Every other Monday, I answer reader questions. Got one for me? Send me an email and I’ll add your question to a future Q&A post.
Wearing Clothes Multiple Days
This might be somewhat off topic of what you usually write about but it is something I wondered about. Katy at The Nonconsumer Advocate talks about wearing items of clothing multiple times before washing and I was wondering what your family does. Do you dress to leave the house everyday or do your kids sometimes wear their pjs all day like mine do? 😉
– Michele
The answer to this is: it depends!
In the summer, almost no one in this house wears clothes twice before washing them. We just get too hot and sweaty, and I definitely do not want to put sweaty clothes back on in the morning unless I’m going to work out.
In the winter, it depends on how dirty I get. I almost never wear a shirt twice, but if I’ve worn a sweatshirt over top of my shirt and I didn’t get it messy while cooking, I will wear that twice.
And some of us wear jeans a couple of times before washing them as well.
Shirts just are problematic when it comes to double-wearing, in my opinion…young kids tend to get their shirts messy, and older kids/adults tend to get their shirts sweaty.
About dressing for the day: even though I am a hardcore homebody, given my preference, there aren’t a lot of days where I get to stay home for the whole day.
(Boo!)
So, I get dressed/do my hair/put on a little makeup every day. I tend to do that whether I’m going somewhere or not, though, so perhaps that’s just how I’d roll regardless.
I like to get up, get dressed, make myself look a little put-together, and then get started on my day, and I’m not particularly tempted to hang around in my pjs.
My kids vary. They get dressed when we leave the house (of course!), but some days, Zoe likes to stay in her pjs all day if she’s not going anywhere.
(She says she’s fulfilling homeschool stereotypes. Ha.)
All that said, we are a fairly casual family, so when I say we get dressed to leave the house, it’s not like we’re putting on collared shirts. Jeans and long-sleeved t-shirts are the unofficial uniform around here!
Are Calico Critters worth the money?
This question came in from a reader on Instagram, but I thought it would be good to answer here too.
You all have probably noticed that Sonia and Zoe have a little village of Calico Critters (complete with family portraits on their bedroom wall!). They ARE an expensive toy, but I’ve felt like they’re worth it.
Why?
For one thing, I love that they are very imagination-centered toys. The only batteries involved are the ones that light up the houses, so they’re pretty much entirely kid-run toys. You can’t sit back and watch Calico Critters…you have to make up stories and dialogue and scenes, and I think those kinds of toys are really excellent for kids.
Another thing I like is that Calico Critters are really different than the rather grown-up, sexy toys that are marketed to young girls. I don’t have anything against pink per se, but I don’t especially like the leggy, doe-eyed look that newer girls’ toys have.
(Old Queen Frostine vs. new, image via)
Calico Critters are all pleasantly round and short, none of them have those weird enormous eyes, and while there’s some pink, it’s not the dominant color in Calico Critter world.
Calico Critters seem to stand the test of time pretty well too. None of our animals have broken so far, although a few Calico Critter chairs have been smashed because they’ve been stepped on.
(Most can be repaired with good glue, though.)
Calico Critters tend to be about the same price no matter where you shop, so we typically buy ours at a little local toy shop, but they’re also available at Amazon or at stores like Toys R’ Us.
Also, since they hold up well, you could probably find some good second-hand deals on craigslist or eBay (especially if you’re shopping for a Calico Critter house or car.)
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Alrighty! The floor is yours, readers.
Do you wear clothing multiple days? And if you own Calico Critters, have you felt like they’re worth the price?
Emma
Friday 1st of January 2016
I re-wear my clothes all the time, especially pants and sweaters. Shirts depend on how dirty they got during the day. Plus, from what I understand, it is actually not supposed to be very good for the longevity of the clothes (including jeans) to wash them often.
Lissa
Wednesday 9th of December 2015
For the most part we rewear. I work outside the home. So I have work clothes and home clothes. For my work clothes I change almost as soon as I get home. I check for stains smell and if all is well the clothes get hung up and put away. That way my nicer stuff lasts longer. My home clothes tend to last a couple of wears as well unless they are dirty or stinky.
The kids usually get one wear out of their clothes except jeans. They usually get two wears as long as they are not stained.
(Now none of this applies to undershirts (DH), socks or underwear. Those get one shot and into the wash.)
Robyn
Tuesday 8th of December 2015
Beautiful photo of you and your kids! I stay home with my baby but I always get dressed, I just can't be productive otherwise. Jeans and jumpers I might wear for a second day and everything else goes in the wash.
Kristen
Wednesday 9th of December 2015
Thank you! Zoe's missing from this one because she had a stomach-ache.
I'm like you...I just feel much more prepared for productivity if I get dressed.
Natasha
Tuesday 8th of December 2015
I've bought several sets of Calico Critters for my girls, even being fortunate enough once to be given a shoebox full that someone donated to my office and the volunteers decided wouldn't be worth putting up for sale (!!!!). They ARE pricey, and the fuzzy flocking on them does eventually show a bit of wear, but they are worth every cent. My daughter and her friends play with them for hours, while the TV stays OFF.
Chelsea
Monday 7th of December 2015
We absolutely re-wear clothes around here. I wear my jeans 3-4 days, depending on how clean they are OR how dirty our day is going to be. I usually wear two "uniforms" during the day. Morning and night I wear stretch pants and a tank top. Once I get dressed, it's jeans and a t-shirt or tank. I layer depending on weather, usually starting out with a tank base. The outer shirt and sweater sometimes get re-worn, depending on how long I wore them/how dirty they got. I don't re-wear underwear or socks. On the flip side, I have a three year-old and he rarely re-wears clothes, often going through 4+ outfits a day. We're in the midst of potty training, so I do a lot of laundry. He does re-wear sweatshirts if they've stayed clean, and we only wash coats when they get dirty.
I love your comments on the Calico Critters. I remember having them as a child and loving them. I'm wondering what age you introduced your children to them at.