Cleaning the garbage disposal without harsh chemicals
Recently, on my local mommy forum, I saw someone post about cleaning the garbage disposal. It can get pretty nasty. So, how do I clean it without using harsh chemicals?
1. I put white vinegar in an ice cube tray and freeze it over night.
2. I sprinkle baking soda down into the disposal area.
3. I place about 5-6 white vinegar cubes in the disposal and turn it on. I let it run until it is all chopped up.
4. I run hot hot water down the drain to rinse.
You can store the extra cubes in a ziploc bag in the freezer to use for next time.
Vinegar… it’s many uses!!!!
I love White Vinegar. I have used it for so many things… first, I began with using it to aid in treating thrush when the kids were babies. Soon, I started using it when washing cloth diapers. Then, it became the main cleaning item. I used it with baking soda to clean the bathroom (tubs), the kitchen, the kids high chairs, when steam cleaning the carpet, etc. I LOVE it!!!!!
Today a friend posted a great site… it shows many uses for vinegar, including whitening your teeth!!!!! I love this site and am sure to check back often!
1001 Uses for Vinegar
Check it out!!!!!!
Cool alternate for the summer splash pool
Thursday was sunny and hot. Like most summer days here in NC. We are down to one vehicle, currently. So, I needed to find a fun activity for the kids. We play in the little plastic pool and our little splash yard most days. They were a little bored with that. Seems you get a few days of fun play, then they want something new.
So, I got out a bunch of cups and poured the freezer full of ice in the cooler. I dumped a bunch in the pool and had them catch the cubes. Then, I opened the cooler and let them take turns getting cup fulls. They poured them from one cup to another, ate ice, put ice down the slide, etc. They had a blast, for HOURS!!!!!! I will definitely keep this in mind for a “hot day” activity!!!!!
Quick twin potty tip
If potty training twins, make sure you have TWO potties! And try to get the same ones. Inevitably, when one has to go, the other does too! Also, have a small portable one that you can take ANYWHERE! This helps when traveling to parks, etc.
Potty training on the go!
So, my kids have been potty training over the last few weeks… and are OVERALL doing AWESOME!!!! I really think having been in cloth diapers instead of disposables made a lot of the difference.
Anyway, we have finally been going on a few outings. At home I just dump the potty chair in the toilet or bushes and give it a rinse. I hadn’t thought of being out somewhere and having to dump it. You can’t just dump it in the parking lot! (or I don’t think you can anyway ;))
So, I read a tip somewhere and thought I would try it out! When you are out on the go, carry some of your old disposables with you. When they have finished going, put the diaper, inside down into the diaper to soak up the stuff. You could use cloth diapers too! Then, you can just wrap them up and handle them how you normally would.
I tried this and it works WONDERS!!!!!! I’m so glad I found this out in the early stages! No pee/poo sloshing around in my van!!!!!
Thrush in baby or while breastfeeding
Though I quit breast feeding months ago, I still remember the period when we had thrush. Zane never got it, but Bree had it on and off for about 6 weeks. I also got it. It basically felt like someone stabbing a shishkabob skewer in my nipples. Not a pretty picture! Nor a pretty memory. Anyway, This is what I finally found that works. Hopefully, it will help you, if you are experiencing the same.
Wipe the baby’s mouth out with white vinegar on a cloth a few times a day. It nuetralizes the yeast beasties. Also, wipe your breasts, if you are breast feeding. She won’t like either, but it is safe. Try to wear breast pads to avoid contact with your bra. Wash the bra you wear for the day in hot water at the end of the day. You can also add a bit of grapefruit seed extract to help kill yeast from your bra.
Take acidophalis a few times a day. This is what is in yogurt. It will also help nuetralize.
On you breasts, put a mixture of hydrocortizone cream, monistate (or some yeast infection cream), and bacitracine. Put it on after feeding.This will soothe and help kill the yeast. You can wipe it off with white vinegar before feeding, though it won’t hurt the babies. I used this triple concoction every time my breasts would start being sensitive at the nipples. This is a safe triple mixture and helps when EVER you start having nipple pain while breast feeding.
My lactation consultant gave me these tips. You want to do what you can immediately before the yeast gets out of hand. We battled it for about 6 weeks. It was excruciating! I don’t want you to get to that point.
Good luck! If your boobs are sore, then there is little doubt that you both have it. For babies, you will see a white coating on the tongue or spots of white on the throat, gums, or cheeks. Hopefully, these things will help cure and prevent further problems.
Redbox code!!!!!
Today is the FREE Redbox code day!!!!!! You still have to scan your debit or credit card, but you won’t be charged. You can use multiple cards and get multiple rents! The code will expire at 11:59, tonight. Anyway, here it is… I’ll try to remember to post again next Monday!
4J7LF6
Simple/cheap bedrails!!!!!!
Dee moved R to a toddler bed. The first night R fell out of the bed REPEATEDLY! She bought rails, but found they didn’t fit. So, I suggested she get 3 swim noddles, tape them together, and insert them under the sheets. She found some 3 for $5 at Kroger and did just that. It worked like a charm!!!! R no longer falls out of the bed, she can climb over them to get out in the morning, and they can take them, easily, when they travel!!!!!!!
On the way to being potty trained!!!!!
So, the Wondertwins are 27 months. A little early for potty training, for the average here in the USA. However, one of the many advantages of cloth diapering is that kids potty train on average of 1-2 years before others! We have had the potty chairs out for awhile now. Then last week my friend, who has 2 1/2 year old twins, said she was ready to start training. So, we decided to jump on the band wagon.
Zane started by going pee in the potty several times on Monday. So, I sent him and DH to the store to get some “Spiderman” underwear. Right after they left, Bree started crying that she wanted princess panties.
So, on Tuesday we went back to the store to purchase more for both… and they have been in panties/underwear since! We are still doing diapers at nap and bed, but the rest of the day, we are out of diapers.
They have been doing pretty good. Bree is best at pooping in the potty, but doesn’t really care to pee in it much. Zane can pee in the potty just about any time he is asked to sit down. Yesterday he just had 1 pee and 2 poop accidents… he isn’t much for pooping in the potty yet.
My opinion… if you want to potty train, SKIP the pull ups!!!! They are just diapers you can pull up and down! They still don’t really feel the pee. Why am I starting my kids so early? They were cloth diapered. They are use to feeling that wet warm feeling and know what it means. Disposables wick away the moisture… So, kids don’t really feel it.
While we won’t be fully potty trained for a bit, the kids are doing AWESOME!!!!! We are giving chocolate graham bears from Whole Foods as a treat (though DH found them last night and took care of about 3/4 of the bag 
). They are excited an have been making it to the potty more than not. We also have a little b’jorn potty that we move around. So, the potty is always really nearby, making less chance for accidents!
It certainly isn’t SIMPLE with twins, but it is going much easier than I thought. Anyway, wish us LUCK!!!!!
A tip for cooling kid’s food in a hurry
My kids have recently taken a liking to oatmeal. Zane especially. He asks for it at every meal.
Anyway, today, like most days, they had it for breakfast. I wasn’t paying attention, and got the water too hot. So, after mixing the oatmeal and water to the right consistency, I added a handful of frozen blueberries to each child’s bowl full. The berries cooled the oatmeal down immediately, and I didn’t have to worry about giving them other fruit with their breakfast!
You can do the same to hot soup or spaghetti! Just add a handful of frozen corn or peas!
