Does your Dishwasher Release Toxins?

Ensure that your dishwasher is safe for you and your family  

Many dishwashers release toxins into the air of our homes and leach harmful residues onto our dishes 
when the vinyl PVC plastic dish racks and interior tubs in which they are composed of are heated at high temperatures. The best dishwashers to purchase are ones that are composed of stainless steel tub interior and PVC- free racks which are usually made of nylon. Here is some more info about PVC and harmful toxins which are released when plastic is heated in dishwashers.Try to limit your family's exposure to toxic chemicals as much as possible by staying informed and doing your research.Glass and stainless steal are the safest materials because they do not leach toxins when heated. My journey in trying to discover the most time-saving and effective way to wash my dishes without a dishwasher has been a work in progress. With the enlightening awareness that toxic BPA was being leached into our foods and into our environment such as in the air we breathe through plastic materials made me thankful that I do not own a dishwasher. I always wanted one but I rather give my hands a work out and utilize some good old fashioned elbow grease than expose my family to poisions emitting from a dishwasher. The invention of the dishwasher is absolutely amazing but all we ask is that they are safe for us to use. I tried to find a BPA-free dishpan but surprisingly I couldn't find one anywhere as they are all made out of regular plastic, which when heated may release toxic BPA. I use large glass roasting pans to soak our dishes in as a healthy alternative to a plastic dish pan.A great way to efficiently hand wash our family's dishes is by soaking the dishes in a bath of hot soapy water first followed by a good scrub and hot water rinse so they dry nice and fast with minimum streaks. It is important to research and find out what materials your dishwasher is composed of to ensure that it is safe. If you discover that it does contain toxic plastic BPA you may have a good reason to now upgrade to a more eco-friendly, efficient, energy saving, and most importantly safer model for you and your family. Good luck and safe washing everyone!

Solar Powered Gardens Save Money

Solar energy is an inexpensive alternative to electricity. 

Plants have been using the sun's energy since the dawn of time and now humans may also harness the sun's rays to create solar energy. Garden features powered by solar energy offer an inexpensive alternative to those which are electrically powered. These solar features are an excellent investment, because they help to save money while also helping the environment. Solar powered garden features run very efficiently and there is a large variety to choose from, when sprucing up one's garden. Solar garden features can beautify one's lawn or back yard and there is no need to remember to flip off a switch because of the fear of raising an energy bill.


Outdoor Solar Lighting

Solar garden lights create a safe environment and the feeling of ambiance. 

Outdoor lighting is not only eye pleasing but also necessary. The lights ensure that people can safely see where they are walking. One also can use solar garden lights to line a driveway so that it is easier to park a car.The solar powered lights make outdoor entertaining at night possible and they create a warm glow with a feeling of ambiance in a garden. Solar powered lanterns, lamps, and strings of decorative lights not only can be used to extenuate favorite areas of the garden and but they are also very practical.

Solar Fountains

Transform a garden into a relaxing retreat with the sound of a trickling fountain.

Source: Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When outside in the great outdoors and in a lovely garden, there is nothing more relaxing than the sound of a trickling fountain. A solar powered fountain can add much charm to a garden and is easily affordable compared to electric fountains.The Solar fountains water pump is powered by solar energy via solar panels. Solar garden fountains are more convenient because there is no need to have long extension cords feeding electric to the fountain. A garden can be transformed into a relaxing retreat with a solar powered water feature.

Solar Garden Figures

Solar garden figures add whimsy and charm to any garden.

Source: Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Add some whimsical charm to a garden with solar garden figures. There are many different kinds of figures to suit anyone's style and taste.Many popular solar garden figures include gnomes, angels, children at play, woodland animals or amphibians, like frogs and turtles. There are figures that have motion and light powered by solar power. By incorporating solar figures into a garden they will be a joy to look at and may become great conversation pieces.

Renewable and Affordable

Saving money with a solar powered garden means more money in the piggy bank.

Source: Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Gardens can be a destination for a relaxing escape from everyday stress. A Solar garden offers its owner peace of mind knowing that while they are admiring their beautifully lit solar garden they are not only saving the Earth's resources, but they are also happy to know that the warm glow from their solar garden decor is not costing them a penny!

Helpful tips for moms dealing with OCD

Many moms may suffer with obssessive compulsive disorder

I realized that I had a touch of obsessive compulsive order growing up when I would have the urge to leave my bus stop and run to my house to make sure that our oven was off and the front door was locked. I figured these were just little quarks of mine, only to later realize that they would start to control my life. I worked two jobs and was a full time college student in my early twenties and a busy mind helped to keep worries and compulsions away.Then in 2005 I was married and later joyfully became a mother of a sweet little girl. I am so grateful to be a mother and every second of my day is spent thinking about how I can be the best mother for my daughter. As mothers and fathers alike we may constantly analyze ourselves.We strive to create the most stable and healthy environment for our children. Many new mothers may develop OCD and feel that nothing they do is ever good enough and they may be fearful of everything, but having this attitude is negative and negativity does not help anyone. So instead of going on and on about the common and depressing symptoms of OCD, like the fear I had of germs and chemical contamination, this article is going to give us a boost in positivity and offer some helpful tips. I know that OCD can be very hard to cure so I hope these tips can at least make someone's day a little easier as they have mine.

Tip # 1

Prepare for your day:

I always make sure that all my lets call them "anti-panic items" are in stock. These on my list include:

Seventh Generation disinfectant multi- purpose surface spray- for cleaning surfaces ( I keep one in the bathroom for disinfecting the toilet and one in the kitchen to disinfect surfaces after preparing meats~ notice these are the germiest places in the house!) I love this new disinfectant because I have both the fear of germ and chemical contamination so this helps so much because there is no rinsing required even on food contact surfaces! I love that! We really have to read labels because if something says that it is hazardous to humans and animals and we are cleaning the tables where we sit and eat then why would we want to have these toxic chemicals on them? Our hands and arms touch these tables and our skin is the largest organ of our body which absorbs everything! So why would we expose our skin when we clean to substances that are toxic and should not come in contact with our bodies to begin with? I always try to use non-toxic household supplies because during our busy days we may forget to rinse surfaces and we already have enough to worry about!

Paper towels or clean hand towels

2 Clean sponges

Antibacterial dish soap & non toxic dish soap

Organic natural liquid castile soap with foam pump bottle ( works great because it is gentle on very dry and over washed hands!)

A Natural antibacterial fabric refresher

These are just a few helpful household supplies that help me and it is a great idea to make your own list of items that you like and keep them in stock at home.

If you know that there are things in your living and work environment that may set off panic, take care of these things the night before. When my daughter goes to sleep I may stay up and disinfect surfaces. I like to clean at night because this way I know that I am not spraying the cleaning products near my daughter and when I wake up in the morning I know that everything is ready and clean for a new day. It is a lot easier to keep the house clean when you are just cleaning that day's messes along the way as they happen.

How to Find Your Dream Work at Home Job

The stay at home mommy may be making a come back!

Spend more time with family working your at home dream job.

In this day and age fellow mothers have a vast array of opportunities that will allow them to stay at home with their children. The economy may be in a slump but that does not mean that the idea of a "Stay at home" mother has to go out the window. The mothers of this generation do not have to choose between spending time with the kids or bringing in a paycheck. With the large amount of telecommuting and work at home positions that are available many mothers are now able to spend quality time with their children as well as pay a bill or two.

To be a stay at home mother is a truly wonderful gift. It is one of the most rewarding experiences to be able to stay at home and play with your children , in between getting in your hours of work. Also as mothers we want to be there during the early years of our child's life and we do not want to miss any of their important milestones. In my earlier years I worked as a teacher at a day care center in an infant / toddler room. One time we had a child who walked for the very first time in front of our day care staff. At the end of the day when his mother came to pick him up , she said , “ Oh I hope he didn't walk today. I know he is going to soon and I really do not want to miss it!” I did not have the heart to tell her the truth because I knew how important it was for her to be there for this very special moment. That day I decided that when I became a mother , I would do everything I could to try to stay home with my child, at least for as long as I could afford it. Not all mothers may be able to work at home because they are able to better financially provide for their family, by physically commuting to a work place. These mothers are amazing and they deserve great recognition , as they have to work extra hard to create a healthy balance between work and home. I have been very blessed to have been able to accomplish my dream of staying home with my child , thanks to working at home. If there is an opportunity out there for a mother to stay home with her family while also being able to stay a float financially , I say “Take it!” In earlier days before such opportunities were available , we may have not had a choice. However at the present time we may take advantage of doing it all. We can be excellent care givers as well as providers. We are the superwomen of this generation! You may be saying to yourself, “Sure this sounds great, but are there truly any legit work at home jobs out there for me?” The answer to this is “Yes!”. As an experienced work at home mother, I can tell you first hand that there are real jobs that will pay you to work out of your home. You should take the time to research many work at home jobs , so that you can find one that is just right for you! You want to look for a job that will properly suit your interests and schedule. If you are patient and determined , you will surely find the perfect match that will benefit your household, mind, & wallet! Here our some useful guidelines to follow. They may help lead you in the right direction in grasping that “Dream work at home job”.

First make a checklist of everything you want in your dream work at home job.

Source: Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

1.The first thing you should do is to take some time to think about all of your special skills and experience. Ask yourself , “What do I have to offer the companies who are hiring and what sets me apart from the other applicants?”

2.Next determine which jobs would make a good match for these skills and decide which positions you are qualified for. It is a great idea to jot down the list of jobs you have in mind.

3.Now I want you to go down your list of these jobs and circle the jobs that you feel would be your top picks.

4.My next suggestion is that you choose the position that you can truly see yourself working every day. This is the job that you know that you will not only enjoy , but also be just as enthusiastic six months from now as the day you started.

5.This is the fun part. It is time to go hunting for your “dream work at home job”. Try to view forums such as WAHM , online help wanted posts , and personal blogs. You will be able to find the names of companies who hire people to telecommute and you may also be able to read about people's personal experiences while working for these companies. Using a simple internet search with keywords that match the type of job you are looking for can be very helpful as well. Example: work at home P/T writer.

6.If you are able to find a position that fits all of your expectations, Congratulations! Now I recommend that you take some time before you apply for this job to do some intricate research. It is very important to investigate the company that is offering the position. A quick way to see if this particular job is authentic , is to do aquick internet search with the company's name and the keyword scam next to it. You may be very surprised at what might pop up. Another recommendation is to check with the Better Business Bureau , as they are a very reliable resource.

7.Remember most genuine work at home jobs are not going to make you rich! If they state that you will make 5,000+ in a week, that should be a red flag. This is most likely a gimmick. Also be weary of any work at home company that is asking you to pay a certain amount of money before you begin working. There of plenty of work at home positions that will provide you with a decent pay check and you will not have to invest any of your own money.

Following these helpful guidelines may help you to narrow down that perfect work at home job. Speaking from experience I can say that there is definitely a special sense of freedom and comfort that comes from working out of your home. Yes it may be stressful at times like any other job , such as the ones where you have to drive to an office to work. But It is very good to know that the opportunity is present and it offers an excellent alternative for someone who is looking to get away from the daily hustle and bustle of the physical workplace. Our generation's mothers may be quite different from the sit com mothers of the fifties, but we may be getting a little closer with some help from work at home opportunities. These jobs offer the chance to spend more time with our families and that is truly priceless!

My Review of Shopping at EyeBuyDirect.com for Affordable Prescription Eyeglasses

Families with many eyeglass wearers can save money shopping online for eyeglasses

Many times prescription eyeglasses can be very expensive. After a pricey exam consumers often must pay more money to update their eyeglass lenses to a new prescription as well as pay extra for new frames. If one needs to purchase new eyeglasses there may be more affordable alternatives such as shopping online. There are many online retailers who sell prescription eyeglasses at low prices which can help people save a substantial amount of money. Many online eyeglass retailers offer coupon codes, holiday promotions, multi-order discounts, as well as cash-back programs. I have had a very positive experience shopping at the online eyeglass retailer EyeBuyDirect.com.This company has a large selection of affordable eyeglasses for all different tastes and styles starting at $6.95 and up. Consumers can conveniently order eyeglasses from home and receive them safely in their mailboxes within a week or two. EyeBuyDirect offers many valuable perks to their customers such as a cash back loyalty points program and high value coupon codes. I have purchased five pairs of eyeglasses from this company so far and I have been extremely satisfied with their consumer satisfaction driven business ethic and dedicated customer service. I truly enjoyed searching through their large selection of frames using their virtual try on tool, daily e-mail updates on the status of my order, and the fast shipping time in which I received my eyeglasses. There are many other online retailers who sell eyeglasses at cheap prices such as Zenni Optical, 39dollarglasses, and Goggles4u. I have not ordered any eyeglasses from these companies as of yet so I cannot share my own personal experiences from these other companies. It can be very difficult to cut corners in order to save money, especially on necessary things like prescription eyeglasses. This is why I wanted to share my successful experience with online eyeglass shopping to help others see that it is possible to shop around online for affordable eyeglasses with satisfaction and save a substantial amount of money.
If you are like me and enjoy using coupon codes here is a coupon code for 15% off your entire order of any size + cash back IFXHP41KQ5 . I recently purchased some beautiful retro frames at EyeBuyDirect which I love! The retro reproduction plastic frames are not only back in style but they are also extremely lightweight and comfy.

Hubpages Review: Could writing for hubpages.com make you rich? I don't know, but I'll let you know!

I had joined hubpages.com a year ago and thought it might be a waste of time without really giving it a chance, but after a year I finally started to write some hubs to test out if it is a legit way to earn a few extra bucks, so that I can share my experience with you my family, friends, and other work at home moms out there! I have been writing many articles on hubpages.com lately. It is getting pretty addictive lol! I don't know if any of you have tried creating some Hubs yet, but it is actually quite fun! So far I have made a whopping .30 cents in a few days with 4 articles....I know not much right?! But the great thing about hubpages is that you gain a lot of traffic from the other hubbers. Even though hubpages takes a small percentage of your earnings from your page views and impressions, it just may be worth it. In most cases if you are just starting to build your audience then writing through their site will allow you to gain a much higher number of viewers. Internet surfers and fellow hubbers are referred to your hubs through their platform and these viewers can add up to a march larger amount in comparison to the number of viewers you may have grasped the attention of all on your own. So can hubpages make you rich? I don't know but I just wanted to post this review of my hub experience so far and in the mean time I will keep you posted and up to date on my experience to let you know if it is worth your while! Here is my page if you would like to check out some examples of articles they accept and get some ideas for content. http://nickeyronacher.hubpages.com/

Citrus Magic!

Hi everyone! Lately I have been using a lot of lemons for cleaning around the house. My local supermarket has actually been having some great sales on lemons so I take advantage of buying them when they are cheaper during the warm seasons! I love to make fresh pitchers of green iced tea and I cut up lemons and let them soak right in the tea pitcher so they can infuse the tea with their yummy lemon flavor! When it is time to wash out the big iced tea pitcher and mix up a new batch, I will take out the old lemons and rinse the tea off of them in hot water and then reuse them to scrub the inside of my sink with. See sinks can become really germy and lemons are natural citrus germ-fighters not to mention order eliminators and grease cutters. So when I scrub the inside of my metal sink with lemons it smells so fresh and looks nice and shiny! I will let it sit for a few minutes and then scrub with soap and rinse with hot water and voila~ So clean you eat out of it!lol Also I will take some fresh lemon juice and sprinkle it on a clean damp hand towel and place it in my dryer with laundry I am drying...boy does it smell yummy when tehy are dry! A nice clean and fresh scented non-toxic and "cheap" way to freshen up laundry:)! Hope you enjoy these tips and make the most out of our little citrus friends:)!