If I were a better blogger, I would have a better list here. And I would have had it up a while ago — but there is still time!
Some of these items you can find at what we used to call the 5 & Dime when I was little (and I refuse to call Walmart), some you could quickly add onto that last-ditch Amazon order that you have open in a tab right now.
Some aren't really gifts at all, but you might as well know about them while I'm at it.
Most are good for men and women; I think you will be able to tell which ones are just for one or the other, with your superior critical thinking skills.
- You know how you want to think of a sweater as lovely, but in fact it's terrible, just due to the pilling? (pillage??) After a few decades, I finally figured out how to use this thing, and was able to resuscitate two cashmere sweaters to a new life without resorting to sending them to the dry cleaners. This is the trick: hold it at an angle almost parallel to the garment (which you have spread out on a table or ironing board). Somehow I thought you hold it upright, but if you hold it like a razor it works like a charm.
- An apron — a sturdy one. Really, try it. Your laundry routine will thank you, and you feel much more competent with an apron on, and more housewifely, if you are female.
- Set of Allen wrenches. This one is courtesy of the Chief. He says that your Ikea wrench will break* and anyway you need different sizes. Having these tools makes seemingly daunting household repairs a breeze. You know what you can fix with an Allen wrench? Your stuck disposer. When he hefts my handbag, he always asks me if I have a set of Allen wrenches in there, and one day I'm going to say, “Why, yes!”
*edited to say that he told me on the way to choir that he said “you will lose it” — either way, maybe just get a set.
- A slip. Okay, I guess this is one that might not make it as an actual gift — depends on how used your people are to getting random helpful old-school things, I suppose. But a slip is the difference between feeling awkward and clingy and not swishy and feeling put-together, un-clingy, and swishy. You can find slips at the thrift store for little or nothing. Even new they don't cost much. You need a long one and a short one, in nylon.
- Hairspray. Not everyone needs hairspray. Supposing you have curly hair that is highly reactive to humidity and can look one way when you leave the house and quite another when you catch sight of yourself a few wind-gusts later: you need it. Also, if you are finding that your hair falls onto your sweaters and eventually just makes you look unsightly, hairspray keeps everything glued in place until you take a shower, which is far more sightly.
- Handkerchiefs. No, you are not going to blow your nose in a handkerchief, unless in the direst emergency. I regard paper tissues as inarguably among the greatest benefits of modern life. Public health demands them. However, lovely old-fashioned handkerchiefs are still important. For men: you need one in your pocket for that moment that you sense you are sweating in the forehead area; you need one to wipe your glasses; you need one for a passing female who is crying. Do not underestimate the gallantry of the gesture of offering of a handkerchief. For women: find some nice vintage-y ones. You need them to wipe your glasses; you need them to entertain a passing toddler; you need them to dry a stray tear. I keep one from grandma's stash in my little make-up clutch in my purse. I only have to change it every few weeks.
- Wick trimmer. Obviously you can cut the wicks of tapers easily with scissors, but votive candles are tricky, and yet, a trimmed wick burns so very much better. (To find out why this is, read the classic volume The Chemical History of a Candle, preferably with a handy 8th grader.) Also candle snuffer — save your linens/walls/tabletops. And wicks.
- Silver polish — this is one of those things I find hard to remember to buy, but it makes all the difference. Polished silver is really magical, and the only thing standing between you and it is polish. Don't have time, you say? But surely you have a child handy… Don't have silver, you say? Ah, well, that you can remedy by keeping your eye open at thrift stores in the coming year. Train yourself to know what unpolished silver looks like! Then check back here to be reminded to polish it!
- Tea kettle. I know, because I did it for years — you can boil the water in a pot. But a kettle is really nice. To go European old (but not that old) school, get an electric one (I recommend this one — it seems to have the least amount of exposed plastic, it's fast and big, and the customer service is excellent. And it doesn't beep.)
- Bathrobe. In my classic tome “How to Take a Shower,” I give you the reasons for owning one of these. Liberate yourself from yoga pants.
- Toaster tongs. Habou was the one who introduced these into our lives. They just are the handy thing you need, they aren't metal so electrocution is not an issue, and you know what, you simply are going to put a too-small piece of toast in there and need to get it out again. (Drawback– they are easy to split apart, like a sort of wooden wishbone, and just that tempting. Maybe we can find some plastic ones if we have tempted toddlers around.)
- Slippers. Housekeeping is way easier if people take off their shoes at the door. Socks stay remarkably hole free. Footsies stay warm and dry. Slippers, an idea with great merit.
- Spray starch. Maybe you aren't that crazy about ironing because your ironed things don't look significantly different from your un-ironed things, or don't stay so if they are. The answer is starch, but not so old-school that it doesn't come in a spray. Okay, maybe this one really isn't a gift, but you could pick some up when you get the other things! Pro-tip: put the cap on as you work; if the can falls off the ironing board, which it absolutely will, and lands on the little spray nozzle, that thing breaks right off and then it's all useless. Ask me how I know this…
For other gift ideas, especially for that hard-to-buy-for male in your life, check out this post.
Happy shopping! (The Amazon links here are affiliate links, so a little cash comes our way, including if you use the link to order other things. Thanks!)
Merry Christmas!
DKJ says
Homemade starch is a lovely gift…vodka, water and a few drops of lavender essential oil if you have it in a spray bottle…voila! And it makes ironing fancy…and fancy ironing is a gift!
Leila says
DKJ, great idea for a gift! I put a drop or two of lavender oil in the large bottle I keep handy to refill my iron’s tank — lovely!
Claire says
Excellent list! My husband sprayed wax all over the table yesterday “helping” the toddlers blow out the Advent candles… Guess who’s getting a candle snuffer in his stocking! Also I was just thinking about getting myself a nice robe with my Christmas money – gifts to oneself are still gifts, right? 😉
Leila says
Thanks, Claire!
Yes, those enthusiastic large-lung’d candle-blowers! They need to be reined in!
Cristina says
Why should a slip be nylon? I almost bought s slip recently but then I couldn’t figure out which material I should want so I just gave up!
Sharyn says
I like cotton slips as I don’t like synthetic fabric a whole lot. Nylon doesn’t grip your skirt/dress fabric. What I like though are these maternity slips http://www.newcreationapparel.com/pageserve.php?pageid=31&categoryid=65&productid=436 I find I can wear them even when not pregnant. The top bit is nylon and the bottom cotton. So not adding bulk at the top, and depending on what fabric you wear hangs nicely without gripping. But, any time you put cotton and cotton together it will depend on the skirt/dress style as to whether they grip.
I find a cotton skirt, nylon slip, or cotton slip, synthetic skirt go together. Cotton slips go nicely depending on the item going over it. If you don’t dislike nylon like me, go nylon 🙂
Leila says
Cristina, I should clarify that what I had in mind with a nylon slip is the winter wardrobe issue of tights or pantyhose and skirt. Nicely made skirts come with a nylon or rayon lining, and so you don’t need anything in between — the slip is built in. I have several really nice wool skirts like this. Or a rayon skirt has a lighter rayon underskirt… you don’t have to worry about see-through-ness or getting bound up as you walk.
But then you might have a corduroy skirt or a wool skirt with no lining, or one of those clingy wrap dresses which are fine in the summer with bare legs, but in the winter, no go — they will just cling to your tights!
A nylon slip lets those garments… slip. Cotton doesn’t. Silk would, but who has silk slips? It would be lovely…
Usually I pass on synthetics, but in this case, they work really well. One of my slips is a heavier nylon and I wear it all the time. The longer one is quite light. It also adds a slight bit of warmth, which can be nice.
In other seasons, a light slip made of cotton batiste or lawn (a very fine cotton) with slight fullness will be very nice to pouf out a skirt just so — I made such petticoats for the bridesmaids in the weddings: here you can see how the skirts have body, due to the underskirt (if it wasn’t there, the dress would be a bit saggy): http://www.likemotherlikedaughter.org/2012/05/sukie-gets-married/
Anyway, the slip I have in mind here is just a little layer between tights and skirt, so that things don’t bind you up. Try it!
Cristina says
Okay, I’ve just bought my first slip! I actually just got one of those clingy wrap dresses and hadn’t thought about how it would interact with my hose. The dress is also a true wrap which, with having lots of clingy children, could go very, very wrong at mass. Having a slip underneath will be an extra layer of modesty protection!
Sharyn says
Tights! Totally forgot about tights. It’s summer where I am right now, but even in winter tights are just for nights or early mornings. We may be about to move somewhere much colder though, so I shall have to remember… nylon slips for cold places.
As for silk slips… I had a look at the other slips at the website I linked and they had silk ones http://www.newcreationapparel.com/pageserve.php?action=productbrowser&categoryid=77
Leila says
A silk one would be delightful!
Leila says
A silk slip would be quite the luxury — now there’s a Christmas gift! Maybe for Little Christmas!
B says
http://wintersilks.blair.com has nice slips for a moderate amount. I think it’s twice or more the cost of a nylon one, but at least not into the hundreds.
Dixie says
They sell washable silk at Hobby Lobby for somethinkg like $6/yard, for anybody who feels crafty and wants to make a slip. I lined a corduroy skirt for my daughter with it this year (enclosing the raw edges) and it washes up like a charm in the washing machine. I don’t even put it on delicate.
Barbaral says
Leila the tone of your writing always makes me giggle….”surely you have a child handy” No …all grown now but wish I had all of your handy tips when I did have a houseful!
The idea of your ideas is think practical and useful and this is what makes sense….thanks !!!
pS I have an electric kettle (mine is glass) and when I bought it several years ago I hesitated because it seemed so expensive but it is absolutely the best thing….boils water so much faster than kettle on the stove, shuts off automatically when I forget and leave the room. I use it over and over all day long.
A blessed Christmas to you and your whole family!
Leila says
Barbara, yes — the shutting-down aspect is super important with those of us who are a bit… hmmm… distractible… haha. I love mine too.
Merry Christmas!
Anel says
So interesting the cultural differences. In South Africa everyone uses the automatic electric kettle. Except those that do not have electricity in very remote rural areas or those of us wanting to flaunt our nice Le Creuset stove top kettles. I mean. They aren’t even automatic! They are nice looking though. In any case. Also great if you have a handy 11 or 13 year old – they can even be moved to serve a nice and strong cup of tea…..
lisa says
You always give us such comforting, practical, encouraging blog posts! Thank you. I read the Shower post, and it’s pretty funny. The things of which we need to be reminded! Myself included!
Merry Christmas!
Leila says
Merry Christmas, Lisa!
Sandi Frances says
A recent discovery about toast tongs, post-wishbone. The same purpose can be achieved by using them already separated, or by using the handles of wooden -handled rubber scrapers (if anyone has any of those any more) like chopsticks. That way the toaster doesn’t need to be unplugged to fish the wayward toast out. (Actually, I find it easier to maneuver with the separated pieces. Some of the tongs aren’t flexible enough.);
If you have two rubber scrapers already, you avoid having to find a place for another major kitchen appliance in the junk drawer…. Of course if you want to use the tongs to turn things in a non-stick pan, you are back to having a non-single-purpose item and it might be worth it.
Otherwise, back to the drawing board for a gift idea, unless you just want to get two rubber scrapers. (I haven’t tried it but the silicon ones would probably work if not too thick to get two around the toast in the toaster slot. Anything non-metal.)
Advent blessings to all!
Leila says
Sandi, I too thought that the tongs would be too “single-use” for me. But I put a little brass nail in the molding just above the toaster, and there they are, ready to be used, and they do get used! They are just right for the job.
Since they are just pulling out dry toast, they can be hung back up. At most they just need to be wiped off.
They never go in a drawer, and I don’t use them for anything else. It’s probably the one thing I have that I say that about!
Margo, Thrift at Home says
We keep a box of tissues in the back of a closet for guests – otherwise, our house uses hankies for noses and everything else you mentioned! I LOVE looking at them, I pick up sweet vintage ones for pennies, and they add very little trouble to the laundry (I don’t iron them unless the mood strikes me, but I do fold them, so they usually look tidy).
Elizabeth says
I grew up with paper tissues for blowing noses, but my more old school husband insists on cotton to blow his nose in and he totally won me over. Kids seem to prefer it as well.
Ik had a laugh at this practical list, alle these items are so humble, but boy to they improve the quality of your daily life. My mom always gave us underwear, socks, pyjama’s, bathrobes… etc. for st. Nicolas. And we liked it just as much as any other present. Nice deodorant or soap is a good gift too!
Dixie says
I greatly appreciate the disposable tissue, but I have found that cut-up squares of old flannel are so much kinder on the noses of little ones during cold season. Keeps their little faces from getting raw from all the wiping. I wash them with my towels (hot water w/a little bleach, hot dryer) so that they get sterilized.
Kelsey says
I really need some handkerchiefs, because – and I don’t know anyone else with the problem – I seem to be allergic to paper tissues. The tiny particles they leave behind increase my sneezing tenfold. The irony!
Rozy says
Kelsey, I couldn’t use paper tissues when I wore contact lenses for that very reason. The minute pieces of fluff killed my eyes!
Stephanie says
Oh the pull apart toaster tongs…mine succumbed to the boy-child a couple of years ago – must get a new pair! I love your practical list and own most of what is on it…I had to giggle at the spray starch tip. I have ruined many a can of starch when it fell off the ironing board! Blessed Advent to you and yours…
B says
I have the spray starch, but find the directions incomprehensible since anything I iron is done rushing and shoved into a corner to block access. What’s the simplest way to use it?
Leila says
B — nothing could be simpler than spray starch. When you are ironing a shirt or a table runner or anything linen or cotton, really, just lightly spray the area that you are going to run your iron over. Then iron. Move the garment, repeat.
You will see.
It’s a stunning difference and far from adding any work, makes the work you are doing quicker and easier, and longer lasting.
B says
The can claims that you must iron, spray the whole garment and then reiron. With lots of shaking as you go. Your directions are much more manageable.
Leila says
B — do keep shaking as you go (as with all aerosols) but just spray the area you are working on, keeping track of where you have and have not sprayed (more or less, no need to obsess).
So if you are doing a shirt, spray the collar, iron, spray the shoulder yoke, iron, spray a sleeve, iron, etc…
Easy peasy!
Kristi says
I haven’t heard anyone discuss slips since my mother used to tell me that ladies always wear slips and carry purses.
I’m glad to see some other fans of real hankerchiefs here! They are easier to carry in your purse b/c they don’t pill/fall apart, and they don’t leave white flecks on your nose, either. It’s no trouble to sterilize them in the wash, and I have gotten pretty vintage ones cheap from eBay.
For at home, when we have colds, we like to use cotton diapers. So soft, and big enough to prevent messiness.
LynnMarie says
Oh my gosh I just realized I think this was a joke? Hairspray?
LynnMarie says
Sorry- I realized that may have sounded insulting. I meant that you intended it as a funny joke list in a very excellent dry humoresque way.
Leila says
Haha, no, LynnMarie, I am serious!
I have an upstairs can of hairspray and a downstairs one!
Maybe your hair is ruly, but mine is UNruly! I grew up as a wild ‘n free hippie sort of gal, thinking that slips and hairspray were emblems of oppression! I wore jeans. My hair was long and looked fine no matter what. But now I know that they are just helpful and solve problems!
B says
I actually need gel and damp hair for some hairstyles like fancy braids because it’s that hard to get them to stay put.
Woman of the House says
I use paper tissues, but my husband is never without a handkerchief. He has had frequent occasion to come to the rescue of many a damsel in distress (and sometimes a gentleman) with his hanky. I also agree about slips. It seems slips and pantyhose have fallen out of favor. I realize some casual skirts don’t need either, but I always think a woman in a nice dress or skirt looks unfinished without pantyhose, and what about the see-through factor that make slips necessary?? I’m old-fashioned, I guess!
Blessed Christmas to you and yours!
Sandi Frances says
With all the ladies commenting on the handkerchief idea maybe I can get some help on a couple of other things that have been puzzling me.
My mother was the kleenex-only type who wouldn’t have wanted to deal with handkerchiefs in the laundry because you would have to pre-wash them lest you would be washing everything in secretions. I’d wondered what current handkerchief-users do who share some of that ethos but I see here people just count on water volume and dryer heat to detox.
This one is not for Leila, since you don’t use them for the nose, but you others, what do you do with a partially-used handkerchief? Are they single use, or is there a folding etc. strategy so you can pull them out again during the same Mass without bothering yourself and others? Not so important for tears, but….
And while we’re at Mass, do you follow the Arabs and only use a hankie in the left hand, or figure the hankie is better than the knuckle of a discreet finger, or just eschew the Kiss of Peace?
Thanks!
Leila says
Sandi, my father was an engineer (and an Arab) and used handkerchiefs for blowing his nose. He had an elaborate system for folding them (which the ladies of the house had to implement when ironing them) so that there could be a rational method for blowing and folding up the used part, leaving an unused part for the next blow.
I can’t remember how they were washed, but I am sure that hot water was involved.
But, yuck.
It’s one thing if you’re not sick, but if you’re sick, I just don’t see it! Sometimes when I have a cold I think about how I would be needing a supply of handkerchiefs that would far outstrip any possible one I would own.
I think that back in the day, people stayed home when they had a cold. Maybe there was a maid to boil the hankies. I dunno. But tissues are better for colds, says I!
Rozy says
Everyone’s “yuck” factor is different, so let me just say this; by the time the hanky gets to the wash all the secretions are dry and can just be thrown in with whatever you’re washing at the time. I have never sterilized hankies in the wash because ironing them does (according to my mother). I never even thought about having to sterilize them because I thought that was what washing in hot soapy water did to things.
Let me add to the voices of others that hankies, especially linen, are so much softer than paper tissues, which are made from trees! Cotton and linen hankies don’t fall apart (or blow apart during strong gusts), and will dry and can be used again for any more tears.
As to folding to get more use out of them when blowing noses: start with the hanky folded in half, blow on one side (left or right) and fold that side together, leaving the other half clean to use later. With a large men’s handkerchief you can get more “sides” to fold over and get more use out of it. Play around a little and you’ll figure out a method that works for you.
I don’t go anywhere without at least one hanky in my purse or pocket. When I have a cold I take two or three with me, depending on how long I’ll away from home.
Victoria says
Talking about “yuck” factors, we use our cloth diaper wipes for the occasional runny nose or sticky hands. They go in with our cloth diapers, which recieve the most intense laundry treatment.
When we are all sick, even a stack of wipes can’t keep up, so we supplement with Kleenex.
After reading this, though, I feel inspired to get something pretty for taking to church or special occasions.
Sharyn says
I used to buy vintage handkerchiefs from Etsy and Ebay before post from the US to Australia became too expensive. You can find some really beautiful ones, much nicer than those that are often are available new now. Often you can find vintage that is ‘new’ and in its box still too.
Heather says
Where would I buy a linen hankie? That sounds like a wonderful gift for the men in my life.
Rozy says
I buy them at thrift stores and yard sales. They are also available at Irish gift shops, and probably online. I’ve never had to buy them online as I find so many at thrift stores.
NY Mom says
To add to the hankie-Kleenex discussion, there’s yet another, no-laundering-needed totally green way to blow one’s nose. It’s how farmers do it when they’re out in the field: pressing hard against one nostril, you exhale rather mightily and suddenly out of the open nostril side whilst bending down a bit. Repeat with the other nostril. Organic, quick, simple, and totally something done while alone. It works, but propriety requires a quick check to make sure no one’s observing your move.
Mrs. B. says
This whole discussion, so practical and earthy, is just so funny right before Christmas! But it’s good – we do have bodies with strange needs 🙂 It reminds me of what Leila said about Medieval painters who liked to paint nativity scenes with a stark-naked Baby Jesus, to convince us that He had a true, real body just like any of us. I suppose He must have blown his nose at some point too?
I grew up in a hanky-only family: my mother considered Kleenex an expensive waste! We did have a ton of them: some dainty and elegant, just for show, some just… serviceable. My mother used to wash them with underwear, which got the harshest laundry treatment (boiling-hot water, and long soaking times – we had no drier, though: we hung laundry outside most of the year, and in the scary attic in winter: I’ve seen laundry frozen stiff!) Though I only use Kleenex now, I’ve kept my handkerchiefs: they are a sweet childhood memory somehow. I also have some linen ones that my great-grandmother embroidered. I still buy cotton handkerchiefs for my husband: he likes to carry one in his pocket for emergencies.
My romantic daughter thinks the world of handkerchiefs: after all, it’s hard to imagine Anne of Green Gables using Kleenex… And you couldn’t have Lucy and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle with Kleenex, could you?
When I was young I hated slips – the kind of hatred children have for something totally normal, and it’s so hard for adults to understand. We had wool skirts and wool tights, and the sparks just flew like crazy with a nylon slip in between! I resolved never to buy anything that needed a slip. I did end up buying one for my daughter: I bought a wonderful summer dress from Land’s End, but when we got it we found it was quite transparent, and a slip solved that problem beautifully.
anothermom says
Dearest Leila, Yours is the place I visit first whenever I need a friendly “pick-me-up” ~ especially as our household currently consists of four adult males, and moi. Sometimes feeling desperate for kindred thoughts, you always offer a sweet abundance. Love your gift ideas, especially the idea of gifting someone with the pill comb. I purchased the very same version this Summer, while trying to stock a newly designated “dress clothes closet”, while preparing for a wedding. Inspired by multiple family events (when I always feel very-much-less-than-prepared) I decided to put together plastic shoe boxes with various and sundry supplies. A newly stocked shoeshine box also includes handy dandy shoe buffers, for those times when a complete polish just isn’t possible. Another box holds freshly ironed handkerchiefs ~ such a luxury and a particular comfort during those times in life when tears tend to flow and so much friendlier than impersonal paper fluff. Still another box contains pocket packages of tissues (for those who prefer fluff ‘n stuff), packets of gum, small bottles of hand sanitizer, spare combs and a brush, safety pins, needles and thread, mini scissors, a pill comb, and an ever helpful snag puller/miracle-worker, like this: https://www.amazon.com/Dritz-618-Snag-Nab-2-Inch/dp/B003PTVS68/ref=sr_1_1?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1482516454&sr=1-1&keywords=snag+puller) Now, when I venture into dress clothes heaven I feel as though Auntie Leila has paid a visit to make life so much simpler and ever more pleasant! Your helpful gift ideas would be perfect any time of year, especially for someone anticipating special events, perhaps a wedding or even a funeral. In the slip category, I just have to share, for the sake of unfortunate souls who may find themselves in a similar dilemma. After forgetting to pack a slip on a very longgggg trip for the birth of one of our grandbabies, I desperately searched a Walmart along the way for a suitable longer slip. Finding nothing in the size or length I needed, I wandered over to the regular clothing section where I found the perfect “slip” in disguised as a knit skirt. What would normally seem too thin for modest outer wear perfectly fit the bill as an under garment and quickly became my favorite go-to slip! One of life’s happy accidents. A Blessed, Grace-Filled Christmas to you and your loved ones dear Lady, and to LMLD readers everywhere!
Sandi Frances says
Nice! And what about silk handkerchiefs? 🙂
Sandi Frances says
That was supposed to be in reply to Dixie’s post about washable silk at Hobby Lobby 🙂
Katherine says
Dear Leila,
Thank you for your lovely blog, which I’ve only started reading recently. I wanted to mention something Christmassy, although not about gifts – it’s an article I read today on the First Things website, written by a Christian of Jewish background, looking back on childhood influences which led him towards Jesus. His name is Andrew Klavan, and the article really made me realise (again) how children absorb and remember in great detail the way that they are treated by different adults, and how no kind act towards a child is ever wasted! I hope you don’t mind me mentioning this, which is a little off-topic as far as this post is concerned, but it seemed so consistent with your philosophy and I wanted to share it 🙂
Kathryn says
I ordered the electric kettle from Amazon for a last minute family gift, and it boils the water so fast that I can make tea and cocoa quite easily for my large family. Love it!
Donna L. says
Happy 3rd day of ChristMass!
I was delighted to read through all of these thoughtful, fun and practical gifts!
I ordered a few things for our family such as the toast tongs and the candle snippers–plus one for a dear friend with whom we’ll be making cookies this week!
Thank you for your post about celebrating the 12 days of Christmas–it has helped me find one kindred spirit, and we are helping each other live the season~
God bless you!
Teri Pittman says
I ordered the tea kettle too! Will be here tomorrow. It takes me 20 minutes to make a pot of tea, and fifteen minutes of that is boiling water. Last week, still sick with this cold, I put on a pot of water right before my break. (I work a split shift so I have three hours off in the middle of the day.) I’d totally forgotten about it and we went out grocery shopping. We’d just finished shopping and a little voice told me that we needed to head for home. I got there and the pot was completely dry. No damage done to anything, thankfully. I didn’t mention it to my husband but did tell him that I wanted an electric kettle with auto shut off. He thought it would be a good Christmas gift for me. At least that is one thing I won’t have to worry about. I usually set the timer as a reminder but forgot this time.
I’ll have to post a link to pictures of my husband’s Christmas sweater, as soon as I can get a picture of him wearing it. (He came down with the cold too, so spent the holiday in his bathrobe). The sweater turned out nicely and I’m proud of it.
Sandi Frances says
Thanks, ladies, for all the helpful posts about handkerchiefs. (And slips, and….) If God is in the details, He is really, if not substantially, present in this blog!
Now all I wonder is how your engineering Arab father had you fold his, Leila, and what his special deployment strategy was (if different from Rozy’s). But not enough to stage a photo shoot–my curiositas can be mortified, being more a vice than a virtue….
Merry Christmas to all!
Leila says
Thanks, Sandi!
My father’s handkerchiefs had to be ironed. And although that sounds fussy, the ironing kills the germs, so it is a rather important step. When you are using at least one a day, though, that makes for a lot of ironing!
As I remember, they were ironed flat, folded in half and in half again parallel to that fold, and ironed. Then that long folded shape was folded to be half as long, and then folded again to make a small square. And ironed.
The unfolding remains a mystery shrouded in an enigma. I know it was done according to a system. Maybe I’d have to have one in hand and just experiment — the idea was to refold so a new, fresh surface was exposed and the old, dirty one hidden.
When I see someone pull out a handkerchief, blow, and sort of ball it up and put it back in his pocket, a bit of my engineering soul dies 🙂
Mrs. B. says
The way Leila describes the ironing is also how my mother taught me, and how I still do it. You know a handkerchief is of good quality when all the corners match when you iron it – most of them end up with a sad crooked line… This is true of any cut fabric, like sheets and tablecloths: if all corners match when folded, you know you bought something better than average.
As for using it, what I taught my kids, even with a Kleenex, is to start from a corner, and fold over the used part – you keep blowing and folding until you reach the opposite corner. I have to say I only buy 3-ply Kleenex, or they will inevitably fall apart – I stock up when they are on sale: I wonder what the check-out people think when they see me buy 8 or 9 boxes at once 🙂 And am I the only one who’s particular about the color of the box??
B says
I buy the thicker Kleenex for regular use, but have to have Puffs Plus for mucus collection. The Kleenex don’t work as well with large amounts, and the lotion is terrible on glasses etc for regular use. We try to always buy the 4+ pack, square for cars/small spaces, and the biggest rectangle boxes for elsewhere.
DH has commented in the past at how I like my boxes to be all different in the multipack if possible, and that I avoid certain patterns.
Carolyn says
Love your posts. Just wanted to add that I found a set of silicone toaster tongs for my 10yr old son for Christmas. They call me “asbestos fingers” – I can fish out anything hot, but he is the “toast-y” one, and always getting his toast stuck. These shouldn’t break and I leave them right on/by the toaster. They may have come from Amazon, or a kitchen store, or a place called American Science and surplus…which I could be more help. Merry Christmas!
Donna L. says
I am certain that you are all *still* celebrating ChristMass–and I am so glad!
I just sneak on the computer from time to time to see if you have posted anything new…not yet….No Auntie Leila for thirteen days almost makes me *two week* to go on!
Happy New Year to all~
NY Mom says
Agreed! Yet I’ve been amused and amazed by how much there is to say about slips and hankies and tissues.
Leila says
Haha! Working on it…
Hang in there!