Things are stressful here. Deep. Cleansing. Breath. We're having our Open House this Sunday. We still have a lot to do to get ready. My tackle for today is to keep the kids out of the house so Bob can get some work done.
This week is a theme-week at Rocks in My Dryer. I'm writing about what doesn't work for me . . . natural deodorant.
I'm a nursing mom whose hormones are running amuck. I'm not a sweet delicate flower. I don't perspire - I sweat! I've tried, but I'm not too fond of my "natural" body's scent. Who am I kidding - it's odor - plain and simple body odor!
Because of the potential dangers of aluminum found in traditional deodorant, I've been trying to use natural deodorants. They don't work for me! I've tried several different brands, but haven't had any luck conquering the odor and wetness.
Going Crunchy wrote about using a Deodorant Stone, which is a potential solution. With warm days heading our way, I'm willing to try anything.
What works for you?
I'm in love. Again. He could possibly be the sweetest baby. Ever.
Before we were discharged from the hospital Kale had his hearing checked. He didn't pass the screening on either ear. We were told he would need to be retested at 4 weeks.
We met with an audiologist 4 weeks later. As we were leaving for his appointment, I said to Bob, "I have not sufficiently worried about this yet". He reminded me there was no need need to worry - no matter what the problem was everything would be okay. Smart man.
Kale passed on his right ear, but still had no response in his left ear. This result required another diagnostic test with the audiologist. A two hour test where he was hooked up to several electrodes. He was a champ and slept through the entire process.
The preliminary diagnosis is that Kale has mild to moderate hearing loss in his left ear. We have an appointment with the ENT doctor this week to rule out any middle ear fluid or damage. He'll need several more diagnostic tests before they are ready to make a final diagnosis.
I'll keep you updated on his progress. For the time being a mild hearing loss is serving him well in our very loud house!
Well, Crunchy Chicken's Buy Nothing Challenge ended yesterday. I started off the month strong - then we had our first 80 degree day. I panicked because my children were running around in their winter clothes - sweating - with shoes that were too small.
Funny how buying clothes for them created a domino effect - buying clothes for them, turned into buying clothes for me, turned into buying a few things for the house.
It wouldn't be hard for me to justify all of my purchases, but I've learned something about myself. I'm a weak consumer who gets a high from purchasing things - I'm aware of my problem and Crunchy's challenge was an eye opening experience for me. It made me aware of all the mindless spending I was doing before - I'm going to keep this challenge in mind for a long time.
I'm excited about May's challenge. Green Bean Dreams is challenging us to read one "green" book. A couple of months ago Bob bought me "Farewell, My Subaru: An Epic Adventure in Local Living" by Doug Fine. You can check out Doug's blog here.
I look forward to reading Farewell, My Subaru and learning more about Doug. I'll bring you a summary at the end of the month.
Thanks to everyone who entered the Real Simple subscription giveaway.
I used Random.org to generate a number and the winner is # 19 Rocks in My Dryer. Congratulations. I hope you enjoy your year's worth of Real Simple.
We've been working hard to reduce our use of plastic bags. We take our reusable bags to the grocery store and other retail stores. On occasion we walk out of the house without our reusable bags, so we end up with a nice little collection at home.
Here are 13 creative things you can do with your plastic bags:
1. Use bags in your suitcases for dirty underclothes or for wet clothes from a day at the swimming pool.
2. Use bags to wrap your gifts.
3. Use a bag as you would a rubber glove when you don't have rubber gloves
handy.
4. Use bags as packing material instead of the dreaded white foam peanuts.
5. When your credit card won't swipe, put it inside the bag and try again.
6. Use bags as rubber boots to keep your feet dry.
7. Use a bag as a backpack for your kids by putting their arms through the handles.
8. Put bags on your wiper blades and mirrors in the winter to keep them free from snow and ice.
9. Store your shoes in plastic bags when you have them inside your suitcase to keep clothes from getting dirty and smelly.
10. For easy cleanup, place a bag inside a bucket or pot next to your sink when you peel fruits or vegetables. You can quickly dispose of the bag or place peelings in a compost pile.
11. Take your bags to the grocery store to reuse instead of getting new ones each time.
12. Donate bags to food pantries, used book stores, libraries, thrift shops, or other organizations. For ease of use, flatten the bags, fold them in half, and place in another plastic bag before donating.
13. Cut head and arm holes and use a bag as a smock for your child's craft project.
