Make NO mistake.
This post is about Press’nSeal.
Surprisingly.
Begrudgingly.
The current “Where Bloggers Live” post is supposed to be about “10 mvps that get me through the day.”
I could absolutely give you that list.
– Coffee
– Dessert for breakfast
– MomHadBigHair Spotify playlist
– Perry Mason…
Those are some of the big 10, for sure.
But this particular month, there’s one hero that deserves its own post.
Is it Mr?
Nay nay. Alas. This month’s MVP is Press’nSeal.
Which comes as a bit of a shock to me, because six weeks ago, it claimed a page in my mental yearbook as “Most Likely to Ruin Your Bathroom.”
Was it GLAD’s fault?
NO. It’s not like I’d purchased it for its intended use.
You know how you shouldn’t believe everything you read? Well I did.
I read an internet tip about using Press’nSeal as a great way to protect surfaces when painting.
DON’T DO IT!!! DON’T!
I went all in and used Press’nSeal to protect newly tiled walls and flooring while painting the other walls in our just-remodeled bathroom.
So, so, clever to use a product in an unusual way…until it leaves sticky residue all over your fresh, formerly pristine, and easily etched tile (for which it’s verboten to use ANY product containing bleach, ammonia, citrus, or vinegar).
The thought of telling Mr I’d ruined his tile nearly turned my hair white.
The MVPs of THAT debacle were the cleaning products from an obscure (to me) company called Van Hearron Products, who make this hero:
Trust me, I bought all the versions to get the gummy residue off the tile.
It worked. Gently, safely.
(Also, I now use this on our wood floors…smells fantastic and cleans really well!):
I’m just sharing all this ‘cuz you and I are pals. And if you have fragile surfaces that need cleaning, these folks paid attention in Chem class…and should be accorded medals forthwith.
SO…how, exactly, did Press’nSeal go from the stuff of my sticky nightmares to this month’s MVP?
Because I broke my foot. My right one…the day before we were driving–at MY suggestion–10 hours to attend our son’s wedding.
So much for “we” driving. Mr was thrilled. 😤
To avoid a plaster cast, I had to spend $329 for this exact walking boot…that I could have purchased on Amazon for $135.
The Physician’s Assistant told me to wear it all day…and to bed.
Hello? YUCK. Would you wear your shoes in bed? Gross!
Nevertheless, I did need to wear it full time. But NOT in bed. One must draw the line.
I checked Amazon and ordered boot covers, but when they arrived they were too small for the boot. Naturally.
Nevertheless… I had places to go, gardens to plant, lawns to mow, mulch to…cast. And STILL had to keep the walking boot reasonably clean for six weeks.
So I improvised.
And against every expectation,
GUESS what helped?
Correct.
Press’nSeal had finally found the job it was born to do.
And there was also another GLAD hero product in the mix to keep my overpriced orthopedic equipment from turning janky.
Every day I worked outside, I wrapped my swanky boot inside a GLAD garbage bag:
secured it with “leakproof, airtight” Press’nSeal…
and went gardening.
Yesterday, I was finally sprung! Bones healed, back to shoes, and most importantly, able to resume driving!! 🙌🏻
I also have two-and-a-half leftover boxes of Press’nSeal because we bought it in bulk.
Hmm, I wonder how it works in the kitchen?
____
Please checkout my blogging pals to see the MVPs that get them through the day:
Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks
Bettye at Fashion Schlub
Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style
Leslie at OnceUponaTimeandHappilyEverAfterAgain
(Me) and
Sally at Within a World of My Own
Who doesn’t like to peek behind the scenes and see inside people’s homes?
The second Friday of each month is when this group of bloggers link up to share their workspaces,
homes, towns… or whatever our fearless leader, the fabulous Bettye, proposes.
Make sure you visit everyone to see where the magic happens!
Who knew the Press’n’Seal would be both your nemesis and your salvation? I love the unexpected redemption arc in this story! The broken foot/ankle stories in this comment section have me knocking wood I am able to avoid such a dire fate. I don’t think I have the toughness to stay active in pain and wearing a giant boot.
Congratulations for graduating out of the boot and into 2 matching shoes. I was so excited when I graduated back into 2 shoes after I broke my foot. Where was your break? Mine was the heel on the right foot and the side of the foot on the left. At different times, thank goodness.
So appreciate that you didn’t let that foot slow you down much, if at all. Love the novel use of the Press-n-Seal. I have tried it in any manner, not with my broken feet or my leftovers. Just put a roll in my Walmart cart. Hope that doesn’t jinx me!!
Glad you found a way to gently remove the adhesive ‘seal’ stuff after using it to protect the tile from paint. PC devised this very clever piece of acrylic that he moved along the wall as he painted the door frame. He didn’t notice until he was finished that the paint had bled under the acrylic and made a big mess. It’s always something!!
You know what makes my day (even though I’m a day late)…seeing there’s a new blog post by Em! And, I just had to laugh…not that I’ve ever used press and seal (though I dearly want some of that stuff and can never find it…must be because it’s all at your house). When we lived up north, we decided, after over 25 years of living in the house with only two full baths, that it was time to add a half bath and reconfigure the narrow full bath, walk in closet, and a goofy room called a dressing room which was just a repository for furniture I didn’t know what to do with as well as clothing going on said furniture. Well, we laid it all out on graph paper. I even came up with a scale model of each room (a half bath, a shower room with toilet, a vanity room, and a walk in closet). We were going gangbusters until we started working on the small vanity in the half bath (powder room if you’re fancy). Something just wasn’t working. Then, it hit me. Now, remember, I taught fourth grade for upwards of 10 years and was a special ed teacher for many, many years before that. I had to teach measurement. This areas was 60 inches wide. Now, you know, and I know that 60 inches does not 6 feet make. But, in my happy little mind, creating my wonderful little scale models, that’s exactly what 60 inches made…6 feet. Only six feet did not work for the half bath. Long story just a wee bit shorter…we called in a plumber and reconfigured the half bath. All was well in the end though I’ve always wondered if the husband of the couple who bought our house could actually sit on that toilet!!!!
Oh, let’s share foot stories sometime! I swear we have an entire orthopedic supply company in our attic! I am so glad yours healed. You are so smart to have covered yours. Of course, I couldn’t walk on my foot for three months, and the boot was really just for protection so it didn’t get dirty, but I’m going to remember this trick on the off chance (and I say that somewhat hesitantly) that one of needs a boot again!
Em, you just make my day!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
On June 17th of last year (at age 64 “) I experienced my first bone breaks. Two Avulsion “fractures” in my left ankle. This is where a small piece of bone is pulled away from the main bone by a tendon or ligament.
Think of a time when you were wrapping a gift and because you’re not a Pro gift-wrapper-person you had to carefully peel back a piece of tape to reposition it, and when you did, the tape took some wrapping paper with it. That’s the bone taking some tendon or ligament with it. Not gonna lie. It’s painful. Especially if you’re in denial and decide to go about your daily life and nightlife wearing shoes and acting as if nothing happened.
Anyhow… fast forward… I had to wear the EXACT same boot and of course like you, this didn’t stop me from going outside to tend to matters involving the garden, the bird baths or cleaning up the Timothy Hay (2nd cut) that we put out for “our” Eastern cottontail bunnies. (Please don’t lecture me on how these poor rabbits will forget how to forge for their food, or whatever. Bunnies have never stopped forging, however their teeth are not growing wildly and it’s because the hay helps keep their teeth healthy.)
Where was I?
All I know is I have felt your pain but unlike you, I had the filthiest boot EVER. I had to take it apart and wash all of the pieces parts by hand, then wait and wait for it all to dry (while wearing boot #2) Turns out all I really had to do was hobble to my kitchen, pull out a bottom drawer and tear off one of my all time FAVE Finds… Press N Seal! NOW I know. Brilliant, simply brilliant! (This is not to be confused with what my dear hubby brought home for me… “Flex n Seal.” NOT the same thing. At all. Whatsoever.)
Thank you so much for sharing. Try it out in the kitchen sometime! I always wrap it around any half eaten bananas to keep them fresh. I’ve also found P & S works great if you wrap some around the peeled part of a cucumber, followed by a little aluminum foil. Then place the cucumber inside a ziplock bag and toss in the fridge. It’ll keep nicely for a couple of days. There are plenty of other legitimate uses too… like, covering the dish to your pet’s expensive, uneaten food… and you can even cover what you left on your own plate. Just stick it in the fridge and return later for a midnight snack.
Ouch, Terri! That sounds horrible! The ortho said healing bones isn’t so much the problem, but the soft tissue injuries are the stubborn ones! And not one for you, but TWO!! At the same time!!!
WOOF!
And you wore shoes?! I gave that a try a few days later for the wedding, but the shoe was not letting that happen. No wonder you ended up in the boot! And even so…walked and worked in it.
That’s impressive!!
I would love to know more about the hay and the bunnies! (I have a suspicion you may be a pal of Sally’s, one of the other bloggers in our group. If you didn’t know her previously, she is likewise a rabbit fancier!
Also, full disclosure, the boot still got dirty enough that it had to be cleaned on the regular…but it kept it to a minimum. The P/S would eventually shred from all the walking…but it absolutely helped!
By the time we got back and settled from Nashville, i tried to order a spare boot in my size from Amazon, but it would have arrived with a week to spare.
Next fracture, new boot (and I’ll save this one, just in case)!
I’m actually kind of excited to try the Press’Seal for real! Thanks for the great tips!!!
AND for the lovely, thoughtful and informative comment!!!
Wait? How do we not get the story about how you broke your foot?
My husband would say, we need the bubble wrap you.
And then you still go out gardening? Only you 😂😂😂
Xoxo
Jodie
Hmmm…the broken foot story might be it’s own post, haha. I hate to spoil the suspense. A gripping tale (not).
Yesterday when Dan came home, I was on a ladder hanging a new light in our bedroom. “The day after you got out of the boot, you’re on a ladder?!” Haha…life goes on…