A Lesson in Dirty Dishes

As I stand here for what feels like the millionth time doing dishes, I feel the weariness settle in.

Today being like most days passed by in a blink of an eye. The night is closing in fast and I feel the urgency to hurry up and get done so I can go on to the next task. I sigh deeply and think about all that still needs to be done before I get to lay my head down.

I straighten up and crack my aching back and I find myself feeling jealous of all those other lucky moms that have a working dishwasher. Money is so tight that some things just have to wait their turn to be repaired or replaced.

I feel so alone and while I listen to my husband and son watch TV and relax, I feel the anger start to creep up. I feel angry over how I never get to “clock out” of my job. I feel angry over the fact that I worked hard to put a nice dinner on the table and no one bothered to say thank you. I feel angry at all these dirty dishes I have to wash by hand. I plunk another wet plate down into the dish drain.

It was at that moment that I heard it – the thought. The thought, those words that only can come from Him, God. And he said, “It could be like before, you know. Quiet, dark, lonely and not as many dishes to wash. Remember?”

I remember, Lord. I remember that emptiness, the loneliness, the sadness. Thank you for reminding me. Thank you for the many dirty cups, plates and piles of crumbs under the table. Thank you for the constant interruptions and endless messes to clean up.

I smile with wearied joy as one of my messy interruptions trots in to tell me about one of his toy cars. He turns to walk away as I put one more wet plate in the dish drainer, this time with a more gentle hand. Then I hear him say, “I love you, Mama.”

Then I feel the warmth of love poor over me from above and from below from my sweet little one. I reply my, “I love you , too honey.” With a sense of gratefulness that had been lacking just moments earlier.

Funny how fast chores go when you look at them in the new light of being grateful for having so much to do and the ability to do them.

Are You Ready for an Emergency?

I got stung several times on the lower leg yesterday while at the park. A wasp crawled up my pants leg and got me a number of times before I was able to get him out. I tried my best to get him! Luckily I am not allergic, but it sure made for a painful walk home.

It's that time of year again, so if you or a loved one is severely allergic to stings, make sure you always have an Epi pen or at least some Benadryl (or some other doctor approved allergic reaction medication) to keep on hand in case you are stung and your throat begins to swell. Learn what to do and be prepared.

My mother said she feared no disaster as long as her purse was within reach.

My father always said to hope and pray for the best, but be prepared for the worst.

I always like to be prepared for emergencies. 

How prepared are you?

First aid kits, allergic reaction supplies, food and water carried in the car with you or in a backpack if you are hiking, are all very important to have on hand. I also have a change of clothes for everyone in the main car in case we get stuck out somewhere or need a change of clothes if one of us falls in the creek! Ha ha.

But how prepared are you? We laugh about needing to change wet clothes if we fall into a creek, but true accidents or disasters are no laughing matter and how prepared we are can make a huge difference in how we come through those incidents or disasters.

What about severe weather? Do you have supplies such as, flashlights, batteries, radios. Do you have a plan of action like knowing where to go? Do your children know what to do if severe weather breaks out and you are not with them?

How about a different sort of disaster? Could you and your family be packed up and ready to leave in 5-10 minutes if disaster struck your area and you were forced to leave your home? That is often all the time you will have to get out. Many people think it could never happen to them where they live, but it can and you just never know. You need to be prepared. 

You can go to any one of Internet sites out there that can tell you how to build a kit. FEMA's site, http://www.ready.gov/ is one of them. On that site are instructions on how to build a disaster kit, how to make a family plan and tips on what to do before, during and after a disaster strikes.

It may be time to get the information, sit down to a family meeting to discuss the how’s and what to do’s and then get the necessary items. As a family you need to discuss the plan on each possible scenario and do drills at least once a month to make sure everyone, even the youngest child knows what to do automatically.

Remember, during an emergency cell phone access may be limited or cut off completely, so you cannot rely on that form of communication.

I thought about going into detail all the different things we should do for each possible scenario, but there are many good places you can go to get this information. Print it out, go over it with each family member, pin it to your kits and practice it.

So read up, learn what to do and how to do it. Build disaster and readiness kits. Take a class in CPR and first aid. Get prepared. God willing, you may never need those skills or supplies, but if you do, you will never be sorry that you made the effort.

Knowledge is power. Preparedness is confidence. Knowing what to do can be lifesaving.

Are you ready?

Shaklee April Newsletter

Welcome to our Celebrating Earth Day April 2013 Newsletter!

Shaklee has always celebrated Earth Day everyday and we are always excited to share how much the Environment means to us.

Home should be the safest, healthiest place in the whole world. But, today’s insulated air-tight homes are filled with chemicals that have never been tested for human toxicity - in the air, the walls, carpets, and in the household cleaners, which can carry some pretty scary warning labels.

Below is some information on how cleaning products affect you, your children and your environment. See how these products affect you, what the EPA and what pediatricians have to say.

What’s in your cleaners?

Sodium Hydroxide – Inhalation is immediately irritating to the respiratory tract. Contact can cause severe damage to the eyes, skin, mouth and throat. Can cause liver and kidney damage.

May be found in:

• Dishwashing liquids
• Laundry products
• Oven cleaners
• Scouring cleansers
• Tub & tile cleaners

Hydrochloric Acid – Can cause severe damage to the skin. Can be harmful to health if inhaled. Can be fatal if swallowed.

May be found in:

• Odor eliminators
• Toilet bowl cleaners

Butyl Cellosolve – Can cause irritation and tissue damage from inhalation. A person who spends 15 minutes cleaning scale off shower walls could inhale three times the acute exposure limit.

May be found in:

• All purpose cleaners
• Cleaning wipes
•  Degreasers
•  Floor polish
•  Rug shampoos
•  Toilet bowl cleaners
•  Tub & tile cleaners
•  Window cleaners 

“We are conducting a vast toxicologic experiment in our society, in which our children and our children’s children are the experimental subject.”

~Dr. Herbert Needleman - Pediatrician and professor at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center

Get Clean^® gives you cleaning choices that are nontoxic andnatural and do not contain any of these harmful ingredients.

 We believe cleaning house shouldn’t involve dirtying the earth.

Earth-Friendly Product Choices

Sustainable ingredients from natural sources

Biodegradable surfactants

Recyclable packaging

Recyclable wipes

Recyclable dryer sheets

No chlorine bleach

No phosphates

No nitrates

No borates

No volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Shaklee does not test  on animals

For more than 50 years Shaklee has created products that improve the health of people and the planet.

 

Get Clean® products offer solutions that are not only safe, but powerful. We worked with an outside independent testing lab to conduct performance tests with major brands and found that Get Clean performs as well or better than over 20 competing brands.

Watch this short video and see why concentrated Get Cleanproducts are a real value, for your home, your health, the planet, and your wallet.  

Cool Video: Healthy Home

Think Cleaning With Green Products Don’t Work As Well As The Toxic Cleaners? Well,

Get Clean Out Cleans National Brands! And can save you money!

You would need to spend over $3,400 to get the same cleaning power from major name brands!*

Get Clean Starter Kit is equal to:

•  60 Bottles of Fantastik^®, 32 oz.
•  32 Bottles of Mop ‘n Glo^®, 32 oz.
•  728 Bottles of Windex^®, 26 oz.
•  1 Bottle of Woolite^®, 50 oz.
•  1 Container of Clorox^® Wipes
•  1 Bottle of Soft Scrub^®
•  2.5 Boxes of Cascade^®, 45 oz.
•  2 Boxes of Tide^®, 50 oz.
•  3 Bottles of Downy^®, 20 oz.
•  1 Box of Bounce^® 

And the cost of a Get Clean Starter Kit is a fraction of what these toxic products cost!

When it comes to pollution, we are all either part of the problem or part of the solution.

What part do you want to play?

Contact us today for more information or to get your safe products today.

To Your Good Health,

Julie

Find us Online at:

Product Info & Ordering Website: To Be Healthy

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Always Safe, Always Works, Always Green - See why we work when others don’t – The Shaklee Difference

*Based on number of uses per label directions