Lincoln Logs- Almost 100 Years Old!

Lincoln Logs have been around for a long time...they are just a simple kids' toy. The logs interlock and stack to form cabins and buildings... with windows, doors and chimneys ...or not. Toddlers can play with them, and even older kids can enjoy them too - especially with a huge set like ours. :)

 There are different sized logs... the original logs were made of redwood.... more recent "logs" are made of plastic. I have watched and shopped at garage sales to find the old ones, since "plastic logs" just aren't as much fun. :) Plastic windows, chimneys and doors are okay, but logs?  No, my kids like the "real" logs better. 

Here is part of our collection of Lincoln Logs - we have 2 of the 18 gallon plastic totes - FULL of them. This is many sets all put together... a collection that has taken years to accumulate. My kids love building a whole village with these. :) 

I have a couple of small sections of green indoor/outdoor carpeting that the kids put on the floor and build their creations on at times. The pieces are large enough for the kids to sit on and build.... 

 Lincoln Logs were created after the maker was inspired by the earthquake proof Inperial Hotel in Tokoyo. They were made almost 100 years ago, in 1916.

They became very popular in the 1950s when Davy Crockett was such a popular theme.

 These are a lot of fun... and I like that the kids learn and use their imaginations. The old Lincoln Logs are getting harder and harder to find... but sometimes you can find a few here and there.

I have never added a huge tote of Lincoln Logs to my kids' set at once. No, it has been a painstaking effort... a little here.... a bucket of them there... and so on... but it has been really worth it. :)

Just a simple design... but ingenious also. 

I love it that these "old" toys are enjoyed so much. We get them out sometimes when we have company also. I have found it interesting that visiting kids who have been raised with all the latest toys and gadgets... still find these older toys to be fun. :)  

If you don't have any Lincoln Logs, it may be worth watching for them. There are new sets of them out there, but as for me, I will still be hunting for more of them at the garage sales... and our set will continue to grow. Not all children would enjoy these as much as my kids do, but it is a worthwhile activity... problem solving in figuring out where to put windows and doors and which logs to use... how big the doors have to be to drive the little cars in (I have boys and OF COURSE, little cars need to be used with this! :)..... how to split the logs up to make it fair between siblings :).... and more. 

Anyway, these are toys that have continued on for almost 100 years now.... and they remain popular enough to stay on the market.... and I am glad. :)  Thank you for joining me on my blog today.... and if your children or grandchildren.... or maybe even you... enjoyed Lincoln Logs... I would love to read about it in the comments..... :)  I hope you have a wonderful week.

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Counting Change Back

Today, I have a guest post....written by.... my husband.  :)  

He has worked in retail with customers, and has had to keep a cash drawer and maintain a balance. He has stressed to the kids and I the importance of counting back change. I admit that I didn't really know how to do it until he taught me and now I use it every time we have a garage sale and other times, as well. Anyway, here is my husband:




Have you ever been in a situation where you were out shopping somewhere and you were in the line to check out, only to have a power outage happen?  If you were the cashier, would you be able to make change without the use of a cash register or a calculator?

In our day, many people are reliant on computers to do the work for them, and it is rare to have someone count change back to you. Instead, they just put the bills and the coins in your hand with the receipt and that is it. 

If change is counted back correctly, it assures that neither party will come up short in the transaction.
The correct way to count change back to a customer is to first state the amount of the purchase, and for the sake of our illustration, we will make a purchase of $2.57.  If the customer pays with a $20.00 bill, you would say: "$2.57 out of twenty," and then you would count the change back to the customer beginning with the lowest coin. Here is how it sounds....



 "$2.57, out of twenty dollars."

 "Three cents makes $2.60".

"One nickel makes $2.65".

"One dime makes $2.75".

"One quarter makes $3.00"

"2 ones makes $5.00,

    
      a five makes $10.00.

    and a ten makes  $20.00." 






Counting change back seems difficult, but it is quite easy to learn and with practice, you can do it flawlessly, and assure that you don't lose money.

 This is Gentle Joy again.... counting change back can sound awkward, but after doing it, it really makes sense and it is a great thing to teach to our children. It's one of those very practical things for them to learn.

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Tip Tuesday

Walking The Island In The River

Recently, we took a walk... on an island out in a river.  It was a beautiful day... a winter day, but it warmed up nicely... to about 60 degrees and we really wanted to be out and enjoy it. The kids and I had found this park last year, but my husband had never been there. Since it is the season to see bald eagles, we hoped to see some as we had last year. 

 The water here is iced over. I'm not sure how thick the ice is, but we didn't try to walk on it as I'm sure it is not thick enough for that. 













The guys had to test the ice.... so they threw some stones out there.... this one was actually pretty big, but all it did was to gouge the ice a bit... and then it rested on top.  When it hit the ice, there was a loud hollow sounding clunk. 

 I love the picture above of three of my guys walking along, looking down. :) 





This bridge goes out onto the island.

The paths are  great... 

If you look closely, you can see a bald eagle out there on the ice. 

 So many trees on the island...  and there were many bird calls... we saw a lot of bluebirds on the island, but they stayed high in the trees and I never could get a picture of one.

 This is the inner part of the water... between the island and the main part of the land where we had come from. The bridge we crossed was quite a ways back there though.. and you can't see it from here.

 I am standing in the same place where I took the previous picture, but in this one, I looked the other direction. 

 The trees were so pretty... even without leaves. Some of them had beautiful white bark.  I'm not sure, but these may be sycamore trees.

 All of these paths are empty and it looks like we had the whole island to ourselves... but we didn't.  It was quite challenging to take pictures without other people in the pictures. There were many people walking and on bikes out there... it was such a nice day to be out.  We had to keep moving over to stay out of the way of the bikers. :) 

 I'm not sure what this plant looks like when it is growing, but it was interesting here.

 This is the other side of the island and looks out over the main part of the river. 

By the way, Son #3 used a walking stick as we traipsed through the forest (yes, we did leave the trail for quite a long time. :) He also offered a walking stick to his sister, then he got another one. At one time, he showed me his "walking stick".... it was a big TREE... about 8" in diameter or so. We all laughed. :)

It looks cold out there with the ice.

 Above, Son #3 is again using his "walking stick".... for pole vaulting!!!!  He kept running through the rough ground, jumping and landing without getting hurt. 





Walking on the bent over trees was fun. :)

Lots of seagulls....

 This tree was up quite high... maybe 10-12' in the air.... but it was a fun challenge. :)  He did have a bit of trouble going back down from the tree. 

Here we are finally back on the trail... and pretty tired.

 The sky was beautiful.... the sun was getting lower in the sky so the shadows looked nice.  It was a great walk... and we looked forward to going home to eat. :)  


Thank you for joining us on our walk out to the island in the river. I hope you have a great week. :)

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Tea... and A "Tea Bear"

For Christmas this year, a friend gave me a little tiny honey bear filled with 2 ounces of honey. I love it and it is just the perfect size to use with tea. :)

The cup is a large one made by Noritake.

Isn't this little bear adorable? :)

 This little tray is the perfect size for a mini tea... for one. :)  It was the only thing I found at an Antique Mall Thrift store a couple of years ago... and it was only 25c, so I bought it. I have been surprised how much I have enjoyed using this. It is plastic, but it is fun and it was great to use for my tea today.

I am glad God blesses us... even with simple little things like tea... and a fun tea bear. Thank you for visiting. I hope you have a wonderful week.  :)

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