Got Dog Problems?

My little Remington is afraid of everything including my family.  I have been taking him to Triple Crown Dog Academy for 4 weeks now and have seen a bit of improvement. 

The best advice I have heard about dogs is that they are often bored. Boredom causes barking, digging, chewing, etc.  If you train your dog to sit, stay, place, and heal, it might be just what your dog needs to keep boredom at bay. It also takes the weight of the world off the little ones shoulders and places it firmly on yours, thus curbing the fears.

"A dog that has a sense of purpose knows his/her place in the world and can take the time to lie about leisurely and await his next adventure."

Besides training, you can invest in a few high quality interactive or time consuming items to keep the boredom from returning.  I have seen huge improvements on the barking and chewing with the following:


Ever Lasting Fun Ball:  Simply tuck treats into the little opening and away you go.  As your dog rolls and chases the ball, treats fall to the floor.  What does this do?  Encourages even more play.  If you have only one dog, you can fill the ball with that day's meal instead of giving your dog extra food every time he/she plays.


Ever Lasting Bento Ball: The bento ball is two fold.  You can tuck treats into one side and the other side has a flavored chewing disk that cleans the teeth.  You can get a vanilla mint flavored disk over the traditional meat flavors.  I have yet to try it, but I would assume it would freshen the breath quite nicely.


Flavored Hambones:  Hours of chewing on something other than your slippers.  What more can I say?

Do you have a suggestion on how to keep your dog entertained and rid him/her of some truely bad habits?

Do you have a favorite toy that your dog can play with independentaly to keep him/her busy even you cannot play?

I'd love to hear your advice.

Note: I have found greater success spending the money on a personal trainer than going with the more mainstream group classes.

Monave Lip Glaze

I found a new lip glaze that is absolutely perfect... modern, natural, & versatile.  Not only is Monave Lip Glaze 100% vegan and gluten free, it feels fabulous on your lips.

The sheer color is natural in appearance, yet lends a shine that is sure to last for hours.  Since receiving this product, it has become a go- to for my tired, dry lips.  The natural oils and vitamin E are very nourishing and healing.

I would definitely recommend checking out this outstanding eco-friendly find.  I want to try out the natural makeup products Monave has as well.  They look fantastic!

Thoughts for 2010

I have two goals for the new year:

1. recycle my household trash and take to the recycling center.

2.  reorganize my household to begin more green, simple living.

I think this is a big step to take, but one I find necessary in the search for what I feel is a healthier way to live.  To do this however, I am going to have to make a plan.

My Plan... Rough Draft

• Set a monthly goal in which to implement.
• Enlist the family in helping me achieve the goal. 
• Try not to change anything too quickly or get upset if things do not work as planned.

Month to Month Plan

January... Organize & clean my school stuff out of the garage and house.  Take what I can to school and toss try to toss the rest... I think I just took the deepest breath of my life.  Throwing out stuff I use for school is very difficult, but I need to make it a priority if I want to simplify. 

Buy & label recycling bins.  Print pictures and tape to bins, so we know what goes in each bin.

February...Tackle the family office.  This is also my scrapbooking area.  I will need to purge everything that is not in use at least once a week (unless it is scrapbooking stuff).  I will probably need to buy several bins for the shelves on my scrapbooking table.  Hopefully, I can find some containers in my school stuff or at garage sales.

Organize my book shelve and possibly purchase an additional one from IKEA.

Get rid of anything that does not have a place.  If it is in a box on the floor since we moved in when JJ was an infant, it probably will not be used EVER!

Start recycling our household trash. Take any containers that are full or almost full to the recycling center on Saturdays.

March... Clean out my closet & bedroom. Gather items to be taken to Goodwill and take whatever has been collected on Saturday of that week. I need to be ruthless. I am going to try to part with stuff that I always hope one day to fit into, but haven't in over 5 years. I think it is time. If I actually get skinny, then I will deserve NEW clothes.

Begin the search for a dresser. Once dresser has been found begin to save up for the purchase.

Go to thrift and consignment stores for storage bins to help organize my closet junk necessities for easier access.

Make a planting calendar and plan.  Get the soil ready for planting.

Consider purchasing a rain bucket to collect water for the flower beds and garden. If we decide to purchase, set it up before the month's end. if we wait, it will not get done.

April...  Little J's room... Make sure that the paint is finally finished.  Put up wall stickers if they are not already on the walls. 

Go through all boxes in closet and take all items that cannot be used in the next month's time to Goodwill.
Box up items/toys that are keepsakes and store in the garage with a label on the box.

Go through toy box and shelving and purge toys that are broken, not played with, or make an unnecessary mess.  Donate toys to Goodwill.

Gather containers to sort toys/other items in the shelves.

Consider purchasing JJ a twin sized bed that has built in drawers.  Get rid of dresser regardless of purchase or not.

May...  T Man's room... help T sort and organize all of his clothes.  Donate all clothes that are too small to Goodwill.  Make sure that there are enough hangers to hang all of T Man's shirts in the closet. 
Get a days of the week clothes organizer for both of the boys to hang in their closets.  Have boys begin to use the organizer to lay out all outfits for the week.  Each night shoes should be found and placed in the next day's slot.

I think we will see how it goes up to this point and then I will revise my plan as needed.  I do think this is a great starting point though.  Now, if I can only stick to the plan, I might achieve my goals.

Project Organization Update

Organizing and simplifying sounds easy, right?  I must say... IT IS NOT.  I think I might be a closet hoarder.  Not really, but I just hate to part with certain things even though I cannot find a "home" for that thing.

I think I might have to make a new rule that states...  uh, hummm...  If an object or item does not have a home, the said item must leave my home as well.

There... I said it. 

Does saying it make it true?  Am I now bound by my own revelation that somethings are just meant to GO?

I think to live up the expectations I have set for myself I have to be.

Enough said.  Let's move on.


Completed Projects:

• Cleaned out the toy box... only the toy box, but I had 4 bags of toys that I took to Goodwill.
• Cleaned my scrapbooking table and bookcase in the office.
• Purchased recycle bins, laundry sorter, days of the week clothes sorter for each of the boys' rooms, and a new trash can for my office desk.

Started Projects:

• I have begun cleaning my office desk.  I am acquiring space in my husband's hanging file drawer for myself.  I am creating a hanging file for each of the main areas that warrant clutter on my desk: kids, magazine clippings, recipe printouts, & school.  I will instantly file papers in the files instead of leaving things on my desk.  I think I will go through one file a week and purge unnecessary items to keep the files from becoming a permanent garbage bin.
• I have started looking into purchasing seeds.  I need to decide what will be planted and begin working on getting the soil ready in the garden bed.

Projects on the Horizon:

• my school stuff in the garage and the house... If this can get tackled I will finally feel an accomplishment on the organization & simplification front.

I hope that by watching the transformations I am trying to make in my house you to will be able to conquer a little clutter daily to get the house and home you most desire.

Organizing Made Easy

Need tips to organize and simplify?  I know I do.  So I searched through stacks of old magazines and found tons of ideas that I thought might come in handy.  Here are my top favorites...

Simple Ways to Organize Your House & Household:
Most ideas I found in Woman's Day magazine.

• assign each member of the house a color:  When purchasing towels, backpacks, etc.  buy the appropriate color for each family member.  This will let you know exactly who has left out what, so that it can get cleaned up quickly.
• place a small decorative basket near the door that is used most often: Use the basket as a place to place keys, cell phones, etc. when you enter the house.  This will save time as you will not here the all to familiar... "Honey, where did I put my keys?"
• make casting away old items easy:  Place several baskets in a closet.  As you have old clothes, toys, etc that need to be given away simply toss them into the corresponding bin and you are done!  When a bin is full take it to the local Goodwill as a donation.
• manage laundry in minutes: well, okay... let's be honest... not minutes, but definitely not hours:  Place rolling cart of drawers in the laundry room.  Label each drawer with a different family member's name.  Fold laundry and place it directly into the appropriate draw.  When a drawer is full, that person, must take the drawer upstairs and put away the contents.  The next morning just grab the drawer and bring it back to its "home".  Oh, I almost forgot.  Don't do laundry all on one day.  Do at least one load of laundry daily to keep this very unfriendly chore in check.
• scheduling and homework help:  Create a binder that has tabs for each member of the family as well as a master calendar, important telephone numbers, etc.  Keep class list, important assignments, restaurant menus, etc. organized and right at your finger tips.  Be sure to find a place that this binder will stay at all times.  if not, it won't get used and it will end up only another piece of clutter.
• shelve those books:  Line the wall of the living room with shelves about 18 inches below the ceiling.  This is the perfect place to shelve books that you want to reread, but need to stash away. 
• keep dirty clothes at bay:  Place a small hamper in or directly outside each bathroom door.  As soon as clothes are removed, they should be tossed in the hamper.  When the hamper is filled, take the hamper to the laundry room for washing.
• create a lost and found:  Place a small basket in a downstairs closet or pantry for found items.  Before bed, take out the basket and have each family member take what belongs to them and put it away.
• catch all: Somethings just do not have a place.  Batteries, safety pins, and other random items can all be stored in a plastic shoe box type container or in a designated kitchen drawer.  If you chose a box with a lid, make sure you find a location to store the box and remember to always put it back after use.

Websites to Peruse:

• desktop google
• get sorted
• project girl
• home sanctuary
• tip junkie

Going Green, PERIOD

Have you ever thought that you could go green in ALL areas of your life? I read this blog, NatureMom, and this woman is amazing. She has researched among many other things... green alternatives to the every day pad or tampon. Sounds interesting, huh. Well, upon looking at various websites I must say I am intrigued. Doesn't mean I am ready to switch, but I am researching.

Here are some of the sites to check out:

• Luna Pads
• Sckoon
• Sorella Luna
• Glad Rags: Glad Rags Color Pad 3-Pak (Assorted Colors)
• Diva Cup: Diva Cup Diva Cup #2 Post Childbirth, Cup

Still not convenience, but not quite opposed either.

Adventures in Sewing

I got the book The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule, owner of the soule mama blog. This woman is amazing.

One of the projects I wanted to create before summer begins was the night time routine bag. I am going to use it a little differently as our nighttime routines run smoothly , but we tend to vegg alot during the day. Each of my boys will have a daytime activity bag.

The boys will choose one book and one activity to place in the bag each night that we are dedicated to the next day. I think I am going to make cards for them to put in the bag for the chosen activity. My thoughts are to have more drawing cards than say some sort of outing. I will post more as I finalize my thoughts.

Back to the sewing. I decided if I was going to take on this task I would do it to the best of my ability. So here is how it has played out thus far.

Steps to Sewing My First Bag:

1. I enlisted the help of my mom. Since I was borrowing her sewing machine it only seemed right to figure out how to to use it first.

2. I helped to cut out the fabric. This part was easy.

3. After my mom demonstrated sewing the seams, I got my turn . At first, I went so slow. I was afraid. Of what? I'm not sure exactly, but I was still afraid. I soon learned however that most flaws can only be seen by a really good seamstress.

4. Then, I cut and sewed the seams on the lining.

5. Next, I laid the 2 fabrics facing each other and sewed them together. I left a tiny opening, so that I could flip the fabric right side out before closing of the fabric completely.

6. Being that I had never sewn before, I had my mom stitch the opening closed. I didn't really like that I could see the stitching, so I folded down about 1 and 1/2 inches and sewed an inside seam. It made the edge have a nice smooth finish.

7. I am a pocket person. Of course, this bag needed a pocket. I cut and sewed the seams. Then, I slid the bottom layer of fabric under the machine (like when you iron a shirt). This allowed me to sew the pocket in place with ease.

8. I cut material in the same red fabric that I used for the pocket to make the handles. I folded the material over 4 times and pinned it. I still need to sew the handles onto the bag, but I just have to find the time.

*I ran out of thread the day I was making the bag.

Well, here is the final piece. It still needs the handles attached and to be ironed. BUT... not so bad for a first try.

If I can sew, anyone can. Next, those darn napkins I keep mentioning.

Happy Sewing!

Shop The Look

Shop the Look has all the accessories and must haves of the celebs at a fraction of the cost.  This is a must have site to bookmark.  Look like a million dollars for less than $50.  Very reasonable prices.

Love and Logic

I went to a FANTASTIC seminar today for discipline.  It was given by the funniest 76 year-old-man I have ever met. 

The seminar was told in a story format and engaged you in real life situations.  During his storytelling, I caught myself nodding my head in agreement more than once.

He gave simple one liners to use with children over and over again to stop the arguing for good. 

I highly recommend anyone with children or grandchildren to head over to the Love and Logic site to find out more tips from a man that has definitely "been there and done that".

You can request a catalogue to be shipped to your house.  There are several books/CDs that are geared toward a specific parenting issue... such as doing chores.  Most of the books are also available on CDs which makes for easy listening during a daily commute to and from work.

Tips on Line Drying Your Clothes

link to photo

Something about summer has me thinking lately about lazy days and visualizing my kids clothing swaying in the breeze.  I have never line dried clothing before and only have a very small area in which it is even possible to do so, but I think I am going to give it a try.

I purchased a retractable line at Walmart for about $12.  It can span a 20 foot area, but I think my area will be more like 9 feet.  Small but still worth the effort... I think.

One worry I have with line drying is wrinkles... cause I hate me some ironing.  AND The other worry would be going outside to find my laundry all over the lawn and trampled on by my lovely doggie friends.

That being said...
I found some helpful hints at a variety of sites and thought I would share.

Great Tips to Line Dry Your Clothing

* Make sure the line is very taunt and is cleaned on a regular basis.  You should clean the line every couple of weeks.

Natural Cleaning Recipe
Mix 2 teaspoons borax, 4 tablespoons vinegar and 3 cups hot water. For stronger cleaning power add 1/4 teaspoon liquid castile soap. Wipe on with dampened cloth or use non-aerosol spray bottle. (This is not an antibacterial formula. The average kitchen or bathroom does not require antibacterial cleaners.)

* Hang shirts from the bottom folding several inches over the line before pinning.  If you hang by the top, you will have large dimples in the area where the pins were placed.

* When hanging towels, shake them really well before and after hanging to keep them fluffy.  Fold the towels in half and place one half of the towel on each side of the line before pinning into place.

* Any clothing that you would like to retain its shape should be placed on a hanger.  The hanger will then be secured to the clothes line.

* If space is limited, consider hanging two lines from the same area.  Be sure to hang the heavier items on the top line and smaller items on the lower line.

* Be sure you know what the weather forecast is for the day.  You wouldn't want to take the time to hang them just to have to rewash the entire load that evening.

* Pants and Skirts: "...using two clothespins, one on each side, hanging right-side-up (from the waistline). Jeans can be hung upside down, with a clothespin on each leg, but they dry more slowly that way. Skirts can be hung upside down and spread out, using multiple clothespins for full skirts, and will dry more quickly that way, but take up a lot more clothesline space."

* Use fewer clothespins (and save a little time and line space, too!) by connecting the sides of t-shirts, towels, or sheets.

* Shake each piece of laundry briskly before hanging it up. This removes any lint and wrinkles, and results in softer laundry when it's dry. It makes it easier to hang pieces neatly, too.

Personally, I always have an overload of laundry on the couch or in various baskets in different places around the house.  Maybe this will be the answer I have been in search of for some time now.  Folding the laundry as it is taken down and instantly putting it away. 

ahhh... SUCCESS

Hopefully, these tips will make my line drying adventure a breeze (no pun intend). I am crossing the fingers that I can get the line installed soon and try it out this coming weekend.

Got Stuck on Glue... Literally

I wore a pair of black pants to work today and sat on a child's project.  I didn't even notice until one of the kids was giggling.  He couldn't take it any longer and said... Mrs. Sanders, you have work on your hiney. 

At first, I thought he said I needed to work on my hiney and I was a bit insulted.  I was relived to find it was only paper stuck to my butt, but very disappointed to find I have tons of glue stains on my pants now. 

Uhhhh!!!  I might have preferred the work on my hiney comment... at least it would have been something I already knew.

Anyways, it took alot of searching to find a solution.  Below is copied from the Elmer's Glue site.  I'm gonna try it out and I will let you know how it works. 

Cross your fingers and send well wishes my way.  I just got these super comfy pants.  I want to wear them in public again in my future.

How can I remove School Glue or Glue-All?

Surfaces
When concentrated in small areas, a clean cloth should be soaked in warm water and applied to the glue stain. Check the stain for softening after a couple hours. The softened glue should then be able to be wiped clean with a clean dry cloth. Repeat this procedure until all the glue has been removed.

Clothing

When dry, do not use hot water, dry cleaning solvents, a hot drum dryer or iron before the removal of the adhesive is complete, as they can fuse the adhesive film irreversibly, making removal impossible. Soaking in room temperature water for 24 hours or longer will help to redisperse or soften the film. After soaking, wash the fabric in a normal wash cycle and allow it to dry at room temperature. Check for discoloration and stiffness on drying. If so, repeat the process until the item is cleaned to your satisfaction.

Oraganic Soaps and Bath Fizzies

I just stumbled across a site that sales organic soap and bath sizzles. I looked the ingredients over and they appear to all be very nourishing and moisturizing.

Fraiche is a Texas based company owned by a self taught woman who has lots of gumption. She researched and experimented until she found the perfect combinations to make her company a success. I am really considering purchasing a sooth me bath sizzle to try out on Little J.

If you have a little one who has itchy, dry skin like mine does, check out the ingredient list. It does seem promising.
Read more...

Going Green... Period.

Have you ever thought that you could go green in ALL areas of your life? I read this blog, NatureMom, and this woman is amazing. She has researched among many other things... green alternatives to the every day pad or tampon. Sounds interesting, huh. Well, upon looking at various websites I must say I am intrigued. Doesn't mean I am ready to switch, but I am researching.

Here are some of the sites to check out:

• Luna Pads
• Sckoon
• Sorella Luna
• Glad Rags
• Diva Cup.

Still not convenience, but not quite opposed either.

Read more...