My husband went to a garage sale. It’s kind of his ‘thing’. I spend all of our money on pretty clothes while he haggles over 50 cents at garage sales. All of his saving means more money in the bank for me to spend. So it really is a match made in heaven…for me.
He came home from a sale the other weekend and was all “Kat! This lady handed me a hand warmer that she had warmed up in the microwave…it was so cold outside so she just handed it to me and I held it while I walked around the estate sale and it stayed warm the WHOLE time…it really worked!”
Any time Pat gets excited enough to say more than three words at a time I know something is up.
me: Oh, was it one of those rice pouch things?
pat: YES! HOW DID YOU KNOW!?!
me: I dunno…they’ve been around.
pat: Well you can use them for literally anything…a sore back, cold hands, cold feet, shoulders…just anything!
me: yep.
pat: And this woman actually makes them nice with maybe a little lace and gives them as gifts, but I bet people would pay her for them.
me: You want me to make rice pouches and sell them on my blog. Don’t you?
pat: Well yeah! Maybe one of those Etsy shops and people can buy them from you. They’re not hard to make Kat!
me: I know they’re not hard to make Pat, which is exactly why they would never sell…let alone on my site. You’ve lost your damn mind.
pat: Overhead would be so low because you could use old shirt and then the lace…
me: Let me get this straight. You think I’m going to cut up my old shirts, sass them up with lace, fill them with rice and then try to CONVINCE people to buy them from me?
I didn’t need to ask the question. I could see from the excited look on his face that this was precisely what he had in mind.
me: No.
pat: Seriously?
me: Umm yeah. Seriously. That lady is just like every other knit-happy grandmother I know. They all make those warmers and I’m not joining the club.
(Also, why is he always trying to find me jobs?)
We left it at that, but I told my sister about it and she turned around and made him some damn warmers out of old socks and t-shirts for Christmas. I’ve laughed at Pat’s stupid hand warmer idea since the moment he came bounding home to share it with me…never mind the fact I’ve been using them more than anyone else in this house.
You’ll excuse me while I go warm this one up again…it’s starting to cool.
Dina / 30ish Mama says
That is too funny! Just think of how far you can take this, hand warmers today, neck warmers tomorrow.
heather... says
Convince people? Those babies sell themselves!
Veronica @ Germlisch says
Who needs a job when you have a husband..?! I mean, for real.
hahaha
tracy@sellabitmum says
Awesome – I’ll make a preorder. I’d like two in pink with purple lace please. xo
Dionne Adkison says
Bahahaha…great post! Yes, I can think of a time or two that I have thought of a hair brain idea…I think I will just stick to writing or something and maybe publish that book that is at least half-way done (wink, wink). You tell great stories. I was enjoying coffee this morning with pure entertainment from you. You rock!
Jen says
Oh Pat! He really doesn’t get it and all you can do it love him.
Mrs. Jen B says
Meanwhile I’m sitting here thinking about how I should make some for myself so my hands don’t freeze off during my walk to work…Maybe you could make them for me? I’d pay you. ;)
Alexandra says
You have the best closers.
Yeah, my husband is always trying to find me work, too.
mom taxi julie says
Too funny! I’m always thinking I should make one of the neck ones, that would probably feel fantastic!
Kimberlly says
Oh men…can’t kill them and stuff them in a warmer made from a skirt…or can you?
I’ve been off of work for a year and my husband is always mentioning things I can do for money. So I tell him to work harder so that I don’t have to work. Such a simple solution
BalancingMama (Julie) says
Brookstone got all fancy and made the “body bean”. Same kind of thing except it plugs in because, you know, Brookstone likes your home to be full of 10 thousand chargers for random items. But hey, they sell the thing for $35…. maybe Pat wants to run with that idea? Better profit margin, I would think.
Arnebya @whatnowandwhy says
You could embroider names on them oooooooh and pictures of people’s pets aaaaaaaah and the cutest ever sayings like I’ve Bean There. You know, in the ones that you fill with BEANS. I’m a friggin’ marketing genius! (I wonder how many times you can heat the things before the things inside start to cook).
Xzc says
Al-Baghir Yakout Posted on I’m public pruoecotsr and state Attorney in the office of Director of Public Prosecution Zanzibar. I’m LLB holder with 6 years experience in prosecutions. I need your help to hold LLM plkease.
June Freaking Cleaver says
I used to have a scented one, for around my neck. It was heavenly.
I suddenly miss it.
Where’s the order form?
Andrea says
you and the kids whip up a dozen or so of those puppies asap. send him door to door selling these “prototypes” for the sake of market research, when his frost bitten behind gets home I’m thinking he may have changed his mind… just a thought. Keep warm.
Leigh Ann says
My SIL makes warmers, but hers are big and meant as neck warmers…in the shape of adorable monsters.
Tina says
Making for gifts and family use is one thing. Not sure it’s profitable as a business. After all, there’s a simple solution: fill a sock with rice, tie off the end, nuke for a couple minutes. Not as pretty but it works.
Stasha says
Between the sock bun and warmers you wil have no socks left in the drawer for your feet. Oh well, time to shop!!
frenchell says
haha! I was laughing so hard when I read this! But c’mon…he was so excited before you dashed his dreams:)
OHN says
So how much, what sizes and do you ship for free?
(Sounds like a “man’s job” to me. Tell him to fire up the Singer and get moving ;-)
danielle says
I’ve made big as* ones that are like 14″ long by like 7″ wide. Everyone loves them! They put them on their necks and backs and everything. They would be too heavy to ship for a decent price, but if he wants to take them to work and stand outside and sell them in the cold, he may be on to something. You make them and he sells them to his people!
Angie @ The Little Mumma says
Why do you resist your husband’s efforts to turn your family into bazillionaires? Don’t be afraid, Kat. Embrace the hand warmer ingenuity and soar on the (toasty) wings of wealth.
Or Pat needs to get off the crack.
One of the above.