Monday, April 30, 2012

Time for a tip!!

I love dry erase markers.  They are one of my secret tools!  I don't go shopping very often, especially with all of my kids.  But, occasionally, I will run into a store and find something I want to try on.  You want to know my secret weapon for fitting rooms with 3 small children!?  That's not fair, you had hint.  That's right, dry erase markers.  Give them over and let them go to town on the mirror. They can draw silly faces on their reflection or I ask them to draw what I have on... It will give you a good couple of minutes to throw your clothes on!  I also keep them in our church bag.  I just read a tip somewhere yesterday (maybe Parent's magazine?) that said to rip out the pages in those workbooks that cost like $20 for a book of mazes or capital letters... pop each page in a page protector and let them work them with a dry erase marker.  Then they can work them over and over again.
I have another awesome way to use dry erase markers!  On your washing machine!  You think I'm crazy, don't you!?  Am I the only person that loads the washing machine with good intentions to take out such-n-so to air dry/ hang dry/ lay flat and totally forget in my rush to throw everything in the dryer??  I do that all the time!  Well, today I decided to write it on my washing machine when I loaded the washing machine so I would remember what I needed to look for when I switched the laundry over to the dryer.  I got this idea when I saw on etsy the other day, decals to put on the washing machine... like contact paper! It was so cool looking, but it mad me think of dry erase markers.  Here's what I put on my washer this morning...

4 comments:

The Butler Family said...

WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!!! I have let my kids (as very small toddlers) get on my bathroom counter while I'm doing make up or something and draw on the mirror but never thought to take it to a fitting room! Love it!!! Also, I'm with ya on the clothes in the dryer thing. Us long legged people can't afford to dry too many items. :/

Ryan and Carly said...

Genius! I've dried too many items I meant not to! Thanks for the tip

Carly @ ryandcar.blogspot.com

Mommy and Daddy said...

do you find the markers stain clothes? i know your tips didn't involve actually writing on cloth, but the one time i let the kids play with dry erase markers, it inevitably ended up all over what their were wearing and i had a time getting it out.

The McKeowns said...

I haven't had issues with them writing on their clothing from what I recall. They always have junk on their clothing, so they very well could have gotten the marker on them and I just never analyzed what it was. For stains in general, I usually use spray and wash on it the first time. If that doesn't get it out, I soak overnight in a bucket of water with oxy-clean. (Only put like colors together). I just bought a new bucket for this today. I was using my utility sink, but for some reason, it's not holding water as well, so I end up with just soggy clothes in the sink. blech
Thanks for commenting. I hope this helped. I do use dry erase boards in my home daily as our planner, and when I wipe them with rags, I don't have any issues with staining. ???