Household Tips

I know I am supposed to be the one who is full of good tips and little tidbits of suggestions about how to make things easier and more efficient around the home. Well ? I sort of still AM that person, but I have a problem and decided to stop using my own futile thoughts and ask you readers what you suggest.

We have several bird feeders on the deck. I have a medium seed tube feeder, a thistle sack for finches, a hummingbird feeder and a suet feeder.

We are routinely visited by a variety of finches, including some awesome bright yellow ones. I regularly feed a white woodpecker and a red-headed wood pecker. I also feed a family of squirrels and a suspected occasional raccoon.

I have a squirrel baffle on the seed tube but it does no good. This is due to the proximity to the deck railing. Those squirrels are nasty little suckers! However, I like all wildlife and I don’t mind feeding them but I cannot deal with them stealing my feeders!

Today I noticed that my suet feeder was missing. Now. I have a lot of bird feeders and I rotate them a bit seasonally so sometimes I look at it and feel like something is missing, but that is just because I rotate and forget what I put away. But today? No suet feeder. I think it might have been missing for at least a week. I can’t find it. It’s not on the ground, not in the cabinet, not hanging. I think some little creature stole it!

How can I secure a new suet feeder from being stolen off my deck? And, How can I stop squirrels from getting on my deck?

Because, they are also eating my plants!!! Grrrr.

Fourteen SuperFoods and their possible benefits:

Beans – lower cholesterol, combat heat disease, stabilize blood sugar, reduce obesity, relieve hypertension and lessen the risk of cancer. (Not crazy about beans? Try sneaking them in to soups and chili, or sprinkling them on a salad.)

Blueberries – lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, and help maintain healthy skin to reduce the sags and bags brought on by age. (All berries are excellent and provide different phytonutrients, fiber, and have a very low glycemic index for a fruit.)

Broccoli – boosts the immune system, lowers the incidence of cataracts, supports cardiovascular health, builds bones and fights birth defects. (Also try other members of the broccoli family: cauliflower, cabbage, and brussel sprouts.)

Oats – lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of coronary heart disease & Type II diabetes, high in fiber and protein. (Forget about carbs, we NEED whole grains to prevent heart disease and stroke and to prevent cancer. If you want to cut carbs, cut out sugar, not whole grains or fruits!)

Oranges – support heart health and prevent cancer, stroke, diabetes and a host of chronic ailments. (Calcium fortified o.j. is awesome too, provides many of the same benefits. You pregnant ladies and wanna be pregnant ladies absolutely need this one–it has folic acid to prevent birth defects. Also try grapefruit, mandarins, clementines, other citrus.)

Pumpkin – helps lower the risk of various cancers (lung, colon, bladder, cervical, skin, and breast) and supplies nutrients necessary for healthy, youthful skin. (Try using your banana bread recipe and substituting pumpkin. It is delicious. I also like to make a box up of sugar free vanilla pudding, add 1 cup canned pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice and more splenda if needed–it tastes like creamy pumpkin pie, but way healthier. Also a good source of beta carotene for you are carrots and sweet potatoes.)

Wild Salmon - lowers the risk of heart disease and cancer. (Also take an Omega 3-6-9 supplement. This nutrient is thought to help depression, brain development and memory, help heart disease and prevent cancer. If you can only take one supplement, this is it. Adding in a good multi-vitamin is even better!)

Soy – helps prevent cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis, and helps relieve menopausal and menstrual symptoms. (Like corn nuts? Try soy nuts, I swear they taste the same. You don’t have to eat tofu to get soy–sprinkle edemame on your salad, eat a garden burger, or drink a soy smoothie–they taste like ice cream.)

Spinach – decreases the chance of cardiovascular diseases, a host of cancers, age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. (Stop making salads with ice berg lettuce. Seriously, just stop. It has almost no nutrition, and isn’t that why you’re eating salad?! Make a spinach salad, (best) or at least use romaine or spring greens.)

Tea – boosts the immune system, helps prevent cancer and osteoporosis, lowers the risk of stroke, promotes cardiovascular health. (In spite of all the hype, it doesn’t have to be green tea. Green tea is great, but so is regular black tea. I love this one! Love it! Try iced tea on hot days–so refreshing! Also coffee lovers take heart–there are also studies that show that coffee helps prevent diabetes, and has anti-oxidants. Freshly ground is best.)

Tomatoes– lower the likelihood of cancer, raise the skin’s sun protection factor and seem to play a role in preventing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. (Lycopene is also in watermelon and strawberries–yum!)

Turkey – a perfect example of a Twenty-First Century �healthy� protein source, extremely low in fat, and provides multiple nutrients which help build a strong immune system. (Skinless chicken white meat is good too, if you are a meat eater, and fish is so good you should have it 2-3 times a week.)

Walnuts – reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease, diabetes and cancer. (Also on the good list are peanuts, almonds, and most other nuts. Be careful with portions though, 1-2 oz are all you need. That’s about a regular handfull–not much.)

Yogurt – promotes strong bones and a healthy heart, another health promoting protein source, and a great source of calcium. (1% or fat-free dairy has also been shown to make you lose more weight for the same amount of calories)

Regardless of where you live, it is just about that time of year again. Time to start mowing your lawn again. The first time you mow, you might feel a little nostalgic for those long summer nights bathed in the scent of freshly cut grass, but soon, you will realize that you now have to mow weekly for the next four months and you are realizing how little television watching and ass sitting you will be doing on Saturday morning and how MUCH mowing and lawn maintenance you will have ahead of you.

Relax.

Lawn mowing is an art.

By following a few simple steps, you can achieve a healthier, greener and better looking lawn in no time!

- Mow in different directions. Horizontal, diagonal, vertical … mix it up each time you mow. This prevents the blades of grass from curving in a particular direction after many cuts.

- Never mow when the grass is wet.

- If you really want a flat, smooth lawn, consider purchasing law rollers and rolling them over your lawn after mowing in even, straight rows.

It is a big misconception that you should mow your lawn super short. Grass is actually healthier when it is a little bit longer.

Hines is on the mend. Slowly.

He has been on a diet of homemade chicken and rice chased with fresh water and pedialyte. Last night I gave him a quarter of one Pepto Bismol tablet because the liquid? He would not do. He returned it to me by blowing a raspberry of Pepto Bismol directly at my chest. I took that to mean that he would rather have the runs.

I have never been happier to find dog poo on my carpet than I was this morning! Hines is slowly regaining some regularity.

Because I have now dedicated two full days of readership to the maladies of my dog’s digestive system, I decided to do a little research about dogs and their intestinal problems.

Dogs can suffer from an occasional bout of diarrhea and vomiting for a variety of reasons. It can be as simple as a change in their diet, stress, or poison or a parasite. If the symptoms are minor and brief, chances are it was just an upset and nothing more. In my case, Hines is still hungry and eating, so it can’t be too bad. If a dog stops eating, take them to a doctor immediately. Refusal to eat is the number one sign that an animal is in distress.

Any changes in your pet’s habits are cause to be concerned. They are creatures of habit and therefore they develop a good amount of regularity in their habits and behaviors.

Intestinal Dog Health, read more.

Sorry for the blasting gross-out title folks … but really, when your dear little Fido has the runs, life takes on new priorities.

I picked up Hines from the kennel this morning. He spent a few days there this weekend romping and playing with dogs ten times his size. He came home a pound lighter, very tired and immediately after greeting me at the car door, he proceeded to squat on my dining room carpet.

After walking him around the neighborhood and through the woods for about thirty minutes, I brought him inside for a bath with our trusted ole’ Mrs. Meyers Dog Shampoo.

Hines ate a dinner of rice and sautéed chicken.

After that, I did some quick Internet research and discovered that dogs can have Pepto Bismol! However, cats cannot. Please note, before you give your pet any medication of any kind, it is best to consult your vet.

The Doctor’s Foster and Smith say that Pepto is safe for dogs in small amounts. Be sure to follow the dosage guidelines from a trusted website or a doctor before administering these medications to your pet.

I also mixed some pedilyte in a fresh bowl of water and he joyfully drank about half.

Right now he is resting calmly so I think the worst is past.

I’ll post a Hines update around noon tomorrow, in case you are worried.

In a recent visit to my in-laws house in Florida, we went into the guest bathroom to take a shower and found a severe lack of hot water. So severe in fact that there wasn’t any.

After a few cold showers and four people using the master bathroom shower, although, thankfully, not at the same time, my in-laws decided to have a plumber investigate the problematic faucet.

It turns out the repair, if you can even call it that was very simple. The mechanism that turns behind the hand-nozzle was stuck in place, from lack of use.

It is very common to have a bathroom in your home that you don’t use on a regular basis, except the very moment that you have guests in your home and NEED a second working shower. To avoid this common household malady, be sure to run your bathtub with hot and cold water and turn the shower on at least once a month. Twice a month is preferable.

Consider making a schedule or incorporating it into your house cleaning routine.

But!

I have a good shower cleaner.

We just moved into our house last December and in the master bathroom we have a stall shower. It seems people either love or hate a stall shower. You definitely shouldn’t hate your stall shower simply because it collects soap scum and water deposits and looks dingy.

I’ve been using Seventh Generation, Natural Citrus Scent, Shower Cleaner. It costs less than $5.00 and has a very mild natural scent. I really hate some of the overpowering toxic smells from the stronger cleaners, and this one doesn’t make you gag or need to hold your breath.

I spray it on the glass walls of my stall shower and wipe it off with a paper-towel. There is no residue or streaks left behind and it leaves my shower clean and shiny.

I highly recommend this product.

Seventh-Generation is non-toxic and biodegradable. The cleansing agents are hydrogen peroxide for stain removal and citrus-oil for grease removal.

Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund

April 16, 2007, will be remembered as one of the darkest days in the history of the Virginia Tech community and the world beyond.

To remember and honor the victims of those tragic events, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process and generate financial support.

The fund will be used to cover expenses including but not limited to:

• Grief counseling
• Memorials
• Communication expenses
• Comfort expenses
• Incidental needs

If you plan to give, please click the link below:

Do you ever wonder how much water you should be drinking each day?

Over the years studies have published varying recommended amounts.

Water is the main chemical component of your body. It accounts for 50-60% of your total weight. Every system in your body depends on water to stay moist and flush toxins.

When we don’t drink enough water, we are at risk for dehydration which can cause headache, muscle cramps, nausea, fatigue, dry mouth, dizziness, vomiting, and lead to severe problems like an irregular heartbeat, and even death.

Because we lost about 1.5 liters of water each day in urine and close to a liter of water through breathing, sweating and waste products, we have to replace what we lost. Food accounts for about 20 percent of total fluid intake. If you consume about two liters of water each day you will replace what you have lost.

However, some research shows that you should drink two to three liters of water each day to replace what you lose and to cleanse the body.

It seems rather daunting to have to drink so much water in one day, but if you space it out and drink a full glass before and after each meal and a few in between it isn’t so hard to get your recommended daily amount.

I like to carry a refillable, dishwasher-safe, plastic bottle with me and I keep it full so I can swill water at any time of day.

Pretty soon you’ll get used to drinking so much water and it will feel more unnatural to NOT drink water.

In light of the recent pet food recall this entry will detail how to go about make your own dog food.

I have four cats and a dog and the thought that the food I have been feeding them, high quality-brand foods, like Iams and Science Diet are possibly laced with harmful, fatal chemicals is absolutely overwhelming and very discouraging.

If you want to opt on the very safe side, you can prepare food for your four-legged friend fresh and from scratch in your own kitchen. Here are some instructions to follow when you set out to prepare a balanced and nutritious meal for your dog.

1. Before you change a pet’s diet, check with your vet.

2. Know that dogs need a diet that consists of about 40% meat, 30% vegetables and 30% starch. This ratio (similar to The Zone diet, ironic, no?) is recommended for all canine diets.

3. Always cook meat before serving it to your dog. Raw meat can cause illness and hold harmful bacteria.

4. While it may gross to you, organ meet, like liver and kidneys is very good for dogs. There are a lot of vitamins to be gained by eating these organs.

5. It is a well-known fact in many health-food circles that many commercial brand dog foods are very unhealthy for pets. Frequently, the meat used in these foods is considered unsuitable for human consumption.

6. Start with a mixture of ground turkey, rice and carrots for your dog food. There are also a variety of recipes that include ground beef, brown rice, brewer’s yeast and carrots.

7. Be sure to rotate the meals your dog eats so that Fido gets a variety of nutrients.

8. Add garlic to your dog food. Dogs like the flavor of garlic and it doubles as a natural flea repellant.

9. Include oatmeal, pasta, rice or potato for your dog’s starch needs.

10. You can also grind up some egg shells and add then to your dog’s meal. The eggshells have a lot of necessary nutrients.

11. Keep cooked dog food in the refrigerator and use it within three days.

12. Remember, whenever you change an animal’s diet, you risk stomach upset, including gas and diarrhea. Consider switching to homemade foods over a period of time, mixing commercial food and your homemade food.

13. NEVER EVER feed your dog chocolate.

Have you ever tried to unscrew a burned out light bulb and found it stuck in the socket?

This happens mostly outside with a porch light or in a bathroom or basement where moisture is present. Over time, the moisture gets in there and corrodes the metal just enough to cause a bit of rust to build up and before you know it, the light bulb seems permanently fixed in that socket. Occasionally, a light bulb breaks off in the socket leaving a mess of glass and an even more difficult situation.

To avoid this corrosion in the future, put a thin layer of Vaseline on the metal threads before screwing it into the socket. This will create a barrier and you will avoid moisture-induced corrosion of a light bulb in a socket.

There is this particular spot just NEXT TO my cat’s litter box where he always like to “go”.

After many futile attempts of yelling at the cat, and not feeding the cat, monitoring the cat, and driving myself directly to loony-ville, I decided to try to attack the problem at the source. The carpet itself, not the cat’s behavior.

If you have cats, then, you KNOW. Cats will go where they have gone before. Cats will poop just outside the liter box for a variety of reasons. They will do it if the box is unclean, or full, or if they are mad at you for something. Once the smell of urine and poop are on the carpet, it is very hard to remove and the pets will consider that “their spot” and continue to “go” there.

I decided to implement the best tool I have at my disposal, my brain, which is far larger and capable of much more complex thinking than my cat, at least when I’ve had a few drinks and a line or two of blow. Am kidding. I never mix my alcohol with my blow.

I bought a bottle of Nature’s Miracle carpet cleaner and put it in an empty spray bottle. After vacuuming the carpeted area thoroughly, I sprayed the entire area and let it sit for about twenty minutes before vacuuming. The instructions on the bottle advise to use a brush to rub the stained areas, which I did not do this time. I was more concerned with getting the smell out of the carpet, hence, the thorough soaking.

This morning? Clean carpet. However, this experiment will need a few more days and perhaps weeks to truly gather all the results. I plan to scrub the carpet with a brush this week, in attempt to lift the stains from previous carpet cleaners.

To Be Continued ….

nature’s miracle, cat poop on the carpet, pet stains, carpet stains

Are you sneezing and coughing this time of year? It is SPRING and the trees are blossoming, the flowers blooming and the grasses are growing out of control. While this makes a great hillside photo, it can be real hell on you sinuses.

If you or anyone in your home tends to suffer from any kind of seasonal allergy, consider changing your air filter a few extra times during this high-pollen season.

It is well worth your money to get the best quality filter there is. Not only will you benefit from fewer particles and pollen in your air, your house will have less dust on surfaces, and it is more energy efficient.

It is also a good idea to try to change your filter every three months throughout the year.

airfilter, air filter, filtrete, allergies, house maintenance

We’ve all had that dreaded morning after. I am not referring to the walk of shame, but rather, that pounding, throbbing headache, the churning yucky feeling in your stomach and the unbeatable urge to just go back to sleep in a very dark room for a very long time.

There are some things you can do to feel better sooner:

1. DRINK WATER. Alcohol dehydrates your body. That’s why you pee a lot no matter how much you drink. In fact, I’m such a dork that I get a big glass of water and drink it with a beer or glass of wine to avoid being dehydrated the next day. So, drink up! The water that is.

2. If your stomach feels like it will roll over if you breathe wrong, or if you are already horking, stick with the BRAT diet, bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. If you can eat, try something bland with some protein, fat and carbs, evenly mixed, like scrambled eggs, toast and a banana. Coffee and tea will only further dehydrate you, so try to stick with water, milk or juice.

3. Take an over the counter pain reliever like Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, Motrin or Aspirin.

4. Rest. (This is where you can assume that I am advising you to stay home from work and sleep.)

5. If you think it is time, or your alcohol drinking has gotten to a point of negatively impacting your work or relationships, consider visiting Alcoholics Anonymous, by clicking here.

I came home the other night to find my lower level smoke detector beeping in that incessant every-thirty-seconds-beep-thing it does when it needs a new diaper or wants to be burped, or maybe just have its battery changed.

As I am the husband in my marriage (please note: I am female. All female. Born, raised and practicing.) I dutifully got the step ladder and began my inspection.

I managed to remove the alarm from the ceiling but soon found that it only dangled about one inch from because it is hard-wired into the house power.

I totally swore there was no battery in the damn alarm. But? NOTHING made the beeping stop. And, poor Gromit the cat had began to walk into wall every ten steps.

Then I did what any bride-to-be would do if her fiancée was standing right there while she was struggling with the smoke detector. I called my Daddy. He told me that if there really isn’t a battery back-up then I would need to find the breaker that controls that specific smoke detector and turn off the power and then disconnect the wires. Urgh!

I squeezed the plugs on the wire connector and on my last tug, it came free. It wasn’t until after thorough examination of the alarm and planning my trip to Home Depot did I find that there was a small little battery door.

Battery back-up!

Battery back-up!

The battery inside was most likely the original battery used upon installation. FIVE years ago.

We just bought the house in December, and, I haven’t gotten around to all those details quite yet. It is recommended that you change the batteries in your smoke detector each time you turn the clocks ahead or back for Daylight Savings Time.

I had one extra 9 volt battery and was able to change it and reinstall the fixture in a matter of minutes. It was a simple maintenance issue and I’m glad it happened. Now, I have to replace three other batteries as well in other detectors.

Safety Reminder: Change the batteries in your smoke detector! If you can’t remember the last time you did it, or if you just bought a home, DO IT NOW. It could totally save your life.

smoke detector, batteries, 9 volt, household safety, house fire, smoke alarm