Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[RainMom]

What about straw bale gardening? There's a book I've been meaning to buy that's all about Making raised beds out of straw bales. The bales break down into compost after use.

that's actually a great idea for a first garden or if in a hurry- and the bales are nice and big, so you can sit on them while you weed the beds

 

[itsren]

Quote:

there are places you can get cloth diapers from and you just bag up the dirty diapers leave them on your porch and they come replace them with clean ones. You actually don't have to do any washing.

That is what we did

We did that, too, with the twins. I canceled after a few months, though, because the truck came from Seattle and I live about 45 minutes away. We finally came to the conclusion that we were not helping the environment because there were not very many people on our truck's route, and all the fuel associated, plus the company's heavy use of detergents was probably doing more damage to the environment.

 

[hallerlake]

HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2011

Scenario 1:

Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.

1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.

2011 - School goes into lockdown, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.


Scenario 2:

Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins.. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2011 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.



Scenario 3:

Jeffrey will not sit still in class, he disrupts other students.

1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2011 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.



Scenario 4:

Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt..

1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.

2011 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.



Scenario 5:

Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.

1957- Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.

2011- The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.



Scenario 6:

Pedro fails high school English.


1957- Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.

2011- Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher.. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.



Scenario 7:

Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.

1957 - Ants die.

2011- ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated.


Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.



Scenario 8:

Wally falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Nancy. Nancy hugs him to comfort him.

1957 - In a short time, Wally feels better and goes on playing.


2011 - Nancy is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison... Wally undergoes 5 years of therapy.

Ritalin is not a sedative. It is a stimulant. Stimulants do not turn people into zombies. Paddling does not make ADD go away. My parents admit to having disciplined me more than all my other (7) brothers and sisters put together. I STILL can't sit still.

 

[RainMom]

That's neat Tami! What will you use it for?

it might have to be my chocolate jar

. Hard to say- it might end up holding napkins on my dinner table. It might hold a mason jar full of fresh flowers. It might just sit around and look exceptionally craftsman-like, drawing ooohs and ahhhs...

Almost everything in my house is used, was free, bought 2nd hand, gargage sales, etc. I love, love, love buying unique pre-owned stuff. Did you see my stuffed chicken on top of my bookshelf when you were here?

 

[itsren]

Quote:

Most people these days know that washing cloth requires detergents that are gentler and won't cause residue left on the diapers which will put an immediate rash on the baby. We mostly use biodegradable, no-optical whiteners, no brighteners, no bleach, yada yada, detergents. I used Charlie's Soap. Lots of people use All Free & Clear. Or Country Save. They're all septic safe and biodegradable.

I use Arm n Hammer Free. It is the only detergent I have found to not react with my eczema. And we ALWAYS use WAY less than recommended dosage

I actually use Tide Free. The normal load size is 3 ounces. We use 1 Tbsp per load. I doubt we're doing any damage. I haven't found anything else that get our clothes clean enough. I WISH I could find a natural detergent that gets my clothes clean. Unfortunately I pay WAY too much money for our clothes to use a detergent that is sub par. Diapers were different. Who cares if the poop catchers have stains!

I don't know if this is "good" or "bad" for the environment, but it works for the cheap-skate in me. I started making my own laundry detergent and it now costs us pennies for huge batches. The initial cost of a box of borax and a box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda was about $15, but those two boxes will last 6 months to a year. All I have to buy now for many months will be a new Fels Naptha bar each time I make it. I just bought a new bar, and I believe it was $1.39. Each batch makes two laundry size jugs of liquid detergent. Since I have a front-loading machine, I only use 1/4 cup of the liquid homemade detergent.

Those of you with allergies to soaps - I know they make allergen-free recipes. Just google them, or look them up on Pinterest.

 

[FirewifeJess]

I tried 7-8 different homemade recipes for laundry detergent Renee and never could find one that for our clothes clean I WISH I could find one that would save me money!!!

 

[itsren]

I tried 7-8 different homemade recipes for laundry detergent Renee and never could find one that for our clothes clean

I WISH I could find one that would save me money!!!

Between the Borax and Super Washing soda, our clothes are cleaner than when we were using Tide. Did you try making liquid? Many of the recipes call for powdered, and powdered, esp. in a front loading machine, will not dissolve in the washer.

ETA... now if only I could get my grub-monkeys to KEEP them clean. Most are dirty within minutes of them getting dressed.

 

[RainMom]

I don't know if this is "good" or "bad" for the environment, but it works for the cheap-skate in me. I started making my own laundry detergent and it now costs us pennies for huge batches. The initial cost of a box of borax and a box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda was about $15, but those two boxes will last 6 months to a year. All I have to buy now for many months will be a new Fels Naptha bar each time I make it. I just bought a new bar, and I believe it was $1.39. Each batch makes two laundry size jugs of liquid detergent. Since I have a front-loading machine, I only use 1/4 cup of the liquid homemade detergent.

Those of you with allergies to soaps - I know they make allergen-free recipes. Just google them, or look them up on Pinterest.

Hey- I made that recipe once- and the Fels Naptha was just tooooo strong smelling for my son. I have used Fels Naptha since I was a kid, but store it in a ziploc-stye bag now. I need to get un-lazy about making homemade laundry soap and get it done. I even saved bottles to store it in once, then tossed them as we were trying to move. I have everythign except the bar soap that you grate. (I use the Arm & Hammer washing soda for making tie dye with my son.)

Fels Naptha story: Growing up, we used to visit my gramma on the Oregon Coast (Rockaway Beach). Once, the 5 of us kids were at the beach house with my 2 cousins, so 7 of us. We are all out back talking potty talk, and unbeknownst to us, gramma was washing dishes and the window that overlooked the back yard at the cabin was cracked. She walked outside wiht Fels naptha lather on both hands, had us line up- oldest to youngest and gave us all some soap in our nouths-( oldest got the most) OMG- that is seriously nasty tasting stuff.

 

[ChristineR]

Ritalin is not a sedative. It is a stimulant. Stimulants do not turn people into zombies. Paddling does not make ADD go away. My parents admit to having disciplined me more than all my other (7) brothers and sisters put together. I STILL can't sit still.

Yeah, this is true. ADD meds are actually amphetamines.

I was diagnosed with ADD as an adult, because the chaos that had become my life was affecting my marriage. I got through school and college fine (although it took me 10 years to get my BA), because I was smart enough to do well without having to study, but man, I wish someone had diagnosed me earlier. I may have been able to focus enough to actually do what I wanted to do with my life. I was the one in my family that was always in trouble, too.

Adderall and Ritalin have been kind of demonized in the media, I think. That's not to say that kids aren't over diagnosed these days. Still, unless you know what an ADD brain feels like on and off the meds, it's hard to understand. The best way I can think to describe the ADD thought pattern is that it's like a radio playing and someone keeps changing the station - on a bad day, like every 30 seconds. The Adderall stops that.

 

[RainMom]

completely off topic, but my friend David Kirby just posted this to FB, thought you might enjoy:

No Zoo for You: 7 Best Spots to See Wild Animals

http://www.takepart.com/photos/no-zoo-you-7-best-places-north-america-view-wild-animals#