More shop essentials...

My friend Lupe pointed out to me the other day that I'm close to 100 blog posts for the year. (I'm at 99 right now.) So I thought I'd get one last post in for this year - I'm not sure why, but an even one-hundred posts sounds like a nice achievement.

It has been a long time since I wrote about being a tool junkie, and lately, I've been hanging out at The Onion's website, so I thought I might play around with something here.

Now - if you're reading this, then you're probably already interested in woodworking. Besides actual bench tools, like chisels or measuring tapes, there are tons of other devices I deem necessary for my shop. Yup - you know what that means - ... MORE TOOLS!

Here are some of my shop (and home) essentials ...

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Who doesn't get chapped lips from being around sawdust all day?

Speaking of chapped lips, let's not forget the abuse our hands take all year long. If you're like me and wash your hands every twenty minutes (no, it's not from OCD) - then you might as well use a cool dispenser.

There is nothing like a nice pair of gloves to provide some protection from those nasty splinters.

Speaking of splinters - these might help. They're nearly 12" long.

My hands take a beating, don't yours? Do you develop those awful cracks on the tips of your fingers? Me too - and they hurt beyond belief! If you've used finger cots for some protection, you know that they can really speed up the healing process. Here are my favorite ones.

As long as we're talking about shop essentials, let's not forget the need for packing tape. When I sell something from my Etsy site, I usually wrap it with this.

Hearing protection in the shop is important, but sometimes, when the tools are too loud to hear the music, I throw on a set of ear buds and listen to my iPod. The only other set I like better are my chainsaw ear buds, but unfortunately, I accidentally cut the cord on them.

Of course, at the end of a long day, my muscles are aching. This USB portable massager really comes in handy.

Owning a small business isn't easy. So when my day is done at the shop and I head home, keeping up with my housecleaning is a challenge. These have saved me a lot of valuable time.

Who doesn't love a piece of ice cold watermelon? This personal chiller is the only way to go, in my book.

I wasn't a girl scout, but I'm usually prepared for anything, thanks to my new Swiss Army knife.

And finally - laundry sometimes takes a back seat to other important things, like sleeping or watching old episodes of Chopped. So these come in really handy when I'm low on clean laundry. I also keep a box of these in my cargo van - you just never know when you'll need them!

Happy New Year, everyone!