Smart Mom Tools
When setting up your thrifty, creative, educational household, you don’t want to have a feeding frenzy in the housewares department. That wouldn’t be smart. There are a few tools, however, that will save you money and headaches. Tools with bigger tickets are wonderful to put on your wish list. My in-laws have given me several smart tools as Christmas gifts. Thank you!
Crock pot
I have a friend who made a face when she received a crock pot as a wedding gift. That was a shame. The crock pot is a hardworking friend. It cooks your dinner while you are out gallivanting all day! You can cook just about anything in it. The hardest thing about crock pot cooking is remembering to pull some meat out of the freezer the night before. In the morning, I put the meat in the pot, dump in seasonings, turn it on low and walk away. Love it! Oh, and the meals taste great, too.
Fix it and Forget It: A series of cookbooks with recipes just for the slow cooker.
Clothes line
Such a small investment for such a useful item! We even had some line leftover to take camping so that we can have a clothes line at our campsite. Why pay for your dryer to dry all those clothes when the sun and wind will do it free? An added bonus is that the sun will also bleach out some stains, particularly tomato sauce. It really does not take long to hang up a load, and it gets you outside. You can also train your bigger kids to hang the laundry.
The clothes line is not just for laundry. We hang out our wet stuff from swimming lessons or the beach. Some items from the basement or attic just need to be aired out. The line is the place. We even air our huge tent on it! One caveat: Do not line dry any bedding if you have allergy sufferers in your house. Air-dried sheets sound wonderful, but pollen will get on them and who wants to sneeze all night? Bedding is the one thing that I throw in the dryer with reckless abandon. Kill those dust mites!
Also, some folks feel it is inappropriate to hang wash on Sunday. I suppose it comes from Sunday being a day of rest. If you were really resting, you would not have any wet laundry to hang! So be sensitive to your neighbors. With each clothespin you squeeze, you can revel in all the money you are saving.
Heavy-duty stand mixer
This is a treat for a smart mom. It simplifies cooking for you (and your children). Like the crock pot, you can dump in the ingredients and walk away. (You will need to come back in a few minutes, though!) While the mixer is doing its thing, you can prepare your pans or help the children with the next step in the recipe.
Crock pot
I have a friend who made a face when she received a crock pot as a wedding gift. That was a shame. The crock pot is a hardworking friend. It cooks your dinner while you are out gallivanting all day! You can cook just about anything in it. The hardest thing about crock pot cooking is remembering to pull some meat out of the freezer the night before. In the morning, I put the meat in the pot, dump in seasonings, turn it on low and walk away. Love it! Oh, and the meals taste great, too.
Fix it and Forget It: A series of cookbooks with recipes just for the slow cooker.
Clothes line
Such a small investment for such a useful item! We even had some line leftover to take camping so that we can have a clothes line at our campsite. Why pay for your dryer to dry all those clothes when the sun and wind will do it free? An added bonus is that the sun will also bleach out some stains, particularly tomato sauce. It really does not take long to hang up a load, and it gets you outside. You can also train your bigger kids to hang the laundry.
The clothes line is not just for laundry. We hang out our wet stuff from swimming lessons or the beach. Some items from the basement or attic just need to be aired out. The line is the place. We even air our huge tent on it! One caveat: Do not line dry any bedding if you have allergy sufferers in your house. Air-dried sheets sound wonderful, but pollen will get on them and who wants to sneeze all night? Bedding is the one thing that I throw in the dryer with reckless abandon. Kill those dust mites!
Also, some folks feel it is inappropriate to hang wash on Sunday. I suppose it comes from Sunday being a day of rest. If you were really resting, you would not have any wet laundry to hang! So be sensitive to your neighbors. With each clothespin you squeeze, you can revel in all the money you are saving.
Heavy-duty stand mixer
This is a treat for a smart mom. It simplifies cooking for you (and your children). Like the crock pot, you can dump in the ingredients and walk away. (You will need to come back in a few minutes, though!) While the mixer is doing its thing, you can prepare your pans or help the children with the next step in the recipe.
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