Cabin Notes: milk crates

October 23, 2024

Hey, good morning. I’m kind of dead in the hole this morning. I fell into the hole, and I’ve been scrambling to get out, but today I’m just gonna sit in the hole. Someone else can organize rescue efforts. 

Speaking of organizing, we recently had to do a little shuffling of things in the house, and we were in need of organizing containers. Everyone sells these now. Soft ones, square ones, round ones, floppy ones, big ones, plastic ones, clear ones. And they’re increasingly expensive. So I’ve come here to advocate for the simple milk crate. Milk crates are the quarter horses of bins. They get the job done, no fuss, no problem. No, they’re not industrial bins like Clydesdales, and no, they’re not necessarily aesthetic treasures like Appaloosas, but they do exactly what you need them to and they’re cheap.

We recently bought milk crates from the incredible website milkcratesdirect.com, three in forest green and three in yellow for the sum total of $35. When in doubt, always see if a farm supply store offers what you need, because it will be cheaper. Or, you could get robbed by West Elm. Either way.

Related:

Do I need that? - #32

The Log

• My friend Lexi made an incredible document on managing her grief

• Playing this quite explicit song on repeat

• PSL, pls

• AI is ruining everything, but in this particular instance, Pinterest

• The middle class of fashion has collapsed

• Not another app

• LONG LIVE FLIRTING IN PERSON!

• This Mulatu Astatke jazz album

• The origin of snake oil

• I added North Woods by Daniel Mason to my book pile this week, so that means I am actively reading 7 different books right now. Not my best strategy. 

• I am losing it over this prompt by

  Shira Erlichman
  to consider your “5 rules” that I found over on
  Wild Letters
  . I cannot wait to think about this, but rest assured, one of my five is absolutely “don’t trust anyone who doesn’t return their shopping cart.”

The Chop

I’m preparing for a ‘camping’ trip this weekend. We were meant to be camping on the ground, but when the temps dipped below freezing at night, our neighbors graciously lended us their camper van. I am excited. 

In fact, I’ve never been so excited to leave the house, or, more exactly, leave chores. Of course there are still chores when you’re camping, even in a van. You still have to wash dishes and brush teeth. You still have to plan meals and dispose of waste. But you’re doing these chores somewhere else and that is somehow much, much better.