WFMW- Making lists June 18, 2008

Hello all.  Thank you for take a moment to pop over to my blog!

     On to my WFMW tip for the day.

     I am a list person. 

     I make lists for everything.

     It seems that one reason some people who are not list people, yet who want to be, is that they will leave so much off of their list that the list then doesn’t do them any good. 

     One trick I use for making my list is that I go through, mentally, whatever I am making the list for.

     For example, in a few weeks or so we will be taking a trip.  To pack my toiletries I will mentally go through me taking a shower and getting dressed afterwards.   What did I use in the shower and after while getting ready?  It only takes a few seconds and helps me not to leave anything off the list that I will need.

     I make lists for our clothing, toiletries, first aid/ medicinal items, travel snacks and such.

     Once you have made your first list keep it as a master list.  Some trips require the basics while others require more specialized items but you know you will always have a list to start from. 

Hope this tip was helpful!

For more WFMW visit Rocks in My Dryer.

WFMW- Poster ironing. June 11, 2008

Really! 

     As homeschoolers we have a LOT of posters.  We do not have any where near enough wall space for all of the posters so I have to change them out from time to time.

     Some of the posters that are stored a little wrinkled and crinkled which makes the hard to hang back on the wall.  They also don’t look so great.

     To help flatten then back out you can iron them!  Put the iron on a medium setting and iron through a hand towel. 

     When I find a particularly tough wrinkle I will give a little shot of steam.  The towel protects the poster.  Does the poster look just like it did brand new?  No.  But it does look a whole lot better and it will hang flat against the wall again.

     Happy ironing!

Want for WFMW?  Visit Rocks in My Dryer.

WFMW- killing boredom June 4, 2008

Shannon has given us the task of combating boredom.

My children have learned not to tell me, “I’m bored”.   There is always something to do.  Dusting, folding laundry, wiping the counters, sweeping, pulling weeds, making smaller rocks out of bigger rocks with a sewing needle…- I am just kidding on that last one.  :)  LOL 

But, there are other things we do that the kids (and Mr. Muscles and I) really enjoy:

1.  Play doh.  You can make your own and create whole worlds

2.  Painting.  By taking the painting outside it really helps keep down the mess.  The kids get inspired by what they see and get creative.

3.  State parks.  Most of the State Parks are free to go to.  Once there you can hike, identify different flora and fauna and meriweather.  Opps- ixnay the meriweather.  :)  You can print nature scavenger hunt lists off of the computer and then go on a scavenger hunt while there. 

4.  Making beads and figures from modeling clay.  You can let it air dry then paint them.  The beads can be made into jewelry while the figurines can be played with.

5.  Take a trip to a local farm and learn more about what they do there.

6.  Spend some time at the library.   Our library has a summer reading program our kids look forward to participating in.

7.  Put up a tent in the backyard.  The kids play in there for hours!

Those are just a few of the things that we do. 

What do you do with your kids to chase off boredom?

Visit Rocks in My Dryer for more ideas!

WFMW May 21, 2008

I want to share a great little tip on fixing water swollen wood. 

You know, when a piece of wood furniture has a spot where it soaked up water and is now puffed up.  Aggravating! 

I have to give credit where credit is due.  My mom accidentally discovered this several years ago and it has been a huge help several times.

Her dining room table had a spot about 2 inches by 2 inches that was swollen from a drink glass left overnight. 

While ironing she placed a dish towel on the table to put the iron on while she adjusted the clothing.  The iron fell over on its front (hot side down) on top of the towel.  She didn’t realize it at first and it sat there about a full minute.  When she picked up the iron and the towel the swollen spot was gone!  The heat had absorbed the water into the towel! 

Sometimes it can take a full 2 minutes or so.  It depends on the size of the spot.  Hold the iron on the cloth but remember to pick it up periodically so it does not burn the material.   The iron should be on the cotton setting and the towel should be a cotton towel. 

This has saved several coffee tables, end tables and dressers! 

For more tips pop over to Rocks in My Dryer and click away!

 

WFMW May 14, 2008

Happy WFMW all!

My Works For Me Wednesday tip came about from my Tackle it Tuesday. 

One of our dogs is a big, fluffy, puffy, thick fur, fluffy, lots of fur kind of dog.  Did I mention he has a LOT of fur?  Well, he does. 

Both of our dogs got baths yesterday and a brushing. 

Morpheus, the overly furry and fluffy dog, gets a weekly brushing to keep up with his shedding.  It takes a long time to brush him well. 

Yesterday, after bathing him,  I decided to go ahead and brush him even though he was not dry. 

Oh my word!  It was so much easier!!  The fur was letting go so much easier, it was not flying everywhere and it took barely anytime.  What a huge difference! 

He hasn’t been shedding big puffs of fur everywhere.  That is such a blessing.

So, if you have a fluffy (or shedding) dog who is in need of a serious brushing, brush him/ her when he/she is wet.  The brushing is much quicker and much more effective!

Well, that is my WFMW tip.  Have one?  Share it over at Rocks in My Dryer.

Don’t forget to leave me a comment so I can come visit you!

WFMW- lessons-learned-the-hard-way May 7, 2008

Oh man, do we all have lessons we have learned the hard way. 

You get a tip on how fantastically it worked for someone else, you try it, and then disaster! 

Things should not be allowed to work that way.

What has not worked for me?

Getting up really early suggestions.  I know moms who have half of their daily to-do’s accomplished by 6:30 am.  I am not one of those moms.  Don’t get me wrong.  I do not sleep my day away or anything but I am by no means a get-up-before-the-sun-and-conquer-the-world kind of girl.  I conquer the world after 7 am. 

Swiffer wet jet.  I do realize how sanitary it is to be able to throw away the pad but it just cannot clean the edges of the floor, the cracks (or grout) in tile and baseboards.  It just doesn’t seem to work as well as an old fashioned scrubbing.  I use an industrial string mop and wash the head.  It is a washcloth to clean the baseboards and edges.

So, what doesn’t work for you? 

Pop over to Rocks in My Dryer to read more “didn’t work” and leave a few of your own!

Have a blessed day,

~Rhen

WFMW- Compost Tea April 30, 2008

It is warm outside.  The sun is shining and spring has very much settled in down here in the deep south.

  What does that mean?  I am in full gardening mode, baby!  I love gardening.  I love the flowers, the fresh food and watching as the plants grow. 

Do you have a black thumb or maybe a brown one?  Is it a little green but you are looking for supergreen?  LOL  I have a great little recipe for you to use on your plants that will help them to grow and thrive. 

It is called compost tea.  It can also be manure tea.  Both are excellent.

What you need is compost.  Rich, black, healthy compost.  If you do not have a compost pile then you can buy bags of compost at your local  home improvement store. 

You will also need a pair of pantyhose and a 5 gallon bucket.   Cut the pantyhose off at right about the knee area so you have two individual legs.

Fill the 5 gallon bucket up with water.  Your best choice is rain water if you collect it. 

Next, you fill the bottom 5-6 inches of one of the feet of the pantyhose with compost and loosely tie the top of it. 

Then, allow the pantyhose of compost to steep in the water just like you would do with a tea bag and a cup of water.  It is best to let it steep in the sun.  The heat makes it stronger.  Allow it to steep for 24-36 hours.  Periodically move your “tea bag” around to release more nutrients. 

Now the “tea” is ready to be fed to your plants.  You can either have someone strong enough carry the bucket around or you can dip the liquid gold out with a smaller bucket. 

Pour the “tea” directly around the roots of the plants and not on the top of them. 

If your bellpeppers have buds on them or are blooming do NOT fertilize them.  You will have big, beautiful plants but no peppers!  Only fertilize them when they are young. 

I prefer to use a mixture of manure and compost to make my “tea”.  70% compost and 30% manure in pantyhose.  The plants just thrive on it.  You can also buy composted manure at your local home improvement store. 

In addition to compost and manure you can also use worm castings and/ or fish emulsifier.

Do you have a tip to share with others?  Would you like a whole bunch of great advice?  Pop over to Rocks in My Dryer and check it out!

WFMW- big, bad slugs April 23, 2008

     The weather is getting warmer and more people are getting outside to plant some of their favorite summer staples like: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, beans and such.  Not only are you waiting to bite into your yummy fruits and veggies but so are many other bugs! 

     One of the big offenders are slugs.  They are nasty, slimy things.  Here are a couple of ways to help save your plants from slugs. 

1.  Next time someone gets a trim, save the hair.  Sprinkle the hair trimmings on the ground around the plant.  Slugs won’t cross it. 

2.  Set up a beer trap.  Put a shallow dish of beer in the area where slugs are a problem.  They are attracted to it.  Once on the dish to get the beer they drown and die.  Haha!

3.  Do not sprinkle table salt around your plants to kill slugs.  Yes, it will kill slugs but it will also kill your plants.  Epsom salt is good for plants (not too much Epsom salt though) but table salt is not.  You can sprinkle Epsom salt if you choose but it is usually hit or miss with the slugs.

What tip do you have to share?  Looking for lots more great wisdom?  Head over to Rocks in My Dryer!

 

WFMW- kids cleaning up their stuff April 16, 2008

     It is Wednesday and that means it is WFMW!  I love doing this and popping over to Rocks in My Dryer to go click happy, reading all kinds of great tips. 

     My tip for this week is one that I “borrowed” from another blogger.  It has worked so well for me that I had to pass it on.  What better way than WFMW?!

.

     I have been implementing (and passing on) all kinds of great tips for getting our children to help clean up around the house.  They are doing a much better job on everywhere except their own bedrooms.  Those areas seem to be the lowest priority for them.  Go figure.  LOL  Anywho, after reading this post, I decided to implement the better-get-it-up-by-bedtime-or-it-is-gone strategy.  It has worked marvelously! 

.

     As the name suggests, the children have until bedtime to get their clothing, toys and stuff put away and off of the floor by bedtime.  I give them a ten minute warning and then a 5 minute warning.  If I am feeling a little generous I will give a 1 minute warning as well. 

.

     Once they are in bed I go around the house, concentrating on their bedrooms, and gather up anything that they have not taken care of.  After gathering up 3 trash bags of stuff the first night, they have done an excellent job ever since.  Anything confiscated may be given away, thrown away, freecycled or sold.  That part is up to Mr. Muscles and I. 

     Well, that is my WFMW tip.   Got one?  Head over to Rocks In My Dryer and share it if you haven’t all ready.

Have a blessed week,

~Rhen

     

WFMW- Greatest Hits Theme April 1, 2008

 

     This WFMW is a themed one and that theme is…….

                                              “Greatest Hits”  Tada! 

     Ok, Shannon- I guess this is my favorite WFMW tip I have posted so far:

     My WFMW tip this week is about defrizzing and detangling hair. 

     I have 5 girls and a couple of them are extremely tenderheaded.  Detanglers are great but can be expensive to keep buying and they always run out when you need them most. 

     So, what do I do?  I make my own!  All you need is a small squirt bottle, water and hair conditioner.  Put about 1 1/2 tablespoons of conditioner in the bottle, add water and gently shake until it is fully mixed together.  This can be used on wet hair as a detangler or on dry hair to detangle and control frizz.  A spritz or two can calm static problems as well.

     Do you have a great tip to share?  Need a few tips?  Head over to Rocks in My Dryer and see what other people are saying.

All for His glory, ~Rhen

Leave a comment with a link to your blog so I can come and visit!

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway or maybe check out my new poll at the top of the page. 

Oh- one more “ps”- does anyone know what site I can find the I make milk.  What’s your superpower?  tshirts at?  Thanks!