The ice bucket challenge is all over Facebook these days and while raising awareness and money for a good cause, and ALS certainly is, the challenge irks me. I do not believe people should be pressured into donating, shamed for not, or donating because it is the trend of the moment. Donations should be made because you want to, you are passionate about a cause, or you have educated yourself on the issue and want to make a difference.
I chose not to do the challenge and not to donate because ALS doesn't particularly speak to me. It is a very serious disease and is definitely a worthy cause, however I cannot donate to every cause I think is worthy. I live on a budget, with little left over every month, but every year I still donate hundreds of dollars and countless hours for causes I truly care about.
When I donate my money I try to stay local, especially when it comes to local SPCAs and Food Pantries. I also donate time to prep and deliver food for Meals on Wheels locally. I wish I could donate to every cause, but I can't.
If you accept the ice bucket challenge good for you. Do the challenge and donate what you can, but please also educate yourself as to what ALS is if you are unaware. I have seen a lot of people do the challenge and have no idea what ALS is, many also do not donate to the cause. ALS is not a joke and the challenge should not be just a fun new trend, follow through, raise awareness, and help educate. For whatever reason if you don't care enough to donate then don't accept the challenge, find another cause you can get behind and help there.
For more information or to donate see the ALS Association's website.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Natural Cleaning and Flea/Tick Repelling
I haven't used chemical cleaners in my home for some time now. I have purchased natural commercial products such as Honest Co. and 7th Generation, but more often I go for basic natural cleaners. I save a good amount of money and know exactly what I'm cleaning with.
Some of my favorite cleaning products are readily in my home, such as vinegar and baking soda. I also use essential oils. Below are some items and what I use them for.
Baking Soda: I use this to deodorize and scrub my home. As a basic deodorizer you can place an open box in the fridge or elsewhere around the house, add essential oils to the mix to kick it up.
Carpets: Mix baking soda in a mason jar with orange essential oil. I let this sit without a lid until the oil dries. I then cover and shake the jar to mix it. About 20 minutes or more before I plan to vacuum I sprinkle my carpets and rugs with the mixture. This also guarantees I actually do vacuum.
Sinks and tub: Sprinkle baking soda on surface and scrub with a sponge, rinse with water. You can also add some tea tree oil to the mix as above for floors.
Toilets: I mix this with peroxide and spray my toilet with the mixture, let sit a few minutes and then scrub with a toilet brush.
Essential Oils: I love essential oils. I use them in body oil, bath salts, cleaning sprays, humidifiers, etc... There are so many uses. It is recommended that you place essential oil mixes in glass bottles and not plastic, as essential oils can break down plastic.
Flea Spray (Dog): I use this on my pet bed and dog's fur. I haven't had a flea issue in years. I also find very few ticks over the course of a year on my dog (maybe a couple). I use a 32 oz. spray bottle and fill it with distilled water. I then add 15 drops each of peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, and tea tree oils. I love those 4 oils and find them very versatile. I shake the bottle before each use. On my dog's collar I often add peppermint oil diluted in a carrier oil.
Flea Repellant (cats): Cats can be tricky since they are sensitive to oils. I use Cedarwood and lavender on my cat. I add these to a high grade pure vegetable oil, diluting 50:1 vegetable to essential oil. I then place a little on my hands and massage my cat with the oil. I found the recommendation for this process here. I recommend watching your cat for signs of sensitivity whenever introducing them to oils.
Oils for Cleaning: I usually throw these in with baking soda or peroxide. Lavender, tea tree, lemon, and orange are my go to. I love the way they smell, although not all together.
All Purpose Cleaner: I mix water and vinegar in a 1:1 ratio. I then add essential oils to scent. A basic recipe would be to mix 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar and then 20-30 drops of essential oils in a spray bottle. You can also make an all purpose cleaner with castile soap, I found a very informative post on Mommypotamus.com that gives more info on oils and cleaners.
There are plenty other products I make at home instead of buying in the store I'll blog about more in the future.
Some of my favorite cleaning products are readily in my home, such as vinegar and baking soda. I also use essential oils. Below are some items and what I use them for.
Baking Soda: I use this to deodorize and scrub my home. As a basic deodorizer you can place an open box in the fridge or elsewhere around the house, add essential oils to the mix to kick it up.
Carpets: Mix baking soda in a mason jar with orange essential oil. I let this sit without a lid until the oil dries. I then cover and shake the jar to mix it. About 20 minutes or more before I plan to vacuum I sprinkle my carpets and rugs with the mixture. This also guarantees I actually do vacuum.
Sinks and tub: Sprinkle baking soda on surface and scrub with a sponge, rinse with water. You can also add some tea tree oil to the mix as above for floors.
Toilets: I mix this with peroxide and spray my toilet with the mixture, let sit a few minutes and then scrub with a toilet brush.
Essential Oils: I love essential oils. I use them in body oil, bath salts, cleaning sprays, humidifiers, etc... There are so many uses. It is recommended that you place essential oil mixes in glass bottles and not plastic, as essential oils can break down plastic.
Flea Spray (Dog): I use this on my pet bed and dog's fur. I haven't had a flea issue in years. I also find very few ticks over the course of a year on my dog (maybe a couple). I use a 32 oz. spray bottle and fill it with distilled water. I then add 15 drops each of peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, and tea tree oils. I love those 4 oils and find them very versatile. I shake the bottle before each use. On my dog's collar I often add peppermint oil diluted in a carrier oil.
Flea Repellant (cats): Cats can be tricky since they are sensitive to oils. I use Cedarwood and lavender on my cat. I add these to a high grade pure vegetable oil, diluting 50:1 vegetable to essential oil. I then place a little on my hands and massage my cat with the oil. I found the recommendation for this process here. I recommend watching your cat for signs of sensitivity whenever introducing them to oils.
Oils for Cleaning: I usually throw these in with baking soda or peroxide. Lavender, tea tree, lemon, and orange are my go to. I love the way they smell, although not all together.
All Purpose Cleaner: I mix water and vinegar in a 1:1 ratio. I then add essential oils to scent. A basic recipe would be to mix 1 cup water, 1 cup vinegar and then 20-30 drops of essential oils in a spray bottle. You can also make an all purpose cleaner with castile soap, I found a very informative post on Mommypotamus.com that gives more info on oils and cleaners.
There are plenty other products I make at home instead of buying in the store I'll blog about more in the future.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Recipe for a Cloth Wipe Solution Concentrate
Since I cloth diaper I decided to use cloth wipes as well. I use cloth wipes to save money and we have. I have tons of disposable wipes we got at the shower and have yet to use. We do use them when out and about since we then use disposable diapers, but we have gone through about 3 packs of disposable wipes in 3 months. Thats a good chunk of money not spent on disposable wipes.
We wash and treat our cloth wipes just like our cloth diapers when it comes to cleaning them. When I ordered our Best Bottoms I ordered 2 packs of GroVia Cloth Wipes and they are holding up very well. I use them every day and wash every other day with our diapers. There is some staining from poo, but I just sun them with my diapers and the stains disappear. After 3 months of constant use we have no fraying on the wipes. They are a great size and clean my daughter very well, overall I really like them.
When I first decided to use cloth wipes I went on a hunt for a wipe solution recipe. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a store bought wipe solution and while some people just use water, I wanted a bit more for cleaning the little one's bum. Most recipes I found made a solution you would need to make batches of frequently. I wanted more of a wipe solution concentrate that I could just add to water and be done. I found Cleaning Out the Clutter had some great wipe solution recipes and used this as a basis for my concentrate.
I started with a cup of Dr. Bronner's Baby Castile soap, a cup of olive oil*, and then 20 drops of tea tree and lavender oil (each), gently swirl the container of solution concentrate to mix the oil and soap (I do this each time I add it to water). I just store it in a mason jar in my cabinet. I started out adding 2 tbsp of that solution to a cup of filtered water, but thought it was too oily, so I cut it down to 1 tbsp. I store my wet wipes in a plastic container that used to hold disposable wipes. I just place my clean wipes in there, pour a solution over them, close the lid and shake. I made one batch of this concentrate and used it for a couple of months.
At first this worked great. It smelled good, was easy on my daughter's bum, and was easy to use. Wipes were washed with my cloth diapers and I had no problems. After about 2 months of use I found my Best Bottom stay dry inserts were repelling, but not my hemp ones. I am leading towards to wipe solution being my problem as you can feel the oil on your hands after using the wipes. Its not super oily, but its there. This lead me to believe the oil is building up on the microfiber.
I have since stripped my diaper inserts and revamped the recipe. I changed the recipe to 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 cups Dr. Bronners, and then 20 drops of lavender and tea tree oil (each). I will continue to use 1 tbsp in a cup of filtered water and pour over wipes in a plastic container. I'm now waiting to see if I have repelling issues with the new recipe. I'll keep you posted.
*According to Cleaning Out the Clutter you can use other oils. I do like coconut oil in general, but was concerned that since this will be sitting around the oil may not stay liquid. I had plenty of olive oil and so that is what I went with.
We wash and treat our cloth wipes just like our cloth diapers when it comes to cleaning them. When I ordered our Best Bottoms I ordered 2 packs of GroVia Cloth Wipes and they are holding up very well. I use them every day and wash every other day with our diapers. There is some staining from poo, but I just sun them with my diapers and the stains disappear. After 3 months of constant use we have no fraying on the wipes. They are a great size and clean my daughter very well, overall I really like them.
When I first decided to use cloth wipes I went on a hunt for a wipe solution recipe. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a store bought wipe solution and while some people just use water, I wanted a bit more for cleaning the little one's bum. Most recipes I found made a solution you would need to make batches of frequently. I wanted more of a wipe solution concentrate that I could just add to water and be done. I found Cleaning Out the Clutter had some great wipe solution recipes and used this as a basis for my concentrate.
I started with a cup of Dr. Bronner's Baby Castile soap, a cup of olive oil*, and then 20 drops of tea tree and lavender oil (each), gently swirl the container of solution concentrate to mix the oil and soap (I do this each time I add it to water). I just store it in a mason jar in my cabinet. I started out adding 2 tbsp of that solution to a cup of filtered water, but thought it was too oily, so I cut it down to 1 tbsp. I store my wet wipes in a plastic container that used to hold disposable wipes. I just place my clean wipes in there, pour a solution over them, close the lid and shake. I made one batch of this concentrate and used it for a couple of months.
I have since stripped my diaper inserts and revamped the recipe. I changed the recipe to 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 cups Dr. Bronners, and then 20 drops of lavender and tea tree oil (each). I will continue to use 1 tbsp in a cup of filtered water and pour over wipes in a plastic container. I'm now waiting to see if I have repelling issues with the new recipe. I'll keep you posted.
*According to Cleaning Out the Clutter you can use other oils. I do like coconut oil in general, but was concerned that since this will be sitting around the oil may not stay liquid. I had plenty of olive oil and so that is what I went with.
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Disclaimer
This blog is intended for informational purposes only. Please seek the advice of a professional, such as a doctor, before utilizing information discussed on this blog. Any products I post is because I liked the product. I am not compensated for any product mention. Of course, if you'd like to compensate me, by all means shoot me a message. ; ) I teach social studies and not English for a reason. I'm a terrible speller and my grammar sucks. If you can't look past that than you might want to read a different blog, you aren't my paid editor.
Baby Things I Love
I've been meaning to write this post for a while now. I'm at that special age now where all of my friends are having babies and of course we share what we've learned along the way. I spent the months leading up to my daughter's birth researching and deciding what products I would use. Some products I loved and others were just okay. I've had a number of friends ask me what products I recommend. Below of are some of them. I'll probably add to this post as more and more products come to mind. Remember, just because I love them doesn't mean you will. I'll be creating future posts to expand on some of these topics, but below are the items I really like.
Prenatal Vitamins: I started taking these years before hubby and I ttc and now that our daughter is almost 12 weeks and ebf I am still taking them.
I started out taking CBH Prenatals and I found them easy on my stomach in those early days of pregnancy...you know the ones where you wake up needing carbs and ginger ale because that is about the only thing you can keep down. At around $20 a bottle the price was right. Unfortunately, they have been out of stock, this forced me to look elsewhere.
I had already been using Honest Co. products (future blog post to come) and decided to try their prenatals and DHA/Omega 3s. You can currently buddle these two products together for $39.95 a month. These too are easy on my stomach.
Overall I think both products contain what you need to ensure you are receiving all the vital minerals and vitamins needed. There are tons of good prenatals out there, I find these both affordable.
Cloth Diapers: I knew I wanted to cloth diaper right from the beginning, not just for the environment, but for my wallet as well. Yes, Yes, I know...you still need to spend money to wash and dry them. I don't use a service and despite my husband and I both working full-time I do not find it difficult to find time to wash the diapers and it is still a much cheaper option than disables. I'll do a whole blog post in the future about all the wonders of my cloth diapering adventures.
After months of research and debate I opted for Best Bottoms. I ordered some from Amazon, but found Nicki's Diapers was the better option since you earned points for each purchase that you could then use to buy more baby goodies. Nicki's also offer discounted bundles, free shipping and free gifts with purchase. What I loved about Best Bottoms is that each cover was adjustable, so it grows with baby (and made in the USA). You can reuse the waterproof cover throughout the day and the inserts just snapped in/out. It is super easy, especially if your partner is on the fence like my hubby was. Add an overnight insert and even heavy wetters emerge dry after a long night.
Breastfeeding Goods: I took a breastfeeding class that was informative and swore if you did it right breastfeeding didn't hurt (another post to come)...not sure what their idea of hurt is. It definitely didn't feel good in the beginning. I never had dry or cracked nipples, but they were tender as hell. A good nipple cream can go far.
I've heard use coconut oil (you can seriously use this for anything) or even olive oil (like my sis). I tried the Honest Co. nipple balm, but I found the free samples my midwife gave me of Lansinosh lanolin worked wonders. There are some debates about using lanolin, but for me it gave me the relief I really needed. I ended up buying more and now that my nipples have "toughened up" I have leftover cream my hubby now uses on his chapped hands.
I wish I found this next product sooner. I came across these plastic nursing cups by O-cal-ette and fell in love. There are similar ones by other companies, but I got these because of reviews. You basically wear them instead of breast pads and they collect the leaking breast milk and you can save it. I only used them while I nursed or walked around the house. Sometimes I would collect over an ounce from one breast while I nursed on the other. Now that my milk production has leveled out I only use them in the morning, but I wish I had these from day 1!
Speaking of breast pads. I got some disposable ones for travel and work, but find I like my Bamboobies pads so much more. I have some overnight ones too and they are just more comfortable and affordable. I throw them in the wash with my regular laundry. I find the disposables are more noticeable (I can feel that I'm wearing them, not the case with Bamboobies).
While I like my glider, any comfy chair greatly helps when it comes to feeding.
Sleeping: Since I was going to breastfeed I looked into various sleeping arrangements. I wasn't looking to bed share, nor was I against it, but I was interested in our daughter sharing our room (co-sleeping). I knew we needed help with those multiple feedings every night. I ended up having our daughter sleep on my chest the first couple of weeks, but ultimately she ended up in our Arms Reach Co-Sleeper. I loved the concept of the Arms Reach when I came acrossed it months before my dd arrived, but didn't want to drop the cash (almost $200). Luckily I found one on Craigslist for $50. I picked it up and washed everything and bam! Best thing ever for a nursing mom. It attached to the side of the bed and you can easily reach over to sooth baby or snuggle baby close for night nursing. Once she outgrows this it becomes a pack-n-play, so its more versatile than just a bassinet. I ended up preferring to sit in my glider to nurse rather than lay in bed, but I still love this co-sleeper. Our dd is right in arms reach if she gets fussy and for those crazy new mom moments I can look right over and see her little chest rise and fall with each breath.
That leads me to my other love, The Angelcare movement, video and sound monitor. This thing has it all; a mat that goes under the crib mattress for SIDs detection, a camera so you can see the baby, and a walkie-talkie feature so you can tell baby you are on your way. We have this in the nursery on the crib so when dd naps we can monitor her without worry. Once she graduates to her own room it will be used even more.
There are many other products we have used and liked and others we used, but were really unnecessary. If there are any products or topics you are curious about just ask and I'll share what I and others I know have experienced.
*All images were gathered from the sites in which you can purchase them, follow the links provided. Please let me know if any links are broken.
Prenatal Vitamins: I started taking these years before hubby and I ttc and now that our daughter is almost 12 weeks and ebf I am still taking them.
I started out taking CBH Prenatals and I found them easy on my stomach in those early days of pregnancy...you know the ones where you wake up needing carbs and ginger ale because that is about the only thing you can keep down. At around $20 a bottle the price was right. Unfortunately, they have been out of stock, this forced me to look elsewhere.
I had already been using Honest Co. products (future blog post to come) and decided to try their prenatals and DHA/Omega 3s. You can currently buddle these two products together for $39.95 a month. These too are easy on my stomach.
Overall I think both products contain what you need to ensure you are receiving all the vital minerals and vitamins needed. There are tons of good prenatals out there, I find these both affordable.
Cloth Diapers: I knew I wanted to cloth diaper right from the beginning, not just for the environment, but for my wallet as well. Yes, Yes, I know...you still need to spend money to wash and dry them. I don't use a service and despite my husband and I both working full-time I do not find it difficult to find time to wash the diapers and it is still a much cheaper option than disables. I'll do a whole blog post in the future about all the wonders of my cloth diapering adventures.
After months of research and debate I opted for Best Bottoms. I ordered some from Amazon, but found Nicki's Diapers was the better option since you earned points for each purchase that you could then use to buy more baby goodies. Nicki's also offer discounted bundles, free shipping and free gifts with purchase. What I loved about Best Bottoms is that each cover was adjustable, so it grows with baby (and made in the USA). You can reuse the waterproof cover throughout the day and the inserts just snapped in/out. It is super easy, especially if your partner is on the fence like my hubby was. Add an overnight insert and even heavy wetters emerge dry after a long night.Breastfeeding Goods: I took a breastfeeding class that was informative and swore if you did it right breastfeeding didn't hurt (another post to come)...not sure what their idea of hurt is. It definitely didn't feel good in the beginning. I never had dry or cracked nipples, but they were tender as hell. A good nipple cream can go far.
I've heard use coconut oil (you can seriously use this for anything) or even olive oil (like my sis). I tried the Honest Co. nipple balm, but I found the free samples my midwife gave me of Lansinosh lanolin worked wonders. There are some debates about using lanolin, but for me it gave me the relief I really needed. I ended up buying more and now that my nipples have "toughened up" I have leftover cream my hubby now uses on his chapped hands.
Speaking of breast pads. I got some disposable ones for travel and work, but find I like my Bamboobies pads so much more. I have some overnight ones too and they are just more comfortable and affordable. I throw them in the wash with my regular laundry. I find the disposables are more noticeable (I can feel that I'm wearing them, not the case with Bamboobies).While I like my glider, any comfy chair greatly helps when it comes to feeding.
Sleeping: Since I was going to breastfeed I looked into various sleeping arrangements. I wasn't looking to bed share, nor was I against it, but I was interested in our daughter sharing our room (co-sleeping). I knew we needed help with those multiple feedings every night. I ended up having our daughter sleep on my chest the first couple of weeks, but ultimately she ended up in our Arms Reach Co-Sleeper. I loved the concept of the Arms Reach when I came acrossed it months before my dd arrived, but didn't want to drop the cash (almost $200). Luckily I found one on Craigslist for $50. I picked it up and washed everything and bam! Best thing ever for a nursing mom. It attached to the side of the bed and you can easily reach over to sooth baby or snuggle baby close for night nursing. Once she outgrows this it becomes a pack-n-play, so its more versatile than just a bassinet. I ended up preferring to sit in my glider to nurse rather than lay in bed, but I still love this co-sleeper. Our dd is right in arms reach if she gets fussy and for those crazy new mom moments I can look right over and see her little chest rise and fall with each breath.That leads me to my other love, The Angelcare movement, video and sound monitor. This thing has it all; a mat that goes under the crib mattress for SIDs detection, a camera so you can see the baby, and a walkie-talkie feature so you can tell baby you are on your way. We have this in the nursery on the crib so when dd naps we can monitor her without worry. Once she graduates to her own room it will be used even more.
There are many other products we have used and liked and others we used, but were really unnecessary. If there are any products or topics you are curious about just ask and I'll share what I and others I know have experienced.
*All images were gathered from the sites in which you can purchase them, follow the links provided. Please let me know if any links are broken.
Hello
So I am new to the whole bloggin' business. I'd like to post regularly, but with an almost 12 week old at home I don't think it will happen. The purpose of this blog is mostly for myself, I figured it would be a good place for me to post thoughts, projects, and general ideas. You might not always agree with my point of view and that is fine, to each their own. However, I will not tolerate people coming on here just to spew nasty remarks. Enjoy and let the good times roll.
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