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A Sprinkling of Christmas Memories

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When my son was much younger, he loved sprinkles. We literally put sprinkles on everything… cookies, ice cream, cupcakes… anything he deemed sprinkle worthy. I had a specific kitchen cabinet where the bounty of sprinkles were stashed away, ready for a quick, special treat. We had multiple flavors and colors to select from and it was such a joyful experience for him.

One of my favorites… B in front of the tree. Christmas memories in picture form from so many years ago… the sweetest treat of all

Christmas memories are very much the same way, a sprinkle of sweetness in our hearts and minds of a very special Christmas moment. Luckily for us, these moments can be recreated and fondly remembered by establishing traditions that are repeated year after year during the Christmas season… like the sprinkles of sweetness on top of a very special treat. Memories are simply timeless treasures of the heart.

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service… some of the best Christmas memories

Sometimes as I am working inside the hardware store, I often remember glimpses of these special Christmas memories from interactions and conversations with our customers, or even stocking the shelves with products. Yes, even the endless search for new product offerings we might bring to you, can create a sense of nostalgia of Christmases past. So here’s a small sprinkling of Christmas memories through my eyes as I wander through the hardware store. I hope you will enjoy this mini series of blog posts centered around one of the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas.

Wishing y’all a wonderful Christmas season in 2023, make some lasting memories with family and friends

The Tree

Let’s get right into this one. Typically, each Christmas season begins with the decision of the Christmas tree. The joy of the holiday season launches once your tree is up, leaving you to find splendor in the glow of the Christmas lights and glistening ornaments.

Picking out the perfect Christmas tree … my boys 💕

I have so many wonderful memories of Christmas tree shopping with my boys, and decorating the tree each year… like the Christmas tree full of ornaments that B made in preschool, ornaments handed down from family members, all of these memories are sprinkled into my heart each year as we begin with the tree and the decorations.

But, one memorable tradition from my childhood was the search for the kid-sized Christmas tree that was put in our bedroom each Christmas when my sister and I were younger.

Dad would grab his hand saw, and axe… no chain saw was needed for this small task… He would tell my sister and I to find our coats and off to our woods we would go seeking the perfect small-sized Christmas tree.

Stop by Wilkes County Hardware for your hand tool needs and repairs.

I think we probably skipped all the way into the woods. Dad handled all that endless child energy bubbling over… always smiling and redirecting our silliness towards our purpose, finding the best Christmas tree.

Often times, my sister and I would select a small 3 foot cedar tree that was abundant in our woods.

I must admit, as I reflect back, my sister and I were always so excited about our own special Christmas tree that we selected ourselves and decorated with our own ornaments. These ornaments never went on the family tree. Mom made these especially for our kid-sized tree. The love and care modeled by both of our parents in creating a bit of extra special Christmas magic with this wonderful gift of the tree each year probably wasn’t fully appreciated until reaching adulthood.

Our trek in the woods often brought us to a patch of tiny sized cedar trees. The aromatic scent of the cedars was pleasant and the size was appealing to our “smallish” eyes. As a result, the cedar tree was our typical “go to” little Christmas tree that we selected each year. The cedar tree was cut down, giddy girls in tow, and we carried the tree back to the house from our journey into the woods.

A walk in the woods always brings back memories of the treks I took with my parents into our woods behind our house… looking for the best sticks, or even wading in the creek.

That cedar tree might not have been great for hanging our ornaments, as cedar branches are not as sturdy as a Fraser Fir, but we didn’t care. Mom, of course always helped us in decorating the “pint sized tree” so that our ornaments had the sturdier branches.

Battery operated trees are available in “pint size” versions at Wilkes County Hardware

The delight of spending time with our dad, and hanging the ornaments that our mom made especially for us are memory sprinkles of joy from past Christmases. My sister and I enjoyed the beauty of the Cedar Christmas tree lights every night…providing us the opportunity to experience the Christmas season in our little corner of the house.

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!
customer service, entrepreneurship, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, nuts and bolts, old hardware stores, plumbing, Shop Local, southern living, wood stove, work, Works in Progress

ABC’s of Wilkes County Hardware…

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When people walk into our hardware store, they often say y’all have just a little bit of everything here don’t you!!! As we have entered into year number 8 of business, we have slowly expanded and refined our offerings to our customers. Here’s a sampling of our product offerings via ABC’s of Wilkes County Hardware.

Top down view overlooking the back corner of Wilkes County Hardware

Let’s begin by diving into the Amazing finds from All Around the Hardware Store! Sometimes our building might be considered an “Antique” due to its advanced age…1905 is A long time AGO!

A- Almanac, acetone, axe, American Flags, animal repellents

Deer repellent, snake and more!

B- bird feeder & seed, BBQ sauce, brooms, bi-fold door hardware, bungee cords, batteries, black iron fittings and pipe cut to size, bolts

C- Customers! We can’t do this without you!!! Thank you for shopping with local with us! It’s soooo easy to forget about local businesses when you’re busy running errands or just headed to that “box store” for something on your to do list. Keep the CASH in our community!

Thanks for shopping local and keeping the CASH in our community!

C- Caulk, candy, command strips, canning supplies, cleaning products, compression fittings, chain cut to size

Clorox wipes and much more can be found in our cleaning area

D- Drill bits, DampRid, Denatured Alcohol, driveway and asphalt coating/pothole patch, door locks

E- electrical supplies, eye hooks, Ecos soaps, extension cords

Electrical cords of all types!

F- Freight Elevator .. we have an Oldie Goldie, I bet you might find this as you wander through the hardware store.

The old freight elevator… We don’t use it much anymore but it’s still works

F- fastener aisle, flower seeds, fly strips, fly swatters, flashlights, fuses(replacements), flower pots

Sometimes all you need it just one bolt or fastener… that’s ok with us, no need to buy a whole box. This area of our store is often full of customers all day long.

G- Gardening tools, garden seeds, grass seed, gloves, glues, grilling accessories, Greased Lightning, gas cans, galvanized fittings and pipe cut to size, window glass cut to size

Lawn and Garden area has been moved towards the front of the hardware store. We are excited to offer new products in this busy area for our customers.

H- hammers, hooks, hinges, hand tools, hose barb, Howard wood cleaning products, honey(it’s local y’all!)

Only local honey sold at Wilkes County Hardware!!

I-I didn’t know you had this! I should have come here first… we have heard this a few times over the last 8 years when folks find what they need and more as they shop.

I- Iron Out, ice melt

J- Juxtaposition of old school hardware store with excellent customer service found in 2023 versus “the box store experience”in 2023, no self service checkout here.

J-Japanese beetle traps, joint compound

K-keys duplicated with ease, knives, kerosene heaters & replacement wicks

Wayne has been a fixture inside Wilkes County Hardware for over 20 years. He just celebrated his 85th birthday!!! I bet Wayne has made a key or two for you.

L- Ladder wall, this wall showcases some of our amazing local artisans work.

Our local artisans are prominently featured along the back ladder wall.

L- lag screws, locks, light bulbs, laundry detergent, Lodge Cast Iron, Lava soap, Linseed oil, Lexel caulk, liquid chlorine

M- Mural.. have y’all noticed the new mural on the front side of the building? Why the chicken??? Our building was a poultry processing plant in its early years.

A more detailed account is linked here for you from an earlier blog post. https://hardwarelifewife.com/2022/11/21/mr-ee-eller-chickens-and-turkeys-nothing-but-clucking-gobbling-and-plucking-out-the-truth/

M- Meyers Clean Day, Magnets, mineral spirits, mops, Milwaukee, metric bolts

Measure twice cut once!

N-nails … we don’t sell these by the pound anymore but we have small size packs available for purchase as well as larger sizes, National Hardware what an amazing selection of all things related to home hardware and more!

O- Order it for me please! Yes, we special order items for our customers each and every week

O- O-rings of all shapes and sizes!

P- Pool supplies, paper towels, PVC fittings, PB Blaster, Pex fittings, plungers, plumbing supplies galore! PVC pipe, padlocks, potting soils, polyurethane and and plethora of so much more!

Our plumbing section has been recently updated

Q- Quite a step back into time.. our building dates back to 1905, they don’t build them like this anymore. You can quickly find what you need and save TIME by not driving to a box store fighting the traffic or the crowd… and if you need our help we are here to answer any questions you may have about your project.

Q- Quick knife/scissors sharpening done in a matter of a few minutes, Quartz piston clock… locally made

R- Repairs made to lamps, kerosene heaters, re-screening windows, and tool handle replacement

Fall and winter season is a busy time for Kerosene heater repairs

R- Ready Seal, rodent control products, Rid-X , rope cut to size or just buy it by the package.

Rocking chair… we brought this chair from our house once we bought the hardware store. I rocked my son as a baby in this rocking chair. It was a sweet reminder of home. Harry loved this chair as well.

S-Staff… we are blessed with an amazing team!

Richard & Coby … these two can fix just about anything!
Wayne … the key master!
Tim … expert in glass
Lisa .. we can’t live without her! She is a gem
Angie… I’m not sure what to say 😂😂😂
Lastly, Carter Call … I don’t seem to have a good photo of him but he has been a star pool guy all summer long! Look for him at the hardware store in the afternoons and Saturdays to come!

S-snow shovels and sleds, locally made soaps, suet, screws ( sheet metal, lag, stainless, self tapping, wood, deck), spray paint, Shark Bite, sandpaper, stove pipe, screwdrivers and much more!

T- Take a few minutes to wander from the front of the store to the back of the store.. you never know what you might find!

T- Traeger Grills & pellets, tape, tape measures, toilet repair, toilet paper, Tarn-x, TSP, tarps

We keep a variety of pellets in stock for our established Traeger customers.

U- U-bolts and unique gifts from locally sourced artisans

V- Don’t be vexed by our selection of furnace filters, we have so many different sizes in stock!

Furnace filters of all sizes!

V- Vulcan 55 gallon drum liners for your trash can

W- Wood stove… warm by the fire on those cold days

It won’t be long until this stove will be back in action again!

W- wheelbarrow, WD-40, window glazing, water hoses, locally made wooden bowls and boards, weed eater trimmer line, wing nuts, wrench

X- Xacto blades, Xtreme contractor trash bags

Y-y’all are always welcome

Our doors are normally open for most of the warmer months, and conversations are usually flowing most of the day… near the old wood stove.

Y- Yellow Quell- did you know that we sell pool supplies and test pool water???

Pool season runs from May to September for most of our pool customers. Thanks for shopping locally with us!

Z- Zep products, Zip ties(cable ties) , Zero-G lightweight hose

The best water hose for watering plants

That’s just a glimpse of some of the familiar hardware products that we have inside Wilkes County Hardware. Richard and I are proud to continue into year 8 with new products to be added into the hardware store lineup as the next year progresses. Thank you for your business and continued support.

Thank you!
Dog Days of Summer, flowers, garden, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, Homemade Ice Cream, July, Natural World, old hardware stores, pools, recipe, seaonal change, Sonker, southern cooking, southern living, Summer, Summer Fruits

Fine Tuning…The Dog Days of Summer… Yes, “Siriusly”

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Did you know that Sirius XM radio name originated from the star Sirius, also known as “ The Dog Star”???

Y’all know when The Dog Days of Summer time of year has come, the weather can be intense. Once these days arrive, they can be long and sweltering. Dog Days can be an unbelievably unpleasant portion of the humid Southern summer season… akin to a dog’s wet tongue wagging endlessly to cool down or the literal feeling of being slapped in the face with a wet washcloth when walking outside.

During the Dog Days of Summer, the temperature can climb well into the 90’s with high levels of humidity too! Ugh!
WCH Recommends: A good working thermometer will help you know what to expect during the hottest days of summer.

“Sirius” Facts: Things You Should Know About Dog Days of Summer

1. The Dog Days of Summer begins each year on July 3rd and extends until August 11th.

2. The Dog Days of Summer lasts for 40 days, and it can be some of the hottest days of the summer season.

3. The name, The Dog Days of Summer, refers to the time shortly after the summer solstice and the appearance of the “Dog Star”, Sirius, rising in the summer sky.

No, the name “Dog Days” truly has nothing to do with your cute little dog. It’s all about what’s happening in the morning sky. Times have changed from the perspective of the Greeks and Romans, thoughts about Dog Days but the name has lingered.
Here’s my cute little dog, Joy
And cutie pie, Cookie

“Sirius Superstitions”: Dog Days of Summer

1. Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that Dog Days were a time of bad luck, and drought. The long, hot days of summer could drive men and dogs “mad”… Here are a few superstitions that I found interesting while researching The Dog Days of Summer.

2. Snakes will strike at anything during Dog Days for they are blinded. Be wary as you trek outdoors during these 40 days!

3. If it rains on July 3rd, on the first Dog Day, then more rain will follow.

4. Dogs are likely to go mad during Dog Days.

5. Wounds will not heal properly during Dog Days, the old wives tale suggests that one should put off surgeries until after Dog Days have passed.

6. People are more prone to drowning during Dog Days.

Pool swimming safety is always important all summer long. Swim safely by keeping your pool water clean and sanitized, and never swim alone.

Now that the calendar has hit July 3rd, and The Dog Days of Summer have arrived, how can we all stay in “cool” state of mind all summer long??? Check out the next few sections of the blog for some helpful tips.

AC Cooling Tips: Dog Days of Summer

1. Keep your furnace filters clean! Remember to change your furnace filters once a month!

Wilkes County Hardware has a vast selection of many sizes of filters! Ask us to find your size for you.

2. Try not to place your furniture on your vents, reduced air flow will make your unit work harder. Close blinds or curtains during the day to keep the excess summer heat out.

3. Remember to keep your vents open to allow good airflow throughout your 🏡 home. This helps your AC unit to work properly.

4. Stop by into Wilkes County Hardware and buy a whole box 📦 of filters at once! Plan ahead, saving time and another trip to town🚗. If you don’t see your exact size?? Ask us to order your size!

5. Changing out your furnace filters regularly may save you a bundle in the long run… Spend the money on a filter each month to keep your unit working effectively and stay cool all summer long.

Hydrate!!! Watering tips for your flower garden: Dog Days of Summer

1. Water in early morning or evening. Rain water is ideal, but not always going to happen everyday.

2. For your beautiful container plants, watering daily might be necessary!

WCH Recommends: Zero G! This is a lightweight water hose that makes watering an easy chore in the summer.

3. New additions to your garden will need extra TLC. Be ready to monitor them closely and anticipate watering these new plants more frequently than established plants in your garden.

WCH Recommends: A good watering can goes a long way during The Dog Days of Summer

4. Water any plant thoroughly if signs of wilt begins. The plant will be under great stress and needs an immediate boost.

5. Water plants and flowers from the base not from the top. Use a watering wand, watering can, or a sprayer that can help you achieve success.

WCH Recommends: Watering wands extend the length of your hose and allows for less bending in the garden.

6. If you are using a heavier water hose to water your summer blooms, move your hose in place before turning on the water flow to make it easier to maneuver.

WCH Recommends: These hoses are heavy duty and ready to go the distance you need.

Pool Splashing Fun: Dog Days of Summer

Pools are a great way to cool off in the hot, sultry, humid Dog Days of Summer.

1. Pool maintenance is an ongoing process all summer long, even on the hottest days of summer. Chemical reagents that you use to check chlorine & PH need to be replaced each year! If your pool water seems a little bit off and you can’t seem to get a good balance of chlorine & PH, check your reagents!

WCH Recommends: Replace your test kit each year to allow for accurate testing results.
WCH Recommends: Pool owners should be well stocked on various chemicals needed in order to swim safely all summer long. Stop by WCH to stock back up.

2. Your pool will take some abuse during the Dog Days of Summer with the intense summer heat and pop-up afternoon thunderstorms. PH and chlorine levels can dive down into dangerous levels if left unchecked. Stop in with a water sample for a FREE water analysis and pick up the chemicals you might need in order to keep swimming safely all summer long!

WCH tests pool water all summer long!

Tips on Beating the Heat During Dog Days of Summer… Just for Fun 😎

1. Make homemade ice cream during Dog Days. Find the link below for Homemade Ice Cream.

https://hardwarelifewife.com/2022/06/27/southern-summer-making-homemade-ice-cream/

2. Create a Summer Playlist full of your summer favorite songs.

3. Watch your Summer Favorite Movies 🍿 or head to our local Liberty movie theater to enjoy one of the Free Movies each week. I’m definitely going to check out this movie by Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon that a friend just told me about.

4. Get outside and put your shades on!!! Enjoy some summer sunshine!

WCH Recommends: You can’t beat $3.99 for a pair of shades! Make sure you have bug spray and sunscreen too!

5. Take the kids or grandkids and go pick some summer fruit… blueberries, blackberries, or peaches!

6. Make a Sonker with your fruit picking finds. Find the link below for recipe for Summer Sonker.

https://hardwarelifewife.com/2022/07/26/sonker-summers/

7. Stop by and visit us at Wilkes County Hardware of course! Our doors are always open in the summer, take a seat in a rocking chair, and enjoy the breeze. We keep our drink coolers well stocked with Gatorade and bottled water as well as other drinks. Hydrate and simply relax!

Celebrating the End Of Dog Days of Summer

August 11th marks the official end of the Dog Days of Summer. Celebrate the end of the hottest days of summer! This year, I’ll play the song, The Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine on August 11th, will you join me?
customer service, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, old hardware stores, plumbing, Shop Local

8 Things Your Plumber Wishes You Knew…

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April 25th is National Hug your Plumber Day. When you need a plumber, you usually need one ASAP!! I would say that a good chunk of our customers that walk into our hardware store are seeking help with some type current plumbing issue or seeking a replacement plumbing fitting. That being said, this might be a “fitting” blog post to “plunge” into today.

The plumbing aisle is usually a busy place on most days of the week inside our hardware store.
Plumbing issues can become time consuming and can be expensive, especially if you lack the equipment and expertise that a plumber has.

As we all know, Home maintenance is ongoing, and can get expensive. Being proactive with your maintenance tasks, can give you an opportunity to move forward with other projects.

No worries y’all, just following these tips could add to your existing knowledge base about plumbing 🪠 so let’s plunge into the tips!

WCH Recommends … every home should have a plunger. Now, Let’s “plunge” into these great tips!

1. Know where your main water shutoff is located. Enough said! If you don’t know where your water shutoff is located, then make it your mission to find out ASAP! A water issue can be controlled much easier when you know where the main shutoff is found. Instead of a looming disaster with water everywhere inside your home, you can divert the danger by immediately turning the water off.

A very kind plumber who came to our home several years ago on a small plumbing project took the time to show me where our main shutoff is located. I value and appreciate his expertise and friendship .

2. Don’t use bleach to clean with regularly if you are on a septic tank system(Think about the toilet bowl drop ins and cleaning chemicals you are using the most often.) . The bleach can kill off the good bacteria in your system. When the good bacteria are destroyed, your tank won’t be able to break down waste effectively, meaning a clogged septic tank could be inevitable. 😳

Always available at Wilkes County Hardware!

3. What goes in must come out… and everything is not flushable! Yes, to most folks this is common sense. But everyone doesn’t know that baby wipes, Q-tips, grease, feminine hygiene products, diapers, paper towels, tissues are not flushable or acceptable for drains! Yes, even coffee grounds can clump up as well as cat litter and can lead to a clog. All of these items can reek havoc on your pipes/toilets and cost you a small fortune in order to get rid of a massive clog!

This 🧻 Decomposing at a faster rate! A camping & boating essential! Now available at WCH!!

4. When you do have a clog, deal with IT effectively. Using a Plunger or a snake is your first line of attack against a clog. Powerful Chemicals are secondary… especially if your plumbing lines are older. The harsh chemicals can break down your current, older plumbing lines even more quickly. 😳 AND if you have to use a chemical agent, read the directions and use it as directed!!! Be safe!

WCH Recommended item: if you need to deal with a clog, this is a good, safe option and eco friendly.

5. Check out your Insulation around water lines in basements and crawl space. If you don’t like what see, it is a good idea, especially during the extremely cold months to add insulation. Don’t forget to also check your Well pumps and pressure tanks, they should also have insulation around them too.

We stock essential homeowner necessities for plumbing….Glues, tape, fittings, insulation wrap, CPVC, and more!

6. Disconnect your water hose at the end of the growing season and cover your outdoor faucets. Outdoor faucets will freeze and create greater problems for you!

WCH Recommended item: These are great to have in hand before the first frost hits at the end of the long hot summer.

7. Do a bit of Reconnaissance work as a homeowner… a visual inspection of your plumbing . It is necessary as a homeowner- check your whole house water filters, look for any leaky hoses, or visible water around base of toilet( this can become a costly repair) are your toilets flushing properly, do you see leaks around hot water heater, visible water under your sink??? The small cost of a roll of plumbers tape is definitely worth the investment to add to your home toolbox. Lastly, Some leaks are not visible… pay close attention to your water bill each month to examine any spikes in your monthly costs. If you see a noticeable increase, definitely get this checked out!

WCH Recommends: A roll of plumbers tape is good to keep on hand at home for quick fixes.

8. Know when to call in an expert. Even the best DIY homeowners often know their limits and will call in the professionals when necessary.

That’s all folks! These tips are based on my own personal experience. Your experiences are uniquely relevant as well. I hope that you find this information helpful and useful as a homeowner.
customer service, entrepreneurship, hardware store, Hardware Store Hours, Hardware Store Life, old hardware stores, Shop Local, southern living

FAQ’s -Frequently Asked Questions

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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 support as we approach year 8 in the hardware business!