Gifts of convenience give all year long

I received two of THE best gifts this Christmas that had me as excited as any child in the wee hours of Christmas morning. What gifts could make me as giddy as a school girl?

* A water heater for the chicken coop
* A camper potty

I know, these are things most people would not put at the top of their Christmas list, and truth be told I never thought to even put them on my list. But they are perfect none-the-less because they save me both time and energy. And for that reason alone, they are extra special because a lot of thought went in to each of these gifts.

CHICKEN COOP WATER HEATER from Fino
The coop's new water heater holds several gallons and keeps that water warm 24 hours a day in the winter. The chickens have been bee-gocking their happy little beaks off at this new development. (When G. was little she said her hens didn't say "cluck" they said "bee-gock" and if you really listen to a flock of chickens, you're likely to agree with her.)

For the humans in the family, there is no more boiling water before dawn and dragging a bucket of brimming hot water out to the coop, only to have to repeat the process in late afternoon because the water froze so quickly. The girls primarily do this chore but everyone pitches in regularly to get the job done. Now I won't have to nag the kids to do this as often and that's a BIG plus in my book.

Why we held out for 7 years without a coop water heater I can not say. I'm just eternally grateful that my husband made this purchase. It was $50 absolutely well spent and the perfect gift from my spouse.

Winter chicken chores (to give you an idea about the job we've left behind)


THE CAMPER POTTY from Grandma
Friends of my dad gave us an older fixer-upper camper a couple of months ago. (Thanks again Don & Beth!)

It needs a lot of work, inside and out, but there is a small space for a potty. Doing some research on the cost of a portable potty was on my list of things to do this spring while we were making repairs to the camper. But Grandma and her husband have a boat and are very familiar with portable potties. They surprised us with one of our own and I was thrilled. In retrospect I'm not sure any grown woman should have been quite so excited at the sight of a potty. But then again, I believe a lot of moms might understand if they were faced with Murphy's Law during the Cumberland Fair...

... because it rained every night we stayed at the fairgrounds this past September in the tiny (rental) camper that didn't have a potty. The chilly, wet midnight runs to the bathroom with the kids was a real drag. With our new camper and potty we'll be able to put those memories behind us (and because we'll have a potty it probably won't rain at all during the fair this year).

My Christmas might not have been glamorous, pampering, or even all about me. But I'll tell you, the gifts I received will be ones that will make my life so much easier in the months ahead. And that made it one of the most thoughtful gift-receiving holidays I've had in a long time.