Making your own cleaning products

So many of the cleaning products on the market have dangerous ingredients in them. We thought we'd give you some ideas on making your own products out of safe ingredients.

For the sink try baking soda, add just enough dish soap to make a paste, and use a half of a lemon as a scrubber. This will leave your sink smelling great too.

On wood try a mixture of white vinegar and olive oil.

Remember that vinegar is a disinfectant - you can use it on almost any surface. If the smell bothers you, add a few drops of an essential oil.

To clear a clogged drain use 1 cup baking soda followed by 3 cups of boiling water.

No more worries about keeping the kids away from the cleaning supplies.

Feeding your kids

Although ultimately your child will decide what to eat, you can help him start healthful eating habits by providing wise selections.  Children know how much they need to eat, but they don't know what kids of food to eat.  

Children should have 6 servings or bread or grains daily, 3-5 servings of vegetables, 2-4 servings of fruit, 3-4 servings of milk, and 2-3 servings of protein.

Something I always wonder about is serving size.  According to WIC, we should give our children one tablespoonful of each food for each year of the child's age (a 5-year old should have 5 tablespoons of vegetables and 5 tablespoons of rice) and let them ask for more if they're still hungry.

A serving size for bread, grain or cereal is roughly 1/2 cup;

for vegetables a serving size is 1/3 - 1/2 cup raw or cooked;

one serving of fruit is 1/2-1 small piece of fresh fruit, or 1/3-1/2 cup canned fruit;

3/4 cup is a serving of milk (or 1 ounce of cheese);

1 1/2 ounce (3TB) is a serving of meat or fish, 1/2 cup is a serving of vegetable protein (lentils, tofu, peanut butter.)

How to treat Injuries

School's almost out and the kids will be playing outside more.  Be sure to have first-aid supplies on hand just in case.  Bumps and bruises are sure to happen, but what if it's more?

For scrapes and cuts - usually they'll stop bleeding on their own, but if not, apply gentle pressure for 20-30 minutes.  Clean thoroughly with soap and water, apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment, and cover with a dressing.  If the cut is deep, visit the hospital or doctor to see if stitches are necessary.

Ankle sprain - ice it and wrap in an elastic bandage and make an appointment with the pediatrician.  If the swelling is significant, visit the E.R.

If there's something stuck in your child's ear - try getting it out using gravity.  Have your child or use tweezers to gently take it out.  Do not put any tool into your child's ear.  If it's an insect, try tilting your child's head so the insect is upward.  Then pour mineral oil or olive oil into the ear and try to float the insect out.  Do not try this for anything else - only insects.  If these don't work or your child still has pain, seek medical advise.

Blisters - cover a small blister with an adhesive bandage.  For large blisters, cover with a plastic-coated gauze pad that allows the blister to breathe and absorbs moisture.

For bumps, bruises and strains - rest the area; ice the area for 20 minutes every 2 hours; compress with an elastic bandage, but don't do it too tightly; and elevate the area is possible to improve circulation and reduce swelling.

Getting rid of junk mail

Each year the average household in America receives 1.5 trees' worth of junk mail.  42% of timber harvested nationwide ends up as pulpwood for paper.  Just think of the resources we could save if everyone reduced just their junk mail each year.  Visit www.41pounds.org to sign up for their service.  They do all the leg work and stop your junk mail for five years.  It costs $41, but is well worth it.

Another good resource is yellowpagesgoesgreen.org.  Visiting this site can get rid of the unwanted yellow pages that end up on your doorstep.

Keeping your family well during flu season

Of course the easiest way to keep our families well is to wash our hands frequently.  This isn't always as easy as it sounds, but try to make sure you wash both your own hands and your child's hands before food preparation and eating.

There are a few ways to help boost the immune system to help keep them well too.

First, avoid things that can suppress the immune system.  Excess sugar (8 Tbsp or two cans of soda) can reduce the ability of white blood cells to kill germs by a whopping 40%.  In addition, 

obesity can slow the immune system.  Be sure to keep you and your family at a healthy weight.

Secondly, boost your child's immune system.  Serve lots of fruits and vegetables and foods rich with Omega 3.  

Try starting the day with a smoothie filled with fresh fruit, yogurt, flax seeds or hemp seeds, and you can even add a serving of vegetables.  Cauliflower is easy to hide in smoothies; just cook it and put it in the refrigerator.  Then when you're making your smoothies, add a little cauliflower.  You won't be able to see it or taste it.

For dinner, make a tortilla soup with lots of vegetables.  You can put almost anything in it; just start with tomatoes (canned or fresh), carrots, onion, garlic and jalapenos (optional).   Then you can add zucchini, celery, whatever you like.  Cook all the veggies together until they're cooked through, then puree.  Serve with cheese, sour cream and tortilla strips (plain or fried).  This will be an antioxidant-packed day for your family.

You can also add flax or hemp seeds to muffins for extra Omega 3s.

Keeping the immune system healthy will help keep your family healthy.

Car wash

Good news!

It is actually much better for the environment to take your car to get it washed rather than doing it yourself.  By washing your car in a commercial car wash, you can save up to 100 gallons of water.  Many car wash businesses recycle rinse water and use significantly less water per wash.

So save yourself the work.  Take your car to be washed and use the extra time you saved for something fun.

Safety tips for Memorial Day weekend

A 3-day weekend - yeah!  It's the unofficial beginning of summer, so many of us will spend the weekend outdoors.  Just remember to be safe while enjoying.

Wear sunscreen all day, but follow the "Shadow Rule" -- if your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun's damaging rays are at their strongest and you are likely to burn.

Supervise young kids in the pool - ideally you should have one adult for every two children in the pool watching at all times.

Keep cold food cold, hot food hot, and refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours.

Let's also remember what this holiday is about.  Send the troups a virtual thank you card at www.ourmilitary.mil/index.aspx.

Have a great weekend!!