Thursday 13 - Reuse

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We had yummy strawberries this past weekend! Fresh from the Oregon fields...

It's got us thinking about juice dribbing down the chin when we go pick them. Smoothies and freezer jam. And that huge box of empty baby food jars we left behind in Mozambique.

We spent at least 13 hours trying to think of something to do with those jars. We planned to give away hot chocolate mix for Christmas, but we couldn't find the vital ingredients in Mozambique OR South Africa, like decent chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and candy canes.

But those baby food jars would be JUST PERFECT for strawberry freezer jam. Oh well...

A while back we asked what household trash items you keep for activities with your kids, and how you use them.

This two-year-old is quite adept at reusing straight out of the trash can... Recycled bandaids as stickers is a new favorite.

Just thought I'd share your list back with you all for this Thursday 13. But you're gonna get a double 13...

1. Pie Tins. Paint pallets.
2. Discarded Food Boxes (Cereal, etc.). Play grocery store.
3. Toilet Paper Tubes. Binoculars.
4. Paper Towel Rolls. Telescopes - cover with construction paper and stickers.
5. Egg Cartons. Paint pallets. Plant seedings in them. Angels.
6. Shoe Boxes. Dioramas. Containers for collections.
7. Paper Bags. Vests. "Drip paper" for paintings.
8. Tissue Boxes. Shoes.
9. Old Wrapping Paper and Tissue Paper. Stained glass window projects. Ghosts.
10. Old Greeting Cards and Calendar Pictures. Collages. New cards.
11. Packing Peanuts. Little people.
12. Plastic Milk Jugs. http://familycrafts.about.com/od/plasticjugcrafts/Plastic_Jug_Crafts.htm. Use the lids to shake and put things in.
13. Milk & Juice Cartons. Houses. Bird feeder. Bird house. Pencil/pen holder. http://www.kinderart.com/crafts/milkcpenpot.shtml

List #2:

1. Popsicle Sticks. http://crafts.kaboose.com/wood/crafts-popsicle-sticks.html
2. Baby Food Jars. Snow globes. http://www.dltk-kids.com/type/babyfoodjar.htm
3. Corks. http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/craftdetails3.cfm?CraftID=1388
4. Coffee Cans & Oatmeal Containers. Drums. Marble painting.
5. Applesauce Cups and Yogurt Cups. Painting cups.
6. Cereal Boxes. Leak-proof paintings.
7. Crystal Lite Containers. Banks.
8. Walnut Shells. Face refrigerator magnets.
9. Spice Shaker Bottles. For shaking glitter.
10. Pringle Containers. Bowling pins.
11. Baby Formula Tubs and Peanut Butter Jars. Canisters to keep things/collections in. Donation cans for fundraising or lemonade stands.
12. Newspaper. You can rip into strips and dunk in flour/water and put it over a blown up balloon. When hard, pop balloon and make a pinata or masks, or whatever!
13. Cupcake Papers. Flowers.

So take a look or 13 at what you're dumping in the trash can - the reuse options are 13 x infinity, even without reusing the bandaids!

By the way, we had a wonderful time with cousins and at the coast this weekend. I just haven't had a chance to sort through photos, yet. It'll happen....

More Thursday 13 participants can be found here.

Thanks to Samulli for the Thursday 13 header.

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