Do we wear clothes more than one day? And are Calico Critters worth the money?
Every other Monday, I answer reader questions. Got one for me? Send me an email and I'll add your question to a future Q&A post.
Wearing Clothes Multiple Days
This might be somewhat off topic of what you usually write about but it is something I wondered about. Katy at The Nonconsumer Advocate talks about wearing items of clothing multiple times before washing and I was wondering what your family does. Do you dress to leave the house everyday or do your kids sometimes wear their pjs all day like mine do? 😉
- Michele
The answer to this is: it depends!
In the summer, almost no one in this house wears clothes twice before washing them. We just get too hot and sweaty, and I definitely do not want to put sweaty clothes back on in the morning unless I'm going to work out.
In the winter, it depends on how dirty I get. I almost never wear a shirt twice, but if I've worn a sweatshirt over top of my shirt and I didn't get it messy while cooking, I will wear that twice.
And some of us wear jeans a couple of times before washing them as well.
Shirts just are problematic when it comes to double-wearing, in my opinion...young kids tend to get their shirts messy, and older kids/adults tend to get their shirts sweaty.
About dressing for the day: even though I am a hardcore homebody, given my preference, there aren't a lot of days where I get to stay home for the whole day.
(Boo!)
So, I get dressed/do my hair/put on a little makeup every day. I tend to do that whether I'm going somewhere or not, though, so perhaps that's just how I'd roll regardless.
I like to get up, get dressed, make myself look a little put-together, and then get started on my day, and I'm not particularly tempted to hang around in my pjs.
My kids vary. They get dressed when we leave the house (of course!), but some days, Zoe likes to stay in her pjs all day if she's not going anywhere.
(She says she's fulfilling homeschool stereotypes. Ha.)
All that said, we are a fairly casual family, so when I say we get dressed to leave the house, it's not like we're putting on collared shirts. Jeans and long-sleeved t-shirts are the unofficial uniform around here!
Are Calico Critters worth the money?
This question came in from a reader on Instagram, but I thought it would be good to answer here too.
You all have probably noticed that Sonia and Zoe have a little village of Calico Critters (complete with family portraits on their bedroom wall!). They ARE an expensive toy, but I've felt like they're worth it.
Why?
For one thing, I love that they are very imagination-centered toys. The only batteries involved are the ones that light up the houses, so they're pretty much entirely kid-run toys. You can't sit back and watch Calico Critters...you have to make up stories and dialogue and scenes, and I think those kinds of toys are really excellent for kids.
Another thing I like is that Calico Critters are really different than the rather grown-up, sexy toys that are marketed to young girls. I don't have anything against pink per se, but I don't especially like the leggy, doe-eyed look that newer girls' toys have.
(Old Queen Frostine vs. new, image via)
Calico Critters are all pleasantly round and short, none of them have those weird enormous eyes, and while there's some pink, it's not the dominant color in Calico Critter world.
Calico Critters seem to stand the test of time pretty well too. None of our animals have broken so far, although a few Calico Critter chairs have been smashed because they've been stepped on.
(Most can be repaired with good glue, though.)
Calico Critters tend to be about the same price no matter where you shop, so we typically buy ours at a little local toy shop, but they're also available at Amazon or at stores like Toys R' Us.
Also, since they hold up well, you could probably find some good second-hand deals on craigslist or eBay (especially if you're shopping for a Calico Critter house or car.)
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Alrighty! The floor is yours, readers.
Do you wear clothing multiple days? And if you own Calico Critters, have you felt like they're worth the price?
Jeans-yes!! Other clothing-NO : )
As for wearing cloths more than once, I do the look and smell test. If they look clean and smell fresh, they get worn again (except underwear). This happens a lot more with bottoms than with tops. Doesn't Levi recommend against washing their jeans? I think you're supposed to freeze them instead.
The MAN who suggested that apparently does not understand the differences between men's and women's bodies. 😉
Yes, it was a man. And I agree 100%.
Is the orange hoodie picture of Kristin or Lisey?! I had to look twice! You look so much alike, and you look like a teenager!
One thing not mentioned, is bath towels...I use mine then hang it up, then use it again the next day. I figure since I'm just stepping out of the shower and I'm as clean as I'm ever going to be, it's ok, as long as it dries out between uses.
I wear a pair of jeans twice before washing, unless I spilled something on them. As far as tops, yes, I will wear more than once in the winter, but like you Kristin, I get a little sweaty here in hot Texas in the summer so I usually wash after each wearing then.
We do the same thing with towels. We hang them up to air-dry, and use them for about a week before they need a wash. This works especially well in the winter when the air is drier. In the summertime, I have to wash them a little more frequently.
(and thank you for the compliment!)
Funny, that's the opposite of Oregon, where it's damp in winter and dry in the summer! Barely any humidity problems in summer here.
As my kids would say, I'm jelly!
I'm with you on the toys for children. My daughter is 18 months and after buying a Monster High Doll (wish list item) for a Adopt-A-Family child, I'm always thinking about what kind of toys are going to be around when she is older.
I love that you say the same thing I do about Candyland. My daughter isn't even 2 yet, but I wanted to buy her this game to play as it was my favorite. When I saw the new illustrations, I turned around and walked out of the store without buying it. Then a few months later, my husband and I were shopping at a flea market and I saw one. I actually almost screamed when I realized it was the original 1988 game. Complete. And in great condition. And for $2!!!!!!
Ooh, nice find on the Candyland!
But you can find other themed Candy Lands...such as Dora the Explorer...etc ew Monster High
Calico Critters are so worth the money!
I have 2 girls who are 4 and 7. They play with their critters everyday, all day. The critters live very elaborate lives. I love how much the kids imagine and how the toys are so well made. They also will stand the test of time -- my 4 year old plays with them and your big girls play with them (well, big girls to me!). I also like that my kids have a pretty even mix of male and female toys. It's great that they can imagine what they want -- they don't need a pretend world where girls only hang out with girls except for the occasional boyfriend.
My only con to the critters -- they hurt as much as stepping on a lego hurts. OUCH!
We are working on rewearing jeans and sweatshirts in our house, but I don't mind washing clothes.
I rewear my zip-up hoodies many (maybe too many!) times before washing. Jeans I wash about once a week. Tops that actually touch my skin directly get thrown in the wash every day because I get sweaty even in the winter (running after 18 preschoolers is sweaty work!)
My niece, who is 28, had Calico Critters when she was young and my mom saved them all. Now my niece's 3 year old daughter is getting them for Christmas! Yes, they do last and are a good investment. Some of the clothing needed repaired, but that was about it. I love to hear the stories the kids come up with when they play with imaginative-centered toys. Have a wonderful Christmas!
I re-wear clothes a lot! Not dirty/not smelly = fair game. 🙂
And my kids are now playing with the Calico Critters I played with as a kid - they do last forever! I might make some new clothes for a few of them, but for the most part they look almost fresh out of the box.
I don't sweat much, so I tend to wear my clothes more than once, except for underwear and socks.
Yep, often. Pants I wear until they are visibly soiled, shirts either that or until they smell. I have been known to air out delicates on the patio rather than hand-washing them. Partly this is because I work half-days. If I wear a sweatshirt in the morning and a nice sweater for work in the afternoon, neither of them is really dirty.
The children's shirts certainly rarely make it a second day. I do encourage them to look at their pants and put them back in the dresser if they stayed clean. (Big Brother, age 4, is a surprisingly tidy eater and especially if the weather was bad and he stayed indoors, these can often go another day. Little Brother usually has peanut butter on his.)
Things that get worn once than washed: shirts, undies, socks, workout gear, swimsuits
Worn twice, then washed; jeans/pants, bras
As needed (probably monthy or less): school sweatshirts/sweaters, coats, jackets
Every week: towels
Every other week: sheets, bathroom rugs (seriously the germiest thing in the bathroom!)
Those are MY rules. However my 12 and 10yo daughers follow the kid laundry rules (there's a great meme if you search)
1. Keep everything inside out.
2. Make sure underwear is attached to pants.
3. Do not empty pockets.
4. If it touches you, even for a second, it is dirty.
Lots of "growth opportunities" for my kiddos in the laundry arena! Thanks for a great post.
Yes! The inside out thing. Oy. I make my girls come down to the laundry room to turn their skinny jeans right side out. They just do not dry properly when they're half inside out/half right-side out!
We love Calico Critters! And just a heads up for those that have them on your Christmas shopping list... JoAnn's Fabrics now carries them and if you can snag a 50% off coupon, they are a great deal 🙂
I rewear clothes relatively often. Note these assume the garment is worn for a full day. Since I wear suits to work, that is rarely the case. So a t-shirt I wear for a couple hours in the evening will likely be worn again before washing.
Jeans, sweats, PJs - till they are visibly dirty, or smelly, or the next load of darks.
Bath towels - once a month, unless they get spilled on somehow. Aren't you clean when you come out of the shower?
Kitchen towels - get-dirty towels last 2-4 days, depending on how much cooking I do. The towels that are only for clean but wet things, last much longer.
"Nether garments" - once or till sweaty. I live in a humid area so this could be more than once a day in the summer
T-shirts, turtlenecks - summer, one wear or till sweaty; winter, could be twice, after airing out.
Exercise clothes - depends on weather and the exercise. Frex - yoga and tai chi clothes might be reworn, speed cycling clothes never.
I re-wear almost all of my clothes (except obviously not underwear)! I have an office job, so hardly ever are my dressy clothes dirty after work. I re-wear jeans and outerwear multiple times before washing as well. Weekend shirts are almost always washed after one wear since I have a toddler and do housekeeping on the weekends, so those are often dirty or have hand prints or food on them. I also just use common sense to see if it looks clean and smells clean. A good deodorant is key as well!!!
I think the kind of fabric makes a HUGE difference in how often you need to wash things. I'm a big fan of SmartWool base layers, and they seem to be able to handle multiple wearings without needing laundering - I usually just air them out overnight and then perform a sniff test the next day. Cotton is so-so - depends on if I wore it all day or just for a few hours when out running errands (I'm a homebody who tends to hang out in sweats or comfy stuff at home and only put on "nice clothes" if I'm going out.) Synthetic fabrics, on the other hand, tend to stink to high heaven after being worn for only a very short time.
Anyhow, I have a "transitional drawer" set aside for stuff that's been worn, but isn't dirty enough to need washing yet. If I've worn it but it isn't visibly dirty or doesn't smell bad, it goes into that drawer - so usually when I re-wear something, it's not the very next day. When I do laundry, I completely empty out the "transitional drawer" just to be sure nothing hangs out in there for an inordinate period of time!
Underwear and workout clothes, of course, go straight into the wash.
Other than socks & underwear, I'll re-wear things. I go by visible dirt/spots or smell. The majority of things will get washed every time when it's hot. The main exception to that is jeans & bras. That comes from living in a tropical rain forest climate where everything had to be washed by hand then air-dried in 100% humidity. Jeans would take about 4 days to dry; mold would grow on bras, etc. Airing clothes instead of putting them back in a closet or dresser out can help a lot.
When I have access to a washing machine, I'm likely to wash things more often. It's sometime easier to throw it in the hamper than to evaluate if it is ready for another day.
For my kids, their things get washed every time unless they only wore them for a brief time. They good about remembering to get their clothes to the hamper, and I don't want to complicate the system.
As far as dressing for the day, I always do that, although sometimes more casually than others. I've never really felt like my day has started if I'm in my pjs. It makes me cranky.
I'm surprised things dry at ALL in 100% humidity!
We just bought our 6-year old a Calico Critters house and family for her birthday. Not only does she love them, but our 4-year old son loves them so much that he's getting his own family for Christmas. It's normally impossible to get him to sit still unless he's getting his allotted "electronics" time, but he'll play with them for hours. I love that it's a really calming activity for him, while still utilizing his creativity. Plus, it teaches him that boys can do all the "house" stuff too.
We love Calico Critters and you can play with them even if you have (or will have) whiskers!
We have six kids and to keep from being completely overwhelmed by laundry we have an "if it doesn't have anything on it and it doesn't stink then you can wear it again" rule for pretty much anything except underwear, swimsuits, or things like that. We hang towels to reuse as well. (And theoretically they're color coded for each kid but that works better in theory than in practice.)
Some of my kids seem to be unusually tidy and some we've nicknamed "Pig-Pen" so not everyone gets as many re-wears. 😉
We wear jeans and sweaters twice before they get washed. Coats, hats, mittens, sheets, towels, and bath mats get washed every week on Sunday (it's laundry day since we usually don't go anywhere), and blankets get washed every other week on Sunday. I also try to get my son's favorite stuffed penguin in the washer every week, but it usually is every other week before I can convince him that Perry needs a bath.
I don't wash my jeans. Well, only if they get really dirty. Between the several pairs that I have, I wash them maybe three times a year. I know some find that gross but really, science proves it's totally fine. http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/not-washing-jeans-for-15-months-ok-healthwise-at-least-study
Occasionally in the summer I will hang them out on the clothesline to air out but they usually don't need it.
Per Candyland being sexied up, the original 1960s version is sold at Target. It's more expensive but if you can't find the original at a thrift store, that's the version I'd get. Fight with your wallet as they say.
If you (Kristen, or anyone) were going to suggest a starter set/abode/family for a 6yo girl ... what would it be? I was thinking dollhouse, but we're not long on space, so maybe this would be better.
Well, the family all depends on what animals you think she'd like best! The family sets are all pretty much the same...a mom, dad, son, and daughter. The babies are separate purchase.
My girls have the deluxe townhomes, only because my mother-in-law got them for a steal. They are normally fairly expensive. This cozy cottage starter home might be perfect, though, and it's $40: http://amzn.to/1HR2Q3I
Also, it comes with some furniture, which is great. And it doesn't look like it comes with super teeny items. Things like the bathroom set come with teensy toothbrushes and such, which might be challenging for a 6 year old to keep track of!
Target has a version of Calico Critters called L'il Woodzeez. I would skip their version of the animals themselves--they look cheaper and don't get very good reviews--but you may want to consider the other options. We have the camper set--a jeep with a camper--and it's fantastic! We have had it for over 2 years and it has held up very well. It is significantly less expensive than the CC camper and comes with all sorts of fun items like seats that recline into beds (the cushions are velcroed and can be un-velcroed into mattresses). The only part I don't like so well is that the jeep and camper are connected by a magnet and it doesn't hold them together well.
I think there is a house in the L'il Woodzeez version--it would be worth looking into. Really, I think you could make most dollhouses work for Calico Critters.
I think I will carry these suggestions to my kids' grandma and see what she thinks. Thank you for the good ideas!
Try to get two wearings out of jeans but depends on how the school day went 🙂 Shirts for school are one wearing but weekend tees and tops are sniff test. We air dry towels at home for several days before washing (live in dry SoCal) but towels from the gym are a one use/one wash situation since goodness knows what we'll pick up in the locker room.
Love the Calico Critters -- daughter had a little yellow-suited bear and I still have him on my dresser. She also had plastic Tea Bunnies for whom very elaborate houses and rooms were constructed. Sooo much fun and creativity! Yes, we had those annoying Barbies but so much more fun was had with the various critters.
My girls have just never liked dolls, Barbie-sized or baby doll sized or anything in between! They'd rather have animals, so Calico Critters are perfect for them.
I, on the other hand, loved my Fisher Price My Friend dolls. I saved them, thinking my children would enjoy them, but no such luck. They are all about the animals.
I'm so excited to hear all the positive comments about Calico Critters! I bought a set of the animals for each of my oldest daughters (ages 5 and 7) for Christmas. I hope they enjoy them. 🙂
This is an interesting topic! I wash socks and underwaare after each wearing, but everything else depends on whether or not it is dirty. I dress nicely for work but I put on jeans or sweats and a T- shirt (and at this time of year a fleece vest) each morning while I am getting the kids out the door, walking the dog etc. Pet hair is a real issue with my work cloths so I never put them on until I am about leave. When I come home, the first thing I do is put on my "house clothes". Only wash these when I think they need it. Can be every few days, or after one wearing, depending on whether or not they are dirty from cooking or sweat.
I hardly ever wash my sweaters- usually I wear a shirt under them, so they are not getting dirty and I am sure the washing them shortens their life! I may wash them before I put them away for the season.
My kids do their own laundry and since they are boys, and things get dirty pretty much everything goes in the hamper each day, except for jeans (though they mainly wear athletic elastic waist pants)
Towels get washed when they have the "towel smell". Probably around once a month (as others noted- you are clean when you use them!) Sheets get changed maybe once a month or so (we take showers every day- how dirty can they be!).
I am amazed to hear people wash coats, hats, mittens etc once a week! I only wash those at the end of the season (unless there is obvious dirt)! We live in new england and those items get a lot of wear!
We absolutely re-wear clothes around here. I wear my jeans 3-4 days, depending on how clean they are OR how dirty our day is going to be. I usually wear two "uniforms" during the day. Morning and night I wear stretch pants and a tank top. Once I get dressed, it's jeans and a t-shirt or tank. I layer depending on weather, usually starting out with a tank base. The outer shirt and sweater sometimes get re-worn, depending on how long I wore them/how dirty they got. I don't re-wear underwear or socks. On the flip side, I have a three year-old and he rarely re-wears clothes, often going through 4+ outfits a day. We're in the midst of potty training, so I do a lot of laundry. He does re-wear sweatshirts if they've stayed clean, and we only wash coats when they get dirty.
I love your comments on the Calico Critters. I remember having them as a child and loving them. I'm wondering what age you introduced your children to them at.
I've bought several sets of Calico Critters for my girls, even being fortunate enough once to be given a shoebox full that someone donated to my office and the volunteers decided wouldn't be worth putting up for sale (!!!!). They ARE pricey, and the fuzzy flocking on them does eventually show a bit of wear, but they are worth every cent. My daughter and her friends play with them for hours, while the TV stays OFF.
Beautiful photo of you and your kids! I stay home with my baby but I always get dressed, I just can't be productive otherwise. Jeans and jumpers I might wear for a second day and everything else goes in the wash.
Thank you! Zoe's missing from this one because she had a stomach-ache.
I'm like you...I just feel much more prepared for productivity if I get dressed.
For the most part we rewear. I work outside the home. So I have work clothes and home clothes. For my work clothes I change almost as soon as I get home. I check for stains smell and if all is well the clothes get hung up and put away. That way my nicer stuff lasts longer. My home clothes tend to last a couple of wears as well unless they are dirty or stinky.
The kids usually get one wear out of their clothes except jeans. They usually get two wears as long as they are not stained.
(Now none of this applies to undershirts (DH), socks or underwear. Those get one shot and into the wash.)
I re-wear my clothes all the time, especially pants and sweaters. Shirts depend on how dirty they got during the day. Plus, from what I understand, it is actually not supposed to be very good for the longevity of the clothes (including jeans) to wash them often.