February 2012 Archives » Joy Makin Mamas

You will never buy paper towels again.

Feb 282012

When I realized my family was spending nearly as much on paper towels every month as we were on diapers, I knew something had to change. My family went paperless and we never looked back. We now rely mainly on bamboo and cotton “flour sack towels,” which can be thrown into a load of regular clothes to be washed without shedding lint all over the place like terry toweling does. (I found a good deal on a lifetime supply at the Towel Depot, but you can also find them on Amazon, eBay, and locally, if you care to shop around.) Bamboo for the kitchen, as they have some natural anti-microbial properties, and cotton in the bathroom. (They’re cheaper and we only use them for drying hands and wiping dirty faces, then into the wash they go.)

How many towels will get you through the week? For our family, about 2 dozen flour sack towels, plus a standard hand-towel size dish towel or two for each day of the week, plus a stack of cleaning cloths- at least four. You’ll also need either a mop or a few grungy bath towels stashed for “emergencies,” like when the toilet overflows or a pipe busts. Throwing the flour sack towels into the regular wash means no extra wash loads for us, plus it means no waiting for clean cloths to do the job, because with four of us we always have a full load.

About those cleaning cloths… go microfiber. Seriously. They clean like nothing you’ve ever used before. If you haven’t found microfiber cloths yet… well. You’re in for a pleasant surprise. I bought a bulk pack quite cheaply from Amazon, and we use them for shining up fixtures and appliances, wiping up spills, and scrubbing greasy cooktops. There’s nothing these won’t do. Usually a damp microfiber cloth is all you need.

As for what to do with your clean linens… well. I’m still working on an ingenious, convenient, and simple solution for the kitchen. I have a basket of hand towels in the bathroom for guests and one of cloth napkins on the kitchen table. (We find that about 15 everyday napkins get us through the week. You may need more or less, depending on how your family uses them.) Have you got a fabulous way to keep a towel at hand that saves space in the kitchen? Please do share it with us!

Meghan

I like blues, punk, crime drama, mysteries, knitting, science fiction, having boys, and keeping active. I am a cat person, although I think dogs should have equal opportunities.When I'm not here, you'll find me posting on my personal blog or our NOVA site... or out and about with my kids!

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Product Trial: Green Works Cleaners

It's So Easy Being Green No Responses »

Feb 282012

Here’s your chance to get in on the Product Trial from Greenworks! You might remember that I offered you a review of how these products worked for my family. Now you can try them yourself- for free! See the details below.

We are now ready to recruit our next wave of members!

Here’s what you should know:

- The makers of Green Works cleaners have launched this community because they want to hear from you. We’ll send three Green Works products to new community members in March to get the conversation started.

- Community members will be invited to share thoughts on forum topics and polls, engage in webinars, share green tips and ideas, receive product sample offers and connect with individuals who care about living a more natural life.

- We are looking for Moms! Specifically, moms who are willing to put Green Works cleaners to the test on all their household spills, stains and messes. As moms navigating a world full of natural and green products, Green Works values your opinion on how they can help keep your homes clean.

Opt-in here if you want to join this online community and receive Green Works products. If you’re selected, we will let you know by mid-March.

Meghan

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Please check out our new payment gateway and help save babies!

Hold the Presses, March of Dimes No Responses »

Feb 252012

Not long ago I let you all know that we were suspending the acceptance of PayPal immediately. Their shenanigans just didn’t hold up to the standard I think you all deserve. The Joy Makin’ Mamas now have an account with WePay. If you sign up using this link, you’ll get $10 when you accept your first payment via WePay.

There’s more! They will send The Joy Makin’ Mamas $20 when they send you $10. And the Joy Makin’ Mamas will donate that $20 to our March for Babies Team Page. So, let’s review: You open a WePay account for FREE. You accept a payment from someone else, and you get $10 for FREE. The babies get $20! You have money, the babies have money… everyone wins!

Don’t forget that it’s time to Join Our March for Babies Team! You can change your walk location once you’ve joined and march with us wherever you are.

Meghan

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Blogroll Spotlight 2-24-12

Hold the Presses No Responses »

Feb 242012

We asked you if you wanted a chance to share your blogs and you said YES! Welcome to the result- a weekly Blogroll Spotlight, where we bring you recent posts from featured Joy Makin’ Bloggers!

If you’d like to submit your blog for inclusion in our Joy Makin’ Mamas Blogroll, click here. As we build our network of Joy Makin’ Mamas bloggers, we’ll be approaching some of you about other opportunities before they are announced here. We’ll be looking for the Joy Makin’ Mamas Badge!

Becoming SuperMommy

Confessions of an Emerging Domestic Goddess

What’s in a Name?

Future namesakesNaming Baby X is proving… a little complicated.When it comes to cultural differences, my husband and I do very well. We don’t have arguments that are fundamentally based on a world view and experience that are different from each other. Rather, we talk things through and find our common ground.But baby names? This is a much trickier area.You see, M is white.And I? Am not.Our first two babies were much easier to name.Jewish and “white” are just not the sa …

Dissenting Opinions

As I hope you are all aware, I have taken The Mom Pledge. And I take it seriously.As you may or may not be aware, but a lot of the expectations that we had for adulthood were pretty far fetched. Adults DON’T always know what’s going on. They DON’T mysteriously have all the answers. They DON’T have constant confidence in the place in the universe.So, like children, adults bicker. And they argue. And they bully.As much as we like to think that bullying …

It’s a Guy Thing

Learning new lessons every day and taking pictures along the way.

February 23, 2012 – It’s Still February…I Think…

The calendar says it is still February, but I am having a hard time believing it.In February, you don’t have lunch break play time with daddy at a playground…In February, there aren’t buds on the trees…In February, there aren’t flowering weeds…In February, Biscuit doesn’t lay on the deck…Lesson learned: I am a big fan of “non-winter”.

February 22, 2012 – Enjoying the Weather

It was 60 degrees on Wednesday, so we wanted to spend lots of time outside. Our neighborhood playground isn’t really “crawler” friendly, so we hung out on our deck for a while.Jude and Biscuit were both not fans of the pinecone. Too prickly?Jude now LOVES to wave hi and bye. For these next two pictures, I told Jude to “say hi to Mommy”.Jude discovered that he can hide under our bench. Silly little Guy.He also had fun using the bench to play peek-a-boo with Mommy!He still …

It’s a wonderful life…

Here’s to…..

…dear sweet Martha White!!! My son is a man’s child…. meaning… he loves, cars, trucks, dirt, dogs, EVERYTHING & ANYTHING dirty, etc. But yet he is still SO domesticated. This morning when I told him I’d make him muffins for breakfasthe told me he’d help me,but first he had to grab his apron & his “cooker hat”. He is a well rounded lil’ fella’ for sure! If you’d like to see him in action with some MAJORmusical talent… (seriously, I’m most l …

The History of Us

I must admit… I am not the perfect wife or mother, but one thing I do… and I feel as if I do it well…. (OK not always perfect…but WELL. There is a difference…) is L-O-V-E. {circ. 2004-ish} {My honey loves to be kissed…the smile says it all!} Tuesday, February 14, 2012 was a milestone kind of day for our family. Lil’ man’s daddy asked me to be his wife on Valentine’s day in 2000. [12 years ago!] It’s hilarious how young, and “green” we were. …

Latina Country

Bilingual Latinas living a bicultural life. From city to honkytonkville.

Your Sons Name is Not American.

One day gringo was hearing the word of God at my Spanish speaking church. The minister said one of the Apostles name in Spanish and he decided that if we had a boy we would name him like that. Months went by and when we found out we were having a boy we decided that he was going to have a Spanish name. At the beginning and even up to date people had a hard time pronouncing it. It’s not a difficult name at all however people in the English only world have a hard time saying it. Click here …

Spanish Friday: Una Semana De Descanzo

Esta semana no tome fotos de nuestras aventuras. Gringo estuvo de vacaciones y tambien decidi tomar las mias. Todavia ni he desempacado la ropa de nuestro viaje. Hoy uno de mis hermanos cumple veintitantos. Espero que se la pase bien y disfrute de este dia. Aqui hay unas fotos de nuestro viaje a la gran manzana. I didn’t take any pictures of our week adventures. Gringo was on vacation and I decided to take a break also. I haven’t even unpacked our clothes from the trip. Today is one of my …

Living With Porteous

A loving Couple (sometimes disfunctional) our kids, a dog and everything else!

Day 24. Inside bathroom cabinet

Here is the funny thing.. I do not have a bathroom medicine cabinet… I have three bathrooms but NO cabinet.. well Ok I guess I have vanity filled to the brim under the sinks in two…. that is hard ..hard.. to show… eeeek…

day 23. my SHOES!

DAY 23. My shoes! OH MY!! I do have a crush on BORN shoes… I hope if I wish and wish… then they WILL be mine oh yes… please…be mine!!!

Moms Like Me

Memorizing Scripture with Kids

My husband and I have begun working with Big Brother (and Middle Brother) on memorizing his Bible verses. It’s been a bit of a battle since he’s very shy and doesn’t like to say his verses to us or his teachers. We’ve found a few things that help, though, and I wanted to share them with you My husband came across some great CD’s for kids. The Rizers is one of our favorites. The songs are all taken directly from scripture and even include the scripture reference in the song. This is actua …

Wind Painting

As part of our weather unit, today we tried out “wind” painting. It seemed pretty fitting considering how windy it was outside while we were playing. The kids had a blast with this activity and it was such a cinch to put together with materials I already had on hand. For this activity, we used: Construction Paper Washable Paints Water Plastic Straws Small bowls for mixing 1. Give each child a large sheet of white construction paper. 2. Have the kids help you mix the paint with …

Semele’s Riches

Adventures in handmade childhood

Gunwales Awash

Tonight Keeghan proved he’s ready for the “big tub.” in evidence, I present to you my pants: wet to the knees. Also: one bathroom floor: flooded, and one big brother: impressed.

A Boy and his Raba

What with all the excitement about grown men in tiny, tiny cars around here, I forgot to share this with you on Monday. Just one of those little moments that make all this such a beautiful adventure.

Southern Belle

Family, Friends, Fashion, Beauty,Recipes, Favorite Quotes and Scriptures, Product Reviews, Book Reviews and Much More

Our Vacation is over.
Well, that’s it. Our 2 week vacation is over. So very sad. On a brighter note, we did enjoy the 2 weeks we had together as a family. ( One of the perks of home-schooling) you can take a vacation anytime during the year not just in the summer. A quick recap of our vacation. My husband and I wanted this year’s vacation to be extra special. During our vacation we went to the Oakland Nature Preserve, Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando Museum of Art, Old Town Theme Park, MegaCon an …

MegaCon 2012

It is that time of the year again! Once again my family headed to MegaCon last Friday. This time we bought our tickets in advance from Coliseum Comics, this is the smartest thing we did. For those of you who don’t know what MegaCon is: MegaCon is a 3 day event held every year in Orlando, Florida. Three days of shopping, people in costumes, panels and celebrities! This is the biggest comic book convention that I know of in Florida. One of my favorite part …

Meghan

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Green Works Cleaning Products Review

It's So Easy Being Green 2 Responses »

Feb 212012

You may remember that a while back I alerted you to a Green Works Product trial. I signed up, and sure enough, I received a package with three Green Works Products inside. They’ve asked me to share my opinion of any one of the products with them, but, I decided to go one better and test drive all three of them for YOU, Green and Thrifty Mama. I think they were expecting people to match them up versus traditional cleaners (they are made by Clorox, after all) but I personally have been using Method cleaners for years, so my opinion of how well they clean is compared to those products. I’m what they call “sensitive,” meaning that what’s in your average cleaner makes me sicker than a dog. I can’t even really go down the detergent aisle at the store, and it’s all perfume/dye/chemical free for me, all the time, unless I want a horrendous headache.

First up, General Purpose Cleaner.

The Challenge: The High Chair

My 9 month old is very independent. If you have one of these, you know that what you are looking at means that, while some food undoubtedly ended up INSIDE the baby, you sure can’t tell by the high chair when all is said and done.

The Results:
I can’t say this cleaner doesn’t work. The high chair is clean, including the straps, which we all know are notoriously hard to keep in good trim. But, other than that, it’s a good thing I’m not being paid for this opinion because I doubt they’d give a nickel for it.

First of all, the bottle leaks. Which means I got the stuff all over my hands. That might seem like it’s not a product feature, but, to me, it is. If they skimp on the bottle and I end up wasting cleaner by getting it all over me, that’s a problem. Also, it roughened my nails and the skin on my hands, and set off a flare up of the hand eczema so many of us moms battle all winter long. It took days to calm down the redness and the itching. Since I know it’ll be a while before my next manicure (HAH!) that is not what we call a “plus.”

Secondly, the smell. It smells like a traditional cleaner. If that’s your “thing,” you might like it. I don’t. And my four year old came into the kitchen with his nose wrinkled up and said, “Mommy, I smell something…” in the tone you might use to mean someone had obviously stepped in You-Know-What. Unlike most products, it did not actually leave me with a splitting headache when I was done. So there’s that.

Last, the cleaner left a sticky residue not only all over my hands, thanks to the leaky bottle, but also all over the floor and anywhere hit by the over-spray. Yuck.

What I’d use this for: Convincing my husband that a regular visit for a mani/pedi is a necessary expense, gluing small children to the floor, and discouraging my four year old from touching my stuff.

Next up: Toilet Bowl Cleaner

The challenge: I will NOT gross you out with a picture. Let’s just say… “The Little Boy’s Room.”

The Results: Again with the smell. The smell of this thing made my eyes water. I’m not being descriptive, they actually watered. It did what I consider a so-so job of cleaning the bowls of both of our toilets, and the fact that I now don’t want to go near them should mean they stay clean, right? (I say again… HAH!) Again, it didn’t actually make me sick, I just don’t care for the experience of the product at all.

What I’d use this for: Repelling invaders. A blind attacker is a dead attacker!

Finally: Cleaning Wipes

I was most excited about this item. My husband LOVES wipes of any description, and these are compostable. Personally, I have always thought they were a waste of money, so I’m going to be a tough sell.

The Challenge: Post Party Cleanup

The Results: First of all, I had a lot of trouble getting the roll started. So I wasted a bunch of the wipes right off the bat. Since I already think buying wipes is a waste of money, wasting part of the roll before I even try them out is no way to win me over.

I tried these on the counter top. I’m not impressed. They didn’t get any of the tough spots, and they left my countertop (laminate) looking dull. They were good at finger marks on woodwork and switch plates.

What I’d use this for: Wasting space in my pantry, wiping down restaurant or food court tables before feeding my kids, or keeping my husband happy.

Conclusion: None of these products are for me. I’ll be passing them on to another family. If you’re a “sensitive” like me, give these a pass. Also, dye-free families should note that two of the three products are dyed green, and the label only says “yellow and blue colorant,” without listing a source. So if that’s a concern for you, again, I suggest you give these a pass.

Meghan

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For we go marching, marching…

March of Dimes No Responses »

Feb 172012

When you hear that someone is going to “march” somewhere, it’s a powerful image, isn’t it? People have accomplished a lot of amazing things by marching. Well, we hope you’ll march with us this year for healthy babies.

When you walk in March for Babies, you give hope to the more than half a million babies born too soon each year. The money you raise supports programs in your community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies. We’ve been walking since 1970 and have raised an incredible $2 billion to benefit all babies.

If you’ve ever made one of these little people, you know what hard work it is. The March of Dimes is working hard to end prematurity. To prevent birth defects. To give every baby the chance to be born healthy. And that is truly a cause worth marching for. Please join our team and march with us this spring. Once you’ve joined, you can change your walk location to your local walk. So, wherever you are, whatever your personal reason for wanting to March for Healthy Babies, we hope you’ll join our team. Because, together, we can do something AMAZING.

For an adorable way you can help support families whose little ones are born too soon, check out these “little fighter” onesies that benefit Preemies Today. (If you know someone who has a child born prematurely, please refer them to Preemies Today so they can get the support they need. Also, be sure to look for them at the March for Babies!)

Little Fighter Onsies To Benefit Preemies Today!

Posted on February 16, 2012

Babyfightgear.com: Get it here.

Babyfightgear.com has created a “Little Fighter” onesie and will be donating 100% of the proceeds to Preemies Today. Please check them out and help spread the word.

So head on over and get one for all the little fighters in your life, and you’ll also be helping Preemies Today do amazing things.

Meghan

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DIY Oxygen Bleach (You will never buy Oxi-Clean again.)

It's So Easy Being Green No Responses »

Feb 142012

I was surprised to discover that OxiClean does not contain magical, stain-removing fairy dust. What it does contain is a powdered version of hydrogen peroxide and good, old-fashioned washing soda. This combination is also known and referred to as Oxygen Bleach. (To differentiate it from chlorine bleach.)

Have you met washing soda? Your grandma probably had a box in her cupboard. Those of us who can’t tolerate the additives in “new and improved” cleaning supplies are still fans. You should be able to find at least one chain store in your area that carries it, and it’s normally found in the laundry aisle, right next to the 20 Mule Team Borax. (Grab some of that, too, although you won’t need it today. It’s good for a number of general purpose cleaning uses.)

Some recipes you’ll find by googling this call for baking soda. Although Baking Soda and Washing Soda are chemically related, they are not the same. To match the chemical composition of the expensive stuff, you want washing soda. While you may have to try harder to find Washing Soda, it is cheaper than baking soda. It can also be used, alone, as a laundry booster.

My custom blend, used for cleaning pet stains out of carpet, is:

DIY Oxygen Bleach (You will never buy Oxi-Clean again.)

Author: Meghan Gray

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Ingredients

1 quart hydrogen peroxide
1 cup washing soda
3 quarts hot water
¼ cup CLEAR liquid laundry detergent- optional

Instructions

Mix well. Apply liberally to stain and let set for up to 1 hour before removing with carpet steamer.

Notes

If you are adding this to your laundry, I’d skip the detergent and the water, and add a ½ cup or so of the solution to your laundry load. For soaking, I’d dilute it a bit more than this. It’s cheap, especially if you wait for hydrogen peroxide to go on sale, and it’s easy. But you should still keep it out of the reach of kids.

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

Meghan

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Want exposure for your blog?

Hold the Presses No Responses »

Feb 132012

If you’re a mom blogger and you’d like more exposure for your blog, please submit your blog. If it fits in with what we do here, we’ll add it to our list of Spotlight Blogs. After that, one or more of your most recent posts will be included in our weekly BlogRoll Spotlight post!

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Then, grab a badge for your blog.

Copy the code below and paste into your site:

As we build our network of Joy Makin’ Mamas bloggers, we’ll be approaching some of you about other opportunities before they are announced here. We’ll be looking for that badge! While you’re here, submit your FREE ad.

Meghan

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The Great Backyard Bird Count

Family Friendly Crafts, Great Outdoors No Responses »

Feb 072012

Gear up to join us in participating in this year’s Great Back Yard Bird Count! Participating can be as simple as spending 15 minutes looking out the window with your kids, and you’ll all enjoy learning more about local wildlife.

Feb. 17-20, 2012

How to Participate:

NEW: Downloadable GBBC instructions (PDF)

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count. You can count for longer than that if you wish! Count birds in as many places and on as many days as you like—one day, two days, or all four days. Submit a separate checklist for each new day. You can also submit more than one checklist per day if you count in other locations on that day.

2. Count the greatest number of individuals of each species that you see together at any one time. You may find it helpful to print out your regional bird checklist to get an idea of the kinds of birds you’re likely to see in your area in February. You could take note of the highest number of each species you see on this checklist.

3. When you’re finished, enter your results through our web page. You’ll see a button marked “Enter Your Checklists!” on the website home page beginning on the first day of the count. It will remain active until the deadline for data submission on March 1st.

Special Note: As the Great Backyard Bird Count has grown, more and more bird clubs, nature centers, and local parks are conducting special bird walks or hikes during the GBBC and having participants enter their tallies afterward. How you conduct a traveling count versus a stationary count is slightly different although you will enter your online tallies the same way.

Stationary Count: This is a count made in one area, such as your backyard, where you remain in one place. In this case, simply report the highest number of each species seen together at one time, as usual.

Traveling Count: This is a count made over a distance, such as birding on a trail. In this case you will count new birds of each species as you move along, but only if you can be relatively certain you did not count them previously. You’ll add the numbers for each species at the end of your walk.

Marbled Godwit, Sharon Milligan, MS
2010 GBBC

Other helpful tools and information:

Data Form Some people find it helpful to fill out the form before entering it on the website. By printing it off ahead of time, they know what information they need to be aware of, such as snow depth, for example.
GBBC Photo Contest rules

GBBC participation certificate to give out to students or to anyone who takes part in the GBBC.
PowerPoint slideshow about the GBBC

Local events Have a look at some of the events from the last count to get some ideas on what you could plan in your community for the next GBBC.
If you’re a teacher looking to get your class involved with the GBBC, read through our educator’s materials for some ideas.
If you’re new to bird watching, you might want to check out our “Learn About Birds” section. You’ll find help with tricky bird identifications, choosing binoculars, bird feeding tips, and much more.

Pileated Woodpecker, Mary Zugelder, NC, 2010 GBBC

Participants have many questions that we’ve tried to address over the years. Questions such as: Why hold the count in February? How many lists may I submit? or How are the results used? We have answers to these questions and many others in our FAQ section!

Meghan

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