How DO You Clean A Re-Usable Straw

I love re-usable water bottles and those souvenir cups you get at theme parks.  Heck - I still have a water bottle from the water park we were visiting when we found out that my daughter was waiting for us in China 9 years ago!   


But, for the life of me, I could never figure out:

HOW TO WASH THOSE STURDY STRAWS THE WATER BOTTLES COME WITH! 

I'd run them under blasts of water and then get so mad when the straws wouldn't come clean that I'd throw them out.  Yes, in the grand scheme of things this is trivial, but it drove me crazy!  

SO HERE'S HOW TO CLEAN THOSE STUPID RE-USABLE STRAWS

1.   Fill a lasagna or large, shallow pan with hot soapy water.  Add the dirty straws and, to make sure the straws stay submerged, place a serving spoon on top of the straws.  Let them sit for about 10 minutes.  

2.  Take the straws out of the water and place under running water for a few seconds.

3.  Grab a chenille pipe cleaner (yes, the ones your kids use for crafts) and push it in and out of each straw to get it clean.  Run the straw through hot water again to rinse.

YES, IT'S THAT EASY!

I even bought a small package of pipe cleaners at the Dollar Store and keep them in my kitchen, not only for straws, but for any other cleaning jobs that require scrubbing in tight spaces.  

 

Another of life's little problems solved! If only they were all that easy!

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Thank you for reading!  Please come back and visit me soon!  

How to Get Mold Out of a Straw

By Mary McNally

eHow Contributor

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Cups with a plastic top and straw may prevent messy drink spills; however, the straw interior often becomes clogged with mold, especially in hot weather. Replacing your straw with a disposable one may be a bad idea if the hole in your cup's top is unusually sized. Permanent straws made out of glass can shatter if they are dropped, and metal straws may give your drinks an unpleasant aftertaste. It is fairly easy to get mold out of the plastic straw that comes with your cup using pipe cleaners that you can buy at any crafts or tobacconist store.

Things You'll Need

• Dish soap
• Dish

• Pipe cleaners
• Thin cotton cloth

• Fill your kitchen sink halfway with hot soapy water, and place the moldy straw into the water. Lay a heavy dish on top of the straw if necessary to keep it submerged. Let the straw soak in the soapy water for about 10 minutes to loosen the mold.
  
• Remove the dish and straw from the soapy water. Run clear warm water from the faucet into the straw to push out any larger pieces of mold. Drain the kitchen sink of the soapy water.
  
• Wet a pipe cleaner made out of chenille or terry cloth with warm water. Ensure that the pipe cleaner is as straight as possible, then push it through the straw in and out several times to remove any mold that remains within. Use a larger pipe cleaner or one wrapped in a non-pilling cotton cloth if the first pipe cleaner is too small to clean the straw effectively.
  
• Rinse the straw, pipe cleaner and cloth repeatedly under the sink faucet with warm water, and continue to push the pipe cleaner through the straw until there is no mold remaining inside.

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_8162732_mold-out-straw.html

8 Ways To Make Your Theme Park Visit More Fun

 

Every year we make a pilgrimage to Hersheypark, the theme park in Hershey, Pennsylvania that really serves as a living advertisement for the Hershey Company. We've been doing it since my son was little and a he's kind of grown up there, passing through each of the height categories which they mark with a product line. He's gone from a Miniature (kids under 36”) to a Jolly Rancher (people who are 60” plus) in the blink of an eye. But we've also gone to plenty of other theme parks, including a few Six Flags, Knobels, and many owned by Disney. 

Over the years, we've developed some “coping strategies” to make theme park visits more pleasant and definitely more affordable. Here are some:

1. Be prepared – Check the park's website for information on how to pay (one park we visited did not take credit cards and we had to run into the nearest town to find an ATM). Find out if there are discount tickets available and figure out which best fit the needs of your family. Hershey offers a Sunset Pass which allows you to enter the park the evening before and enjoy the next day at a bargain price. Whereas this wasn't prudent when my kids were little and had earlier bedtimes, it's great for now when they're older. It means we get more time in the park resulting in less rushing around to see everything.
2. Find out if you can bring in food/water – Yes, this is part of “be prepared” but it's also a money-saving tip. Water costs a lot in these parks, so if you can' bring it in, enter with an empty water bottle and plan on filling up at water fountains or in the bathroom where you can often find the coldest water. Also, in hot weather, many parks are required by law to give you ice when you ask for it. You can hydrate on ice cold water at a fraction of the cost. Similarly, bringing in protein bars and fruit not only saves money, but calories.
3. Plan when to go – Weekends tend to be busier. Cloudy days and weekdays tend to be less busy. Find out if there are any giveaways or special events planned. Those will make the park more congested as well.
4. Buy park souvenirs outside the park – We've found t-shirts and other items with the park's name on them, for a fraction of the cost, at a local Walmart and other retailers.
5. Do recon on the park and develope a strategy – Grab a map of the park, hopefully before your trip, and decide which rides are musts; then head to those first when you enter. By doing that, you'll avoid disappointment when the rides get super long, when the kids get cranky, or if inclement weather hits. If possible, make an itinerary. We always hit the attractions furthest from the entrance, so while most people are meandering through the park toward the back, we're working out way forward, thus avoiding the crowds. Know where shelter is (perhaps in a theater or arcade) and what might be air conditioned. On hot days, knowing where to find cool air will save you.
6. Pack a waterproof bag or backpack – You'll be living in your bag while you're at the park, so make sure it's durable and preferably waterproof. Stock it with hand sanitizer, cheap plastic ponchos, a first aid kit in a Ziploc bag, and sunscreen. Pack extra Ziploc bags to put electronics in to protect them from water rides, spills, or rain.
7. Take pictures of your kids when they first enter the park – In case you get separated, you'll be able to show people what your children look like and what they were last wearing.
8. Take breaks – Your visit isn't a race, it's an experience. Take into account that little feet need to rest. Don't rush the day; savor it.

Yep. We're headed to Hersheypark next month, as we have for the last decade.  The one year we didn't go, the kids missed it terribly and it was then that I realized how much they looked forward to it and how the pilgrimage had become an important part of their childhood memories.  Coping strategies won't entirely eliminate the stress of going, but will minimize it, allowing all of us to enjoy a rare day together, as as family. 

 

Gift Ideas For Teachers, Coaches, & Others Who Help

Only 10 days until Christmas and we've hit crunch time, folks. The kids have five days of school left which means teacher gifts are due this week and Diva's gymnastics team is having their Secret Santa. So I've been racking my brain (ouch!) trying to think of gift ideas. Here's what I've come up with:

1. Candles and Coffee – Our PTA extorts money from parents at the beginning of the year for a class gift for the teacher. It makes the teacher happy, which is the most important thing, and earns the class parents a multitude of kudos for collecting the money.  It isn't, however, very personal. My daughter wants to giver her teacher something special from her 8-year old heart. She told me that Ms. Read likes candles and coffee, so we trekked down to our local drug store and found a heavenly-scented vanilla crème candle for about $5. Combined with a small $1 package of gourmet coffee from the grocery store (“Mom, she LOVES coffee!”) all I have to do is place the combo in a gift bag.
   
2. Body Wash/Moisturizer– Diva suggested a large box of chocolate for the Secret Santa, but at least one team member doesn't eat junk food.  What if she get's the gift?  Argh!  All of the girls shower, however, so we're heading back to the drug store where I saw small body wash gift baskets for under $10 (the limit for the Secret Santa is $15 which puts us just in range). Or, we may opt for a basket containing moisturizer which will save the recipient from an awful lot of dry-skin scratching this winter.
   
3. Lip Balms – Chapped lips are painful, as my daughter who gets them all the time, can attest to. Assemble a small gift basket yourself by placing some moisturizers you can buy quite cheaply at the dollar store in with some Chapstick.. You could even add in a few small bottles of San Pellegrino or other sparkling water to make a “Hydration Basket.” Or, I've seen Burt's Bees gift baskets containing lotion plus their famous beeswax lip balms advertised for as little as $14
   
4. Dunkin' Donuts And Sporting Goods Gift Cards – Junior had some amazing soccer coaches this past year, so if your kid is still in a sport and you'd like to reward outstanding performance, you could assemble a small gift basket containing coffee and its accessories (creamer, perhaps a regular or travel coffee mug, sweetener, coffee syrups, etc.) or go the easy route that we took and just buy a Dunkin' Donuts gift card. We also give these to the wonderful bus driver who pauses mid-block to let my late-running kid on. Similarly, a coach is usually appreciative of a gift card to a sporting goods store like Modell's, Dick's, or Sports Authority.
   
5. Water Bottles – Everyone is drinking water these days and an ecological as well as economical solution to always buying disposable water bottles is to get a re-useable one. The lovely ones pictured are sold at my local grocery store for about $6 each and would make great gifts for an adult or child alike.
   
   

   

   Everyone uses water bottles these days.

6. Dark Chocolate – The evidence is mounting that dark chocolate is good for you! Run to your local discount store and pick up an assortment of these healthy confectioneries for someone with a sweet tooth. You can even fill the aforementioned water bottle or a coffee mug to make pseudo gift-basket.
   
7. Gym Bag/Small Backpack  – Another coach or team grab bag suggestion is either a gym bag or small backpack that someone could carry their water and change of clothes in. Discount stores like Amazing Savings, Walmart, and Five Below carry these for under $10.
   
8. Cookie/Popcorn Tins – My aunt's nursing home aide deserves something nice but we're short on cash this year, so when I go to the grocery store, I'll be picking up a goodie tin which the sweet lady can share with her family or other aides. Then again, I may purchase an empty gift tin from a dollar store and fill it with packages of candy she told me at Halloween that she likes. Economical and personalized!
   
9. Bracelets – Last year my daughter and I bought memory wire, which retains its shape, at our local craft store. The little one picked out beads in colors her teacher would like and we made a very professional-looking bracelet for under $3.
   
10. Hair Care Accessories – A final Secret Santa suggestion for the ladies is to purchase a decorative tube (I think these are used for wine?)  from your local discount store and fill it with hair care accessories such as hair brushes, Scrunchies, elastics, and bobby pins. Practical and pretty!

Have I missed anything? Share your gift ideas in the Comments section!


Thank you for reading!

Gift Suggestions For A Woman Going Through Menopause

Menopause can be a particularly stressful time for a woman. Much as in adolescence, her body is doing some crazy, unexpected things and her hormones are, shall we say, wonky.  So what can you get her that, hopefully, won't get you hit with a 2'x4' or worse? Here are some suggestions:

1. A LARGE reusable water bottle. Hot flashes may come fast and furious. Those of  us in this phase of life get thirsty! A pretty, easy-to-clean water bottle is a practical, thoughtful gift that doesn't scream, “Hey, Honey! I see you're going through The Change.” Everyone drinks water these days and this gift is just plain thoughtful. I
   

   

   These re-usable water bottles are pretty & practical!

   found the ones in the photo in my local grocery store.
   
2. Green Tea With Gingko & Ginseng. This phase of life can make a woman a bit forgetful. Various studies have indicated that green tea is one of the healthiest beverages you can drink and Salada's Brain Boost tea contains ginkgo (which is supposed to be good for memory) and ginseng (which allegedly boosts energy). I buy it at my local grocery store but Amazon also sells a similar product.
   
3. Fitness Equipment. Exercise is great for all aspects of health, so give her a piece of equipment she'll like. Just be sure to emphasize that you're giving her the equipment for the health benefits since she's already at the perfect weight. Honestly, I'm asking for WiiFit this holiday season because I'm tired of the few pieces of equipment I have.  It will also be be good for the whole family.
   
4. Something With A Lavender Fragrance. Whether it's a cologne spray, oil, or moisturizer, lavender has been proven to have a calming effect on the nervous system. Try getting her a small bottle of moisturizer and if she likes it, buy her more – stat!
   
5. A Small, Portable Fan. As I said, hot flashes can come at any time. Having a small, hand-held fan at the ready is mighty nice. When giving it to the lady, explain that some environments, even in the winter, can be warmer than others and you want her to be comfortable, no matter where she is.
   
6. Food. Unfortunately, the same foods one craves during menopause (like caffeine, alcohol, and sugary and spicy foods) can trigger hot flashes. You do not, however, want to get between a female and her craving! Buy her an “emergency” basket of coffee and/or chocolate that she can munch on at will.
   
7. Clothes made from moisture wicking material. When your temperature varies, having clothes that you can wear in layers that also carry moisture away from your skin help. To learn more about fabrics that wick moisture, visit www.wisegeek.com/what-is-wicking-material.htm. You can find clothes with this material at stores like Dick's Sporting Goods, Sports Authority, and even Sears.com which carries some office-worthy pieces. For moisture wicking night gowns, visit www.onestopmenopauseshop.com/product-category/gifts-fro-menopausal-women.
   
8. Tickets to Menopause The Musical. There's a reason this “celebration of women and the change” is a worldwide hit. Whether it's a professional or amateur production, buy her tickets and give her the option of going with friends or with you. Learn more at www.menopausethemusical.com.

In researching products for this post, I came across several sites that carry “humorous” gifts for the menopausal woman. I didn't include them in the body of the post because my goal is to help you choose a gift that won't cause a rift between you and the lady in question and because I wanted to list thoughtful items that, hopefully, won't get you hurt. Some of the sites contain genuinely cute things, but personally, I wouldn't want to advertise to the world via a t-shirt that I was going through The Change. Nevertheless, if you'd like to take a look at some of this merchandise, the links are:


http://www.cafepress.com/+menopause+gifts
http://www.zazzle.com/menopause+gifts
http://www.minniepauz.com/merchandise.html


There are also sites that list various “remedies” for menopause; one of them is www.wellbaskets.com/mehe.html. Amazon sells a similar basket at www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Menopause-Gift-Basket-Women/dp/B00147R2MM.


Again, if you're choosing a gift to address this phase of a woman's life, present while you let her know you're honestly trying to help. Be gentle and loving. Happy gifting!


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