Line Drying Your Clothing

After watching the Al Gore documentary I have been conscientious about being a green mommy. My latest endeavor is to go back to drying my laundry the old way – on a clothes line.

I must say though the one thing that I am missing is the dryer sheets. Clothes are a little wrinkly and is it wrong to admit that I actually love the smell of those scented dryer sheets. I love the vanilla varieties and also the lavender types too. However I am not as fond of the scent of the great outdoors around where I live.

However with some clothespins and a clothesline I intend to save a lot of money and achieve that scent that every laundry detergent company has been trying to capture called the Fresh Outdoors. The key though is to hang it out on a day where there is no smog or you will not get that result that you are looking for.

Another caveat is the subdivision. It is important to make sure that you are even allowed to put up clothesline. Same if you live in an apartment building. Many find them unsightly. A clothesline may be against some local regulation or law.

Of course for your clothes to dry well you will need a good quality line. It need to pulled very tight and not sag as the saggier the line is, the less chance it has of drying the clothes in a way that helps them keep their shape.

Drying clothes on a line doesn't cost a lot. All you need to do is hang them out. I wipe down the line itself every now and then with a damp rag to make sure that it is clean so the clothes or clothespins don't become marked in any way. It is a guarantee to me that the clothes will not get marked up in any way.

Clothespins are also essential and they come in several different types. There are plastic ones that stay clean and undamaged. The wooden ones tend to swell up in the rain. Whether you use plastic or wood you should store them where they will keep clean and dry anyway. I use a small plastic bag that I just hang from the clothesline as well.

Another reason to line dry instead of throwing them in the dryer is it is just that much easier on the clothes. They will simply last a lot longer than if you just threw them in the dryer. Lint, after all, is actually worn away fabric that is floating around in your dryer. It is usually hardware, like zippers, scraping away against clothing that causes this.

You can also save yourself some money by not using your electric dryer. The electric dryer costs more energy then just about any other appliance in the home. By being this conscientious about energy you will be making Al Gore feel proud.

Parenting Tips
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Getting A Kid to Take Medicine

Sometimes it is just possible to get a really sick kid. Like a kid with cancer. In this type of case getting your child to take his or her medicine can become a matter of life or death. Even getting a child to take medicine for a cold can be a challenge so medicines for serious disorders like cancer can be even tougher. Sometimes missing one antibiotic dose can make even a simple bronchitis case much worse so it is crucial to know how to convince your kids to take their meds.

On the web site for the National Children's Cancer Society there is a lot of advice on how to get sick kids to take unpleasant medications – especially the life saving ones. Often it is not even the taste of the medication. Sometimes the kid is just defiant because they are at an age where they do not like to be forced to do anything.

Sometimes too it is that they just don't like swallowing pills. Many kids have a fear of choking – a psychological phobia about getting the pill stuck in their throat. Some pain killers like oxycontin are toxic if you crush them. Be very sure to check with your doctor before crushing a pill and giving it to a kid.

One thing you can do is offer the child some other type of food with the medicine. Give the child a choice. Say something like – 'would you like tangerine juice or grape juice with your your medicine.' It makes the kid feel more like they are in control.

If there is a way to make the medication taste better do it. Make sure it is okay with your doctor first. Sometimes you can disguise liquid or powder medications by dipping the spoon into strawberry or chocolate syrup first.

It's also a good idea to establish a routine with your kids about medication. Don't shock or surprise him or her with it. With every dose have them put a sticker up, like a gold star, on a calendar. Try to turn it into a bit of a game. Make the point of the game to reach the end of the medication taking. This helps them feel a sense of achievement for taking the meds. This is a trick too recommended by the Cancer society to help your kid take his or her meds.

The biggest challenge is not to make it into a battle. Give the kids an out. If your child starts becoming angry and combative then allow them to take a bit of a break from you. Let your child have his or her own way every now and then especially if the child is not feeling well at all. This lets him or her feel more in control.

Parenting Tips
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