Homemade Ice Pack

 

While I was flipping through the January 2014 issue of Women’s Day, I came across a page listing a few clever ideas for sponges. The one I liked the most was for a homemade ice pack. With three kids running around someone is always bumping into something hard (sometimes another person). The majority of the time they just need a little T.L.C. and attention for a minute. A “boo-boo pack” and some love from Mommy and they are back on their feet and running again.

We used to have a few of those gel packs that we kept in the frig but over time, they cracked or started leaking and needed to be tossed out.

The other day I picked up a package of sponges and thought I would try to make my own.

I dripped a few drops of water onto each one then slid them each into a zip closed baggie. I put one in the refrigerator and two into the freezer.

 
The one in the frig works fine but it doesn’t stay cold for long (or so it seems to me). The ones in the freezer were nice and cold and stayed that way long enough to sooth a minor bump. However, the frozen sponge wasn’t flexible and made it a little challenging to surround the injured area.

A quick thaw and I used a serrated knife to cut into the sponge some, so that it will be more flexible and able to encircle curved areas.

Do you have any clever ideas for re-purposing a household item?