Happy Friday!

Who doesn't love Fridays??? Fridays were made for fun. Things are more relaxed and people are upbeat in anticipation of the weekend ahead. I don't know about you but I love random fun facts and I thought that sharing a few of those would be a good way to get our weekends off to a great start. So, here are some fun little tidbits! Enjoy!

• Picasso could draw before he could walk
• Blueberry jelly beans were created for Ronald Reagan
• It takes 7 shuffles to thoroughly mix a deck of 52 cards
• Milk chocolate was invented by Daniel Peter who sold the idea to his neighbor...Henri Nestle
• The tongue of a blue whale is as long as an elephant
• The word ‘umbrella’ is derived from the Latin root word ‘umbra’, which means shade or shadow.
• As an iceberg melts, it makes a fizzing sound because of the compressed air bubbles popping in the ice.
• The U.S. has the most movie theaters, but India produces the most movies.
• The reason why your nose gets runny when you are crying is because the tears from your eyes drain into your nose.
• The first lighthouse was in Alexandria in 290 B.C.
• Domestic cats purr at about 26 cycles per second, the same frequency as an idling diesel engine.
• A storm officially becomes a hurricane when cyclone winds reach 74mph (119k/h).
• There is enough concrete in the Hoover Dam to pave a two lane highway from San Francisco to New York.
• Checkmate comes from the Persian word “shah mat”, which means ‘the king is dead’.
• La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia, is the highest capital in the world at over 17,000 feet (5,181 m)
  The Hawaiian alphabet consists of only 12 letters
  The name for Oz in "The Wizard of Oz" was thought up when the creator, Frank Baum, looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N, and O-Z, hence "Oz"
  There are no poisonous snakes in Maine
  In your lifetime, you'll shed over 40 pounds of skin
  Armadillos, opossums, and sloth's spend about 80% of their lives sleeping
  It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open
  One gallon of used motor oil can ruin approximately one million gallons of fresh water
  

So there ya go! Hope you were able to learn something new!! Until next time, keep it clean and enjoy your weekend!!

Back to School

It's hard to believe that summer is almost done and soon, the kiddos will be returning to school with new backpacks filled with new crayons, notebooks, pens and pencils. Soon, it will be back to football games, band practice, after school tutoring sessions and homework (notice that I listed homework as the last item on that list?).
Here are a few things to think about as school bells start ringing class into session again:

• Back to school means that there will be more children walking and riding bikes to school. Please be sure to keep an eye out for them especially in school zones or at cross walks.

• Make sure that your child is up to date on immunizations. Each state has different requirements so check with your healthcare provider to find out what your student needs.

• Many states offer a "tax-free" holiday which means that certain things are not taxable during a set period of time. It's a great way to save money for items your child may need for school.
  

• Kids get nervous when faced with the reality of going to a new class with a new teacher and new classmates. "New" can be scary and overwhelming! Remind your child that many of the other students will be in the same boat and that the teacher will do their best to make them comfortable.

• When buying a backpack for your child, pick one with wide, padded straps and a padded back. It will make it much more comfortable for your munchkin.

• Another note about that backpack, even though little John or Jenny wants to pack every piece of new school stuff into that pack, refrain from doing so. Those packs can get awfully heavy especially when you start adding their lunch in that pack. The lighter the pack, the better.
  

• Don't forget that getting back to school is going akin to us returning to work after a long vacation. We need time to assimilate back into a normal routine and so does your child. Be patient.

• Try to ease your child back into the routine of going back to school by getting them into bed at their normal "school year" hour so they can adjust to waking up earlier.
  

• Teach your child to lay out their school clothing the night before so they won't have to rush in the morning. This will help to eliminate school morning stress.
  

Hope these tips help out in making the back to school transition a little less daunting! Until next time, keep it clean!!

Summertime Laundry Tips

Ahhh, summertime!! Time for fun and outdoor activities by the pool or beach or out in the backyard. All of that outdoor activity can lead to some seriously dirty clothes though! What to do when you a scoop of ice cream falls from your cone and onto your favorite t-shirt? Or how should you treat grass stains that end up on your child's shorts after an afternoon of backyard football?
Here are a few tips that may help with those pesky messes you may encounter!

• In a well ventilated room, dab some mineral spirits on grass stains (of course, test for color-fastness of the clothing before doing this). Scrub with an old toothbrush and then launder. The stain should come right out!
• To remove mustard, ketchup or BBQ sauce from fabric, soak the item in white vinegar for 10-15 minutes and then toss in the washer on cold. *Poof*! No more stain!
• Did you eat some greasy BBQ along with that sauce and get grease on your shirt? Never fear, cornstarch is here!! Immediately pat cornstarch onto the grease stain to absorb the offending oil. Let it sit then wash it with the rest of your clothing as usual. The stain will come right out (learned that little trick from my Mom!).
• If you happened to get ice cream on your shirt, soak the item in warm water for approximately 15 minutes, apply a stain pre-treater and wash as usual. Launder as you normally would!
• Gum can be removed from clothing by putting it in the freezer. Leave it in the freezer for at least 6 hours and then chip away the hardened bits with a butter knife.
  
• Lemon juice works wonders for removing berry stains from clothing. Now, be careful because the acid from the juice may bleach the clothing. Always best to test in an inconspicuous area before treating the stain.
• Hydrogen peroxide is very good for removing blood stains from clothing. Soak the spot in HP and watch the stain magically disappear!!
• Salt and baking soda make EXCELLENT laundry boosters. On a side note, they (along with white vinegar) are also really good for cleaning your home if you are concerned about using noxious chemicals.

Hope these tips help you and get you and your clothing through a wonderful summer!!! Until next time, keep it clean!

It's a scorcher!!!

It's summertime and that means more outdoor activities in the heat. This summer has been unseasonably hot which can be very dangerous especially for children, the elderly and pets (okay, so just about the entire general population!!). While you don't need to curtail your activities, it is a good idea to take some precautions if you will be out in the sun for a prolonged amount of time. Here are some helpful ideas on how to stay cool and protect yourself (and others!) from the summer sun and heat:

• Try to take advantage of the early morning or late evening when planning outdoor activities or work outs.

• Wear loose-fitting clothes that are in a light color to keep your body cool.
• Use fans to circulate air to make you feel cooler even in an air-conditioned home.
• Keep plastic bottles of water in the freezer and grab one when going outside. As the ice melts, you will have a supply of cold water to enjoy!
• Drink plenty of water or sports drinks when engaging in outdoor activities to replenish the electrolytes in your body that are lost when perspiring.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol since they promote dehydration.
• Use products with mint or menthol. Body washes, lotions and body sprays refresh the skin and create a cooling sensation.
• Wear a hat to keep the sun off of your face.
• Drink chrysanthemum tea. The tea is said to have a cooling effect on the body.
• Eat spicy foods. Yep, you read that right! Foods that create warmth in the body enhance circulation and causes sweating that will cool you down.
  
• Dogs are less efficient at cooling themselves than people are. If your dog lives outdoors, consider bringing him indoors during the hotter times of day and be sure to provide a shaded area in your yard for him (like a dog house beneath a tree).
• Always use sunscreen. And don't forget to put sunscreen on your pets too! Short-haired dogs are susceptible to sunburn especially on the bridge of their noses, tips of their ears and belly area. May sound silly but it works and can save Fido from a lot of discomfort later on!
• Your dogs paws can get burnt on a hot sidewalk or asphalt driveway. If it's too hot for your hand, it's too hot for their paws. If the dog MUST go out, keep the walk very short and keep him in the grass if at all possible.

Hope those tips help to keep you and your entire family safe during the dog days of summer. Now, go grab a cold glass of lemonade and head for the nearest pool! Until next time, keep it clean!!