Flying With Kids and Car Seats

So I've flown I don't know how many times with my two under 4's starting with when my little guy was only 18 mo and I did it without help..yes that's right I hauled 2 car seats, computer, diaper bag and our bags. It was horrible. I also am one of the only people who put their kids in a restraint on the plane which means I've had to haul two huge car seats on the plane with me and my two kids. You should see the looks I've gotten...good thing I don't care.

Now you may wonder why on earth I would drag two car seats on the plane and I can tell you in one word: BOYS! yes I have two boys and they don't stop moving so a plane ride alone would be miserable and let's not forget that you always have one that needs to visit the potty during flight. I can barely fit in that stupid bathroom let alone changing a dirty diaper (yes..I've done that with turbulence no less)

Let me just say that the only help I've gotten has been from women. Most guys (who were with their wives) would tell me I was brave but NO help...nice. What happened to chivalry?

Anyways for anyone who's had to do this I just found this and let me tell you it isn't cheap but I would have jumped on it in a minute had I known about it earlier:

Cares Aviation Flight Restraint

Moonjellies!

Vancouver Live Moonjellies Cam

Home Made Deodorant!

Update at bottom***

I'm always on the lookout for homemade deodorant since using the store brand has been linked to breast cancer (your glands are in your armpits...and breasts are glands as well..)


This homemade recipe is completely natural and harmless. And cheap. Maybe not cheaper than a deodorant crystal (since those last years and years!), but still cheap. :) You can add essential oils to make it smell nice as well. Just be careful of some essential oils because they are very strong. I've used lavender and sweet orange. Also if you want to make it totally organic just use organic products.


So I came across this receipe:

Ingredients for homemade deodorant:

1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrow root powder OR corn starch
5 tablespoons coconut oil
10 drops of essential oil

Directions for making homemade deodorant:

1. Combine baking soda and arrow root powder in a bowl and mix with a fork.

2. Start with about 4 tablespoons/one-fourth cup of coconut oil and essential oils.   Add the coconut oil to the baking soda mixture, working into a paste.

The deodorant will have somewhat of a play-dough consistency, and will be softer or harder depending on its temperature. You can put the deodorant into a small container with a lid, or into an empty stick deodorant dispenser if you have one. My deodorant hardened somewhat after I put it into a container.


And the results are in:

I've used this deoderant for about two months now and it REALLY works! I live where it is really humid and most natural deoderants just can't hold up and this one holds up ALL DAY! But it's not an antiperspirant so expect to sweat a little. Besides that's the part that clogs up the glands anyways.


Update*** so I've now used this 2 years without problems and it works!

Asian Pasta Salad

Love this recipe!!

You'll Need:

1lb Linguine

4T oriental sesame oil
3T honey
3T soy sauce
3T balsamic vinegar (this one cracks me up because it's not asian...)
Dash (or more) of cayenne pepper
3 red bell pepper, seeded, thinly sliced
3 c snow peas
1 onion, thinly sliced (I omit this because the kids won't eat it..)
Peanuts, hulled

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain well and add a little olive oil so it won't stick. Transfer to a large container. Whisk the sesame oil, honey, soy sauce, vinegar and cayenne pepper. Heat 1T oil (any kind will do) in pan and saute bell peppers, peas and onion until beginning to wilt about 2 minutes. Add veggies to pasta and refrigerate. When ready to serve mix in peanuts and dressing.

Alternate: use frozen veggies and add to pasta water for two minutes. Drain and add a little olive oil and refrigerate

Today's meal - Crockpot Lasagne For Foodies

Crockpot Lasagna that I froze and then reheated using the best recipe in the world.

You'll need:
1 jar red sauce (I used Emril Lagasse)
1 jar white sauce (I used Emril Lagasse)
bag of shredded mozzarella
bag of shredded parmesan
large container of cottage cheese
nutmeg
salt
pepper
dried parsley
lasagna noodles


In your crock pot put a layer of red sauce then add a layer of noodles (uncooked). You may have to break them to make them fit. Next take the cottage cheese and applied a thin layer over the noodles. Take a handful of shredded mozzarella and add over the top of the cottage cheese. Take a small handful of shredded parmesan cheese and add over the cottage cheese and mozzarella. Dash on some nutmeg and then salt and pepper and top with a dash of parsley. Apply layer of red sauce and repeat the cheese mixture again. In the middle you'll add a layer of the white sauce instead of the red sauce. To finish you'll have noodles on top and then a layer of red sauce. Add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water to the jar of red sauce that is now empty and add that to the sides (so you don't wash off the sauce on the noodles) and then top with a layer of mozzarella and some salt.

Low for 8 hours
High for 4 hours

Check to see how it's doing and when it's brown around the edges it's done. I turn mine onto warm and just leave it in the crock until I'm ready for it.

You Know You're A House Frau When...

After the kids go to bed you spend the next two hours on the internet trying to figure out what the stupid things under the burners of your stove are called (drip pans btw..) and what is the right one to replace the charred mess that are unrecognizable as your drip pans.

Go now and replace your drip pans...you can't say you don't know what they are called now.

Old Skool!

So I've been rereading The 15 Minute Organizer by Emilie Barnes (it's in my carousel list on the sidebar). I started reading it again because once...a long time ago...I was organized and then I moved, got married, had kids and then moved again. But, before all that I used this book to keep the house clean and it worked.

Now I must say that I've used many, many, many more organizers than I really want to admit to and they've all failed...really bad. I've had the PDA, apps, Flylady you name it and it hasn't worked. So one day I remembered when I was organized and that I had a 3 x 5 card file I used. I rummaged through the garage full of junk and found it. That in itself deserves a medal but that's another story....

Then I looked at it...all the cards filed neatly in order of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-yearly and yearly and thought... wow...what happened to me??? The thing is, I couldn't remember where I had gotten the idea from. There is no way I came up with this system by myself...just NO WAY.

And then about a week ago, I remembered a book I really liked...a long time ago. I had just put all my stored books away neatly in a bookshelf so finding the book would be no problem. Out I darted OAM for that book ( 15 Minute Organizer) and surprisingly I found it. I opened that book and it all came back to me. HERE is where I got all the ideas that had worked for me before. How to manage all the mail that comes in, how to store stuff so you can actually find it and for some reason (the advent of PDA's) I thought I could find something better..HA!

Emilie Barnes has many books available from back in the day so if you can get your hands on any of them you go for it. I think you'll see she's a wealth of knoweledge about keeping a house. She brings Titus 2: 3-5 home