December 2, 2009

New Plates


My dinner plates are over twelve years old. I have wanted to buy a set of new ones for quite awhile now, but have really struggled with justifying the expense of replacing things that are ugly and dated but still function.

Allowing my children to empty the dishwasher each morning has effectively solved my problem.

It's been four days, and we're already down three plates. As we have learned through experimentation, ceramic dinnerware is not easily balanced on one finger, nor can it be slid across a shallow countertop without consequences.


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41 comments

Amber said...

Thanks for the tip. I have been hoping to replace my own outdated dinnerware for awhile.

Tara - SanitySrchr said...

But someone please tell me how to kill Corelle plates???????

Confessions of a Mother, Lawyer & Crazy Woman said...

They will also explode if you put them in the microwave for too long! Just a tip in case you get tired of balancing them. and want a new fun kitchen trick.

Mindy said...

Oh if that would only work with my Corelle... mine are a sad 12 years old as well, very outdated. Could I borrow your kids, just to teach mine a few tricks in that area? I am sure that, together, they will manage to figure it out. ;)

Pam said...

Good strategy. You should have your new plates in no time!

Working Mommy said...

Horray for new plates!!!

~Working Mommy
Come on by, stay for a while, click the follow button and leave a comment or two!!

Laura said...

That's the same way I got new plates ;-)

Amber Fraley said...

You women are geniuses! Why didn't I ever think of that?

I managed to kill plenty of Corelle plates. Just ask my mom.

TheQueen@TerrorsInTiaras said...

Don't ever buy new ones. It doesn't work. Believe me, I've tried. See here:

http://terrorsintiaras.blogspot.com/2009/05/perfect-platter.html

SanitySrchr and Mindy, you'll like that post, too. :(

CSIowa said...

While this seems like a good strategy for justifying buying new plastic plates from IKEA, I'm not sure that is what you have in mind.

Unknown said...

To kill Corelle you have to drop at least two plates at a time...they break when they hit each other, or that least that's been my experience.

Janille said...

Corelle must be donated to a good cause or needy family. The old patterns must live on!

Jen said...

Corelle totally explodes if left to heat too long; my brother had that experience with a bowl of chili once, it wasn't pretty.

Or if you happen to have an equally as outdated porcelin sink, they shatter like no body's business in there.

Of course then you get the additional fun of fishing teeny tiny shards of glass out of soapy dishwater. It's a blast.

The Mother said...

I have used the destruction theory of household equipment quite often. With four boys, it isn't hard.

Skubaliscious said...

My girls have managed to shatter several corelle dishes...and when they break....they REALLY break- millions of itty bitty shards!

Ruthykins said...

this reminds me of how my friend got rid of her white carpet...

Meagan and John said...

oh, and to think, I like my old and outdated china, of course last week we managed to break 3 cups, a casserole dish, and a probably a bowl or 2 and we weren't even trying. I am just sad that it is mainly the cups and the bowls that keep breaking, those you can't have enough of, but the 16 plates I invested in are still in full...go figure, but i only have a coupel pretty glass cups left :(

Jen@Scrapingirl said...

My corelle doesn't seem to have that problem. But the glasses do. So that's why I switched to tupperware.

KTW said...

Very clever! I'll have to stash this in my 'last resort' file. ;)

Jo's girl said...

when you need new silver ware it helps to allow your kids to have at 'em when they play outside. I got a new set just by saying they could use one large soup spoon. give em an inch and they take... all your silverware. my kids were a heaven sent when I wanted a new vacuum. gotta love the little demolition crew. although I was not thrilled about having to get a new VCR, radio, glasses, or the many many picture frames. replaced.

Amy said...

Kids are the BEST for little "projects" such as that.

renee said...

i always justify purchases like that by selling the old ones on craigslist. that way it's like we only have to pay for half of the new ones. :D

Emmy said...

Smart smart lady :)
I think I might need my kids "help" a little more.

Susan said...

Too funny about Corelle needing to be donated--that's what I did with mine! I discovered our church has a healthy collection of white Corelle that gets used every now and then. Although I know they'd never use all those plates at one time, I just had to donate mine as well. Good justification--giving to the church!!

Valerie S said...

My husband brought home the most ugly brown stoneware one year (good deal at a grocery store). I immediately hated them but we needed dishes so I accepted them. Did one of those plates break over the next 10 years. No. So one day, when I had a stack of them in my hands, I decided to drop them and see what would happen. I think only about 3 broke. I was so disgusted.

The Four Week Vegan said...

You are one smart mom. I got to replace my dishware for the very same reason :)

Samurai Mom said...

I cheer a little each time one of my blue plates breaks.

Grey Ikea plates you are just a few shatters away.

Christina said...

that's hilarious. i'm using the same approach to my old christmas ornaments. we're already down by 3.

Anonymous said...

For this same reason I had to serve Thanksgiving dinner on paper plates.

Nora Ray said...

I got my Corelle for Christmas 1972. I still have nearly all of the pieces. I am heartily sick of it but can't justify replacing perfectly servicable dinnerware. The good news is I saw some just like mine at the antique mall last year so my retirement may be in the bag!

Amalie said...

and if you have any dishes made out of glass, make sure you let your toddler throw it into the sink. We lost 9 glasses (in one year) that way!

xoA said...

I am going to remember this when it is time to get new wine glasses or dinner plates. Thanks for the friendly mommy advice.

Reva Skie said...

Send them to me. I can kill those superthick clear glass mugs like they are a made of lightbulb glass. I could probably kill off your plates in no time.

Robin said...

GREAT idea!!! My son just has the new job of emptying the dish washer!!


I have 23 year old Corelle plates. Through the years, I have found that if you "drop" them on a hard ceramic tile floor, they can break (the higher the fall, the more chance they will break). AND if you put an Easter PEEP with a bread twist tie around it's neck and microwave it for a minute or two....it will kill the said Corelle plates AND kill your microwave at the same time! Don't ask me how I know that.....

MamaOtwins+1 said...

I've learned this is also a good way to get new glasses!

Momfever said...

Sometimes those kids do come in handy.

SarahMarie said...

In 5 years of marriage, it's been my husband that keeps breaking my plates. And glasses. And mugs. I wonder if it's a sign.

tulipdjc said...

Genius!!! lol! Enjoy your new dinner wear!

TheDruidPlow said...

Lol My husband said he would buy me new dinner ware for christmas. Unfortunately... I can't find any I like =\ Either it's too trendy, or it's boring plain white.

TheDruidPlow said...

Sanitysrchr... I've accidentally broke 1 corelle plate and two bowls. They key is to "accidentally" knock them off the counter. It has to be an accident or it wont work!

Allison said...

LOL! I hope Santa reads these posts!