If you are inside shopping at our hardware store, you will probably hear the phone ring ☎️. We field lots of questions each and every day of the week. Here’s a list of the top 5 most popular questions that we address on the phone and in personal conversations with our customers
1. What time ⏰ do you close today ???
AND along the same lines…
Are y’all still closing early on Wednesday afternoons? NO! We have regular store hours on Wednesday and have had normal store hours on Wednesday afternoon for about 7 years now.
Old newspaper research… came across this ad that may help explain why businesses closed early on Wednesday in our small town so many years ago.
2. Can I park in the back parking lot and come in the back door? 🚪Yes! Absolutely! The lot is public parking and parking is also available on 10th Street in front of our store.
The back door is used by our staff as an entrance and many of our regular customers. You don’t have to use the front entrance on 10th Street if you’re having a hard time finding a parking spot.
3. Is it possible for you to order this item for me???💻 Yes! I’ll be glad to check our current inventory and get a price on that item for you.
We have added several new inventory items over the last few years BUT if you can’t find it quickly, ask us if we can order it for you.
4. Can you make me a key?🔑 If you have an existing key, then we probably can… no key, call Bill, the locksmith next door.
This item is a best seller! Hiding a key 🔑 so you don’t lose your new key!
5. How’s business going? 🛍️We need your support each and every day. We appreciate your loyalty and making purchases inside our small business so that we can continue to add new products, staff and grow our economic community in Wilkes. We want to be here for YOU years down the road. When you shop local, your money stays in our community. Please support all small businesses( retail, restaurants, and service providers) in our two towns. They need your continued support always! Local supports local!!!
Thank you for your supportas we approach year 8 in the hardware business!
The Spring season is a burst of activity in our natural world after the winter weather thaw. New life begins to emerge in front of our eyes. Spring weather can be ever changing. One day we can experience beautiful blue skies and sunshine, the next day, can bring cooler temperatures and a blustery wind.
Spring mornings tend to be cooler, but the afternoon sun brings warmth after the cold winter season.
Spring is a beautiful reminder of how wonderful nature can be! I hope that you will enjoy my pictorial review of Spring.
Meteorological Spring begins in March. The first official day of Spring is March 20th. First signs of Spring, blooming crocus Do you have any of these sweet flowers? Blooming Lenten rose arrives just in time for the beginning of Lent each year. Forsythia never fails to add beautiful color to the spring season. Tiny leaves begin to emerge on our favorite Weeping Willow on the Greenway. Piper and I always look forward to seeing this each Spring. Spring blooming trees show off their unique colors and beauty in Downtown North Wilkesboro. This year the Tulip trees have been gorgeous! The March brisk winds and rains often create a beautiful storm of petals reminiscent of the glorious days of springtime. Spring, Live life in full bloom! Do you call them Daffodils or Buttercups? Daffodils are one of the first flowers to burst onto the scene after a few warmer days of spring like weather. Joy was extremely curious about the blooming daffodils her first Spring season with us.
Birds chirping their glorious spring songs. Our birding section is always a busy area inside the hardware store. If you don’t see what you need, ask us about ordering it for you. The bees begin to work on the pollination process… not so much fun for allergy sufferers in the spring. Have you already spotted the pollen coating your car or outdoor surfaces yet??? Gone in 30 Seconds Outdoor cleaner and Wet and Forget works great to get your outside surfaces clean and clear of the grime of the wet and yucky winter season. The tiny, bright green leaves emerge bringing a new sense of life to trees and our natural world. The grass begins growing like crazy! The winter lull of lawn care is now over and the mowing season begins. Mowologists, are y’all ready? Check out my blog post on Mowing Grass. Our Lawn and Garden section has been completely updated. Stop by to pick up your chemicals, OR if you have questions on where to begin for the Spring season Lawn Care Maintenance. I have a few blog posts that may help as you begin the spring garden season, check out Pulling Weeds on the blog. New lawn care items inside our store! I’m excited about this one for your lawn. Easy steps for each season! Then comes Tulip season! Cookie smelling the tulips and daffodils. She loves the tulips 🌷! Last spring she would stop by and smell my tulips at the back door every single time. I added a new set of tulips at the front door this year. Just a little too cute! Spring is time for bright colors Each of these Blue Door Houses are uniquely designed. Robin egg blue! Iconic spring color 💕April often brings the Easter Bunny! Time to shop for a new Easter Basket! Grilling season heats up! Stop by to pick up grilling sauces, rub, Traeger pellets or even a new grill. Yes! We can order you a Blackstone Grill too! All sizes are available. March 12th is Daylight Saving Time, meaning more hours of daylight. Daylight Saving Time was first enacted during World War I to save energy and resources . Enjoy the beautiful spring sunshine! And the Spring morning sunrises. April showers bring May Flowers… peonies are almost ready to bloom in this beautiful Spring memory. May brings strawberry season! I love my metal dishpan from Wilkes County Hardware. I use it for gathering, harvesting, prepping garden beauties each spring and summer. Gardening season begins in the spring! Some folks start seed indoors in the early months of spring, while others wait. Whenever the frost of early May dissipates, the gardening season goes into full swing. Does your garden soil need a boost? Use this locally sourced soil builder to get some amazing results in your garden this spring. The best potting soil hands down! Love this stuff! Gardeners, At the end of the day, shouldn’t you smell like dirt during Spring ???? Gardening by the signs. Do you know how to read an almanac? I plant by the signs each year in order to get the best results. Flowers planted in the spring brings joy for the coming summer season. “BEE” happy it’s Spring y’all!
Did that opening title have you think about the classic song 🎵 from MC Hammer??? This blog post isn’t intended to discuss music today BUT to get y’all thinking about those surfaces in your home that you DON’T need to touch before you disinfect.
Can you easily identify the “high-touch surfaces” in your home? Do a quick visual survey of your surroundings inside your home.
After complying this list of Top 10 “high-touch” surfaces I can quickly see which areas I should give extra attention to within this picture. I have a more “intentional cleaning focus” now when I’m cleaning. Cleaning and disinfecting will be much easier and will help keep my family healthy. But still is takes a bit of work. 🤪
Whoever does the cleaning in your home is likely to catch several of these “high-touchsurfaces” on a day to day basis. I hope that these tips for finding “high-touch” areas will be useful.
Spring is less than 30 days away now and it may have you thinking about a good healthy dose of cleaning. So let’s begin with a few basics below.
Spring in full bloom
What are “high-touch surfaces”??? These are the surfaces in your home that receive the most direct daily contact with your family. High-touch surfaces are the areas where dirt, dust, and germs if left unchecked, will thrive. High-touch surfaces should be regularly cleaned and disinfected daily.
Your hands may not ever be this dirty.. mine from gardening, but germs can build up and make your family sick. Don’t forget to disinfect your sink handles!
When I use the term disinfect, here’s the gist of what happens when you do that…to disinfect is using a chemical cleaner to remove viruses and bacteria.
Now the quick breakdown of TEN high-touch surfaces, to disinfect inside your home. These TEN areas are based upon my own personal experience as a mom AND also as one who actively works in and participates in the hardware life. I’ll be curious to know if you found several of your “high-touch” surfaces in your quick surroundings survey of your own home, are you a novice or a pro??? Or maybe somewhere in between???
Top Ten Hardware Life High-Touch Surfaces
1. Think about Small and large appliances (ex. coffee pot, microwave, refrigerator) that are frequently used by each member of the family each day. Don’t forget about things like a can opener, or even the knife block!
Your coffee pot may not be a “high-touch surface” for your family, but it is at my house. Think about the appliances you use everyday and make sure you disinfect them regularly. In my kitchen, the refrigerator is definitely a high use appliance. Fingerprints on the door.., etc BUT don’t forget to disinfect the ice and water area too!
2. Door knobs and light switches, & even your house keys!
Your keys go with you all day long to all different places. Give them a good wipe down.
3. The Kitchen Sink. Yes, it is definite.. a highly used kitchen item and don’t forget to clean the faucet handles.
4. The Countertop. This is where food gets cooked & consumed… often my counter gets scattered with keys, phones, and mail. Our kitchen counter is a drop zone of sorts. Yikes! Keys and cellphones are also high-touch! 😳
At our house the kitchen countertops are often wiped down multiple times a day 😳.
5. The Bathroom. Clean and disinfect fixtures, sinks, toilet seat, and toilet handle.
6. Remote control for tv, cell phones, iPads, game controllers.
Use an alcohol based cleaner OR spray the disinfectant directly onto a paper towel and then wipe. Allow time for drying.
7. Kitchen chairs and table. If you use it daily, then clean it often. Think about where your family meals occur everyday and clean and disinfect often.
8. Toys and play areas for your children. Kids play hard all day, and make sure to clean toys that are often used by your child everyday and disinfect often.
9. The Pantry. Think about the door knob, and other touchable areas outside/ inside (if you and have kids, or grandkids, they use it frequently throughout the day)
My pantry doors are opened numerous times in one day!
10. The Laundry Room. Wipe down your appliances AND clean your laundry basket! A laundry basket holds all of your dirty clothes AND clean clothes. Wipe them down often. I have separate baskets for clean and dirty clothes but, I regularly clean all of my laundry baskets.
This laundry basket is used solely for clean clothes to take out of dryer and putting away laundry. Cookie photo bombed my picture😎 . Here’s a look at a full and very dirty laundry basket in my house… so yes, I do have to regularly clean and disinfect these often! Your laundry may not be as dirty as mine. My plumber gets pretty dirty. But using a good disinfectant to clean touchable surfaces definitely will help keep your family healthy.
Now that you have my top ten list, what should you use to disinfect effectively?
Here are a few tips that you can use for cleaning “high-touch” areas. A more detailed guide can be found with CDC recommendations on cleaning those frequently used areas in your home and workplace. The internet is a plethora of information on the subject.
The Hardware Life Daily Cleaning Tips
1. Begin with a clean surface. Clean area first by removing any visible dirt or dust. I keep a good multi-surface spray handy for quick cleanups.
I often use a Meyers Clean Day multi surface spray for cleaning. Wilkes County Hardware has a vast selection of cleaning and disinfectant products that should be able to meet your daily cleaning needs.
2. Use gloves … a pair of disposable gloves might work best especially when disinfecting surfaces. Throw away once you finish cleaning.
3. Pick Easy disinfectant choices… Clorox or Lysol wipes. These will do the job quickly and easily.
5. Read the label on your disinfectant carefully. Do you need to rinse after application? Allow for drying time.
4. The Multi surface Cleaner… Keep a good multi-surface spray handy for quick cleanups. I keep one upstairs and have at least one multi surface spray available for cleaning in the downstairs areas my home.
Lastly, let’s evaluate some “germy“ cleaning utensils and those you might not think to clean.
1. The Sponge.. if you use a sponge to clean, let your nose to guide in your decision to keep or throw out. Your nose knows! If the sponge smells, then it is time to stop by our hardware store and pick up a new one.
2. The kitchen brush- if you have one of these brushes to scrub surfaces in your kitchen, sanitizing it is a must! Put it in the dishwasher after each use.
3. The toilet brush. It should be disinfected weekly or after each use. Rinse well after cleaning toilet, apply a disinfectant spray and allow to dry before replacing into toilet brush cover. Some experts say to replace your toilet brush every 6 months.
4. The plunger. Clean and disinfect after each use and allow to dry.
Sink and toilet plungers are readily available at Wilkes County Hardware
5. The bucket. If you carry your cleaning essentials inside your bucket as you clean at home, don’t forget to regularly disinfect your bucket.
6. The Mop. Let your nose be the guide again! If it smells, it is time for a new one. Regardless of the type of mop you use, the mop should be clean and disinfected. Your floors will be as clean as your mop. Some recommendations are to replace your mop every 3 months depending on the style of your mop.
I found this quote as I was working on this blog post, “our house is clean enough to be healthy, but dirty enough to be happy”. This reigns true in our house. Things are never perfect … shoes are often in the floor, keys are on the kitchen counter, blankets are thrown about on the couch, and two sweet pups roam absolutely everywhere. But it is HOME! I clean intentionally now that I’m more aware of surfaces that require an bit of extra “love and work”. Deep cleaning occurs when I can get to it. Whether you are a novice or a pro at finding all the frequently used areas of your home, home should always be a place a of comfort and joy. Happy Spring Cleaning Y’all!
This topic is seemingly double talk to most of you today… Blogging about Blogging. I think it is worth the time to explore the methods to my blogging journey.
Since I began my blog in the summer of 2018, I have gotten these questions more than once:
1. How do you put together a blog post?
2. What inspired you to write about this topic?
3. Do you have a list of topics that you write about?
My blogging experience is not vast. I blog simply because I enjoy the creative aspects of blogging. I don’t think my blog will ever become a viral sensation. My blog started out as a way to chronicle our new journey into hardware store ownership. After my retirement from the education world of work, it became a way to continue my creative interests.
My first blog post was extremely short and I used the picture that was generated from the blog builder website, meaning my skill set knowledge of the new blogging techniques was limited. I just recently changed that first photo from that first blog post.
Looking back, at the first several blog posts that I created, I don’t think I included any pictures at all . I simply hadn’t thought about including those! If you look back at my first blog posts, they still don’t have photos and I think I’ll leave them that way so I can visualize my own personal growth.
Pictures add a visual for the reader to enjoy and adds connections between content and images
Over the last few years, pictures have become a greater feature in my blog posts and I have grown to love them as part of the story behind the blog and a nice way to break up large pieces of content within the blog to give the reader a visual break.
When it comes to blogging, I’m a novice. I have completed and published approximately 109 blog posts… and I blog when I have time and the inspiration. I don’t have a huge following but I do have a few, sweet, loyal fans.
A well known blogger once said in an interview, that her biggest fans were not her friends or extended family. I’m not really sure why that is the case. Sometimes folks may not fully understand or appreciate the purpose of a blog’s intent, how to navigate the technical side of a blog, or take the time… well the list is there.
But, in my own personal experience of blog creation/writing, I have found that to be somewhat true, with the definite exception of my Mom and sister-in-law. They are both consistent readers of my blog and are always there to support me and give me a boost when I need it the most. Thank you so much for always taking time to read my blog and sending me feedback Mom & Kimberly!!! It is much appreciated! Love you both dearly! 💕
I am also very lucky that I have dear friends who read and comment on my blog regularly. Thanks for your support! Y’all make my efforts worth the work.
But when it come right down to the nitty gritty of writing, and getting a blog post together, my process of writing has definitely evolved over the last few years. When I first started blogging, I would finish my blog post in one sitting.
Work… not usually the place where I can write. Home is my favorite place to think and create.
Typically now, that is rarely the case. I will write for a brief period of time and then return to that same blog piece later on… it could be weeks between writing sessions or a matter of a few hours. Most of my blog posts are written over a period of a few weeks due to the time consuming nature process of writing and editing. Sometimes it takes a few months to finalize a blog post.
Here’s where most of the magic of my blog happens… in my notes section of my phone. The unfinished drafts, the list of topics in my queue.
The writing is only step ONE! Once that is done, I add in the photos. The photos are selected carefully from my vast collection of photographs on my phone matching the content to the images. I do use stock photos occasionally in order to make the images and content of blog interconnect.
My handy blog tool… my phone. I very rarely use my computer anymore to complete a blog post from start to finish,
My most productive time for writing and editing tends to be in the mornings. I’m more of a morning person and my brain shuts off as the day progresses.
My pups tend to pile into my lap as I work on the blog… my helpers 🐶
The longest span of time that has elapsed for writing /editing a blog post was ONE year! I began writing Women in Entrepreneurship and I didn’t actually publish it until a year later.
I almost didn’t finish this one! I’m so glad I left my draft copy going! If you haven’t read about Women in Entrepreneurial roles in Downtown North Wilkesboro, please check it out!
My topics for a blog post are chosen. They maybe seem random but often it is just things I’m thinking about, discussion topics from things happening inside our hardware store, or I may write about items that I think my readers might enjoy. And yes, I now have topics in queue for a future time.
In the queue… pound cake
Ultimately, I write and create because I simply enjoy it. It is a great way to convey a small piece of our lives to a greater community often sharing a bit of insider knowledge with my readership.
I just read today that the shift is starting in the blogging community to a more focused content approach. I very thankful that my blog is still going strong with a mix of personal insights, thoughts, and a lot of our hardware life. Thanks for sharing and supporting me in this blogging space.
Splashing into 2023 with new personal goals y’all .., stay posted!
“Only in darkness can we catch a glimpse of the fullest light“
We lost a dear friend late last week. It has been extremely difficult for me, Richard, and our entire staff to digest this loss. Monty was truly an amazing person. Those of you who also know him, will absolutely agree with me on that. His joyful laugh was infectious and he brought a lively nature into every conversation.
Monty has been a significant part of our team for the last few years. Monty’s work ethic, and life experiences was a model that other staff members noticed and worked to exemplify his success. Monty had the heart of a true entrepreneur. He was willing to take risks, try anything new, and discuss the potential and possibilities of “the what ifs”.
Monty came to Wilkes County Hardware during the Covid years. We couldn’t have been more blessed by his steadfast presence each day. His business experience was invaluable to both of us. Monty was always the first one to acknowledge a customer who needed assistance. He also would step in and help out with any task… pictured here, Monty is helping Richard with measuring rope.
I’ve tried to wrap in my mind the impact he has left upon all of us… mentor, friend, and most definitely “hardware store dad” and dear friend to all of our staff. As a good dad model, Monty always had a kind heart, offering food those who were hungry, and even advice when you needed it. I’m not sure that I can fully grasp, and vocalize everything Monty has done for us. His daily life impact will be long lasting. Monty’s actions demonstrated that he truly cared for all of us and wanted only the BEST for every single staff member at Wilkes County Hardware and everyone he encountered in the surrounding community.
When the Smithey’s building burned last summer, Monty and Diane spent several hours with us as we watched and waited to see if our building would be impacted by the fire. We appreciate your friendship and love.
Grief is hard. I ask that y’all send prayers to Monty’s family, as the journey of grief is beginning. Monty loved his family. We also covet your prayers as we grieve and try to transition to life without him inside our store. Monty will remain a key part of our heart inside Wilkes County Hardware and we will carry his love with us forever.
Thank you Monty for bringing beautiful light into our world. We will miss you dearly 💕.
Living the "hardwarelife", join us in our journey of hardware store ownership
The Hardware Life - A wife's journey into the hardware business 