Thursday, May 29, 2014

Original Blue Dawn dish detergent


 ORIGINAL BLUE DAWN . . . IT’S NOT JUST FOR DISHES ANYMORE
Wild Life
Ever wonder why Dawn Dishwashing Liquid is the wildlife cleaner of choice after an oil spill? According to the International Bird Rescue Research Center, Dawn effectively removes grease but does not cause harm to the skin of the birds. It’s also biodegradable and contains no phosphates.
BUBBLES
According to Bubbles.org, Dawn dishwashing liquid makes great homemade bubbles. Here is the Giant Bubble Recipe used in bubble makers at many children’s museums: 1/2 cup Ultra Dawn 1/2 gallon warm water 1 tablespoon glycerin (available at any drug store) OR White Karo syrup works too! Stir gently. Skim the foam off the top of the solution (too much foam breaks down the bubbles). Dip bubble wand and get ready for some good, clean fun!
GREASY HAIR PROBLEMS
Kids get into the darnedest things! Like Vaseline and baby oil rubbed into their hair! Dawn is mild enough to use on their hair and strong enough to remove the most stubborn grease.
HAIR PRODUCT BUILDUP
Once a month use original Dawn as you would shampoo. It will remove excess oil from your hair and scalp and strip away any build-up of styling products without any damage. Perform this once a month and you won’t have to buy expensive salon products that do the same thing.
MANICURE SECRET
Soak fingers in full-strength blue Dawn. It makes the cuticles soft and easy to work with. And it removes the natural oil from the fingernails, which allows the polish to adhere very well.
REPEL HOUSEPLANT INSECTS
A safe, effective way to repel insects from your houseplants, including aphids, spider mites and mealy bugs. Put a drop of Dawn Dishwashing Liquid in a spray bottle, fill the rest of the bottle with water, shake well, and mist your household plants with the soapy water.
CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS
Try this recipe from Merry Maids: mix 3 drops Dawn in 1 gallon water and fill a spray bottle with the solution. Spritz and wipe as you would with any window cleaner.
PETS AND PESTS
Use it to bathe the dogs. It kills fleas on contact and is much cheaper than expensive dogshampoos.
CLEAN AUTOMOTIVE TOOLS
After you have finished your automotive repair project, soak your dirty tools in Dawn before you put them away to remove all the oil and grime. Dawn also helps prevent rust from forming on the tools.
ICE PACK
Partially fill a strong zip-type sandwich bag with Dawn dishwashing liquid, close and freeze. The liquid soap stays cold much longer and it can be re-frozen many times. It will conform to the place you need an ice pack.
TUB AND SHOWER CLEANER
Take a spray bottle and fill it halfway with white vinegar. Heat in the microwave. Fill the rest of the way with blue Dawn. Put lid on and shake to mix well. Spray on your tub and shower walls. Allow to sit for a few minutes and rinse away. It will totally melt all the gunk, slime, sludge and other stuff that builds up including a bathtub ring.
REPEL ANTS
Spray counter-tops, cupboards and any other area where you see ants with a solution of Dawn and water. Wipe dry. The slight residue of Dawn that remains will not be a problem at all for kids or pets, but ants hate it. Should you see a trail of ants, go ahead and hit them with the Dawn spray.
STRIPPING CLOTH DIAPERS
Add a squirt or two of original Dawn dish soap to your washer and run a hot wash, then rinse until there are no more bubbles. Dawn is a degreasing agent and helps stripping by removing oily residue. Be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse until the water runs clear.
UNCLOGGING TOILETS
A cup of Dawn detergent poured into a clogged toilet allowed to sit for 15 minutes and then followed with a bucket of hot water poured from waist height will clear out the toilet.
POISON IVY
Poison ivy spreads through the spread of the oil within the blisters. Washing the affected area with Dawn, especially on children who keep scratching the blister’s open, helps dry up the fluid, AND keep it from spreading.
DRIVEWAY CLEANER
If you have gasoline or motor oil stains on your driveway, you can use the kitty litter method to clean up the excess oil and then use a scrub broom and a solution of biodegradable Dawn dishwashing detergent and warm water to safely and effectively remove excess motor oil from the pavement.
OILY SKIN
Dawn makes a great facial cleanser for oily skin. A drop or two combined with warm water will do the trick.
PAINT OR GREASE REMOVER FOR HANDS
Dawn combined with corn oil makes for the perfect paint or grease remover. Simply combine a little bit of both in your hands then rub it over affected areas. The corn oil and the dishwashing liquid both help to dissolve the grease and paint – yet leave skin soft, unlike harsher paint removers.
CLEANING THE KIDDIE POOL
Plastic wading pools can get very gunky, very fast. Dump the water, then scrub the pool with Dawn and a sponge. More potent cleaners like bleach will weaken and dry out the plastic in the sun.
MULTIPURPOSE CLEANER
Merry Maids recommends using a drop of Dawn in water to clean ceramic tile and no-wax/linoleum floors. You can also use the spray on:
• Bathroom and kitchen counters and sinks.
• Woodwork, e.g., baseboards, shelves, and wainscoting. (Dry as you go–wood doesn’t like prolonged contact with water.)
• Tubs and toilet seats.
LAUNDRY PRE-TREATER FOR OILY STAINS
For oil-based stains such as lipstick, grease, butter, motor oil, cooking oil, and some pen inks, simply apply some Dawn dishwashing liquid directly to the stain and scrub with a small brush or toothbrush until the oil is removed, and then launder as usual.
NON-TOXIC LUBRICANT
Sliding glass doors, door knobs, hinges etc. It lasts much longer than any aerosol type spray that I have tried. And Its non-toxic! It does a great job of cleaning the parts that its lubricating as well!
SIDEWALK DE-ICER
For icy steps and sidewalks in freezing temperatures, mix 1 teaspoon of Dawn dishwashing liquid, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and 1/2 gallon hot/warm water and pour over walkways. They won’t refreeze. No more salt eating at the concrete in your sidewalks
POOL CLEANING
Squirt Dawn down the middle of the pool and all of the dirt, suntan lotion, etc. will move to the edges of the pool for easy clean up! AND it makes the pools sparkle.
EYEGLASS DEFOGGER
Simply rub a small drop of Dawn on eyeglass lenses, and wipe clean. It will leave a very thin film that will prevent them from fogging up.
SHOWER FLOORS
Cover greasy footprints on shower floors with a coating of Dawn; let sit overnight. Scrub away the gunk in the morning with a stiff brush.
APHID CONTROL ON FRUIT TREES
Mix two tablespoons Dawn to a gallon of water and put in your sprayer. Try to get spray both sides of the leaves, branches and the tree trunks. Let sit for about 15 minutes and then rinse the trees THOROUGHLY!

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Cucumbers.. not just for salads...


CUCUMBER TIPS & TRICKS THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS!!
1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.
2.For a pick me up in the afternoon... Put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours. Slice some and put in your water bottle.
3. If you rub a cucumber slice along your bathroom mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.
4. Place a few slices of cucumber in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.
5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemical in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!
6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free.
Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries by European trappers, traders and explorers for quick meals to thwart off starvation.
8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don’t have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.
9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!
10. Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber will react with the boiling water and released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown to reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.
11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don’t have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the photochemical will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.
12. Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but it won’t leave streaks and won’t harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

Downsizing..

I have posted again to my Downsizing blog.. you can find it on the right hand side of this blog.. 

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Healthy tips






First Campfire of the season

                                     An invitation to the first campfire of the season at Vulhop's ..

                                                   Missy was excited to be outdoors with Annabelle
                                        David making S'moreos.. Like a S'more, but using Oreo
                                         cookies instead of graham crackers


April.. Nico 12 months old

My baby is tired.  He's had a rough day with stealing medicine bottles, pens, dumping papers and boxes in the computer/storage room, and just creating havoc wherever he goes.  I tell him "you can't have my pens- you can't write"... and "no, leave my camera alone, you don't know how to operate it".. what a boy.. just like a 2 yr old.   Incidently, Nico celebrates his birthday with me in April.  He's now 12 months old.  I read up on cats recently.. he will be considered an adult at 18 months. 
He's so huge now... I wonder what he weighs?  He's very long too.  I must get some statistics on him
He really loves close corners.. and looks for places to hide.  As long as his head is covered, he thinks no one can see him..
                                    How can you not love a precious face like this one??



Saturday, April 26, 2014

I've posted on the Downsizing blog.. my walk with learning to eat correctly and lower blood glucose.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

January 7, 2014 Nico

 Here is our boy after 3 days.. he is very docile and yet very playful.  Mandy bought him 'Da Bird'.. and he LOVES it.  In fact, he gets it out himself and plays with it at night.

January 6, 2014 Nico


                                        Getting to relax in his surroundings


January 4, 2014.. Nico arrives..

  I wasn't looking for a cat.  JJ sent me a message that said she knew of a nice kitty- a young male- who needed re-homed.  She said he was 'fixed' and declawed, and was a sweet tempered boy.  Wendell and I talked it over and decided we'd have to purchase a litter box, food, and some toys for him if we took him in.  I didn't have a cat carrier either.. another major expense for us.  Providence, people.. the word is PROVIDENCE.   JJ said she would lend us her cat carrier to get him here.. and when he arrived, he came with ALL his earthly possessions.. a litter box, a jug of litter, a huge container of his food, and his toys.  He was TERRIFIED.  As you can see in the first photo.                                         
 I don't think he really wanted to come out of his carrier..

 He really was very sweet, but very frightened.  He growled and nipped at us.. we backed off and gave him some space.  He checked out the house...and hid under the bed for the rest of the day.
                                            JJ held him and he was okay with her.

Annabelle's birthday- 7 yr old- and Happy New Yr day!!


                                                             Joyce made Annabelle's cake


                                                   It was what was for lunch..mmmmm Paul makes
                                           sauerkraut..
                                                   7 candles





                                          Playing Hedbanz.. a fun game..

On Dec 24th, we all joined together at Vulhops for fun and games.. and a gift exchange.. this is another annual event and a lot of fun.  Thanks JJ and Keith..
                                          Paul shared his latest Lego construction..

                                              JJ explained the stocking game.. a quarter in each toe
                                           One had to retrieve the quarters using only 1 hand. 
                                           Couldn't use the other hand/arm to help.. it was hard.
                                                    David had the first try


                                                     Annabelle cheered him on
                                             We were timed.. David finally got the quarters..

                                            Annabelle's turn..




                                                  Joyce set the new record- 6 seconds I think


                                         Another game- there are ping pong balls in that box,
                                         you had to jump to get them out the hole in the top.
                                         No hands or arms




                                                    David and I were 1 team/ Joyce and Annabelle
                                                   were another team.  P3 was our snowman base,
                                                     Daniel was the other teams.  The object was to use
                                                    all the white stuff in the bag to decorate the snowman.
                                                     That roll of TP was hard to use.


                                            
                                            Our team won!

                                         White elephant gift exchange... everyone brings a gift-
                                          something old or new.. and we go around the room,
                                         each one either chooses a wrapped gift or steals one
                                         from another person... great gift ideas this year!







                                                  At the end, Joyce entertained us all... she even
                                                played and sang a song she wrote herself.