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| Cracked Mug |
Question: You discover that a mug you've had for many years has a barely visible crack. What is your first thought?
a) Toss it
b) Reuse it for something else (pen/pencil holder, cutlery holder, mini potted plant holder)
If you answered a) Toss it, then you are good at decluttering. If you answered b) Reuse it, then, you are like me! LOL! I spent at least an hour online, looking at various things people have done with old mugs!
Today, I sewed the new elastic waistband to the skirt I was renewing. The fabric is a stretchy material and I am not very happy with the way the waistband turned out, but, it will do for now. I broke a sewing machine needle in the process, but, fortunately, I had a new packet of spare needles on hand, so it was not an issue. I might be on the lookout for a new black skirt, next year.
Later, I watered the indoor plants, cleaned the litter box, and took the trash cans to the curb for pick up in the morning. I also chatted with Aunt C and friend R.
Other than that, it was not a very productive day. I blame it on the weather. It was not all that hot (only in the mid 90s), but, it was humid and I felt it was warm. Daughter put the air conditioner on in the bed room and stayed in there for a couple of hours in the evening, but, I was watching news on TV at the time and I didn't want to be in the bedroom (no TV in the bedroom). Her asthma was acting up, too, and we are running the air purifiers as that seems to help.
Today, I am grateful for:
- Air purifiers
- Weekly trash pick up
- Having a sewing machine/being able to do simple clothing repairs
- Leftovers for lunch and dinner
- Phone calls with family and friends
Today's joyful activity was sewing a new waistband to the skirt. Now I can wear it without worrying about it slipping down! LOL.
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August Decluttering Challenge:
8/1 - 1 pair gardening gloves
8/2 - non-working heating pad
8/3 - old purse/handbag
8/4 - 1 computer CD containing a report
8/5 - 1 plastic lid that cracked and broke in two
8/6 - 1 hooded sweatshirt (received a new one to replace it)
8/7 - old make-up I no longer use
8/8 - 6 plastic laundry detergent scoops (I use powdered laundry detergent; each new box comes with its own scoop; I don't need to keep the old ones, but, it seems such a waste to toss them in the recycling bin)
8/9 - 1 sponge paint brush (unused, but, so old, the sponge is no longer spongey!)
1 plastic food container
8/10 - 1 blouse (given to daughter); will be donated as she decided it didn't fit her properly
8/11 - 1 broken clothes hanger
3 bras
8/12 - 2 Zucchini! LOL! Eileen informed me that the zucchini don't count!
8/13 - Daughter's old artwork: A poster
8/14 - Daughter's old artwork: A painting
8/15 - 1 long dress (given to daughter) - she had urged me to buy it for myself one year for all of $1, but, I didn't wear it. She, on the other hand, loves it! It looks much better on her than on me!
8/16 - 1 coffee mug
How was your Monday? What are your plans for Tuesday?
I had a serious purge of coffee mugs before we moved. This has been fine till the builders started, and we were taking them tea and coffee. I really didn't want my favourite mugs out on the building site. So when 6 of them turned up one morning I was quite anxious (it was OK, they were careful)
ReplyDeleteGlad your builders were careful with your favorite mugs, Angela.
Delete:) I still have about a dozen mugs in the cupboard; more than adequate for our needs.
Obviously I'd go for option A but you probably guessed that. I am impressed to see that you decluttered the mug in the end though. Is it getting any easier?
ReplyDeleteI've been out for a drive and a bit of shopping and will settle to some piano practice next. It's cold today and I don't feel like doing much so it may turn into a lazy day.
Ha, ha, I thought you'd go for option A! :D Is it getting easier? Not really, but, I am determined to declutter! I still have a lot of totally useless decorative items hanging on my walls and sitting on my shelves. I haven't got to them, yet!
DeleteI'm glad you were able to go for a drive and do some shopping, as well. It's a bit cooler, here, too (only 80F at 11:30 a.m.) and very comfortable. Hope you enjoy the rest of your day, however you decide to spend it. :)
While getting ready for Son and DIL's visit I was upstairs cleaning and happened on several interesting things, like why am I keeping a comforter, sheet sets and bed skirt for a full size bed, since all the beds upstairs are queen size? That is much worse than trying to repurpose a mug, so they are now in the donation pile. I think I need to do this decluttering project every day for a year, then the year after, and . . .
ReplyDeleteHa, ha, welcome to my decluttering world! This is my umpteenth go around! It's like peeling an onion, layer by layer! Glad you were able to put the bedding aside to be donated. :)
DeleteI admit it, my first thought would also have been to find an alternative use! One old chipped mug is in the freezer with frozen water and a coin on top. If I ever find that coin sunk into the ice when I have been away, I will know that there has been an outage sufficient to thaw the freezer contents and I will discard meat, etc. Of course we never go away now with the pandemic!
ReplyDeleteI like that frozen water and coin on top thing! Maybe I heard about it from you, earlier? I mentioned it to my daughter and suggested she did it before she came down, last year, but, I don't think she did.
DeleteI currently have one chipped mug holding the cutlery we use daily. I used to have another chipped mug to pour hot grease into before getting rid of it, but, I think I tossed that mug during an earlier decluttering session.
Yesterday, when I was disposing of the broken sewing machine needle, I wished I had an empty TicTac container! :D
Barely visible? So a superficial split in the glaze? I'd keep on using the mug (unless I was looking for an excuse to get rid of it)!
ReplyDeleteIt is a hairline crack that I could feel when I washed the mug, but, the crack itself is barely visible (to me, at least). My daughter pointed it out to me and said that she found it left a ring of coffee on the table (she had used it, yesterday, morning). So, the mug can't be used to hold liquid, but, it could be used to hold pens/pencils, or, even a plant with a saucer underneath to collect any water that seeps out. I currently have a small plastic flower pot holding pens/pencils - I could use the mug, instead, and free up the flower pot for a plant! On the other hand, I have a goal of decluttering 31 items, this month... :D
DeleteI had a coffee cup with my name on it that I really loved. My niece gave it to me when she was little and I loved it. But the handle broke off and so I tossed it. It looked a little wonky so didn't want to re-purpose it with a broken handle. I am in a de-cluttering state of mind lately. I am being ruthless, so if it's broken, I don't use it, I don't need it, or I don't love it, it's going.
ReplyDeleteWell done on decluttering the mug! I have a tea cup with a broken handle; I keep thinking I could glue the handle back and use it for something else! :D
DeleteYou've been good about mending things lately.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to ask you about the quilt you repaired when you were resting with your sciatica.
Did you use an embroidery hoop to stabilize it as you sewed?
I have a quilt that I need to do some repair. It doesn't have any batting, just a cotton top and backing sewed together so it's lightweight.
Thank you, Debra. Ideally, I should have used an embroidery hoop, but, I didn't! I just sewed the new patches over the old pieces! :D I need to finish repairing it - I patched most of the obviously worn out spots, but, there are other pieces that are starting to tear which should be patched, too. I would definitely encourage you to use a hoop for your quilt top!
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