Revamped Thrifted Recipe Box
This will come as no surprise to anyone, but I'm a firm believer in checking the thrift store or other secondhand options first, for any of your household or clothing needs. Buying secondhand means rather than buying something new, you save something from the landfill. Buying secondhand can also often mean finding something of higher quality at a cheaper price point than anything mass produced today. And of course, checking the thrift store first means you get the thrill of the great find. This post is just a little tribute to what can happen when you check the thrift store first.
But first you need to know that I'm on a mission. I've decided to start learning how to make all of the foods I love to eat, but have to either order out or wait until my family makes, because I can't cook them myself. It's a long list of foods, but I am excited to be able to learn those basics, make them my own, and be able to share my favorite foods with my daughter (once she's actually born and can eat solid food of course) without having to order takeout. I have dreams of her growing up, remembering and longing for the food she had at home, and being able to hand her a box full home, love and nostalgia in the form of all of those childhood recipes.
So I needed a recipe box. Amazon was the first place I looked. There were some cute tin boxes on there, but I didn't know if I'd love the floral, or farmhouse, or super modern designs forever. The wooden boxes were definitely more appealing, but pricey. And as always, the amazon reviews freaked me out. So of course, I decided to try my luck at the thrift store first. I figured I may not find an actual recipe box, but I might find a trinket box or something that I could use for that purpose.
Well sometimes luck is on your side, and you find exactly what you're looking for the first time you try. I found this recipe box at the very first Goodwill I checked.
Obviously the $2.99 price point was a lot more appealing than the $15-$40 I was seeing online, but it was also timeless, sturdy, and something I could see myself liking the look of forever. It was a little dinged up and rough in some areas, but a quick sand and finishing with oil cleaned it right up. And even with the extra supplies used, I still paid probably about $7 in total to buy the box and spruce it up!
Now it looks and feels brand new on the outside, and is ready to be filled up with recipes and memories. I'm so happy I didn't order anything on amazon. I've been envisioning this sturdy box full of love to give to my kids. And now instead of a flimsy $15 tin, I can give them something solid wood that I brought back to life, and that will last their childhoods. Plus, it'll be one of many things in our home I've purchased second hand that I can use to prove to them why you should always check the thrift store first!
