I think another expression for what is a woman should include “MacGyver” in it.  So who is MacGyver?  He was a TV show about a fellow who was a detective that got himself into the impossible situations and with the help of seemingly useless stuff like rubber bands, trash, and paperclips he was able to save the day.  Really!!!

I feel like that every day and for some reason especially after I had kids that the  natural “MacGyer” skill became that much more necessary.  They say there is no such thing as original thought so maybe the expression, “Necessity is the Mother of Invention” is the old way of expressing “MacGyver” for women.

I find my Toockies to be one of my go-to products when trying to solve these types of problems just as “MacGyver” on the show depended on rubber bands.  I use my Toockies scrub cloths to do the following: Scrub everything in my house without scratching them; scrub grass stained knees without hurting the kids;  remove dirty hand prints from texture walls and actually getting it all;  clean the stinky refrigerator and high chair without beach or detergent just dish soap; sliders for moving my furniture around (way better than the round plastic things); pot holder, trivet, napkin, cork a hole, pick up rosebush cuttings, blankets for my daughters dollies, burp pad and wipe, sooo…a must have for a diaper bag; scrub lime from chicken’s water can, clean garden tools,  potting mesh…sometimes wonder what I would take with me into the wilderness if I could only take a few items.  As a young woman I working in the Jungles of Nigeria, Africa on a forestry project and was always looking for just the right things to take with me that I could serve multiple functions because I couldn’t carry a lot and apart from a large knife, swiss army knife, rope, a sturdy plastic bag, thin tarp and mosquito net, small first aid kit, extra pair of socks and good boots I would take a Toockies Cloth.  No matter what stage of life you're in you will be surprised at how often you reach for a Toockies Cloth once you have them out of simple necessity and the “MacGyer” in you.

In gratitude,
Anna Marie Stauss

One day I went to my neighbors yard to call her to come play and I saw white fluffy cloths in the dump out side her orchard. I was so curious about the cloths that I went into this pile of…well I’d rather not say and saw Kleenex tissues for the first time.   My neighbors had visitors visiting from overseas, and I imagined that the place they came from was wonderful because it must of had so many of those Kleenex that they could afford to dirty them and dispose of them. I hoped that their presence was going to lead to me having some of those cloths someday.

When I was walking through the little village of Nabapur, I so remembered that feeling of hope. These beautiful children were so curious to see someone from overseas walking into their homes and talking to their mothers. They followed us around with looks of wonder and excitement in their eyes. Hope that somehow, something new was coming into their lives and that it would be wonderful. Who’s to say where how that hope will drive their imaginations. My hope is still driving mine.

In gratitude,
Anna Marie Stauss

The simple path to joy begins with a smile. Even in the most desperate places we can find joy in that simple expression. On my recent trip to India, I visited a small village of untouchables of the lowest cast called Atakara. It's about  two hours drive from Kolkata, India. This village is known for snake charmers.

Walking through the village I was astounded by the level of poverty and the overflowing generosity of spirit so freely given. Just a few steps to the village I had a following of smiling children wanting to walk through the village with me and hold my hand. How sweet is the taste of joy? It is the willing touch that opens the light of a smile.

In gratitude,
Anna Marie Stauss