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
Thanks for the tip. I have been hoping to replace my own outdated dinnerware for awhile.
But someone please tell me how to kill Corelle plates???????
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.
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 mine are a sad 12 years old as well, very outdated.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. ;)
Good strategy. You should have your new plates in no time!
Horray for new plates!!!
~Working Mommy
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That's the same way I got new plates ;-)
You women are geniuses! Why didn't I ever think of that?
I managed to kill plenty of Corelle plates. Just ask my mom.
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. :(
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.
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.
Corelle must be donated to a good cause or needy family. The old patterns must live on!
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Or if you happen to have an equally as outdated porcelin sink, they shatter like no body's business in there.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.
I have used the destruction theory of household equipment quite often. With four boys, it isn't hard.
My girls have managed to shatter several corelle dishes...and when they break....they REALLY break- millions of itty bitty shards!
this reminds me of how my friend got rid of her white carpet...
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 :(
My corelle doesn't seem to have that problem. But the glasses do. So that's why I switched to tupperware.
Very clever! I'll have to stash this in my 'last resort' file. ;)
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.
Kids are the BEST for little "projects" such as that.
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
Smart smart lady :)
I think I might need my kids "help" a little more.
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!!
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.
You are one smart mom. I got to replace my dishware for the very same reason :)
I cheer a little each time one of my blue plates breaks.
Grey Ikea plates you are just a few shatters away.
that's hilarious. i'm using the same approach to my old christmas ornaments. we're already down by 3.
For this same reason I had to serve Thanksgiving dinner on paper plates.
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!
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!
I am going to remember this when it is time to get new wine glasses or dinner plates. Thanks for the friendly mommy advice.
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.
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.....
I've learned this is also a good way to get new glasses!
Sometimes those kids do come in handy.
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.
Genius!!! lol! Enjoy your new dinner wear!
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.
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!
LOL! I hope Santa reads these posts!
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