Oh darn, the bathroom needs cleaning again.

So I'm making changes in more things than I expected with this corn allergy.  There are a number of products I didn't think were made with corn, for instance distilled vinegar.  I always thought it was made from wheat.  I guess since the government subsidizes corn its in more products than ever before. Since corn and wheat are both grains it's logical that there will be overlaps in their potential uses.


I usually cleaned most surfaces of the house with a mixture of vinegar and water.  So that's out now.  Instead I spray with water and wipe.  I've learned that most cleaning products including vinegar really aren't very effective unless they are left on the surface to be cleaned for several minutes before wiping.  I usually spray and wipe so they weren't doing much more good than water anyway.  If I want to be sure the surface is not only free of visual dirt but those little germs we can't see,  I spray the surface with diluted essential oils that have disinfecting properties and let it dry.  I really like it too! It seems just as clean as before with the bonus of being healthy, natural, and great smelling. 

For more essential oil combinations with cleaning properties click here.  I just notice both links are by the same author but different sites.  Maybe I should go look into her natural home cleaning books!

Even though change can sometimes be frustrating, a lot of good frequently comes from moving out of our comfort zones.  I find I like this cleaning method better than what I was doing before and it seems to be even less expensive than using vinegar and water. Definitely smells better too.

I'm still working out what to do about liquid dish soap.  For now I'm using mostly bar soap but there are a few things that just clean up better with the liquid.  Suggestions anyone?  Maybe I'll just have to use gloves.

Morning Amusement

Our breakfast conversation this morning:

Oliver: Mom, Evelyn and the boy across the street found a dead mouse and were touching it.

Evelyn: silence

Oliver: It was in the neighbor's yard.  I think a cat killed it and left it there.

Me: Please don't touch any dead animals you find outside.  They have a lot of yucky germs.

Oliver: And she didn't even wash her hands!

Me: Ugh.

Evelyn: Mom, what about dead reindeer?

Me: No! Don't touch any dead animals, especially any dead reindeer you find in our neighborhood.

Candy

So after three days of candy, two children vomiting, and one child who continually came to me to open candy that I couldn't eat but smelled delicious I decided to do something I've never done before.  I offered to buy my children's candy.

Oliver has really wanted the Lego Harry Potter computer game but we told him we weren't buying it.  I don't have a problem with the game or Oliver occasionally playing video games.  We just weren't putting out the money for another game.  So he's been saving every penny he comes across.  He earns a quarter a week for bringing in the garbage can (an extra chore). So slowly but surely he's been gathering money.  He has almost ten dollars which isn't enough yet but I'm proud he's really stuck to it.  Its been months now.

So back to the Halloween candy.  When I mentioned that I'd purchase any candy that was left at a per piece rate Oliver jumped on it.  He was very careful to keep the ones he still wanted but made a few bucks on the rest which he promptly put in his savings jar.  Evelyn found a few candies to earn some change.  Spencer, who received the same amount of candy as everyone else, only had two pieces left and wasn't about to give them up. He did find and an open, unfinished candy to trade for a few pennies.

So I decided to extend it further.  For every candy Oliver receives from school for good behavior or good work and brings home uneaten, I'll purchase for two quarters a piece.  His eyes bugged out.  That's double the income of his only paying job or chore and way more than he got per piece of  Halloween candy.  We both get something we want.  I get a child eating less sugar by choice who's following instruction and improving in school and he's going to get that game soon.  I think he'll be proud of the work he's done to get it too.  I know I am.