The REAL Costa Rica - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #2

I was lucky smart this year. We learned a hard lesson the 1st year we were here. 

FACT: Leather (especially black leather) items can and do mold here during the rainy season. 

I only have 2 pairs of dress shoes. Last year during the rainy season I put them both in one of those Ziploc Space Bags and then put them in a plastic storage container. The other day I took them out and there was NO indication of mold (that I could see) but there was a slight odor. So today I hung them on the line to air out. 

FACT: Direct sunlight will kill mold

It's a good thing that Lavanson is vegetarian and I don't like to cook! 

But after 2 years, it was even too much for me!! 😢 Dinner parties were pretty much a "no go" in our house. I couldn't get a regular size pan in the oven. Couldn't bake a pizza and had to make teeny tiny cupcakes! I bought several pans which I thought would fit but when I got them home they wouldn't sit flat on the rack. Truthfully, in Costa Rica you can't choose just any size pan you want. You pretty much have to take what they have.

We tried placing the new oven directly on the bottom counter but it was too tall so we had to put it on the top ledge. It barely fits the space - we have less than 1/2 in to spare. So now the only problem is, I have to stand on a step stool in order to reach the inside of the oven and not be burned by the door. But its a trade off. We are both pretty happy to have such a big oven (to us it seems enormous even though a standard size oven is still a bit bigger) at least...we can finally use NORMAL size pans.

Now, if we could only get MORE counter space! 

(for the photo we have the old oven where the microwave used to be - once we move the old oven we will reclaim some counter space as we have already moved our microwave to another location)

We LOVE our house!! 

♡♡♡

Our house is furnished and we actually have a pretty nice kitchen, all things considered. If you rent an unfurnished house it will most likely be devoid of all kitchen appliances (including stove and refrigerator). You will have to provide your own. 

Sometimes you have to decide what is most important to you and then deal the best way you can with the rest!

Just thought you might like to know!

House Hunting in Costa Rica - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #2

I am forever on the look out for nice houses...I came across an excellent possibility for one of my newbie expat friends. She is single and was looking for a house with a view, some land for an organic garden and to plant herbs. She wanted it to be somewhat secluded and quiet but still close to services.

Just so happened that at a recent party I spoke with an expat couple that are moving back to the states. They described their rental house and it sounded perfect for her. I called her and told her all about it and we made arrangements to see it yesterday. We both LOVED it. 

So, as it stands right now, she is going to take it.

Here are a few pics. (the people are still living there so I didn't take photos of a lot of the inside) It has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms (one bath has been completely remodeled with granite counters AND mirrors). TONS of closet and storage space, even a HUGE walk in closet. It's not a big house but nicely laid out. Upgraded kitchen, laundry area, garage, hot water throughout. Nice yard, lots of trees. It is unfurnished so she will have to buy furniture or have it made and also buy stove and refrigerator (the couple already sold the ones in the house). 

Also here's a tip - if you are thinking of moving to Costa Rica's Central Valley -- as much as I love it here in Grecia -- the prices have gone up since all the US expats have started living here and the next city over is Sarchi. Sarchi is a quaint little town famed throughout Costa Rica for its brightly colored, intricately constructed handicrafts. It is about an hour’s drive from San José and 15 minutes from Grecia Central. You will find much better options for affordable housing (although even with higher rents, Grecia is still MUCH less expensive than anything you could rent in the Bay Area - believe me!!!)

BTW just in case you wondered - the rent is currently $400/mo unfurnished

Check out my short video

House in Sarchi Costa Rica from Devon on Vimeo.

FAQ - Crating Pictures for Shipment - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #2

Crating Paintings for Shipment

When we moved to Costa Rica, we didn’t trust a moving company to pack our household belongings or our artwork. Here’s how we crated our paintings . . .

First, make a list of the dimensions of each painting you're planning to bring. Sort that list by the maximum dimensions of each painting, largest first.

Now, buy the following in the quantities you estimate you'll need:

- 1x12 lumber - the longest lengths you can handle (Shelving grade lumber will be fine.)

- 4’ x 8’ sheets of oriented strand board (OSB)  or plywood (3/8" is plenty)

- 1 1/2" drywall screws (Buy a large box. Don’t skimp on these.)

- tubular plumbing pipe insulation (Look for the stuff that's already split lengthwise.) (The interior diameter should accommodate the thickness of the thickest frame you’ll be crating.)

- 4’ x 8’ sheets of foam insulation board (half-inch is plenty.)

• thick bubble wrap (It comes thin and thick. Get the thick stuff.)

- silicone bath and kitchen sealant and a caulking gun (Optional)

Tools you'll need: 

- a variable-speed drill and screwdriver bits

- a power saw

- a carpenter's framing square or cabinetmaker's square (used for squaring up corners)

- a tape measure

- four "pliers-type" clamps with a minimum jaw gap of two inches

- a carpenter's pencil or other marker

- a kitchen-type knife with a blade about six inches long

Using your largest painting as the beginning point, make a four-sided box from the 1” x 12” that's six inches larger than the width of that painting and six inches larger than its height. We're talking inside dimensions of the box here, so if in doubt go an inch larger. If you lay one piece of 1” x 12” on top of the other and clamp them together using the “pliers-type” clamps and cut them both at once there's a reasonable chance that your box will come out equal in all dimensions. Use the carpenter’s square to guide your saw. Do this for all four sides.

Using the carpenter's square as a guide, overlap the end of one cut board over the end of the next and screw the two together with the drywall screws. Three screws are enough. This is not what gives the crate its strength. Do the same for all four corners. 

Once the four sides of the box are assembled, lay it on top of a piece of OSB and use the square corner of the OSB to square it up. Make sure the two square sides of the OSB are flush with the two sides of the box, Mark the OSB on the other two sides so you can cut it square. Cut the OSB to fit the “face” of the 1” x 12” box.

Using the drywall screws, attach the cut OSB to the face of the box. This is what gives the crate its strength. Put screws about an inch from each corner. Also, use enough screws so that the OSB creates an airtight seal to the one-inch face of the 1” x 12” lumber. 

I still have all of my art back in the Bay Area

OPTIONAL: You might also consider laying a thin bead of silicon caulk to the face of the 1” x 12” box before you screw on the OSB back. That would protect the contents from both moisture and dust.

Turn the box over on another sheet of OSB, and cut it but do not attach it.

Now turn the box over so you're looking down into it. The OSB surface is on the floor. Line the box with the foam insulation board on the sides, top and bottom, and the back. It's easiest to cut with a kitchen knife with about a six-inch blade. You don't need to secure the foam board inside the box if you cut it tight. Just wedge it in.

Once the foam board is installed in the box, cut long strips of the bubble wrap. These need to be long enough to line the back of the box, both sides, and the top when you're ready to close it up. Lay the bubble wrap in the box with the ends hanging out on all four sides. You could do this in both directions which would be especially good if your paintings are behind glass.

Measure the net interior width of the box now that you've installed the foam insulation board and the bubble wrap. The first time, add an inch to this dimension 'til you see how it goes.

Cut a piece of the tubular pipe insulation the interior width of the crate with the foam insulation board installed. Put the pipe insulation on the bottom frame of the largest painting and put that painting in the crate. See how it fits. You may need to make some adjustments. You want the pipe insulation tight to the sides so that the painting cannot move side-to-side. Put a second piece of pipe insulation on the top of the frame. If the pipe insulation isn't pre-slit, you'll have to slit it lengthwise. It's worth it to shop for pre-slit pipe insulation.

Now lay that largest painting face up in the box on top of the foam insulation and the bubble wrap. Be sure that the pipe insulation is tight to the sides. Once that first paining is securely in place, put a layer of bubble wrap (or two layers if the painting has a glass face) over it to isolate it from the next painting which you’ll put on top of it.

Now cut pieces of pipe insulation the same length and install them on the next-to-largest painting and put it in the box, again face up. Add a layer or two of bubble wrap over it.

Continue to put paintings into the box, layered with bubble wrap, until the box is pretty much filled. This process is kind of like assembling a pan of lasagne, layer upon layer.

Finally, when the crate is about full, fold the ends of the bubble wrap that you put in first over the face of the last painting that will fit. Lay in  a sheet of the foam insulation board. Then lay the OSB "cover" over the box and see how it fits. You may need another layer of bubble wrap or foam insulation board to make the whole thing tight inside the crate. What you do not want is for your paintings to shift around or rub on each other while they're in transit, so make sure they're snug. 

For additional protection, you might want to roll up bubble wrap and put it between the side frames of the paintings and the sides of the crate. I'm not sure this step is necessary, however.

Once the paintings are all packed in the crate, isolated by foam board, bubble wrap and pipe insulation, lay the second cut sheet of OSB over the front and attach it using the drywall screws and maybe another bead of caulk.

Depending on just how large and heavy this crate and its contents are, you may want to drill two holes in each side of what will be the upright crate (the 1” x 12” sides) and make crude handles by putting knotted ropes through those holes. This will facilitate handling and may prevent the crate being dropped. If you do this, put the handles above the midpoint of the sides so the crate won’t be top heavy.

When I was working this out, I was concerned about moisture during the time that our paintings were crated up in transit and in storage waiting for our Grecia rental house to be completed. So I went online and found Zorbit packs. These are high-tech alternatives to the silica gel packets that are packed in cameras, etc. Zorbits are available in a number of sizes. They're not cheap, but if your things are important . . .

An alternative I have read about would be to put an open box of common blackboard chalk in each crate to absorb any moisture. 

Another approach would be to be sure you’re closing up your crates on a day when the humidity is low, or in an air conditioned space, and to seal the wooden components with the silicone caulk.

Wondering if you should bring your vehicle to Costa Rica?

See you on Thursday for the answers and our final installment

FAQ - Should You Bring Your Household Belongings? - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #2

I am happy to share some information that I think will be important to you if you are planning to relocate to Costa Rica. 

This information is courtesy of our friend and expat Dave Murray. He and his wife Marcia have been in Costa Rica around 12 years.

To Bring Your Household Belongings or Not??

One of the most important decisions to make in relocating to Costa Rica is whether to bring your household belongings or to sell everything and buy new once you’ve relocated. Our recommendation, in most cases, is that you ship your things to your new home in Costa Rica. Here are some thoughts that will help you in making your decision. 

At 2017 prices, it will cost between $10,000 and $20,000 to ship a forty-foot shipping container to Costa Rica. A twenty foot container will cost about twenty percent less. That price should include Costa Rica’s Customs duty which is very low on used household belongings. Don’t let the matter of Customs duty influence your decision. And understand that you’re paying for volume, not weight, so full or empty, the container costs the same.

Know, too, that most people are underinsured for the loss of their household contents. If you don’t believe that, check with your homeowners’ insurance agent. You’ve accumulated your household belongings over the course of years and unless you’ve done an inventory, with replacement costs figured in, you have no idea how much your things are worth.

First Question: If you were planning to move across town or across country in the States, would you pay to move your belongings, or would you sell everything and buy new at your new location? What about the family heirlooms, the art and collectibles,  your clothing, the family pictures and all the other things that are especially dear to you? Would you move those or not? If you would move all that across town, why would you not move it to Costa Rica?

Second Question: Will you be buying or building a home, or will you rent an unfurnished home? Or do you plan to rent a furnished home in Costa Rica permanently. Obviously, if you plan to rent furnished accommodations, the decision becomes much simpler. You should be aware, however, that “furnished” accommodations in Costa Rica can vary greatly in the completeness of the furnishings and their comfort.

The financial component of this decision is actually pretty simple. Let’s just take your everyday stainless silver dinnerware (knives, forks and spoons) as an example. Let’s say that to replace what you already own (and which will last the rest of your lifetime) would cost $300 at Amazon. If you sell what you already own at a garage sale, you’re likely to get about  ten percent ($30). 

So instead of bringing your perfectly good silverware to Costa Rica, you bring your $30 and learn three things . . . 

First, it’s not easy to find silverware for sale. The places you’d typically look in North America don’t exist in Costa Rica or they’re difficult to find. And if you do find acceptable silverware, the cutlery won’t be what you want, so you’ll have to keep looking to find that.

Second, the quality and the selection are not what you’re used to seeing, but you’ll have to spend a lot of time shopping around to convince yourself of that.

 And third, anything similar to what you sold will cost more like $400 . . . but you only have the $30 from your garage sale.

So on your stainless steel silverware alone, you’re about $370 in the hole. 

Now, you replicate that same experience with your perfectly good furniture, lamps, rugs,   bed and bath linens, kitchen appliances and utensils, cutlery, plasticware, cups and saucers, plates and bowls, hand and power tools, garden tools and hoses, the television, stereo, computer and printer, and all the other things you’ve accumulated over the years and you’ll soon see that the financial argument in favor of shipping your household belongings is compelling. At best, you’ll sell everything for ten percent or so of what you paid for it and you’ll replace it all in Costa Rica for 125% (or more) of what it all cost in North America.

The second consideration is the matter of the hassle. Furnishing a home in Costa Rica can be a daunting task. While there are a few home stores in the Central Valley, they’re not easy to find or get to, their selections are much more limited than what you’re used to, the quality is not what you’d expect, and the prices will shock you. Anything that’s imported to Costa Rica is expensive due to the shipping costs and Customs duties.

And while it’s perfectly legal and possible to order over the Internet and have (most, but not all) things brought in, you’ll pay the much higher Customs duty on new merchandise and shipping, too. And that won’t be cheap. And it won’t be quick.

Costa Rica has a furniture manufacturing industry that has a well deserved reputation for building quality furniture at prices that can be less than what you would expect to pay in North America. But it’s not the big stuff that will exhaust your funds, it’s the little stuff like the silverware and the garden tools. And communicating your desires in a language you may not speak fluently can sometimes render unexpected results.

A third thing to think about is the emotional connection you have to your belongings. You chose your dishes, your lamps, the furniture, and everything else you own for a reason. It was because you liked them, you wanted to own them, or you needed them. So the question is, are you really ready to give all that up along with your grandmother’s quilt, the ashtrays the kids made at camp, the decorative things you own, all those pictures, and everything else? You’ve spent years feathering your nest. Are you really ready to give all that up?

Clearly, there’s no point in bringing your winter clothing, the snow blower, or all your formal clothes unless you plan to join the country club, but most of what you own is goods you need or want, and it’s perfectly serviceable. Why discard all that and go through the headaches of replacing it when, for the cost of an intercity move in North America you can save all that money, time and trouble?

See you for FAQ Part 2 on Thursday

Estimating the Size of the Container You’ll Need 

A Shopper's Gonna Shop - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #2

The gals and I went shopping in Escazu yesterday!

I found some women who like to shop! Yep, finally! Mostly everyone I know here "hates" to shop and they are pretty vocal about it. My theory is -- we are who we are. I liked to shop in the states (right?) so WHY would I stop liking to shop just because I am in Costa Rica?  Makes no sense. If you are a person who dislikes shopping -- so be it! Do something else (I ain't mad at ya!) LOL We are all pretty diverse human beings with a myriad of interests.
One of mine....Shopping!!
And now I have some shopping buddies!!!

Found 3 really cool furniture stores in Escazu too. A bit pricey but very nice just the same. After all, we were in ESCAZU!!

Loved the restaurant.  Great sangria. We were pretty hungry after shopping all morning. 

Saul Bistro - Escazu, Costa Rica

(This is not a photo of the store - this is near the restaurant)

but...

My new favorite store is Polita!!!

Store Information

• Azul by Palme S.L., Calle Colegiata, 6 28012 Madrid España

We are attending a wedding in Cancun in Nov. I have been racking my brain trying to figure out what to wear. Here's a sneak peek of 2 of my choices which I purchased yesterday in Escazu (I am purposely not posting this to Facebook -- so hopefully it will be a surprise when I wear it/them in Cancun).  Please excuse the wrinkles, they were all together in a bag.

I am leaning toward the green one. The garments are made in Italy although it looks like the store is located in Madrid (if we get to Portugal and Madrid in the spring I WILL find the store!!
Trust me on that one!

This is the back of the blouse. I put it on with the embroidery side in the front when I tried it on and the sales lady kept saying "atrás, atrás" 

I finally figured it out!

Aren't these pieces, "so me"? 😀

I also bought 2 more blouses and some sandals. 

I'm good now Got My Shopping Fix!

Guess We're Staying! - Our Life in Costa Rica Yr #2

Bought a piece of furniture yesterday!

Feeling more like home (and making up for all the furniture I had to give up a few weeks ago) 

I have much respect for the big, sturdy, beautiful, handcrafted furniture of Costa Rica but I longed for something a bit more slim & contemporary. One of our friends told me about a place where she shops near San Ramon called "USA Mart 2 American" The entire store is furniture, appliances, tools, rugs and more - all imported from the US. She had purchased several pieces for her home (which I loved). So I went with a couple of friends and bought my first piece. You have to bargain there, which I am not good at but one of my friends bargained for the 3 of us. This piece ended up costing $157 US (currently the dollar is doing very well against the Costa Rica colón) 

Great time to visit!

Add a Little Plastico To Your Decor - Our Life in Costa Rica

Plastic has never been my decorating style but since moving to Costa Rica I've learned that you have to be flexible and creative.

and you're going to have to iMpRoViSe

For instance, for some reason the majority of houses in Costa Rica have no medicine cabinet, or for that matter, any kind of cabinet/storage in the bathroom. They don't usually have a mirror either. We were lucky because we did have a small glass shelf and a nice mirror over the sink. So for the 1st year we were here I kept everything in the closet in the bedroom and would have to run back and forth every time I was getting dressed. At first I tried to solve the problem by putting in a small rack under the sink, but that didn't work well because it was very difficult to get to.

Since we are going to be staying here -- I decided to make things easier on myself. Obviously no matter how patient I was, no medicine cabinet was going to magically grow out of the tile! 

So what could I do?

Well, there is a shop in town called Grecia Plastico which is devoted to all things plastic. They have all kinds of storage units in there and all of a sudden getting some plastic stack up drawers didn't seem like such a bad idea! And, they had them in all of these bright colors (which I ♥) and the cost was (only) $40.

So I bought the orange one (below) for my bathroom. This particular style comes in red, blue, green, orange and beige and they are on wheels so you can move them about. 

They are actually pretty well made and the back and the insides are black so you don't even have to bother trying to decorate them. In person they don't look too cheesy either. (Not sure if they will look like that to you all in the photos)

There wasn't too much space in the bathroom to put it so I stole some by placing it just in front of the towel rack. There is still room for my one towel as Lavanson has his own bathroom.

Now I have drawers for make up, cosmetics, meds, personal items or whatever. The top is nice and flat so I was able to put my makeup mirror there and I have a convenient outlet right behind the drawers.

Now I can utilize the the glass shelf for other things. 

I was so pleased with the new drawers in the bathroom that I bought a purple one for our 2nd bedroom (which is my office) I have a small desk in there with only 4 tiny drawers so this gives me more space for papers, office supplies, etc. This style is a little different and the drawers are bigger and wider. The color is perfect for the room. I will probably move things around, but for the time being, at least you can see it.

So why stop there? We have 3 bedrooms! So I bought the red one (below) for our spare bedroom. I don't have much of anything in it now but I am sure things will find their way into those drawers with time.
Not even sure where I am going to put it so have been moving it around.

The good thing is, since they are plastic, if we move to another house I can always put the orange and red one side by side in the laundry area or even outside. The possibilities are endless.

Oh and now Lavanson has decided he wants one for his bathroom. His bathroom has a different configuration and is a smaller space so we are going to go back and get a smaller beige colored one for him.

I think they are lovin us over at Grecia Plastico. A big smile comes over their faces when we walk in now!
Cha Ching!!😀

Living in Costa Rica

You just gotta "make it work"

It’s Just Stuff - Our Life in Costa Rica

And...Just Like That!

A whole year has gone by!

We celebrated by returning to the US on the exact same date that we left to come here last year - May 31st. (actually it just worked out that way because 1 year was as long as I could extend the return ticket on Delta) 

At any rate, it was still somewhat symbolic.

Our Stuff

If you recall when we moved here last year, we left the majority of our household goods, including our 2 cars back in the states. We stored the furniture and household goods at Lavanson's brother's house with a promise to remove them in a year and although I wish I could have kept them there longer, his brother wanted them out (during that year he had decided to rent out the house and so the garage needed to be cleared) and a deal is a deal!!

our stuff on the right side of the garage - starts at the red chairs

You Need A Plan

After thinking long and hard and doing quite a bit of research regarding what to do with all of our "stuff" we decided to use an estate/moving sale company -- (Grasons' Co).  We spoke with our local consultant Nora, several times before we headed back to the states. We set up an appointment for her to come to the house for our free consultation and to give us a quote. 

We met with Nora on June 2 as scheduled and she gave us a quote of the estimated value we could expect to receive at the sale, which was somewhere between $5,000 - $7,000. Her commission is 30%.  She does pre marketing for the event and posts the event details for the numerous email list she has. Several days before the sale her staff comes over to set up. On the day of the sale she has other staff that work as the event sales people. After the event all items not purchased are taken away to leave your area cleared. The unsold items are donated to charity or disposed of. 

She often combines 2 shows together at an off site location where the items can be staged to give a more appealing experience which can net higher prices. The furniture & household goods however must be moved by truck and the cost for that goes to the seller (upfront and out of pocket) and not included in the sales quote. 

Since we also had cars and art, she could handle the sale of those separately as well. The commission on the vehicles is about 10% and she can take art out to auction for better pricing if necessary. 

If Your Plan Falls Apart

Before we left for the states we thought we had it all settled, but when she arrived and got a look at all the items we had in the garage the estimate for moving them was between $1,500 - $2,000. If we paid that upfront the deficit would be difficult to come back from, so she suggested we hold the sale on site to save us the moving cost. Unfortunately for us, the earliest date she had for an onsite sale would be on the weekend of June 16th and our return reservations were for June 14th. She prefers that none of us be present during the sale (which we would not have been) but Lavanson's brother did not want to have the sale conducted at his home unless one of the 2 of us were there.

So...all of our plans fell apart!!

To say that I was terribly disappointed would be an understatement!!

Make a New Plan Stan

Still I was able to sell some items and gave many others away to friends. In a way this keeps the significance of something alive because it is still within the extended family.

We packed some of our things including some personal keepsakes which we had planned to bring back to Costa Rica (we will be shipping several wardrobe boxes periodically when we can afford it - I have 4, Lavanson has 3). We will be using Mario Barquero Ent, the same company we used in the past. The boxes are $530 each compared to shipping a container which runs about $6,000.

Mostly due to our limited time schedule, I still have some furniture and art left (which I am arranging to  sell from here) but we had to leave everything else in the garage, those household belongings will be sold off, disposed of or given to charity.

Craigslist

While we were there, I put my beautiful, fully loaded 2008 Infiniti G-35 (with less than 28,000 miles) on Craigslist. I received lots of responses but had little time (or desire) to haggle with folks about price and test driving. I was nervous to use Craigslist and there are lots of scams going on. If you choose to use it be very careful (the site includes a link outlining what to watch out for when selling vehicles). In the end I sold my car to one very persistent responder. I met him and his wife and baby boy in the parking lot at a local Safeway. He test drove the car. Made me an offer and the next day (the day before we were leaving to return to Costa Rica) we went together (go with the buyer & insist on wire only) to his credit union to wire funds. Turned out he is a police officer. I felt pretty safe after that. Lavanson sold his car on the day we were leaving! Both of us took less than we wanted but at least the cars are sold! 

And the question has to be asked, do you own your possessions, or are your possessions owning you?

It can be very difficult to part with our material possessions. For me, they included nice furniture, art, tons of clothing, collectibles and other items I had acquired over many years. For the majority of us there is no place to keep all of this "stuff" when you choose a nomadic life style or decide to settle abroad.

So "that's that" physically and materialistically we are free. 

No turning back now.

My life isn’t perfect, but I’m happier than I’ve ever been, more satisfied than I ever was before.

 I would never go back!

Let There be Light - Our Life in Costa Rica

I'm going to gripe today. Just a little!

This is a side table. Or should I say, the closest thing to a side table (end table) that I could  find.  I bought it for probably close to $75.  I guess maybe they don't use them here in Costa Rica. 

These are the lamps we have in our house. They are supposed to provide light. We had 1 lamp (the tall one - left rear) which was to light up our entire living room (max 40W)

We have a few more lamps around but they are all about the same size. 

TINY!

I finally broke down and bought a full size lamp the other day. I just could not stand it another minute. Besides not giving off enough light, the lamps look like they belong in a child's room. Seriously!

In town @ my favorite high priced department store they had about 5 full size lamps to choose from. The full size lamps were all way up on the top shelf. Had to get someone get it down for me 

(the price tag was not visible) 😖

We even checked other furniture stores in town (and PriceSmart) and believe it or not, 

they did not have one single lamp! 

I finally bought this one which seemed to be the best one for our living room. 

Cost $104

Makes a big difference! (max 100W)

Oh and checkout my other side table. I bought this one here too when we 1st arrived. It was over $100

Now if I can just find a dimmer.....(have not seen one of these around either)

So, this is just a heads up if you are planning to relocate here

As the Boys Scout motto says

"Be Prepared"