Keep the Kids Busy until the School Bus comes

My grandchildren are driving my eldest nuts. It's too hot, it's boring, etc. Yep, it's the Dog Days of Summer. Here are a few ideas to keep them busy until that glorious day when the bus comes.

Copy and keep this picture. I want to melt a few Peeps myself.

Lena Austin

http://www.lenaaustin.com/

Charity Work for Crafters/Seamstresses

**Permission to Forward Granted and Encouraged**

I'm participating in the Million Pillowcase Challenge and I'm inviting my friends to join me. You can learn more here:
http://www.oldegreencupboard.com/1millionpillowcases.html

You can even pick up free patterns (There's a basic one for those who can do straight seams only *coughMerriPhoenixcough*) by clicking on the picture of the little girl or the link below:

http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/millionpillowcases/freepatterns/index.html

Please join us in giving to those who have faced disaster, abuse and heartbreak by giving them something handmade and cleaning out our fabric piles at the same time.

Send me pictures with your pillowcases so I can count them. The person who sends me a picture with the most will win one of my signed print books, Unicorn Valley.

Lena Austin
http://www.LenaAustin.com
Writing blog: http://depravedduchess.blogspot.com
Recipe and Pagan blog: http://third-infinity.blogspot.com
Low Carb Diet blog: http://fatfrogdiary.blogspot.com

Play Clay-- Non-toxic clay for the kids (and Mom)

My grandchildren are into the colorful but foul-smelling Play-Dough products. I can remember my own kids getting the stuff into the carpets, and how I worried over the harsh chemicals. At one point, I had a salt recipe for making a homemade dough. This is the closest I've found. Nice part is, this one dries hard as a rock. Thank you, Arm and Hammer!


Play Clay
Welcome to the Amazing World of Play Clay™, the homemade modeling clay that becomes permanent after drying. Three simple ingredients you’ll find in your kitchen combine for virtually unlimited creative possibilities for kids of any age. Great for rainy days, birthday parties and class activities. Since it’s made of foodstuffs, it’s safe, non-toxic and economical! And don’t forget the importance of adult supervision, especially with young children.

What can you do with Play Clay?

Roll it, cut it, shape it, mold it, squeeze it! Use Play Clay to make decorations and ornaments, jewelry and gifts, magnets and boxes! And more! To get more great ideas, print out our Amazing World of Play Clay brochure.

Play Clay Recipe (Adult supervision required!)

2 cups ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda
1 cup corn starch
1-1/4 cups cold water (add food coloring to color clay)

STIR together ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda and Corn Starch in saucepan. Add water and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches consistency of moist mashed potatoes (approximately 10-15 minutes). If clay is cooked too long, finished crafts may crack. REMOVE mixture to plate and cover with a damp cloth. When Play Clay is cool enough to handle, pat until smooth. Now you’re ready to make fun shapes!

DRYING:

Air: Place finished objects on wire rack. Dry overnight (8 hours).

Oven: Pre-heat oven to lowest setting. Turn oven off , then place finished objects on a cookie sheet in oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

Microwave: Place finished object on paper towel. Bake at medium power for 30 seconds; turn crafts over and bake for 30 seconds more. Repeat until Play Clay is completely dry. Let cool before handling.

DECORATING: Colored Clay -- When mixing Play Clay recipe, substitute food color for some of the water to create fun, festive colors. Paint -- Paint dry pieces with water color, poster or acrylic paints. Apply glitter to wet paint. Use felt-tip pens or waterproof marker for drawing and glue to apply details.

Decorative Elements -- Many objects found around the house and yard will help create unique Play Clay crafts. Use buttons or coins to imprint a pattern on a craft. Or accent a design with beads, macaroni, leaves, shells or bark. Either place the decorations on Play Clay while it’s soft or apply with glue to dried craft.

FINISHING: Protect finished Play Clay objects with clear acrylic spray paint or clear nail polish.

STORING: Store any unused Play Clay for up to one week. Simply place in a tightly sealed plastic bag or container and refrigerate. Do not freeze. Bring to room temperature before using.

Lena

Amazing Savings Using Vinegar

In light of the harsh economic times and the fad of going green, I decided to take another look at the many uses of common household products like vinegar and baking soda instead of harsh and expensive chemicals.

This article gives a lovely overview of vinegar:
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/amazing-vinegar-house.html

I've done the vinegar soak for my hand-held shower head, and the results of its overnight soak in a bucket of vinegar and water were amazing!

I'd forgotten some of the uses, such as the vinegar solution for pet stains. However, you've never had a shinier sink until you scrub with baking soda and a wet sponge, rinse, and then shine up with vinegar! Talk about scrubbing bubbles if you missed a spot in the rinse. LOL!

I've even used vinegar as a hair rinse when I'm preparing for chemical services, like hair coloring. The vinegar breaks down any hard water deposits and chlorine from my hair.

Speaking of the bathroom, I stopped paying for expensive exfoliating scrubs. Baking soda and water is not only safer for my skin and the environment, but afterwards, I can add vinegar to the drain to keep my pipes clear. The bubbling action between the baking soda and vinegar is great.

Here in Florida, insects can be a real problem, especially mosquitoes. I spray vinegar on myself, and not only is it refreshingly cool as it evaporates, but mosquitoes find the "taste" of vinegar repulsive and are less likely to bite.

Replacing liquid fabric softener with vinegar works, too. I've done it. 3/4 of a cup in your fabric softener dispenser does the job. For my dispenser, I put in the vinegar, then fill the rest with water. I haven't used dryer sheets since I discovered this method. What's more, I have less soap residue on my clothes and they look brighter! It also removes cigarette odor from clothing. My nose thanks vinegar for that alone when I go green further and hang clothes out on the line instead of using the dryer.

Best use for baking soda-- relieving acid indigestion. My DH is prone to indigestion. Until I had my LapBand, I suffered from acid reflux. The inexpensive solution as opposed to often ineffective tablets? Baking soda in water, aka old-fashioned sodium bicarbonate. Guess our grandparents were pretty darn smart. Just follow the directions on the box. Gag it down --yes, I know, it's not pleasant-- and within half an hour the soda and the excess acid in your stomach will neutralize each other with a loud burp! (You know, acid plus alkaline...didn't everyone take science in high school?) Unless you take the soda with you, you'll be home and can burp loudly. What? You'd rather be in pain?

Ever brushed your teeth with a baking soda paste? Try it sometime. Yes, it whitens your teeth, too. You're paying how much to have the dentist do this?

More uses for vinegar here: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/vinegar/
Ten uses for baking soda here: http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/10-new-uses-for-baking-soda-10000001030037/index.html (I didn't know about the deoderant!)

Arm and Hammer had this great idea for the sneakers, but I'm doing it for those smelly work boots! Steel toe boot reek! I wouldn't mind making these and changing out the baking soda once a month, just to get rid of the stench. Bet it would work for gym bags, too.


Sneaker Peekers
This fun craft does double duty. Kids will have a blast decorating these zany creatures – and then the ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda will go to work deodorizing those smelly sneakers!

What You Need:
1 new, white athletic sock (mid-calf size)
1 cup ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda
1 rubber band
6" ribbon or stringfelt, markers, buttons, and glue for decorating!

How to Make it:

1. Lay newspaper down on your work surface.
2. Fill the sock with 1 cup ARM & HAMMER® Baking Soda.
3. Secure with rubber band.
4. Tie ribbon around rubber band, cut off extra sock (cuff area).
5. Decorate! Use Felt, Markers, Buttons, Sequins, etc. to make your Sneaker Peeker an animal, a monster, a flower! Anything goes!
6. Stick them in your sneakers overnight for fresh shoes in the morning!

Remember the importance of adult supervision, especially with young children.