In my old age (I know, har har) I've come to appreciate the waste not, want not approach of my mom. It wasn't an oppressive penny pinching approach just one where she'd make sure to scrape each can out to get the last bit of tomato sauce, rinse out jars of spaghetti sauce to toss into the simmering pot and repurpose things around the house to get a second wind of something used.
I've officially become my mother. I have a growing glass jar collection (albeit with a specific purpose in mind, not for a use later down the road), I cut loops of worn white t-shirts into ties for the tomato plants and I cut up towels that are beginning to shred to repurpose as cloth wipes. Mr. Maricucu and I have been diapering at least one and many times two little ones for the last 5 1/2 years continuously and five of those years have been in cloth. When there are three snotty noses, kids who believe dinner is a full body contact sport, two of those bottoms in diapers and cloth wipes get used as bandit masks, doll blankets, etc. then you can never have too many cloth wipes. Everytime a baby gets too old for their flannel swaddling blankets or a towel starts to get tattered I slice it up with the rotary cutter into larger than palm sized wipes, then give them a quick serge all around the edge. Super easy and a new useful purpose for something that would otherwise be tossed.
What do you repurpose regularly around the house? I'd love some new ideas.
That's my dauther. Now I'm a very good teacher.
ReplyDeleteI,m so proud about you Colcol.
Hello tha's another secret name.
love,
mami
Hey Marielle, I just read about a neat idea recently (don't remember where)- making paper gift bags out of book jackets. I always hate throwing the book jackets out but they are so bothersome always being taken off the books by the littles. Works well on children book covers. Plan to try it real soon- have about 5 waiting. :)
ReplyDeleteGracias mami! You were and still are a pretty great teacher.
ReplyDeleteDenise that is a fabulous idea. I'm glad to find a use for something that doesn't survive around here for long. LOL I had to google for the link and found this:
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-lib/paraprof_08/upload/SM_GLUING_Gift_Bags.pdf
Now to keep my eye out for a book jacket. I can see turning hubby's star wars series jackets into some nifty bags.
That's so funny Marielle- I just googled it and came back to give it to you and you already had it. I know you are resourceful- and you prove it again! Hope you get some great use of it. Thanks for all your great ideas and just for being an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteHee! I was so excited to find out about making the bags I just had to look it up. Thanks again for the wonderful idea and *blush* for the wonderful compliment.
ReplyDelete