Archive for the ‘Homemaking’ Category
Jan
29
Posted by Mary
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I recently came across an article on The Simple Dollar website entitled “Dealing With A Bad Day Without Spending Money.” The author, Trent Hamm, listed 6 things that help him to chill out after a bad day and don’t cost a thing. I was inspired by the suggestions he listed and came up with 13 of my own that are directed toward women.
Men and women often have a completely different idea of what it means to relax at the end of a bad day. My husband enjoys playing X-box to relax, which is the last thing I would consider. The following ideas may appeal to men as well, but I think they tend to have a softer spot for women.
www.savingadvice.com/blog/2008/01/29/102014_13-ways-women-can-avoid-emotional-spending.html
Oct
17
Posted by Mary
Today I got to take the kids for a walk, then we played outside, came in, had dinner, baths, and eventually bed.
During the day as we were doing all of these things I kept a notebook with me and I would take notes of all the things I thought of that pertained to work.
Things I could write about, things I should check on, etc. I had time throughout the day to concentrate, take breaks, have fun, work and spend time with hubby.
As much as I sometimes miss the scheduled life of waking at 7 am and getting out of work at 4pm and being to bed by 10 pm I am glad to be a homemaker that lets life happen.
While schedules are great and kids need them to thrive, there are important parts of a schedule and there are less important parts.
Eating, sleeping, and learning (reading), are all important parts, eating and sleeping should be scheduled about the same everyday. Learning or at least some reading and some play should also be included but can be more sporadic.
The point I am trying to make here is to live life, get out, do things, be spontaneous. The kids need structure, but lets let them be kids too.
Just my thought for today.
May
13
Posted by Mary
Thinking of mothers day I thought of a way to take all the kids art work and put it together, either by scanning it if possible or taking pictures and putting some information about what age they were and that kind of thing. Then once it is altogether say in word or in a pdf file go over to www.lulu.com
There you can put it into it’s own real printed book, you design the cover and everything, so in 10 years you can grab a book of little jimmy off the bookshelf and show his future wife, and remind her that time flies when they are little so enjoy it while you can.
Happy Mother’s Day Moms!
Feb
04
Posted by Mary
There is so much help you can find online for getting organized. The author of the e-books on the following page has written many articles on organization. Being organized can make life so much simpler, you will have less wasted time looking for things, and more time enjoying a clean, uncluttered, happy home and family. Getting Organized E-books
Jan
11
Posted by Mary
There is so much help you can find online for getting organized. The author of the e-books on the following page has written many articles on organization. Being organized can make life so much simpler, you will have less wasted time looking for things, and more time enjoying a clean, uncluttered, happy home and family.
Getting Organized E-books
Jan
11
Posted by Mary
Since Christmas my favorite online store is The Container Store. This site is a bit difficult to navigate I think, but has so many products that help you organize. It shows you different offices, child’s rooms, bedrooms and closets setup and you can scan over the products and see what they are and the price. One thing I found on this site is a laptop desk that allows you to store your mouse, and microphone and other laptop accessories in it, another product that is great is the museum putty. This stuff is used by museums in California to keep items on display stuck in place, it is good for houses with curious children and cats that skip all over the house.
When looking at the site, here are a few things to keep in mind.
1. Buy items to use that will be easy for you to use and convenient, you don’t want to make more work out of organizing than you have to.
2. Try to think about what needs to be organized in your home and how much space you have to do it in.
3. There may be cheaper places to get the products you are looking for, check the stores in your area, and other places online.
Get Organized Now is a great e-book that has tips and other tools to help you get your home and office organized.
Dec
29
Posted by Mary
Water
1. We all know that water is important but I’ve never seen it written down like this before.
2. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half world population)
3. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.&
4. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.
5. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a U- Washington study.
6. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
7. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
8. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.
9. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?
COKE
1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the truck to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.
2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.
3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the “real thing†sit for one hour, then flush clean The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil
dipped in Coca-Cola.
5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of
Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.
6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, Remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.
For Your Info:
1. The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its Ph is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis.
2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.
3. The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years!
Now the question is, would you like a glass of WATER
or COKE ?
Dec
28
Posted by Mary
This is an email forward I received.
Over and above these items, you can take peroxide, put it on a clean
white cloth, rub it on any stain on any carpet and it will take the
stain out of the carpet but not the color.
Peroxide:
“I would like to tell you of the benefits of that plain little old
bottle of 3% peroxide you can get for under $1.00 at any drug store. My
husband has been in the medical field for over 36 years, and most
doctors don’t tell you about peroxide, or they would lose thousands of
dollars.”
1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and
hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. (I do it
when I bathe )
No more canker sores and your teeth will be whiter without expensive
pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash. (small print says mouth wash and
gargle right on the bottle)
2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of “Peroxide” to keep them free
of germs.
3. Clean your counters, table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave
a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or
spray it on the counters.
4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to
kill salmonella and other bacteria.
5. I had fungus on my feet for years - until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture
of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let
dry.
6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes
several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal
with any medicine, but was healed by soaking in peroxide.
7. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide an d water and
keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic
system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.
8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture
whenever you have a cold, or plugged sinuses. It will bubble and help to
kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes then blow your nose into a
tissue.
9. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right
away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten
minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.
10. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the
50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You
will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages,
but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, faddish, or
dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually so it’s not a drastic change.
11. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid boils,
fungus, or other skin infections.
12. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of
whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing,
Pour directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it
and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.
13. I use peroxide to clean my mirrors with, and there is no smearing
which is why I love it so much for this.
Dec
28
Posted by Mary
Stains… we all get them, luckily there is a guide on about.com that has helpful information for different stains. http://housekeeping.about.com/od/laundry/a/10stainremovtip.htm Remember to check about.com when looking for guides to do different things, this is a great resource site.
Dec
28
Posted by Mary
I really love to use organic products for cleaning my home. I like to make things on my own and not to have to use all those chemicals, because it is healthier for my family. I am big on the vinegar, lemon juice, salt and water mix as an all purpose cleaner. And I especially love learning about other ways to clean house organically. So today’s site of the day is Clean Tip. It has each room categorized and tells you how to clean the different parts of that room without spending a bunch of money on chemicals that aren’t good for your family, it will explain exactly what ingredients and tools you will need. Enjoy!
Dec
28
Posted by Mary
How to mend it, gives you free information on how to fix anything from boats, to glass, to air conditioners, and more. This is a great site to bookmark because of all the free help and information you can get here, we all break things, or have things broken on us, so being able to “mend it” is a great way to save money.
Dec
28
Posted by Mary
Learn how to organize according to whether you are normally an organized person, or you are not. It isnt impossible. I am a Piler, and that works for me.
