July, 2012

July 18, 2012 / 4 Comments

The Health Benefits of Line Drying Your Clothes

Everybody knows that hanging you clothes out on the line instead of using your dryer saves you money. But did you know there are health benefits to line drying your clothes? Here’s a list I came up with (while hanging out a load of wash).

Get your vitamin D.
Experts say you need 5-30 minutes of sunlight twice a week without sunscreen to receive the vitamin D you need. Spending a few minutes hanging each load will more then get you the dose of vitamin D you need.

Elevate your heart rate. Lugging a basket full of wet clothes is quite the workout. For me it’s up a flight of stairs, through the back door, down three stairs and thirty feet over to the clothes line. Then it’s up and down, up and down, grabbing a new item to hang up. By the time I’m done I’m a little winded.

It’s free quiet time. Do you ever just need a minute of peace and quiet, a little mental health break from your dear children? They may express utter excitement to help you at the beginning of the day, handing you clothes pins and the like, but give them five minutes and they will be bored and leave you alone for the rest of the day!

Spiritual Health. It’s a great time to get some one on one time with God. Depending on where you live, you can even talk out loud without worrying about someone hearing you.

Chase those blues away. According to nutrition.about.com, in order to keep your serotonin levels up, you need 30 minutes of sunlight each day. Serotonin is what regulates whether you feel super good or depressed (i.e. its a mood regulator). Hang a couple of loads of laundry and you are there.

 

Do you have any other health benefits to add? Have you experienced any of the benefits listed above?

 

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July 16, 2012 / Leave a Comment

Our Move to Kansas: We’re Here!

The month of June was a long and full one. First my youngest brother’s wedding, and then we left the very next day for vacation with Joel’s family, then three full weeks of packing.

Joel and my brother loaded up a truck full of our belongings and drove them down a week and a half before the actual move, with the hopes of being able to do some work on the rental to get it ready before we move to go on the market after the renters moved out. Alas, we still had more packing and errand running to do before we left so we didn’t get to it. We’ll be making a trip back this week to hopefully finish up the house and get in on the market. By then my brother and his roommate will be completely moved out and we can blow through the work!

For now, and the next couple of months or so, we will be staying with Joel’s parents while Joel starts the business and we look for a house to rent that fits our needs (and our budget).

We still have some belongings in Nebraska. We were going to rent a trailer and haul it down when we came done but decided it was too hot and would put too much strain on the engine. So it is staying for now and we will bring it back this week when we return and drive home at night so that it will be cool enough.

We also left our other car in Nebraska. We are trying to sell it and it seemed less complicated to sell it in Nebraska versus licensing it, drive it down to Kansas, sell it here, and then return the plates to the DMV in Nebraska to get our refund. We’ll see how it works out. We may end of driving it back to Kansas anyway.

For now, we are settling in as best as we can. Most of our stuff is in storage, with just the essentials with us at the house. I look forward to having our own place and getting to see my things that have been packed away for the last two years. I also look forward to getting rid of a lot of stuff. We sent boxes and boxes to the Goodwill when we moved out to my parents, but I think I will find the makings of a decent garage sale when I start unpacking everything!

Well, that’s it for now. Thanks for listening to my ramblings.

Do you have anything exciting happening in your family this summer?

I’m linking this to:            &   The Morris Tribe Blog Carnival

July 16, 2012 / Leave a Comment

Monday Mommy Confession # 39

Working out when you have children means a twenty Minute workout is really a 35 min workout with multiple “water breaks”. So much for keeping my heart rate up.

And this was DURING nap time. Sheesh!

 

Tell me, what do you do to get an uninterrupted workout?

July 3, 2012 / Leave a Comment

Recipe: Texas Caviar

Guest Post by: Andi S.

 

Today’s delicious recipe is…drum roll please……Texas Caviar! It is the perfect light and refreshing chip dip for a hot summer day – sweet and sassy. Great for a side dish or even an appetizer! The recipe makes so much for very little cost. It is the easiest, cheapest, and most delicious side! You can’t beat that.

 

Here is that abundant Texas Caviar recipe:

2 cups celery

1 onion (I use 1/2 white onion)

1 drained can shoepeg corn

1 drained can pinto beans

1 drained can black eyed peas

1 drained can black beans

1 small jar pimentos

Lay’s Fritos Scoops


Mix all of the canned beans, corn, and pimentos in a large bowl.


Dice the celery and white onion and throw it into the mix.



Mix everything well.


Boil and stir: 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup white vinegar until sugar is dissolved. Let it cool completely.  Add 1/2 cup veggie oil. Now pour this over all the veggie/bean mix and stir well!


It’s best if it’s refrigerated for 24 hours before serving.

Bon appetite!


 Andi is an avid reader, tea drinker, and adventurer. She hopes to someday see Sequoia trees in California and a Wimbledon match on a beautiful June afternoon. She recently graduated from Creighton University and will continue to pursue God’s will for her life.

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