New uses for a barley bag

OK, you already know I love the barley bed-warming bags that my sister made us for Christmas. They're simple, cotton fabric bags filled with barley. Heat them in the microwave (time depends on size of bag), and you've got a toasty package to slide between cold sheets.


So far, I've found a few more uses for these handy bags:

• Tuck it behind my back when sitting on the sofa. When my muscles are tight from overuse or cold, this works like a charm to warm me up.
• Put it inside a bath towel, then on the footstool in front of my chair on cold mornings. Warming up my bare feet on a cold morning (in a cold house) warms up my whole body.
• My oh-so-unique double jointed thumbs are getting weak, and I pulled a muscle in my hand last week. Instead of a heating pad, I sandwich my hand inside a folded barley bag for a little relief.
• When it's cold, my neck gets stiff. The long shape of the barley bag is perfect for hanging around my neck to warm up my cold muscles.

Thanks, sis!