#86. The Cups on My Counter + Why I'm Geeking Out Over Here! | Solutions to a Common Problem

Speaker: 00:00:00

Welcome to the Again

podcast summer series.

2

: 00:00:02

I'm your host, Stephanie Hickox, and this

is brought to you by Entrusted Ministries.

3

: 00:00:07

This summer, we've selected some of our

favorite episodes that we think help

4

: 00:00:11

set the tone for biblical motherhood

in our hearts, but also have great

5

: 00:00:15

practical wisdom for you to apply.

6

: 00:00:17

I've shortened these as much as I can,

so you can get what you need as quickly

7

: 00:00:21

as possible and get back to swimming,

splashing, and snuggling those kiddos.

8

: 00:00:26

Whether your summer is a bunch of

schedule managing or a blank open

9

: 00:00:29

canvas to architect, we pray that

you find time to sit at the feet of

10

: 00:00:34

Jesus and to enter in with your kids.

11

: 00:00:38

I am doing something a

little bit different from

12

: 00:00:41

the summer series right now.

13

: 00:00:42

This is not a replay, but there are some

practical tips that I hope solve a common

14

: 00:00:47

problem and bring some peace in your home.

15

: 00:00:50

We don't wanna oversize things,

but God is a God of order.

16

: 00:00:53

And sometimes do you just feel internal

peace when you see external peace

17

: 00:00:58

in your home That's research based.

18

: 00:01:00

And we've mentioned it before

on the podcast, but it's really

19

: 00:01:03

true and I don't think anyone

feels that fact more than moms.

20

: 00:01:07

Also, I have a really

important announcement to make.

21

: 00:01:10

So keep listening to the end.

22

: 00:01:12

This is gonna be a really short

episode, but can we just discuss

23

: 00:01:15

for a second a truly first world

problem, but I think it's a universal

24

: 00:01:20

first world problem of moms.

25

: 00:01:22

The cups on our counters.

26

: 00:01:24

Over the years, we've tried several

different attempts to mitigate the army

27

: 00:01:29

of drinking glasses that is ever present.

28

: 00:01:32

And I found a couple things that

have helped us be successful in this

29

: 00:01:36

realm, and I'm gonna share them.

30

: 00:01:38

Like I said, it's gonna be super

short, but I hope it's super helpful.

31

: 00:01:41

When my kids were younger, I

bought a pack of glasses on Amazon.

32

: 00:01:47

And it just so happened to be my kids'.

33

: 00:01:49

favorite colors.

34

: 00:01:50

It actually came in a pack of five

colors, and then we just devoted the

35

: 00:01:55

fifth color to be our guest cups.

36

: 00:01:57

At any given time, we knew if a

turquoise glass is out, it is rider's.

37

: 00:02:03

If a blue cup is out, it's Everett's.

38

: 00:02:06

If the lime green is out, it's Lincoln,

and if it's pink, it's Adeline's.

39

: 00:02:10

And an orange cup was the guest cup.

40

: 00:02:13

it really did streamline it.

41

: 00:02:15

And then we load the dishwasher at

the end of the night, we would put

42

: 00:02:18

those cups in and then the kids would

get out one fresh cup the next day.

43

: 00:02:23

And I would say for years we

never had more than one of

44

: 00:02:27

those cups out on the counter.

45

: 00:02:28

At the same time, they

just knew the system.

46

: 00:02:30

I do understand for the crunchy mamas

out there that are saying, ah, but

47

: 00:02:34

those are plastic cups, and I get it.

48

: 00:02:38

So I'm not saying it's a

perfect system, but if you are.

49

: 00:02:41

At your max and aren't wanting to

be cleaning up broken glass because

50

: 00:02:45

your kiddos are still little.

51

: 00:02:46

I think that's a great system.

52

: 00:02:48

Of course, we can just let them

drink out of their water bottles,

53

: 00:02:51

but washing water bottles, it is

just a task I wish wasn't in my day.

54

: 00:02:55

So many of them aren't dishwasher

safe or I know lots of moms

55

: 00:02:59

are trying to preserve.

56

: 00:03:00

All those wonderful stickers their

children have acquired, and it just

57

: 00:03:04

feels like it's not as simple as putting

a cup or a glass into the dishwasher.

58

: 00:03:09

As much as possible, I try to keep those

water bottles for when we're on the go.

59

: 00:03:14

But our newest system, now that my kids

are older and I feel much better about

60

: 00:03:20

giving them glasses to drink out of.

61

: 00:03:23

I just bought some new glasses at IKEA

that were really inexpensive, and then

62

: 00:03:28

I found on Amazon these bands that you

can put around the outside of a glass.

63

: 00:03:35

You know, as I'm saying it,

I'm realizing they're pretty

64

: 00:03:37

much glorified rubber bands.

65

: 00:03:39

But you know what?

66

: 00:03:40

It's working for us.

67

: 00:03:42

This package came with more

than we will need, but it came

68

: 00:03:45

with six different colors.

69

: 00:03:47

On any given day, each person in

our family can have one glass out

70

: 00:03:52

with that band around the glass.

71

: 00:03:54

It's simple.

72

: 00:03:55

They're dishwasher safe.

73

: 00:03:57

I am really liking it.

74

: 00:03:59

Before we moved to this we did something

very creative that I really loved.

75

: 00:04:04

We took a couple posca markers, P-O-S-C-A.

76

: 00:04:09

These are basically paint markers

they are kind of expensive.

77

: 00:04:13

But they work really well and I found

that these were so fun for when I was

78

: 00:04:18

entertaining because you can take these

paint markers on a dry, clean glass and

79

: 00:04:25

you can write people's names on them.

80

: 00:04:28

Whenever I will have moms over or

guess over, I'll pre-write their

81

: 00:04:33

names on the glasses you can use a

neutral color like white or you can.

82

: 00:04:39

Spruce it up a little bit more

with more color, depending

83

: 00:04:41

on the theme of the event.

84

: 00:04:43

Everyone always comments and feels like

it's a really special touch and it only

85

: 00:04:48

takes me two minutes max to do this.

86

: 00:04:51

So it's one of my favorite hospitality

tips, but it also extended into

87

: 00:04:55

our Daily Cup usage as my kids were

transitioning to using glasses, they

88

: 00:05:00

could write their name on a cup or

I would write it on, and when guests

89

: 00:05:04

came, they could even design theirs.

90

: 00:05:06

You can imagine with kids, sometimes

it's their name, sometimes it's

91

: 00:05:11

even been elaborate as their

favorite basketball player.

92

: 00:05:13

There's a lot you can do with this.

93

: 00:05:15

Maybe even, you wanna write out

your kids' names instead of it

94

: 00:05:19

being like a sentimental note

that you put in their lunchbox.

95

: 00:05:23

It could be they wake up in the

morning and they see that you have

96

: 00:05:25

written their name out with a little

heart or an I love you below it.

97

: 00:05:30

We find that these paska names,

stamps are very resilient.

98

: 00:05:35

If it does get wet right after

you write it, then it will smear.

99

: 00:05:40

But if you can just wait like 20 seconds

or so after you write it, before you fill

100

: 00:05:45

up your cup, I find that that's the most.

101

: 00:05:47

Time tested approach, and then sometimes

when it comes out of the dishwasher,

102

: 00:05:51

you'll still have to maybe do just

a tiny bit of additional scrubbing.

103

: 00:05:56

But in general, that has been

one of my favorite systems.

104

: 00:05:59

I hope that simple tip can bless you.

105

: 00:06:02

I also can't help but share that

I have been geeking out over here

106

: 00:06:07

because I just have a couple.

107

: 00:06:09

Dream podcast guests.

108

: 00:06:11

But there is one that I cannot believe she

agreed to be on our podcast, and I'm going

109

: 00:06:17

to be publishing those episodes shortly.

110

: 00:06:21

She's a wealth of wisdom, and she's

also one of the most endearing

111

: 00:06:24

women I've ever encountered.

112

: 00:06:27

You will instantly love her and the

interview with her has some lighthearted

113

: 00:06:31

elements, and so it'll be perfect

listening for summer, and it will

114

: 00:06:35

also help set the tone for you to be

intentional in planning out your fall.

115

: 00:06:40

I can't wait to reveal who she is

and to get those episodes to you.

116

: 00:06:44

All right.

117

: 00:06:44

That's it for now, mama.

118

: 00:06:46

Hopefully this was quick,

but incredibly helpful.