My Love of Kids Music

Today I put together my kids craft binder, set up the little room in the basement as a craft room and put together a kids play list. I'm super excited to have my niece here and do all kinds of creative stuff along with dance and sing! Below are a couple of my favorite kid songs...if you have children  and have some song suggestions for me by all means share them with me!

I could only find a live version of this song.  It's Bottle of Sunshine by Milkshake!  Love them!

I love to do this dance! You can't not smile while doing it!

Fun song for anytime of the year not just Halloween..Trust me!

One of my favorite all time movies and my favorite song off of this soundtrack! 

There are many other kid songs I love and if I get time I will post some more for those with kids who want to get up dance and sing=)....or like me that doesn't have kids but still likes to connect with the inner child

New Ways I've Found to be More Green

Those who know me, know I'm always looking to make my own products for around the house and do away with the toxic counterpart.  This past week I cleared out all chemicals I had left from under my sink and will be putting it in a garage sale next month.  I made a vow that if I need something to clean, get a stain out etc..with I will find the safe non-toxic way in doing it.  So I finally went through a book I bought at a book sale and found some new ideas:

The First two are ones I was still buying but don't have to any longer...WOOT WOOT!

Dishwasher's Soap:

3/4 C Castile Soap (I bought the organic Dr. Bronners at Target)
1/2 C Water
5-10 drops lavender or rosemary essential oil (I got lavender scented castile soap so I probably won't add this)

Dusting Spray:

1/4 C Vinegar
3 drops olive or Jojoba oil
3-5 drops essential oil

All Purpose Spray

1 C Vinegar
2 t Borax
1/2 t castile soap
2 C Hot  Water
Shake in a spray bottle.  Keeps indefinitely.  I posted a recipe for all purpose spray in one of my first posts and this one just doesn't use the dish soap. If you've used and tried the other recipe (I LOVE it)!, I would guess you could follow it and just use the above dishwashers soap you make.

Dishwasher Cleaner

1 C Vinegar

Place in dishwasher safe cup on top rack and run on rinse cycle.  I tried it and I was very pleased with the results!

*To clean the drains in your home once a week pour a teakettle of boiling water down the drain. To deodorize or open up a slow running drain pour a 1/2 C baking soda and then a 1/2 C Vinegar in drain then cover with wet rag.  Let fizz 5 minutes and flush with boiling water
*To disinfect and sharpen disposal blades, freeze white distilled vinegar in ice cube tray and grind cubes while running water

Natural Shoe Polish

Grant uses shoe polish so I was excited about this!
Dime size of jojoba oil and a squirt of lemon to an old tshirt.  Rub mix in a circular motion and then buff shoes with clean end of tshirt

Baked on Food

1/4 C baking soda
Boiling water
Soak overnight

Burned Pots

1/4 C table salt

cold water
Stir and sit overnight

Tips:

For my windows I bought an Eco-cloth and LOVE it! No streaks and gets my windows and mirrors clean with just water!

When shopping avoid buying items in plastics with these numbers on them
3, 6, and 7
these are know as the "bad" plastics

I have a green recipe book on my flash drive ready to print out at anytime with all the recipes I use and love so feel free to give me your address and I'll send you one or however many you want!  I love sharing what I've researched to be some awesome green ways to clean and help others jump on the bandwagon as well! Of course my recipes are printed on 100% recycled printing paper and it's put in a 100% recycled folder

Documentary Recommendations

So I was reading my earlier post about all I wanted to accomplish the 3 weeks I'm off work.  Well I'm down to this being my last week (insert tear here) and oops haven't got a whole lot of it done!  I've done some major dream booking my first week home then nothing. Today I'm doing more dreambooking though.  I spent a day watching documentaries that were not on my movie list and was enlightened! Here is my run down on them:

No Impact Man

I loved this one!  I was and am super inspired to live even more green than before.  As many know we make all our own cleaning supplies except for laundry soap (which I used to) and dish soap, which my bottle now is my last boughten.  I do use seventh generation so hopefully they're as good of a company as they say they are.  I've been doing a little more research on some toxins I can still cut out of the home and I will share in a later post. I honestly didn't think anything they did was crazy or things that we could all practice.  I really want to start a no electricity night a few nights a week and play games by candlelight...soy of course=)

Modify

If you watch this you can be easily grossed out because some things gave me the willies!  I did not know people did such crazy things with their body. Very interesting and if your interested in weird things people do with their bodies it's for you

Food Matters

I've watched enough food documentaries to not eat McDonald's or any other nasty ground up sh*&  This was not so much to gross one out like food inc but was more educational about how food correlates with so much of how we feel mentally and physically. I highly recommend this!

Fall From Grace

This film is about the Westbro Baptist church in Kansas (I believe).  The pastor there and his followers (mostly his family) picket at homosexual events and funerals of fallen soldiers.  It's everything to me as a Christian that we are not and people who see this as the way they think Christians are is very sad to me.  I was deeply disturbed by the children being taught such hatred.  Interesting that people think this way and it should make you angry if you decide to watch it.

I've also watched Lisa Ling's Our America series on the OWN network and they are wonderful!  I watched one on the heroin epidemic in Richmond Co Ohio, one on Sex Offenders, One on Praying the Gay away, One on Faith Healers.  Makes one look at both sides of a situation.  I'd suggest trying to watch any of these. 

So there you have it..hopefully my laziness has benefited someone in someway=D

Are you getting nervous???

So one of the most common questions I'm getting asked is ..."so, are you getting nervous?" I think I have psyched myself so into that it's going to be ok and it's going to make me a more healthy individual that I'm not nervous at all...HONESTLY.  The thing that makes me nervous is having a nightmare while I'm out and not being able to wake up because obviously the anesthesiologist won't allow that. And today it was brought up to me (thanks Torri) that it's on Friday the 13th, doesn't even phase me...but shouldn't it??? I'm not even worried about the new diet I have to follow because I feel I've prepared my phychi into that this is going to be ok.  So nope not nervous, think I'll be ok.  And remember I would love visitors to pass time.  I'm going to have soda, water and snacks here for those who come on by=D We have netflix and lots of movies or just a visit would be awesome!
My address is
N9692 Hopfensperger Rd
Appleton Wi 54915
My Cell
920.217.8210

My 3 week plan

A week from tonight I will be laid up in the hospital.  I'm so excited to have this done and feel better!  I've been and plan on cleaning and organizing every inch of my home before then so I don't try to clean while home.  I do plan to get some "fun" things done while laid up though.  One thing I don't do is take time to do the little things.  Grant and I are lazy tv watchers.  So the following is a list of things I want to get done while laid up.  Hopefully having this down in print will make me stick to it!

* Read Books: I have my Glenn Beck book, 3 new Mother Theresa books and 3 unread Max Lucado books.  I very rarely take the time to read.  One big reason is it really makes me sleepy instantly....it's a natural sleeping aid. 
* Make a new cookbook: My cousin Tricia is coming the weekend after my surgery and she suggested it and I think she's on to something!  We are going to devise recipes with the what seems like so little I can eat.  I also would like to put together a cookbook of recipes I love for others. 
*Work on my dream book: I haven't done this in FOREVER! I need to dream and have a guide to what I want in life.  My big goal right now is getting out of retail by the end of the year.  I need to visualize that and plan out my journey to the success in that goal.
*Scrapbook: Holy man do I have pictures up the wazoo that need to be scrapbooked! I haven't sat down and taken the time to do this either for such a long time.  I want to get to the point where I never have pictures sitting out of a beautiful scrapbooked page.  Within a week of taking pics, I scrapbook them.  This is a goal thats going to be difficult but attainable. 
*Make a birthday/Anniversary book: I want to be better at sending out cards...ON TIME!  My poor little neices and nephews hardly ever see their birthday gifts within a month of their birthday!  If your reading this PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me your birthday and anniversary.  Even if I see you once a year I want it!
*Organize my craft book: I have a binder of torn out pages to crafts and projects I would love to do.  I want to organize this and again by years end have a monthly craft day.  I would love to have a second one in a month for kids craft day as well.  If either one is something you reading this would love to get involved in let me know!
*Watch suggested movies: Grant's friend Scott suggested some must see movies for me and I need to work on that list.  Grant also wants to make me a list.  If you the reader have any good movie suggestions let me know.  I will say I"m not into high action packed films or far out there alien films as well.  I like quirky though;)
I think this is the end of the list.  Wish me luck and I'll keep you updated on my progress.  AGAIN, I'm laid up for 3 weeks so if anyone would like to join me in any of these little plans or just to stop and visit come on by!

May 13th, 2011

On May 13th 2011 my life is going to change a little bit..ok, a lot bit!  I'm having a procedure done where the surgeon will take the  upper part of my stomach and tie it around my esophogus.  I've dealt with heartburn since 2003 and it's gotten worse and worse...so much so where I vomit cause it burns so bad.  I take 3 different medications and they just arent doing the trick anymore.  My stomach Dr. told me that the esophogus needs to be closed up last September and I wasn't quite ready then.  Beings my stomach will be shrinking so will the amount of food I can consume and the variety.  No more carbonation, meaning no more soda...EVER! The ability to burp will be lost and the gas will just sit in the stomach and be very painful.  I love my soda and this will by far be the hardest thing for me.  Very little amount of meat chewed to an applesauce consistency. No citrus fruits, raw vegetables, anything from the cabbage family, onions, garlic...etc...one can get the picture. The surgeon said that many report having problems digesting so it's important to try and stick to the diet.  Also very important to eat small portions so I don't stretch the stomach and "disconnect" the stomach stitching.   I'm ready for it now though.  I can no longer live with constant heartburn day after day and what its doing to my insides.  I'll be out of work for 3 weeks  and in the hospital for 3 days.  It is being done laproscopic.  If they had to make an incision that would mean a longer hospital stay and 6 weeks out of work.  So that's that. While I'm laid up I welcome anyone who wants to come watch movies.  Hopefully a week or so in I can sit up enough to do some scrapbooking....Just don't be expecting any elaborate meals=D
Below is a short video of the procedure if anyone is curious, has extra time or likes seeing insides ripped up...it actually doesn't look to horrible

6 Days of Birthday

It's taken me awhile to post again but alas, here is the next 5 days of birthday....


Day 3 was the newest Glenn Beck book.  I heart Glenn Beck (being the staunt conservative I am) and love inspiring books so this was perfect

Day 4 was this cookbook.  Very cool idea for women with men like mine who dislike anything healthy

Day 5 was Beverly Hills Chiuahua II!  Lola loved it also!

And Day 6 my actual birthday was the rockband keyboard.  I love playing it!  It can also be used as the bass.

 My actual birthday he brought me lunch from Panera to work along with flowers and cupcakes he made for me to share=D He brought me for dinner to Nakashima which is both our favorites so it was a win win.
I am truly blessed with a husband that knows that little things are what matter and who takes the time to think of a all these little things!