Back to school and lots to do! Keep your mornings more organized and less hectic by laying out clothing and accessories the night before. A handly wall organizer is ideal. I make them out of hand and bath towels and there are several pockets to place everything. It is handy for placing socks, jewelry, undies, combs, brushes, etc for the next day.
These work well not only for the kids, but for Mom and Dad, too!
When adopting a pet from the humane society, ask as many questions as possible.
The animal's history.
Where it came from.
If it was a voluntary release ask why.(such as Jake)
Was it taken from its owner? why?
This little bit of information will help you understand your pet's odd behavior, if it has any. It will also allow you to retrain the animal to over come its fears and except you as its new master.
Watch the animal for the first few weeks, see its quirks and take note, then if you do not know how to help the animal overcome its problems, seek help from a vet, a trainer, or the internet from a reputable site.
Never put your new animal in a position that you know is a fear factor until you are certain it is the right thing to do.
Dogs are grateful for being adopted, but their history may mean intensive training, so ask questions and pick the pet that you know you can love without fear of it harming you, or anyone around you.
If adopting a special needs animal, make sure you can be dedicated to it and give it the benefits of a healthy, happy life.
Jake, black lab, was born with 3 legs and a nub. It appears his brain still tries to use the nub as a full size leg. When he runs, he gets down low and uses the nub. We are constantly checking it for any sores or damage.
Don't be afraid of a disability in an animal, but be certain you can handle the problem properly.
Adoption is so much better than paying a breeder for an animal that may have been inbred. The purer the breed, the more health problems it will have in its life time.
Kaya is almost two years old. She is a Mixed Toy Manchester and Dachshund
I had to put down my American eskie with cancer and found Kaya at a animal rescue in her last days before being put down. She is almost fully trained for my ears as a Certified Hearing Dog.
She loves to play with toys and watch me sign obedience for her and tell me sounds for a treat! She is now a good faithful hearing dog to alert me to sound that I can no longer hear. She delights in watching me sign to her and loves to perform with the sign language for others.
The favorite trick is "Begging" for food. The 2nd picture below is with my friend Chris. Smile.
She is a blessing from God. She is delightful and very loving and obedient. She loves to look after me. I love her so much.
Big Grunt (Grosses Grunzen) was a 3 year old German Shepherd. We bought him from a friend when he was 10 months old.
He loved to play ball and chase fireflies. Our Grunty died July 31, 2006 he was much too young to die. We miss him so much that it hurts. It hurts bad.
I was raised in a frugal household so I learned from the masters. I am a very organized person who believes "Time is Money" so I have learned to budget my time very wisely. I am a working mom of two girls (ages 14 and 8) we are busy with school activities, cross country practice (I help "coach"), church activities and family outings.
I have a planner and calendar which lists ALL our appointments, dates and family activities, doctor appointments and outings, etc. I am a huge list maker BUT in addition to the normal shopping list, mine also include LISTS of annual chores (cleaning the silver, windows, gutters), books to read/movies to request at the Library or websites to visit, vacation ideas, budget sheets and the like. I also include necessary telephone numbers in my planner. I also record any weekly TO DO items on the Saturday page of my Calendar, so I can check them off as they get performed during the week (things like returning library books, purchasing stamps, obtaining craft supply for girl scout project, balancing check book, etc.) I am a great proponent of using a spare minute to complete a chore and having these lists and notes makes it easier for me to fill up the time waiting at the bank or doctor's office.
I divide my household chores by the day and complete a small task each day before I leave to walk the kids to the bus stop.
On Sunday mornings, I clean the master bathroom (DH does the tub)
On Mondays, I dust the upstairs (3 bedrooms and a loft) The kids are responsible for cleaning their own rooms and bathroom.
Tuesdays, I dust the downstairs: sun-room, great-room and dining room, clean glass table tops, etc.
Wednesdays, I have early morning bible study so no real chores
Thursdays, I clean kitchen countertops and after dinner, I vacuum (if DH has not already done it!) and mop the kitchen and entry hall.
A load of laundry is done almost every day. I try to wash knits at night and dry in the morning so I can hang them before I leave for work. Whites I can wash in the morning after our showers and put in dryer before I leave for work. My 14 year old DD does her own laundry!
The children prepare their own school lunches. Dear Husband is better than most, I am told, as he unloads the dishwasher and makes the bed (two chores I abhor!). He also irons his own clothes.
We get up early (5:30 A.M.) so we can have a relaxed morning. We are generally out the door for school by 7:10 A.M. We go to sleep around 10 P.M. (DD around 9 P.M.). We do not watch a lot of TV. Exercise is gotten throughout the day by taking the stairs, exercise class during lunch and cross country practice.
We always eat dinner together. I keep a fully stocked pantry and freezer. I have a list of "easy meals" for the nights when we don't have much time before we have to be back out the door. I try to plan the meals in my head so I can purchase what I need on our weekly shopping trip to avoid rush hour grocery stops. I enjoy trying new recipes so also have a file and pull at least one new one each month. We do lots of pastas, roasts and grilled meals.
Lastly, I spend some time everyday in prayer and meditation. I exercise a little, call my mom and e-mail friends to keep me grounded and focused on the right things. I try to do ONE caring task for others each day (send a card or a phone call to a person in need). I try to make most weekdays "money free days", meaning I don't make any unnecessary purchases (groceries and gas don't count but the Ho-Hos purchased at the grocery store do! Ha ha)
This also helps me save money and TIME!! I take my lunch and read.
I am truly blessed, I am happy, healthy and I think, wise! Organization is the key for my success. Good luck!
If your block of cheese has gotten moldy, don't worry. Just slice the mold off and then you can use the rest of the cheese. It is very safe.
By Robin from Washington, IA
Editor's Note: Here are some guidelines that can be found the FDA's website.
FOOD
HANDLING
REASON
Hard cheese (not cheese where mold is part of the
processing)
Use. Cut off at least 1 inch around and below
the mold spot (keep the knife out of the mold
itself so it will not cross-contaminate other
parts of the cheese). After trimming off the
mold, re-cover the cheese in fresh wrap.
Mold generally cannot penetrate deep into the
product.
Cheese made with mold (such as Roquefort,
blue, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Brie, Camembert)
Discard soft cheeses such as Brie and
Camembert if they contain molds that are not a
part of the manufacturing process.
If surface mold is on hard cheeses such as
Gorgonzola and Stilton, cut off mold at least
1 inch around and below the mold spot and
handle like hard cheese (above).
Molds that are not a part of the manufacturing
process can be dangerous.
Soft cheese (such as cottage, cream cheese,
Neufchatel, chevre, Bel Paese, etc.)
Crumbled, shredded, and sliced cheeses (all
types)
Discard
Foods with high moisture content can be
contaminated below the surface. Shredded,
sliced, or crumbled cheese can be contaminated
by the cutting instrument. Moldy soft cheese
can also have bacteria growing along with the
mold.
Buy a big bottle of liquid potpourri from the $1.00 store and buy a spray bottle. Use the spray top of the empty bottle to replace the bottle of potpourri and spray. It makes a great air freshener and lasts a long time.
Being a mother of triplets I needed to cut up food for my children quickly when they were young. I found that a pizza cutter worked for way more than pizza. Grilled cheese sandwiches, any sandwich, french toast, toast, pancakes, quesadillas, and waffles. Try it you'll become addicted too!
By Carol from Torrance, Ca
Using a pizza cutter to cut brownies is great because the pieces are more even and the brownies usually won't stick to the pizza cutter.
If you are a working out of the home parent, let a teacher know if you can be reached by email at work. I am a teacher and sometimes emails can help parents from having to take a day off to solve a problem at school.
For bag handles, I cut out handles out of ice cream lids, then I wind ribbon, fabric strip, or even string around handles for a individual look. A lot cheaper than buying new. I also make windchimes out of plastic lids. I draw around cookie cutters, add fishing line and a stick to hang from with small bells at the bottom ends.
For those who have aches and pains, check and read the labels of the products you're consuming. I have a couple of pals, that can't eat anything with aspertame (Nutrasweet) in it. Most of us have read the bad things about this product but products are still being made every day with aspertame. If you're consuming a product with aspertame, quit. Allow a few days to pass and see if your body doesn't feel better. My two pals, once they realized this product is the culprit of their problems, they're now feeling better these days. Maybe you could, too.
To clean and refresh the garbage grinder in your sink, take your lemon scrapes and used lemon wedges (the ones you use for iced tea) and flush them down the grinder. Run the grinder with hot running water just long enough till you smell the clean scent of lemons. I never have a smelly sink ever.
We use to struggle with what to have for breakfast. The kids wanted poptarts every day (not nutritious enough for us) and the delay in deciding what they wanted was enough to make us miss the school bus!
My children have come up with a breakfast schedule and they posted it on the fridge. It works because they created it. They listed days of the week and the breakfast meal that will be served that morning. It looks something like this:
Monday: Toast or cereal
Tuesday: Bagel with cream cheese or peanut butter
Wednesday: Pop tart
Thursday: Egg (with cheese) or yogurt
Friday: Sausage and biscuit or breakfast sandwich.
This has saved our sanity and provided a more nutritious start to our day when we add a glass or milk and juice as well as our multi-vitamin.
Now if I could just get them the eat something besides turkey for lunch!
My towels always smell stale even after they have been washed. I tried baking soda in the washing machine but that didn't work. Are there any other ideas for getting the stale smell out of towels and wash rags?
Has anyone come up with uses for the large pour spouts inside plastic jugs of laundry detergent? I discovered they are easily removed with a thumb and that two jugs of "empty" detergent jugs release a whole single load-size of left-over liquid laundry soap when the drip spout is removed. I also began to save them and search for uses for the thick spouts. Temporary wheels come to mind, but for what? Anything else? They're a creative design by the manufacture so I hope we can recycle them some way other than with the jugs.
How do I remove dog urine smell from carpet. My 13 year old lab has had a few accidents. I use a carpet cleaner, but the smell is still there. Thank you!
My friend is having her vows renewed after 25 years. When she was engaged, she bought some yards of satin to make her gown. She and her husband eloped without having the gown made. She wants to have it made for the renewal. The satin has yellowed a bit (which is fine with her), but there are marks along the creases from being stored folded. We can't cut the pattern around them. Any suggestions without ruining the fabric?
I would like to know a cheap and safe way to spray for pests (ants, etc.) to keep them from getting in the house. I stopped my pest control service which was charging me $360 per year to spray 4 times.
I have a black ring around the inside of 24 round swimming pool. I have tried to scrub it off with EVERYTHING, even magic eraser. What is this ring and how can I get if off?
How do I get white/gray acrylic paint off a black leather barstool. I was with my little sister painting wooden things and my little sister put her paint filled fingers on the chair. Please help!
I have been having a hard time finding a recipe for soap without lye, is it possible? f you have a recipe for soap without lye it would be MUCH appreciated!
I have a marble slab in my shower that I kept shampoo, shaving cream and other things on. The problem is the metal cans have left rust stains on the marble. Can someone please tell me how to get the stains out? Desperately needing help.
Select slender, smooth young pods when the seed is first formed. Beans should be firm and tender. Avoid dry-looking beans, mature beans with bulges and beans with excessive scars or blemishes. Whether yellow (wax beans) or green, the beans should have a bright, vibrant color.
Investment strategies and mutual funds are often over my head, but managing my flexible spending account (FSA) is easier than I planned and worth every minute of the effort.
Stocking up can be a great way to save money, but if it's not done properly it can do exactly the opposite. To succeed one must have a good grasp on the household's habits as well as a good sense of organization.
Benjamin Franklin said, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." Considering healthcare and prescription drug costs, you have to be healthy to be wealthy!
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