(3/6)...streaming

Just a quick pop-in today. I promise that the next time I post, it will be about my promised budget-saving measures. I will bring them in baby steps, but I will bring them.

I had to tell you a funny. Well, it's sort of funny, if you find teenage boy antics funny. And believe me, if you don't, and you have teenage boys, you'll just go insane, so might as well laugh. Not at them, just with them. But not to encourage bad behavior -- never do that, of course. I don't don't need to tell you that.

The story begins with my month-old dryer balls.



(And speaking of dryer balls, I might as well stop right here, because this is a money-saver. Have you been using these for years and not sharing? These are so smart, economically, and ecologically. They are balls of felted wool yarn that bounce around in your dryer with your clothes. They allow the hot air to move between the clothes more efficiently and dry your clothes faster. The more balls the better -- I  have just four right now. I almost never dry my clothes past wrinkle-release, but sheets and towels dry much faster -- they are the only laundered items I dry completely in the dryer. I don't use any scent on the balls, because I just like clean clothes' smell, but you could. You can find directions to make your own here. They really, really do work. I haven't used dryer sheets in probably five years, and I do still use a white vinegar rinse in my wash for softer clothes, but the dryer balls shorten your dryer time.)



Anyway...the funny story. I was pulling some clothes out of my dryer this afternoon and I noticed one of the balls was missing. Noah was in the next room (the basement recreation room) so I asked if he had seen it. I thought maybe it went through the laundry and got stuck in a sweater sleeve or something and I hadn't noticed. Noah had no knowledge of the dryer balls (because I do the laundry) but at the thought that somehow balls could be involved in laundry caught his interest (Noah is a 16-year-old male). He came to see what they were and eventually found the ball that had rolled across the dungeon laundry room.

And then he realized that there was a 20-foot straight shot from the rec room into the dryer. When the dryer door was open, it was like a bullseye. Now I will constantly be searching for my dryer balls, and probably should stock up on wool yarn.

By the way, I just have to tell you, because Noah had a physical today, he is officially over 6 feet two inches -- 6' 2.25". He weighs 241 pounds. When he stands next to me I feel like a 10 year old girl. Too funny.

Stay tuned for the budget-saver posts.