Why drinking and driving don't mix

John and I are in for another couple of days without kids...so John thought it would be nice to make bagels while they're away. I just finished making up a batch of bread dough. When it's finished rising, I can stick it in the fridge until we're ready to use it. While I was making up the dough, I couldn't help but chuckle at what Doc said to John while they were out in the car yesterday:

Doc: Grampy - dad says that there are 2 things you shouldn't do while you're driving.

Grampy: Oh really? What are they?

Doc: One is texting and the other is drinking. Drinking and driving don't mix.

Grampy: Oh that's very good to know.

Doc: Do you want to know why drinking and driving don't mix?

Grampy: Sure, Doc, why is that?

Doc: Because when you tip your head back to get a drink, you can't see the road.

Yes, he's very cute - but I'm still looking forward to being alone with dogs and husband...good night and don't forget to hug your loved ones tight.

Tish

Back To Basics

We are getting back to basics. My goal is to make, re-use or recycle as much as we can. Not everyone is happy about it because it also means we're trying to eat and live healthier than our current lifestyle. I've been keeping track of what we spend on everything and our budget needed an overhaul.

No more paper towels or paper napkins. No more antibacterial wipes. Just about anything can be cleaned without harsh chemicals. I've tried everythingt to get fingerprints and streaks off the kitchen appliances with special cloths, paper products, and a variety of toxic prays. To my surprise, nothing works better than water in a spray bottle and those fluffy towels that fussy people use to dry of their automobiles. They don't want fingerprints or streaks on their cars either, so imagine the job it can do on a kitchen appliance? They go into the washer and the initial investment was $1 a towel! I tackle grease with rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Walmart sells alcohol and hydrogen peroxide already in spray bottles in the 'cuts and scrapes' section. I can disinfect a cut AND the counter tops in one spray. Sorry Mr Clean, I'm just not in love with you anymore.

I started taking a closer look at the ingredients of some of the things my grandsons eat all the time. Whoa! Scary stuff. Those frozen waffles they woof down are more high fructose corn syrup than anything else. Now I make big batches of french toast or pancakes, and freeze them. I found a great granola bar recipe and the boys love it. I don't like making cookies, (apologies to my mom, who's probably rolling over in her grave) but cakes are okay. Plain cakes like molasses, oatmeal or yogurt, you know, the substantial ones that don't fall apart when you pick them up. I cook them in loaf pans which makes it easier for portion control and storage. No frosting, just some whipped cream here and there. Nice in lunches. Everyone loves them! And bread. I decided against the bread maker (the crockpot is always on the counter now taking up space) and got the 'healthy bread in 5 minutes a day' book instead. There's a learning curve but hopefully I'm learning! I refuse to buy boxed mac n cheese, and whole wheat pasta is the only one in the pantry now. I even make the dogs' food. I got tired of all the recalls of commercial dog food. Plus my calculations show I'm under budget on what I use to spend on dog food and my dogs are getting 'real' food, not just P&Gs's idea of real food. I've made a ton of changes, with more to go.

This really isn't anything new for me. When my kids were small, I made everything from scratch. Even baby food and all of our clothing! It's a behavior change. Our reactions are so automatic when it comes to most things. We get in ruts that are easier to stay in than get out of. It takes a lot of time and maybe when I have some dog training classes up and running I will need to make some adjustments. But for the most part, we're back to basics and it's not a bad way of living!

Time off for good behavior

John and I are experiencing a rare phenomenom - we are kid-less for a week! The boys left yesterday for several days with their other grandfather. Last week was stressful. Each boy had a certain amount of anxiety about the visit. They usually do. But they are probably having a great time in the sun and surf.

After they left, John was feeling guilty about looking forward to the time off from them. It's not easy raising 3 grandsons. At a time in our lives when our own children are grown and we should be enjoying the empty nest, ours is full again. I have always had a more difficult time with the boys being here than John. The reality is he will be in his mid-60s and I will be my mid-70s before we are kid-free again.

Yes, we are doing what needs to be done. Yes, we are a stable, responsible influence in their lives. Yes, hopefully they will be better off for it. People tell us that all the time. But sometimes it's a conflict to balance our own needs with that of the boys.  Our kid-free time should be guilt-free time. At the very least, we deserve our time off for good behavior.

Peace, love and a sunny day to you all!
Tish

What happened when my son wore a pink headband to Walmart

My sister sent me this link from the Huffington Post. If you have a minute, check it out. To me, it sums up the intolerance in this country for anything different.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katie-vyktoriah/what-happened-when-my-son-wore-a-pink-headband-to-walmart_b_3696113.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

I worry about Kit, as he is one of 'those' that could be a victim of  people such as the man in the article. He and I have already had conversations about him dressing more neutral this school year as he enters middle school, and the  attitude in this article is one of the reasons why we've had to talk about it. The older kids get, the more aggressive they get in their actions and the more harm they can inflict. Kit seems agreeable to the wardrobe change and wants to cut his hair short, albeit in a Miley Cyrus cut, and colored blue...the shorter hair isn't a bad thing and a lot of kids - boys and girls - color their hair blue, green, purple, etc. I've known grown men who go for these colors as well.

Maybe we can avoid me having to write 'What happened when my grandson wore pink/lace/camisoles/etc, to middle school.'

Have a great Saturday!
Tish

Pick up that mop and burn some calories!

When I was working full time, I had a very active job. I was non-stop for 8 hours, much of it being physical activity. You can’t work with dogs sitting still for very long. So being home, I’ve wondered about keeping active and wondered about the amount of calories I burn up in the course of some daily duties. As a reference point, most people burn 100 calories walking a mile.

Here are some calorie burners from Huffington Post Healthy Living:

1. Mopping: Take care of those dusty, dirty floors with an hour of mopping and you'll shed 153 calories.

2. Washing floors: If your floors require a little extra elbow grease, you can shed as many as 187 calories in just 30 minutes.

3. Scrubbing the tub: It might not take you as long as those floors, but some similar umph is required to ditch that soap scum. In 15 minutes, you'll burn more than 90 calories—and you might feel it in those arms, too!

4. Vacuuming: Depending on the size of your home, vacuuming could make a significant dent in your 10,000 recommended steps a day. In the process, you could burn 119 calories per 30 minutes.

5. Sweeping: A 30-minute dance with the broom will burn off 136 calories.

6. Washing the car: Winter road salt still covering your car? Skip the drive-thru and scrub it by hand to burn 153 calories.

7. Cleaning windows: Get the grime off the inside and the outside and let the springtime sun shine in. You'll burn 167 calories in 30 minutes.

8. Rearranging the closet: Ready to put away those sweaters and your heavy winter coat? Moving around some lighter options can burn about 85 calories.

9. Redecorating: Painting your bedroom a springy pale green? Knock off 167 calories in 30 minutes of indoor remodeling.

10. Moving: Got any furniture to move? You're in luck: You could burn another 100 calories in just 15 minutes, and even more if you have to move anything up and down stairs!

Hmm…I don’t think I need to worry about my activity level. One thing I learned from a BBC special on weight and burning calories - even if some activities don't seem to burn up a lot of calories, the physical activity can increase your metabolism for several hours after the exercise, even while you sleep. That's a good thing, especially for somebody like me whose 63 year old metabolism might not be as perky as it use be.

Cheerio then - I'm off to burn some calories and kick-start my metabolism for the day!
Tish