Monday, January 31, 2011

A few recipes and tips

I've been thinking of making a post like this for a little while, and a couple of weeks ago all us girls got the dreaded stomach bug and I found a couple more recipes.  

Of course we got the stomach bug while Matt was out of town and I didn't have any Pedialyte or Gatorade on hand, so I found these recipes for both.    I substituted lemon juice for the Kool-aid as the lemon juice version was almost clear (which helps when there is a high probability that is coming back up....no need for stains, right??!!).  

Here is the Gatorade one:

  • 10 tbs. sugar (5/8 cups or 120 grams)
  • .75 tsp Sea salt (4.2 grams) or Morton's lite
  • 1 package of unsweetened Kool-aid mix for flavor  (Again I used 2-4 Tbs lemon juice instead of Kool-aid)
  • Water to make 2 liters

Here is the Pedialyte one......almost the  same as above plus baking soda.
  • 4 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3 Tbsp sugar or honey
  • 1/2 tsp salt
One this one only use honey if child is old enough to consume honey.  Can also use lemon juice or 1/2 packet of Kool-aid for flavor.

Ok this next recipe is random, but it works great and easy to have all on hand.  I copied this from another blog I've read.

Natural Disinfectant Spray

This disinfecting solution is green, easy on the nose, and very cheap! Vinegar, tea tree oil, and lemon oil all have antimicrobial properties.

1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
10 drops tea tree oil *
6 drops lemon oil *

*Find tea tree oil and lemon oil at Central Market or a health food store. They seem a little expensive, but you only need a tiny bit, so they last forever.

Combine all ingredients in a spray bottle. Spray directly on the surface to be cleaned and wipe with a paper towel or old rag (a greener option).

I use this solution wherever I would use Lysol disinfectant wipes (cleaning the toilet, washing the counter after cutting meat, etc.) I keep my old wash cloths and towels to use as rags. They are actually better for washing windows/mirrors than paper towels--much less streaky. --Sarah
Last two tips are for laundry and fighting stains....and boy do we do a lot of that around here!

One of my really smart friends told me how she has a bucket that she keeps on her dryer filled about half-way of water and one scoop of Baby Oxi-Clean powder.  This works really well when you have a baby who is always having blow-outs!...but just throw stained pieces in bucket and let soak for up to a week.  Really works great.  

I love the Baby Oxi-clean spray as well.  I can almost anything out with that.  If I can't with the spray, I boil water, put garment in a bowl, pour hot water (enough to cover) and then sprinkle with Baby Oxi-Clean powder...let soak to 30 minutes (this may slightly fade material, but my take is better slightly faded than stained).  I've gotten two year old stains out by using this method.  Oh and for some reason the Baby Oxi-clean works better than the regular, and you can find the powder and spray at Target in the baby section (with all of bath soaps) or at Babies R Us.

Well just thought I'd share that randomness....would love to hear any of yours!!!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Mr. Handsome





At least this is what this mama calls her baby.  Wiley is 8 weeks today, so here are his stats:  weight - 16lbs, height - 25in.  he is pretty much off the charts with both...aka little chubby.  He has the cutest belly and I love it!  He is such a good baby, with a very mild manner (for the time being at least, but I'll take it!).  He is just growing so fast,  I want to savor every moment!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Ducks

The other day we stopped to feed the ducks. The girls love doing this. We were all busy throwing our bread in the water, then I looked down to see Hadley...minus her shirt and almost her pants, saying "I wanna go with ducks!". Mind you it was about 56 degrees! Boy she keeps us on our toes!!