One thing I love is sippy cups. They are easy and convenient. One of my favorite is Take and Toss. I have washed and washed these for 2 years and they hold up great- even with all the little bite marks from a teething tot. HOWEVER, one must learn and train themselves what can and cannot be stored in these little babies, and be aware of the "risks" that come with using any sippy cup for a long period of time.
I am sure some of you have herd that using a pacifier and bottles for a long period of time can cause bad teeth. What? you haven't? well, they can. This is because the plastic- no matter how much it tries to duplicate a mothers nipple, it lacks the inner structure. This in turns means your baby or toddler is sucking in a non natural way, causing the front teeth to hit the rubber which causes a lot of pressure and friction on the bottom teeth and top teeth. This causes the bottom teeth to go crooked by indenting, and the top teeth to shift, thus causing all of your kids teeth to shift. This can also cause your child's jaw to shift, which in turn, causes your teeth to shift and visa versa. My speech therapy friend has even told me that there are studies done that prove that excessive use of bottles and pacifiers cause speech issues...not trying to scare you or anything, just be aware.
If your kid has a habit of falling asleep with a pacifier or slippy cup in their mouth, remove it immediately after they do so- or better yet, break them of that habit.
Try to get your kid off of bottles, pacifiers, and sippys as soon as possible. This way they avoid teeth issues
I will share another secret, Cavities are contagious. NEVER let your kid share candy, spoons, cups, even play food with other kids or adults. Every time I have a kid come play over and that kid slobbers over play food, I clean it afterwards. My sister is a dental hygienist, so she is my voice of experience on this matter. I even toss my families tooth brushes in the dishwasher once a month or after they get over an illness. Toothbrushes are meant to be replaced every 3-4 months.
Now that is all said and done, I am going to cover what should and should not go in sippy cups.
Remember those take and toss sippys I was talking about earlier? Well, the ones that are sippy cups are designed for water or apple juice type liquids only. Nothing but clear liquids should ever go in those puppy's; but thats kinda obvious because not much anything else can fit through those tiny holes. This means you cant use milk in them either. ok, well I guess you theoretically can, but you shouldn't, unless you spend a lot of time with a tiny nipple brush cleaning out every bit of milk residue- even if you soak the cup over night- prior to it going in the dish washer. You can choose to disagree, but the fact is the milk is going to stick somewhere and I dont think you want your kid to be sucking on old milk residue...
I have to admit, my tot loves her sippy cups. She is nearly 3 and sometimes the only way I can get her to drink water is through a sippy cup, so I cave. My sister warned me that Tot's teeth would shift, and I thought "Oh, she only drinks from it a few times a day, so she wont get any teeth issues". I was way wrong, not even my Tot was exempt. Now I am regretting ever getting her in the habit of using a sippy over 12 months, because there is a clear indent between her two front bottom teeth that I know is caused by overuse of the sippy.
I know I am using the take and toss as an example, but essentially anything that has that design with a few small holes punched in the top of a spout abides by the same rules. I personally prefer something that can be bit and ruined over the hard ones that aren't disposable, because when your child bites down on the disposable ones, the plastic gives, whereas a non disposable will be hard and hold its shape, thus putting a lot more pressure on your child's teeth. That is my own opinion, I haven't herd of any research to back that up.
Take and toss straw sippys run along the same lines as far as cleaning goes. I recommend washing the straw and lid immediately after use- as stuff can cling to the inside of the straw and cling to the straw insert on the lid. These are meant for the more unclear liquids such as milk, milkshakes, chocolate milk, etc. The clear liquids will easily go everywhere if these cups are tipped over. I do recommend these to every child past the milk stage.
I keep a stash of thick disposable straws (like Sonic's Milkshake size) next to our sippy storage, these work wonderfully for just tossing when I have a milk based item going to my child. Regular sized straws work as well, but for milkshakes, spring for the milkshake straws.
It is loads better that your child use a straw over a sippy any day. Again, sucking on a sippy, bottle, or pacifier is forcing our children to suck in a non natural way causing shifting of the jaw or teeth. Ultimately we strive for them to use a regular cup, but it takes a while to get them there. Go for the straw, even if you have to toss all the sippy's in a bag for storage or pass them down to a friend with children.
When choosing any cups for your children, ALWAYS make sure they are easy to clean and don't have hidden crevasses. For example, I purchased a set of adorable Disney Princess tumblers for Tot. She was ecstatic for her own cups. The first time we went to wash them, however, Hubby immediately pointed out that he already hated the cups. What? Tot loved them for her first cup! He went to explain to me how there were 4 little points in the cups put there by the manufacturer for stacking purposes- so the cups would be easier to take out from one another. The problem with this? say, Tot gets milk for breakfast. She drinks it all and the cup goes in the sink. There the cup sits for at least a few hours and the milk residue hardens. Then we go to clean the cup and there are 8 minuscule, tight corners from the 4 indents where milk residue collects, despite our washing dishes prior to putting them in the dishwasher. Then Tot is drinking up the leftover residue! Yuck! That's the last time I will buy a cup or dish like that for tot.
Make sure all the surfaces inside and out of the cups are something you can easily wash by hand and that your hands can fit in the cup. If you cant reach it, neither will the dishwasher.
Always wash children's dishes prior to putting them in the dishwasher. As my brother puts it: The dish washer is meant to clean and sanitize dishes; its not a garbage disposal!
Ok, I cant think of the name of them right now, but those non disposable cups that have the clear rubber nipple tops? Ok you probably know what I am talking about. So, did you know you can take those apart? In fact, you need to take them apart. It is super important you look up on the internet how to properly clean those cups and become a master in Assembly and disassemblely. Not long after purchasing my first set of those cups did I realize that they come apart. I went over to my in-laws and noticed they didn't take their cups like that for all the other nieces and nephews apart. I ask my mother if she knew they came apart and she didn't. In fact, neither did my sister in law whom already had 3 kids- and they're bolt nurses who are extensive cleaners. I showed them this on one of the cups and nearly gagged at what I saw. Mold. Mold in the cups that my tot and 3 nieces and nephews had been using for years! Well, needless to say, we spent the night thoroughly cleaning and bleaching all the sippy cups and straws in the house. The cups were hand cleaned every time they were used and went through a dishwasher cycle. The cups looked clean. the cups smelled clean. But in those tiny areas that were missed was mold from use after use. Its also important you let the cups and all those small parts not usually exposed dry completely to avoid mildew and mold after cleaning. The same for straw cups. So after my experience at my in-laws, I went to my parents and although most their cups were take and toss, I went and found a few similar instances in some specialty kids cups we purchased at Disneyland a few years ago. Those cups were straw cups and the bottom detached because it was one of those freezer cups that cant go through the washer. I looked up the straw part and there it was again, mold. Word to the wise, prior to purchase, learn all the in's and out's of how to properly clean your cups. Especially a those straw cups, those require a special nipple brush to clean.
I cant tell you how frustrating it is to me when I hear other parents complain about something they spent a lot of money on not working to their standers, when in fact, it is the parents misusing the item. Always do research or ask another parent's experience before you purchase. If you take care of your stuff, it will take care of you.
I am going to throw this out there- with the above info, make sure you check all your cups and bottles. We have those nice expensive metal water bottles, and I noticed that they started to smell. They went through several dishwasher loads- even though they say they shouldn't- until it finally hit me to check the caps. When I did, I noticed that there was a rubber gasket that prevented water from leaking. I easily and effortlessly removed the cap and noticed it was starting to mold. Thank heaven for bleach. All it took was cleaning it with a sponge and cleaning the crevasses of the lid- just in case, a bleach bath, and a run through the dishwasher on the top rack. The gasket went back on just fine and the smell is gone. Again, make sure to dry things thoroughly, because I am sure what happened was water would get trapped under the gasket in the lid when we would wash the lid and just never get dried, thus leading to mold. The same thing could happen with something like our Magic Bullet Blender lid- that gasket you need to use the dullest end of a butter knife to remove.
I am sure you can contact the manufacturer and request a new gasket if the rubber gasket does break or crack.
You can be an excellent cleaner, but if you miss one thing just because you don't know about it, it can cause problems down the road. I have a rule in my house for most things "If it cant go through the dishwasher, be bleached, or go in a washing machine; its not worth having". So far electronics are the exception. Yes, even most things that say they cant go through a dishwasher, can in fact, occasionally, go through on the top rack if you take them apart and dry them properly. Just make sure to do research prior to attempting to do this at your own risk.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie Goolash
Ok, I am still learning to cook. Prior to meeting my Hubby, I thought the one thing I was good at was chicken pot pie. After having our daughter, however, I soon realised I didnt have the time to spend chopping everything up. So- I went to Pinterest (Thank Heavens for Pinterest). I tried several different recipies, but they really wearnt to our families liking. We like thicker broth, meat, and lots of veggies.
So here is one variation we like:
3 chicken breasts (I usually have frozen ones that are individually packed from Costco or the ones we canned for food storage. If they are canned and have a lot of juice, I usually skip adding the chicken broth)
2 potatoes
1 lb carrots
celery
1 lb frozen or 1 can peas
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom (you can use cream of chicken if you don't like mushroom)
1/2 bay leaf
salt and pepper
Crust (I use Pillsbury- I always keep several in the freezer) or bread
Place Crock Pot on High. Put in the can of Chicken Broth (or if using canned with a lot of juice, skip this step). Cut up and add the potatoes, about a pound of carrots and couple celery stalks (or as many as you think your family likes). Take the 1/2- 1 bay leaf (depending on potency) and throw it in. Stir crock pot to mix contents. Take the chicken breasts and place on top. Add salt and pepper enough to cover chicken. Wait 3-4 hours if chicken was frozen, 2-3 if chicken is cooked; just check it until the chicken is fully cooked. When the chicken is fully cooked, take a spatula or using 2 forks, pull the chicken apart and mix the crock pot. At this point, add the peas and the cream of mushroom soup. If you are doing a frozen crust, take it out at this point to thaw. Let crock pot sit another 10-15 minutes. If you see the bay leaf, remove it.
You can eat the Chicken pot pie, or as we call it goolash (A random mixture of ingredients) at this point with bread, but if you prefer a crust, spoon into individual servings and add crust top and bake;
Or with the help of hot pads, take the ceramic crock pot out of it's metal casing. Take crust and place in the pot over the pot pie. Pike crust with a fork. Put the ceramic pot in the oven without lid (the lid handle will melt if it goes in the oven) for the directions on your crusts box, or until golden brown.
Although my explanation sounds a little complicated, this is a super easy dinner to make and everyone loves it. Just make sure to tell everyone of the Bay Leaf- you wouldn't want to eat that!
So here is one variation we like:
3 chicken breasts (I usually have frozen ones that are individually packed from Costco or the ones we canned for food storage. If they are canned and have a lot of juice, I usually skip adding the chicken broth)
2 potatoes
1 lb carrots
celery
1 lb frozen or 1 can peas
1 can chicken broth
1 can cream of mushroom (you can use cream of chicken if you don't like mushroom)
1/2 bay leaf
salt and pepper
Crust (I use Pillsbury- I always keep several in the freezer) or bread
Place Crock Pot on High. Put in the can of Chicken Broth (or if using canned with a lot of juice, skip this step). Cut up and add the potatoes, about a pound of carrots and couple celery stalks (or as many as you think your family likes). Take the 1/2- 1 bay leaf (depending on potency) and throw it in. Stir crock pot to mix contents. Take the chicken breasts and place on top. Add salt and pepper enough to cover chicken. Wait 3-4 hours if chicken was frozen, 2-3 if chicken is cooked; just check it until the chicken is fully cooked. When the chicken is fully cooked, take a spatula or using 2 forks, pull the chicken apart and mix the crock pot. At this point, add the peas and the cream of mushroom soup. If you are doing a frozen crust, take it out at this point to thaw. Let crock pot sit another 10-15 minutes. If you see the bay leaf, remove it.
You can eat the Chicken pot pie, or as we call it goolash (A random mixture of ingredients) at this point with bread, but if you prefer a crust, spoon into individual servings and add crust top and bake;
Or with the help of hot pads, take the ceramic crock pot out of it's metal casing. Take crust and place in the pot over the pot pie. Pike crust with a fork. Put the ceramic pot in the oven without lid (the lid handle will melt if it goes in the oven) for the directions on your crusts box, or until golden brown.
Although my explanation sounds a little complicated, this is a super easy dinner to make and everyone loves it. Just make sure to tell everyone of the Bay Leaf- you wouldn't want to eat that!
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Cook 9 Grain Rice Cereal in a Rice Cooker!!
My Hubby loves 9 grain rice. Growing up, he had it for breakfast nearly every morning. Honestly, I doubt I ever heard of it until we were married. Well, every morning before going to work, he has spent time boiling water, adding the 9 grain rice, adding ingredients and stir stir stir until it is done. The other day we had rice and milk for breakfast and thats when he got the idea to put the 9 grain in the rice cooker. So, he tried it.
Sucess! 9 grain rice without having to do constant work- and in only 5 minutes!
What you will need:
rice cooker (ours has a "quick rice" option)
1 cup 9 grain rice (this feeds our family of 3)
enough water to barely cover rice entirely.
sugar
salt
Put the 9 grain rice in the rice cooker. Add water. Add salt and sugar to desired consitancy (you can do this later when 9 grain rice is all cooked). Set the rice cooker to quick rice option.
Enjoy!
Now, the first time we did this, we did the whole amount of water and after the 5 minutes, Hubby thought it looked like it had too much liquid still, so he put it in another 5 minutes. The 9 grain turned out just fine, but was on the slightly mushy side for our families taste. We personally like our 9 grain a little chewy, so the less water, 5 minutes works well for us. just play with it a little until you get what your families preference is.
Sucess! 9 grain rice without having to do constant work- and in only 5 minutes!
What you will need:
rice cooker (ours has a "quick rice" option)
1 cup 9 grain rice (this feeds our family of 3)
enough water to barely cover rice entirely.
sugar
salt
Put the 9 grain rice in the rice cooker. Add water. Add salt and sugar to desired consitancy (you can do this later when 9 grain rice is all cooked). Set the rice cooker to quick rice option.
Enjoy!
Now, the first time we did this, we did the whole amount of water and after the 5 minutes, Hubby thought it looked like it had too much liquid still, so he put it in another 5 minutes. The 9 grain turned out just fine, but was on the slightly mushy side for our families taste. We personally like our 9 grain a little chewy, so the less water, 5 minutes works well for us. just play with it a little until you get what your families preference is.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Sodium Larel Sulfate and why you should avoid it:
Sodium Larual Sulfate. "What is it? Ive never herd of it" you say. Well, you should recognise it. It is a main ingredient in most every cleaning supply you use everyday.
Every cleaning supply? Yes.
Toothpaste, Shampoo, Body wash, Hand soap, Laundry Detergent, Dishwashing soap, Carpet cleaners, etc.
although it's name slightly varies, if your product has one of the words in "sodium laural sulfate" its the same ingredient.
What is it? Well, it's a foaming agent.
In different cultures, we each have a different deffinition of "clean feeling". To some, its the smell of lavendar, others, a feeling of mud. Well, to Americans it's a foam clean.
So everything that is a cleaning agent has to foam for us to feel like its been cleaned.
The problem with SLS is that, if not completely washed away, it causes skin irritation because the chemical burns. If used for a long period of time, it causes dryness.
So I discovered this by accident. I have always had dry areas around my mouth and got cold sores often. I even always had dry mouth that peeled at the sides and I would literraly have strips and flakes of skin from the inside of my mouth peel off as I would brush my teeth and all throught the day- like after you drink scalding hot coco but everywhere. I never shared my chapsticks, lipsticks, food, etc. I always kissed my neices on the cheeks, and I had them long before I even kissed a boy. Why was this always happening? I was super self concious and embarrassed- especially through high school. I finally just accepted it. Then, one day at the age of 23, I was getting my teeth cleaned by my sister whom was going through dental higine school. She noticed my cold sores and my peeking inner-mouth and made a joke about kissing my husband. I told her it was something I had always delt with. She asked if I noticed if it worsened after I brushed my teeth and I told her I had. I then went on how I would barely brush my teeth sometimes because it would hurt so bad afterwards.
"Well, your problem is your toothpaste"
What? But I had been using the same brand of toothpaste practically my entire life. How could it be the problem? I thought.
Because of the chemical SLS littlerally eating away at my skin. My fix was easy- switch to Toms of Main without SLS. My godness! The first time I brushed with Toms was like instant releif from an entire life of pain.
But then I started to notice something. It was like for the first time I really felt how utterly painfully dry the rest of my body was. Was there SLS in other things? I checked my soap- yup. I checked my shampoo- yup. Everything had it! It was like walking into my house to find it robbed and stripped of everything. I was devastated to find that I had to replace everything with SLS free (or less of it) products.
I was off to find new things! After my successful run I noticed other things as well. My lifelong struggle with dandruff- cured! My bleeding hands- well that was significantly cured (I still have to wash my hands after all). My newest change was our laundry detergent- Oh was it a wonderful change!
Oh the joy I felt! I was so happy for now I knew some wonderful knowledge to share with everyone I knew!
My brothers were especially grateful because they have a genetic skin disease where they have scaley dry skin constantly.
So, try to make your lives less irritating and replace the products you think you love for some that will make your life much better.
Every cleaning supply? Yes.
Toothpaste, Shampoo, Body wash, Hand soap, Laundry Detergent, Dishwashing soap, Carpet cleaners, etc.
although it's name slightly varies, if your product has one of the words in "sodium laural sulfate" its the same ingredient.
What is it? Well, it's a foaming agent.
In different cultures, we each have a different deffinition of "clean feeling". To some, its the smell of lavendar, others, a feeling of mud. Well, to Americans it's a foam clean.
So everything that is a cleaning agent has to foam for us to feel like its been cleaned.
The problem with SLS is that, if not completely washed away, it causes skin irritation because the chemical burns. If used for a long period of time, it causes dryness.
So I discovered this by accident. I have always had dry areas around my mouth and got cold sores often. I even always had dry mouth that peeled at the sides and I would literraly have strips and flakes of skin from the inside of my mouth peel off as I would brush my teeth and all throught the day- like after you drink scalding hot coco but everywhere. I never shared my chapsticks, lipsticks, food, etc. I always kissed my neices on the cheeks, and I had them long before I even kissed a boy. Why was this always happening? I was super self concious and embarrassed- especially through high school. I finally just accepted it. Then, one day at the age of 23, I was getting my teeth cleaned by my sister whom was going through dental higine school. She noticed my cold sores and my peeking inner-mouth and made a joke about kissing my husband. I told her it was something I had always delt with. She asked if I noticed if it worsened after I brushed my teeth and I told her I had. I then went on how I would barely brush my teeth sometimes because it would hurt so bad afterwards.
"Well, your problem is your toothpaste"
What? But I had been using the same brand of toothpaste practically my entire life. How could it be the problem? I thought.
Because of the chemical SLS littlerally eating away at my skin. My fix was easy- switch to Toms of Main without SLS. My godness! The first time I brushed with Toms was like instant releif from an entire life of pain.
But then I started to notice something. It was like for the first time I really felt how utterly painfully dry the rest of my body was. Was there SLS in other things? I checked my soap- yup. I checked my shampoo- yup. Everything had it! It was like walking into my house to find it robbed and stripped of everything. I was devastated to find that I had to replace everything with SLS free (or less of it) products.
I was off to find new things! After my successful run I noticed other things as well. My lifelong struggle with dandruff- cured! My bleeding hands- well that was significantly cured (I still have to wash my hands after all). My newest change was our laundry detergent- Oh was it a wonderful change!
Oh the joy I felt! I was so happy for now I knew some wonderful knowledge to share with everyone I knew!
My brothers were especially grateful because they have a genetic skin disease where they have scaley dry skin constantly.
So, try to make your lives less irritating and replace the products you think you love for some that will make your life much better.
Liquid Laundry Detergent
Use 1/2 cup- 1 cup per load. Shake when separation occurs (before each use or once a week).
Ingredients:
1 Bar Fles-Naptha Soap (grated with the finest grater)
1Cup Borax
1/2 Cup Washing Soda
1/2 Cup Oxy Clean (optional for extra cleaning)
1/4-1/2 Cup Hair Conditioner (optional as softneing agent)
Water
Essential Oils Optional (Note: I have never made mine with oils)
Items needed:
Cheese grater with smallest holes
4 quart pot
Stirring stick for pot
5 gallon bucket with lid (lid is optional)
Large stirring stick for 5 gallon bucket (I invested $10 into a cement mixer attachment for a power drill)
Funnel with large opening
Empty laundry detergent storage containers (I try to have at least one with a handle and is small to refill)
Directions:
1. Take the bar of Fles-Naptha soap and the cheese grater and grate the entire bar of soap on the smallest grate possible (you can use a larger grade, but it takes considerably longer to boil down). Note: your entire house will smell of the soap at this stage and the boiling stage.
2. Boil 4 quarts of water and slowly add in grated Fles-Naptha soap a little at a time until soap is completely dissolved.
3. Fill the 5 gallon bucket with 2 gallons of hot water. Note: I just use tap water, but I have read that some people boil drinking water.
4. Add the boiling soap water mixture.
5. Stir in 1 Cup Borax, 1/2 Cup Washing Soda, 1/2 Cup Oxy Clean (optional), 1/4-1/2 Cup Hair Conditioner (optional), and any Essential Oils (optional).
6. Stir well. Note: At this point I stir mine with my paint stirrer and power drill.
7. Put the lid on the bucket (optional) and set bucket in a corner indoors for 24-48 hours, or until contents look like jello.
8. After mixture looks like jello, stir mixture vigorously until mixture looks like foamy (well, mine is foamy because of the power drill) liquid laundry detergent. Note: This is where the paint stirrer and power drill really saves time and mixes evenly.
9. With assistance of another person, funnel mixture into laundry bottles and use as directed.
My Notes:
I have one of those new fancy schmancy front loading washing machines. Yes, they say HE (high efficiency) detergents only, meaning that the HE detergent is not made to foam excessively, but because this home made soap does not foam, it works well with the machine.
I woulnt gess on what 2 gallons is. If you do, however, err on the side of less water. The first time we made this detergent, Hubby guessed and put in way too much. This left our detergent very runny and even leaked from all the soap bottles (we reused the ones that housed our used store soap). On the second batch, we measured out exact and used a sharpie to mark how much to fill. Super time saver.
Ill repeat that, Measure the exact amount of water for 2 gallons on your 5 gallon bucket, and mark it with a sharpie. Heck, write the entire recipe on the bucket so you don't have to keep looking it up.
Now, I will note that I started making my own detergent around the same time I got my machine. My neighbor pointed out the reason she disliked her own new fancy schmancy washer was because her whites were comming out a little grey. At first, I thought she was just silly and going blind (she is considerably older than I), but after having to buy new garmets for due to my pregnancy and holding them up to my old ones, I realised she was right. I dont blame my soap for making my garmets grey, and here is why; The fancy schmancy washer is supposed to be super gentle on clothing, keeping colors colorful and, well, whites, not so white (despite the constant use of bleach with every white load). This I assum means the "bright whites" option just tumbles your whites a little rougher, but still is super gentle.
I am curious if any one else has noticed their fancy schamcy washer greying up their whites?
Your detergent will naturally separate after a while. This is normal. My Hubby guessed that the separation is because of the Fels-Naptha soap. There was a chemical in it that doesn't really mix well with water (So that's why you have to boil it in!). I opted for one of my containers to be a smaller hand held (that used to hold color safe bleach- amazing for blood stains!!) and I will shake it up before each load.
Does anyone know if they make Fels-Naptha soap in liquid form? If so, where did you buy it???
I have read that some people use a bar of Dove soap. I havent tried that and I dont plan on trying it because Hubby cant stand the smell. I apoligise for not knowing how using a different soap will affect the detergent.
My cousin told me that she read on line that instead of grating down the Fels-Naptha soap, you can put it in a ziplock bag of water a day or so prior to making the detergent. I personally dont see how this will work. Yes, I think it will make the outer of the soap easy to dump out and boil, but I think you will have a large brick from the inner layers in your boiling pot. My cousin felt the same way.
If someone tries this- what was your result?
The best way I have found to have your detergent is in a small container that you can shake up, pour, and refill from a larger container when its empty. This way your not constantly getting a huge 1-2 gallon bottle and tearing your arm off trying to shake it. My cousin says she leaves all the deterget in her 5 gallon bucket and sirs it up, then scoops out what she needs into a smaller container as to avoid several small containers. Originally I got a 5 gallon glass drink dispenser off of Craigslist and put my detergent in it. You end up with super separation and only get the watery stuff, which I think is just as potent, but then you have all this foamy stuff at the top. For this reason, I don't recommend using the containers with a push dispenser that laundry detergent normally comes in at the store.. I went back to the small handheld container I could shake once a week (we do laundry a lot).
I add hair conditioner to my detergent. The conditioner acts as a fabric softner (which I never seem to remember to use) and it also gives a slight scent to the detergent.
Oxy Clean is something that the Hubby wanted added for extra cleaning. I havent had a load without it, so I cant comment on that.
I found that a cheap cement stirring attachment and a cordless power drill is a huge time saver for stirring the "jello". I have watched video after video on YouTube where people use large stirring spoons or the free paint stirring sticks from Home Depot, and it seems like it takes a long time once it is Jello. I got mine for less than $10 at Home Depot. Make sure that everyone knows that the cement attachment is just for laundry detergent though- same with the 5 gallon bucket; I imagine those things can be a pain to wash clean of other stuff.
The amount of laundry detergent varies upon how the loads of laundry are. My cousin uses a cup each time, but she has a top loader. I just pour mine into the area where my fancy shcmancy washer says to fill to (I guess its about a cupish). You kind of have to play with it and see what works best for you. Again, this detergent does not foam so it is completely safe for HE washers.
I probably should check this on a non HE detergent, but in my vast experience Sodium Laural Sulfate (SLS) is the foaming agent that is in nearly everything. Its only purpose is to foam, so consumers get the feeling of "clean", but that is all the chemical does is foam up. I loathe SLS. The reason for my loathing is because SLS causes reactions and allergies. I am assuming that HE detergents do not have SLS so that the detergent will wash away cleanier and easier.
My cousin told me about making homemade detergent years ago. She would tell me how cheap each load was and how much better for you it is. Lazy and not knowing any other way, I stuck to my good ol' store detergent. After marrying my Hubby and having a tot however, I noticed we spent a lot of cash of detergent. Once a month I was off to Costco to buy a container of the stuff! So, I caved and tried making it myself. I washed my first load and prayed it was sanitary enough (did I mention I am a slight germaphobe?). My clothes looked clean. They felt clean. After a week, I was sold. Why? I noticed the rashes that my Tot had been getting all her life completely dissipated! Halleluiah! No more exema! Wow, my skin rashes cleared up too. In my family, the boys all have __ (super dry scaly genetic disease), and the girls all have sensitive skin, so if we wash dishes more than 30 minutes- dry cracked and sometimes bleeding skin for weeks. I couldn't believe it! I never thought my allergen, sensitive skin, no scent detergent would betray me like that! Well, I still had a little store detergent left over and actually had to use it this other week when I was to busy to make more and can I just say, the difference is night and day. The three loads I have washed have made my dry skin return, I and my tot are super itchy all the time, the smell of the chemicals in the detergent is unbearable and gives me headaches. Store detergent is horrible!!
Well, I cant think of anything more to add to this subject. Good luck!!
Monday, November 19, 2012
The problems with TV
Let me stand on my soap box for a minute.
OK, I know you may roll your eyes and call me a little hippicritaical on this one, but hear me out.
I grew up on TV. There, I said it. My parents owned their own business and worked 24/7 growing up. Heck, from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to sleep at 4 am I was sitting in my room watching tv- ok maybe it wasnt that drastic. Oh how it ruined me! I wasnt ever any good at school, had poor grades, and didnt know how to socialise with other human beings. I had a slightly dillusional life where I had diffuculty decerning the difference bestween imaginary and real life. I even for some reason thought my childhood sucked because it wasnt the constant "happy ending" like on TV.
Now, I was lucky. Yes, lucky. Unlike todays shows, I had shows with story line, music and good values. Tv since the 1990's has drastically changed. Now it is all about stimulation. constant flashing bright colors, explosions, swearing to make things more intese. anger, viloence, saddness, fear. As I once herd it, things werent necisarily more candid "back then" but people had the decency to not do things like swear in front of children.
Wow, doesnt that sound nice? Thinking and being conciderate about the well being of children!!
I grew up with a loving family and we did all sorts of things toghether that childhood me took for granted .We had daily prayer, scriptures, and spent all day playing. Oh thats right, I did always have the TV on.. but I was doing other things while it was on. Multitasking? No, I just got so bored because it was a rerun of Scooby Doo, Saved by the Bell, and Bugs Bunny cartoons. Wow, phew! Thats a releif to know that my childhood wasnt the crappy way childhood my thought it was. Every weekend my parents took us to the park to play and have picnics. My youger brother and I were alwys playing pretend. We were always playing with neighborrhood kids and jumping on our trampoline. Whenever it was warm enough we went waterskking and tubing. I had an amazing childhood and was given every opertunity by my parents to grow. They funded constant instumental and music lessons, book clubs, etc.
Now isnt the truth more pleasent that what childhood me thought it was? This is how your children can easily see themselves up until adulthood- or longer. There is a way of thinking that each parent, in my opinion, has to learn:
How does your child view this situation?
This sounds so simple, yet is it? This is one of the most difficult things you will have to train yourself to do.
For example: We all know the movie Little Mermaid. Pretty mermaid, Princess Ariel, falls in love with human, Prince Eric. Eursula the evil sea witch after the power of the trident to rule the seas, tricks Ariel by telling her that she will turn Ariel into a human to find true love- but Ariel only has 3 days to gain Eric's kiss of true love. Eursula purposely foils this plan in order to have Ariel under her control. Eursula returns Ariel to a mermaid and now owns Ariel. Ariel is saved from being turned into a weed and a life of bondage by her Father, King Triton, whom exchanges his life for hers, and then again by Prince Eric. Ariel is turned into a human marrys Eric, happy ending.
Simple right? Smiles all around!
Wrong.
Let me tell you what M took away from this movie:
Daddy's are mean.
Wait, what? Daddy's are mean? how did she get that? Remember the scene where Triton tells Ariel she shouldnt go to the sruface? there are two of them. Yes, we see it as a father's concern for his daughter, M sees Ariel (mentally, herself) being told "no" this, then to prove his point, destroying everything she loves with a giant trident in a fit of desperate anger.
Woah, really? Yes. My tot started showing dislike for her father for no reason. it took me watching Little Mermaid several times to finally get it. Up until that point, I was only fast forwarding the scenes with Eursula because she was "scary". Not long after I started fast forwarding the scenes with King Triton telling Ariel no, and pointing out how Ariel loves her daddy (the scene when she gives him a hug and says "I love you daddy") only then did M start loving her dad again.
'Ok, you say, thats not that bad.'
Finding Nemo: Super cute movie of how a father searches for his son.
What M took away from it:
"I hate you"
Yes, the hate word.
Where do thy say "hate" in Finding Nemo??
There is a few second blip in the beginning where, after Nemo's father tells him out of loving concern not to touch the boat, Nemo says "I hate you!". Yes, it only takes one time to burn it into a kids skull. This was a movie I didnt think I would have to black list, but it is.
"Ok, well, "hate" isnt that bad of a word is it? Yeah, it is.
OK, I know you may roll your eyes and call me a little hippicritaical on this one, but hear me out.
I grew up on TV. There, I said it. My parents owned their own business and worked 24/7 growing up. Heck, from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to sleep at 4 am I was sitting in my room watching tv- ok maybe it wasnt that drastic. Oh how it ruined me! I wasnt ever any good at school, had poor grades, and didnt know how to socialise with other human beings. I had a slightly dillusional life where I had diffuculty decerning the difference bestween imaginary and real life. I even for some reason thought my childhood sucked because it wasnt the constant "happy ending" like on TV.
Now, I was lucky. Yes, lucky. Unlike todays shows, I had shows with story line, music and good values. Tv since the 1990's has drastically changed. Now it is all about stimulation. constant flashing bright colors, explosions, swearing to make things more intese. anger, viloence, saddness, fear. As I once herd it, things werent necisarily more candid "back then" but people had the decency to not do things like swear in front of children.
Wow, doesnt that sound nice? Thinking and being conciderate about the well being of children!!
I grew up with a loving family and we did all sorts of things toghether that childhood me took for granted .We had daily prayer, scriptures, and spent all day playing. Oh thats right, I did always have the TV on.. but I was doing other things while it was on. Multitasking? No, I just got so bored because it was a rerun of Scooby Doo, Saved by the Bell, and Bugs Bunny cartoons. Wow, phew! Thats a releif to know that my childhood wasnt the crappy way childhood my thought it was. Every weekend my parents took us to the park to play and have picnics. My youger brother and I were alwys playing pretend. We were always playing with neighborrhood kids and jumping on our trampoline. Whenever it was warm enough we went waterskking and tubing. I had an amazing childhood and was given every opertunity by my parents to grow. They funded constant instumental and music lessons, book clubs, etc.
Now isnt the truth more pleasent that what childhood me thought it was? This is how your children can easily see themselves up until adulthood- or longer. There is a way of thinking that each parent, in my opinion, has to learn:
How does your child view this situation?
This sounds so simple, yet is it? This is one of the most difficult things you will have to train yourself to do.
For example: We all know the movie Little Mermaid. Pretty mermaid, Princess Ariel, falls in love with human, Prince Eric. Eursula the evil sea witch after the power of the trident to rule the seas, tricks Ariel by telling her that she will turn Ariel into a human to find true love- but Ariel only has 3 days to gain Eric's kiss of true love. Eursula purposely foils this plan in order to have Ariel under her control. Eursula returns Ariel to a mermaid and now owns Ariel. Ariel is saved from being turned into a weed and a life of bondage by her Father, King Triton, whom exchanges his life for hers, and then again by Prince Eric. Ariel is turned into a human marrys Eric, happy ending.
Simple right? Smiles all around!
Wrong.
Let me tell you what M took away from this movie:
Daddy's are mean.
Wait, what? Daddy's are mean? how did she get that? Remember the scene where Triton tells Ariel she shouldnt go to the sruface? there are two of them. Yes, we see it as a father's concern for his daughter, M sees Ariel (mentally, herself) being told "no" this, then to prove his point, destroying everything she loves with a giant trident in a fit of desperate anger.
Woah, really? Yes. My tot started showing dislike for her father for no reason. it took me watching Little Mermaid several times to finally get it. Up until that point, I was only fast forwarding the scenes with Eursula because she was "scary". Not long after I started fast forwarding the scenes with King Triton telling Ariel no, and pointing out how Ariel loves her daddy (the scene when she gives him a hug and says "I love you daddy") only then did M start loving her dad again.
'Ok, you say, thats not that bad.'
Finding Nemo: Super cute movie of how a father searches for his son.
What M took away from it:
"I hate you"
Yes, the hate word.
Where do thy say "hate" in Finding Nemo??
There is a few second blip in the beginning where, after Nemo's father tells him out of loving concern not to touch the boat, Nemo says "I hate you!". Yes, it only takes one time to burn it into a kids skull. This was a movie I didnt think I would have to black list, but it is.
"Ok, well, "hate" isnt that bad of a word is it? Yeah, it is.
Love of bees
Ok, so heres how this story goes: One day our Home Teacher comes to visit and states that he was thinking about getting a beehive to put on his fathers vacant land. Not a whole two minutes later, my husband is online and reasurching how to build one. talking about how great it would be to have natural honey and such.
I was not sold on the idea. Bees in our yard? Around our kids? What was Hubby thinking?
The days passed and Hubby became obsessed. Every day it was bees this and bees that. He would show me online video after video and even purchased a beekeeping book.
Still, my mothers instincts kept me hesitant- what about the safety of our child?
After a thousand times of saying "no", J went to someone he knew with property- his parents. Grandma H was even more against the idea that I, but Grandpa H, well, he was all for it. Grandpa H mentioned it to his home teachers and one of them goes "Oh, well have J and S come help me with my 30+ beehives!".
When J told me about this, my jaw dropped. "Seriousely?" I thought. "I can't beleive we are actually doing this."
The next day we drove to the home teachers house. I couldnt beleive where it was- right acrossed the street from Granparent H's house! All these years and I never saw any of the millions of bees that lived right acrossed the way in the 30+ hives. When we arrived, several hives were already dissasembled and in a room the size of a1 car garage. Oh, there was so much machinery. There was a machine to put the beehive racks on and that machine would scrape off the top layer of wax from the comb, and there was another machine that sqirled the homey out of the combs, funneling it into 5 gallon barrels, where we dumped the barrells into another machine that lightly heated the honey enough to make it funnel into jars.
Did I mention that we weren't wearing any gear? We didn't get stung once. Italian bees are amazing.
Wow, was it fun. After a while, I even brought my daughter into the room with us to see how she would react with the tons of bees flying around us (she was geared up, just in case). I was amazed at how docile the bees were. One even got trapped in the bag where the lids to the jars were and it completely ignored me the many times I put my hand in the small bag- it would even crawl on my arm. M got a kick out of the whole experience. She loved helping me and "playing" with the bees.
I was convinced. I wanted bees.
Sadily, we are pretty sure our HOA wont allow them- even though they would be pets, but it is understandable. I freaked out at the thought of bees in my backyard, and I can understand neighbors freaking out too.
But that wouldnt stop my Hubby. no, no...
You can imagine the joy Hubby got when a few days later one of our renters called saying there was a beehive in the side of the house. That night after coming home from work he reasearched and reasearched how to build a bee vacumm and bee hive.
That next day, Hubby was at Grandpa H's using scrap wood and such building a beehive and bee vacumm. He borrowed some gear from the home teacher, and he and his friend went to the rental to harvest our first beehive.
We got even luckier, because the bees that inhabitied the house were super docile- meaning they were Italian! Yay! That saves us buying a new queen and that whole process.
The renters got out chairs and drinks and sat around watching us harvest the bees and honey comb. It was fun for everyone.
Sadly, the bees didn't last. We were having one of the hottest summers, and our bees were already traumatized from the move, that their queen died and without hive at maximum capacity, the hive failed. Now we know what to do and what not to do.
Let me tell you about bees:
Naturally, bees are not aggressive. Ever here the parse "Africanized bees?" Sure you have, the news freaks us out about them every once in a while. Let me tell you what that means.
An African bee is stronger, bigger, and faster, but the problem is that they are mean. Back some time ago, someone decided to bring over African bees and mate them with Italian bees in the hopes that it would make a docile bee that would work harder and live longer. That didnt happen. Instead the African bees would kill off the Italian queens and replace it with a new African queen. This is where you find the mean bees that attack people.
Now, when a queen dies, any bee larve can become a queen by the worker bees feeding the larve with a boat load of royal jelly. Every bee can make a very tiny amout of royal jelly, but only by all the bees feeding this jelly to one lave does it make a queen. The queen only gets the oppurtunity to get pregnant once- by drones. The drones litterally sting her and their stingers fall off on her which somehow gets her pregnant. The queen sends out hormones that control the hive. This little lady has to make a lot of hormone. If she has a hive that grows too big too fast, or gets old and produces less hormone, she looses control or has less control over the bees. This makes the bees very cranky and confused. They will attack anything too close to the hive at this point. That is why it is important to have new queen every 2-3 years and divide a hive that is too big.
All drones are male. The purpose of a drone is to get the queen pregnant and to follow her around and clean her. Other than that, they are useless and when it gets too hot the worker bees will kick the drones out of the hive leaving them to die or go to another hive- most likely they die though.
All worker bees are female. Boy, do those ladies work hard! From the moment they emerge from their larve stage out of their "cacoons", they work. First thing they do is flap their wings in the hive to cool the hive down. After a few days, they are graduated to going out of the hive and collecting necter and building/ sealing off wax caps, containging the honey. After a few days of that, their wings now tattered and torn, they become nurse maids to the larve. After a few days of this, they die. A bee's life span is 30 days. When the bee dies it is thrown out of the hive by the other bees.
I imagine a bee hive is just what the would would be like if we didn't have men :-P
Bees are extremely sanitary and are the most sterile creature I have herd of! I have a bunch of bee facts, but I will enter them in later.
Less than 0.01 people are allergic to bees. Yeah, it hurts when you get stung, but dont think your going to die from it like that kid in 'My Girl'. It's super rare.
Now, when you do get stung, it is important you go indoors or a good distance away and take the stinger out right away. Why? Well, when you do get stung, there is a hormone the stinger releases that is like a little beacon that says "ATTACK! THIS IS A PREDITOR!!" to the rest of the bees in the hive. So, then they come to sting you putting more becons out and more and more bees come, etc. This shouldnt be an issue if you are far enough from the hive, but if you are around itallian bee hive, you neednt worry. When we were removing the hive from the house, J and his friend both got stung maybe 10 times all together? now, that is them really agitating the hive but removing it strip by strip with a knife. Granted, they had gear on, but we found out that the stingers can still go through the gear, they just dont fully penetrate the cloth and "flake off" when the clothing is removed.
Surprise surprise! Beehive equipment doesn't keep you from being stung!!
So next time you see a bee, just ignore it. It isnt interested in stinging you. Yeah, it may get up in your face and follow you arond, but it most likely thinks you smell sweet or it smells water (sweat) on your skin. Just calmly walk away. Swatting at it just raises its red flag that calls even more bees out, and we don't want that do we?
I was not sold on the idea. Bees in our yard? Around our kids? What was Hubby thinking?
The days passed and Hubby became obsessed. Every day it was bees this and bees that. He would show me online video after video and even purchased a beekeeping book.
Still, my mothers instincts kept me hesitant- what about the safety of our child?
After a thousand times of saying "no", J went to someone he knew with property- his parents. Grandma H was even more against the idea that I, but Grandpa H, well, he was all for it. Grandpa H mentioned it to his home teachers and one of them goes "Oh, well have J and S come help me with my 30+ beehives!".
When J told me about this, my jaw dropped. "Seriousely?" I thought. "I can't beleive we are actually doing this."
The next day we drove to the home teachers house. I couldnt beleive where it was- right acrossed the street from Granparent H's house! All these years and I never saw any of the millions of bees that lived right acrossed the way in the 30+ hives. When we arrived, several hives were already dissasembled and in a room the size of a1 car garage. Oh, there was so much machinery. There was a machine to put the beehive racks on and that machine would scrape off the top layer of wax from the comb, and there was another machine that sqirled the homey out of the combs, funneling it into 5 gallon barrels, where we dumped the barrells into another machine that lightly heated the honey enough to make it funnel into jars.
Did I mention that we weren't wearing any gear? We didn't get stung once. Italian bees are amazing.
Wow, was it fun. After a while, I even brought my daughter into the room with us to see how she would react with the tons of bees flying around us (she was geared up, just in case). I was amazed at how docile the bees were. One even got trapped in the bag where the lids to the jars were and it completely ignored me the many times I put my hand in the small bag- it would even crawl on my arm. M got a kick out of the whole experience. She loved helping me and "playing" with the bees.
I was convinced. I wanted bees.
Sadily, we are pretty sure our HOA wont allow them- even though they would be pets, but it is understandable. I freaked out at the thought of bees in my backyard, and I can understand neighbors freaking out too.
But that wouldnt stop my Hubby. no, no...
You can imagine the joy Hubby got when a few days later one of our renters called saying there was a beehive in the side of the house. That night after coming home from work he reasearched and reasearched how to build a bee vacumm and bee hive.
That next day, Hubby was at Grandpa H's using scrap wood and such building a beehive and bee vacumm. He borrowed some gear from the home teacher, and he and his friend went to the rental to harvest our first beehive.
We got even luckier, because the bees that inhabitied the house were super docile- meaning they were Italian! Yay! That saves us buying a new queen and that whole process.
The renters got out chairs and drinks and sat around watching us harvest the bees and honey comb. It was fun for everyone.
Sadly, the bees didn't last. We were having one of the hottest summers, and our bees were already traumatized from the move, that their queen died and without hive at maximum capacity, the hive failed. Now we know what to do and what not to do.
Let me tell you about bees:
Naturally, bees are not aggressive. Ever here the parse "Africanized bees?" Sure you have, the news freaks us out about them every once in a while. Let me tell you what that means.
An African bee is stronger, bigger, and faster, but the problem is that they are mean. Back some time ago, someone decided to bring over African bees and mate them with Italian bees in the hopes that it would make a docile bee that would work harder and live longer. That didnt happen. Instead the African bees would kill off the Italian queens and replace it with a new African queen. This is where you find the mean bees that attack people.
Now, when a queen dies, any bee larve can become a queen by the worker bees feeding the larve with a boat load of royal jelly. Every bee can make a very tiny amout of royal jelly, but only by all the bees feeding this jelly to one lave does it make a queen. The queen only gets the oppurtunity to get pregnant once- by drones. The drones litterally sting her and their stingers fall off on her which somehow gets her pregnant. The queen sends out hormones that control the hive. This little lady has to make a lot of hormone. If she has a hive that grows too big too fast, or gets old and produces less hormone, she looses control or has less control over the bees. This makes the bees very cranky and confused. They will attack anything too close to the hive at this point. That is why it is important to have new queen every 2-3 years and divide a hive that is too big.
All drones are male. The purpose of a drone is to get the queen pregnant and to follow her around and clean her. Other than that, they are useless and when it gets too hot the worker bees will kick the drones out of the hive leaving them to die or go to another hive- most likely they die though.
All worker bees are female. Boy, do those ladies work hard! From the moment they emerge from their larve stage out of their "cacoons", they work. First thing they do is flap their wings in the hive to cool the hive down. After a few days, they are graduated to going out of the hive and collecting necter and building/ sealing off wax caps, containging the honey. After a few days of that, their wings now tattered and torn, they become nurse maids to the larve. After a few days of this, they die. A bee's life span is 30 days. When the bee dies it is thrown out of the hive by the other bees.
I imagine a bee hive is just what the would would be like if we didn't have men :-P
Bees are extremely sanitary and are the most sterile creature I have herd of! I have a bunch of bee facts, but I will enter them in later.
Less than 0.01 people are allergic to bees. Yeah, it hurts when you get stung, but dont think your going to die from it like that kid in 'My Girl'. It's super rare.
Now, when you do get stung, it is important you go indoors or a good distance away and take the stinger out right away. Why? Well, when you do get stung, there is a hormone the stinger releases that is like a little beacon that says "ATTACK! THIS IS A PREDITOR!!" to the rest of the bees in the hive. So, then they come to sting you putting more becons out and more and more bees come, etc. This shouldnt be an issue if you are far enough from the hive, but if you are around itallian bee hive, you neednt worry. When we were removing the hive from the house, J and his friend both got stung maybe 10 times all together? now, that is them really agitating the hive but removing it strip by strip with a knife. Granted, they had gear on, but we found out that the stingers can still go through the gear, they just dont fully penetrate the cloth and "flake off" when the clothing is removed.
Surprise surprise! Beehive equipment doesn't keep you from being stung!!
So next time you see a bee, just ignore it. It isnt interested in stinging you. Yeah, it may get up in your face and follow you arond, but it most likely thinks you smell sweet or it smells water (sweat) on your skin. Just calmly walk away. Swatting at it just raises its red flag that calls even more bees out, and we don't want that do we?
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