Drinking Water: Leaded or Unleaded?

We've heard so much about lead in toys lately that it's getting downright overwhelming for most of us. But it's important, now more than ever, to stay informed. When you build an arsenal to fight against the scary news, you cease to be overwhelmed, and instead you can be reassured that you're doing the right thing.

Aside from the recent toy scare, most of us probably envision lead in the home only occurring in old, dilapidated houses with paint chips falling off the walls; but there's more to it than that. One place lead is commonly found is in plumbing. I know what you're thinking - "Please don't tell me! I don't want one more thing to have nightmares over!" Believe me, I felt the same way while reading up on it. But there are a few simple things to do to alleviate the worries. And that's what we're all about here.

First of all, know that if your house was built before 1988, as was mine, lead solder may have been used in the plumbing. My father pointed this out to me this weekend while helping my husband install a water heater. (You don't want to know - not a pretty story, and I'm not sure I'll get over the watermarks anytime soon.) If you suspect lead soldering in your pipes, run your cold water for 30 - 60 seconds in the morning before using it, and again if the water hasn't run for six or more hours. Let the water get as cold as possible, too. This will clean out the pipes of water that's had a chance to sit overnight against the lead. There are water filters out there that do trap lead, so if you filter your water, look for one of those. Also, clean out the little screen on your faucet head regularly. Solder particles can get lodged in there after breaking free of the pipes.

If you'd like to test your water, you can call your local health department for more info, or contact the EPA at their Safe Drinking Water Hotline. The EPA has all sorts of info on their site if you want to do more research on your own as well.

Remember, the more we know, the less there is to be afraid of! We can certainly protect ourselves by passing it on!

Whistle While You Work - A Safer Solution to Clean

Cleaning takes on a whole new perspective to the first-time mommy, especially if she's health conscious about the products she uses. I've always been an advocate of chemical-free living, but waiting for the birth of our son, I saw even more cleaning products in our home I'd like to replace.

I was going through that big cleaning spurt that happens when you're in the last trimester and hardly able to move. I was scrubbing every square inch of anything sitting still and half the things that didn't. (Ah, the poor dogs.) Any fumes wafting from cleansers became even more of a nuisance to me than before pregnancy. When it came to polishing all the wood in the baby's room (and yes, I mean the picture frames too - it was a serious frenzy in there), I didn't want to use any old spray-on furniture polish filled with pretend lemon and something that smelled a little too close to airplane fuel. After doing a little digging, I found a very nice recipe for furniture polish that sent me into whole new ecstasies of dirt purging.

Here's what I use now: 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 Tbs. olive oil, 3 - 4 drops lemon oil or sweet orange oil. Put these in a container with a lid and shake until they're blended. Use a dry cotton cloth to apply and buff off. (After the baby's born, you can use some old cotton diapers if you have any. No lint!)

The vinegar in this solution is a nice cleansing agent, and the oils nourish the wood and leave a nice glow, as well as a fresh scent. Now that my son is old enough to pull himself up on everything and he finds my carved Asian rosewood chairs to be appetizing chewies, I'm glad he won't be ingesting any jet fuel-scented polish. All bite marks aside, my furniture glows! Now, wouldn't Donna Reed be envious?

Making a List and Checking it Twice

Ah, the rush of Christmas! It can really get the old ticker going if you're not careful. In these last few days before Christmas, here is a little help for making the most of your time.

I love to give the advice of making lists. That's because as soon as you write something down, it's out of your head. A few nights ago, I woke up at 3:30. My son has been waking up about this time lately, but not that night. My biological clock took that time to keep me awake thinking about the baked goods I hadn't finished yet, and "I'd better not forget - I need to find some celery root. And I'm out of ribbon!" If I would have had a pen and paper next to the bed, I could have written it down and emptied my busy head enough to go back to sleep. I did get the lists done next day, however. There's the Christmas grocery list, the menu plan, the things-to-clean list.

When you're traveling with kids, there's so much to pack that something invariably gets left behind. We went to an indoor botanical garden last weekend for their amazing Christmas display. Unfortunately, I forgot the spare outfit. My son proceeded to load his diaper. And his pants. And his shirt. And his snowsuit... This was just a short trip; no big-time preparations were made. But when you're going out of town or visiting, you're probably planning on being gone for a little longer than an hour or two. Again, lists are the way to go. Make a list of what needs to go in the diaper bag and put the list next to the diaper bag. Then when you pack, there's no searching for a missing list. Write down how many of what - how many diapers, how many bottles... you won't be taken by surprise when it's time to pack.

Oh, and here's a nice tip for the grocery lists: Keep a paper handy to write down whatever you think of, and do it right away so you don't forget. When it's time to shop, rewrite the list. Sound obsessive? Well, it will save you heaps of time at the store; when you rewrite it, organize the items in the order they occur at the store. So if you usually tackle produce first, start the list with produce, etc. Whenever I neglect to do this because I'm in too much of a hurry, I end up running back and forth in the store looking for things, and I always miss at least one item. Take a pen with you to the store so you can mark things off as you go. Then you won't accidentally miss anything and have to go back later.

My wish to all of you, mommies around the globe, is a peaceful Christmas! May you have enough wrapping paper, never run out of eggs at the crucial baking moment, and have plenty of time left over to read the Christmas story to your little ones!

Tricks from a Tightwad

Alright, everyone! Time to dig in and dole out a few quick money-saving tips. It's all that little stuff, after all, that adds up to the big bucks. These are just a few things I do on a regular basis. Add your tips and tricks to the comments at the end of this entry.

1. For kitchen garbage bags, reuse all those plastic bags you get from the grocery store. They perfectly fit the under-the-sink garbage pails.

2. Shake things up! Are you one of those people who squish their 2-liter pop bottle before tightening the lid? That's not really saving as much fizz as if you gave it a couple shakes instead. Repressurize the bottle by tightening the lid and then shaking it once or twice. (Don't shake it too much or you'll give the next person a bath.)

3. Make your own baby food. Not only is it healthier, it's so much cheaper. See the Whole Baby Foods link on this page for recipes.

4. Buy bulk. If you're a tea drinker, try getting loose leaf tea. It's much cheaper, and you get a whole lot more for the money. Asian food stores often carry good ones at a fraction of the cost of the grocery store. Dried beans or rice in bulk quantities are also cheaper. They make for inexpensive meals, and they keep for a long time.

5. Buy meat on sale and freeze it. 'Nuff said!

6. Soap. It used to come in big bottles. You know, big squirt bottles of dish soap. Then they decided to be "environmentally friendly" and they shrunk the bottles to save the world from plastic, took out the water, and called it "ULTRA". You were supposed to buy the little bottles, put some in your old big bottle, and add water. But no one did. They still sell the soap in smaller bottles for higher prices than the originals because now it's concentrated. Brilliant marketing scheme. Water it down and you'll rarely have to buy dish soap, or other liquid soaps for that matter. Okay, I'll get off my soap box now.

These are six things you can do to save some green. I've got plenty more where that came from, and I know you do, too. So click on the Comments button and type away! Together, maybe we can pinch enough pennies to start that college fund...

Whiter Whites and Brighter Brights

Nothing adds to the laundry pile like having kids! All sorts of stains unique to children suddenly crop up in the loads of clothing needed to be cleaned at least once a week. If you're like me, you're also determined to do it all as cheaply and chemical-free as possible. Over the next several posts, I plan on covering some money-saving tips for the household. Got some of your own? Feel free to share them with us in Comments!

For an alternative to laundry soap, try Borax. I know, it's supposed to be an addition to your soap, right? Well, on its own, this powerful little natural mineral is able to bind itself to dirt, dissolving it. It also softens the water and creates its own peroxide, which in turn gives you the whiter whites. It's also safe for soaking cloth diapers in (1/2 cup in a diaper pail of warm water) and can make the diapers more absorbant. And talk about cheap! Around here, a box of the 20 Muleteam Borax runs about $3.50. I have a front-loading washer, which requires less detergent, so one of these boxes lasts me quite a while.

For an alternative to bleach and fabric softener, try some vinegar. It also kills germs and bacteria, which ordinary laundry soaps don't do. Don't worry - your shirts will not smell like a tossed salad when you're done. The vinegar odor is completely gone when the laundry comes out of the dryer. I usually use about 3/4 cup per load, which is probably even more than necessary. Again, a cheap solution, so if you use a little extra like me, you won't break the bank.

If you live in a temperate climate, line drying will certainly cut back on the electric bill and give you wonderful smelling laundry to boot. Even in the dead of winter, we're often seen in our back yard hanging blankets and sheets all over our deck railings. The UV light of sunshine is also a terrific way to kill germs. Another great thing about sunshine - it's totally free!

These are just a few quick tips for naturally clean laundry. I'm really looking forward to sharing more money-saving tips, and I hope you'll join in and share yours as well!

How to Clean Just About Anything - Chemical-Free!

I like clean, but I don't like the cleaners you buy at the store. I used to look high and low for natural cleaners at health food stores, etc. But even though they seemed great, they're expensive. I finally stumbled on a secret our grandparents knew for years - vinegar.

I love using vinegar for cleaning. You can get a whole gallon for just a couple bucks. Mix it with water in a spray bottle, and you've got a whole lot of cleaner.

I mix about 1/3 - 1/2 parts vinegar, the rest water. If you don't like your kitchen smelling like salad dressing, then throw in a few drops of sweet orange oil or lemon juice. Not only will it smell better, but it cuts through grease a little more as well.

This is such a safe option that you'll never have to worry about its effects on children. It's a deodorizer, an antibacterial spray, a soap scum remover, a degreaser, and so much more.

If you have tough stains on the countertops or the stove top, spray the vinegar on and use a little baking soda with a paper towel. I use it on my stovetop regularly; it's great at removing all that burnt stuff.

Vinegar can also be used in the laundry as an alternative to fabric softeners. It also helps remove stains, bacterias, odors, and static. Not to worry - your clothes will not smell of vinegar when they're done!

For more information on chemical-free cleaning, I've found a blog that I'm really enjoying. It's at checblog.org. I've linked to it in my sidebar. It's by The Children's Health Environmental Coalition, and I'm really enjoying the information I'm finding there. If you've found any other websites or blogs of this nature, let me know. I'd love to link to a few more!