https://www.facebook.com/601657723190986/

Batteries Not Required Toys & Things, Moose Jaw, Moose Jaw, SK (2026)

Hobby horses, teddy bears, dolls - by special order; quilts, small toys, Personalized name pillows, inspirational pillows, and the ever popular "Feels Like a Hug" Therapeutic Flax bags and pads. All items created right here in Moose Jaw by Suzanne Blair in a smoke free home with local supplies.

08/17/2026

HOME SWEET HOME

DAY 354

I'm trying to reach my daily step 'goals', or is that society's goals? I'm sure some scientist somewhere has a reason for the 10,000 number? I've hit 10K+ twice this week., but most days are between 6K+ and 8K+ Except yesterday. Yesterday it appears I was a slug - 3,031 steps. BUT I did spend 4+ hours hand stitching a vintage quilt. There was definitely more damage in what I thought was the least damaged of a group of nine quilts I am fixing for a family. What originally looked like a few blocks that came unstitched has turned out to also be broken lines of quilting every few inches, for a few inches! I am following 'grandma's' stitching lines and had requilted the curvy things. Then I noticed that the three outer perimeter rounds of quilting were also gone! Once I got all those done, I noticed that the quilting around the blocks was too damaged to ignore. I can't NOT do as much as possible to extend the life of grandma's work. Fortrel will never wear out, but that thread will. I tried using a big wooden embroidery hoop to hold the work tight, but it was too heavy to hold on to. Out came a quilt frame I bought at least 15 years ago and don't use very often. I set it up on the back deck (newly enlarged, but still unfinished) and got to work. I was in the shade and had a nice breeze to keep flying critters away. I'm sewing/quilting on the back side - it's easier to see where the thread is broken. I certainly can't sew for as long as I used to, but even a little bit every day is helpful.

08/16/2026

HOME SWEET HOME

DAY 353

Something kept drawing me to that map I posted yesterday - and I finally figured it out! So I did some 'drawing' on it to share my steps on that fateful day last August.

DJ was still in laundry back then, working a noon to 8 pm shift. I would convince him to walk and I would accompany him. The red bubble is our house. The Farmer's Market is on Saturday mornings from 8 am to 1 pm (I believe). DJ doesn't care for crowds or the market so we take the trails through Crescent Park by the library - Greenish line down 1st Ave NE/Langdon Crescent. Once I helped him walk 🙂 to Temple Gardens I headed back north to go through the Market - Pinkish line. Then I headed to the Rexall store on Caribou Street to see if my sugar free ginger ale was on sale (blue line) - it was and I grabbed two 6 packs. I remember a little old lady ahead of me at the till saying 'I want to be on your team for the Zombie Apocolypse!" Pop IS heavy! I had one grocery bag, so one six pack went in there, saving my fingers the strain of being hooked in the plastic wrapper. From Rexall I headed east on Caribou, back to 1st Ave NE and north to home - Red line. X marks the spot! DJ got the first call from the police at 12:11 pm! I had finished a bear body that morning before we left to walk to Temple Gardens - I was looking forward to getting home to stuff that bear, finishing an order of six.

Our lives can change in the blink of an eye - never take anything for granted 💗

08/15/2026

HOME SWEET HOME

DAY 352

Today was busy, again! I had made an appointment at the bank in the morning, then was taking the car in for new tires, rear brake fixing (I had bought the parts already), and a wheel alignment. I had originally said I would need a ride home cuz 'it's too far to walk'! I googled the locations and discovered it's only 2K - so I walked home. Google said it would take 28 minutes - I was 28 and change, but I also did a little sight seeing in Quilter's Haven 🙂 I got rained on (forgot my umbrella in the car) so I stopped in at the Dollar store - $8 for a cheap umbrella? No thanks, I'll get sprinkled on. Walking back to pick up the car was downhill for some, and it only took me 24 minutes to go the distance! I'm happy with that, AND I got my 10K + steps in today.

I've noticed in recent pictures and videos that I have such great smiles on my face - I look truly happy! It's probably a combination of the fresh air, the exercising, my healing progressing to a good space - they all make such a difference in our outlook on life.

What made you smile today?

08/14/2026

HOME SWEET HOME

DAY 351

I spent the afternoon fixing a bear that I previously made for a gal... one leg came unscrewed! Not torn, nothing serious, but it took me 50 minutes to open up the back, take out the stuffing, find the nut that came undone (right where it should have been!), track down my bear making tool box, discover that the bolt had broken out of the glue so it was just turning and turning and turning.... Had to open up the leg, unstuff that and THEN get DJ to help - I held the bolt still with a screwdriver, while DJ used the special tool to put the lock nut on. Then I had to restuff and sew both openings closed. I am definitely feeling that repair job in my right wrist! Of all the furs I've worked with sheared Mouton is the closest to shoe leather there is! I'll really have to pace myself going forward. I will say this - I could sew my fur bear openings in such a way that even I have a hard time finding the stitches... But, thankfully, you can't tell where my seams are now either.

I've posted before about how I make my own joints for fur bears. I was thinking I should order more parts and build up my supply - and then I find out that my supplier has their business up for sale! They are not ordering in more stock as inventory sells so I better get my numbers figured out and order soon before I have to start searching for another source.

08/13/2026

HOME SWEET HOME

DAY 350

Cousins Blair and Julianne Heagy stopped in for a quick visit yesterday afternoon. Julianne presented me with a gift bag that they had planned on giving me on the 2nd but they weren't able to attend. Boy, could she have picked a more perfect gift for me or what??? I think not, although she did voice the following: "The question is… do you put it in your car or on a lanyard 😆" They know me so well!

While shopping at Superstore on Monday I noticed that they have a new 'Health Monitor'. You can get a lot more than your Blood Pressure checked apparently. I figured I would check what mine was at - I KNOW that Normal BP is 120/80. The highest mine has ever been was 195/96 (swollen infected face in May). How interesting that the machine states 'AT RISK" for a reading of 125/79 - good thing I am not a hypochondriac! But how misleading is that for folks? Not good at all!

I did something at Walmart yesterday that I sure couldn't have done a few months ago! Another shorter elderly lady and I were in the pop aisle together. She was reaching to the top shelf to a 2L bottle that had a solidly packed row of bottles behind the first one. When she finally tugged it loose it flew out of her hands, right over her head, bounced off the floor and straight at ME! I did a Hop, Skip, Jump and the splits to prevent being taken out at the shins! If I would have still had my back to her it would have definitely bowled me over. Thank Goodness yesterday was Leg Day 🙂 It's a good feeling to be getting my reflexes and fitness back to a small degree. I reached another bottle for her and we tucked the ticking time bomb at the back of the row 😉

08/12/2026

HOME SWEET HOME

DAY 349

The crazy canning woman has shown up in my house these past two days! I've made all kinds of jams and jellies over the years, but I've never tried blueberry jam - until last night. The recipe didn't make a very big batch and I didn't want to dig out my big water bath canner. Good old fashioned Camp Kit to the rescue! The big pot is only ever used to heat water for washing, this seemed like a good fit. And, the Instant Pot rack fit perfectly to keep the jars off the bottom. I would love to head to bed, but I have a double stack of beef stew in the pressure canner that isn't ready to be done yet.

Something else happened today that hasn't happened in over a year - our annual dose of Chef Michael Smith's Bacon Potato Cheese Tart! I don't hear these words from DJ very often - 'I don't think I'll need to eat for a week'! The outcome is well worth the time it takes to put it all together. All the vegetable peeling and chopping has sure made my right hand and wrist tired. Good thing I have a massage tomorrow. DJ's not so lucky - his medical appointment involves drills and fillings! 🥹

Today's pie was made with Schneider's bacon - holy heck, way more grease than No Name bacon! We didn't even try to flip it right side up on another plate - DJ took pictures anyway 🙂

Address

Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw, SK

Telephone

+13066312579

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Batteries Not Required Toys & Things posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Batteries Not Required Toys & Things:

Batteries Not Required Toys & Things