Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Doing nothing

I am a big fan of doing nothing until I actually do it.  It is almost 2 pm and I have done NOTHING of import all day.  Snowstorms do that to me.  But around mid-afternoon - like NOW - I start to berate myself.  I haven't even READ anything today.  I have six books waiting to be read.   I haven't done ANYTHING and tomorrow - or the next day - when I have to go back to work, I will kick myself for not taking advantage of all that "FREE TIME".

There are so many easy ways to waste time.  This morning, I found myself mesmerized as I read the scrolling list of day cares on the weather channel.  I have no children at home.  Go figure.  Well, I get better get moving.  I still have some free time left.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Containers that I love

Here is a list of the containers that I like a lot:
Oatmeal boxes:  They're round and they're boxes!  That's reason enough.

Clear plastic clamshell containers - the ones that produce comes in.  I recycle them.  But as I put them in the recycling bin, I can't help wondering what kinds of stuff I could store in them.  The possibilities are endless.

Really big coffee cans, or plastic jugs:  These are great for collecting compost, or storing batteries in before recycling or holding buttons and beads.  And they're big and they're round, too.  I like the ones that have handles molded into the plastic.  How convenient, if unnecessary.  How many of us are going to tote around a 3 pound container of coffee?

Shoe boxes:  Oh how I love shoe boxes! Shoe boxes are a whole world of organizational potential in themselves.  I can store photos in them.  I could make dioramas out of them, except I have no need to make dioramas.  I can organize small office supplies in them and all those little things that collect in my junk drawer. They make great valentine mailboxes for kids.  Or underbed treasure storage; or stackable craft supply storage because they are flat.  And they have lids that detach so anyone can open and close them easily, unlike other boxes that need the lids tucked in, in that special over-under way, to keep them closed.

Copier paper boxes:  They are like really big shoe boxes and they are great for storing fabrics and yarn and old magazines and holiday decorations and they stack too!!!  (Sigh!)  I wish I had one right now....

Glass jars:  For specialty cookie mixes, and paper beads, and soup mix, and to store bread crumbs and cornflake crumbs in.  Glass jars are excellent.

I also like pill bottles but I never use them for anything.  Recycling has made the need to find other uses for containers sort of obsolete.

And I hardly ever do any of the organizing that these containers promise that I can.  I wonder if my affection for these containers is just nostalgia.  There was a time when the things I cherished most could fit in several shoe boxes.  Now, I want decorative baskets with matching liners.  Shoe boxes are a whole lot cheaper, though.  And they stack!