This item makes me wish I were more of a think-outside-the-box person:
It is a piece of hemmed cotton fabric, with a button on one end and a buttonhole on the other. A non-zero amount of work went into this item, considering it was only used to wrap around a pile of four napkins I bought on clearance for $2.98 at Target. It seems as if it could be USED for something, rather than tossed in the trash after I harvest the button.
Elizabeth tried to use it as a cat collar, with comic results.
Speaking of Elizabeth, she went to a day camp this past week and had a great time. On the last day, there was a performance/show/demonstration-type thing for parents, and the camp director got a cool high school girl to be the judge of the competitive part. Elizabeth was PISSED that at the end of the judging, everyone got the same ribbon, with the judge declaring herself unable to pick among so many wonderful competitors.
I was explaining to Pissed Elizabeth on the way home that although I too dislike the “Everyone’s a winner!” kind of thing, in this case it would have been tough to do otherwise: some kids were in their sixth year at this camp, while others were in their first; some kids were going into 8th grade and others into 2nd; etc. We talked about it for awhile, Elizabeth mostly seeing it from the campers’ point of view and me mostly seeing it from the camp director’s point of view. We agreed on the idea of doing a variety of prizes that let everyone get a ribbon (which appeared to be the goal) while still letting kids feel as if the prizes were real. Things like “Best costume,” “Most poised,” “Funniest.” You wouldn’t even need to come up with the categories ahead of time: the judge could think about each child’s performance and pick what was the best part of it and make the ribbon for that. This would be hard with a really big group, but in this case there were only six kids.
This week it’s Edward and Henry’s turn for day camp. Normally this camp is hosted by our town’s elementary school, but this year our school couldn’t do it, so we had to join with the next town over. At drop-off, I was reminded how much I dislike new/unfamiliar things. At our elementary school, I know exactly how to get there, exactly where to park, exactly where else to park if the usual parking is full, and exactly which entrances are possibilities. I know my way around the inside of the school, and I recognize/know the teachers, and I recognize a lot of the teenaged counselors. But this morning, I had to wing it. It went fine, of course it went fine, but I was surprised at just how disorienting it is.
I, too, find the unfamiliar so disorienting! Why do our brains do that? I’m so much more comfortable going to a place I’ve been before, even if it’s only once.
New things are So Hard. My daughter begins preschool in August and I am pre-anxious about all the New Things involved with that. Oh! I have life goal that I made up this very second of becoming a kind of consultant for… everyone wherein I create a detailed step by step manual of what to do and what to expect in any situation. Taking your car in for an oil change? Here is exactly what to do at each particular oil change place (would have to be tailored to individual businesses, and for specific make and model of car) and what to expect and possible permutations and possible results. It would be a detailed and thankless job for no pay and also I would have to experience many many new things so I’m beginning to think this is not my ideal career.
Your fabric would be cute wrapped around a jar or a can. Could use as a vase, eating utinsels, pencils, etc. I hate throwing things like that away too. Oh! How about around a wrapped gift? You could move the button to make it fit. (For any of the ideas) It would also be a really cute headband with that button on top. Okay, I’m done.
Oh, I love the gift-wrapping idea particularly.
Love Vicki’s great ideas for that cute fabric thingy!
I’m feeling the disorientation acutely these days…I’m in a new city, in a different region of the country, for 5 weeks. Every interaction with the outside world is an unfamiliar one…restaurants (why these long lines?), grocery shopping (where’s the coffee?), can I turn right on red?? It’s exhausting but here’s hoping it’s good for enhancing brain function to be out of my usual routine!
I like the gift wrap use particularly because I’m a fan of re-uses that get things out of my house! You could also use it to wrap around a set of guest towels or something, if it’s large enough. Maybe you could put it around ugly tissue boxes, although tissue boxes seem to be much prettier recently. It seems like the perfect size to go around a roll of paper towels, although I can’t think of any reason at all that you would want to do that other than that it fits.
The fabric could be used to hold a curtain gathered, as you would a tieback. You could use it to keep a beach towel rolled up in transit. It could be used to bundle reusable bags. It could be used to bundle fabric that needs to stay together for a project.
New things…yes, hate them so much. This spring was my oldest daughter’s first experience with junior high sports and I found myself going to new schools twice a week for about five weeks. It was horrible! I googled all the schools, looked at satellite images to figure out where the stupid track was in relation to the school, where there was parking and worried myself sick about whether or not there’d be a bathroom.
But next year? None of those schools will be new anymore and so I’m set.
I was about to suggest the gift-wrap idea, but it looks like another commenter beat me to it! Or you could use it as (for lack of a better word) a sort of luggage-tag-type thing–like if one of your kids has the same backpack or lunchbox as another kid at camp or school, you could button it around the handle so it’s easier to tell them apart.
I worked at a summer camp for several years, and one year I was asked to help judge a talent competition between two groups of campers. A few other counselors and I had to score each group in several different categories, and the group that got the most combined points was the winner. Well, they ended up getting an actual, legitimate tie. Later that day, one of the campers came up to be and said in a matter-of-fact, let’s-just-be-honest-with-each-other kind of voice, “So tell me, was there ACTUALLY a tie, or did you just not want to hurt anyone’s feelings?” That cracked me up!
Also, the summer camp I went to as a kid used to do a “Camper of the Week” award every Friday. Usually there would only be one or two winners per week, but during the last week of the summer they’d come up with an award for every. single. kid. And each one was different: things like “Friendliest Camper,” “Best Artist,” “Most Athletic,” etc. (And if I remember correctly there were at least a hundred kids, if not more.) It was fun, but can you even imagine??
Could you use the cloth as a reuseable disposable coffee cup sleeve? Toss it in your purse and use it instead of the cardboard kind! You might have to move the button, though.
I am bad at re-uses. I would save that because it would seem like I *should* reuse it, then I would keep it in a closet for 8 years, then I would throw it away because I had never used it.
I have started just throwing things away immediately. It is wasteful but causes less stress in my closets :)
My first few times volunteering at my oldest’s pre-school co-op were tough precisely because I adjust poorly to new things. The teachers all said “Don’t be afraid to ask if you have a question!” but I would seriously have had to ask something every 10 minutes because I always have so many questions. Most of them are things that will become clear over time, but it’s embarrassing to feel so incompetent and shy at my age.
I think this is why I’m always so boggled by people who don’t do any research about things ahead of time. I mean, sometimes you just can’t get to it (and sometimes there is no information available), but when the letter home says read the handbook, I read the handbook. If there’s an instructional card, I review the instructional card. I spent so much time on the website of the elementary school we are transferring our daughter to in the fall that when I went to its open house, friends who actually lived in the district were asking ME questions about the different programs there. I’m sure there are benefits to flying by the seat of one’s pants – an unfettered and more stress-free brain, if my husband is any indication – but I just have so much more anxiety when I don’t prepare for a new situation.
I was wondering about using the fabric to hold/wrap around a group of cards/postcards. I have kept the card from my wedding in a similar sort of way (until I actually get around to putting them in an album or something), and I keep each year’s Christmas cards (so I make sure I send one to those people) similarly. I know you are into cards and postcards so might be useable if it’s a long enough piece of fabric.
I hate the stress of going to unfamiliar places too. I actually use Google street in order to view parking lots and routes beforehand. I also recently read Yelp reviews of where I had to serve out jury duty. It was very helpful in learning what elevators were slow and where the electrical outlets were.
Interesting. I am more of the “wing it” school, and reading this helps me realize my DH probably is not (clue 1: he reads instruction manuals), and that that is why when I say something like, “Drop DS at camp” he wants to know, “Where will I park?” etc. And I’m always perplexed because I’m thinking, “Drive to where you see a group of parents getting out of cars with kids, park there, and follow the others. ” Full disclaimer: we do not live in a hugely urban/crowded area, so e.g. not enough parking is rarely a HUGE problem.
(Conversely, I am rarely if ever willing to leave the house without water bottles and snacks, which drives him nuts. But he is willing to pay convenience-store prices for these products, which I am not.)
Recently, I (re)discovered the joy of re-/upcycling. I am all set to try turning cuffs into little stash bags. I think it should work with your “thing”. Of course, I didn’t come up with the idea: https://de.pinterest.com/pin/427842033326154600/