I dream of boxes! (and sweeping!!)

The cross-country move is now behind us, and as we settle into the new home we are swimming in corrugated! Literally, I spent one night unpacking in my sleep ... and was quite disappointed to see that dream-time productivity did not translate to the real world.

Sigh. But no bother. It's not like the towers of boxes are going to go anywhere on their own! They'll wait for me, I am sure.

But in addition to the logistics puzzle of fitting all the old stuff into the new space(s), I am also realizing that my housekeeping routines are going to need some updating as well. Luckily I did some prep work (before I even knew I needed it), when I created my set of washable and reusable Swiffer dry sweeping cloths.

The bottom floor of the house is all hard floors - tile and wood - and with a long haired dog, two kids, pollen from countless trees, etc., the daily sediment buildup is impressive!  I like the concept and simplicity of the Swiffer sweeper, but I didn't like throwing all their expensive, single-use cloths away. Still, it took a friend to wonder aloud what could be done about it before I turned to my fabric stash for the answer.

Using one of my last sweeper cloths as a pattern (dimensions noted on tub in pic, below), I cut new sheets from scrap fleece. Ta da!! Swiffer sweeper cloths that can be used and washed over and over, and will probably last forever. I cut six cloths for the set, intending to use scraps only, but got talked into using a piece or two of "premium" from my 4 year old helper. :-) All in all, it took about five minutes. Sweet!

Now to find a place to set up the sewing machine, so I can get cranking on that again as well. Happy crafting!

Geometry at Lunch!

If necessity is the mother of invention, then have I got some necessity to drop on you!  :-)

I'm also introducing a new category: Gizmos & Gadgets - in honor of all the tools and handy little, well, gizmos that make my life easier.  They'll come from all over, since there's no limit to where we can benefit from a little extra productivity or ease.  And sometimes, just sometimes, you'll even be able to outsmart your toddler at lunchtime!

So the story starts with a simple grilled cheese sandwich ...

... and my question of "Do you want me to cut it in squares or triangles?"  To which the toddler in question answered quite cheerfully "Circles!"

Circles, huh?  Not to be outwitted by a three year old and two slices of bread, I stared at the sandwich for a moment.  How do I do this easily?  A regular knife was just not going to cut it - cheesy pun intended.  :-)  But I realized I did have a tool at the ready ... enter the Gadgety Gizmo!

My Trojka kitchen shears from IKEA.  A whopping $1.99 (plus tax) and best of all they are dishwasher safe.  And on this occasion they also turned my lunchtime geometry problem into short work.  Observe!

Ta da!  Circles!  I was obviously impressed enough with myself to re-stage and photograph the entire thing, and I think DD#1 was pleased as well, since 'circles' is how she has continued to order her grilled cheese and other sandwiches since that moment of discovery.  But really, with the kitchen scissors you can sculpt your sandwich into just about any set of shapes imaginable.  Discover, experiment, and bon appetit!