9 Unusual (But Useful) Things You Can Do With Oats

PLUS: 5 good reasons to start using dryer balls, a practical way to measure spaghetti, and more. PLUS: 5 good reasons to start using dryer balls, a practical way to measure spaghetti, and more. March 24, 2022 [View Online]( TOGETHER WITH [Hiya logo]( Good morning! Antioxidant-rich foods are often referred to as “superfoods,” but I think the real superfoods are the ones whose usefulness isn't limited to the kitchen. By that definition, oats are so super, they need a secret identity—check out 9 great ways to use them in Today’s Good Thing. Also in today’s newsletter, say goodbye to the days of accidentally cooking way too much pasta. I’ve got a simple tip for you that will make measuring spaghetti as easy as, well, making spaghetti. Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING 9 Unusual (But Useful) Things You Can Do With Oats [Photos of various uses for oats.]( Oats are amazing, and not just for breakfast—these 9 uses for oats might surprise you. I don’t know how mornings go at your house, but if they’re anything like ours, somebody is always in a hurry. I want everyone to have a good breakfast before they rush out the door—it is the most important meal of the day, after all—and oatmeal is an ideal option because it’s quick, nutritious, and filling. But those are only a few of the reasons why I always keep a big container of quick oats in my pantry. I also use oatmeal in my DIY beauty and personal care products, because its skin-soothing properties can be really beneficial for those of us with sensitive, easily irritated skin. Oatmeal can be great for eczema, psoriasis, and other skin conditions too (not to mention that it's a lot cheaper than other ingredients used in skincare!) I use oats in the kitchen as well, and not just for making oatmeal—oats are gluten free and surprisingly versatile in cooking. You can grind them up into oat flour, use them to stretch other ingredients, and much more. To ensure you aren’t missing out on these or any other great ideas, I came up with a list of 9 useful things you can do with oats. Once you finish reading the list at the link below, that big container of oats in your pantry won’t just look like breakfast—it’ll look like possibility. [9 Unusual (But Useful) Things You Can Do With Oats ➜]( Related • [These 9 Little-Known Uses For Flour Are Surprisingly Practical]( • [The 11 Best Reasons To Never Throw Out An Overripe Banana]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • Flushable wipes can harm entire sewage systems, but this DIY alternative will keep you clean without the consequences. [Read more ➜]( • Tired of scrubbing your dishes with a slimy, grimy sponge? Here’s a cleaner and more sustainable dish scrubbing option. [Read more ➜]( • We’ve all heard that it’s dangerous to swim after eating, but that’s not actually true, nor are these 6 other urban myths. [Read more ➜]( WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT? A Practical Solution For Pasta Servings [A photo of someone putting spaghetti through a pasta spoon hole.]( If you’re known for wildly overestimating how much pasta to cook, this tip can help. Why is it so hard to accurately judge how much pasta to cook? For me, part of the problem is that I made enough spaghetti for 6 people for years, 4 of whom were growing increasingly tall and increasingly hungry during much of that time. Now that I cook for just 2 or 3 people, leftover pasta is all too common in our fridge these days. But my oldest Erik told me a great tip that has helped make measuring pasta—or at least spaghetti—much, much easier. Apparently, the amount of spaghetti noodles you can slide through the hole in a spaghetti spoon at once is about one serving's worth. Granted, it’s probably not exactly one serving—I doubt there’s a set standard for the diameter of the hole in a spaghetti spoon. But it’s at least pretty close to one serving, and that’s a lot more than I can say for my own pasta guesstimates! TOGETHER WITH HIYA The Bad Food Habit Plaguing 93% of Kids… And How To Fix It Whether they’re our kids, our kids’ kids, or the kids of our friends and neighbors, we all want the children in our lives to grow up happy, healthy, and strong. They are, after all, the future! Unfortunately, that may be easier said than done, considering that over 90% of kids don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables! While access to healthy foods is part of the problem for some people, no one can deny every mom’s age-old nemesis: the picky eater! Children may not understand how a lack of nutrition will impact them in the long run, but we know better. That’s why adults need to encourage kids to eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables… and when they feed those to the dog, then we supplement their diets with high-quality vitamins like [Hiya Vitamins](. The best part is, they taste great! While most children’s vitamins are filled with added sugar and other fillers, [Hiya Vitamins]( are made with zero sugar and zero gummy junk. Made from fruits and veggies and supercharged with 15 essential vitamins and minerals, Hiya makes it easy to fill nutritional gaps. And with [50% off on your first order](, there’s never been a better time to try the daily vitamin parents and kids are raving about! [Click Here to Receive 50% off your First Order ➜]( SWAP THAT 🔄 FOR THIS 5 Of The Best Reasons To Switch To Dryer Balls [Photos of dryer sheets and dryer balls.]( If you’ve been considering trying out a set of dryer balls, here are 5 more reasons to do it. 1. They’re More Cost Effective. Dryer sheets are one of those things you have to buy over and over again, but dryer balls are a “one and done” purchase—buy them once and use them for years. So even though a box of dryer sheets isn't very expensive, dryer balls are much more cost-effective in the long run. 2. They Don’t Leave Residues. Dryer sheets and fabric softeners coat fabrics in a thin layer of chemical softeners. That residue can build over time and prevent your washer from getting your laundry completely clean, and even cause mildew issues. That's not a problem with dryer balls, which don’t leave behind any residues. 3. They’re Reusable. Even if you’re making the most of your dryer sheets by using them twice or cutting them in half, you still have to throw them out eventually. But you can use dryer balls a nearly infinite number of times, making it an easy way to cut back on waste. 4. They Save Energy. Dryer balls can make your laundry dry faster by getting between the layers of fabric and separating them, improving airflow throughout your dryer. Those faster drying times will reduce your energy costs over time, and you’ll put less wear and tear on your dryer, potentially helping to extend its lifespan. 5. They’re Free Of Irritants. A set of 100% wool dryer balls doesn’t contain synthetic fragrances, dyes, or anything else that could potentially irritate sensitive skin. (But if you miss the fresh scent of your favorite dryer sheets, you can always add a few drops of your favorite essential oils to one of the balls.) If you’ve been waiting for the stars to align to get a set of dryer balls for your laundry room, dryer balls are on sale right now for a really great price in my shop! [Check them out here ➜]( JILLEE'S PICK Inviting Spaces With A Sense Of Humor [Various photos from the Instagram feed of Denise Roberts (@withlovefromding).]( All of my favorite HGTV and home makeover shows feature designers who are really talented at staging homes with attractive, inviting decor, and I’m always so impressed with their ability to turn their vision for the space into a beautiful reality. One designer in particular recently caught my eye on Instagram, and I fell in love with her style, taste, and humor right away. Denise Roberts (who sometimes goes by her nickname “Ding”) has a design firm called [Love Ding Home Staging & Interiors]( in Austin, Texas. On her Instagram ([@withlovefromding](), Denise shares photos of her staging work in various homes and apartments in the Austin area, as well as photos of her own home. Not only do I love her eye for decor and design style, but I also appreciate the [silly letter board sayings]( she includes in some of her photos. I find that the more interior designers I follow on Instagram, the more inspiration I have for things I’d like to try in my own home. I guess that’s the key to figuring out your own sense of style—looking at a lot of other people’s styles! YOUR ONE GOOD THING Stick Your Old Soap To Your New Soap Eva C. from Logan, Utah has a great tip for using soap scraps: "Rather than collecting a lot of soap ends, we adhere the small useless piece left at the end of a bar of soap to the new bar. Simply wet both pieces and stick them together. There is no waste or fussing with a container of soap ends!" I love this idea Eva—simple and effective. I’ve done this in the past with the leftover bits of Dave’s soaps (he’s been a hardcore Dove user for years), though it took me awhile to get the hang of it. I assumed I could just wet the soaps and stick them together, but I could never seem to get them to stay stuck while they were still wet. But I did eventually learn a couple of tricks that helped. The first one was to do it after you’ve used the new bar at least once, because it softens up the hard soap so it's more agreeable. The second trick was to stick the soap fragment to the new soap while it's still soft and wet, then let it dry out overnight. I haven’t had any problems since! Have a great tip or trick of your own? [Share YOUR “one good thing” here]( for a chance to see it featured in a future newsletter! A FEW MORE THINGS... Coming Up: The 94th Academy Awards are on Sunday, and ABC has an [Oscars 2022 printable ballot]( you can download for the occasion. Our family looks forward to our highly competitive, highly uninformed Oscars prediction contest every year, but even if you don't make a contest out of it, trying to guess the winners can still make watching the Oscars more fun! The show will air Sunday, March 27 at 8 pm ET on ABC. A Quick Fix For Picky Eaters. While many children don’t eat their vegetables, few kids will turn down deliciously fruity, nutrient-packed chewable vitamins from Hiya. (They probably won’t care that they aren’t loaded with fillers or excess sugar, but you will!) Don’t miss out on this super simple kids vitamin, an easy hack for even the pickiest of eaters. [Get 50% off your first order of Hiya Vitamins today](.* Cheers For Cheesesteaks: As Philadelphians likely already know, it’s National Cheesesteak Day. A hoagie roll piled with thinly sliced steak, melted cheese, and maybe a few sautéed onions, this regional favorite was born in the 1930s in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, earning it the nickname “Philly cheesesteak.” Grab one at your favorite sandwich joint today to celebrate, or try [making them at home](. 🤔 Wordle: [Solve today's 5-letter word](. *Sponsored by Hiya What did you think of today's email? [Not good]( | [Just okay]( | [Loved it!]( 🏠[Visit the By Jillee Shop]( 🤗 [Join OGT Free]( Let's connect! [facebook]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( If you have thoughts, comments, questions or a tip or trick you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you! My inbox is always open, so just hit "reply" and let me know what's on your mind. See you tomorrow! Sending you bright ideas and simple solutions to help you create a home and life you love. My mailing address is: One Good Thing by Jillee 841 S. 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