Comments on: Monday Q&A | What is “doubled in size”? Plus, clothing for older kids.

By: leigh ann

leigh ann — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 21:08:41 +0000

I am trying to pare down our wardrobes and be interested to know
What you include in your and the kids.

By: Julia

Julia — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:11:57 +0000

We also survive without a lot of clothes—my husband actually has more clothes than I do, since he has work clothes and weekend clothes, and I only have “homeschool mom” clothes, and a few skirts etc. left from my previous life in the working world. The house we’re renting now has an enormous walk-in closet in the master, and it’s only 1/4 full. A friend of my son saw it the other day and was astonished at how empty it is. (It’s mostly used as storage for boxes we’re not unpacking since we’ll only be living here a year or so.) Apparently, her mom’s similar closet is filled to the brim and then some!

By: denisebc

denisebc — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:24:45 +0000

I have a teenaged daughter. Aside from bras, needed shoes and warm outerwear, bought with me at sale prices only, we go through her clothes together and decide what she needs-not wants. I then check out sale prices and give her an ammount based on sale prices. I then let her shop with the reminder about what she needs. We have always shopped at tag sales, Goodwill and consignment shops so she knows where to go and where her money will get her the most stuff. She shops alone or with friends and she buys what she wants with that money. The hard part is to let her make her own decisions and mistakes. If she blows her money on skirts instead of warm clothes then she has to live with the consequences. The really hard part for me is not to give in and let her have any more $. When kids get desperate, they can get very creative and it is all a learning process.

By: dogear6

dogear6 — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:42:45 +0000

Sorry – to answer your original question – if it’s not cooked enough, toast it. Even cold toast (like to take for lunch) is pretty edible.

By: dogear6

dogear6 — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:41:43 +0000

I use an instant read thermometer to see if my bread is done enough. I use 185 to 190 degrees. In other words, adjust the temperature for how you like it. Mine tends to still be moist but not gooey.

By: Forest

Forest — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:56:55 +0000

As the first commenter said Plato’s Closest is a great place to shop… It’s a little more than thrift stores but all the stuff is good… well mostly, and they do men’s, women’s kids, whatever…. Also if you have some good gently used clothese to get rid of they may buy them, although they can be picky.

Great post.

By: simplymichele

simplymichele — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:32:01 +0000

Clothing
Last year, I was introduced to “The Pound Sale” at the Goodwill. All the clothing are in bins and ya have to sort through the bins. (Hand sanitizer recommended). When you are all done and ready to check out, your items are weighed. (The more you buy, the less they charge you per pound). I bought 12# of clothes for about $20. My teenage daughter felt like she hit the best bargain sale because of all the name brand clothing and all the tank tops she found for layering.

Bread
(someone gave me this tip)
On a nice day(but not a hot day)………..put your bowl of bread dough outside in your car to rise. Because of the mild winter here in Washington State this year, I was able to do that several times last month.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:01:07 +0000

Since my teens have grown up with Goodwill and hand me downs, they aren’t resistant to getting used. (Some of my friends’ teens are more picky.) One problem my son has run into, though, is that we can’t always find used (jeans in particular) in his size. I will set a price that I’m willing to pay for new ($5 for a t-shirt, for instance, because that’s their price at our thrift stores), and I’ll specify how many I’m willing to buy. We’ve found that Old Navy sales are really good, and their clearance rack can also be good. If you go to OldNavy.com, you can sometimes score coupons, and often when you shop they give you an online survey that will get you a coupon for your next visit.

By: Eleanor W. Craig

Eleanor W. Craig — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:25:19 +0000

A comment on clothing for the size 4 daughter:
I am a petite adult, almost 5’3″ and have been a size four for decades, so, here are my shopping tips.
I rarely buy “new” clothing.
A Goodwill or similar thrift store in an upscale neighborhood is a goldmine! I buy blouses, tee shirts, sweaters, skirts, jackets, really every thing but pants and jeans there. (For some reason, I don’t enjoy scouring the jeans section for the right item.)
eBay is another fabulous source! Measure your daughter and start looking! I have bought numerous items from eBay and have never had to send an item back because it did not fit. If the seller does not provide a measurement you are needing (like width across the back, shoulder to shoulder) ask. They want to sell and will answer.

Here’s how I solved my jeans dilemna as a curvy size 4: I made an unheard of “new” clothes shopping trip specifically for jeans. I bought several pairs, in three different brands, that fit well. Took them home, washed and wore for a couple of months, and was still happy with the fit, so I started eBaying and found more of each brand for $10 or less each. I finally found brands that fit at a western wear store, of all places. I bought low rise jeans in Levi’s and a brand I love called “Cruel Girl.” I also bought a couple of pairs of Wrangler “auras” for dressier jeans. They are cut for women, with a waistline that will hit just below the natural waist. Oh, FYI I buy junior size 3 in the Levi’s and Cruel Girl, and 2 in the Wrangler aura.
I hope this helps!

By: Judith

Judith — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:13:05 +0000

Franci,

A few thoughts about yoru doughy bread dilemma. I had the same issues when I first started baking bread. First, get an oven thermometer and make sure your oven is heating to the temperature you have it set to. Also, I learned from experinece (and some advice from my mom) that aluminum foil helps too. Bake your bread until it browns then cover it with the foil. Make sure the foil is shiny side down because the shiny side actually deflects the heat but the matte side absorbs. The foil keeps the bread from burning or overbrowning while baking the inside of the bread. Another thing I learned about my under baked bread is that I wasn’t letting it rise enough and putting too much dough into my pans which makes it too dense to bake through in the allotted time. Hope this helps.