We are certainly allowed to take care of ourselves. Our bodies cannot continue to be temples of the Holy Spirit if they are failing. Today, I’m in pain because of many hours of standing yesterday during our outreach events. At 4:30 this morning I went on a hunt for my heating pad, which it occurred to me I haven’t seen in more than a year, and couldn’t find it. So, this crafty mom’s answer? Whip up a homemade one.
I found a scrap of cotton cloth in my material box that looked like it would be a good size when folded in half. I cut it in half, sewed three edges together (right sides in). Then I turned it right-side out, and as a bonus for myself I sewed two lines to create three compartments so that the filling would stay sort of evenly distributed. IÂ stuffed it with a filling of my choice, and sewed the fourth edge shut.
Maybe I’ll run a line the other way down the middle so that it’s six compartments even more evenly distributed.
And the next one I make I’ll use more filling.
As for filling, you have several options: wheat, rice, oats, barley, beans, etc. I used lentils because they are small and flat and I don’t mind how they smell when heated. With ANY of the fillings if you heat it too much in the microwave, for too long or on too high a setting, they will burn and stink. I can heat my lentils for up to a minute and a half on power level 7. It stays warm for an hour or so. Like I said, I’d probably buy an extra bag and use 1 and a half bags, but one pound is working fine for me in a pinch.
I prefer to not use a sock for this (as suggested on some sites) because I’ve found the filling (especially rice) comes out of the knit holes sometimes, and I don’t like the tube shape. I think people tend to overheat the tube shape to get the inner filling hot. Mine, being flat and loose works wonderfully. Here it is.
