Monday, February 28, 2011

49 cent solution


Human beings, when not properly trained and/or restrained, can generate a substantial pile of dirty glasses in a 24 hour period.  This was a shocking blow to me when my children, one by one, out grew their color-coded sipper cups.  I woke up one day and realized I had drinking glasses all over the house, and piles of them  waiting in the kitchen waiting to be washed. I was not pleased.

We have tried a few different strategies over the years, but I always come back to the 49 cent solution: rubber bands.  Buy one package of wide rubber bands; have each person label/decorate their own band; require them to choose one glass in the morning and put their band on this glass; hide all other glasses ( this is optional, but extremely effective...).  Amazing! Less in the dishwasher, less mess around the house...ahhhhh. 

***additional note*** 
We often band our cups when we have guests visiting our home. This is a great way to avoid having to buy the easily-spilled paper cups for parties and large gatherings. We also save the bands of frequent visitors to our home. Children especially seem to enjoy knowing that we have saved their band for them! 

Growing Home

Saturday, February 26, 2011

The Table

From the archives...because it is so good to remember how God has provided! 

(March 2008)

This picture is as much about the table as it is about the room its self. First of all, I love the room. It has three huge windows which let in tons of light. And, if you have known me for very long at all, you know how much I adore archways. They make a room feel so cozy. I love the cabinet and the chance to display the family dishes that have been packed away or put on high shelves to keep them safe. I am also very thankful to finally have a room that is set apart especially for meal time and a space large enough to have people over for meals!

I was, however, wondering how we would have people over for meals since we had only a tiny farm table. The seven of us couldn't even fit around it! I had looked at some used tables, but large ones seemed too pricey, so I began been saving random birthday money and such for a large picnic table. I knew I could get a lot of folks around it and I was fairly sure I could make it look Cassie-like with a nice coat of stain or some white paint.

We got a call from Mr. T.'s boss shortly after moving and he said that his neighbor's daughter was moving and had a table she wanted to give away. I could hardly believe it! Not only because it was a free table (that easily seats 10!!) , but because this family had also just given us a nearly new TV they didn't need. (We have had a small 13 inch TV for over a decade... it didn't bother me a bit to have such a small TV , but I did feel a bit sorry for my guys when they would try to watch sports on it!). Mr. T.'s boss and his neighbor even brought over and unloaded this very wonderful, heavy solid wood table. The best part is that their faces were just beaming! They were so happy we could use it! I was  humbled. It was such a great reminder to me ( yes, once again!) that God knows exactly what we need and can provide for our needs and so much more...and that the things we don't need anymore can be a great blessing to someone else. With so much extended family in the area, and so many new people to get to know in our new town, we are looking forward with great expectation to see what kind of plans God has for our "table times" in the days and years ahead! And now, I am saving my random money for some curtains and more dining room chairs to go around this table!

*February 2011: What a blessing this table is... a meal table three times a day, a school table five days a week,location of countless family and birthday gatherings, the place where we serve guests in our home.  It is so easy to take it for granted, but I can't imagine our dining room with out it!  And what a reminder that the Lord knows our needs... large and small, physical and spiritual... and delights to meet them for our good and His glory!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Pleasant Projects: Rice Packs


Several years ago, our middle daughter Love  received a sewing machine for her birthday.  I began researching very easy sewing projects,and read about rice packs here. It seemed like the ideal starting point. We were not disappointed. In fact, we are still making and enjoying rice packs today!

Kathy does a great job of explaining them, but you basically sew a small pillow case  in the desired shape, and then sew two lines to make three separate compartments.  After filling each about 2/3 full of rice, you stitch your opened side closed.  Packs can be stored in the freezer and used to reduce swelling after injury or dental work, or heated in the microwave and used as hot packs. They are excellent for headaches either way, especially with a few drops of lavender essential oil in the rice. We have found that the time required for warming varies greatly depending on the size of the pack and the individual microwave.  I encourage people to start with 45 seconds and then increase time gradually so that the packs do not get too hot.  We have found that all types of fabrics work well, but flannel is our favorite.  This is an excellent way to utilize fabric scraps and re-purpose old clothes. 
  



Love has given them as gifts to new moms, sold them to help pay for her basketball fees, given them to family members recovering from dental work, and, of course, kept us in good supply here at home.  During our "big snow" this winter she made several tiny packs to heat up and place in her siblings' mittens and rain boots while they played in the snow. And on a cold winter night there is always a line at the microwave because everyone wants to take a warm rice pack to bed with them.  My grandmother used to tell me about warming up a brick in the fire place, wrapping it in a towel, and placing it under her covers at the foot of her bed to keep her feet warm while she slept.  I guess a microwaved rice pack is our 2011 alternative!