I was planning to take the kids out tonight for a cheap scoop of ice cream at Baskin Robbins, but had a change in my plans.  First of all, our homeschooling gathering is today, and the friend who is hosting told me she’ll be serving a meat meal.  Waiting six hours for the kids to be dairy means it would be late at night when we went out for the ice cream, and that doesn’t sound very fun to me.  

Secondly, my two littlest ones seem to have come down with a stomach bug.  Even if we weren’t having a late fleishig (meat) lunch, I won’t feed them ice cream when their systems are already down.  But – I’m sharing the information in case any of you want to take advantage of this offer.  Here are details: http://www.baskinrobbins.com/Spotlight/31CentScoopNight.aspx?cid=718465&jid=17365689&mc=XX&eid=1323989&cmpid=email_ext_000019_1

Be prepared for a long line.  If you can, you might want to go at the very beginning (the hours are 5 – 10, so get there before 5), so that your wait won’t be as long.  The advantage of waiting longer is it gives your children more time to decide what flavor they want – you need to know by the time you get up to the front and they’re ready to serve you.

The last time I went was two years ago, and someone came over to me and told me she wanted to pay for our entire family’s ice creams.  And when we got to the front, sure enough, she had paid for double scoops for everyone – wasn’t that nice?  But even if you don’t have the good fortune that we had to get free ice cream, it’s still quite inexpensive and a nice treat.   We only go out for ice cream on bargain or free nights (meaning once or twice a year, max), so it keeps it special for the kids. 

Avivah

Today I received an order of cloth diapers that I ordered especially for nighttime usage.  These diapers, and almost all of the diapers that I bought in the past were from www.clothdiaper.com – their prices are low and if you don’t care about getting a name brand diaper, you can get well made diapers for about half what it would cost otherwise.  (It’s not so good for resale, though, since people like to buy known names when they buy used.  But I wasn’t concerned with that.)  They have a sliding scale as far as pricing, with increased discounts depending on the amount you buy.  Not only that, they regularly have sales on seconds (almost always prefolds and doublers), and then you can get really super deals.  I have 24 large fitteds from them that I’ve used simultaneously since last year for my two youngest (24 because that gave me the biggest discount, and size large because it’s the size most babies wear for the longest time), as well as 4 dozen Indian prefolds, and I’ve been very pleased with them.

The diaper sprayer that we bought at the same time we made those purchases was still untouched in the box (after more than ten months), and in the name of trying to help him through his to-do list, I finally decided to forget about asking my husband to install it.  (I think he had totally forgotten about it, so he didn’t feel like it was one thing less, but I knew that it was! :))  (And since I’ve been using fleece inserts – which I love! – I really don’t feel a need for the sprayer, anyway.  Solids fall right off of them into the toilet, no need for swishing.)  And of course, it doesn’t make sense to pay for something that you’re never going to use – you might as return the item and get some of your money back. 

About a week and a half ago, late Thursday night, I was browsing the cloth diaper site to see about their return policy, and noticed that they had all-in-ones in the ‘seconds’ listing.  (All in ones -AIOs- for those unfamiliar with cloth diapering terms, means that they don’t require inserts or a waterproof cover – they are one piece and are most similar to disposable diapers.  They are the most expensive cloth diapering option, but generally considered the easiest to use.)  These weren’t actually seconds, but prototypes from the first production run.  The company decided after doing more research and getting feedback that they were too thick for daily wear so this won’t be the final design that is coming out in a month or so, but they would be good for nighttime wear (which is when I have been unsuccessful so far in using cloth).  The diapers were selling for the extremely low price of $4.95 each, which was so super cheap that it was too good a deal for me to pass up (I couldn’t make them that cheaply even if I wanted to!). 

First thing the next morning, I called the company to ask about the return policy and order some of these diapers.  I was going to do an even exchange (of diapers for the sprayer), but decided to buy the diapers right away rather than take the chance they wouldn’t have the size I wanted by the time they received the diaper sprayer.  That ended up being a really good thing, for two reasons.  It seems I was the very first person to order the AIOs- they had been posted after business hours the night before (right when I saw them), so the person handling the orders hadn’t even yet heard about it.  Anyway, I ordered 2 size medium, 4 large, and 4 toddler size for $4.95 each.  I checked back at the site two days later on Sunday (I placed my order on Friday), and they had raised the price to $5.95 each, so ordering right away meant I got a price that very few people got (I don’t know how soon after my call they raised the price).  Still a very good deal at that price, but I was glad to have saved $10 by ordering right then – if they had waited for my diaper sprayer to arrive, I would have been charged the higher price.

Not only that, but today I called to ask a question about how to prep the diapers, and inquired about if they received the sprayer yet.  They had received it, but not yet processed the return.  I asked her how many diapers there had been initially in the production run, and how many they had left.  She told me they were sold out of every size but small (they still have 90 of those left).  They initially had fewer than 150 diapers in each size.  I knew there was a strong likelihood that they would be sold out fast, and feel badly that I didn’t share the details in time for you to benefit from the full selection of sizes available.  It was because I don’t generally share about something until I’ve used it and am happy with it that I didn’t post sooner.  In this case, I still haven’t used them – we washed them a couple of times to prep them and will use them tonight on ds3- they look very soft and absorbent -but thought I should post this in case any of you would be interested in the small size.

Avivah 

I mentioned in response to the concern about using raw eggs in the Pesach ice cream recipe that we try to use eggs that are from the farmer whenever we can (not always), but realize that it sounds like a foreign idea to a lot of people.  Free range eggs are much higher in nutritional value, and though you can find them in the health food store, they tend to be pricey.  Don’t think that eating well means paying high prices.  Sometimes it does and it’s often worth it, but it doesn’t have to be significantly more than the regular eggs you buy.

 I was able to find farm fresh eggs from the dairy farmer that I get our raw milk from – they have neighbors who provide the eggs for sale and bring the eggs to the little one room ‘store’ where the milk is sold.  Then I found an Amish store that sells what looks like regular eggs, but I found out that the eggs are provided by different Amish workers from their private farms.  None of these eggs are expensive – they’re about the same price as regular eggs in the store.  I’ve also seen signs when driving through rural areas ‘Eggs for sale’, though I’ve never stopped to buy because I already have sources I’m happy with.  In fact, just today I saw a sign I never noticed before for fresh eggs for $1 a dozen (I had already bought my eggs or I would have stopped to buy them here – next time!), and today I also noticed someone who had a large number of chickens in their backyard – so I made a mental note of the address in case I ever wanted to ask them about if they sell their eggs.

Another option is to look on Craig’s List.  I’ve seen people advertising their farm fresh eggs a number of times, usually priced from $2 – $4 a dozen.  Look in the ‘farm/garden’ section to see what your local options are.  You can also visit a farmer’s market and chat with the people selling there to find out about local options.  More and more people across the country are raising chickens in their own backyards (did you know even in many urban areas, it’s legal to raise chicken? – in our city, I’d be allowed to have four), people who aren’t officially farming but have eggs that they might be willing to sell or barter for.   I know someone just a few minutes away from me, in the same semi-urban neighborhood I live in, who has a few chickens.  I’m sure I could buy eggs from her. 

My daughters volunteered for three years at a small hobby farm that had chickens, and the woman there sold the eggs on a small scale basis.  The people who bought from her all heard about her through word of mouth; she didn’t do any advertising of any sort.  My girls at one point each had a chicken that they were raising on that farm, and when we decided they needed to sell their chickens, we met another local woman who purchased them.  She’s just a fifteen minute drive from our neighborhood, and also has chickens; I asked her if she sells the eggs, and she said she did.  

So there are lots of good options to buying from the health food store, and eating these eggs raw shouldn’t pose a health concern!

Avivah

My sink faucet has been loose for a while, resulting in slight leaking into the cabinet below, which was annoying but manageable since I put a dishpan there to catch the water.  Recently the top of the faucet started coming off when we turned the water on – I think it was a little disconcerting for a couple of guests to turn it on with the intent to fill up the washing cup, and have a piece of it end up in their hands!  So the time to replace it had finally come. 

Dh bought a replacement for it, but as you might have realized, he has more things to do around here than time to do them!  So the replacement faucet has been sitting on top of the computer for over a month, waiting to be replaced.  Today dh took care of it, and the kids learned some new home repair skills in the process.  We’re an equal opportunity home – boys and girls get to learn useful skills, regardless of what gender traditionally performs them – girls have learned to drywall and cut tile, and boys cook and do dishes. 

Today dh and ds15 wrestled the old sink out – part of the piece below the sink had rusted and what should have been a quick and easy repair job became very time consuming and laborious.  Once they got the hacksaw out and cut through the metal pipe, the rest went quickly.  Dd12 put in the new faucet once the old one was out of the way.  It’s a nice feeling of accomplishment for her, to have done it herself and to see the very visual difference. 

Once again, being willing to learn to take care of our own repairs has saved us a bundle, while simultaneously teaching our children practical skills that will stand them in good stead!  Now, on to the next project….

Avivah 

Initially when planning everyone’s clothing for Pesach, I wasn’t planning to buy my ds15 a new suit, because the one we bought him last year that is still in fantastic condition.  When I bought it for him, I thought he’d reached his adult size (he was the same size as dh), and figured it would fit forever.  But though he’s still the same height, he’s gotten broader and his suit pants are getting a little snug at the waist. 

I know he would have loved a new suit, but was happy to have what he had, and wouldn’t ask for it.  But I also know he’s a person who really appreciates nice clothing, and getting him a new suit (especially since it wasn’t strictly speaking necessary) would be a major emotional deposit for him.  I didn’t feel any pressure of needing to buy one, but since I had the ability and desire to buy him something now, I did some quick online browsing at overstock.com (where I bought him his bar mitzva suit that we were very happy with).   And late Monday night from the comfort of my own home, I did some quick suit shopping with my ds15 for Pesach. 

He knows just what he likes – single breasted, three buttons, side vents, black with pin stripes – so it took me about two minutes to eliminate all the other options that weren’t suitable once I asked him for guidelines to look for.   Once I had my choices on the computer screen, I asked him to come over, showed him what I was looking at, and asked him to choose from my selections.  He was very happy with one of them (a 100% wool Pierre Cardin suit – under $120 with shipping), and less than ten minutes after he sat down with me, I completed the order.  (He said, “Mommy, that’s one thing I like about you – you’re so efficient!” :))

I was prepared for it not to arrive in time for Pesach since the order wouldn’t be processed until Tuesday, but it actually arrived just two days later, yesterday (Thursday) afternoon!  It came when I was out, but ds15 opened it up, and was very pleased with the cut and the quality of it.  I’m glad he was so happy with it.  I was also glad to see it was a nice quality suit, and was very impressed by the quick delivery.  Today I’ll take it to get hemmed and checked for shaatnez and can have it in time for Pesach with no pressure. 

I really enjoyed shopping like this.  It was so convenient and easy – last year we spent quite a long time in the men’s suit store, with him trying on different options.  I felt uncomfortable being the only woman in a male store, and the owner was so busy with other customers that he wasn’t able to give us much attention (not a complaint, it’s a busy time of year for him so I didn’t expect more).   And I spent a lot more on that suit.  I still had to pay the extra cost of hemming and shaatnez testing, as well as going back to pick it up when it was ready, so whatever time/additional costs I have to spend now I would have had to spend anyway.  

Do I think that he needs a new suit every year?  Absolutely not.  A good suit should be able to last for years.  I don’t believe that everyone in the family needs to be outfitted from head to toe in brand new yom tov clothing twice a year (which is part of why I can enjoy yom tov without thinking it will cost me $3000 for just this week).  But I also anticipate that the dollar will be worth significantly less next year than this, and I don’t know next year what my resources will be.  So I consider it very worthwhile not just in the short term, but in the longer term to get him something that will be appropriate for a long time to come.

And what about his suit from last year?  Since it’s a very well made suit, and as I said already, still in perfect condition, I realized it would be perfect for my dh!  My husband doesn’t feel the need for a new suit (I started to order a suit for him, too, but he asked me not to), but this would be just the right size for him.  Doesn’t that work well for everyone?

Avivah

Months ago I heard about a great online source for prescription glasses, but didn’t have the necessary information to place an order. Getting the info meant contacting my optometrist, but because it wasn’t a priority I didn’t do it right away.  When a couple of weeks ago I took my ds15 for his yearly check up, it seemed like a good time to get the details for the prescription for myself, my dd14, and ds15. 

That day I ordered glasses for ds through the office I was at (he wanted the designer frames that were $225, but that’s not what I agreed to), but got online once I was home to see about what was involved in placing an order for dd and me.  I wanted to get a back up pair for her, and the anti-reflection coating on mine was scratched, so I wanted something new, but didn’t want to pay over $100 since except for the scratches, they’re fine. 

The site I ordered from is www.zennioptical.com.  I couldn’t believe how astonishingly easy it was to order the glasses, once I had the necessary details.  And the prices are amazing – they start at $8 a pair.  So of course I started looking first at the least expensive ones.  🙂  I paid $12.95 for mine for a full rim metal alloy frame (there was an extra $4.95 fee for the anti reflective coating), and $8 for dd for a two tone plastic frame with an incised pattern on the temples.  Shipping was $4.95, so it was under $26 for both pairs. 

Of course the day after I ordered the glasses, dd’s glasses frame broke. (This isn’t a one time event :)).  She was able to glue them and still use them in the meantime (and I can get them replaced for free from the eye doctor when I find the time to get over there), but we were both looking forward to the order arriving.  It took two weeks from the time I placed the order to the time they arrived on my doorstep. 

While I was selecting my glasses, I was very tempted to order another couple of pairs for myself (one as a backup, one as prescription sunglasses to use when driving in the summer), but thought it prudent to get the first pair and see how they were before committing to more.  They came today, and I’m thrilled!  Three times I’ve tried to have the ones I bought from the optometrist adjusted, and despite that they still slide down my nose.  But I popped these $13 glasses on, and they fit perfectly!  It’s a strange feeling to put glasses on and have them stay right where I put them. 🙂  Dd’s also fit well and look good, with no need for adjustment.  The glasses are comparable in quality to the ones we’ve been buying for years for significantly more from the eye doctor. 

To be able to buy glasses online, you need to have an eye exam done, and know the prescription details, including pupillary distance (the site explains everything very clearly).  My prescription has stayed the same over the last few years, and dd had an eye exam (along with new glasses) in the summer, so we had the up to date details on record. If you’re a glasses wearer, or one of your kids is, you owe it to yourself to check out this possibility.  I’ve always felt that the expense of glasses was unavoidable, so it’s really fun to learn that it’s not!

Avivah 

My dryer has become increasingly problematic in the last few weeks.  It started by lengthening the drying cycles, until it would go for hours at a time even when set to the shortest setting.  At least the clothes were dry when we would finally realize the dryer hadn’t shut itself off, though.  It was annoying to have it running so long since it’s a huge electricity hog, and I try to keep my electric use in check by minimizing the use of things like this.  But my kids do the laundry, so I’m not usually aware of what setting they put things on, and they won’t mention something like the cycles taking longer than usual until it becomes very noticeable.  This is something that got worse and worse but didn’t seem like it was worth mentioning.

Then about a week and a half ago, even after hours in the dryer, the clothes weren’t coming out dry!   I suggested to my son on laundry duty for this month that he hang the clothes outside, a suggestion that met with a less than enthusiastic reception.  He didn’t feel there was much appeal standing outside in the cold, hanging laundry, not to mention that it’s a lot quicker to throw a load into the dryer.  So the laundry was backing up, and several family members were wondering why they had no shirts to wear, despite having sent them to the basement for washing long before (laundry is supposed to be done every 2 or 3 days, and as long as the clothes are brought down, they usually are washed in a timely way).  His frustration level mounted when he finally took me up on my suggestion to wash several loads at night before he went to sleep, and then hang them all at once in the morning. 

That sounds like a reasonable idea, doesn’t it?  The night he did all the laundry, he called the weather hotline to check if rain was expected.  It was, during the night, but it didn’t rain then.  So the next morning, before I was even up, thinking he was clear as far as rain went, he spent 45 minutes hanging up every piece of laundry, even the tiniest items.  And as he was finishing hanging everything, the skies opened up.  No, frustrated isn’t a strong enough term to express his feelings at that moment! 

Fortunately, my dear husband came to the rescue, and decided to learn some dryer repair. 🙂  He did some reading, and then opened up the dryer and took it apart.  (Doesn’t that sound impressive?  His friends thought so!)  He found a lot of lint accumulation, so he cleaned it out and put it all back together, hoping that would resolve the issue.  Unfortunately, it didn’t solve the problem, though it’s good to get the excess lint out of the way as it can become a fire hazard.  So he did some more reading, then took it apart again, and discovered that the heating element was burnt out. 

That necessitated buying another heating element, but when he did the initial pricing and discovered it would be $75 to buy it, he suggested it would be cheaper if I got a used dryer on Craig’s List.  I suggested that he first call a couple of appliance repairmen and find out if they had ideas for where to buy the piece.  He made a couple of calls, found a place to buy the element for $25 (and one of the repairmen offered him a job!), and went out to buy it.  Back at home, he was getting ready to put it in when he inadvertently stepped on the heating element that he had placed on the floor, smooshing the coil out of shape.  So he tried to reshape it, and installed it.  He turned on the dryer, only to watch it promptly short out!

Fortuntately, my husband isn’t a quitter, so back to the store he went, buying another $25 element (he said he considered the extra cost the fee for his education :)), and then again installed it.  Quick and easy this time around, and the dryer now works perfectly!  Not only is it heating properly, but the issue with the timer resolved, too.  And you can bet my son is relieved to have it working!

Avivah

Back in the summer, I shared with you that someone I know only very casually called me to ask if we’d be interested in a bunch of toys that her married daughter was getting rid of.  I said, ‘sure!’, and she brought over a few bags of toys.   Most of those toys weren’t suitable for our family, and it was one of the rare occasions that I thought to myself that I’d say ‘no’ if asked again.  But my kids enjoyed going through the bags, got some nice looseleafs from one bag, cleaned up and sold some of the Barbies from another bag, and we donated or threw away the rest. 

A couple of weeks after she offered us the toys, she called again, saying now she was cleaning and had some more toys. Those were a lot nicer!  When she brought them by we were chatting for a while, and she very hesitantly mentioned that she often froze leftover chicken and meat from Shabbos because she hates to throw it away. She doesn’t use it because it’s just her and her husband at home, and they don’t want to eat leftovers from Shabbos all week.  She didn’t want to offend me, but wondered if we might use it?  No, I wasn’t offended.  She said got the impression that we had similar values in terms of not being wasteful of resources and that’s why she thought to ask me.  So about once a month since then, she calls me and brings over her leftovers (just fleishigs, nothing else).  It’s a big enough amount for her in her freezer that it’s a burden, but small enough for us that it becomes one generous dinner. 🙂 Since it’s frozen, I can’t always tell exactly what each item is without defrosting it, so last time I decided they were all similar enough to throw everything into one pot – my kids kept saying how amazing it was!

I got another call yesterday from this same woman – would I be interested in a frozen 12 pound turkey?  (This is on sale now for $2.99 lb, so it’s a value of over $35.)  She bought two for Thanksgiving, but it was more than they needed, so they only cooked one.  It’s been in her freezer since then, because they don’t like turkey.  No problem, I assured her, I could find something to do with it. 🙂  At first I thought I’d put it in my freezer for Pesach, but when I sent one of the kids downstairs with it, they came back up telling me there was no room.  (I really have to go downstairs to see for myself why the freezer is so full, because it seems to me it shouldn’t be after I dehydrated lots of frozen veggies to empty it out.)  Since the only place I had space to put it was the fridge, it’s now defrosting there and we’ll enjoy it for Shabbos. 

I have a policy of saying ‘yes’ to just about everything that is offered to us unless I’m sure it’s something we won’t use.  (Don’t think I have offers right and left being made to me – I don’t, but when it happens this is my policy.)  I may not be able to use it, but I always ask the person offering it to me if it would be okay with them if I pass it on if it doesn’t meet our needs.  The reason I say ‘yes’ even if I’m not sure it will be useful to us is that once you say ‘no’ to someone, do you think they’ll feel comfortable asking you again the next time?  Probably not.  We live in a time of so much material abundance that people are afraid to offend someone by offering them something.  But people don’t usually make these offers because they see someone else as being in need or lacking – it’s because they have something they value that they would rather to give to someone they know who will appreciate it than an impersonal thrift store.  When they see that you’re a person who accepts their offer in the spirit it was intended, they can feel good about sending your way whatever they give you, and might even think of you again in the future when they have something to pass on.   I think H-shem has many ways to send brocha (blessing) into our lives, and sometimes it’s through other people.  You have to make it easy for them, though!

We’ll certainly be enjoying our turkey dinner with our guests this Friday night!

Avivah