-headedness faded, I retrieved my miraculously unbroken tea mug, managed to get to my feet, turn off the lights and climb the stairs to our bedroom. By this point I was pretty sure nothing was broken (in spite of the crinkling/cracking noises I heard when my ankle rolled) but my foot was already swollen. When Kenn finished his shower he said, “I thought I heard a crash. Are you okay?” The answer was a resounding “No!” followed by multiple assurances that I did not need to go to the emergency room.

I spent most of Sunday in the recliner with my foot elevated with ice packs balanced on it. We seem to have an assortment of elastic bandages but most weren’t giving me the relief I needed. When Kenn went out to pick up a few groceries he stopped by CVS and picked up an ankle brace for me.

Image from CVS.com

This brace has worked wonderfully. It stabilizes my ankle, provides compression, and supports my arch. As a precaution, I saw our general practitioner this morning. Per the x-rays, there are no breaks; I just have a nasty sprain. (My poor ankle. My left ankle is already weak from a couple of sprains as a kid and now I’ve damaged it again.) Now to decide if I’m going to go in to work tomorrow or wait until Thursday.🤔On that note, it’s time for me to go take more ibuprofen, elevate my foot, and apply an ice pack.

So, who wants to sing Soft Kitty to us?

A Promise to an Unknown Neighbor

Look at me posting on a Monday! Actually, look at me posting at all, LOL. I’ve been posting on Thursdays but that hasn’t been working for me recently so I’m switching to Mondays instead.

Several weeks ago Kenn came home and announced that he had a surprise for me. He then handed me a beautiful stack of colorful bowls. “I know you’ve always wanted some colorful mixing bowls and I found these at an estate sale.” This man loves estate and yard sales and I love that he knows me so well. I have wanted colorful bowls for years. I have an eminently practical, totally boring, set of stainless steel bowls that I’ve had forever. I have a newer set of clear bowls with colorful lids that are closer to what I’ve always but still not quite there. My new-to-me bowls fit the bill perfectly.

My new bowls

The bowls weren’t in a box but they had the original corrugated cardboard dividers and looked like they had never been used. This made me sad and of course I had to wonder why not. Were they a gift that was appreciated but unneeded? Did they get stuck in the back of a cabinet and forgotten about? (Hey, it happens. Side-eyes the Christmas goblets in my kitchen cabinet.) Or, maybe they were wanted and loved but too heavy for an elderly woman to use. (The estate sale was held at the home of an elderly woman a couple of streets away.)

So, dear unknown neighbor, in honor of you, I will love and use these bowls the way you were unable to. The colors make me smile and I think of you (and how heavy they are, LOL) each time I pull them out of the cabinet.

What do you do with unwanted gifts? Hide them? Regift them? Donate them?