Turkey Butt has been very sick with the stomach flu. Her doctor gave her a prescription for anti-nausea that has helped but we are still trying to get Gatorade and Pedialite down her. Her favorite drink is strawberry milk and I can’t let her have that on such a queezy stomach until she is better. Our doctor says if she isn’t better by tomorrow, then she iwll have to be hospitalized. Not exactly what I wanted to hear.

So here is what I am trying and I hope it will help you as well to be mindful of keeping fluids in your sick kids:
* Use Pedialite freezer pops. Turkey Butt thinks they are ice pops and I am hoping she will eat them.
* Find a favorite color. Of course, I let Turkey Butt pick out her Gatorade and she picked pink. I’m trying everything.
* My LEAST FAVE IDEA - I let her go to bed with a cup of ice water. I will take any fluid any time I can get it down her.
* Use fun straws and cups they aren’t normally allowed to drink out of.
* Take them shopping for a new cup or water bottle.
* If they like pop cycles, then freeze their favorite juice in ice trays, cover with saran wrap and stick a toothpick in it.
* Make a smoothie with ice instead of milk and add fruit to the juice. This is very healthy and full of water.
* Let her pick out a fun kind of drink package like the healthy juice boxes and bags. Not the best thing to do to your pocket book, but it is very fun for them.
* Save a fun bottle and mix tang. My aunt does this and we call it special juice. My daughter will drink it like it is going out of style because of the packaging. This works great in the summer time for Turkey Butt.
* If they aren’t stomach sick, just not drinking, offer strawberry or chocolate flavoring to their milk. At least it’s fluid down the tummy.

I hope these ideas help you keep your kids hydrated during the summer and when they are sick. I am trying just about all of them right now. Wish us luck! Will update you tomorrow wither from home or the hospital.

It always seems like I find someone every day who is talking about saving the environment.  Granted, I want to be a good steward of hte things I am gifted, but I also want to use disposable diapers and I enjoy a good Styrofoam cup that doesn’t sweat all over my car or coffee table.  So today I thought I would give you the top 10 green household cleaners.  See how you stack up to the list and let us know how you are doing.  Some will even save you money.  That’s my favorite part.

1. Vinegar, we have talked about vinegar tons of times.
2. Baking soda.  Use it to polish your silver and freshen your carpets.
3. Lemons help keep your garbage disposal clean and smelling good.
4. 1 part Rubbing Alcohol added to a 1:1 vinegar water mix will shine up your mirrors and sinks nicely.
5. Salt added to lemon is a great scouring pad for your dirtiest dishes.
6. Don’t waste your money on bottle scrubbers. Boil an old toothbrush and use it instead.
7. Keep house plants inside.  This will help to naturally clean your air.
8. Use egg shells and ice to work your garbage disposal to a shine.
9. Use an old dryer sheet to shine up your chrome.
10. Use half a box of baking soda downa drain chased by vinegar to clean out any slow drains.  It’s best to let it set for about 10-15 minutes and then rinse it with hot water.

So there you have it.  My top 10 favorite green household cleaners.  Did you also notice that they are every day cleaners so you don’t have to spend any extra money using them?  See, I shot 2 birds with one stone (for lack of a better phrase)

Thrifty shopping …

So I promised a closer look at baking soda. It seems to be a huge resource for a lot of things. And you don’t get much cheaper than $1 for a powerful cleaning agent. So here is my list of the top uses for baking soda. Some will seem familiar as we have talked about them before.

In the Kitchen:

1. Make a paste with water to clean up your sink that isn’t very abrasive.
2. Stick a box in your fridge to keep the smell gone.
3. Mix 3 tsp with hot water to soak and remove tea and coffee stains from thermos’ and tea cups.
4. Use it on your counters to get rid of Kool-Aid stains off.
5. Rinse your fruits and veggies with baking sod. Make sure you rinse well.
6. Did you know it will tenderize meats?
7. If you like fish but hate the smell, soak your fish in water and baking soda for an hour in the fridge.
8. A pinch of baking soda added to tomato recipes can help cut down the acid in the recipe.
9. When you make baked beans, add a pinch of baking soda to the beans to help rid them of their gas producing ability.
10. 1/2 tsp of baking soda added to 3 eggs makes a light and fluffy omelet. Read more
    

I hate to clean. I am willing to admit that. But finding the time to clean is getting harder and harder now that I have 2 kids. I just want to play with them all the time. But the house needs to be cleaned and the floors need to be vacuumed. So I have found some great ways to save time while cleaning your house. Read more