When I think of cleaning a baby’s or toddler’s hands, I think of cleaning off dirt and germs that could make them sick with a cold or the flu.  But washing their hands cleans off more than that according to the Environmental Working Group.  It also prevents the transfer of toxic chemicals from their little hands to their mouths.  These toxins can be found many places such as some electronic equipment, older wooden swing sets, or some items with fire retardants.

IMPORTANT:  Hand sanitizers are convenient, but they do not remove dust and dirt which are how the chemicals are transferred.  Old-fashioned hand washing removes not only bacteria but also the grime.

This month has gone by so fast!  Just a couple more days and then November will be here.  Starting around Thanksgiving until after New Year’s is the time when all the tempting goodies and desserts start appearing.  Some people rely on weight loss pills to help them lose the weight they gain during the holidays, but my goal is to stay at an even weight and not gain more than a pound or two at the most. So, we’ll see!

Shopping Lists are great to help remind me what I need to buy in the way of groceries, toiletries, household items, etc.  I wouldn’t need anything like spring plungers but I might need a bathroom plunger.  I don’t like to have to make a special trip out for one certain item but like to buy it in advance when I’m shopping for several items.  That’s where lists come in very handy!

Cotton towels do the best job drying dishes, or at least I think so.  I saw towels from Ecokitchen, and they reminded me of ones we had when I was growing up, only ours were a lot thinner.  I remember my grandmother had 100% cotton dish towels, homemade from flour sacks many years ago.  I had a couple of  store bought ones that were OK  but not quite as good as my grandmother’s. She had so many towels through the years that by the time I came along, she still had some left.   I wish I had some of them.  Her towels were awesome for drying dishes or maybe it’s just the memory that’s so awesome!

Our daughter and son-in-law have done a lot of remodeling in their house and plan to put ceramic tiles in their hall bathroom for the backsplash. They got a good deal on the tiles, and they plan to install the tile themselves. Our son-in-law did an great job on the floor tile he laid when they first moved in, and no doubt they’ll do a great job installing the tile for the backsplash.   I know their bathroom will look awesome when they get everything finished.

This is such a busy time with substitute teaching almost every school day, doing my private tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and then trying to keep up with my two blogs.   The weekends are busy, too, with a trip every now and then to see the kids & grandbabies, with our kids coming to visit every so often, church on Sundays plus activities, and with all of the other things we’re involved in.  I haven’t used bowtrol, but I make sure to eat healthy, get enough sleep, try to work in a little exercise (not enough, but some is better than none, right?), and take my vitamins and supplements.

We went to visit our daughter, son-in-law, and two grandbabies a couple of weeks ago.  They are planning to do a little remodeling in one of their bathrooms by replacing the sink, faucet, and countertop.  I don’t know if they’re using a Kohler faucet or what brand exactly, but I know it will look sharp when they finish. They always do a great job on whatever remodeling project they do!