Miscellany (a great pencil sharpener, a cute owl hoodie, and more!)
On Thursdays, I alternate between Five Frugal Things and a Miscellany post. Today: miscellany is up!
Clearance Shopping
Yesterday, I had to stop at Target for a few things, and I noticed some girls' clothes on clearance.
I bought this $3 gold and gray shirt in medium and large so both Sonia and Zoe could have one.
And then I spied this adorable owl sweatshirt for Zoe on the clearance shelf. I knew Sonia and Zoe would both want one, but unfortunately, they didn't have one in Sonia's size.
But as the third girl, Zoe doesn't get that many brand new items of clothing (all the hand me downs!), so I figure she was kind of due for something. 😉
Merry Christmas. In February.
I bought all three girls a book of stamps to put in their stockings at Christmastime and I put them in a safe spot after I bought them.
In fact, the spot was so safe, I completely forgot where it was.
Luckily, Lisey happened across them yesterday, so now the girls are all set for letter-writing.
Hot Chocolate
My kids have been choosing hot chocolate as their dessert after dinner, so the mix I made last week is almost gone.
You all suggested some delicious-sounding new hot chocolate mixes in the comments last week, so now I'm thinking I want to try several and do a taste test at my house.
Macaroons = Super Delicious
Yesterday I was bringing a meal to a church family, and since one household member has Celiac disease, I made chocolate-dipped macaroons for dessert.
They are easy and crazy delicious. So coconutty, so chewy, so soft....
I really love that macaroons are naturally gluten-free. You don't need any odd flours or gums to alter them, because macaroons never call for flour.
This is perfect when I'm cooking for someone who can't handle gluten, because gluten-free baking is a skill I haven't honed.
Come to think of it, these flourless peanut butter cookies that Lisey and I made a few years back would also be a good gluten-free option when I'm in this spot, because it doesn't call for any specialty baking ingredients either.
A sturdy, manual pencil sharpener
A month or so ago, a reader wrote to me to tell me about a pencil sharpener she thought we'd like. She told me they have a program where they send bloggers a free sharpener to try out, so, even though we already had a vintage sharpener that works well, I signed up so I could try it out for you guys!
I kind of hate electric pencil sharpeners because it seems like they eventually start sharpening pencils off-center, and that is so annoying. And that's why we bought our vintage one on eBay (also because Sonia saw one at my mom's house and thought it was really cool!).
This new sharpener is actually a little bit better than our vintage sharpener for most pencils. It's quieter, it sharpens to a finer point, and it's easier for young kids to use. Plus, you can buy new innards for your sharpener if yours get dull, and that's pretty fantastic.
Mine came with a counter mount, which doesn't work super well, but that's not a problem because it doesn't HAVE to be mounted. You clip the pencil in, hold the sharpener still with your hand, and turn the crank with your other hand.
The sharpener automatically stops when the pencils is sharp, so there's no over-sharpening.
The only downside is that it doesn't work super well with colored pencils. Our tend to break and get stuck in the rolling sharpeners, and then I have to take the sharpener apart and shake out the bit of colored lead.
So, we're using the vintage sharpener for colored pencils, and the new sharpener for all of our regular pencils.
Anyway, I think this is a great sharpener. It's heavy duty (metal, not plastic!), it sharpens well, it's quiet, and it's easy to operate.
You can buy these from Classroom Friendly Supplies at $25 each, but there are pretty big discounts if you buy multiples. If you get two other friends to go in with you, you'll pay only $17.99 apiece.
And that concludes this edition of miscellany!
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I love the Target clearance racks. They never disappoint. Great finds!
Love the post! Although I've never been to America or Target (haha) I love the bits you managed to pick up! Sounds like my perfect shopping trip. I lovvvvve bargains!
Thanks for the pencil sharpener recommendation. My wife is a retired schoolteacher, and she was always buying sharpeners that turned out to be slipshod and fell apart. When we were young, we didn't have the problems with them that are seen nowadays--I don't understand why!
Hurrah...A good pencil sharpener is always worth the effort to find and keep.
I am happy that you are keeping the dying art of letter writing going with your kids.
Target clearance racks have a special place in my heart. Both of my girls are always fashionable dressed thanks to my bargain finds 🙂
And I am so intrigued by the pencil sharpener. We use a lot of pencils here and just have the small hand held kind (that are pretty terrible). Now I'm off to do a little more research!
Could you share the macaroon recipe? Thanks in advance!
It's actually linked right in the post. See the orange letters that say "chocolate-dipped macaroons"? Whenever you see that in my posts, it's a link that you can click on to be taken to whatever I'm referencing at the moment.
Here's a direct link to the macaroon recipe: http://www.bakingwithlisey.com/chocolate-dipped-coconut-macaroons/
That owl sweatshirt is the cutest thing I have seen in ages! Seeing it on Zoe made me smile. I'd love one for myself. I'd say a very worthwhile clearance purchase.
I used to love shopping for my kids at Target. I still regularly troll the clearance areas of the store for good deals on foods and personal products that I also have a coupon for. Very rarely will I find something for me to wear, as they have pretty cheaply made things for women. But in the men's area, I have gotten good deals on socks for the men around here, and sometimes T shirts, too. Plus, the Dollar Spot is a fun part of the store for inexpensive fun schtuffs.
Old pencil sharpeners are the best! I'm an elementary school teacher, and colored pencils are the death of pencil sharpeners--I don't know why, the lead must be different.
Adorable and awesome deals! Encouraging about the pencil sharpener -- why DO they always seem to break or dull? And that is very cool that you can replace the innards -- frugal, anti-landfill and useful and cuts down on the nuisance factor. The trifecta!
Great Target finds and thanks for the heads up on the sharpener. I have a $100 one in my online shopping cart at Staples right now because I've already gone through four others trying to find 'the one.'
Finding super deals makes me smile! I can't get a shirt at some thrift shops for $3.
When I was a kid, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, we had an old Boston metal sharpener that fastened to the wall of our closet. We left it at the house, without thinking, when we moved. Oh, how I've missed it all these years! I'll check this one out, thanks.
I've been watching that owl shirt for forever ... now I want to go see if it's on clearance in my daughter's size. 🙂 I always troll the clearance racks, especially this time of year.
Your peanut butter recipe would work well for celiac disorder--make sure you use a new jar of PB. A friend of mine told me that even a few bread crumbs in the peanut butter will cause a problem for her. Another oldie-but-goodie that works well is meringues, since they are just egg whites and sugar--I have added in chocolate chips (and nuts) because they are gluten free, and, you know, chocolate fixes everything. I have made this recipe before--the banana and peanut butter eliminate the need for flour, and they are meltingly good. http://www.averiecooks.com/2014/05/flourless-double-chocolate-peanut-butter-mini-blender-muffins.html Recipes that use Rice Krispies or corn flakes can also work, but you have to check to make sure they are gluten-free (buying name-brand instead of Aldi may help). I haven't tried the alternate flours and techniques, either, but these have given me enough variety when I've needed to supply gluten-free goodies.
I know Aldi's chex cereal is gluten-free (just like regular Chex) but I haven't looked at the rice krispies or corn flakes before.
I hope the owl sweatshirt is in stock at your Target!
Good to know about Aldi's chex cereal. I'm sure your friends appreciated your inclusion of a tasty treat along with a meal.
If you choose a new favorite hot chocolate recipe, please share! I think I missed those comments last week and I'm needing a good recipe. I love some hot chocolate and hate buying mix. It's also rarely chocolatey enough for me. Share your taste test! I'm curious how that goes 🙂
I definitely will post the results!
I have made your peanut butter cookies for a friend in our Sunday School class that is gluten sensitive. I think she really appreciates having something she can eat because she usually has to skip desserts. And I am bringing dessert for our next gathering, so I think these macaroons will be what I make!
Growing up my mother always forgot something she had bought for Christmas. It was always fun getting it later. I think it was usually appreciated more.
Loved the hot chocolate posts, too. Rabbit trail of printing & hunting the other ones referred to. Also made me smile to see Zoe scanning an issue of Cook's Country. A girl after my own heart!
I, too, think most of what Target sells (clothing) is poorly made. For sure, sizes never match the grandchildren. Where to get well-made, modest girls clothing? Especially one who isn't "girl" size, and women's are too old-style for a girl. Thanks for the macaroon link. Printing again...
The basics we've bought from Target (leggings, tees, etc.) have been good. I haven't really bought much there in the way of fashion tops and such, though. But the basics have held up long enough to be handed down, which makes me happy.
I saw this recipe and thought you and Lisey might enjoy a try at it!
http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/peanut-butter-flourless-chocolate-cake/#more-36211
Oh wow, that is beautiful!
My daughter (just turned 9) got a $20 target gift card from a friend. She bought a $10 Ever After High doll, that same grey and gold shirt ($4 at our target) and a skirt for $5. I kicked in a dollar for tax.
Good for her!
I did a Hot Chocolate taste test a few years ago when I decided to gift it for Christmas. I had all my friends over and we just went to town with different recipes cobbled together.
Taste wise, we unanimously voted 50/50 hersheys cocoa powder and sugar to be the best.
But it doesn't dissolve very easily. 2nd runner up was a concoction with powdered milk and a touch of cinnamon.
I'd suggest buying a tiny bit of cardamom and trying a pinch of that and a pinch of salt in your next batch.
Also, Hot Chocolate made with milk instead of water, while not very frugal, is just the best.
I really hope you have fun with a hot chocolate taste test!
We have had that sharpener (in red) for quite some time and it has now become dull. I was not able to find the replacement tool on-line anywhere. If you have seen a link to it, please let me know. Otherwise, we will have to go and buy a new one, but the red one has so many memories attached, says my daughter, who is now a school teacher in 3rd grade. The sharpener is in her classroom and tells me that her kids love using it.
Sure thing! Here's the replacement blade for this sharpener: http://www.classroomfriendlysupplies.com/collections/frontpage/products/replacement-blade
And here's a brand new red one: http://www.classroomfriendlysupplies.com/collections/frontpage/products/single-firehouse-red
I bought the sharpener (in Groovy Green) about a month ago. We love it!!!!!!! Thanks so much for recommending it.
Awesome! I'm really glad that it's working well for you guys.
Thanks for the pencil sharpener recommendation. I really impressed on it. And i am gonna bought one. Hope it will be work perfectly.