Super Summer Sale

Good Morning Ladies,

I just found out about an awesome ebook package that Crystal Paine has put together! She is offering over $100 worth of ebooks for only $5.97 - TODAY ONLY! After today the price goes up $3 a day until it is over on Sunday. I have several of these ebooks already and Crystal writes clearly and very down to earth and her books are so practical. They are absolutely excellent, first class and beautifully designed products.


This package includes:

Supermarket Savings 101 Course

Simple Tips for Successful Home Management

Simply Centsible Breakfasts

Simple Centsible Suppers

How to Start Your Own Business

Menu Planning Made Easy!

Homegrown Business

The Bread By Hand eBook

Momma's Guide to Growing Your Groceries

Thriving On One Income

and a whole bunch more!

Grab yours today at this link: Click Here! for the Summer Sale!



Have a wonderful day!
Janet

Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Wacky Wednesday- The Fastest Aerosol Can in the West!

This is Jonathan's idea of safety when attacking wasp nests with chemical spray: Spray for the nest, an umbrella for the spray fallout(which is toxic when in contact with skin), overalls and dorky glasses for the stingers. (He should have had a breathing mask on as well!) Of course, he didn't want a harness or safety rope because we all know that falling from 18 feet in the air and breaking your back is a lot less scary than getting stung by a wasp ;-)

The nests... covered in spray.

Fastest aerosol-spray-can in the west.

Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Consider what God's Word says about Children's Education, by Julie Beth Lamb

Therefore do not worry, saying what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we wear? (or what shall we teach? or how can we afford it?) for after all these things the gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things, but seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, (and point your children there continually) and all these things (the education and materials your children need) shall be added unto you (and them) Matthew 6:31-33.

And you, fathers (and mothers), do not provoke your children to wrath (by teaching them secular views that are contrary to God’s Word and take them out from under His protection), but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (all day, not just when the government’s hours of training are over) and having good will doing service (learning the important lessons of serving family and community), as to the Lord (through whom all things are possible) and not to men (from whom we should be set apart) Ephesians 6:4,7.

God will feed (and provide everything needed) His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom (and make sure they are prepared for His good plan, with His work and through His people, not with government curriculum) and gently lead those who are with young (in the right way to educate their children for Him) Isaiah 40:11.

For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord (plans from His word for your protection and guidance, your obedience and preparation for His use) plans of peace and not of evil (so you don’t have to be afraid to just trust and follow His ways and not man’s ways)to give you a future and a hope (our hope lies in loving and fearing God) then you will call upon Me and find Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you (and your schooling concerns) and you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart (God will be found in prayer, His Word and Godly curriculum, He will not be found in government school curriculum and ideas) Jeremiah 29:11-13.

Train up a child in the way he should go (discipling him in God’s ways, by His instruction) and when he is old he will not depart from it (he will love God and obedience to Him and will have been walking with Him through the school years) Proverbs 22:6.

And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea (as parents we have a great privilege and responsibility to protect and train these little ones as God intends, never putting them into a situation or training them with curriculum that could cause them to stumble) Mark 9:42.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies (and every moment of our lives) a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service (not defiled by ungodly training). And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (by a constant focus on God and His Word), that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God (we must be set apart from the traditions of the world and pressures from others who say that it would be too hard or costly to follow God rather than the world’s way. We must trust God that if we allow Him to guide our children’s steps, through a Godly school life as well as a Godly home life He will conform them to His righteousness and prepare them for His usefulness) Romans 12:2.

May the God of Grace show you His way to educate the children He has entrusted to you.

Used by permission.

JulieBeth Lamb thanks God for allowing these words to flow through her and prays they are a blessing to others as God has allowed them to bless her. She and her husband Rex are the leaders of a homeschool group in Oakdale, California. They have been homeschooling their five children since 1993 and have three still to graduate. Contact her at Cowgirl4Ever@clearwire.net or 209-838-6062

Microwaves and What I Do For Fun!

Microwaves are not the miracle machines they were made out to be and with recent evidence that they are downright dangerous. I bought my first one many years ago and through the years have used it less and less and less. Now, I'm microwave free and lovin' it. I defrost in the kitchen sink and it is as easy and convenient. With so much of our food being raw recently, I simply have no need of it most of the time.

But I've had a hard time getting my kids off the convenience. When your kids are little you do everything for them but when they are man size with man sized appetites keeping them from using the microwave when your back is turned is next to impossible. They love to melt cheese on toast or make themselves mini pizzas late at night. Explaining to them that what happens when food is microwaved seems to willingly go over their heads. (They are actually very intelligent but sometimes have selective reasoning when it comes to food) My oldest son's recent bout with cancer last year walloped all of us to smarten up and take control of our own health and that included unplugging the microwave. (I cannot remove it. It is a built in model)

I love to garage sale (no this is not a change of subject) I have found not only the most unique items but virtually do all my shopping, clothing, household goods and even Christmas and birthday shopping at yard and garage sales. Not only do we save a whole lot of money but we also make money buying and reselling used books and other media that I find at sales. (Another post another day)

My most recent great find is a Flavorwave Convection oven. It uses infrared (an intense spotlight) and acts very similar to a toaster oven but I can do roasts, hamburgers and if I can find round muffin trays, I may even be able to do baking as well. Our first try was pizza and it did a great job. I originally bought it for an upcoming Church Family camping trip but quickly realized that it works very well as a regular oven and I can ditch my microwave for good. Furthermore I have been reading how much gas stoves emit formaldehyde,(Gasp) I am glad to minimize the use of that appliance as well.

So how much did I drop for this baby? guess... I'll give you a hint...originally it was 89.00 plus tax and shipping. The original receipt was included in the instruction booklet and they only used it twice.
Any guesses? Okay, you cannot guess (I play this game all the time when I come home from my Saturday morning shopping sprees) $20.00. Normally I offer about 30% less than the asking price and it is often readily accepted but this time they said it was so new that they would like to keep it at 20.00 but would throw in several cookbooks for the same $20.00. I accepted, I then promptly listed the cookbooks on Amazon for $5.00 and $13.50. If they sell at those prices then I will have virtually gotten my new toy for 2.00! Now that is what I call fun.

Now it's your turn. Has any one else gotten a really good garage sale buy recently? Any garage sailing tips?

Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Natural Beauty Products Part 2

Ha, I found it. A natural deodorant that works, is inexpensive and easy to make. Yep, you can make it yourself. It's a little too easy and you may not believe me that it works but I have been testing it for over a week and under several circumstances and it has come out with shinning colors. It is..... drum roll please.... baking soda and coconut oil! That's it.

I cannot even remember what amount of each. I just took a Tablespoon or two of coconut oil and poured and worked in enough baking soda to make a thick paste and then I crammed it into a small film canister so it would be small and available for use. I just press off enough to make a small paste and smooth it on and it seems to soak in and disappear.

I have used lavender essential oil sprayed right from a refillable perfume bottle for some time in the past but for some reason it seemed to stop working after several months.

I also heard somewhere that you can put a drop or two of tee tree oil in the coconut/baking soda mixture to help with antibacterial effects. So far I haven't found this necessary but will try it if the effect wears off over time. (I really do not expect it to)

Everyone's body chemistry is different and I'd be interested if anyone else has had similar success (with this recipe or any other particular one.

I'm sure you have baking soda on hand and if you do not have coconut oil you can usually pick it up at any health food store nowadays or even a grocery store that has a Health Food section. You will need only a small amount to try it so be sure to use the rest of the coconut oil in cooking. It is wonderfully fragrant and has many, many health benefits.

Below is an excerpt from an article by Dr Mercola talking about the dangers of using common drug store deodorants.

".... I need to explain that one of the simplest, least expensive and non
toxic alternatives to deodorants is simply plain soap. Antiperspirants are far
more dangerous than deodorants, but I haven’t used either for over two decades.

An additional benefit of stopping these CHEMICALS is that you will stop
producing the yellow stains in the armpits of your shirts. Those stains are NOT
due to your sweat but rather caused by the chemicals you are putting on and in
your body."

Putting chemicals on your skin is actually far worse than ingesting them, because when you eat something the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help break it down and flush it out of your body.

When you put these chemicals on your skin, however, they are absorbed straight into your blood stream without filtering of any kind, so there's no protection against the toxins. Instead, they are in large part going directly to your delicate organs."

Using natural deodorant is such a benefit as there are loads of lympth glands under the skin in the armpit area. It is downright dangerous to put chemicals on the skin in that area that STOP perspiration. The intent with natural deodorants are that you do not stop perspiration, just stop any bacterial growth that cause odor. We do that by creating unfavorable conditions that are not harmful to the skin nor the underlying lymph nodes, and allowing proper drainage as it should be. On another note, the less toxic you are internally, the less troublesome body odor will be. Perhaps that is another post, internal cleansing!

Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Natural beauty products Part 3

On to skin and hair care again as I have found some really great additional tips and tricks.

The best things to use on your face as a scrub is steel cut oats, Epsom salts warm water, and an egg yolk.

A good natural moisturizer has always been unrefined sesame oil or coconut oil as I have already tried and love using coconut oil.

A good mask for dry skin is mashed avocado! Nothing beats plain old diluted cider vinegar as a toner. ...and last but certainly not least....drink water and practice good sleep hygiene! Nothing beats a good night sleep....zzzzzzzzzz

And for the occasional break out use an all natural acne fighter- Rubbing just a drop of oregano oil on a breakout can speed up the healing and prevent unsightly scarring without resorting to harsh commercial acne medication (remember to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards).

For the hair, I have tried this and IT WORKS! Add a Tablespoon of baking soda to a cup of water and keep in a squirt bottle in the shower. Instead of using shampoo, just soak your hair with the soda mixture and your hair will come out soft and clean without shampooing! This will save your hair from being stripped everyday or, in my case, every other day and gives it time to rebuild it's natural luster. I have been skipping the conditioner as well as it seems it was simply a film that attracted dirt and making frequent shampooing more necessary. I have used in the past, with good success, a diluted solution of apple cider vinegar to make the hair nice and shiny. (1 T or so to a couple of cups of water)

That same vinegar solution is also good as a skin toner and apparently so is Witch hazel. I haven't tried this yet so if you do try it let me know what you think.

Another thing I found in my research, (but have not tried) is the use of peelu vegetable fiber toothpastes. (don't have a clue where to get these)

Apparently, you can also use the same deodorant mixture-coconut oil and baking soda as a natural toothpaste. (sounds weird doesn't it?) I think I will try this next.

I have also been told that coconut oil massaged into the scalp before bed stimulates hair growth and makes the hair stronger.

And yet another use for Baking soda. I substituted baking soda for regular dish washing powder and it worked! I have been looking for a natural replacement for several months (maybe years) I have tried borax and it seemed to work for a while but so I hear that it may not be a good choice anyway. I plan on using baking soda for a week or so and access the outcome. If I feel it does not do a good job of disinfecting I may add a little Hydrogen peroxide. Anyway, I will let all who are interested know how it comes out, ...er... in the wash... (Sorry couldn't resist.)

My next post, Part 4 will be on natural hair colors. Until then, have a non toxic clean day.

Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Rancid Onion and Garlic Powder!

One of my faithful readers submitted a question in response to my awesome ranch dressing recipe post and I thought it such a good question/comment that I would write a whole post in reply. Here is both her question and my answer.

I know you have said in the past that the number one thing you try to avoid is
rancid oils. Dehydrated &/or powdered onion and garlic are full of rancid
oils. It is what makes the garlic so extra offensive once eaten, as compared to
eating the fresh. In fact we can tell by smell if a recipe has used fresh garlic
or the powdered, the powdered garlic has a 'brass doorknob' smell and taste.
Have you made this with fresh ingredients and if so, how was the flavor, and
what adjustments might be needed??Blessings,Mrs. Evelyn Mae R

Excellent question Evelyn Mae. I have not used fresh garlic or onions in this recipe yet but it might be a good idea to try them and see how it works. Perhaps I'll try it in my next batch and let you know.

However, if your onion and garlic powders are raw (naturally dehydrated properly under 115 degrees) and not cooked (irradiated) and are fresh, (grown, dehydrated and packaged recently) they should not be rancid.

I'll bet that most grocery store brands of herbs and spices are not fresh at all, perhaps months or years old, nor truly raw (as in not heated over 115 Degrees) Once the product is cooked or as in most cases irradiated, they are susceptible to turning rancid.

On the other hand, while I do avoid most heated oils, if at all possible, the amount that you use in most dressings is so small compared to the amount that many consume everyday in deep fried foods at home and in restaurants. The biggest culprits need to be addressed first and then work on down to the smaller problem foods. (unless you are already there, of course! Then keep working on the little things)

If you have been able to hone that skill of determining the "brass doorknob" smell or what I call the "sharp oil smell" then you are far better off by being able to discern dangerous foods before you eat them. Many cannot or do not even suspect rancid oils as one of the most damaging disease causes in our modern world.

I get my herbs and spices mostly from Azure Standard where not only the turn over is high but they carry mostly organic, non irradiated, and sealed for freshness herbs and spices from reputable companies.

I might add that the bulk food section of my grocery store is one section that I will NOT buy almost anything as I suspect that new product is poured into half empty bins and who knows how long the old stuff ends up being there? Not to mention that all the foods are constantly being exposed to the air oxidizing most seeds like sesame and sunflower. I do not buy these foods at all from anywhere that does not refrigerate their whole bulk section. I think that bulk foods offered in open bins might be the biggest ridiculous invention that has hit the stores in the last 20- 30 years. I would far rather buy something in sealed in plastic than open in a bin. Besides, who knows who has sneezed in it anyway? (No, I'm not generally paranoid of germs but that is just plain gross!)

Does anyone else have any concerns over the bulk food system of purchasing food stuffs? OR about the rancidity of spices in particular?



Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Character first- but how?

We all know that character is first and most important in raising your children, not academics, not accomplishments, not creativity.... but character. We all set out to accomplish this daunting task and soon run into the absolute impossibility of this idealistic approach. It is not as easy as it sounds and most often we run into both the sin nature of our children and the battle for our own obvious lack of character. The two worlds collide as we realize that our own character training may not have been as thorough as we may have thought.

Furthermore, the thing that I have most objected to over the years in the homeschooling arena is everyone seems to say that character is supposed to be first in their children's training but no one seems to say how to do that. We really do not know what that means in the application of everyday life.

After raising two great kids and two more almost ready for the world, I can now say that raising children with the principles of honesty, integrity, perseverance, determination, thoroughness, respect, etc, is not easy, but it is simple.

In one word, it is relationship. We are all made for relationship (with God himself and also with each other) but our sin nature pushes us to hide from relationship and especially accountability in those very relationships that we treasure the most. Nevertheless, as you are raising our children jealously guard those important relationships. Let nothing come in between you and your child.

(Warning-peer and age segregated activities may be the number one threat.) (more on this later, in another post)

When you blow it, loose your temper, or selfishly push them away, etc, apologize and get this slate cleaned quickly. Make sure you do not repeatedly offend or they will not believe your apologies. If you can retain that precious respect you child has for you then you will be able to speak into your child's life much easier as your child gets older. In fact, the ability to which your child accepts difficult instructions or corrections from you is the degree to which you hold his heart.

Keep in mind always that your child wants - no - needs a relationship with you, even if he does not show it. Some personalities are very appreciative and expressive and the need for relationship is obvious. Others are less demonstrative but need you nonetheless. This principle has held me on track many a time when I felt so overwhelmed with the hopelessness of one of my children getting the lesson I am trying to have him master. Overtime it will be the strength of the relationship that will cause the weight and pressure your child will need to reach out and grasp perseverance or obedience or whatever you may be working on, when you expect it of him.

Let us not become weary in well doing, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore as we have opportunity (while our children are still under our roof), let us do good, to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (our children)

Galatians 6;9

How about any one's experience? How have you been able to teach character and still maintain relationship with your children?

Key Lime Pudding

I have discovered raw puddings! Wow!This is reminiscent of lemon chiffon pie, with a strong citrus flavor (my favorite) instead of that artificially fake taste.

I have taken this from a web site somewhere, (I cannot remember where right now) and adapted it to a smaller amount so you can use just one avocado for a meal or dessert for two.

This is really, really yummy if you have a perfectly ripe avocado, no brown spots and you can use lemon juice and zest instead if you do not have lime on hand. In fact, I have only tried it with lemon so far but I call it key lime pudding because it is green and STILL no one knows that I use frog as an ingredient, (so I have a to have reason it is green!!!)

1 whole large Haas avocado
1/4 c fresh squeezed lime juice
1 T lime powder (or fresh zest taken from the lime)
1/4 t Celtic salt
1/4 c agave nectar (or more)

Whip all ingredients in a blender and serve with kiwi, bananas and raspberries. Enjoy!
Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Raw and Probiotic Ranch Dressing

In keeping with my determination of cleaning out my kitchen (and menu) of all natural flavors which is one of the many guise words for MSG, I have discovered and developed a raw ranch dressing and one that is a probiotic feast as well. "Discovered and developed" simply means that I found the recipe in a book and then adapted it to make it truly raw, and added probiotic benefits, and in this particular case adjusted the seasonings to make it just right, AND it passed the Mikey test!

Awesome Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup purchased mayonnaise* (unless you have time to make your own) recipe given at bottom of post)
1/4 c or less raw milk (pasteurized only if you have to) , used to thin out the dressing so don't add too much
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t dried marjoram leaves
1/2 t celery salt (optional because I didnt have any and it was good without)
1/2 t dried savory leaves (optional because I didn't have any and it was great without)
1/2 t or more dried parsley
1-2 t liquid whey.

Blend till smooth and leave out on the counter for 4-6 hours to develop the probiotic benefits and then refrigerate or serve. Will keep for 1 week or more - if it lasts that long.

IF you do not have whey, that's OK. It will not affect the flavor much with or without but will help to promote healthy intestinal flora and aid in digestibility of itself and anything that you eat with that meal if you add it. However, if you use only raw milk there will still be some probiotic benefit.

To make your own whey from raw milk (very easy) see my new post, called "Curds and Whey") ..oops... to be published in a few days.

* Follow your Heart mayonnaise or vegennaise is raw and is found in the refrigerated section of your health food store. Any mayonnaise not found in the cooler is not to be trusted, and is certainly not raw, nor healthy at all!

Oh, and here is the raw mayonnaise recipe as well. This is great.

Raw Mayonnaise, taken almost directly from Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats

1 whole egg
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 t dijon mustard
1 1/2 t lemon juice
1 t whey (optional)
3/4 - 1 c expeller pressed sunflower oil, or grape seed oil or other natural but mild oil
generous pinch of Celtic or Himalayan salt.

In your food processor, place the egg, yolk, mustard, salt and lemon juice and optional whey. Process till well blended, about 30 seconds. Using the attachment that allows you to add liquids drop by drop, add oil while motor is running. Taste and check seasonings. You may want to add more salt and seasonings. If you have added whey, let the mayonnaise sit at room temperature, well covered, for 7 hours before refrigerating. With whey added, mayonnaise will keep several months and will be firmer with time. Without whey, mayonnaise will keep 2 weeks.

Living a Lifestyle of Learning Daily

Wacked out Wednesday! Thank God for Guardian Angels

My brother is a pilot and mechanic who buys and restores older planes. He had a rather harrowing experience last week while flying an older plane that left him and his wife a little shaken. Read his description and then take a look at the pictures below! Gasp!

There we were, In a 1954 Cessna 180, 1500’ eastbound over the second narrows
bridge in Vancouver, (BC) just clearing the Harbour control zone. We were on our way back from a nice lunch at a restaurant on the beach at Gilles Bay, Texada Island
with some friends.

Suddenly I noticed a seabird ahead. It was a cormorant; A sea
bird that is normally found on or under the water or flying low. I said to Pauline,
my wife, “What’s a cormorant doing way up here?” We were on converging courses,
and he was slightly higher than us, so I descended slightly to increase the
margin. He started to descend also, so I increased my rate of decent and yelled
“Watch where you are going!” With that he dove abruptly and we hit with a loud
bang. The windshield was immediately covered almost 100% with the remains of the
bird and his last meal. (which I later found out to be herring) The cowl doors
were blown open and damaged. I informed the Harbour tower of my situation and
told him I would divert to Pitt Meadows airport since it was slightly closer
than Langley, and had wider and longer runways more suitable for a blind
landing. He gave them a call to give them a heads up and shortly I switched to
them and headed directly towards Pitt Meadows. They asked if I needed any
emergency services and I said “Not likely, but let’s see how the landing turns
out.” I was cleared straight in but couldn’t see ahead so requested and was
granted an angled approach so I could see out the lower corner of the windshield
for the approach. I descended to just over the threshold and then straightened
it out, and then completed the landing using my peripheral vision on the sides
of the runway only. It wasn’t too difficult actually. My time flying the Tiger
Moth at the museum was a benefit since you fly that plane from the rear seat
with your passenger and engine ahead. Anyway, I have a bit of work to do fix the
upper cowl again. We just finished a major restoration of this airplane last
spring. Enjoy the photo attached, and keep an eye out for those suicidal birds!




Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Reasons for Home Schooling

Even though I prefer to call what we do "home education", homeschooling is the term most commonly understood. Also once not too long ago, homeschooling was completely unknown or a very misunderstood term. It has now become main stream, and everyone that you run across that asks you or comments on how sweet your children are ends up knowing someone who homeschools (educates) their children at home. My friend, Lisa, from my very short days in Arkansas, is a very Happy Homeschool Mom who like many of us fared the fears and pulled her children out of school. She has listed as many reasons as she could think of in 15 min as to why she spends the effort. I think Lisa's reasons are quite insighful.

Here's another really good list from reader Milehimama. I love this!

Anyone else got any really good reasons? Or good reasons why not?

Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Acid Alkaline Balance-so important!

Is it the dump that breeds the flies or do the flies create the dump? This may seem like an odd question but it is at the heart of the modern medical vs alternative medicine debate. In other words, do flies cause disease by bringing bacteria or is there bacteria already but the flies (disease) come due to the rotting and acid conditions?

Alternative medicine by that very title assumes that standard medicine is normal and mainstream and alternative is off on it's own and to be used as a last resort. Although many people do actually view alternative medicine as a last resort, it is actually the method of health and disease prevention that has been used for thousands of years before the advent of modern medicine. (Is it any coincedence that we are generally sicker today than any other time in history?)
Homeopathy is hundreds of years old, so is acupuncture and some other source based diagnostic tools like energy testing. It is actually modern medicine that is the new kid on the block hence we get the new development or discoveries that we all tend to think is because only recently do we have expert scientists now.

Almost 100 years ago, Dr Otto Warburg was issued the Nobel Prize for his discovery that cancer is caused by weakened cell respiration due to a lack of oxygen at the cellular level. A normal healthy cell undergoes an adverse change when it can no longer take in oxygen to convert glucose into energy. In the absence of oxygen, the cell reverts to a primal nutritional program to nourish itself by converting glucose through the process of fermentation. The lactic acid produced by fermentation lowers the cell PH (acidifies) and destroys the ability of DNA and RNA to control cell division. The lactic acid simultaneously causes severe local pain as it destroys cell enzymes. Cancer appears as a rapidly growing external cell, covered with a core of dead cells.

Nobody can say that one does not know what cancer's prime cause is. On the
contrary,there is no disease whose prime cause is better known, so that today
ignorance is no longer an excuse that one do more about prevention. Dr Otto
Warburg 1931

In keeping with prevention of cancer and other major diseases, the internal systems should be slightly alkaline and the outside skin should be slightly acid. What we eat, of course, has a large impact on whether we maintain that acid alkaline balance.

Below is a list of alkalizing foods and acid forming foods. You may just notice the alkalizing foods are mostly vegetables and some fruits. Acid forming foods are mostly animal products and grains. Visually checking how much of your diet leans on either side can create a good guess on how you'll test. The standard and easy test is simply using acid test strips or litmus paper available from any drug store or from Azure Standard or other mail order suppliers. Take a look and predict a guess on how you'll do.

ALKALIZING FOODS

VEGETABLES

Garlic, Asparagus, Fermented Veggies, Watercress, Beets, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Chlorella, Collard Greens, Cucumber, Eggplant, Kale Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard Greens, Dulce, Dandelions, Edible Flowers, Onions Parsley, Potatoes (esp. peels), Peas, Peppers, Pumpkin, Rutabaga, Sea Veggies, Spirulina Sprouts, Squashes, Alfalfa, Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, Wild Greens, Nightshade Veggies

FRUITS

Apple, Apricot, Avocado, Banana (high glycemic), Cantaloupe, Cherries, Currants, Dates/Figs Grapes, Grapefruit, Lime, Honeydew, Melon, Nectarine, Orange, Lemon, Peach, Pear, Pineapple All Berries, Tangerine, Tomato, Tropical Fruits, Watermelon

PROTEIN

Eggs, Whey Protein Powder, Cottage Cheese, Chicken Breast, Yogurt, Almonds, Chestnuts Tofu (fermented), Flax Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Tempeh (fermented), Squash Seeds Sunflower Seeds, Millet, Sprouted Seeds

OTHER
Apple Cider Vinegar, Bee Pollen, Lecithin Granules, Probiotic Cultures, Green Juices, Veggie Juices, Fresh Fruit Juice, Organic Milk(unpasteurized), Mineral Water, Alkaline Antioxidant Water,Green Tea ,Herbal Tea, Dandelion Tea, Ginseng Tea, Banchi Tea, Kombucha

SWEETENERS

Stevia

SPICES/SEASONING

Cinnamon, Curry, Ginger, Mustard,Chili Pepper, Sea Salt, Miso, Tamari All Herbs ORIENTAL VEGETABLES Maitake, Daikon, Dandelion Root, Shitake, Kombu, Reishi, Nori, Umeboshi, Wakame Sea Veggies

ACIDIFYING FOODS

FATS & OILS

Avocado Oil, Canola Oil, Corn Oil (not recomended due to GMO process on all corn and soy) Hemp Seed Oil, Flax Oil, Lard, Olive Oil, Safflower Oil, Sesame Oil, Sunflower Oil

FRUITS

Cranberries

GRAINS

Rice Cakes, Wheat Cakes, Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Corn, Oats (rolled)

Quinoa, Rice (all) , Rye, Spelt, Kamut, Wheat, Hemp Seed, Flour

DAIRY

Cheese, Cow Cheese, Goat Cheese, Processed Cheese, Sheep Milk, Butter

NUTS & BUTTERS
Cashews, Brazil Nuts, Peanuts, Peanut Butter, Pecans, Tahini, Walnuts ANIMAL PROTEIN
Beef, Carp, Clams, Fish, Lamb, Lobster, Mussels, Oyster, Pork, Rabbit, Salmon, Shrimp,
Scallops, Tuna, Turkey, Venison PASTA (WHITE) Noodles, Macaroni, Spaghetti OTHER Distilled Vinegar, Wheat Germ

DRUGS & CHEMICALS

Chemicals, Drugs, Medicinal Drugs, Pesticides, Herbicides,

ALCOHOL

Beer, Spirits, Hard Liquor, Wine

BEANS & LEGUMES

Black Beans, Chick Peas, Green Peas, Kidney Beans, Lentils, Lima Beans, Pinto Beans,
Red Beans, Soy Beans, Soy Milk, White Beans, Rice Milk, Almond Milk

Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Top Cancer Products in the Average Home!

Here is an excerpt for an article from Dr Mercola's site. Have any of these in your house?

Something you may not have seen or heard before, however, is this list of the Top Cancer-Causing Products in the average home, as compiled by the National Cancer Prevention Coalition, which includes:

Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder with talc
Crest Tartar Control toothpaste
VO5 Hair Conditioner
Clairol Nice-n-Easy Hair Color
Cover Girl Replenishing Natural Finish Make Up
Ajax cleanser
Lysol disinfectant
Zud Heavy Duty Cleanser

Read the whole article here

Can you believe this? The top number one product is BABY powder! Man do we start early in initiating our sweet babies into a toxic world.(I never used it-phew)

As conscoius as I am I did find one product stashed in the back of my cupboard, Ajax cleaner. I've had it for years and generally thought it to be safe (without ever checking into it)Tsk Tsk
Out it goes(into the landfill instead,Oh well, it is better there right now than in my house. Prevention (not buying it) is the best policy, I believe. Live and learn

Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Another Wacky Wednesday at our House!

What is that? a cocoon?

a giant muticolored slug?

No its a... Langford boy idea of a great time on a hot day under some taped up sheets.

It's air conditioned, being filled like a balloon, powered by two fans and lighted with a lamp for late night reading. It's great together time and that makes memories.
Yes, at 17 and 15 there still is a lot of boy in them and that's ok!






















Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily

Summer Reading for Preschoolers

This post is probably the third
in a series of Summer reading posts that I am preparing right now.
Sorry, they may appear to be out of order right now but in the end
they may make sense.
I have made up a list of some of some really good living books for
preschoolers. They are predominately picture books, or books
that engage the eye for the youngster while Mom reads the story.
This helps to teach the child listening and observation skills and
the ability to sit still for longer periods of time, not to mention
vocabulary and language development.

I always recommend reading to your child while he is still in the womb,
a short way of saying, "start as early as you can." Do not worry about
comprehension, or "reading over their heads." They are getting it and
especially as your child gets older you will hear him using vocabulary
that you know he got from some of your read alouds and it is used correctly!

A few years ago I tested Jonathan (now 18) on some grammar usage and
he scored 100% easily and I have never taught him any grammar at all.
Do not under estimate the example set by correct and repeated usage. I
also have been quite lax (a confession) on teaching writing skills
to my boys, and yet, Graydon(15) has a fantastic blog! What a great
writer he is.
Reading aloud is probably the single greatest thing you can do for
your child's education! Start early and keep going until they are
well into their teenage years! I am still reading aloud subject
matter that I know my sons will probably not tackle on their own
but I do want to introduce them to and whet their appetite. It is
so easy with read alouds.

In the list below I have attached links to the titles to help you
visually find these books any time you are out at book sales or
garage sales but unfortunately, many pages on Amazon do not even
have pictures but I attached the link anyway just so you can get
a feel for the book and perhaps it recall to your memory and you
will be able to find it anyway. I do believe in building you own
personal library so borrow them from the library if you must the
first time but for sure as you can see your child enjoying them, order
or locate a copy for his own to cherish over the years.

And above all, do not do what I saw one young mom do, discard those
precious books when they are below your child's reading level. They
are cherished friends to your child's heart! Keep them for as long
as he/she wants them. Maybe, they might want to pass them on to their
children!

Here are some of my favorites for the preschool age:

Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey

Make Way for Ducklings (Viking Kestrel Picture Books)

The Complete Adventures of Curious George

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by
Virginia Lee Burton

The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown

Ox-Cart Man, by Donald Hall

Corduroy, by Don Freeman

Cowboy Small (Lois Lenski Books) by Lois Lenski

The Biggest Bear, by Lynd Ward

A Is for AnnabelleIs for Annabelle, by Tasha Tudor

Thy Friend, Obadiah (Picture Puffins), by Brenton Turkle

Stone Soup (Stories to Go!), by Marcia Brown

Beatrix Potter The Complete Tales, by Beatrix Potter

BLAZE AND THE GYPSIES, by C.W. Anderson

The Story about Ping (Reading Railroad Books), by Marjorie Flack

The Little Engine That Could: The Complete, Original Edition (A Platt & Munk Classic), by Watty Piper

Andy and the Lion (Picture Puffins), by James Daugherty

They Were Strong and Good, by Robert Lawson

Madeline, Reissue of 1939 edition, by Ludwig Bemelmans

Madeline's Rescue, by Ludwig Bemelmans

Paddle-to-the-Sea (Sandpiper Books), by Holling C. Holling

Abraham Lincoln, by Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire

1 Is One, by Tasha Tudor

The baby house, by Norma Simon

A APPLE PIE, by Kate Greenaway

500 Words to Grow On, by Harry McNaught

Wild Horses of the Red Desert, by Glen Rounds

Lentil (Picture Puffins), by Robert McCloskey

Cecily G. and the 9 Monkeys (Curious George)by H.A. Rey

The Abc Bunny (Fesler-Lampert Minnesota Heritage Book Series), by Wanda Gag

Wheel on the Chimney, by Margaret Wise Brown

Small Rain: Verses from the Bible, by Elizabeth Orton Jones

Tootle, by Gertrude Crampton

Hansel and Gretel, by Eloise Wilkin

The Steadfast Tin Soldier, by Robert M. Quackenbush

BUSY DAY BUSY PEOPLE by Tibor Gergely (A Random House BEST BOOK CLUB EVER Selected Edition Softcover), by Tibor Gergely

The Boy With a Drum, by Eloise Wilkin

Obadiah the Bold, by Brinton Turkle

White Snow, Bright Snow, by Alvin Tresselt

The Big Snow (Stories to Go!), by Berta and Elmer Hader

Dinosaurs: Those Terrible Lizards, by Duane T. Gish

Noah's Ark (Picture Yearling Book)">Noah's Ark, by Peter Spier

Scuffy the Tugboat (Little Golden Book & CD) , by Gertrude Crampton

The Little Red Caboose (Little Golden Book), by Marian Potter

Honey Bear, by Dixie Willson

Birds a Childs First Book About Our Most Familiar Birds, by Eloise Wilkin

WILD ANIMALS FROM ALLIGATOR TO ZEBRA, by Arthur Singer

Little Bear Boxed Set: Little Bear, Father Bear Comes Home, and Little Bear's Visit, by Else Holmelund Minarik

My Teddy Bear (Little Golden Books), by Eloise Wilkin

Animal Babies, by Harry McNaught

We Help Daddy (Little Golden Books), by Eloise Wilkin

PS, I have just spent 3 hours placing and correcting these links over and over again and so it seems, technology has overcome me again and they still, for the most part do not work. I will continue to see what is wrong and try, try, try to get them fixed, but in the meantime, please copy and paste the links that do not work into the Amazon browser and they should come up just fine. My apologies!

Living a Lifestyle of Learning daily