DVD MAGIC!!!

Okay so I probably just got absolutely sick and tired of having a box FULL of DVDs that we couldn't watch.  With six little people over the last eight years we have gone through our fair share of DVDs.  Some of which we have had to repurchase due to lots of little hands and LOTS of scratches!!  Earlier today I said to my husband we need to spend a day going through all of these DVDs and figure out which ones we can still use.  We can get a skip dr. and try to fix them and see how many we can save.  (oh yeah like let's just add that to our great idea but never gonna happen list let's get real you have six small children)

I was trolling the web for some ideas to see what may save my sanity as well as the DVDs!  Well I have gotta say I have found a MIRACLE for DVD revivals!!

So how many of you like me have a box or case FULL of scratched DVDs??  Nothing is worse than having your kiddos favorite movie skip and trying to explain why it isn't working and WHY you CAN'T make it work.  Once all of the tears and crying settle have you ever went out and bought another one???

I PROMISE you won't be sorry to try this!!  I have saved 10 DVDs so far that we haven't watched in years.  So many years in fact some of the very small children have never watched them!!!  I am honestly amazed at how simple and amazing this is!!

Yeah I know I sound like an infomercial and like I am about to try to sell you some oxiclean or ginsu knives!  SHAMWOW!!!

You can actually find the solution possibly right in your own bathroom!!

TOOTHPASTE!!!  YES!!  Well not just any toothpaste, Children's toothpaste.  I read that Crest works very well, but I used Children's Colgate, because we had a tiny tube of it from the dentists office.

Take a few small dabs of it and use your fingers to smear the entire shiny side of the DVD.  Smear it around for a bit rubbing in circles around the entire DVD.  Rub until the paste starts to dry.  Rinse thoroughly under water and repeat a second time.  I do this just to be sure!  For really badly scratched DVDs I repeated a third time.  Dry with a soft towel, I used Viva paper towels, and give it a try.

Tip- you can always watch it first to see where the scratch is and after you follow the above directions put it back in and go right to where the skip was.

I hope this works as well for you as it did for me!!! HOORAY!!!

Pass The POPCORN Please!!

Who doesn't LOVE popcorn!  It has been brought to my recent attention the dangers and harmful chemicals contained in microwave popcorn. 

Information and Sources:
  Researchers at the University of Toronto reported that the chemicals lining junk food/fast food wrappers and microwaveable popcorn bags are leaking into your food (source). Dangerous chemicals such as perfluorinated carbocylic acids (PFCAs) or more specifically,  Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also known as C8 (a Teflon Chemical), line microwave popcorn bags and get in to your bloodstream from consuming the food inside the bag. PFCAs have been linked to cancer and other development problems in animals.
“According to Daily News Central “In a study published last month, Food and Drug Administration researchers said microwave popcorn bags alone could expose the public to ‘hundreds of times’ more C8 than normal use of nonstick cookware.” The C8 is then ingested by the people eating the popcorn.” (source)
“Maureen McFadden of WDNU reported on 5/3/06: “Recent tests found PFOA, which can be extracted from Fluorotelomer, does cause cancer in animals.” Scientist Glen Evers explains, “Even before we cook the popcorn, the butter is already contaminated with a paper flurochemical that will be absorbed into your blood and stay in your blood for a long, long time.” (source)  info from thehealthyapron.com

I always believed that the FDA would keep things like this off of the shelves and who would ever put something harmful on consumer shelves to be eaten and harm people.  The more information that is out there the more I am realizing how proactive parents and individuals MUST be!!

So why would this post be titled PASS THE POPCORN PLEASE??   Well I guess I thought I was being clever here.  It actually has a double meaning because you CERTAINLY want to pass on microwave popcorn!! Anything that is putting chemicals like THAT into your diet is NOT welcome in my home!!

So does that mean we should pass on popcorn entirely.  NO!!!  Recent studies have come out sharing the AWESOMENESS of popcorn!!  Claiming that those wonderful little kernels may even contain more antioxidants than fruit!!! WOAH  Long study short the hulls of the popcorn (not the white fluffy stuff) contain between 242-363 milligrams per one-ounce serving. (By comparison, fruits like apples and pears often have about 160 milligrams of the antioxidants per ounce.) Overall, about 1.5 percent of popped corn is comprised of polyphenols, according to TIME Healthland Read more on this at Popcorn Facts

So is it back to the ole air poppers?  Too many appliances, not enough room in my kitchen!

REMEMBER I try to keep things super simple, quick, and healthful for my growing family!  So if you have an air popper go for it, but this is what my family reaches for!!

Grab a lunch bag, put in a scoop of popcorn kernels, fold top flap down and seal with a piece of tape, place in the microwave and microwave until you only hear a few pops per second, (our microwave has a popcorn setting we use)  pull it out and take a sniff no need to worry about chemicals!  SERVE IT UP to your family and PASS THE POPCORN PLEASE!!  

This is an AWESOME snack for the kiddos after school, while watching a movie, or whenever!! LOVE IT!!

***UPDATE**  Another option is your stove top!!  Heat some oil in a pot (works best if there is a handle don't use a teflon pan, sorta defeats the purpose :oD) and pop in some of your kernels, place the lid on (clear lids are the most fun!).  Once they start popping shake the pan back and forth to prevent burning and watch your popcorn pop!  

Veggie Salad

 

I tried this for the first time at a local restaurant and loved it!  Not really something I would have thought to put together myself, but it works and really tastes delicious.  I love that I can make it and keep it in the fridge to snack on all week and feel good about it!

Green Pepper
Tomato
Onion
Cucumber
Green Granny Smith Apple
Fat Free Italian Dressing
Salt and Pepper

Chop each of these ingredients (I peel the apples and the cucumbers) , mix together in a large Tupperware container add a little dressing, salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!!

Window Cleaning

With our busy household I am ALWAYS cleaning windows, mirrors, our front door, back door, basically anything low enough for them to get their little hands on!! I've tried a BUNCH of different products Windex, Clorox Wipes, Vinegar, Homemade concoctions.  This weekend I was spring cleaning and was working on our back door.  I spent a solid 15 minutes on it wiping and cleaning it.  When I finished and looked out ready to be dazzled by my work the reality was far less sparkly!!  The glass was cloudy, streaked, not at all what it should have been! I went online in search of an answer.  Surely Pinterest or Google wouldn't let me down!  I found a TON of homemade concoctions.  Vinegar, Dish soap, Rubbing Alcohol, a bunch of different potions all in search of a better way to clean the glass surfaces.  Now I'm all for homemade, but again I just don't have much time of patients for some things.  I shouldn't have to work so hard to clean!!  I want something simpler so I can JUST GET TO THE CLEANING ALREADY!!


I FOUND IT!!

I'm ALL for natural cleaning products!  I personally HATE chemicals and products that destroy the earth! This happens to be one of the exceptions for me.  I am NOT pouring this down the drain, or putting it on surfaces that my children will be eating off of!!  That being said the answer for me came in a single bottle purchased for $1 at the dollar store, and the other half of the answer came from my pantry that was purchased at Christmas time from Walmart for a little over $1  So for around $2 I was able to have my SPARKLING WINDOWS! AAAAAAHHHHHHH! (my best attempt at an ethereal angel chorus)

WHAT IS IT ALREADY!!  Okay Okay sorry, let me have a few moments to BASK in my window cleaning SUCCESS!!

AMMONIA and COFFEE FILTERS!!

REALLY!!  I didn't even put it in a spray bottle because I couldn't find one!  I just put a little on a couple coffee filters and wiped down the window and used two others to dry it to a streak free SHINE!!

AMAZING!  The filters were WONDERFUL!  Super inexpensive and they worked so much better then newspaper or anything else I have EVER tried!

It made it almost FUN to see such a HUGE difference!  Give it a try super easy and you won't be sorry!!

Family Pancakes

I am ALWAYS on the lookout for recipes.  For my family they have to fit three categories. #1 Easy to make, #2 My family loves to eat them, #3 Healthful and full of nutrition.  I have worked on this recipe for a while, and I believe I have a sure WINNER here!!  I LOVE how I can put yummy things into their pancakes and they gobble them up completely unaware of what I have put in their diet!!


Family Pancakes:

In a mixing bowl combine the following

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup of Sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons of Baking Powder
1 Egg
2 cups of Milk
1 tablespoon of melted Butter
1 teaspoon of Vanilla

Optional but recommended: Sprinkle in some Flax Seeds, Wheat Germ, Cinnamon, Sliced Banana **you could also add some walnuts if your family isn't allergic and likes them**


Mix them up, put on warm griddle until they bubble a little, this happens pretty quickly, flip.  I keep them in a warm oven 200 degrees until I serve them.  These are awesome to serve with sugar free syrup, turkey bacon, some fruit, and a smoothie.

Super Yummy and Good for your family!  I call that a breakfast WIN!!!

**UPDATE**  You can substitute honey or agave nectar for the sugar or leave it out entirely! Same with the melted butter!!