Greetings, Thrifty Sisters! I hope that all the Mom’s had a beautiful Mother’s Day, last Sunday. I am sure than many had to adapt to a “new” way to celebrate since so much of our country is closed or just starting to reopen in new capacities. No matter how you choose to celebrate, I sincerely hope that you all felt the love from your families.
While all the insanity began to hit our stores this spring, I needed some new kitchen wash rags. Apparently, shopping for such an item is a terrible idea to do before and during a pandemic. I could not believe the empty spaces in store shelves where dish rags once were. And the few that I could find were a lot spendier than I remember cloth dish rags being. On my very infrequent trips out, I would make it point to swing past the kitchen area and check on the ever-empty shelves. I guess kitchen rags and towels were the equivalent to the empty toilet paper displays.
One day, while folding my kitchen laundry, I had a pile of kitchen towels that were headed for the rag pile. Ironically, kitchen towels are something that I do pick up on clearance, and have a little stash just waiting for those days that I decide a current towel has been too well loved and full of too much character. (Just in case my concerned family wants to know, my collection is not 6 feet tall!) Then it occurred to me that these terry cloth towels are the same material as my old wash rags! DUH!
I am obviously crazy late to this party, as Google had hundreds of links on how to make wash rags out of towels. I also feel like this was something that our Grandma’s probably did. My Grandma A added lace to every towel and wash rag. While I did not add that extra embellishment, I did pull out my sewing machine and made myself a whole bunch of new wash rags. And they even have made it through the washer and dryer without fraying all over the place. Yay- my 7th grade sewing skills were up to the challenge!
With many of us home a lot more than usual, I thought it might be a good time for a little refresher on how clean your recyclables need to be (or surprisingly, not as clean as one would think!) before heading to the recycle bin. Read more here: https://earth911.com/home-garden/clean-recyclables/?utm_source=New+Earth911+List+-+2015&utm_campaign=19a0e0628c-Tuesday+Emails+5.30.17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5e8b4dc609-19a0e0628c-167846237
Spring has certainly arrived in my neighborhood, and this year we are experiencing more “normal” prairie spring conditions. Warmer days followed by cool rainy days – and not the 8 inches at a time type of rains that we have been experiencing over the past 2 springs. I’m incredibly thankful and mindful of how nice a spring day can be. With some even warmer temps forecast for my area, let’s not forget about sunscreen.
Need a review on what all the sunscreen language is? While I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about sunscreens (you know, when you look like you belong on the streets of Dublin more than you belong in the prairie sun, you get pretty good at sunblock know how!) there was some good information in this article. Learn more here: https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/sunscreen/understand-sunscreen-labels
Now that you have read up on sunscreen awareness, it’s time to put that knowledge to the test as we head out to the grills! This marinade recipe sounds delightful and versatile. While the instructions tell you to marinade a chicken breast in a mason jar, I feel that you can use any tried and true marinade method you like. Save the mason jars for some adult beverages and possibly mixing this marinade. Enjoy! https://masonjars.com/dijon-garlic-and-lemon-marinade.html
And there you have it, my Thrifty Sisters! Have a wonderful week of re-purposing items (share your favorite repurposed items with us!), being mindful of your recycling bin, wearing your sunblock and firing up the grill. Until next time, be kind to yourself and to others and keep on keepin’ it thrifty and fun.
Thrifty Sisters Living 