Gadgets for dishes

My boss gave me Toys R Us gift certificates because I used to collect dolls and Star Wars action figures--I don't know how to tell him I have enough and don't buy new ones. I don't want to seem ungrateful!

I was stumped on how to spend them. They don't have a good DVD selection anymore, I don't play video games, and I already have a digital camera and an MP3 player. Finally I decided to look through the baby products on their web site. Woo! Then I went to the huge Babies R Us and picked out a lovely mauve closet organizer, and these things:

* Fishy-shaped snack containers. (You stick your fingers through the flaps to get at your snacks.)

* Cage for holding small items when you run them through the dishwasher (so they don't fly up and land on the heating element--I wash a lot of little measuring spoons and such.)

* Baby bottle drying rack, which I knew would be perfect for drying recyclables. These days I'm trying to hold on to many recyclables and use them for storing homemade foods, and to start bringing to the bulk store. I also want to dry baggies, which are notoriously infuriating to dry. This holder is juuuust right.


So far I use the Nestea drink bottles when I buy a drink at school (I so often forget to bring a Nalgene bottle with me) for maple syrup (because the cheapest kind comes in a can.) There's a lot of maple syrup in vegan baking, since they try to avoid refined sugar.

I was going to use my old soy sauce bottle for my vanilla, but I forgot to keep the special little spout! Doh. It would have been perfect.

I'm using an old juice jug for my granola--it's perfect.

And I'm keeping my spaghetti jars for various things. Maybe I'll keep nuts in them, which is another thing I've had to stock up on for vegan cooking. Almonds, walnuts, pecans and cashews have become staples.

Now if I can just remember to bring them with me to the store!

I must say, once you begin to wash and recycle and keep your old tins and bottles etc., you really become AWARE of how much you throw away. I mean, if I have trouble managing it all, one can only imagine the landfills! I would love to compost, but doing so in an apartment isn't simple. And where would I bring the dirt anyway?