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Things That Make Me Go Hmmm

  • Hmmm

It’s been a long time since I did a “hmmm” post so I think it’s high time I write one. Here goes.

~I saw this thing on Oprah last week about treating dry and cracked heels. When you go to bed you rub your heel with a Stridex Medicated Pad, slather it with Vaseline, and then put on a pair of socks. Supposedly the salicylic acid in the Stridex pad helps remove the dead skin and then the Vaseline moisturizes it. They said if you do this every night for a week you’ll have the heels of a baby. I’m day 4 into this and I think it’s working.

~I haven’t turned on our furnace yet this fall. Now before you get all excited, please remember that we have a wood stove, so it’s not like we’re freezing to death here. I do usually cave before now, though, since the wood stove is in the living room and the kitchen and bedrooms really benefit from the supplemental heat from the radiators. I’ve resisted so far but I was mighty tempted yesterday when the kitchen was 55°.

~Paula is asking for help with her survey on starting a fiber processing business. You can fill it out here.

~While you’re clicking around the internets did you know that Sonny & Shear is holding a contest right now? They are giving away 8 skeins of Yarntini if you make a donation to Pennies for Bella. It’s a great cause and an absolutely fabulous prize.

~I know some of you live in Massachusetts and I wanted to give you guys a heads up on the brand new Massachusetts Library License Plate program. Proceeds will benefit public, academic, special and school libraries across the state and you can read all about this and how to sign up for a plate right here.

~Thanksgiving is one week from today. Have you started cooking yet? Don’t forget that you can make your pie crust in advance. Might be time to re-read my blog post on making pie crust.

And that’s all for today. Hmmm.

This Post Has 44 Comments

  1. Oprah really does have some interesting things! Good stuff here — that cranberry pie that you posted last year was delicious.

  2. Thank you so much!!! I saw that Oprah episode and meant to write down the cracked-heel tip. Now my memory is jogged, so I’ll go put the Stridex on my grocery list. Glad to know it really works.

  3. Once you are done with the Stridex part, try using Burt’s Bees Hand Salve/Farmer’s Friend on your feet. It is thick like Vaseline. Smear it on after your morning shower and wear socks over the hand salve. Works wonderfully and smells great.

  4. I am a baby and had to have heat a good couple of weeks ago.
    I would love to try the heel thing, but there is no way I would be able to sleep with socks on my feet. Not ever. I am a baby about that too.

  5. Pure coconut oil! You can soak your heels first in sea salt and baking soda; or powdered milk seems to work well since the lactic acid is also supposed to help dead skin. Olive oil also works really well (maybe even a bit better), but the coconut oil smells much better!

    My heels used to be the worst in the world, but are very soft and even somewhat pretty now.

  6. Pie crust in advance is an excellent idea, which I may implement sometime this weekend while Grant and Miss B are out of town. I’m really looking forward to this weekend as well as the Thanksgiving break to get some serious knitting done.

  7. Lois Lowry lives in Massachusetts? Was just thinking about rereading the “Anastasia” series. Totally cool about the Library License Plates. If I didn’t already have a special low number plate (my aunt used to work at the Registry) I’d go for that. I’ll spread the word, though, thanks.

  8. I suffered from really cracked heels until I used this product Earth To Skin Care Cracked Heel Renewal that I bought on HSN. It works so well for me (nothing else up to this point had). You are such a hearty woman, 55 degrees! My heater would be on in an instant if my house got that cold, I can let it get down to about 65 and thats about it. (I guess living in California, you just get used to warmer weather). I also found a site that has some great recipes http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/ .

  9. At some point I am going to need to grow a thick skin so that I can tolerate temperatures in the low 60s. But for now we don’t let the house fall below 70F. This is in large part due to the fact that I work from home. 🙂 As for turkey day cooking, I will make a pumpkin pie next Wednesday to take to my brother. We’re all gathering at his home this year. 🙂

  10. I’ve got to try that heel thing!
    I haven’t even started thinking about Thanksgiving. Do you think next Wednesday is too late? 😉

  11. I am going to have to grow a thick skin so that some day I will be able to tolerate temperatures in the low 60s. As it is now we don’t let the house fall below 70F during the day. This is largely due to the fact that I work from home. As for turkey day cooking I will be making a pumpkin pie to take to my brother next Wednesday. We’re all gathering at his home this year. 🙂

  12. Definitely gonna try the heel thing. I love Miracle Foot but it’s just not enough in the winter.
    I talked to my boys this morning about Bella and showing them her picture after reading about her on Ravelry yesterday. They have one of those jars that counts change as you put it in. They’ve been putting change in it for something “family” since last Christmas. There’s about $75 in it so that’s huge for them. After our talk this morning I asked them to think about Bella today and see if they could come up with a way to help her. I’m going to start hinting about the change jar but they just might surprise me and come up with something better!

  13. I think a pumice stone and moisturizing a lot will help too. Caveat – this advice comes from someone with thick skinned heels.

    We’re skiing next week and having Thanksgiving dinner in a restaurant. I think it’s the first time for me ever not to cook.

  14. The heel thing? Boy, do I need that.

    My turkey comes out of the freezer and into the fridge Saturday night. The rest of the routine will wind up as a blog post, but the good news is that I don’t have to make the pies!

  15. 3 cheers for the library license plate program!

    I won’t be cooking this Thanksgiving. DH will take me to a restaurant, and THEY will have to deal with the left-overs. It’s much better for my weight maintenance that way.

  16. i keep a pumice stone in the shower, and use it on my heels and the balls of my big toes every day. then use body lotion on my feet after the shower.
    here in florida we wear sandals a lot, nice looking heels are a must 🙂

  17. I have to say…at first glance, I thought that said “Penises for Bella,” and I had a very strange moment in my head trying to figure out what kind of charity work that might be. Ahem.

  18. I bought a Ped-Egg and it’s really worked to remove dead skin from my heels – I only used it once, too! BUT – a woman at my hairdresser’s told me that she went way overboard using it and got a bad infection. She just kept shaving and shaving and shaving until she hit raw skin, apparently! She was rather nuts. So, it’s important to know when to stop. :o)

  19. I’ve been using the Vaseline and socks thing (I use old jogging socks – not my good knitted ones!) at night for awhile now, and it surely is amazing. I follow this most nights when it’s not too cold. Because when it’s cold, I want my wool knitted socks on…and then I just use Fisherman’s Formula Neutrogenia handcream…it absorbs pretty fast.
    (both of them work on rough elbows too)
    🙂
    (((hugs)))

  20. Thanks for the heads up on the license plates! I am renewing this spring and will definitely invest in this.

  21. That Oprah woman is still on tv?! I thought she was getting her own network. I use a pumice stone, too, and body butter. Then socks. I used to skip the socks. Then I slide on the wood floor while trying to get the phone. Socks are a must. Trust me. o.O

    Cooking? Early? You really are just too cute.

  22. I have to try that heel thing. I have used Neutrogena’s Cracked Heel Relief Cream and it helps but not all the way and this sounds faster. I made a donation to Bella yesterday…sounds like a great cause. And a contest with it too?! No brainer. And I answered Paula’s survey last week…I liked your hmmm day. But, really, cooking a week ahead? I never would have thought of that…We haven’t even ordered our turkey yet, I guess I had better get on that today, lol.

  23. i put vaseline on my feet sometimes when i run to prevent blisters, but it definitely doesn’t help. haha, random story 🙂

  24. We keep the heat at 65 during the day – I work from home but I knit so I can wear warm sweaters and keep the heat down. ;o) Our bedroom hasn’t been above 58 in weeks and I think RR is about to stage a revolt (he’s such a heat sissy *sigh*) ;o))

  25. Just popping in to say “hi” as I’m woefully behind on my blog reading. I missed that Oprah segment but that’s a very interesting experiment. Hmmm indeed!

  26. oh my.. no cooking yet at my house but I’m hoping to be able to get enough hours off of work next Tues and Wed to make some desserts.

  27. So how are the feet coming? I though about you when I was in WalMart yesterday trying to remember the formula 😉

  28. Hmmm. Maybe I need a Massachusetts license plate. I’ll do anything to support libraries.

    If you go camping, you should know that those medicated pads do a darned good job as the vehicle for a sponge bath to de-scent the smelly bits when there is no shower available. (I knew you wanted to know.)

  29. So, my stepdad wants a mincemeat pie, and with none to be found, I said that I would make one. (Mincemeat is not too popular down here in FL) Which led me here to get your recipe for yummy pie crust 🙂 I’ll let you know how it turns out. Not that I’ll be eating mincemeat pie…lol

  30. So it’s been like 13 days…how’s yer heels? (oh and I know I’m a horrible blog friend who hasn’t commented or read a blog in weeks and I’m sorry – do I get points that I’m catching up on yours first? ;o) )

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