Archive for the 'Lifestyles' Category
Save Money:Make Your Appliances Last!
How often do you really clean the coils on your fridge? Once a week? Maybe once a month? Or if you are like thousands of others, you have forgotten that your fridge has coils.
Your appliances will last a lot longer if you give them a regular cleaning. Once a month, you should break out the hose attachment to your vacuum and get all of the dust, hair, and crumbs out of or off your appliances. Start with the refrigerator it is the most important. Your food needs to stay cool, so always clean the fridge first.
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Posted in Home and Garden | 1 Comment »
Autism Christmas Letter To Family and Friends
For those of you who visit Family Resource and have a child who is in the autism spectrum. This also works well for Fragile-X children. Feel free to print out and modify this to your needs and for sending to family and friends.
Posted via permission of this blogger:
Fragile What?!
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Posted in Holidays | 1 Comment »
Travel Safety For Kids and Teens
If you plan to let your children travel with a friend or family member this holiday season, there are a few things you should do to prepare for the trip. It may come as a surprise, but there are parents who do not take proper precautions when sending their children off for a special trip. Do not be one of them!
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Posted in Holidays, Parenting, Personal Safety | 1 Comment »
Laundry Tips: Save Money and Clothing.
How often do you wash clothes? Laundry is a huge ‘money sucker’ and I am not just talking about the energy costs. The more often you wash something, the more wear it gets. It isn’t just having clothes on that ruins them, it is the detergent and drying action. Yes, even line drying can add wear and tear.
Fading, missing buttons, zippers that won’t zip, and ruined decorations. Yikes! All of this just from washing alone.
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Posted in Clothing, Daily Living | No Comments »
Scams: Real Checks, Real Money, Bad News.
Scams Burn
Basically, if you take one of these checks to the bank, it will clear. But, you will be responsible for paying back any of it you spend and face possible jail time if you do not. The letters accompanying the check states you need to deposit the check into your bank account, let it clear, and then mail the company listed in the letter a handling or processing fee.
You would be amazed at how many people actually do this. So many that the Federal Trade Commission was astounded! (At least, the representative I spoke with). Most of the letters and checks are coming from individuals in Canada, so at this time the FTC has been having trouble pursuing the case.
Much like any scam, if you or a loved on gets a check in the mail with a letter asking you to deposit it and send back a small processing fee, get in contact with your postmaster. Do not, under any circumstances, deposit it into your account!
Posted in Arts and Crafts, Finance, Holidays, Smart Buying, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Publice Service Murder?
Last night I was watching Criminal Minds. Something one of the characters said struck me pretty hard. I haven’t been able to get this out of my mind. This is a subject I feel very strongly on, but I want to know what you think.
In the show, a young boy had been murdered some twenty years before. A child predator had sexually assaulted him, then stabbed him repeatedly. Later, the same pedophile was making advances towards another boy who grew up to be one of the FBI agents. The Agent had vague memories of the situation. His parents had covered up the entire incident and the Agent had blocked much from his mind.
It turned out that the Agent’s mother had found out about the predator making moves on her child and informed the father of the murdered boy. This all happened about a year after thee unsolved murder. She pointed out the predator, who had also been seen with the murdered boy not long before he had been killed. The boy’s father beat the pedophile to death with a baseball bat.
This ‘crime’ had remained unsolved because no one noticed that the predator disappeared. He had a history of exposing himself to young children and the police in not one, but two states did not readily pursue the case of his murder, even when they found a bit of evidence that would have led straight to his killer. One of the characters, a police officer, asked the FBI Agents if they really wanted to pursue and prosecute someone who had performed a ‘Public Service Murder’.
That has really gotten to me. Though I do not feel we have a right to act as a god and choose who lives or dies, when a crime of this nature has been committed, is it really a crime? Removing from the population a predator such as a pedophile, child molester, child murderer, or any serial killer…should we ardently chase down a suspect? Should a father or mother who kills someone who hurt their child in a manner that will scar the child for life or take away their young life, be prosecuted. In this instance, hypothetically let’s say the parent knows without a doubt who the perpetrator is. There is no doubt whatsoever.
Is it wrong? Is there such a thing as Public Service Murder? Please, offer your thoughts.
Posted in Activities, Exercise, Exercise, Health, Healthy Living, Mental Health, Outdoors, Stress Management, Uncategorized, Weight Management | No Comments »
Crayon Stains: Get The Wax Out!
Crayon stains are the bane of many parents and teachers around the world. More than once a crayon has found its’ way into the dryer, staining not only the original garment but often the entire dryer load. The clothing is salvageable, even with some old, set in stains.
Thanks to the invention of the sponge-like erasers on the market today, removal of crayon stains from surfaces other than fabric is easier than ever. At one time, it took a lot of elbow grease to get crayon off of walls and other areas. To remove crayon from painted walls, just use one of these ‘magic’ erasers with light pressure. With a soft touch, you may also use them on leather furniture to remove crayon stains.
If you do not have one of the eraser tools on hand, you can use a normal pink rubber eraser to remove crayon from some walls. This works much better than a washcloth or regular sponge.
There are many suggested methods of removing crayon from clothing and other fabric items. Before following any of the instructions or recipes, check your fabric label. Some items cannot be soaked with any liquid, others need a certain tempature to avoid damaging the fabric.
Methods:
1. Clothing with fresh crayon marks can be treated with a solution of one cup Ivory Snow detergent and one cup of baking soda in the warmest wash possible. Repeat until the stains are gone.
2. WD40- The Crayola site has a .pdf available with suggestions on how to remove stains from many of their products. WD40 is a lubricating spray available in most grocery, hardware, and discount stores in the U.S., other countries more than likely have similar sprays that will work in the same manner. Visit : The PDF page for more details.
3. Tough stains: Mix one cup dishwashing liquid (some swear by blue colored Dawn), one cup oxy cleaner, one cup color safe bleach, and one cup powder laundry detergent. Dishwashing liquid is known to remove grease, may help remove crayon as well.
This is for clothing that has been through the dryer with a crayon and the stains are set by the dryer. Many people swear by this recipe, though I suggest using it only if other methods have failed and you are going to throw out the item. For this formula, use the hottest water possible and dissolve one cup each dishwashing detergent (powder for dishwashers) and colorsafe bleach. Soak the item in the solution up to over night, then launder as usual.
If possible, try to catch stains before drying. All of the above methods can be used on clothing that have had a run in with crayons in the dryer, though.
Posted in Home and Garden | No Comments »
Water Safety
With the summer season upon us you can never be too cautious around water or read too many articles on water safety. Most children love water and are like bugs to a zapper when it comes down to it. So vigilance is the watch word while your child is around enough water to drown in, which is less than an inch of water. This includes places you wouldn’t normally think of: puddle, bucket, bowl, and toilet.
What to be watchful of around the swimming pool:
1.) Watch your child at all times. For young children don’t be more than arms length away so you are readily available to grab them.
2.) Pool drains. The suction from a pool drain can be strong enough to hold an adult by the hair or body underwater let alone a child. Drain covers that are missing are usually the cause of this problem.
3.) Swimming pool water should have the proper chemical balance of chlorine. Too much chlorine can burn your child’s skin not enough and the water is ripe for bacteria and pollutants.
4.) Make sure your child walks and not runs around the edge of the pool. One slip is all it takes.
5.) Water wings or a life preserver is a must for young children that don’t know how to swim yet. Don’t rely solely on yourself to keep your child afloat. There is no such thing as too safe.
6.) If you have a pool in your backyard make sure it’s enclosed with a fence that is at least four feet high and has a lock on the gate. Make sure that unless you’re in the pool with your child that it remains locked.
7.) If you have a little plastic wading pool, make sure to drain it and store it in an upright position after each use. Never leave the water in it unattended or overnight. The water isn’t chemically treated and could grow bacteria.
8.) Always carry a cell phone with you to the pool just in case of emergencies.
If the unthinkable happens and your child goes under for longer than a moment, here are the steps you’ll need to take calmly and quickly:
1.) Pull your child out of the water
2.) Carry the child with their head lower than their chest
3.) Wrap the child in a warm dry towel or blanket
4.) Call 911 or take your child to the nearest emergency room (even if the child appears okay they could have water in their lungs which could cause lung damage and pneumonia)
5.) If the child is unconscious, check for breathing and a pulse — if not breathing start CPR while someone else dials 911.
The rule of thumb around the water is: Never leave your child unattended.
Posted in Pets, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Choosing the Perfect Pet (part 2)
If your answer to the lifestyle question was travels a lot then you’ll need a low maintenance pet like a cat, rodent, reptile, or fish. A pet that you can leave enough food and water for short trips and for longer trips have a friend come over every couple of days to refill the supply. These types of pets won’t miss you like a dog will when you’re gone.
Cats. When choosing a cat, you’ll also want to pick one in its adolescence. They aren’t as rambunctious as kittens and less likely to claw and bite while playing. And when you have a small child, the cat is bigger and less fragile in little hands. Adopting is best for a family cat but if you want purebred, Ragdoll cats come highly recommended by experts as being very gentle, laid-back, and friendly. Other things to consider: males are more tolerant of young children than females and indoor domesticated cats are a necessity. Feral, or undomesticated cats, won’t be happy as an indoor family pet and you can expect a lot of scratches in demonstration. Always check with the adoption provider if the cat gets along with children.
Rodents. Caged animals such as rabbits, rats, hamsters, gerbils are fun pets for children to watch but not really handle. They also are messier than cat with cage clean up but have the convenience of cats in not needing constant affection or constant watch while on your travels.
Reptiles. Reptiles have the ease of only needing to be fed every few days but you have to be careful of breeds — turtles can carry salmonella. You also have to be comfortable feeding the animal live crickets or in the case of snakes rats and mice. Depending on your child this can be a neat thing to watch or traumatic so make sure you know your child’s tolerance and feed the animal after your child is in bed if needed. Reptiles are less messy than the rodent breeds but no where close to cuddly.
Fish. Fish are by far the easiest animal to take care of. While they don’t have any “play” value they can be entertaining for kids to watch. They would also enjoy sprinkling in the fish flakes. Tanks do need to be cleaned but if you have a good filter system it doesn’t have to be very often.
A happy pet is a well-placed pet. Make sure the pet you choose, is right for your family, and you can’t go wrong.
Posted in Pets, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Beat the Heat
It’s July and we’re now in the firm grips of sun, heat, and more heat. Here are some tips to keep cool and keep the electric bill from rising. These tips are especially useful if you don’t have air conditioning at all.
Shade. Before it starts to get hot, close the blinds and the curtains. Not having direct sunlight come inside the house makes a huge difference on the temperature indoors. And really it’s cheaper to have a light on than to have the A/C running on full blast.
Windows. While it’s still cool out open up all the windows in your house, letting in all the cool air — better still to leave them open all night when it gets even cooler. Then before it starts to get hot shut them all. It will stay cooler in your house longer if you don’t keep letting in the hot air.
Fans. Fans take up less electricity than an air conditioner and they’re a real life saver if you don’t have any A/C at all. Ceiling fans are best as they keep the air circulating and you can change the direction of the blades but box fans and oscillating fans are better than nothing. A great trick for cooling off your house fast when the sun goes down is to open the windows to create air flow and put the fans in front of the windows on one side of the house. They will suck the cool air in from outside and push the stale warm air out the other side. It doesn’t work if you have fans in all the windows because the air doesn’t move anywhere. When you have the house shut up for the heat of the day, keep them running to help keep the air cooler and to keep it circulating.
Water. If you have access to a swimming pool the best time to go is when it’s hottest. It gets you out of the hot house or apartment and cools you off — don’t forget the sunscreen, though, because that’s when the UV’s are at their worst. But if you don’t have access to a pool, then run a cool bath. Drinking lots of cold water helps to keep you cool internally as well.
Posted in Home and Garden, Uncategorized | No Comments »
