Corn Bag

Back hurt? Hands sore? Just plain cold, after container gardening on a chilly day? Heat up a microwavable corn bag, and in minutes you'll feel better.

Recently, I discovered a great way to alleviate the aches and pains that can go along with container gardening. In my quest for relief of a sore back and cold hands, I have tried many kinds of heaters - electric, microwavable, herbal, and rice. The corn bags that I received from the web site Microwavecornbags.com are the best and as a bonus, they come with a good story.

Originally these bags were made by September, a nurse in a hospital rehab unit, to alleviate her patients' pain and give them comfort on chilly nights. The bags were so fabulous, that pretty soon her friends wanted to buy them and then everyone else did too. She started selling them on the web and when she became overwhelmed by the demand, her daughter Angela stepped in and took over the business.

The bags are filled with feed corn and have a removable, washable cotton cover. You can choose from a vast array of patterns - elephants to Elvis and some very hip polka dots. There are also free, detailed directions and patterns, if you want to make your own corn bags. Talk about generous.

After a few minutes in the microwave your corn bag will stay warm for up to a few hours, especially if you put it under covers. Warm corn bags soothe sore muscles and when frozen they can help with swelling from injuries. I also use a warm corn bag for helping to calm a cough - put it on your chest and breathe in the moist heat. They are also very comforting for children to fall asleep with and are great for warming up a cold bed.

The bags are very reasonably priced: $3.00 for hand-warmers. $7.00 for mid-sized bags and $13.00 for neck warmers.

My only real complaint is that there is a $10.80 shipping charge, for up to eight bags, which is expensive if you are just buying one bag.

That said, it's a good idea to buy a bunch and give them as gifts - everyone needs a corn bag.