Out with the old, In with the new

When my parents came for Christmas, my mom was sick.  We still had a wonderful time, but she didn't feel like herself until the last couple of days.  In a normal visit with my parents, a lot would have been the same {coffee, talking, coffee}, but we would also have tackled a project.  We would have picked a location, like the laundry room or my craft closet, and worked on organizing it. My mom is a master of organization. While some of you would rather have a root canal, this sounds like fun to me! We actually have a great time doing it together, and the sense of accomplishment at the end is refreshing.

So while the big projects went undone, we talked over what could be done to improve the function of different rooms in the house.  One thing she suggested to me was that I replace my kitchen towels.  Does that sound weird?  Well, they're pretty awful, stained and kind of gross looking even when they're clean.  In a separate drawer, still waiting to make their debut, are three packages of new kitchen towels from Williams Sonoma that she gave me last year for Christmas.  I keep saving them, using the old ones because they work just fine and I don't want to ruin the nice new ones.  Tell me I'm not the only one who does this.

When Handsome Hero and I started thinking about it, this towel thing goes beyond the kitchen.  We have bath towels that perpetually stink, though I've tried using bleach, vinegar, baking soda, febreze detergent, oxyclean, etc.  I don't know how they got that way {I don't actually even know where they all came from; we've never bought towels}, but nothing seems to help.  They smell wonderful out of the dryer, but the first time you use them, they start to stink.  As if that weren't enough, many of them are torn and holey.  When we have guests, we have to check that the towels we are putting out for them are "good," which is relative, my friends. 

The worst part?  Last year, my mom {again} gave me a set of two beautiful and super soft towels that match our bathroom.  They still have the tags on them.  All of these towels of various kinds, each given by my mom, still have the tags on them.

We decided that this was ridiculous.  Towels aren't expensive enough to warrant living with the odor.  Our gameplan has been as follows.  Each time we use a towel and find that it is stinky, or realize it has holes or no binding, or if it is just really nasty to look at, instead of washing it, we put it directly in the trash.  I already have a rag pile, and Goodwill doesn't want them.  Trust me.

So far, we've thrown away five bath towels and  numerous kitchen towels.  It feels really good knowing that when you reach for a towel out of the shower, it will be a pleasant olfactory experience.  It is also nice to wipe Jack's hands off after a meal with a snowy white dish cloth {I have a couple that I reserve just for that}.

By the way, I don't know if it sounds weird that my mom got me dish towels or bath towels as a gift, but I LOVE it!  I enjoy receiving a nicer version of something simple that I wouldn't feel justified in buying for myself.  Some of my favorite gifts from Handsome Hero have been a beautiful apron and a tea kettle that matches my kitchen.  I think of him each time I use them, which is quite a lot.  Last year I bought my mom a pretty floral broom and dustpan for her birthday, and she loved them.  It makes sweeping a little less tedious when you have a pretty broom. 

Maybe that's just us.

Is it just us?