Homemade Ant Deterrent

Hey Everyone!

On Wednesdays, I am going to try to share some of the things that work for us. I won't be linking up to Works For Me Wednesdays right now, but you can check them out and see some of the cool stuff that everyone else comes up with.

Because two little ones hang out in our house most days of the week, I wanted to find more natural ways to handle most household cleaning. One of those jobs is getting rid of ants. I don't like the ants marching one-by-one, or two-by-two, or any other way in my kitchen! (Do you know this childhood song?)

Ants tend to make a dash inside in the spring and then again in the fall here The ants I have seen are the tiny little ones that are more anoying than dangerous. I try to keep a pretty clean kitchen, but I have found two things that work together to keep the ants outside and to kill the ones I see inside. And they are both baby-safe! I use a barrier about 1/4-1/2 inch wide of baking soda (the normal, everyday baking soda, found in the baking section at the store) spread all the way across the window ledges and door ledges that the ants tend to use the most. If I find any in the house, like if I forgot to put down the baking soda and the ants found their way inside (oh, yes, it has happened!), I spray a bit of lemon juice (not dilluted at all, just straight 100% juice) on them and they die soon after.

I found this idea on a blog, unfortunately I don't remember which one. But I do know that it works!!

How do you get rid of pests at your house?

Running. Running? Running!!

Running is one of those things I never thought I would do. I was an awkward teen with legs too long and a wierd gate when I ran... Me?? Run?!? Not on your life! Then came that year... The one that I was 40 pounds over my target weight and I was walking to beat the band, but it just wasn't raising my heart-rate enough. Now what do I do? (*Note* I know that 40 pounds may not be a lot for some people, or it may be a huge amount for other people. This is just where I was.)

So I figured, well, I'll run from where I am to that sign. I did it! That felt great! Let's try from the next sign to that stand of trees. And that felt even better! I finished exercising that day in the same way and thought, "Well, now what? I guess you're a runner, after all." I thought I knew what I could do, but I didn't realize that I could do more than I dreamed.

I have continued to try to run. As I have worked on it, I have gotten to where I'm able to run a 10-12 minute per mile with a stroller instead of a 16 minute per mile walk/run without a stroller. It is my favorite form of exercise. I am able to get out and not think about what my house looks like, what I need to do for the rest of the day or anything else that might bother me. Running is my reset button... my "pause, pray, think, try again" button.

Is there something that you never thought you would be able to do that you were able to accomplish? Is there something you would like to try to accomplish that in the past you thought you couldn't do? What is your reset button for life?

Spiders don't like vinegar!

Yesterday afternoon, a rather large spider showed up on the wall in my kitchen. I don't like spiders! At all!! I didn't have any bug spray on hand, and so I ran to the cabinet and pulled out my vinegar spray. (It is just vinegar and water at a 70:30 ratio) I didn't know if it would work, but I thought maybe the smell would stun it long enough for me to kill it with my tennis shoe. I sprayed it once, it kept on going. I sprayed it again. It jumped/fell off the wall and onto the floor. I sprayed it twice more and it finally started acting like the vinegar was having an effect. I waited a few minutes, watching from a safe distance. It started to shrivel up! Woo hoo!! I was thrilled!

I decided to show it to Jason, but I didn't want it in my house, so I swept it into the dustpan and set it on the back porch. A while later I decided to sweep the kitchen floor and needed the dustpan to pick up the dirt. I went to transfer my prize to a sheet of paper. When I bumped the dustpan, the spider took off and disappeared under the porch! I guess the vinegar just stunned it pretty good. At least it was out of my house and in the great outdoors where it belongs!

Does anyone have any tips on killing spiders? Or any natural, homemade, effective bug sprays? I would love to hear about them!

Memorial Day Weekend

Thank you so much to all our armed service members for their protection and sacrifices so that my family and I can live in peace!

This past weekend to celebrate the long weekend, we spent time relaxing with family. Starting Friday night, we went galivanting, just to get out of the house. Saturday, Jason and his dad worked on a new front deck at the parents' house. They measured, cut and stabilized the frame. Then, they layed the decking.  Sunday after church, they finished the other half of the frame and layed more decking, to make a 16-20' long deck. It looks good and is solid!

While Jason was helping Dad on Saturday and Sunday, and then fishing on Monday, I spent some time relaxing with Mom. It was so nice to have an adult to talk with face to face!

On Sunday, Jianna had a bow in her hair. She kept taking it out, then giving it to me. I would fix it, then she would take it out again. After church, she told me she wanted to drop it in the parking lot. I told her no, that it would get dirty. I kept walking, and she turned to me and said, "Mommy, I drop my bow." I looked, and sure enough, she had. That is the most complete sentence she has said, to date! Who knows what she will say next!

Happy Memorial Day!

Hello again everyone!
We decided that since our situation changed, it was time to move and change the blog around. This will be our personal family blog and I will try to share updates at least once a month on what we're doing.

Jianna is now two! How the time has flown!! She is learning more and more every day. She loves to climb on the jungle gym at the playground. She loves to swing and go for runs or rides in her stroller. She points out birds and animals and makes their sounds. She is slowly changing (or too quickly, depending on the day) into a young girl, instead of a toddler. She is continuing to learn to enunciate more and more clearly.

Just yesterday, I was in the kitchen and was fiddling around with some things and when I looked up, she was on her stool at the stove. She had 3 pots out, several spoons and ladles and was moving beans from one pot to another on the stove. When I asked her what she was doing, she said, "I cook!" She was so proud of her accomplishment!!

Jason is working. He is working long hours, but he is able to provide what we need so that I can stay at home. I am very grateful for his dedication. He is also a youth pastor now, at a new church in our area. He seems to be hitting his stride with that and enjoying it.

I am working from home 3-4 days a week. I babysit a one-year-old little boy. He has just learned to walk and is exploring like there is no tomorrow. By the time he is ready for a nap, so is Jianna. It works out well, usually.

Well, that is what is new with us right now. If you get a chance, let me know what is new with you!