Ice Packs

Yes, that's right, Ice packs.

I have a lot of experience with them. A. LOT. My experience with ice packs starts with a Z . . . ok, ok, I'm a Klutz so it goes back waaaaaaaaaaaaay further than that.

Anyway, I have always had three major gripes about ice packs. First, they melt and get all watery, typically leading to significant leakage. Second, if you are smart and use something other than a bag of ice cubes, it is rock hard, and doesn't really work well on a bruised arm or something of that nature. Third, if you buy those fancy expensive ones that are leak-proof and squishy, they are expensive! Plus, they tend to get lost/punctured/stolen/taken out of the freezer by someone who thinks they need it but don't, so you aren't getting your $ worth.

I thought I had it all figured out when my buddy told me about the magic mix. 1/2 rubbing alcohol, 1/2 water. It freezes up to a nice slushy consistency. Problem: My kids like to eat ice. Especially if it feels like it might be a slushy! Plus, once it really starts to melt you have the same leakage problem (my kids ALWAYS know how to make their icepacks leak!)

My solution? Frozen peas! Even when they are thawed, they don't leak (too much). They conform nicely, and they are CHEAP! Plus, when you spend 4 hours in the emergency room, they make a nice alternative to overpriced vending machine junk. :P

I put a scoop of peas in a ziplock bag, squeeze all the air out, put it into a sock (the other half of the sock gremlin pairs) and voila! Ice pack!

I am only half kidding about the snack thing, too- ER trip before last, Z got hungry and ate the corn out of his icepack. Crazy kid!