Living on the Edge

20 Mule Team Borax...my green friend

 

Not just a natural laundry booster anymore!

 

In this world of green there are new products coming out all the time that declare themselves natural, safe, NEW and nearly superhuman!  Sometimes it just takes looking in your grandmother's laundry cupboard....dig out the Borax.  Do you remember seeing these commercials on tv when you were a kid?  With all the push for Green you'd think you'd see mroe of these commercials.

Here are the details of the many uses from their site.  I've done many of them myself and it really works!  I got hooked when my girls were babies.  It was the only thing that helped getting CC's 'urp'-stains out of my clothes and hers too!

Since 1891

• Laundry - Makes your detergent work better
• Kitchen - Helps make your China sparkle & eliminates kitchen odors
• Bathroom - Helps remove stains and deodorizes.
• Porcelain - Porcelain enamel surfaces will sparkle when washed with a solution of 20 Mule Team®* Borax and warm water.  Just sprinkle 20 Mule Team®* Borax on a damp sponge or cloth and wipe.  Your surfaces will shine!
• Fiberglass - Fiberglass surfaces will sparkle when washed with a solution of 20 Mule Team®* Borax and warm water.  Just sprinkle 20 Mule Team®* Borax on a damp sponge or cloth and wipe.  Your surfaces will shine!
• Hard Water - Got hard water? 20 Mule Team®* Borax Laundry Booster works great as a water conditioner, helping your detergent to work more effectively.  Add 1/2 cup of 20 Mule Team®* Borax along with your regular laundry detergent.  You'll get cleaner, fresher smelling clothing.
• Delicates - Delicate hand washables also benefit from the water conditioning and deodorizing of 20 Mule Team®* Borax.  Dissolve 1/4 cup of 20 Mule Team®* Borax and 1-2 tablespoons of detergent in a basin of warm water.  Soak delicates for 10 minutes, then rinse in clear, cold water.  Blot items with a towel and lay flat to dry.
• Garbage Pails - Deodorize your garbage pails with 20 Mule Team®* Borax.  Just sprinkle a little 20 Mule Team®* Borax in the bottom of a clean, dry pail  (you can use 20 Mule Team®* Borax to wash the pail, too).
• Refrigerators - 20 Mule Team®* Borax is excellent for cleaning and deodorizing your refrigerator.  Lingering odors and spilled food can be washed away with a sponge using a solution of 1 quart warm water and 1 tablespoon 20 Mule Team®* Borax.  Rinse thoroughly with cold water.
• Baby Clothes - Baby clothes and cloth diapers can smell just as fresh as your baby when you use 20 Mule Team®* Borax in the wash.  Soak items in 1/2 cup of 20 Mule Team®* Borax and warm water.  Follow up with a hot or warm water wash, adding 1/2 cup of 20 Mule Team®* Borax and warm water along with the recommended amount of your regular detergent.
• Fine China - Ever wonder how you can make your fine china safely sparkle?  Rinse it in a solution of 1/2 cup 20 Mule Team®* Borax and warm water in the kitchen skin.  Designs on hand painted china will not fade.  Give china a thorough rinse with clear water before drying.
• Humidifiers - To help keep your humidifier free of odor, dissolve one tablespoon of 20 Mule Team®* Borax per gallon of water and add it to the unit.  Be sure to rinse out this solution before refilling your humidifier with pure water prior to use.
• Toilet Bowls - 20 Mule Team®* Borax is great at deodorizing the toilet bowl.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup of 20 Mule Team®* Borax into the bowl, then swish with your toilet brush.  Let it stand for 30 minutes or overnight, for the freshest bowl you've ever had.

20 Mule Team®* Borax also can be used throughout your house for cleaning and deodorizing.

For a free booklet on these and other uses of 20 Mule Team®* Borax, please contact The Dial Corporation - Consumer Information Center at 1-800-457-8739 or download the booklet from the internet purex.com

20 Mule Team®* Borax is harmless to washing machines, plumbing and septic tanks.  20 Mule Team®* Borax does not contain phosphates or chlorine.

Wolves in North Idaho

This is my favorite picture from the past few weeks.  

The girls and I did a girls day out together this week.  There is this place in North Idaho I've been wanting to take them to for quite some time now.  It's called Wolf People and it's in Cocolalla, Idaho.  The name of the town is fun to say...it kind of rolls off your tongue...

Each day they are open they bring a couple wolves from their wolf refuge.  These are wolves that they use for education.  They will go and visit schools and teach children the truth about wolves...to help educate everyone on what is fact and what is fiction.

It was amazing to see them up close.  They are much larger than I thought they would be.  I guess I thought they were more the size of a coyote.

Q might be the animal whisperer, but CC has a way with dogs.  They love her.  She is our dog girl.  Both wolves licked her hand and greeted her.  (Our dog Buddy is the same way...she is the only one that he will lick/kiss!)

The male wolf loved having his back scratched...they were working on shedding their winter coat big time!  It was just a little unnerving to have your kids scratching a wolf's back.  But like when we were in Alaska and the girls got to feed the reindeer, it was a chance of a lifetime!

Yes, the gate was open!  Nobody got away!

They were a little wary, but pretty easy going....just don't go near their bones!

Wolf People is a pretty important place now that the government delisted the wolves.  Wolves can be hunted now, which is sad.  Their numbers will drop dramatically and all because people fear them or fear what they think they might do.

Jr. Lilac Parade

Our oldest girl, Q, plays the flute in advanced band.  she moans and groans about practicing, but she does it. She even practices songs that she isn't required to practice, sure sign that she really does like playing the flute!  Grumbling is just easier to do sometimes. 

Last weekend was the Jr. Lilac Parade.  At Q's middle school, they have a large marching band, very large when you combine all three grades.  Their band teacher is very motivating.  He obviously loves what he does.  And his enthusiasm has been caught by the students as well.  And from what I hear, if he's given enough oreos and he is in a great mood too! 

There she is.  She is that itty bitty thing at the very end. She got the back spot. As she put it, she was the only one who marched correctly.  She was the lead or something like that because of her spot.  It's some sort of marching term that has left my head for the time being.  No, those aren't all 8th graders around her...she's just short like her mama!

Here's a close-up.  Mama is proud for sure.  Notice the funky black and white effect that I tried to make her stand out in the crowd!!  That was a fun trick. 

One last shot to show you how big their marching band is:

Don't they look good?  See how tiny she is?  Just when I think she is getting tall, I see a picture like this and then I have to remember that her parents are only 5'8" and 5'3"....poor kid.  She doesn't stand a chance! 

Oh, and I almost forgot...THEIR SCHOOL GOT FIRST PLACE IN THEIR MARCHING DIVISION!!!

My Favorite Egg Timer

I like to cook.  Sometimes.  When I do, I love stuff that makes it easy and/or fun.  This is a fun tool that I grew up with. I can remember my dad using this timer to make his soft boiled eggs every weekend.  I hate trying to time boiling eggs.  I always lose track of when I start the timer.  Does it start when the water boils or when I put the eggs in the water on the stove? 

I love my Eggsact Eggtimer.  You just set it in the pan along with the eggs.

Tip for hard boiled eggs:  If you don't like them to crack when they boil...let them warm up to room temperature before you start boiling them.

Anyway, notice how nice and red the egg timer looks.

Now let the water boil baby!

You need not worry about overboiling. Well you probably could if you leave the house and go plant your vegetables in the garden.  But if you hang out in the kitchen, unload the dishwasher, mop the floor, scrub the breakfast pan...and then check on the eggsact eggtimer....

Remember that nice red color?  It is now totally dark.  This means that they are done!  If you want to make them medium or soft, then just boil the eggs until it reaches the marked lines on the egg.  It's so easy!!  So I'd show you the deviled eggs I made...but they didn't last long enough for me to take a picture!! 

The MAC in Spokane

Although the Inland Northwest doesn't have too many museums, the ones we do have are pretty darn cool!  The Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, or MAC as it's called for short, not only focuses on a variety of arts, but also local history.

During Spring Break the MAC is having another one of its Living History Days.  On April 3rd, from 11:00-3:00, you can enjoy live historical reenactments of the Civil war and the early fur trade era.  You can explore exhibits on early firefighting, law enforcement, and the Hillyard neighborhood.  Participate in fun make-and-take art activities and meet "Billy the Kid" at this family-friendly open house.

Admission is only $10 for the whole family and includes. 

Many area schools take field trips here during the year.  They do a wonderful and active living history tour for school groups.  If you're asked to be a chaperone for your child's class field trip, don't miss it!  You'll enjoy it as much, if not more than the kids!

Paint Up Some Fun!

One of my girls' favorite things to do is arts and crafts. If I'm scrapbooking they are scrapbooking. If I make cards, they are next to my elbow using my scraps and making their own cards.  When I paint a room...they run the other way. (Can't fool them that it's an artsy thing to do--oh well!)

But we discovered a really cool thing to do here in the Inland Northwest:  Painting Pottery.  I remember doing this as a little girl.  They were figurines and piggy banks and things like that.  We didn't have a place to do it where we moved from, but quickly we discovered that there are many places to do it here.  And the assortment of things to choose from is so much better!  Plus they fire the piece now and make it look really professional!

One of our favorites--it's the closest one to our home--is Polka Dot Pottery.  There are no studio fees and there are many paints for you to choose from.

They have two locations now, one on the North side of Spokane and a second one now in Spokane Valley. 

The location in Spokane Valley is offering fun kids classes.  Give them a call to find out more....and we may just see you there!

 

 

 

 

 

2714 W. Northwest Blvd. Spokane

509-327-5437

 

 

118 S. Pines Road  Spokane Valley  509-924-2292

Hours:  Wed-Fri  10-8pm (Pines location opens at 11) Sat: 10-5   Sun: 12-4

www.polkadotpottery.com

 

Although our we have our favorite studio, there are a number of others in the area, both in Idaho and Washington.  If you know of one that I haven't metioned, let me know.

Color Me Mine

River Park Square, 808 West Main Suite 225, Spokane  509-838-3037

Hands-On Art Studio

3115 N Government Way, Ste 3, Coeur d'Alene  208-765-8203

Here are some other studios I've found.  I haven't been to these places, but if anyone knows anything about these places, let me know.

Thrown

1109 1/2 E. Sherman Ave, Coeur d'Alene  208-651-5735

Whimsical Wheel

2718 E 57th Ave ste 103b, Spokane  509-443-6719

Glazed by Design

Spokane Valley, 509-891-4179

Custom Clay Prints by Kathy Taylor

Coeur d'Alene, 208-691-3811

Pottery in Motion

Sagle, Idaho  208-265-8212

The Garland Theater

We love to go to the movies.  It's fun now that the girls are older, we don't have to go to only the animated films anymore.  I can actually get out to see a 'chick flick' from time to time.  But it is amazing how expensive it is to go to a movie these days.  We tend to just rent something from Blockbuster with our monthly free coupon and pop some popcorn in the microwave.  No lines for the bathroom in our house--well at least they're shorter.

But Spokane does have a good discount theater.  There used to be one over in Hayden, Idaho too, but I read recently that that theater had to push its prices back up (oh well).  The Garland Theater in Spokane manages to keep prices down, even with the pressures of Hollywood.  And right now on Wednesdays they have $1 day where all the movies are only $1!  Now that makes it easy for a family to get out to the big screen.  They also have FREE popcorn Tuesdays.  You get a free small popcorn with every paid admission.

The Garland Theater 

924 West Garland, Spokane  509-327-1050

To add to their bargains...during Spring Break they are even offering a FREE MOVIE! Yup, from March 31 through April 4th you can see the newest veggie tales flick: "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything" (rated G)for free.  The show starts at 9:30 am each day and the doors are open at 9:00.  They just ask that you don't bring any outside food in with you.  I think that's fair!

The other movies showing during spring break are:

Alvin and the Chipmunks (PG)

27 Dresses (PG13)

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (PG)

and coming April 4th is JUNO!

 

Ski FREE During Spring Break

The snow has continued to collect at the area ski resorts even though spring has officially arrived.  So here's the perfect opportunity to save gas money and do a local vacation.  GO SKIING!  Mt. Spokane will be having its last day on March 30th, but Silver Mt., Schweitzer, and 49 Degrees North will all be open. 

Silver Mt. and Schwietzer both have ski and stay packages that include free lift tickets for the family.  Check out their websites for more details.

49 Degrees North in Chewellah, Washington has the best deal around.  FREE skiing for everyone, ALL WEEK!  And there's no limit to how many times you head up there!  They just had over a foot of new snow last weekend, the days are still cool and the nights too so the snow isn't going anywhere too soon.  Lifts run from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm daily through April 6th.

See you on the mountain!!

Are the Kids Climbing the Walls?

If the kids are literally climbing the walls for something to do, here is a place in Spokane that is a lot of fun.   

Wild Walls

It's located at 202 West 2nd Avenue in Downtown Spokane. 

Phone: 509-455-9596

Call for their special Spring Break activities.  They regularly have Rock Climbing classes for kids, College Night for the 'starving' college students, Women's Nights, and an Armed Forces discount.  The prices vary depending on the activity you choose and they have discounts if you buy multiple visit punch passes.  They told me that Gonzaga and the Air Force Base sell discounted passes as well.

When books take over your life....

I haven't had a good book since the last CJ Box book came out.  It's been an awful drought.  It's so very frustrating when you don't have a good book to read.  I feel like my brain goes to mush. 

Of course the other side of this is when you have a really good book.  It takes over your life.  The kids don't eat dinner, you're late for work, you hide in the bathroom, stay up way too late reading and then wake up in the morning and start over again! 

I'm in the middle of one of these books right now.  It's called The Other Boleyn and it's by Philippa Gregory.  I love historical fiction (one of many types of book genres I like).  And this story just sucked me right in. How can you pass up a powerful love affair--or two--with a dashing King?  The good sister struggling to be free and the conniving sister rising.  It's an interesting view of court life...and it will make you think twice before you criticise the end of Ann Boleyn.  I'm not finished reading the book yet and I'm ready to see it happen....

 

When I'm done reading the book, some friends and I are going to go see the movie. It's a long book, so it will be interesting to see if the Hollywood version can do it justice.  But best of all, Philippa has written other books as well.  So I will have something else to look forward to when I'm done.  Oh and CJ Box has a new book coming out in May as well.  I may just make it till then.

For the family...more pictures of the kids coming soon.  I just need to load them on the computer this weekend.