Reusing containers

Sounds like your mom really loved her cats. I"m glad your system works out for yourself. I wish I could get my kids to keep their crayons in their pencil boxes shoot or anything the way I'd like it kept. That's why when the teachers say why don't your kids have all the colors of the rainbow in their crayons or markers is because I refuse to replace what they don't take care of.

I keep all their crayons and markers and stuff in my room. I get them out when they need them, and when done they go right back into my room. I've had enough of them coloring up my walls to learn never to trust them with crayons or anything.

My kids are good about staying out of my room, thankfully. Nothing else in the house is off limits to them... not my choosing, theirs! My biggest problem has always been the kitchen. The older 3 have a bad habit of sneaking food. That drives me batty! Certain things are purchased for a particular reason.. school snacks, snacks for the babies, just for me or hubby. But when the kids sneak food they don't discriminate, so before Monday even comes they've eaten all their school snacks, I go to get a snack for the youngest and it's gone.. hubby expects a full case of soda but one is missing. The kids don't ask if they can have something.. they just take it. Soda is off limits to them, too much sugar, it's a treat once in awhile, so it's not okay that they take it. School snacks are for school, they know that. What made matters worse was because they were stealing it, they'd hide the wrappers in their room, and our last house ended up getting mice!! I've tried every trick in the book to make them stop this. I've rearranged meal times, I've deprived them of taking a snack to school after they ate them all without permission, I've even put locks on the cupboards and fridge... which the kids eventually broke! I made a point to say yes every time they did ask for something, so they'd know they could ask instead of sneak it. But they still snuck the food, and even once or twice took something out of the garbage can!! It's been going on for about 8 years or so... since my oldest was like 5. He's almost 13 now and still does it, and the twins do it too. I'm to the point now where I've given up and just pretend to ignore when something is missing. When the school snacks are gone, they're gone and I don't buy more until Friday. Other things that I'm more intent on them not getting into will go into my room, like any candy they get, or special snacks for myself or the little ones.

Glad I"m not the only one who does that with the drink containers. I agree about having disposeable containers persay for them to take their lunches in. We fill 1-2 recycling bins a week from anything from old worksheets from school to shampoo bottles in there. Though my kids play hard w/ shampoo bottles in the tub.

My Grandparents did too and in particular my Grandmother. I remember her saving yogurt containers to drink coffee out of! When I was in grade school they used the foam meat trays and lots of egg cartons for art projects and sadly she was still saving them even when I was grown! However your Nana sounds more like my Aunt.... she saves everything! You should see her purse it's spilling out from wrapped straws and wrapped plastic spoons... shoot her house will suck to go thru when they die that's for sure. As I've mentioned we go thru a lot of sugar to her w/ hubby's coffee especially well she gave me a washed out milk jug filled w/sugar... they saved the sugar packets and instead of adding it to the sugar container in the house they put it in a milk jug.

I forgot about the scoops w/ milk jugs. My hubby usually cuts one up to use it to spread salt on the driveway in winter.