Mom’s Timeless Tricks
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Zoey's 'Grandma' and my 'Mom,' Veva Gammon. Bless your big heart! Photo: KArnold
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May 2007 – In honor of Mother’s Day, I’m sharing a wealth of inexpensive organizing and recycling tricks that my Mom used while raising four children in south-central Scarborough. In the 60’s, our parents were ahead of the times with reduce, reuse, and recycle. We were a middle-class family of six. Dad worked long hours as a Coppersmith and my Mom used her imagination to raise four children on a tight budget. Here are some of Mom’s inventive ideas, and new ones we’ve added along the way:
 This paper tends to be thicker and stronger than the waxed paper you buy in the store and is able to overcome some of the shortcomings of traditional waxed paper. It does a great job separating hamburger patties in the freezer and gets rid of the annoying problem of tearing off and leaving paper bits behind on the meat.
If you purchase bagged milk, you know about these sturdy little bags. Long before zip-lock bags, these were used (along with twist ties) to store items such as frozen foods, puzzle pieces, small storage items, and fridge left-overs.
This includes making minor modifications to your own clothing, as the styles change with each season. For example, taking ladies long-sleeved jackets with puffed sleeves, last year’s trend, and turning them into short sleeved jackets to match this year’s fashion. An easy, low-cost alteration. Larger, used clothes may also be made into new clothes for children, play-clothes, or kids' doll clothes.
Let your stale bread dry out or toast it, put in a blender with your broken crackers and crumbs and make excellent bread crumbs out of food that would have been wasted.
to house rolled up cords for small appliances such as hairdryers, curling irons and straighteners. Save yourself from cursing your tangled beauty appliances as you are rushing to get ready for your day.
If you use a duvet and can’t be bothered with a top sheet that only gets tangled around your feet, make extra duvet covers from your unused top sheets. If they match your bedding already you have a nice new cover to use each week as the other gets washed with the dirty sheets. Your bed will be easier to make – which is a big plus for me!
Not all organizing solutions cost money. The best solutions can be reusing items that have already served their original purpose. Do your part to restore the environment and save money too. When I was growing up, I always thought we were rich. Thanks Mom!!
Article by Sheri Gammon Dewling for SayItCornell.com
Markham Organizing Maven
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