Baby Sock or Multi Purpose Household Tool?

I am not one who generally applies household tips. But I do hate waste. I hate a lot of things actually, like when you ask someone the time and they show you their watch or when you are already late for school and the toddler runs away from you as you are trying to put on his coat. But I digress. I hate waste and losing things. I have lost a lot of things of value over the years, for example a vintage Hermes Belt, an elephant hair and gold bracelet, several earrings and even an emerald. Those are losses one can mourn and move on. But irritating little insignificant mindless losses drive me most crazy. Like those infernal baby socks. Mother F’n baby socks. I had a whole drawer full of partnerless socks until I let go and let God and got a little creative.

First of all, the baby doesn’t care if her socks even match so I dress my poor daughter  a la 80s Punky Brewster with mismatched socks. I can see her on the worst dressed list for The Oscars years from now- all my fault. I also have different patterns of the same brand so they remotely look like a pair to the undiscerning eye- or the dad. But I have taken lemons and made proverbial baby sock lemonade- do you know how many things you can do with a forsaken baby sock?

1. Keep it in your glasses case as a lens cleaner
2. Use as a cell phone, Ipod, Camera cover
3. Cut off the foot and use as a pony tail holder
4. Cut off the foot and use as a hipster work out wrist band
5. Keep one in your laptop to wipe the screen.
6. Finger sock puppets. Glue googly eyes or simply pin earrings through as eyes (this saved my life on a road trip- just call me MomGyver)
7. Christmas ornament- decorate with anything Christmas-y
8. Christmas stocking for the pet fish/hamster/mouse that lives in your kitchen (this is only semi autobiographical)
9. Baby rattle- put a little bottle of beans or pills (not ones you need) inside and sew shut. I cannot be held liable for any choking or overdose that can occur when the child is unattended.
10. A hat for some small doll or toy or the mouse that lives in your kitchen.
11. A baby food jar protector for when you are on the go with jars of baby food.
12. A jewelry bag to store individual items, such as necklaces or the chandelier earrings that will be back in fashion one day.
13. Mittens for the same baby (as long as you don’t mind getting weird looks) who will probably figure out how to take them off anyway.
14. Store breakable Christmas ornaments.
15. Tiny little rags for use around the house (think small, like nail polish removal, pesky crevices when polishing silver, impossible little stains on fabric that need detailed attention and serious scrubbing)

So there you have it—of course, the size and texture of the errant sock will be more useful to certain applications than others; just think outside of the sock.

Alexandra Como Saghir lives in Brooklyn and writes about more than just baby socks on www.mykidscantsleep.wordpress. com

This is an original post to NY City Moms blog.