My Fridgie Has A Magnetic Personality…How About Yours?

I hate the new non-magnetic fridgie fronts! Especially with kids, I think the ability to hang artwork on my refrigerator is my God-given right as a parent.

We inherited our fridge from my mother-in-law and, while it has lovely shelving and a cool bottom freezer, she went for the stainless steel front that won’t hold a magnet.

I miss the ability to put STUFF on the front of the fridge!

I miss my magnetic poetry. (Of course I have the Sexual Innuendo Kit too!)
I miss my pictures!
I miss my magnets!!

Why did this angst come up? We’re getting ready for a garage sale and I just came across the “refigerator box” that’s been languishing in the garage for a year.

Dang, I have the best magnets, just waiting to be proudly displayed.

There’s the requisite single-girl magnets from before I met Hubby…

My sexist magnets… (Don’t judge me.)

(The one below makes me laugh every time I see it.)

And finally, my fave philosophical magnet.

The last one up there is a quote by Zora Neale Hurston, a completely fascinating female writer. I bought it in Powell’s Bookstore in Portland (Oregon) in the middle of what was a really hard year.

It’s your turn now…

What’s on your refrigerator? Do you have magnets? What do they say? Which one’s your favorite? Enquiring minds always want to know these sorts of oddities here at More Cowbell!

Jenny

Reminder: If you’re in the mood for Holiday Yum, swing on by Kathy Owen’s place and check out her recipe for spiced pecans! I’m hungry just thinking about them…

About Jenny Hansen

Avid seeker of "more"...More words, more creativity, More Cowbell! An extrovert who's terribly fond of silliness. Founding blogger at Writers In The Storm (http://writersinthestormblog.com). Write on!
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42 Responses to My Fridgie Has A Magnetic Personality…How About Yours?

  1. Laura Drake says:

    Your fridge is much more philosophical than mine – I have magnets from where I’ve been, and giveaway ones from the plumber. BUT I have grandkid artwork, and lots of family photos, so I’m good!

    Sorry about the non-magnetic fridge. You’ll need to put up a metal tray, so you can display your magnet awesomeness.

    Like

    • Jenny Hansen says:

      I bought a metal board for Baby Girl’s room because she liked playing with all the magnets from the places I’ve been. You’re giving me ideas of buying one of my own. You know, to make up for this stupid fridge. 🙂

      Like

  2. Hi Jenny! Who would even think to build a fridge without magnetic capability. Right now mine sports lines like “Throw everything away for joy.” and “Take courage to the edge of everything.” formed from my scatterings of word magnets courtesy of Elaine Levine. Report cards, other people’s children, vet reminders. There is no room in my house for a bulletin board so the fridge serves that purpose.
    And around the side where one one can see them I have the emergency plumbing coupons that come stuck to the phone book. One never knows when one might need them and where else would you keep them? That’s what I want to know.

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  3. Jane Sadek says:

    I confess to having one of those stainless steel monsters. Thankfully, it’s not completely enclosed in shelving, so I can still use one of those magnetized grocery lists on the side – otherwise I would truly be lost. I have a few magnets up there, such as “Just say no to housework” and “I know I’m not perfect, but I’m so close it scares me.” Not having any kids, I haven’t had to figure out a place to hang their artwork. Growing up, Mom’s refrigerator door was message central. Mom worked in retail, so I’d come home to instructions about what I was supposed to do about dinner and how to fix it, what chores I was responsible for and that ubiquitous “Love You, Mom.” A text would just not be the same.

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    • Jenny Hansen says:

      Nope, I’m enclosed. I didn’t realize how much it bugged me until I found my happy magnet bag. 🙂 I love your: “I know I’m not perfect, but I’m so close it scares me.”

      Like

  4. Diana Beebe says:

    Me, too! My husband loves the non-magnetic front of our stainless fridge. I use the one side that’s visible for hanging school papers and other important stuff. Try the sides if you haven’t already–and if they are where you can reach them. 😉

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  5. K.B. Owen says:

    You know, I never thought of that! The magnetic capability of the fridge is such a given, isn;t it? I’ve been given a lot of buttons (magnetic and pin kinds). My fave is: “Life is short. Eat dessert first.”

    But my absolute favorite saying that I had on my fridge was something I printed from the internet:

    “Remember: Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather, to skid in sideways, chardonnay in one hand, chocolate in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming: ‘WHOO-HOO! What a ride!'”

    Yep.

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    • Jenny Hansen says:

      I love that paragraph, Kathy! One of my faves. I always thought it was a given too. And I feel ungrateful for bitching about a great refrigerator that I didn’t even have to pay for. Still, if you can’t bitch on your blog, where can you do it?? 🙂

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  6. Am devastated to have lost my magnets. Not kidding. I bought another magnetic board to display them.

    Meanwhile, I tape my son’s artwork and report cards up on the stainless steel fridge. Because he deserves that. My husband wanted this stooopid fridge. Now he can enjoy the tape.

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  7. Catherine Johnson says:

    I have one from my mother in law as soon as I had my first child. ‘The easiest part of raising children is giving birth’ right thanks for that. 😉 Hey, thanks for the jib jab :0)

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  8. My fridge struts many magnets, but if I take them down to post here, then many pieces of paper will fall to my floor. LOL! Maybe this should be a meme to be passed around. Cause I could take pictures and do a blog post on it. LOL It is colorful and loaded with wit and wisdom!

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  9. Amber West says:

    Oh, I took photos just for you.

    I use the sides of my fridge (you can see some of the side the way my kitchen is set up) AND I found this “magnet” for the front. Apparently, it’s from here: http://www.mylulalu.com/ – although I likely picked it up at a Tuesday Morning or Marshall’s. Either way, it’s super cute and let’s me hang things if I want to.

    I like to put up pictures, notes from friends, and I have these cool conversion charts for baking a friend got me. Also, I have stickygrams – magnets created from my instagram photos, and a few homemade magnets from my last geeky fest.

    I’ll tweet you the picture. 🙂

    Like

  10. Tami Clayton says:

    A fridge that doesn’t hold a magnet is outrageous. Aside from keeping food cold, what other purpose is there for these monstrosities in our kitchens? 😉

    My favorite magnet on my fridge is a quote by Thomas Edison: “If we all did all the things we are capable of doing, we’d literally astound ourselves.” I use it as a remind to get my butt in the chair, my fingers on the keyboard and write.

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  11. Love your samples. I wanta go through you magnet box. Please, please. I’ve had to take all the magnets off my fridg while the house is listed and I’m hating the bare look. Can’t wait to be able to put them back up.

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  12. Sharla Rae says:

    My frig is magnetic and covered with stainless steel spice jars so no funny signs. But it’s magnetic in another way too. It draws me to it’s door all the time. I’m always peaking inside to see if there’s anything tasiter to munch since I peeked in their 30 minutes before. 🙂

    Like

  13. My fridge magnet collection is boring. When the kids were little, the lower half of the doors were theirs (alphabet, and cute stuff). Now it’s just boring. One from my favorite pizza place, which is kind of useless…unless I decide to put up with the results of eating gluten now. And I still sometimes DO order from them because gluten-free pizza crust sucks.

    I also have like FIVE from my new insurance agent. The guy who took over for my old insurance agent. I think he’s afraid I’ll forget who he is. But since I actually DO forget who he is, every time he sends me a new magnet, I put it up with the rest. I’m thinking in another year or so, I’ll have a very unique refrigerator, wall papered in magnets from my insurance guy, who really should consider changing his name to Dave. I might remember who he is if he’d do that one simple thing. 🙂

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  14. Patricia says:

    I too have one of those new-fangled refrigerators with a non-stick front. I hate that because I collect magnets (they are cheap souvenirs and easy to carry home on the plane). I have mine on the side of the fridge, but it’s completely loaded up.

    I have magnets from most of the states in the US and from State parks and other countries I’ve been fortunate enough to visit. My favorite – pre-marriage – magnet is this “My love life is like a fairy tale – Grimm.” Ha

    Here’s to the magnet people!!

    Patricia Rickrode
    w/a Jansen Schmidt

    Like

    • Jenny Hansen says:

      I collect magnets on trips too, for exactly the reasons you mention. But I can’t load up any more. Hence, this post, to help me not be so sad. 😦

      Love the “Grimm” magnet. That’s classic single-girl stuff.

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  15. Jess Witkins says:

    I have some magnets from trips I’ve taken and Joe and I both have funny ones. One of our decorations is a post it on which I copied a poem. I’ll come back and tell you what one. It escapes me now and I’m not home to check.

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    • Jess Witkins says:

      Ok here it is:

      This is Just to Say

      I have eaten
      the plums
      that were in
      the icebox

      and which
      you were probably
      saving
      for breakfast

      Forgive me
      they were delicious
      so sweet
      and so cold

      William Carlos Williams

      Fitting, no?

      Like

      • Jenny Hansen says:

        LOL. I adore your household, Jess. Must. Come. Visit!!

        Like

        • Jess Witkins says:

          Honey also has a magnet from his “single days” that says, “It is better to have loved and lost than to marry the psycho and live with her the rest of your life.”

          Hmmm…could explain why we’re closer to common law than an actual engagement! *crosses arms over chest* LOL

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          • Jenny Hansen says:

            I’d be crossing my arms over the chest too. “Get over all those old psycho bimbos, dude! You’ve got Goddess Jess in your sights now.” You can tell him I said so. 🙂

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  16. Non-magnetic fridge fronts should be outlawed! That’s all there is to it. To get around it, my daughter-in-law painted one wall of her kitchen with blackboard paint. She didn’t realize until she was finished that there is a magnetic finish you can also apply but it has to go on before the blackboard stuff. So she bought two magnetic panels and put them at one end of the wall. Problem solved. The Adorables (ages 3 and 4) love being able to draw on the wall!
    Thanks for the JibJab, Jenny. “Indebted we are unto you and More Cowbell.” Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

    Like

    • Jenny Hansen says:

      What a great idea! I didnt’ realize you could apply magnetic finish right to the wall. Hmmmm…. It’s a thought for Baby Girl’s room.

      And you are welcome for the Jib Jab. 🙂

      Like

  17. susielindau says:

    I finally took all the crayon drawings off one of our refrigerators. I am wondering if the kids will notice….. 🙂

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  18. I had to pare down my magnet collection; it got to be a wee bit overwhelming. My favorite is “No Coffee, No Workie.” 🙂

    Have you heard of magnetic paint? You could paint a couple of your cabinet fronts with it and display your treasures. 🙂

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  19. Julie Glover says:

    The refrigerator in my home growing up was squeaky clean–nothing on the outside. When I went to my grandmother’s house, her fridge was full of fun comic clippings, recipes, magnets, and magnetic letters for her grandkids to spell things. I determined to have that kind of fridge in my own home.

    One of my favorite magnets came from my sis, and it says: “I don’t suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it!” Great magnets, Jenny! You need someplace to put them.

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