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No, I don't have some juicy family secret to share...just want to talk about my attempt to hang my laundry to dry. For my One Small Change April Challenge I decided to skip on my dryer and get my clothes outside to dry in the fresh air. We used our broken umbrella as one end of our clothes line and the house as the other end. We tied hemp string to each end and viola...a clothes dryer. The only item we purchased for this was the clothes pins (about $2.00 total).
At first I was a bit shy to hang out all my clothes for the neighbors to see. It is also something that is not the norm in my neighborhood, so to be the first made me a bit nervous as well. After talking to a few neighbors and realizing no one really cares, I felt a bit more at ease. The 20 minutes extra to do laundry is well worth it...it is a relaxing, dare I say, fun chore that I think is going to stick around here! I hope your change is going well this month also!
On another note...my 3 year old broke her arm Friday night! This is the same child who burned both of her palms on our fire place a few days before her first birthday! This time, 5 minutes before big sister's 6th birthday party, she fell and broke 2 bones in her arm. She is a trooper and is doing so well...it is me, who is still frantic following her every move to make sure she doesn't run or climb or do something silly...however, she is 3 and this is almost impossible, so I need to just trust in her and her body's ability to heal!
Happy Monday!
Oh goodness! Two bones? hope you're all OK. The washing on the line thing was a real eye opener for me: in Australia everyone uses washing lines, actually 'Hills Hoists' - a square clothes line around a central pole, you can dry three large loads at once! We are in the sun-zone down here though I guess!
ReplyDeleteHi Suzy,
ReplyDeleteSorry about the broken arm of your sweet girl. We also hang laundry to dry, have been doing it for over a year now. Come say hi today, I have some news for you.........
Hanging clothes is my April change, too! I'm really enjoying it, but have found that I need to add another line to accommodate a full load. Glad you're enjoying the process, too!
ReplyDeletePoor thing, your little one having a broken arm! Hope she has a quick and easy healing!
Poor kiddo!
ReplyDeleteAnd we've started hanging out laundry this month, those mostly because our dryer is having issues. My youngest has really taken to the job, offering to hang up and take down everyone's laundry. (With 3 kids at home, we normally each do our own laundry.) It is relaxing.
oh no...she sure is a cutie even with her arm in a cast. I'm making my small change for April hanging out my clothes too. Thanks for doing this challenge Suzy. It's been a wonderful thing!
ReplyDeleteOh my. Our bodies do have an absolutely amazing ability to heal. There is healing available for you in this as well. Peace to you both.
ReplyDeleteAnd great job on the laundry! I love the smell of sun soaked cloth!
poor baby. I love to hang laundry outside, but in the spring, it is dependent on the day. Too many days of rainy weather and I hate to say I am a fairweather girl when it comes to the line. I love the crisp sheets though. mmmm
ReplyDeletechildren's clothing on clotheslines looks like art! i think it's great, and there is nothing wrong with setting the neighbors' tongues a-flapping once in a while. sorry to your little one (and to you) on the arm break... though you must admit that her timing was wonderfully dramatic! i can't believe both of my girls (around the same ages as yours) have escaped the bone breaking so far...
ReplyDeleteOh poor dears. (Her, of course, and you, of course!) Our sweet little neighbor broke her arm on her 3rd birthday back in January and is doing just fine, despite several faceplants she took while said arm was in a cast. Kids are so much heartier than we can even imagine. Her mom, my dear friend, was scared the whole time too... you'll make it through!
ReplyDeleteLove your clothesline. I've been hinting to my hubby about a fancy retractable one so that we can use it and still use our side yard, where we do most of our playing... we'll see what Mothers' Day brings.
Suzy~~~~ Just the post I was looking for!!! I've taken you up on your challenge and I'm *airing out my dirty laundry too* !!!! It's fun and so nice outside, the diapers really turn white!!! Plus I get to save about .40 each time I run the dryer!!! Just remember to unplug it to, it can be a *ghost* engery sucker!!!
ReplyDeletePoor sweet broken armed girl--- she'll be in my *energy thoguhts* today ; )
~~Samantha
Oh no! I feel for you, one of my twins broke both bones in his right forearm 2 weeks before his 7th b-day/first day of 1st grade. I was a nervous wreck, trying to keep him from doing something that would hurt it more. Hang in there, she'll be all healed up before you know it. And poor big sister too! Hope she still has/had a happy birthday.
ReplyDeleteOh, great idea to use the broken umbrella for your clothesline! :) I love hanging out my laundry.
ReplyDeleteI hope your sweetie heals up soon! I have a 3yo girl, too, and I couldn't imagine trying to contain her while she healed.
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Many blessings,
Michele
I so miss hanging out my laundry to dry in the sunshine since we moved to a complex that doesn't allow line drying. Isn't that sad? Hopefully we'll be out in our dream farm soon enough that I can smell sunshine on our sheets again though!
ReplyDeleteHope those broken bones mend soon!
Aww, poor babe! I know it's no fun to break your arm just before summer! I hope you all hang in there and stay sane.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that I'm envious of anyone that hangs laundry out to dry. Not because we can't, but because laundry is one of my least favorite chores. Getting me to spend an extra 20 minutes on it... whew.
Blessings to your little one for a quick and easy heal to her arm. Goodness, the things they can do to test a mother's mettle! I'm still using my drying rack, but I'm craving a real line in the backyard. I'm beginning the process of eliminating my grass so I better figure out real quick where the clothesline will be. These changes have been fun.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. Be prepared for years of boo-boos :) My oldest daughter has gotten stitches twice and broken her leg. Ouch. She too is a trooper though. Don't be too hard on yourself... and be prepared for amazement in those healthy little bodies to heal quickly. Our girl actually broke the heal of her cast off from scooting around and they decided to take it off almost a week early...... kids, kids, kids!
ReplyDeleteoh my! You seem so composed! I hope she and you are feeling better. Don't 3 year olds have impeccable timing?
ReplyDeleteAbout a year ago, our dryer broke and so we hung dried our clothing on racks. It was a bit of a challenge with two toddlers each going through multiple outfits a day, i.e. a ton of laundry, and a lot of very small socks to hang, but we got through it until the summer hit.
We live in northern Virginia where the summers are HUMID and our clothing didn't dry very well inside. (We have an HOA which prohibits outside line drying.) So we went back to an electric dryer.
I can't wait until we are in a place where we can line dry again. I think you can save up to 5% on your electric bill each year by line drying.
Oh Nooo...I just had to come and find out how I missed this about your wee one and her arm! Poor doll baby :( I am sorry to hear this and hope she is doing okay now. I love your laundry line! I was so excited to see the final pics of how it all turned out...and it sure does look great! I know what you mean about being nervous - I still won't hang undergarments out...noooo way! LOL - take care and hugs to your baby!!!
ReplyDeletePoor little thing, and it's a big cast too, going around her elbow like that. Line drying is the best, except for cotton terry bath towels. They seem to dry like cardboard, always have to fluff them up a bit in the dryer before anyone in my house will use them (babies).
ReplyDeleteMy husband thinks it's hysterical that we bloggers like to take pictures of clothes and linens hanging out to dry. I guess he just doesn't see the beauty in it.
lisa