Quick tip for Canine Caregivers!

I recently saw The COOLEST thing in a YouTube video! One of those simple life hacks that blow your mind because they are so darn simple and obvious.

Problem:
What drives me crazy when it comes to bathing a dog is how hard it is to get a good lather going. You can put a handful of shampoo on the thickest and wettest part of their fur and it all gets stuck there. You can never get it to spread around and you can end up using half a bottle on them in no time. Not to mention I recently started using my Jordan Essentials Moisturizing Shampoo on my bichon frise because of his skin sensitivity and it was killing me to use so much of "my good stuff" on him. Well this tip will definitely save you money...

Solution:
Find yourself an empty squeezable bottle (like an old shampoo, shower gel or ketchup bottle). Add about 3 or 4 tbsps of shampoo (this will really depend on your dog's coat length and size) and fill the rest with warm water. Shake it up. After you have already gotten your dog all wet use the squeeze bottle to apply the shampoo. Next... be amazed at how easy the shampoo lathers with such a small amount of effort and shampoo!

In case anyone wonders what I was doing that I saw this random tip on YouTube: Like I said I have a bichon. Frankly, I'm quite tired of paying $50 to send him to the groomer every month or so and he comes right home to roll in a mud puddle...so I was figuring out how to do it myself. Apparently, this is a normal way to do it for groomers because this particular lady did not even make note of it in her video. Please tell me I'm not the only one that didn't know about this trick. Let me know if you have any awesome tricks for making bath time easier for pets!

Operation: Clean House

Let me start by saying on any given day my house could be a complete disaster. I have a four year old and a soon-to-be one year old. There is no such thing as a tidy house if they are home or awake. I might take 15 minutes to get a load of laundry folded and let the girls play...now I have 15 minutes of cleaning to do picking up the entire toy box they just emptied. So yes, I understand we are in a battle that has already been lost. But I refuse to give up; because lets face it, if we gave up we would be knee deep in it all.

But I have gotten a routine down that I absolutely love that has helped me to keep focused and have more time to spend with my girls. The fact is no matter how much stuff is cluttering the floor you still have to find time to actually clean the dirt and germs off stuff.

What helps me is my 12 week rotating schedule. That might sound complex but its really very simple. I sat down one day and wrote all the thing the need to be done daily...like the dishes and a quick pick up of toys. I wrote those under the daily category at the top of the page. Then I wrote what needed to be done weekly...like cleaning the toilet and vacuuming the floor (and a whole lot more). I wrote out Monday through Saturday and assigned each day a small list.

Monday is the Bathrooms.

Tuesday is the Bedrooms.

Wednesday is the Kitchen.

Thursday is the Living and Laundry rooms.

Friday is floors and windows.

Saturday is Outside/Office work.

At the bottom of each day I also made a note of which type of laundry to do that day.

Monday is Towels and Diapers.

Tuesday is Sheets and darks (since Tuesday is bedrooms day).

Wednesday is Towels and Diapers. 

Thursday is Reds and Kids clothes (I keep their clothes seperate because their rooms are on the other end of the house so its easier when folding and putting away).

Friday is Towels and Diapers.

Saturday is darks and whites.

The final box on my paper is Sunday. This is where I put the extra stuff that isnt daily or weekly, but maybe quarterly or monthly. ..like cleaning the blinds or the couch or changing the A.C. filter! This is why its a 12 week rotating schedule and not just a weekly sheet on repeat.

There are two reasons that I think this method is so much simpler and worth a try. 

#1 it takes the pressure off. How many times have you woke up to a messy house and been overwhelmed with where to start and ended up getting a whole lot of nothing done. 

#2 It focuses your energy. Wednesday is Kitchen day, so you better believe I'm not working on any other room besides that kitchen. And when the kitchen has been wiped down and my two loads of laundry done, I'm done. It doesn't take up much of my day at all.

Best part is: if you skip a day that's okay too. Your sinks will be fine if you miss a week. And...you don't need a clean house to start this out "fresh" either. Because with about a half hour a day you will be squeaky clean in seven days! Just get started with whichever day it is and work your way around the week. Happy cleaning!

Fertility Awareness: the next generation of birth control

Two weeks ago I was on the hunt for a new birth control. I was looking for something non hormonal because lets face it.... All these unnatural hormones aren't good for us. And if they were they wouldn't come with 100 side effects. So I asked my doctor and she laughed at me. She told me I would be back in there pregnant right away if I chose not to use drugs or condoms. I couldn't believe that. It amazed me that my doctor had no help for me in this regard. So I sought out help on the internet. After all, the internet knows everything right? (insert sarcastic voice here) Well I found myself yet again on my cruncy moms support group on Facebook. They started telling me about a book that I now think every women should have to read before she can pass health class: Taking Charge of your Fertility. This book is not just about contraceptive methods. This is about understanding your body as a woman. Borrow it or buy it and read it.

I'm not even finished the book yet but I have already learned how I will be able to effectively track my cycle and become more aware of my ovulation and therefore my health. And no artificial hormones.. oh yeah, its also free. Get yourself the book and a thermometer and you're set for life. Instead of like $300 a year on drugs that may or may not give you blood clots and ovarian cysts and so much more. If and when you are ready to conceive you will be equipped with the knowledge to get pregnant as soon as possible because you will know when your most fertile days are.

For ten years I have been on hormonal birth control and never really thought twice about it. Who knew there were options? Not me. I'm glad I've decided to take charge of my fertility and my health. I use this simple app to track it all (the app is free)...it doesn't get any simpler. Check it out and AFTER you have read the book you can ditch your hormones too! After all, this is NOT the famous rhythm method that is most famous for not working. This is complex (yet very simple and easy to do) and requires some learning. You will be better for it. Let me know your experience with the fertility awareness method (FAM) or Natural Family Planning (NFP) and I'll keep you up to date on mine.

The Hype about Oil Pulling

Seems like everyone has came across this oil pulling thing lately. I figured I would share my personal experience with it. I've been hearing about it for months now in my crunchy mama support group on Facebook (they swear by it) but I was never brave enough to try it. After all, I've made a lot of changes in our lives over the last year and was kind of afraid swishing oil everyday might be that final straw to make me the crazy hippy mom. But it didn't... I'm still just me trying to be healthier.

It really wasn't what I thought it would be. There was no smell or flavor. It was a lot like thick water actually. For anyone who doesn't know...coconut oil is actually a solid oil much like crisco. It warms up and liquifies with your body heat.

How to:

1. In the morning, before breakfast or brushing your teeth, tuck a little spoonful of it in between your cheek and back teeth and let it melt there. (This is better than placing it on your tongue and salivating immediately)

2. Immediately start to swish it around and don't stop. If you stop swishing you will start drooling and it will be hard to keep going. Your cheeks may get sore at first from all the swishing....mine did.

3. Swish for 20 minutes. If you cannot make it the full 20 start with 5 or 10 and work your way up. It is important not to swallow the oil as it will be filled with the toxins you are trying to remove.

4. Spit out the oil into your trash....NOT your sink. It will solidify and clog your drain. Thankfully that is secondhand advice.

5. Rinse your mouth with water until it feels like it is all out. You can then eat breakfast and brush your teeth like normal.

6. Enjoy all the health benefits, such as:
      -Cleanse your body by pulling out the toxins.
      -Improve your dental health and get whiter teeth and better breath
      -Clear up sinus problems and allergies
      -Alleviate migraine headaches
      -Helps with hormone imbalances
      -Clears up eczema
      -Reduces inflammation of arthritis
      -Reduce symptoms of hangover
      -Helps with insomnia
      -So much more

My mouth really does feel cleaner today. And I woke up with no post nasal drip that I had been suffering with the last three weeks. I'm impressed and I'll continue oil pulling every morning now!

You can use other organic unrefined or cold pressed oils as well, such as sesame oil. This is an ancient method of detoxing the body and is completely safe. What do you have to loose?

Leave me a comment to tell me about your first experience with oil pulling!

My Cloth Diaper Wash Routine

My Routine is a variation of all the things I have learned about cloth diaper laundry and what works for me. I believe it can work for you too. I have found this to be the most inexpensive way for me as well.

• I have a small (maybe one or two gallon) trashcan sitting next to my changing station. This is where all the dirty diapers and wipes go. Mine has a lid but many moms have an open pail and say they have no issues with smell. (I like it closed because it is small and on the ground and if it were open I am certain my daughter would be in it. Also, you can see in the picture that I keep a small bowl of soapy water on the changing station and that little hanging organizer holds dry wipes in the top bin. So convenient.

• My diaper trashcan holds exactly enough diapers for one day, therefore every single morning I take the trashcan full of yesterday's diapers and the overnight diaper that I just took off the bum to the sink ....YES, my kitchen sink! I was a little conflicted at the idea of rinsing diapers at my kitchen sink at first but I realized my sink has never looked better. It gets a thorough bleaching every single morning and I have found it much more hygienic than the traditional "dunk, swish and flush in the toilet" that a lot of moms do with their poopy diapers. I couldn't bring myself to stick my hands in to the cold yucky toilet bowl water more than once. I then tried rinsing the diapers in my guest bathroom tub. That got old fast, too. I got tired of leaning into a tub for 10-15 minutes and then bleaching and scrubbing the entire tub. I might have quit cloth if I had to keep that up. So back to the kitchen sink and its perks. Guess what every kitchen has...a sprayer arm. Yep, no need to buy a $50 diaper sprayer, you have one already installed. Also a plus, you can stand up straight at the sink so no backaches leaning over the tub. So, I take my diapers to the sink and put all the wet diapers right into the sink (technically you do not need to rinse pee only diapers because you can run a rinse cycle on the washing machine before you wash which will do that for you, BUT I do it anyway). So then I take all the poopy diapers to the toilet and plop the poo right in there (they are always plop-able poops because they have had a chance to firm up a bit over night..that's my #1 tip). Now I make my way back to the sink and rinse all the diapers off (pee only first, then the poo ones) 

• What do I do with the rinsed diapers? I have a large dishpan from walmart that I put them in where they stay until wash day. It has no lid, it is just a square dishpan that they all sit in and await the washing machine. This bucket usually sits behind the door in my guest bathroom or on the dryer. It doesn't really get in the way and I never smell it because everything is rinsed.

• I typically do diaper laundry every Monday, Wednesday and Friday or if I'm busy I do it Wednesday and Saturday. This really just depends on how many diapers you have and how long you can go between washes but it is best not to go longer than 3-4 days because you don't want them to mildew.

• On laundry day I put all the diapers into the washer and set a cold rinse cycle (yes I know this is technically their second rinse but I do it anyway) You really don't have to do both, you really only need to rinse every morning OR right before you wash them. But my system works for me so I stick with it. Feel free to do both as well. Just to clarify, I do the initial rinse everyday because I feel it helps with any smell or staining, I do the rinse in the washer because its too simple not to do it. If you choose to not rinse daily you will need to immediately remove poo from diapers so that they do not sit for days. There are many ways to do this which I can cover at another time if there is interest in other methods.

• Next I add Tide detergent to the washer ( I use the recommended amount of detergent for my load size. Usually the second line.) My routine starts with a presoak, hot wash on the heavy soil setting with an extra rinse and extra spin. After this cycle I run another normal wash cycle and extra rinse (this can be cold water or warm but hot isn't necessary) This is just to make sure you don't end up with any soapy buildup on your diapers, remember diapers are very absorbent and therefore hold on to soapy water better than regular laundry. For example, I bet if you threw some towels in the washer and ran a hot wash cycle with no detergent, there would be left over bubbles in there. 
• WARNING: Before washing any diapers ALWAYS look at the manufacturers instructions and restrictions first. Some companies restricted the use of certain products and detergents on their diapers. It may void the warranty if you use a mainstream detergent on them. For me, that is a risk I'm willing to take because I have not had great success with "special cloth diaper detergent" It is possible that is because I have hard water or it is possible that is because my water is too soft. Did that confuse you? Basically I had very hard water (undrinkable) and now have a water softener. So does that make my water too soft or do I technically have drinkable hardwater...I have no clue and don't care. The point is it is important to find what works for you. Do some research on other cloth diaper laundry routines and find your perfect solution. The important thing is not to give up if one thing doesn't work for you. This is just my experience and what works for me. It is simple and inexpensive and fits with my schedule.

• After all the washing and rinsing is finally done, I hang up all diapers and wetbags containing PUL. If it is all cotton, hemp, microfiber etc it goes in the dryer. Again, read your labels and find out what is best for your diapers. The best option if it is available to you will be to hang them out in the sun. This is the best for your electric bill, the environment, and your diapers lifespan. Not to mention the sun naturally sanitizes and bleaches diaper stains. LIKE MAGIC!

• And now for the fun part, no really, I love this part! THE FOLDING! Wait a minute before you call me crazy because I, too, despise folding regular laundry. But my diaper laundry, ahhh, I love it. It relaxes me. Perhaps because all those fluffy diapers remind me how cute they are on the bum or how much money I'm saving, or how much better it is for the environment or how many chemicals my daughter is being saved from by folding all this glorious diaper laundry. Either way, I love it. Now just put it away....more on diaper storage ideas later!