Mason Jars

Growing up, Saturday was always "clean the house day."  There was no playing outside or with friends until the house was clean.  My sisters and I used to grumble that the only reason our parents had children was so that they didn't have to clean.  Now that I am a mom, the idea of my kids doing the cleaning is definitely appealing!  I am no Susie Homemaker and, as busy as life gets, cleaning and dusting often get put on the back burner.   However, with a very small house and 2 small children, it sure doesn't take long for things to get messy.   I am forever trying to keep the clutter to a minimum and get rid of things we don't really need. When I can find something simple that can be used for many things, it makes me feel good about the precious space it takes to store it.

One of my favorite multi-duty item is the noble canning/mason jar.  No, I have never in my life canned anything.  I totally respect anyone who can (no pun intended) or willingly does this.  If I could  grow a garden, I could probably can veggies and save a ton of money, but I just don't have the green thumb, energy, or, most importantly, the desire to do it.  Nope, those jars in the first picture are our everyday drinking glasses.  They are pint jars and the half-pint ones are perfect for the kiddos.  Overall, they are just charming and, most importantly, inexpensive!  Yes they are glass and can break, but in the 7 years we have been using them for drinking glasses, I think I have only broken a couple.  They are surprisingly sturdy. 

My other favorite use for these jars is gift giving.  I often put my homemade powdered laundry detergent in a jar (recipe to come in the near future), dress it up with a strip of scrap fabric tied around the lid, and give as a sample for friends and family to try. 

Of course there are many other ways to use mason jars, and here are some of them.  If you are crafty, go to Etsy and do a search on mason jars - at lot of good inspiration there!