Friday Things #491
1. Last Saturday was rainy and gloomy, so we had a cozy day at home and introduced the kids to Mary Poppins… they loved it!
2. Dominic completed his first neuroblastoma vaccine shot this week; a big milestone in his journey. The shot itself was very painful, but it subsided fairly quickly and he did really well!
3. I need some more bag clips (for chips, etc.) and saw that this pack of 16 is a huge Amazon bestseller. Does anyone have them? Are they as good as advertised?
4. Another great snippet from a James Clear newsletter:
“Many people view their habits and routines as obstacles or, at the very least, obligations to get through. Making the morning coffee, driving your kids to the next activity, preparing the next meal—we often see our routines as chores to be completed.
But these are not moments to be dismissed. They are life. Making coffee can be a peaceful ritual—perhaps even a fulfilling one—if done with care rather than rushed to completion. It’s about the amount of attention you devote to these simple moments, and whether you choose to appreciate them or bulldoze through them on the way to the next task.
Find the beauty and joy in your daily rituals and you will find beauty and joy in your daily life. To love your habits is to love your days, and to love your days is to love your life.”
5. A good refresher >> How to Keep Your Produce Fresh for Weeks (Hint: It’s Not Always in the Fridge)
6. With the weather cooling off and football in full swing, I’m ready for chips and buffalo chicken dip, and a big bowl of chili (with sour cream and Fritos on top, of course).
7. I’ve always washed sheets on the weekend, but a couple of weeks ago I saw Haley on Instagram mention “fresh sheets Friday” and it dawned on me that this makes so much more sense! Especially with all of the kids in school, I can get all of the sheets washed and beds remade by lunchtime. When I do them on the weekends, it always feels like a big chore because there’s so much else going on. I think I’m a Friday convert now!
8. Lots of great tips >> The 30 Greatest Decluttering Tips of All Time
9. I LOVE a great cheese board and need to remember to make them more often! Love these tips >> How to Build a Fabulous Cheese Board
10. TGIF! Duke says Happy Friday!
I use clothes pins for bag closures.
I love grip sticks. Way better than chip clips and work great on things for the freezer as well the pantry (open bag of peas, etc!)
I seal my chip bags with my Food Saver. Keeps the chips fresher for so long.
I echo the comment to just buy a big bag of clothes pins for chip clips. They work so well, inexpensive and if you buy a bag of 100, you never run out. I use them for everything. I have some wire baskets in my pantry and just clip the unused ones on there until needed.
Old fashioned “snap” clothes pins work great for chip clips, they almost never break/crack and they take up a lot less room in the drawer!
Great news about Dominic. Such a warrior prince. How fun they had such a cool movie night together. Looks like a giant drive in theater in the comfort of your home. You’re the best😊. Sweet pup pic!
Enjoyed the James Clear quote and the decluttering article. Also the one about how to keep fruit and veg fresh. So happy to hear Dominic recovered well from his vaccination…he’s a trooper.
Very proud of you Dominic! You are one tough cookie! Prayers continue for you and your family❤️🙏
I use those same clips all the time and love them!
God bless sweet Dominic and all your beautiful family ❤️
I am so happy for Dominic. He’s such a brave and awesome boy! Thank you for your ‘Friday Tings’ and updates on your sweet family. The chili recipe made a delicious meal!
Glad Dominic made it through his injection. He’s such a brave little guy!
My favorite clips are the Twixit style. I bought some in 2013 & purchased more in 2021 and all of them are still being used. Love them!
https://www.amazon.com/Linden-Sweden-Twixit-Clips-Dishwasher-Safe/dp/B00076VGQY
Have a good week!
I’ve done a load of wash on a Friday, like towels and such. It’s amazing the feeling of accomplishment, when it’s done! It’s like one more hurdle out if the way.
Great news about Dominic! ❤🙏.
Love your habits, love your days…great advice.
Enjoy the weekend!
Oxo makes really good bag clips.
Hi Michelle, I am in Australia and am recommending an Australian site for you to have a look at with regards to your storing of opened bags of chips etc. I haven’t ventured to see if Amazon have these same items because I end up sidetracked etc and hours later finally get to the reason I was on the site. The Australian site is just so you can see the item I am using and love and suggest for you for your open packet storage. The item is called Ezysafe Bag Sealer sticks, they work really well and come in a number of sizes. I have been using the same set for years with no breakages of the item. The site is foodvacuumsealers.com.au.
Have a great weekend Dominic. Thank you for the decluttering tips. Happy Friday Duke.
Dominic, You are a very.brave boy!! Enjoy the weekend with your family❤️
You can get those clips at Dollar Tree. Fabulous news concerning Dom!!! He’s such a little trooper. I just love your pups.
What a great and useful issue – especially the decluttering. Always love your adventures with the kiddos and seeing the puppies. Have used those clips forever. Lots of ways to use them beyond the chip bag. But I use 2 for chips, one on each side of the rolled down top. More coverage. All the best.
That special boy, that smile and that very appropriate shirt.
I am glad to hear Dominic tolerated his first vaccine shot and made it quickly through the pain.
I van only imagine how strong you have had to be, Michelle, to witness all that Dominic has had to walk through. I am sure he knows how very well loved and cherished he is.
Those are the only clips that I use!
So glad to hear that Dominic is doing well. And Duke has the sweetest face!
I’m a big fan of these closures-
https://www.amazon.com/GRIPSTIC-Bag-Sealer-Patented-Waterproof/dp/B005P0K7XU/ref=sr_1_7?crid=3P26IM5PZ3DJS&keywords=chip+bag+closures+stick&qid=1694808850&sprefix=Chip+bag+closures%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-7
They’re available in different quantities, but the idea is the same. They keep all bagged things fresh.
So happy that Dominic is doing well!
Hi! I wanted to share that Mary Poppins has always been a favorite of mine, and I introduced my son to it when he was 6 (he’s 11 now). He absolutely loves it! We read all the original books together too, which are a trip! Have you guys seen the Emily Blunt sequel? It has a lot of things from the first two books, which was cool! The original will always be my favorite though :) I’m so glad to hear you made it through his vaccine, and I hope that helps! Thank you for the weekly pictures of Duke too–they always make me smile! Have a great weekend! :)
I’m obsessed with those chip clips. They hold so well, would recommend!
I have those chip clips and I do like them. I use them for lettuce and bagged things in the refrigerator too. They aren’t heavy and bulky and keep the bags closed.
I never knew apples should be refrigerated! I always keep them in my produce stand. Learned something new today!
Your children are precious! When we take to savor, rather than rush, it is a
Win-Win. Thank you Michelle!
Mary Poppins is my favorite too!
I love the clips and use them for many many different things…you can get them at the Dollar tree – ususally on checkout end :-)
Your posts are my Friday highlights … and I’m doing sheets today too!
Dominic looks so good! I know you are all so happy that he is doing so well.
Grab a ton of those clips – you will LOVE them! I got one pack of Faberware clips like these at Walmart – I have gone back and bought many more! I even gave some to my grown kids at Christmas and THEY love them! I use them for EVERYTHING – even things that I keep in the freezer!
I have those clips and while they do the job I find that if my hands are slippery then I have trouble with them. They’re a little small and tight I think I prefer the flat clips that cover more surface. I would not buy these again.
GRIPSTIC’s on Amazon are awesome bag sealers. They come in multiple sizes and keep things air tight. I use them on chips and frozen bags of veggies and bags of chocolate chips. Pretty much anything that is in a bag and has enough at the top to fold over. Highly recommend!!
I love Dominic’s huge smile and glad this treatment was bearable for him. He has been such a trooper. Also loved the trio of cool seats to share movie time. Who doesn’t love Mary Poppins, Thank you for sharing another wonderful reminder from James Clear—I like that they are pointedly gentle reminders we all need to hear sometimes- it is ok to slow down, take a deep breath and savor the moment. Another great start for my weekend. Hope you and your family have a great weekend.
I LOVE these. They are more expensive, but they are long and strong and work really great. From Amazon
6 Pack Stainless Steel Chip Bag Clips, 4.7 inch Width, DanziX Big Durable Paper Seal Grip for Coffee Food Bread Bags, Kitchen Home Office Usage – Sliver
Yes on the clips I use them everywhere I first saw these at the dollar store and recently restocked from Amazon. I use them in the kitchen in the laundry room great for using with my drying rack and outside on the foldable trash can to secure the garbage bags.
Dominic is my hero – such a brave caring young man.
Looking forward to getting back to baking and using my oven more often I’m in Phoenix and we broke a record for the number of 110 days in a row we had & Saturday could be 105 I’m hopeful we are at the end of the summer. Grateful for my crockpot it’s gotten a work out this summer. Thanks for another terrific newsletter.
I am in awe of Dominic every time I hear about another one of his treatments and see a picture of his smiling face afterwards.
Regarding the chip clips, I’m with Linda. I have a whole collection of colorful binder clips in different sizes that I use for anything in the kitchen that’s bagged. I think they grip better than the wire chip clips.
I love these bag clips. I’ve never bought them on Amazon, but have found them at places like Home Goods Target and the grocery store. Whenever I find them I buy more. They work so much better than the plastic ones and don’t take up much room in the drawer either – we use them all around the house.
So happy for Dominic and proud of him!
The best bag closures are Gripstix!
I’ve used these for years and find them to work great. Keeps them fresh for weeks. It seems to seal it really well.
https://www.amazon.com/Yarall-Plastic-Packages-Sealing-Kitchen/dp/B09KL696FF/ref=mp_s_a_1_13?crid=1HTYH77YYDBAU&keywords=snap+clips+for+bags+of+chips&qid=1694779000&sprefix=snap+clips+for+bags+of+chips%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-13
The chip clips are a must have!! I have no less than 20 of them. They do not lose their strength. I use them inside cereal boxes, cracker boxes and open bags of baking chips. I’ve seen them in a package of six or so at Dollar Tree, too.
Regarding the bag clips, I got binder clips from Staples. They have fancy ones with prints and colors. I’ve used them for years.
Me too! I’ve been using them for years. Cheap and cheerful if you buy the coloured ones!
Girl, run to the dollar store and get a bag of clothes pins! Cheap and works just as well! :)
D
The magic bag sealers are a game changer! I use them for everything…. Chips, shredded cheese, chocolate chips, croutons…. Anything that comes in a bag. Ir basically reseals the bag and keeps everything fresh for days! They come and go on Amazon and come in multiple lengths.