Finally!  After several months of tweaking, fine tuning, dumping out and starting all over and many, many soapy overflows onto the kitchen floor (one spill in particular comes to mind – sorry ’bout your ass babe!)….I have done it!  Well, at least I think I’ve done it.  I never had a dishwasher in my home until we moved here.  I just always felt like they were energy and water wasters.  We never really even talked about getting one in our old place and when we bought this house, I figured I’d do with mine what my Grandma did with hers.  She kept her booze in it.  But once I had the chance to fire that baby up and take her on a test drive…I was smitten!  I love my dishwasher and all that she does for me!  I make sure I run full loads (I can pack a dishwasher like no one else…trust.) and I only run it once a day and sometimes skip a day or two.  But what I hate the most is buying dishwasher soap.  First, it’s super expensive if you buy green-detergents and second I feel like I waste it.  I am a little, ehem, heavy handed so when I squirt the stuff in to the cup…I fill that sucker to the brim.  And the other little cup gets a full squirt as well.  I was buying Seventh Generation in bulk from Amazon and felt like we were saving some money..but there had to be a way to do it cheaper.  So I started my quest for the perfect formula for homemade dishwasher soap.  I think this one is the best by far so I wanted to share.  Feel free to try it out and let me know what you think!  If you come up with different ingredients or measurements, let me know cuz I want to check them out too!

Sals Suds Homemade Dishwasher Soap

1/2 cup Sals Suds

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup water

3 tbsp lemon juice

couple of drops of your fave essential oil  (I used tea tree)

How pretty is that?

I use about 1tbsp per load or two if I’m washing pots and pans.  Play around with the amounts and see what is best for your dishwasher.  You should be able to get about 48 loads if you use 1 tablespoon.  I also use straight vinegar for my rinse aid..no diluting with water.  It’ll get plenty of water with the dishwasher running!  Not only does the vinegar do a great job rinsing the dishes – it gives your washer a good cleaning at the same time.  Good luck and let me know how this works for you!

Naturally yours, Dallas

Just a quickie today.  Have you ever wondered what those produce codes on the fruits/veggies mean?  I was thinking about yesterday while in the local Harry Tweeter and though I’d do a quick scan today to see what I could come up with. So here goes:

• Organic produce stickers start with a 9 and have 5 numbers

• Conventional produce has 4 numbers

• GM (genetically modified) produce have 5 numbers like organic produce but start with the number 8 so be particularly cautious of those fruits and vegetables

I found this little gem of info on the Green Mom Review site.  I’ve never seen her site before but looks to be pretty helpful so be sure to bookmark and visit when you can!

Naturally yours, Dallas

Yes.  I’ve completely lost my mind.  I have decided to start “homeschooling” Kiran three mornings a week using the Montessori method.   It’s not really “school” as much as it is complete and total mayhem, including destruction of property (the house), tornado force toddler-made messes, a little graffiti, a couple of tears (mine) and several time outs.  BUT today was a breakthrough.  Today was awesome.  Magical even.  Today I had an “a ha moment”.  We started right away before breakfast with working with blocks and playdough.  Then we moved into the kitchen for dry pouring activities, bird watching and breakfast.  He was amamzing!  He was smiling and laughing and I was NOT pulling all of my hair out as I quietly searched for any leftover xanax.  OH NO!  Today was THE day.  Today was the day that for a split second I thought, “I could homeschool him forever.”  Then.  It happened.  After repeatedly being told to NOT open the sliding door and go out on the deck.  (All reprimanding done with smiles and gentle encouragement.)  He stood in doorway, half his body in the house and the other half on the deck.  And then shot me a raspberry.  HE. CHALLENEGED. ME.

Little shit.  Oh and he also bit me on his way to time out.  Sort of like a drive-by biting.  Here’s a picture of the wild man from this morning.  All in all we did have a wonderful morning which included a two hour play at the park!

Naturally yours, Dallas

OMG am I sick!  I’ve picked up Nugget’s cold (how could I not with the excessive wiping of boogers on me) and I feel really rotten.  And as disgusting as juicing/blending sounds to me right now – I know I need it and I know it’ll make me feel better!  So here is the smoothie of the day.

red cabbage (sweet taste)

carrots (just cuz)

red pepper (nasal congestion)

ginger (anti just about everything – said to kill strep on contact )

tomatoes (antioxidants)

blueberries (antioxidants)

banana (potassium)

honey (sore throat)

celery (about to go bad!)

cukes (super watery so no need to use water/fruit juice in blender)

tumeric (chest congestion)

2 tbsp of Berry Boost (extra greens/berries and probiotic)

Juice the veggies and then toss the juice and fruit into the blender and let’er rip!

Naturally yours, Dallas

Wonder how vaccines are handled in other countries?  Here is an article on the how childhood vaccines are handled in Japan in contrast to the US.  Hmmmm…whacha think?  PS  I think there are a few good tips in here as well for us.  Take their temp before receiving vax.  Note all changes in your kid after they receive their shots.  And don’t be afraid to ask questions and slow things down.  Just saying…..

PS And before you start firing off comments to me about how I’m a parasite because of the way I vaccinate or how I should just leave the country if I don’t like the vaccines given here or how I’m a bad Mom….save it!!  This is not a pro/anti vaccine post.  Take that crazy mess someplace else.

PPS  Good morning ya’ll. 

Voluntary Vaccines in Japan

Naturally yours, Dallas

I was digging around on the internet looking for info on the Clorox buyout of Burt’s Bees (for a wimpy $925M!) cuz I’m trying to find out if they changed the formula.  I had heard a rumor they did and before I put them on BLAST on my blog, I wanted to get my facts straight.  Anyways, during my search I came across this little beauty and knew I had to share.  Now from what I can tell these ratings are based on twenty years worth of data and not just merely the opinion of some gone-completely-off-the-grid-tree-hugging-dirt-worshipping-hippie. Although I do have a fondess and fierce loyalty to said gone-completely-off-the-grid-tree-hugging-dirt-worshipping-hippie…this doesn’t appear to be how these guys work.  This site is about calling companies out on their BS and then posting it on the internet.  I love it!

PS Did you know Clorox still uses 1% toxic chemmies in their “green” products but don’t disclose it because the law says they don’t have to?  LIARS!

Better World Shopper

Naturally yours, Dallas

I was doing a little online research about HFCS and wanted to post what I found.  Ever since we moved to the Outer Banks, I’ve really had to change the way I shop for food.  In VA, almost 100% of my grocery list was USDA Organic and I never looked for anything else.  I wasn’t worried too much about ingredients or labels because I was shopping at an all-natural food market and trusted them to do all the weeding out of the crap.  When I went in there to shop I knew I was buying GMO-free, USDA Organic, no HFCS items and never batted an eyelash.

But now…WOW.  To continue to shop the same way here on the OBX, well, it’s almost impossible.  At the Harris Teeter, I’m spending about 25% more than I was back in VA…and I’m not finding nearly as many of the same items.  I have a few brands that I was devoted to and just can’t seem to locate them here.  So, at the risk of bankrupting my family…I knew I needed to do a little homework and make some changed.  So, I’m starting to buy more national brands that aren’t necessarily USDA Organic or even “natural” and that means I’m reading a lot more labels.  I’m starting with making sure that the products I buy are high fructose corn syrup FREE and it has not been easy.   That sh*t is in EVERYTHING!  And it’s soooo bad for us!  It’s a fake sweetner and your body reads it as FAT so it doesn’t get burned off.  I’m not saying HFCS is the only thing that’ll make your backside swell…but it ain’t helping!  If you’re going to eat sugar..eat REAL sugar.   So I just found this list I wanted to share.  Look over it and you’ll be surprised to see so many of the national name brands that are HFCS free.  I know I was!

NO High Fructose Corn Sryup List

Naturally Yours, Dallas

I found this great list of herbs that can be used for natural remedies on the Mothering.com website!  Herbal treatments are my first resort when treating my boys for everything from diaper rash to coughs/colds and everything in between.  If you open up our cabinets you’ll find an arsenal of herbal remedies for the whole family.  Mullein for diaper rashes, wild cherry bark for coughs, essential oils, herbal teas…you name it, I’ve got it.  Remember, when using herbal remedies be sure to do your homework and use the herbs are suggested…meaning keep the “external use only” herbs on the outside and the “internal use only” on the inside.  Here’s to herbs!

Herbs for Natural Remedies

Naturally yours, Dallas

OMG!  This thing was soooo good!  I got a juicer from “Santa” have been going crazy with that thing!  I use it about every other day but have enough pulp left over to make smoothies for everyone for two days.  Today’s recipe was by far one of my faves!  Try it out and let me know what you think.

PS The Nugget totally drank his entire smoothie this morning…could not believe it.  I think the red cabbage helped because when I hand him a smoothie – if it even looks like the lightest shade of green, he makes a “yuck” sound and hands it right back.  Today, he gave it the once over and sucked it down.  What am I gonna do when he can talk and asks me what’s in it?  I tell ya what I’m going to do.  I’m going to walk through the door to the Dark Side of Parenting and LIE.  Not very AP but it’ll do for now.

Red Cabbage Juice

Couple of chunks of red cabbage

2 celery stalks

tons of collard leaves

two apples

handful of parsley

1 cucumber

carrot

handful of cherry tomatoes

Enjoy!

Don’t forget to save the pulp in an airtight container with foil wrapped around it.  Foil keeps out the light.  Be sure to use the pulp in a smoothie either that day or the next.  For the smoothie recipe add pulp, water, honey, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, PB if you want or maybe some berries. Let her rip!

Naturally yours, Dallas

Well, the holidays are officially over.  It was awesome but I’m so effing glad it’s over.  When I look back on 2009 I do feel a certain sense of accomplishment.  Why you ask?  Because I didn’t set myself up to lose.  Yep, that’s right.  Not a single resolution was uttered from my lips at the beginning of the year so when 12/31 rolled around-I didn’t get all bummed out because I didn’t live up to any of my resolutions.  Aim low Willis…aim low. Read the rest of this entry »