by M.Cokas on December 1, 2009
Well it’s sickness season again and with all the H1N1 hysteria I’ve been trying really hard to keep my mouth shut. Vaccinations have to be a personal choice; I don’t want people telling me what to do so I try to be careful of pushing my beliefs on to others as well. Unfortunately, after weeks of holding my tongue, I’m ready to explode. This blog is a place where I come to give my opinion on things. It’s time for me to state my opinion, if you agree, if you disagree that is fine, at least we’re talking about it. The most painful part of the whole medical system for me is that so many people give their doctors blind trust. Remember, doctors are people too, and EVERYONE, including all doctors and me, makes mistakes!
I personally feel that most strains of germs (including H1N1) are already present in your body all the time. Illness is the outcome of prolonged stress. Maintaining the fight or flight response, which turns off your immune system so that blood can be preferentially sent to the limbs. Fight or flight is a highly intelligent program that comes standard with your body at birth, but it was intended for a world where dangers are acute, i.e. threat of attack from predators, not home forclosure, job loss and other chronic stressors. So if I become sick and start to blame someone else for sneezing on me, or coming into work with a cold or the flu, it really just sounds like passing the buck. I am the one who is in control of my health. What I should be most concerned with is: ‘How can I reduce stress in my life? How can I find balance between responsibility and play? Where can I find joy on a rainy day with a mailbox full of bills?’ The answers are there if you look for them and when you do you will be rewarded with true health and the ability to say no to the injections and chemical concoctions.
by M.Cokas on November 5, 2009
Soap Nuts for Laundry
You want clean laundry, but you also want to be green, who can you turn to? Mother Nature; it’s long been common knowledge that she cleans the air, but now, we’re finally realizing, she’s also made provisions to clean our clothes. Soap Nuts are one of my latest easy to employ (important when you’re a mom of 3 or just plain busy), green cleaners. How green are Soap Nuts? Well, they grow on trees; is that green enough for you? Soap Nuts are the dried fruit of the Chinese Soapberry Tree. So, you might be wondering how they stack up to a regular detergent, here is what I have found switching from Tide to Soap Nuts:
Soap Nuts
- Much Cheaper than regular detergents, as little as .06 cents per load
- 100% Natural and Biodegradable
- You don’t need to add fabric softener (which makes them even cheaper!)
- Clothes come out just as clean
- No scents & hypoallergenic
- They are gentle enough to use on delicates
- They are low sudsing, so they’re great for HE Washers
- They are easier to use!
How do you use Soap Nuts? Grab 2 or 5 soap nuts, depending on water temp (I always use cold to save energy). Throw them into the little cotton sack and throw the sack into your washing machine. That’s it. And once that sack is in there, if you’re using cold water you can leave it in for up to 5 loads! You don’t have to worry about using any fabric softner because the soapberries have their own natural softening agents. When the shells are used up, just toss them into your compost.
If these little fruits haven’t done enough for you yet, toss a few in a cotton sack and throw them in the dishwasher to replace the chemicals or expensive green substitute you’re currently using.
Laundry Goes Green
by M.Cokas on October 29, 2009
Organized Bathroom Cabinet
For many the bathroom cabinet can be a frighteningly muddled wasteland of expired nail polish, hair products and medicines that will never see the glory of use again. I am here to introduce you to my bathroom cabinet. One of which I am so proud, I often include it in the tour of my house given to guests I’ve sometimes just met. I have a feeling of calm and order wash over me everytime I approach it knowing that I am going to be able to find exactly what I am looking for and in record time. Now I want you to share this feeling when you head into your bathroom to.
How I did it and you can to:
1. Empty out your bathroom cabinet onto a floor or table where you have enough room to work.
2. Grab the trash can and a recycle bin. Sit in front of all your hordes of long lost product and sort it into easily definable piles, ie.: cough & cold, stomach, soaps, thermometers, makeup, etc…Clean and recycle what you can no longer use and toss what cannot be recycled.
3. Assess your piles that are left. How much of each type is in your piles.
4. Go out and get yourself some of these handy little plastic drawer units. Except no substitutes. You may think some cute baskets would really look very nice and accomplish the same goal. Wrong; this style of drawer with the see through fronts is really the key to the success of this (and many other) organizational project. You can get them at Target or Walmart, really anywhere that sells organizational supplies and they are pretty cheap $5-10 each. I used a combination of the little ones and the big ones in order to fit each of my piles nicely into a drawer.
5. Put each pile into it’s own drawer and then the MOST IMPORTANT STEP – LABEL EVERY DRAWER. This is how you keep your husband (or wife:) from mixing up all of your amazing work.
6. Fix yourself a drink and sip it in awe in front of your new masterpiece.
Remember by doing this you are also helping the environment and your wallet, because when you can find the things you already have they don’t go to waste and you don’t have to buy new ones.
