Thursday Thirteen #26

Thirteen Things since last weekend:

1. I wanted to keep a diary. However, it's challenging when I'd rather be doing something else. Then, I realized that T13 is the perfect diary for things going on with my kiddies. Since this is my chronicles, maybe I should start putting down on paper what goes on.

2. Last Friday, it was a toss up whether we'd end up at the State Fair or at Six Flags. All our students have free ticket from the school. Since it's been ages since I was in a state fair, we went to that one. We load every one in the car and head on downtown.

3. The traffic was so bad, we decided to try the train.

4. Our kids were so excited about the train. The baby wanted a whole seat to himself. His favorite part is the lack of seat belt. He was giddy!

5. We overpaid. It seems like there's no way to get out money back. A day pass is 3 USD, but we thought there was a special shuttle for 5 USD. We bought 5, but the 5th ticket did not print. We bought another, and end up paying 30 dollars for the train. We should have only paid 15.

6. I was shocked! The ticket for adults is $14. It's not like it's Six Flags. That's only pure entrance fee. No rides or anything with it.

7. I was the designated money man, and after paying 28 to go in (each child's ticket is 10 bucks I didn't have to pay). The first thing my children wanted to do was buy food. Food expenses was $100.

8. We spent a long time at the first display building. We stayed around so long, my husband got cranky for a bit.

9. It's difficult to heard 5 children who likes different things, even if those things happen to be in the same building.

10. It was a great time, and we got home close to midnight.

11. We took it easy on Sunday, and watched re-runs of The Simpsons.

12. My husband took the kids, except the baby, to synagogue for Yom Kippur service. They walked home and pass out almost immediately. It's a three mile walk.

13. The baby and I spent quality time sitting on a couch with a book. When that got old, he grabbed a Nintendo with a Brain Challenge game, and I read THE SPELLMAN FILES by Lisa Lutz. He asked me every time I laughed out loud with, "Mommy, are you alright?"

Thursday Thirteen #25 - Welcome to The Club

Not so random things about today.

1. Today was the Romance Writer of America "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing.

2. I brought my 9-year old daughter with me. She had a blast.

3. If you need tons of freebie, Chana is the girl.

4. I didn't know how many signed bookmarks she collected until she had them all spread out on our dining room table.

5. She has tons of candy too.

6. Not to mention sexy bookmarks of books she won't be able to read until she's 16 at the very least, 25 would be even better.

7. This is our first major grown up event together. We really had a blast.

8. She has pictures with several famous authors. I'll post it after I find my camera thingy.

9. It was fun meeting some of the ladies from my favorite author's bulletin board.

10. I got a few books for my friends, but didn't get the ones by Jill Barnett. The books were there, but I couldn't find her.

11. Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood weren't there also.

12. I got a hug and a picture from Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Nora Roberts, Suzanne Brockman, and Linda Lael Miller. The others I got a hug from, I got too excited about talking to my favorite authors, I didn't get a chance to digiment it.

13. I don't think digiment is a real word. It's a slip of my finger. I meant to say document it with my digital camera, and digiment just seem much shorter word.


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Thursday Thirteen #24 - Just All Over

It's been a busy week and I can't form a coherent thought.

1. Let's make sure today's T13 has thirteen things this week. Unlike the last one I had.

2. We're thinking of moving.

3. It is right next door to our other house.

4. Now my sons think it's because the walls are stained and mark, that's why we're going to get a new house.

5. I have four basic things I want done before moving in.

6. That's aside from selling this other house too. Who needs 5 residences?

7. I want to do the kitchen, floors, paints, and children's bath door because, well, I know my children.

8. I must not forget about making the walls on the balcony maybe 9 feet.

9. My boys are climbers, one and all, and I would rather not have them fall off while rappelling down the balcony.

10. This is a high possibility with a probability at 97.

11. I have the floor guy and paint guy showing up today to estimate and offer bid.

12. I have two other guys already putting together a bid.

13. All week will be about bidding consideration.

Which means my T13 will probably be about that move for a while. Hey, I get a new-to-me house. That makes it fun enough.

Thursday Thirteen #22 - Home Ownership

Things I have discovered about the joy of home ownership. Where a sane person can gets a little whiny.

1. All repairs are yours, and yours alone!

2. Those damned sidings needed paint.

3. This is immediately followed by who the heck thought that siding would make a nice outside wall?

4. I have cedar siding, which means every stinking board is going to cost me upwards of 20 dollars!

5. I have finally hired a contractor, but I think I am in the process of being swindled. I haven't paid all, but still it's too much if I am not getting what I have paid for.

6. I should just have rented forever.

7. Did I mention about painting the outside too? They botched that one up. Still, we think having an fugly paint job is better than no paint job at all!

8. My bedroom closet got flooded, so I had to fix the drainage on the patio next door.

9. It's a $500 job, which I think is a bargain because it includes replacing a few feet of broken pipes, fixing air conditioning unit in one of my apartments, and cleaning gutters in my two house. A real bargain! You can bet I will be using these guys again.

10. The pit of my stomach said, I probably need to kick some butt if I am going to get my sidings, all of it, repaired and painted.

11. Next on the list? Fix the children's sand-pile. It's sand playground season very soon.

12. Get new windows, estimated at 5 grand. Oh, man!

13. Summer is really bad here, so I probably have to update my insulation if I don't want to pay a thousand bucks every month on electricity.

I did warn you that I am going to be whiny.

Thursday Thirteen #21- Potty Training

I decided to scavenged stuff about potty training this week. I have a 33 months old child and he's almost done with potty training; one more to go after him.

I have noticed that my sister's children in the Philippines tend to be potty trained early. Her older two children were potty trained by 14 months. My older three children finished potty training at almost 4! Where's the catch?

If you have heard of a good tip or have one of your own, please feel free to share it with me.

1. HouseDad has a good tip about taking off the night diapers first thing in the morning and putting on regular undies with an instruction to ask you when they need to take their undies off for potty.

2. A lot of people agree that it's better not to push it.

3. I am all for buying books to read about potty training.

4. I also buy all kinds of potty chairs.

5. Chairs which never get good use because my children seem to think they are toys and only stuff toys should use it.

6. Dr. Greene has load of information about it.

7. I can vouch for the needing lots patience and a nose of steel.

8. I have a child who fell asleep on top of the toilet while he was potty training. DS2 was about 20 months when he decided he can potty trained.

9. That scared me to find him asleep in the toilet like that.

10. Familydoctor.org urge to not start at all until one has time to devote to it. In that case, my children should never be potty trained as it is impossible to get that much devoted time for anything.

11. Here you can find preparation index to get an idea when to start.

12. My favorite is this 13 tips to know before starting to potty trained.

13. In my opinion, the most important measure of when to potty train is when you and your child are ready. There's really no way to tell, and I believe that it will happen when it happens. And that my friend is probably the main reason why I don't have a potty train child earlier than 2.5 and up. I'm cool with that...if only the stink is not so bad!

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Thursday Thirteen #20 - Lemon

Lemons are really neat, aside from their beautiful yellow color that is. I stumbled across a pamphlet proclaiming lemon to be such a miraculous thing as to cure cancer. I don't know about that, but here's 13 things about lemon.

1. The lemon contains the highest percentage of citric acid of any fruit. It also contains some vitamin A. Vitamin P (bioflavonoids) in lemon strengthens the blood vessels and prevents internal haemorrhage. It is, therefore, extremely useful in high blood pressure, in which cerebro-vascular accidents commonly occur.

2. Rubbing lemon on your teeth helps make them whiter!

Beware:
One should not take concentrated lemon-juice. It should be diluted with water before taking it. Pure lemon­juice contains acid which is injurious to the enamel of teeth.

3. Lemons takes the stink out of your fridge. Put a slice on a plate and place it in the back of your fridge. If it really bad, you can always buy a new fridge.

4. Lemons clean microwave splatters. Slice lemon and microwave for 5 minutes and the splatter should wipe off easily. Make your own spray cleaner by mixing two tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap, 1/2 teaspoon washing soda, and one teaspoon Borax into two cups hot water. Mix until dissolved.

5. Lemon has been used for many years in gout and rheumatism. Lemon-juice is a diuretic. It, therefore, gives relief in kidney and bladder disorders. It has been used in destroying intestinal worms. It prevents vomiting and helps to cure hepatitis and other innumerable diseases.

6. Use lemon slices, along with a wet rag, to clean your fingers when eating messy finger foods such as ribs or fried chicken. Lemon cuts away the grease. Plus your hands smells nice and lemony afterwards.

7. Keep a small spray bottle filled with lemon juice in the refrigerator. You can then quickly spray fruits in salads, seafood, and vegetables that call for it.

8. If you have lemons that need to be used before they go bad, simply squeeze the juice and freeze it in ice cube trays to use in future recipes.

9. Clean brass with a lemon half that has been sprinkled with a generous layer of salt.

10. Lemons also stimulate the appetite, aids digestion, strengthens body defense system, relieves cramps and also dilates the blood vessels in the skin. {Didn't I say it's a miracle fruit?}

11. Stop a nosebleed : Dribble a small amount of diluted lemon juice on a cotton ball and dab it repeatedly onto the nasal mucous membrane. The lemon's astringent effect draws the body tissues together.

12. Though lemon is acidic to the taste, it leaves off alkaline residues in the body. This is why it is useful in all symptoms of acidosis.

13. A very course exterior may indicate a thick skin, which may mean less juicy flesh. Large lemons tend to be thick skinned. Size doesn't mean more juice. A lemon that feels heavy for its smaller size usually means more juice.

Related posts:
♥ Check out my scavenged useful remedies too.
♥ Here's my other home remedies
♥ There's always lavender.

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Thursday Thirteen #19 - Lavender

Thirteen things about Lavender.

1. I have to put this #1. It's the best de-stinker around. Trust me. With 5 little butts I have to diaper since 1997, nothing does it better than lavender. Nothing!

2. I have a very good nose, and little oddities like poopy smell gets to me. You can really see why #1 is important.

3. Lavender is from a same family as mints.

4. On the first of my 3 weddings*, we got a lavender lotion. I didn't like lavender until we got as a gift.

5. I almost stopped using this scent while reading OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon. My friend end up with a rabid dislike to this book, which I think is really good. So what if he spanked his wife? It's historical. One cannot change history, but we certainly can make corrections to our behavior today.

6. Lavender can be used as an herb. I've never tried this. I think lavender, I picture diapers and immediately conclude "deskunking" agent.

7. Essential oil of lavender has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.

8. An infusion of lavender is claimed to soothe and heal insect bites.

9. There is scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of some of these remedies, especially the anti-inflammatory effects, but they should be used with caution since lavender oil can also be a powerful allergen.

10. If applied to the temples, lavender oil is said to soothe headaches.

11. Lavender is soporific, and added to bath water or sprinkled on pillows aids relaxation and sleep.

12. "A preliminary finding presented at the Endocrine Society's conference last month ... suggests that shampoos, soaps and body lotions containing ... lavender may cause hormonal imbalances and breast growth in young boys".

13. Gasp! I did not know about #12. Does that mean I now have to find something else to use? I have 4 boys, I am not sure I want them to have hormonal imbalances.

*My DH is so wonderful, I had to marry him 3 times!
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Source: Wikepedia

Thursday Thirteen #18 - Gaylord Texan

Thirteen things about Gaylord Texan.







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Thursday Thirteen #17 - Happy Birthday, Papa!

Random things about my father. This is sad, Thursday thirteen will be no more. This is it. The End.

1. On Friday, my father is going to be 60 years old.

2. Happy birthday, Papa!

3. My birthday is 3 days after his. So, happy birthday to me on Monday!

4. Papa was 26 when I was born. Here he is with my mother.

5. He's the youngest of 12 siblings, I think. I haven't really met all of my aunts and Uncle on his side of the family.

6. I'm glad to have a father, he was always fair to me when I was a child.

7. Thank you, Papa for the talk about sting rays and men.

8. My husband made me promise not to tell the stingray and men conversation with our only daughter.

9. I am his eldest daughter. I guess that would make me his favorite. :P

10. Thank you for all the Toblerones, Papa. It's still my favorite chocolate.

12. Thank you for the Barbie dolls, long before it's "cool" to have a Barbie anything.

13. Thank you for being fair when it comes to punishment. I still can't figure out why I have to choose between 1, 3 and 5. Of course, I'll always choose 1 if I really have to choose.

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Thursday Thirteen #16 - Minestrone

This week, I'm going to share with you my favorite and easy Minestrone recipe. My kids love it, and I love it. It tastes great, and for least amount of effort. Just the type of dish I like to make lately.

It has 13 ingredients, plus the cheese. If you don't have Northern beans, you can replace it with some white beans, and for kidney beans, another reddish-looking beans.

1. 1 cup thinly sliced celery, about 1 small stalk
2. 1 cup sliced zucchini, about 1 small
3. 1 cup shredded cabbage
4. 1/2 cup chopped onion, about 1 medium
5. 1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni, or broken up spaghetti
6. 1 1/4 cup water
7. 2 tsp vegetable bouillon granules
8. 1 tsp Italian seasoning
9. 1 clove garlic, crushed
10. 1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
11. 1 can (15 oz) Great Northern beans, undrained
12. 1 can (8 oz) kidney beans, undrained
13. 1 can (8 oz) whole kernel corn, undrained

and grated Parmesan cheese

Heat all ingredients except cheese to boiling in Dutch oven, breaking up tomatoes; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until macaroni is tender. Serve with cheese.

6 servings
305 cal/serving
3 g fat/serving

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Thursday Thirteen #15

Random thirteen things about Gilmore Girls, Season 1.

1. I love the show!

2. At first I was turned off with the irreverence of Rory for her mother.

3. When I give it a second chance, I am hooked!

4. I think Tristin is cute!

5. I love Sookie!

6. Dean is cute! But only on the show. On the interview portion of the DVDs, he doesn't look anywhere near cute!

8. Superman showed up in the episode playing a strange man in a Bangles concert.

9. I would totally veg out one CD per Saturday night and watch all episodes in that CD. Some Sunday morning, I was barely human sustaining on 30 minutes of sleep before my kids woke up.

10. The dialogue...oh the dialogue is to die for! The delivery? Brilliant!

11. Is Jackson gay?

12. Luke is cute with his unrequited love.

13. Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham are beautiful!

Like I said, it's random. I have a huge headache, and I am pouting because my eyes are too much achy to watch the next season right away. I think it's time to make a trip to the eye doctor.


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Thursday Thirteen #14

Thirteen things my two years old told me today. He prattles a lot, and it's so much fun to listen to him.

1. Look at that, look at that face!

2. Where's the chocolate [muble] love choc'late.

3. This is letter F [showing me a figure which looks like F in the middle of all his scribbles]

4. Mommy, where's Daddy?
I answered, "Abba is working."
Then he said: Mommy, where is Abba working?

5. I want so me'balls.

6. Take it off! [referring to my Lil Sis putting ribbons on his long curly hair]

7. This is L [he showed me a perfect big letter "G"]

8. I hear the baby crying. 'ash is crying.

9. Off he went towards DS4's crib and I can hear him say:
Here 'ash, Mommy's coming. Here baby. MOMMY!

10. Look at this crying face Mommy! [and I saw he drew a circle with two eyes and a straight line for mouth with little spots for tears.]

11. Mommy, here you go [handing me the pen he used to draw].

12. Thank you much, Mommy. Goodbye [as he heads to other parts of the house]

13. [mumble, muble] is 'oav? I want some milk. Go'nite Mommy. I want some milk.

Yeah, I realized it's almost midnight, but he fell asleep at the wrong time today, so he's probably going to be up for another hour. Lucky me!


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Thursday Thirteen #13 - Books

Out of all the 63 books I've read last year, I decided to pick the top 13 from the list. As usual, they're in no particular order because I can't decid which goes where. Some books are more powerful than others, but my list below took me away for 3-10+ hours it took me to finish them. Ten hours plus being the audio books I got instead of the text.

1. Tatiana and Alexander by Paulinna Simons

2. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

3. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCollough

4. Kiss Me, Annabelle by Eloisa James

5. The Curious Indident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

6. Wild Swan by Jung Chan

7. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

8. Into The Storm by Suzanne Brockmann

9. The Secret Life of Bess by Sue Monk Kidd

10. Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah

11. Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

12. The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

13. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory


Honorable mention:
*Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster
*The Dirty Girls Social Club by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez *Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
*Anybody Out There? by Marian Keys
*Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keys


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Thursday Thirteen #12

Out of all the movies I've seen last year, these are my 13 top picks. It's the movie that made it worth while to hire babysitter so DH and I can date. In no particular order...

1. Something New -Simon Baker



2. 16 Blocks - Bruce Willis



3. Failure to Launch - Matthew McConaughey



4. Mission Impossible 3 -Tom Cruise



5. The DaVinci Code -Tom Hanks



6. The Lake House - Keanu Reeves



7. The Devil Wears Prada - Meryl Streep



8. Superman Returns - Brandon Routh



9. Little Miss Sunshine - Greg Kinnear



10. Crank - Jason Statham



11. Casino Royale - Daniel Craig



12. The Guardian - Ashton Kutcher



13. Fly Boys - James Franco

Honorable Mentions:

1. The Departed - Leonardo DiCaprio


2. Stranger Than Fiction - Will Ferrel

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Thursday Thirteen #11

Thirteen things about WD-40.* I know I can't live without for too long.

"Its name comes from the project that was to find a "water displacement" compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. " Well, no matter if it's true or an urban legend, it's quite helpful to me.

1) Protects silver from tarnishing.

2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.

3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.

4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery.

5) Keeps flies off cows.

6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.

7) Removes lipstick stains.

8) Loosens stubborn zippers.

9) Untangles jewelry chains.

10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.

11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.

12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.

13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.

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*Part 1 of 3. Stand by for more on WD-40.

Thursday Thirteen #10

Thirteen Things about Shoshana Well, I got another e-mail from my MIL. It's numbered and it would looks so great on my T13! So, here they are! 1) Schizophrenia - Do You Hear What I Hear, the Voices, the Voices? 2) Amnesia - I Don't Remember If I'll be Home for Christmas 3) Narcissistic - Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me 4) Manic - Deck The Halls And Walls And House And Lawn And Streets And Stores And Office And Town And Cars And Buses And Trucks And Trees And Fire Hydrants And... 5) Multiple Personality Disorder - We Three Queens Disoriented Are 6) Paranoid - Santa Claus Is Coming To Get Us 7) Borderline Personality Disorder - You Better Watch Out, You Better not Shout, I'm Gonna Cry, and I'll not Tell You Why 8) Full-Personality Disorder - Thoughts of Roasting You On an Open Fire 9) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells 10) Agoraphobia - I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day But Wouldn't Leave My House 11) Senile Dementia - Walking In a Winter Wonderland Miles from My House in My Slippers and Robe 12) Oppositional Defiant Disorder - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus So I Burned Down the House 13) Social Anxiety Disorder - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas While I Sit Here and Hyperventilate Bonus: 14) Attention Deficit Disorder - We Wish You...Hey Look!! It's Snowing!!!

THURSDAY THIRTEEN #9

Thirteen Things about Shoshana I am slowly going back to cooking. So, I dusted up my recipe books, of which I have plenty, deciding what things to cook that's easy and fast. As always with these things, all the food I wanted to make requires extensive shopping. My two-year old son, let's call him "R", disposed of my large collection of spices. I did find some cucumber in my refrigerator though. So, tonight's Thursday Thirteen is going to be about Cucumber salad that's real easy to make. I have no idea who originated this one, but it was in my head, and I have the ingredients for it. I'll have to shop for my recipe-book dishes another time. When I am not going to be carting around sick little baby. For Ingredients: 1. 4 medium cucumbers 2. 1 small onions, optional if you don't like these things 3. 1 small green bell pepper, optional too 4. 1/3 cup vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar, rice vinegar, but I'm not sure with Balsamic. It's too dark, and I am not sure how it will look. I like my cucumber all nice and natural. 5. 1/3 cup water 6. 1/3 cup sugar, can use Splenda if you're into sugar-free Instructions: 7. Slicer is much easier to use because you can cut the cucumbers and other ingredients into uniform sizes. 8. Peel cucumber, make sure to leave little strips of skin for decorative purposes. 9. Make think slices out of cucumber, onions, and green bell pepper, with a slicer if you have it, or with a knife. 10. Layer cucumber, onions and bell pepper in a casserole dish 11. Mix vinegar, water, and sugar. 12. Pour over cucumber layers 13. Marinate at least an hour. This tastes better the longer it sits in marinade. I even included a picture for you. :) Enjoy!

Thursday Thirteen #8

Thirteen Trivias which Shoshana stumbled upon.

I'm curious, without looking for answers other than what's available, do you noticed these things? I missed quite a few. I guess I wasn't paying attention quite.

1. Which way do fans rotate?


2. Whose face is on a dime?


3. How many sides does a stop sign have?


4. Do books have even-numbered pages on the right or the left side?


5. How many lug nuts are there on a standard car wheel?


6. How many sides are there on a standard pencil?


7. Sleepy, Happy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Doc: who's missing?


8. How many hot dog buns are there in a standard package?


9. On which playing card is the card maker's trademark?


10. On which side of a Venetia blind is the cord that adjusts the opening between the slats?


11. What is in the center on the back of a $1 bill?


12. There are 12 buttons on a touch tone phone. What two symbols bear no digits?


13. How many curves are there in the standard paper clip?

BONUS:

14. Does a merry-go-rounds turn clockwise or counter clockwise?

Answers are found here.

So, how did you do?

[source]

Thursday Thirteen #7

Thirteen Home Remedies as Scavenged by SHOSHANA I might not always do them, but I am very fascinated with "home remedies." So this Thursday, I'm having 13 home remedies found all over the world. Read these with a grain of salt. Or take a whole bucketful if you have to. Have you heard anything more outlandish than that one from China below? Bruises 1. Croatia INGREDIENTS: margarine or butter INSTRUCTIONS: Rub a little to liberal amount of butter on the bruise and leave it. Works on the worst of bruises. From a boxer! 2. Korea INGREDIENTS: raw beef, bandage INSTRUCTIONS: When people get a bruise in Korea, they use raw beef. First, cut the beef in a small piece and put it on the bruise, after that cover it with a bandage. If you repeat three times at least. 3. Japan INGREDIENTS: butter and sugar INSTRUCTIONS: all you do mix butter and sugar sure that it cold and spread. Bad Breath 4. Austria INGREDIENTS: Mint leaves INSTRUCTIONS: Chew on mint leaves and your breathe will be fresh. This is an Austrian thing, and I have used it myself and it works really well. 5. South Africa INGREDIENTS:Tropical Fruit named : Paw Paw INSTRUCTIONS: Cut paw paw open, scoop out pips and cut into wedges or bite size cubes, eat at least 2-3 dessert bowls of bite size cubes daily. This really is very good for cleaning the stomach which is often the real cause of bad breath. Make this part of your daily diet and I guarantee it will stop bad breath. I got this remedy from a Doctors article in a South African family magazine. 6. Canada INGREDIENTS: CLOVE (whole) INSTRUCTIONS: Chew a entire clove or if it's too spicy for you, keep it in your mouth. It's the best for bad breath (even toothache!). Diaper Rash 7. USA INGREDIENTS: Egg Whites INSTRUCTIONS: I was on vacation in Florida and we stayed with friends who had well water. My niece got really bad diarrhea from the well water in her formula she had the worst diaper rash I've ever seen. She couldn't even walk without crying. Take about 3 or 4 eggs and just crack them open get rid of the yolk and pour the egg whites over the clean & dry rash and put on a clean diaper. The rash should look better by the time you change them again. 8. Canada INGREDIENTS: liquid antacid INSTRUCTIONS: For a really bad diaper rash you just pour some on the diaper and it will clear up in a flash! 9. USA INGREDIENTS: 100% pure vaseline (the one in the jar not the tube) INSTRUCTIONS: Glub on plenty of vaseline on baby and diaper. This forms a waterproof layer between baby's skin and diaper.It works almost instantly. Stuffy Nose 10. Russia INGREDIENTS: one clove of garlic (or more if needed) or a piece of an onion little bit of honey a piece of an aloe plant (just the tip of a leaf thingie) INSTRUCTIONS: This is what my grandmother did for me when I had a stuffy nose. Grind up the garlic so the juice comes out, mix it up with honey and squeeze out a bit of the juice from the aloe plant into the mixture. Then soak two cotton balls in this and stick them up your nostrils... Maybe five or ten minutes? It works quite well. 11. Canada INGREDIENTS: Butter INSTRUCTIONS: When we were little kids and had a stuffy nose, my mom would rub butter on the upper bridge of our nose (between the eyes) before we retired for bed. For some reason it kept the airways open. We could breath at night and had a restful sleep. I have to this day used the butter method. It works. Nosebleed 12. India INGREDIENTS: Frehly sliced onion INSTRUCTIONS: This is a great home remedy from our age-old Ayurveda and it works every time. At the onset of a nose-bleed,make the person lie down with the head tilted back, slice a big chunk of onion and place it under the nose. The fumes from the raw onion act as a natural coagulant and the bleeding stops in a few seconds. 13. China INGREDIENTS: water INSTRUCTIONS: I suffered nosebleeds as a child. I had a particularly bad nosebleed that I couldn't stop. My Grandfather took a mouthful of water from a glass, pursed his lips and sprayed a fine layer of water into my face. He aimed for the bridge of my nose, but of course it went everywhere! I don't know if it was the shock of what he did, or if something else was at work but the nosebleed stopped as the water hit me. He told me it was an old Chinese remedy. It works. related post: *Home Remedies #1

Thursday Thirteen #6

Thirteen Things about Shoshana Things I love being a mother of five in no particular order. I am incredibly lucky. 1. Getting to hold each baby in my arms minutes after they're born, and carrying them all around until they're ready to jump out of my arms crawling to somewhere else. I just love holding my babies. I hold them more than 2/3s of time until they're squiggly. 2. The smell of babies, diapers and all. Although I should note that diapers smell only before they get any wheat. After wheat, gag! 3. The adventures of toilet training...I think this merits a whole post of its own someday. 4. The joy of watching them grow out of baby-hood into a toddlerhood into young people-hood. 5. Having DH enjoy the milestone along the way with me, and watch them when I go have my "Mommy-time" 6. Getting hugs from my babies, and sloppy, wet kisses, sticky kisses, and the "I love yous. DS3 says "I you too!" in his sweetest voice imaginable. 7. Watching them get along so well, playing together. 8. Being amazed how each and every single one are nothing alike yet similar to each other. 9. The sense of humor we've cultivated. My favorite is upon leaving the store, one would say Where's Billy? It's okay sweeties. We have five out of six right here. That's good! then walking right off. 10. Art day is always a blast! My daughter and DS1 plays the piano so I can sit and relax and read while they play. 11. Bedtime is never boring...though I could use boring once in a while. 12. Watching my kids get my love for reading. Captain Underpants, Pokemon, Unicorns...those are a good start. 13. Finding something new each day to love being a Mom. Also known today as-- running after a naked 7-month old baby head-bent towards escape.