This Monday will begin screen-free week. May 4th - 10th is this years screen free week. I actually first learned about screen free week a week or two after it ended in 2013. This national event used to be called "TV Turnoff Week" or "Digital Detox Week."
We are encouraged to turn off our screen media next week and screen media doesn't just mean television. It also refers to items that are much more difficult for some of us to separate from like video games, computers, cell phone, and most difficult for me - my Kindle.
In show of support for this I won't be blogging during this time period and will come back the following Monday posting as usual.
For info and updates you can visit
The Screen Free Week Facebook page
The Screen Free Week Website
Campaign For A Commercial Free Childhood
Friday, May 1, 2015
Friday, April 17, 2015
Dryer Lint Fire Starters - Do They Really Work?
As any of my regular readers know I am absolutely not a fan of waste and like to try to avoid it as much as possible.
We had gotten a free fire pit from a neighbor that was moving and within the week of getting it, it was perfect bonfire weather. Better still, the neighborhood maintenance had come through our bachelorhood and done tons of tree trimming. Wanting desperately to make bio-char but having not moved yet I would have to settle for the usual byproduct of a bonfire, ash - which I would be saving to use for dust baths for our future chickens (and I did, but I ended up having to leave it with many other things at the old place).
First I found a few toilet paper rolls that had not yet found their way into the compost or recycling bins. Then I checked the dryer for dryer lint.
I sat the toilet paper rolls on end and lightly stuffed them. I made sure that the lint should be in contact with all sides of the roll but that it was not tightly packed (didn't want to make air flow too difficult.)
These really didn't seem to work any better than any other form of kindling. Will it work? yes. Is it any better than something else? I really don't think so.
HOWEVER!
Dryer lint IS extremely flammable and I found I was able to light it on fire with plenty of ease to begin fires in our fire pit.
We had gotten a free fire pit from a neighbor that was moving and within the week of getting it, it was perfect bonfire weather. Better still, the neighborhood maintenance had come through our bachelorhood and done tons of tree trimming. Wanting desperately to make bio-char but having not moved yet I would have to settle for the usual byproduct of a bonfire, ash - which I would be saving to use for dust baths for our future chickens (and I did, but I ended up having to leave it with many other things at the old place).
First I found a few toilet paper rolls that had not yet found their way into the compost or recycling bins. Then I checked the dryer for dryer lint.
I sat the toilet paper rolls on end and lightly stuffed them. I made sure that the lint should be in contact with all sides of the roll but that it was not tightly packed (didn't want to make air flow too difficult.)
These really didn't seem to work any better than any other form of kindling. Will it work? yes. Is it any better than something else? I really don't think so.
HOWEVER!
Dryer lint IS extremely flammable and I found I was able to light it on fire with plenty of ease to begin fires in our fire pit.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Pintesting - Untangling Doll Hair
I got everything that was going to be needed together.
The pin says to use 2 tbspns fabric softener. Already having my hands full with other things I just went with two "glugs" out of the fabric softener bottle and into my spray bottle that seemed the appropriate equivalent. Then i filled the rest of my bottle with water and shook it up to mix.
I believe my spray bottle is supposed to hold around 6 ounces.
I began by using a fine mist but by the end I was going pretty heavy handed with the spray. Just remember it's always easier to add to than to take away.
To de-tangle the dolly in questions tresses you should, like with your own hair, begin at the tips and work up to the roots to avoid fairy knots. The entire process took me around 5 - 10 minutes which is about as long as it can sometimes take to do this same thing with my daughter.
The results were worth the effort though :)
Monday, April 13, 2015
What A Long Strange Trip It's Been
It's been a little while since my last post (which despite multiple tries I never go to come out looking pretty.) My husband and I have been looking for a homestead to call our own and in December we found one. Getting it was no easy task but in March we finally closed on it and moved in the next day.
I stopped blogging as frequently when my laptop crashed a couple of years ago. The chance at having a new one or a new sewing machine (since that along with many other things broke) came along and I ended up choosing the sewing machine.
During this long interim I've still been trying things, taking pictures, and trying to put blogs together whenever I felt I had the chance so that hopefully I would find my way back to you.
I'm going to be doing what I can to get more blogs out to all of you who have been patiently waiting - and anyone new to this page or to my Facebook fanpage.
I stopped blogging as frequently when my laptop crashed a couple of years ago. The chance at having a new one or a new sewing machine (since that along with many other things broke) came along and I ended up choosing the sewing machine.
During this long interim I've still been trying things, taking pictures, and trying to put blogs together whenever I felt I had the chance so that hopefully I would find my way back to you.
I'm going to be doing what I can to get more blogs out to all of you who have been patiently waiting - and anyone new to this page or to my Facebook fanpage.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
The Parenting Game
Being a parent is hard, whether you are single, a mom, a dad - it doesn't matter. As parents we are always selling ourselves short. This fact has lead me to create, the parenting game. Our days are full of miniature victories that we aren't always crediting ourselves for.
My game contains no opportunity for negative points, only positive ones; and everyone is a winner. For every item on the list you've done you only gain more points.
My "list" isn't perfect but there's only so much I can include before the list becomes incredibly tedious. Values are randomly assigned. It's for fun people.
Category/Item Points
General Morning Stuff
Wake up 10
There's no pee in your bed 40
If there is pee - you aren't laying in it 30
If they pee'd during the night, you actually got up and put down a towel 35
Got dressed 50
Before 9AM 60
Before noon 50
This is the first time you've worn the clothes you put on
(they aren't days old) 100
All of your clothes were put on properly the first time
(nothing backwards or inside out) 150
"Every day" stuff
Went to the bathroom 50
By yourself 85
More than once 150
Took a nap 200
Took a shower 100
Without kids 150
With your significant other 175
Brushed your teeth 60
Washed your face 60
Flossed 200
Your hair makes some sort of actual "socially acceptable" sense 70
Left the house 150
Alone 200
If you didn't leave the house alone, everyone was properly buckled in 50
Your childrens hair is done 70
Your children still have hair 85
Had a conversation that didn't involve your children
(speaking to or about them) 75
Got up in the middle of the night to handle any form of child drama 60
Got up more than once 70
Got up more than three times 100
Your kids survived the day (scathed or unscathed) 666
You survived 1000
Dropped children off someplace 50
Picked them up 60
On time 65
Meals
Ate breakfast 50
It was still hot 60
It was luke warm 40
It was cold 30
It was the last of your kids breakfast 25
Got to eat all of it by yourself 100
It was leftover take out 110
It was actual takeout 115
Ate lunch 50
It was hot 60
It was luke warm 40
It was cold 30
It was the kids leftovers 25
Got to eat all of it by yourself 100
It was leftover take out 110
It was actual takeout 115
Ate dinner 50
It was hot 60
It was luke warm 40
It was the kids leftovers 30
Got to eat all of it by yourself 25
It was leftover take out 100
It was actual takeout 115
Your kids didn't ingest any non-food items 50
They only ingested one non-food item 40
Fed your child one meal 50
Fed your child two meals 60
Fed your child three meals 70
Fed them snacks 60
Kept their cups full 55
Cooked a meal 50
Cooked two meals 60
Cooked an excess of three meals 80
House And Home
Cleaned your house in excess of 30 minutes
(total time or consecutive minutes) 30
Cleaned your house in excess of 60 minutes 60
Said cleaning was related to some sort of child nastiness
(vomit, poop, next level colossal mess) 666
Did at least one of load of laundry to completion
(wash and dry - it can still be in the dryer) 250
Did all of the laundry 600
Did half of the laundry 125
Thought about doing some laundry 25
Moved clothing out of the dryer that's been there for an excess of 12 hours 25
Moved clothing that's been in there for an excess of 24 hours 30
Moved clothing that's been in there for an excess of 36 hours 35
Piled your laundry someplace in the house to put away 25
It's piled someplace your pets can't get to it 30
It's piled someplace your kids can't get to it 30
Nothing got to it 55
Put away piled up laundry 100
Some of which is actually folded 150
Cleaned up a mess your child made immediately after your discovery of it 200
Work And Random Things
Wrote a blog post 50
Actually posted it 60
Were only interrupted once 65
Were only interrupted twice 50
Didn't yell when you were interrupted 65
Went to work 90
Came home from work 150
Didn't hide in your car before coming in 200
Didn't take longer to come home to hide out 200
Picked something up for your family on the way home 50
Got a workout 250
Congratulations parent. Pat yourself on the back and we'll see you for the next round first thing in the morning - or whenever your kids wake up.
My game contains no opportunity for negative points, only positive ones; and everyone is a winner. For every item on the list you've done you only gain more points.
My "list" isn't perfect but there's only so much I can include before the list becomes incredibly tedious. Values are randomly assigned. It's for fun people.
Category/Item Points
General Morning Stuff
Wake up 10
There's no pee in your bed 40
If there is pee - you aren't laying in it 30
If they pee'd during the night, you actually got up and put down a towel 35
Got dressed 50
Before 9AM 60
Before noon 50
This is the first time you've worn the clothes you put on
(they aren't days old) 100
All of your clothes were put on properly the first time
(nothing backwards or inside out) 150
"Every day" stuff
Went to the bathroom 50
By yourself 85
More than once 150
Took a nap 200
Took a shower 100
Without kids 150
With your significant other 175
Brushed your teeth 60
Washed your face 60
Flossed 200
Your hair makes some sort of actual "socially acceptable" sense 70
Left the house 150
Alone 200
If you didn't leave the house alone, everyone was properly buckled in 50
Your childrens hair is done 70
Your children still have hair 85
Had a conversation that didn't involve your children
(speaking to or about them) 75
Got up in the middle of the night to handle any form of child drama 60
Got up more than once 70
Got up more than three times 100
Your kids survived the day (scathed or unscathed) 666
You survived 1000
Dropped children off someplace 50
Picked them up 60
On time 65
Meals
Ate breakfast 50
It was still hot 60
It was luke warm 40
It was cold 30
It was the last of your kids breakfast 25
Got to eat all of it by yourself 100
It was leftover take out 110
It was actual takeout 115
Ate lunch 50
It was hot 60
It was luke warm 40
It was cold 30
It was the kids leftovers 25
Got to eat all of it by yourself 100
It was leftover take out 110
It was actual takeout 115
Ate dinner 50
It was hot 60
It was luke warm 40
It was the kids leftovers 30
Got to eat all of it by yourself 25
It was leftover take out 100
It was actual takeout 115
Your kids didn't ingest any non-food items 50
They only ingested one non-food item 40
Fed your child one meal 50
Fed your child two meals 60
Fed your child three meals 70
Fed them snacks 60
Kept their cups full 55
Cooked a meal 50
Cooked two meals 60
Cooked an excess of three meals 80
House And Home
Cleaned your house in excess of 30 minutes
(total time or consecutive minutes) 30
Cleaned your house in excess of 60 minutes 60
Said cleaning was related to some sort of child nastiness
(vomit, poop, next level colossal mess) 666
Did at least one of load of laundry to completion
(wash and dry - it can still be in the dryer) 250
Did all of the laundry 600
Did half of the laundry 125
Thought about doing some laundry 25
Moved clothing out of the dryer that's been there for an excess of 12 hours 25
Moved clothing that's been in there for an excess of 24 hours 30
Moved clothing that's been in there for an excess of 36 hours 35
Piled your laundry someplace in the house to put away 25
It's piled someplace your pets can't get to it 30
It's piled someplace your kids can't get to it 30
Nothing got to it 55
Put away piled up laundry 100
Some of which is actually folded 150
Cleaned up a mess your child made immediately after your discovery of it 200
Work And Random Things
Wrote a blog post 50
Actually posted it 60
Were only interrupted once 65
Were only interrupted twice 50
Didn't yell when you were interrupted 65
Went to work 90
Came home from work 150
Didn't hide in your car before coming in 200
Didn't take longer to come home to hide out 200
Picked something up for your family on the way home 50
Got a workout 250
Congratulations parent. Pat yourself on the back and we'll see you for the next round first thing in the morning - or whenever your kids wake up.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Monday, December 30, 2013
Today Is We Are Not Alone Day
On this day in 1924, Edwin Hubble told people that other galaxies exist. Effectively scaring the crap out of everyone.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)