Froglet Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 I am (technically) on holiday and am just having a brand new kitchen installed which, as I love to cook and bake, is very exciting and I'm thrilled - I keep going and opening empty drawers and cupboards just to sigh and then close them again (they do that cool slow close thing so they don't slam)! However, I've been sighing at myself during the installation for the following reasons: - as I cleared the old kitchen I took the shelves and grill pan out of the old oven thinking 'these will be good for a music wall'! - when the tiler finished the walls yesterday I was thrilled to see there was a good pile of left over cream 6inch tiles which I thought would be lovely for doing some art work or setting out resources on. - today when the poor tiler was finishing the floor I was hovering to try and calculate how many he was going to need to finish off and whether there would be any left in the box. (12 inch, slate grey square tiles also lovely for setting out resources on). There were 2 left! I've just put my recycling out and rescued a small tin can because I saw an idea for a 'make your own' magnetic construction kit that I want to try out. I have a collection of empty jam jars because they are a good size and width for the new creative area I'm planning to set up. I have various other collections of things (bottle top lids springs to mind) and am wondering if I'll ever switch off! What's your best random 'save' for your setting and did you actually use it? There's a little bit of me worries that I'll never get around to actually using them for all those lovely ideas to come to fruition! 1 Quote
sunnyday Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 Ah Froglet - 'tis a real problem isn't it - I save 'everything' - well perhaps not quite everything.........my despairing staff have been heard to mutter "goodness knows what she is planning for those/it" whichever applies In the main - I think that I do use all of my saved/rescued items! :1b A new kitchen - how absolutely brilliant - enjoy! :1b Quote
louby loo Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 I'm like you and it drives my husband nuts!!......... although that said it has started happening to him too now- yesterday he gave me a whole pile of two inch square 'off cuts' from a Venetian blind he fitted for someone, saying 'I thought these would be good for a craft with the children' :-) :-) :-) X 1 Quote
sunnyday Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 I'm like you and it drives my husband nuts!!......... although that said it has started happening to him too now- yesterday he gave me a whole pile of two inch square 'off cuts' from a Venetian blind he fitted for someone, saying 'I thought these would be good for a craft with the children' :-) :-) :-) X Ah they soon come round to our way of thinking don't they! 1 Quote
Froglet Posted July 29, 2014 Author Posted July 29, 2014 So glad it's not just me! I'm usually pretty good at not turning it into a never ending hoarding habit - I save a class's worth of eggboxes for a specific project just in case then all my others go straight into the making area. I can find it hard to use things up if someone else has saved them for me - I tend to need a specific project in mind. Recently though I noticed in the supermarket that they are selling one brand of eggs in boxes of 10 rather than a dozen. I keep looking at them thinking 'they must be good for some kind of maths activity'! I just can't think what at the moment so have resisted buying for now... As for other people being on board with the right way of thinking... last week I went for a wander round a local country park with my mum and dad. I mentioned an idea I'd had about creating a sort of visual dictionary for phrases like 'dappled shade' and 'cotton wool clouds' to help develop my Y1 writing. My mum took out her phone there and then and took a photo of the dappled shade and cotton wool clouds which had sparked my comment. I'd also mentioned an idea I'd seen for children to create self-portraits from slices of logs with natural materials to make the features. Mum and Dad came to inspect the kitchen this evening and as he walked through the door Dad handed me a slice of log saying "would that be about right for what you want to do?" and then gave me the shop till he mended for me! Sunnyday - there is no doubt that I will be enjoying the kitchen! As soon as I get a coat of paint on the walls and figure out how to work the oven I'll be baking away (and Bake Off starts again soon for inspiration!) so I'll be well stocked for the trip to Cait's! 4 Quote
Fredbear Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 How lovely, I often wonder if I might turn into one of those hoarders seen on the telly, as I put just one more thing in my car, garage or hallway. Quote
Froglet Posted July 29, 2014 Author Posted July 29, 2014 How lovely, I often wonder if I might turn into one of those hoarders seen on the telly, as I put just one more thing in my car, garage or hallway. I've wondered that about myself before but actually I don't like visual clutter - too much 'stuff' makes me feel itchy! I do enjoy a good, ruthless sort out though and that lovely feeling of knowing that things are clean, tidy and organised inside! So much so that sometimes I've wondered if I accumulate a certain level of mess just so I can enjoy the therapy of sorting it out! 1 Quote
Stargrower Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 I love a good 'throw out' too - it's a necessity as I live in a tiny cottage. But my nursery is pretty spacious so I just dump everything there (I mean take things in for the children to use in purposeful and creative play of course!) Quote
Froglet Posted July 29, 2014 Author Posted July 29, 2014 My house isn't huge either - plenty big enough for me. I confess to taking the odd thing in to school because 'we're bound to find a use for it' when I really can't quite bear to part with things. Last year I was doing things the opposite way round - I had so many books/folders resources from school that I was determined to find time to sort through at home but never did. I started taking them back a few weeks ago as I need to clear my living room and dining room ready for plastering! Quote
Guest sn0wdr0p Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 Ah Froglet, how long will it be until you get a junk draw in your kitchen full of bits and bobs that won't go anywhere else. Mine has daft things like toffee hammer, string, screwdrivers, picture hooks, candles, take away menus, hair ties, grapefruit spoons, cellophane and other assorted items that I will never wants until they are too creased etc. to use anyway. Quote
Fredbear Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 By the way my house is actually clean and organised really. I do love a good old clear out once in awhile. It makes space for new things. 1 Quote
louby loo Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 Can I pretend my house is clean and organised please?!!! :-) x ...... Well it is clean (ish) :-) xxx 4 Quote
Panders Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 We use the ten egg box trays for maths, very simple. We have small coloured cube bricks, throw the die and put that many bricks into the egg box cups, we then ask q's such as how many spaces do you have left, how many more do you need, and if a mixture of coloured bricks have you got more or less of one colour than another. The game moves quite quickly with good players so they don't become frustrated waiting their turn and the little ones are getting good practice counting and seeing how 10 looks 4 Quote
Guest sn0wdr0p Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 Mine's a tip. My staff don't believe my house could be a mess. Too much time spent at work and 3 very untidy boys. I would love to get a cleaner but I would have to spend too much time tidying up before they came. I always think that as long as the bathrooms, bedding and kitchen are clean the rest is not so important. I did spend 3 hours cleaning out the wheelie bins yesterday though. As the food bins are only collected every two weeks maggots had bred - disgusting - out with the jeyes fluid and the hosepipe. Ooh I do love the smell of cleaning fluids. Quote
Panders Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 So glad it's not just me! I'm usually pretty good at not turning it into a never ending hoarding habit - I save a class's worth of eggboxes for a specific project just in case then all my others go straight into the making area. I can find it hard to use things up if someone else has saved them for me - I tend to need a specific project in mind.Recently though I noticed in the supermarket that they are selling one brand of eggs in boxes of 10 rather than a dozen. I keep looking at them thinking 'they must be good for some kind of maths activity'! I just can't think what at the moment so have resisted buying for now... I feel similar in that I'm a bit OCD about what I want collected and would rather collect all myself if possible, yes jam jars have to be a particular one , egg boxes, see above post!, I collected polystyrene pizza bases one year to make stars from for the hall decorations at Christmas. I like small interesting boxes for the modelling rather than huge cereal ones ..... It's endless but at least the family got used to asking if they could throw anything away first before they got the yes or no! Quote
Guest sn0wdr0p Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 I LOVE the little cereal selection packs for my play kitchen. Quote
Froglet Posted July 29, 2014 Author Posted July 29, 2014 Ah Froglet, how long will it be until you get a junk draw in your kitchen full of bits and bobs that won't go anywhere else. Mine has daft things like toffee hammer, string, screwdrivers, picture hooks, candles, take away menus, hair ties, grapefruit spoons, cellophane and other assorted items that I will never wants until they are too creased etc. to use anyway. Never! It's a little kitchen and every precious drawer is spoken for! ;-) I will admit to a small dish on a bookcase which accumulate odd things but I'm pretty sure everything else has a home. We use the ten egg box trays for maths, very simple. We have small coloured cube bricks, throw the die and put that many bricks into the egg box cups, we then ask q's such as how many spaces do you have left, how many more do you need, and if a mixture of coloured bricks have you got more or less of one colour than another. The game moves quite quickly with good players so they don't become frustrated waiting their turn and the little ones are getting good practice counting and seeing how 10 looks Thank you so much - now I have an excuse to buy them! :-) I feel similar in that I'm a bit OCD about what I want collected and would rather collect all myself if possible, yes jam jars have to be a particular one , egg boxes, see above post!, I collected polystyrene pizza bases one year to make stars from for the hall decorations at Christmas. I like small interesting boxes for the modelling rather than huge cereal ones ..... It's endless but at least the family got used to asking if they could throw anything away first before they got the yes or no! Absolutely! I've never met anyone else who gets that! I struggle if someone brings in a box that has been ripped open or opened upside down! ;-) I automatically categorise and sort things and the way my classroom is arranged has its own logic. My HT is an inveterate rearranger of spaces but has learned that if he wants to do anything in my room or even the general areas in school it's best to make sure I know the reasoning behind a new arrangement and usually involve me in making it or I really do get panicky! 1 Quote
louby loo Posted July 29, 2014 Posted July 29, 2014 I did spend 3 hours cleaning out the wheelie bins yesterday though. As the food bins are only collected every two weeks maggots had bred - disgusting - out with the jeyes fluid and the hosepipe. Ooh I do love the smell of cleaning fluids. My top tip for this problem - if you leave the lid open the birds are more than happy to clear all maggots. :-) Mind you, ours are collected weekly so not really much of a problem for us now. Quote
Froglet Posted July 29, 2014 Author Posted July 29, 2014 Snowdrop - I was just looking at the list of things in your junk drawer again. I don't have a toffee hammer or grapefruit spoons but all the other things do have a specific home. If I did have a toffee hammer it would either go in my cutlery drawer in the section with the garlic press, tin opener etc (useful tools not in daily use) or it would go with my sugar thermometer. The grapefruit spoons would also go in the cutlery drawer but would annoy me because they didn't fit tidily! My 'junk dish' currently has in it... All my spare watches Batteries on their way to be recycled The curtain hooks that have fallen off my living room curtains and I haven't got round to putting back yet My lego Santa key ring (waiting for December to arrive) An Allen key and some cup hooks (which really should go back in my tool box) My bronze and silver badges for giving blood - not really jewellery so can't go in my jewellery box, I never wear that kind of thing but am proud of them so don't wasn't to throw them out! Is anyone beginning to feel that they are very, very glad they don't live or work with me?! Quote
Guest sn0wdr0p Posted July 30, 2014 Posted July 30, 2014 My cutlery drawer is overflowing - my mum was a bit of a horder and when she died I kept all her cutlery as well. I have five sets of cutlery in there. She also had about 30 margarine tubs - I didn't work in early years so I did actually throw them but oh my I could have made use of them now. We never use the grapefruit spoons but rather than throw them............. I occasionally use them for geting the inside out of melons and at halloween for the pumpkins. Toffee hammer? I grind my teeth and have had to have four capped so sadly no toffee and I do so love Thorntons Special Toffee. I also have curtain hooks in mine and super glue. I have four very large drawers that I use for cutlery, kitehen utensils etc. I think most of my junk belongs in the garage so really it's all my husbands fault. (I never venture in the garage as its a heavenly place for all the males in my house full of half restored cars and I gave up getting into my chest freezer many moons ago. I could hike to the top of Everest with more ease than getting over the piles of metal then removing everything off the top of it. Quote
sunnyday Posted July 30, 2014 Posted July 30, 2014 Michael McIntyre does a lovely 'sketch' about one of those 'special drawers' he refers to it as a 'man drawer' - hmmm wonder if it's on YouTube - well worth a watch if you can find it!!! 2 Quote
SueJ Posted July 30, 2014 Posted July 30, 2014 Is this thread a bit like AA where we all have to confess? - if so it must be my turn - I am a sad saver too currently saving small water bottles (want to make a water bottle cold frame for the pre-school allotment), white pebbles that are currently washing up on the beach near me (however I have to quality assure them as they must be fairly flat and just the right size - the daughter's affianced was somewhat peeved that his "find" didn't pass muster :rolleyes: ) - I am turning these into number pebbles (1-20) for various activities including the sandpit - any bits of ribbon that come my way (sensory trays) - end of year shredding (compost bin) - I really must get out more 1 Quote
sunnyday Posted July 30, 2014 Posted July 30, 2014 I will be amazed if that works!!! :rolleyes: 2 Quote
Froglet Posted July 30, 2014 Author Posted July 30, 2014 Snowdrop - maybe I can get away with a limited junk drawer because my mum and dad live very close and Dad's garage (note Dad's not Mum's!) is like a giant store of random DIY things. In the house there are also often useful things. I don't have a huge amount of space to store the full range of baking tins I'd like but no worries - mum does! Is this thread a bit like AA where we all have to confess? - if so it must be my turn - I am a sad saver too currently saving small water bottles (want to make a water bottle cold frame for the pre-school allotment), white pebbles that are currently washing up on the beach near me (however I have to quality assure them as they must be fairly flat and just the right size - the daughter's affianced was somewhat peeved that his "find" didn't pass muster :rolleyes: ) - I am turning these into number pebbles (1-20) for various activities including the sandpit - any bits of ribbon that come my way (sensory trays) - end of year shredding (compost bin) - I really must get out more You have a beach? With pebbles?! I'm moving in! I have been trying to collect pebbles for the same purpose for ages but the pebbles in my garden, school grounds and my parents garden are all the wrong kind! I think I'm going to have to resort to 'number butter beans'... And what is a water bottle cold frame? If it means I need to save things I might need to have one! As a child I used to save the 'treat size smartie' boxes - which took ages because we didn't get them often. I think I had a vague plan of making dolls house furniture out of them but really it was just because I liked the way they all stacked together. If we're confessing I will admit to a huge stack (of carefully sorted, stacked and arranged) plastic plant pots. You know the ones you get when you buy new plants or people give you plants? Well what on earth do you do with them once aforementioned plant is safely planted out in your garden? I can't throw them out? I don't do the kind of gardening which means I'd pass them on to other people so they sit comfortably on a shelf in my shed, gradually accumulating spiders! Whoa - I'm officially amazed! Nothing like a bit of amazement first thing in the morning! I loved it thank you. Am now tempted to start my own 'man drawer' just in case I get a 3am 'This mission if you choose to accept it...' call! 2 Quote
Guest sn0wdr0p Posted July 30, 2014 Posted July 30, 2014 Very funny. Very insightful - he must have hidden cameras in my house to write some of that sketch. Quote
Guest sn0wdr0p Posted July 30, 2014 Posted July 30, 2014 OK I admit it - I bought stones from B & Q. Great painted with acrylic paint and turned into bugs. Ladybirds were brilliant for counting spots. Quote
Cait Posted July 30, 2014 Posted July 30, 2014 A few years ago I was saving the green plastic milk bottle tops for a project we were doing on wheels and circles. It took a while to get OH into not throwing them into the recycle bag, but he got it - but has never 'un-got it' sigh. Tesco do small individual ice creams in oval pots with lids that snap back on and are fabulous for things like sequins and glitter etc. preschool has loads of them, and they are even great for filling with rum butter at the Christmas fair. We had ice cream the other night, and after I had washed them I asked him what on earth we were meant to do with them now, as we weren't going to be able to bring ourselves to throw them out! I think I'm going to come across quite a lot of stuff I automatically just took to work; medicine boxes (I got quite good at splitting and turning inside out) toothpaste boxes, kitchen roll middles, empty shampoo bottles, interestingly shaped lids of any kind, teeny holiday shampoo bottles ....... 3 Quote
Froglet Posted July 30, 2014 Author Posted July 30, 2014 During term time I have a carrier bag hung on the door between my dining room and kitchen - in it go all the useful boxes/containers/things that look interesting I come across and once a week I take it in to school and decant into my making area (the empty bag then goes into our spare pants drawer just in case!). Once we get to the holidays I try to stop this and just put things into 'normal' recycling but I always manage to find something that I need to save - kitchen roll middles - you don't get them that often so you can't just throw them out! Maybe we should suggest to councils a whole new level of recycling - you sort out your glass, paper, plastic and 'stuff that's useful for Early Years'! In her retirement Cait could tour the country advising on what constitutes 'useful' and possibly diversify into a food packaging consultant to ensure an appropriate supply of resources. The rest of us could be very highly paid local experts! 3 Quote
Cait Posted July 30, 2014 Posted July 30, 2014 I could have a tv programme and call you all in, a 'craft off' .......... Ooh 2 Quote
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