Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

The Many Joys and Frustrations of Homemaking

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Nothing is perfect this side of Heaven. That’s why we have dust and cobwebs, back aches, lost library books, and challenging parenting issues. It can all draw us closer to God (true perfection!) and help us recognize our need for His strength. We also know that even with all the crazy and frustrating aspects of life, there is also a lot of joy. Hey, if we can’t laugh at our spilled buttermilk…

The Many Joys and Frustrations of Homemaking

As we focus this week on remembering that Homemaking is Fun, I want to encourage you with some posts from the archives.

Let’s begin with a few lessons I’ve learned about dealing with some of those less than ideal situations:

~ My best lesson from Grandma…Every Good Cook Burns Herself Sometimes

~ Best (ha!) sleep-over breakfast ever…The Day I Forgot To Sift the Popcorn Out of the Waffle Mix

~ Ugh, picky children!…I Can Now Accommodate Picky Muffin Eaters and Mix and Match Oatmeal Bars

Now let’s talk to all of you who don’t love to cook:

~ This one speaks for itself…So, You Don’t Like to Cook?

~ Donuts, again?…Start the Day With a Healthy Breakfast

~ My favorite “I don’t feel like cooking” breakfast…Instant Oatmeal in a Jar

dark_choc_granola_3

And we’ll wrap it up by talking about ways to save money:

~ Freezer meals rock…Loads of Make-Ahead-Meal posts

~ This is a HOT deal right now!…Grab Your Free $10 For Whole Food Groceries

~ Our favorite whole food meals that cost about $1 per plate…Dollar Menu Recipes

 

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How to Stretch a Meal When Extra Company Comes

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How To Stretch a Meal When Extra Company Comes 2

Matt only knew my paternal grandmother for a few years before she died. One of his favorite memories of her is the response she gave after being told that extra people were coming to join us for a meal. “Great! I’ll just add more water to the soup,” she said with a chuckle. Seeing as we weren’t having soup that day, he then watched in amazement as she “added water” to stretch the meal she had prepared.

Grandma seemed to make more food appear out of no where, and in record time, too. The table was soon filled with all varieties of goodness. The little bowls of this and the small dishes of that didn’t look like they would feed the number of people we were anticipating. But sure enough, just like the loaves and the fish, Grandma had enough to fill us all with twelve (give or take) baskets left over.

What was Grandma’s secret? Well, she just always had a good supply of food on hand. And not just frozen meat that would take hours of time to thaw and prepare. I’m talking about home-canned fruits and vegetables, homemade bread and cookies – food that she could pull out and feed people in a moment’s notice.

This Sunday, I was blessed with the opportunity to “add water to my soup.” We already had plans for another family of 6 to join us for lunch after church. Their 6 plus our 6 would equal 12. (Thank you, Laura, for stating the obvious.)  I was making a roast, carrots, potatoes, and gravy. My friend was bringing rolls. It would be a simple, nothing-fancy, but tasty meal.

Then, at the last minute, a friend of my brother’s family needed a meet-up place here in Nebraska. The friend would come here, my brother’s family would drive up from Kansas and pick him up, and guess what? They’d make it in time for church. Bliss! I got to worship with my brother and his family of 6 and feed them all afterward!

So let’s see here. Six plus six is twelve, plus six more – that’s 18. Then there was my brother’s friend who was meeting us by lunchtime. Did I mention he was a 6’8″ college athlete? And last but not least, a friend of Elias’ needed a place to hang out after church while his family headed out of town. That made a total of 20 people. Super fun.

Thankfully, I had decided to make two roasts instead of just one – just in case. I had loaded the roasting pan with potatoes and carrots. I caught my friend (the one already planning to come over with her family) between class and worship, filled her in on the crazy, and asked her to pick up extra rolls – plus maybe a bucket of ice cream? She was happy to help stretch our meal.

Once I got home after church and started making gravy, I also started a big pot of green beans and another big pot of corn. Our simple meal remained simple, yet because there were so many different foods to choose from (roast, potatoes, carrots, gravy, rolls, green beans, corn, ice cream), it looked like a feast. We had plenty to go around and even a little bit left over. Phew!

How to Stretch a Meal for Extra Company

All of that to say, when it comes to hospitality and being able to say, “The more the merrier!” always try to have a few key foods on hand to help stretch your meal. Here are a few items I’ve thought of that you might have on hand to pull out and serve quickly, or that you can grab at the store if you have time/accessibility:

  • Frozen food that cooks quickly like green beans, peas, or corn
  • Applesauce
  • Canned peaches, pears, or mandarin oranges
  • A jar of pickles
  • A can of olives
  • Quick breads or muffins you might have in your freezer
  • Fresh fruit like strawberries, sliced apples, oranges, or grapes
  • A fruit salad, mixing several different fruits you have on hand
  • Canned or fresh pineapple poured into a nest of cottage cheese
  • Raw veggies like carrots sticks, celery, sweet peppers, or cucumber slices
  • Crackers and sliced cheese
  • Tossed salad
  • Grape or cherry tomatoes
  • Chips and salsa
  • Dessert such as cookies or ice cream

If you’re opening a can or jar, I suggest pouring its contents into a nice serving bowl to make your “spread” look tasty and welcoming for your guests. Did you grab a bag of prepared salad on the fly? Pour it into a bowl and throw in some grape tomatoes to make it pretty.

Don’t hesitate to ask your guests to pick something up at the store on their way to your house (especially if they offer or ask what they can bring). Most of the foods on the list above take little to no prep time, but will stretch your meal and offer your guests a delicious variety.

What would you add to this list? What have you found works well to stretch a meal to feed extra people?

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How Do You Clean Your Home Naturally? (What Would Grandma Do?)

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cleaners

I thought I was going to gag. I almost got a headache. My lungs got tight. I’m not exaggerating.  Elias (my 11 year old) was with me, and he started to feel queasy. We were there only about seven seconds.

Where had I taken my child, you ask? To aisle nine.  We were simply walking down the cleaning products aisle at the store.

I avoid that aisle at all costs. But that particular day last week, I needed one item – an ingredient to make a homemade cleaning product. Go figure, after those seven seconds of torture, I still couldn’t find what I was looking for.

Elias asked, “Mom, why is that aisle so disgusting?” Obviously, I’ve avoided taking my kids there since my eleven year old didn’t know that it even existed. If found it hard/ironic/frustrating to explain that all of those products that seemed so nasty to him are offered for sale to help us get our house, dishes, hands, air, clothes, furniture, bathroom, floors, and windows clean.

I’m all for getting rid of the dark cloud of dirty sock scent that hovers over my boys’ room. But when did “clean” begin to smell so toxic? And why are there so many hundreds of varieties of cleaning products to choose from? Do I really need twenty-seven separate products to clean approximately five major areas of my home? Must we all keep a large cabinet full of sprays, bottles, drops, powders, and scrubby bubbles in order to be fully equipped with everything it takes to keep a house clean?

Absolutely not. Be relieved and take a deep breath (but by all means, get out of the cleaning aisle first so that you don’t pass out).

I’m inclined to ask, “What would Grandma do?” I spent hours at my grandma’s house, helping her cook and clean. Try as I might, I can not remember where in the world her cleaning cabinet was. This leads me to believe that she didn’t have one. She wouldn’t have seen the value of spending money on a variety of different cleaning products when her home naturally had everything she needed. In fact, as long as I can remember, she made her own bars of soap. If I close my eyes, I can still smell it. Mmmm, there’s nothing toxic about it. In fact, it didn’t have much of a scent at all. It only smelled…clean.

I’ll admit – I don’t make my own soap. Instead, I have found some great online resources for a few products I trust for our skin, hair, laundry and dishes.

As for cleaning my home? Well, I don’t find that it’s very complicated really. There’s nothing like good old water. Norwex products are awesome. And the best? Baking soda and vinegar.

I found a great online resource, sharing 27 Ways to Clean with Baking Soda. Not to be outdone, here’s a post I found called 1001 Uses for Vinegar. I’m guessing Grandma knew many of these tricks, because she knew that getting her home clean didn’t require that she spend much money or use toxic chemicals. I’m guessing, actually, that she never gave thought much to toxic chemicals – she simply used what she had, and she knew how to keep her home clean.

Ahhh, fresh, clean, and chemical free. That’s what I call cleaning your home naturally.

I know many of you have knowledge on this topic! Share your tips and ideas. How do you clean your home naturally?

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What? You’re Not Perfect Either?

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What You're Not Perfect Either

When I wake up in the morning, I like walking into a clean living room. I love to see a bathroom empty of dirty laundry. And I feel so peaceful cooking breakfast in a tidy kitchen.

When I wake up the boys, it feels great to see them sleeping in a room that is uncluttered. As I walk back downstairs, I love to see our school room organized, our stash of Legos all picked up, and a hallway that is clear of all toys, clothes, and balls.

Yes, this is what I strive for as a homemaker. It is when my house is cleaned and uncluttered that I feel peace.

So what happens when I wake up to a kitchen that looks like this?

dirty_kitchen_1

And a hallway that looks like this?

clean_laundry

And a Lego room that looks like this:

lego_room

Should I then feel like I’ve failed? Should I sigh deeply, let my shoulders drop, frown, and wonder {again} why everyone else has it together better than I?

Sure I could, and I have many times through the years. After all, older women have encouraged me to never go to bed with a dirty kitchen. Books and blogs I’ve read have provided so many organizational tools and scheduling ideas that if I were to only implement them already, I could easily get done what I need to each day. There should be no reason that my clean laundry sits in the hallway for three days before we get around to folding it and putting it away –  after all, I am home all day and I have a lot of boys to help out. I have got to get better organized! I have got to figure out a better schedule! Somehow I must not be doing something right!

What is the matter with me? When am I ever going to get all of this figured out?

Nothing.

Never.

Nothing is the matter with me and I am never going to get all of this figured out. How about you? Now let’s all breathe a sigh of relief.

Let’s stop seeing our personal imperfections and feeling crushed by them. As huge as our laundry piles are, as long as our to-do lists become  – God is so much bigger, and so is his grace. While He does call us to take care of our homes, He doesn’t ask us to be enslaved by them or to make them an idol.

If we are so hung up on creating a perfect home that we lose sight of the heart of our home, ain’t no amount of dishwasher detergent gonna give us peace. Enough about me (or you) as a homemaker. Jesus is the One who makes a home.

Sometimes I wake up to this:

dirty_kitchen_4

It’s great. I love it. I strive to stay on top of the jobs that need to be done in my home. And I will continue to work hard because that is what I am called to do.

But never again will I feel like a failure when working hard for my family does not achieve perfection. Jesus is the heart of our home. The gunk on my floor doesn’t stand a chance.

What gets you down? What do you need to let go of so that you can accept the gift of God’s peace for your home?

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Your Home is Beautiful

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Your Home is Beautiful

Do you live in a house? Apartment? Duplex? Trailer?

Then you are very, very blessed.

Do you have a bed with a pillow? A kitchen with a skillet? A chair to sit on? A shower with running water?

Wow. Then you really have it made.

I’m guessing you might have more than a backpack to hold your clean clothes? Blessing upon blessing.

Since going to Colorado with my family a few weeks ago, serving alongside those who minister to the homeless, feeding families who don’t have enough food to nourish their children through the week, and learning more about those who have no place to call home – I can’t quite see my house the same as I did before.

It’s been easy for me through the years to find fault in the house we’ve lived in for the past eleven years. Our abode is well over 100 years old. That means it has a lot of “character” right? Yes. If by “character” you mean that the toilets don’t flush well, the basement looks like the Adam’s Family lives there, and the dust from the Dirty Thirties is still stuck in crevices around each of our fifty drafty windows.

That’s how I look at my house when I have a self-focused perspective. The world tells me I need new, shiny, perfect, better, best, improved, highest quality, and spotless. Pinterest tells me I need my home and the contents therein to look like as though they climbed out of a magazine – completely unique, yet altogether trendy (which is oxymoronic, yet true). We must have the right color scheme, a lovely furniture arrangement, and classy wall decor. Otherwise, we must feel guilty, deprived, and less than.

What if we just decided to be thankful instead?

We don’t have central air in our house. Below is a picture of our kitchen window air conditioner, sporting white cardboard and clear packing tape to seal off the window. (Which I felt was better than brown cardboard and silver duct tape, yes?)  I used to be embarrassed by this. Now I just appreciate that we have air conditioning on 100 degree days.

air_conditioner

Go ahead. Pin this. I dare you. You know you want one just like it in your window.
Perhaps we could start a unique trend.

Undoubtedly, God gave each of us our home and has called on us to use it for Him as we raise our family and offer hospitality. We need to keep it clean, take care of it, and create a space that will tell all who enter that our home is a place of peace and joy.

But beyond that, should we really lose sleep over the fact that our “to-do” list of needed home improvements is as tall as the pile of clutter in the corner? I’ve come to realize that having a foundation, walls, a floor, and a roof is more than many people have. Even if some of our furniture is old, worn, and stained – at least it’s furniture.

Look at your home through the eyes of the homeless. Your home is perfect – a gift. It is beautiful, and truly, you are blessed.

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Cleaning With a Purpose

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In case you didn’t know from all the subtle or not so subtle complaints I’ve dropped through the years: I do not like to clean. I do enjoy a clean house, but the work that it takes to make it that way? Ugh. I’d much rather be in the kitchen cooking up a storm or at my computer writing fun articles.

Like many aspects of life that have to be done whether we like it or not, cleaning is necessary. And not just every once in a while. Dishes have to be done daily (hourly?!), floors need to be swept frequently, and please let’s not talk about the bathrooms.

clean_bathroom

Are you kidding? That’s not my bathroom.
I just found the picture online.

I’m not into having a perfect, spotless home. It’s just not my gift, and I am okay with that. I hear God calling me to more important things than using a toothbrush to scrub the crevices around my – actually – I can’t even pretend to know how to finish that sentence. What do people use toothbrushes to scrub around? Well, whatever it is, I’m not into it. If you are, please do go for it! God gives us all different passions and skills.

What I have been recently convicted of, however, is that no longer should my attitude be that of cleaning just to get it done or so that I won’t die of embarrassment when someone comes over and sees the filth. Those really have been my reasons in the past.

While one of my gifts has always been hospitality, recently God has put on my heart that our home is to be open and used more frequently to bless others. He gave us a great, big house with plenty of food and fun to share.

Based on that specific calling from God (because this would never come from me – I’m the one who doesn’t like cleaning, remember?) I have found so much joy recently in preparing my home for the guests God continues to put on our doorstep.

No longer am I cleaning to save myself from embarrassment or so that guests won’t think I’m a big slob. (Can you say, self-focused??)  I am now cleaning my house, preparing our guest room, planning meals, and making comfortable beds so that my guests will feel blessed and comfortable in our home.

Do we all need to feel like our homes are perfect before we open our doors to others? Absolutely not. My guests are not going to walk in and feel like they’ve walked into a show room. Far from it. Nerf bullets may still fly by their faces while we visit, dust will be found in places that I forgot to notice, and someone may likely come across a broken pencil having a party with the crumbs under a couch cushion. An unapologetic smile and a warm, relaxed welcome absolutely trumps all white glove tested territory in a home. I will not allow myself to feel like a failure when someone drops by and I have to scoot boxes, Lego creations, and folded laundry out of the way so that they can find a place to sit.

But as I scrub toilets, get out clean sheets and towels, and vacuum under beds, I will now be doing it with a new and refreshing purpose: so that my guests will feel peace and joy from being in my home. (As well as the occasional breeze from a nerf bullet whizzing by their face.)

Do you enjoy having people in your home? If not, what is holding you back?

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Every Good Cook Burns Herself Sometimes…

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I think I was about eleven years old at the time. I was baking chocolate chip cookies – all by myself. It was something I’d been doing since I was about nine, and my mom had confidently turned over all cookie baking jobs to me at that point.

As I reached in to pull the pan of cookies from the oven that day, somehow my right arm brushed the inside of the oven. Ouch! I’d had little burns before, but this one was a biggie. Or so it seemed at the time.

Mom helped me try to find some relief for the burn as she finished up the cookie baking chore. I remember being in a lot of pain – and feeling really frustrated with myself. How could I have been so dumb? It is not hard to take cookies out of the oven without burning yourself. Why hadn’t I just slowed down and done it right? I must  not be a very good cook, I woefully lamented to myself.

Later that day, my grandma came over to drop something off. She took a look at the burn on my arm, winced sympathetically, and said, “Ah, the sign of a good cook…”

What? Good cook?!  I had been thinking exactly the opposite. As I got teary eyed, Grandma continued, “Laura, every good cook I know burns herself every once in a while. It’s not fun, but it means that you’re working hard to help feed your family. Take care of your burn, then get back in the kitchen and keep on cooking.”

It’s a good thing my grandma gave me that advice. Otherwise, my husband and sons would be pretty hungry by now. Just kidding. I’m sure I would have found my way back into the kitchen eventually. But Grandma’s words dried my tears, and got me off the couch and back into the kitchen that very day.

Every good cook burns herself sometimes. Every homemaker occasionally flings a spoonful of flour into the jar of salt. (As in, I did this just last Wednesday.)  Sometimes, when you open the refrigerator, the plastic bottle of ketchup will fall to the floor, break, and shoot ketchup all the way into the living room, up your pantleg, and into the leftover pie. (Again, last Wednesday.)

Every parent says the wrong thing to her child at one time or another. Every person puts his foot in his mouth occasionally. Everyone who has ever done laundry has found that a red shirt with a white sock will create a pretty shade of pink. Or in my case, I learned that my green kitchen rug would turn my light blue guest towels the color of puke. (If only Grandma could have come over that day.)

Afraid of failing? Nervous about trying something new? Scared that you don’t know enough about cooking, serving, parenting, homemaking, working, or you know…taking cookies out of an oven? Not to worry. Every good cook burns herself sometimes.

Trying and failing, spilling and splattering buttermilk onto the ceiling, overbaking the muffins, dropping and breaking an egg into the silverware drawer – all of these are signs of a good cook in the making. Who knew?!

Um well, that would be…Grandma.

I’d love for you to share about a homemaking task you feel afraid to tackle. What’s something new that you’re not sure of trying? Have something you’re afraid of tackling?  Don’t worry. Every good cook burns herself sometimes. That’s how we learn! Share with us!

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How To Make it To Church On Time

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church_on_time

I sure hope you didn’t read the title of this post and assume I would be giving you my secret formula for getting my family out the door to church each week without being late. I wish. Although I will say:  Sometimes we actually are on time!! 

And then there are the other times.  Do my boys not have a hurry mode? Do they not acurately comprehend my words when I tell them to put their shoes on? Which part of “stop talking so that you can stuff food down your face” do they not understand?

From what I hear, this seems to be an issue in many households. Today is our chance to share the tips and tricks that work for each of us to help get our families up and out the door to church on time – or shucks, maybe even early. 

Oh – and since we are, after all, going to meet with our church family so that we can worship our Creator together, I’d love to hear how you encourage your family to be on time, while maintaining joy and smiles! Nothing like good ol’ family chaos to put us in the correct frame of mind to praise God. {cough}

Here’s what works for our family…when it works:

  • Do as much on Saturday to prepare as possible. Showers and baths taken, clothes laid out, Bibles and shoes by the door.
  • Make breakfast easy. Either we have oatmeal, or I bake something the night before so all we have to do is grab and eat.
  • No Sunday morning down time allowed. If you’re not completely ready to leave – with shoes on your feet, contribution money in your pocket, and teeth brushed, you sure as heck better not be shooting baskets in the hallway with a Nerf basketball. (Don’t they know I’m trying to keep that joy and godliness in my Sunday morning routine?!)
  • Mom gets up earlier than normal, allowing for twice as much time as it normally takes to get ready. (And sometimes it’s still not enough.)

I am really excited for you to share on this topic!! What do you do to help your family make it to church on time? All ideas are welcome. If it works for you, it may work for someone else. Even if it just works sometimes. Or on the days when the kids don’t play basketball in the hallway before getting out of their pajamas….

Regarding this question, and many others, I have really enjoyed reading the eBook:  4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Quesions. In this eBook, these wise moms address topics like:  How do you get your family to church on time? How do you teach children to be still and quiet in church? How do you keep your patience in the midst of chaos? How do you teach your children to do chores? How do you deal with sibling squabbles? And so much more.

4moms-ebook_sm

What a valuable resource for all who are raising children. I encourage you to look into 4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Quesions. 

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Gratituesday: Who is a Homemaker?

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Who is a homemaker?

Hi. I’m Laura. I have a husband and four kids. I am a stay-at-home mom. I work a full time job from my home. I homeschool my children. We eat whole foods. I don’t like cleaning. I have a big garden. I am a homemaker.

Allow me to introduce you to my friend Gail. She is a college professor who spends many hours in a classroom and in an office each day. She has blessed thousands of college students through the years. She and her husband are empty nesters, enjoying their children and grandchildren when they have a chance to see them every few months. Gail doesn’t like cooking – never has, never will. Last I heard, she pays someone else to clean her house for her. Her home is always open, and I always feel comfortable and welcome when I am at Gail’s house. Gail is a homemaker.

Please meet my friend, Michele. She is single, with no children. I often see her serving those around her, particularly those with many small children. She involves herself in many ministries at church, at camp, and in the community. She frequently invites people into her home. She knows how to feed an army, and does so regularly. Michele is a homemaker.

I have to tell you about my dear friend Madge. She is in her late 80’s (or early 90’s?), a widow after enjoying a lifetime of marriage to her sweetheart. Madge is lonely. She can no longer drive on her own. Her adult children and grandchildren, as well as some Christian friends, help her get around and make sure she is always at church and involved in other activities. Each time I see her, she has a smile and words of wisdom to share with me. “Let go and let God.” That will always be my favorite quote from her. Madge always cuts out my newspaper articles from the weekly column I write and sends them to my Nana. Madge is a homemaker.

Have you met my friend Brenda? She just received her masters degree. Her three kids are teenagers (one is in college) which has her frequently on the go with their public school events and extracurricular activities. She hates to clean, and claims that her housekeeping skills leave much to be desired. I beg to differ. I’ve seen her piles of “clutter.” They resemble my own, helping me know that I’m in good company. She has people in and out of her home daily – particularly her kids’ friends and neighbors. Brenda is a homemaker.

And then there is my friend Lindsey, who, unlike Brenda and myself,  loves to clean. Loves it.  Her house is always spotless, and her smile is beautiful. She is so much fun to be with, and she is intentional about keeping her marriage and family strong and growing in the Lord. Her two little girls go to public school, and she is very involved in their classrooms. Even though her daughters are young, I see Lindsey instilling in them a desire for purity, love for others, and love for the Lord. Lindsey is a homemaker. 

I wish you could meet my friend, Margaret. She gives the best hugs. She and her husband are retired, and loving every minute of it. She used to work full time outside of the home. Now she can often be found at her grandkid’s sports activities or serving at church. Margaret is a homemaker.

So who is a homemaker? A homemaker is all of us. A homemaker is you. A homemaker is each person who works to make a home heavenly. A person who serves, gives, loves, and cares.

Whether you work outside the home sixty hours a week or stay home full time – you are a homemaker. Whether you homeschool, public school, hate cooking, love cleaning, have too many piles of mail in your kitchen, can’t remember when you last washed your windows, decorate your home with elaborate handmade crafts, or wouldn’t know a piece of raffia if it hit you in the face – you are a homemaker.

Thank you God for the beautiful gift of homemaking – in all its forms. We are blessed!

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Gift Certificate in a Jar

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Welcome to the post in which I encourage you to buy packages of high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors and food coloring. Brace yourself – there are no vegetables mentioned, nor do I offer suggestions for using whole wheat flour or coconut oil. Once you see the idea, you’re sure to understand and know full well why frozen peas just wouldn’t cut it for this project. ;)

It is no secret that I love jars. I have cabinets full of jars, I store my leftovers in jars, I preserve a lot of produce in jars.

Knowing of my jar obsession, Teresa emailed me the fun idea of using jars full of candy as a way to package gift certificates. I loved the idea and was very excited to finally make use of it last week at a baby shower I helped host.

Several friends pitched in money for the mother-to-be. I used the money to buy a gift certificate, then filled a pint jar with brightly colored Tropical Skittles. (Yes, you should have heard my boys when they were unloading my shopping bags.)

I stuck the gift certificate down inside the candy, put on a lid, tied a bow around the jar and had a lovely gift ready to present to my friend.

I think this would be fun to do at Christmas time with red and green M&Ms or for a graduation gift using candy that matches the graduate’s school colors.

In case you’re wondering, one 14-ounce bag of skittles was exactly the right amount needed to fill a pint sized jar (with a few leftover to give eager children who may or may not be standing by watching you fill the jar).

What kinds of fun ways to you use jars?

(And by the way, aren’t you proud of me for giving away one of my beloved jars at this baby shower? I didn’t even ask my friend to give it back to me when she was finished with it. I almost did, but stopped myself just in time, so as not to appear obsessed. Shocking.)

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